confusifying | wicked | book 3/3

Elphie

Rebecca walks towards where we're all sat, her face is pale like a ghost and she looks as though she may be sick.
Horrible thoughts race through my head.
"Rebecca?" Glinda questions "are you quite alright?"
Marigold and I lock eyes and stare suspiciously towards the girl as we both know that Nessa was asking for her.
Rebecca suddenly breaks and bursts into tears.
Glinda stands up and holds her gently by the shoulders.
"What's the matter?" Glinda asks, sharpening her tone of voice.
"It's her Eminence!" Rebecca suddenly sobs.
"What's wrong with Nessarose?" I gasp loudly, not caring about Glindas sweet approach anymore.
Rebecca turns to me and shudders, shaking free of Glindas grip.
"Her eminence asked me to bring her a dagger." Rebecca says solemnly.
"And did you?" Glinda asks horrified at Rebecca's words.
Rebecca nods.
"I had to."
No, no she didn't, she chose to.

I run, with Glinda, Boc, Marigold and my mother behind me, throwing open the door to nessas room.
She's sat up against her headboard, blood is pooling around her, seemingly coming from her lower abdomen and in her right hand she has a bloody dagger clasped though she seems well awake and alert.
She notices us all piling into the room and mouths that she's sorry, before closing her eyes suddenly.
Glinda screams, mother drops to the floor in despair and Boc, Marigold and I rush to be beside Nessarose.
"Move those blankets boy!" Marigold commands sternly, I've never seen her this fiery.
Boc swiftly bundles the blood soaked blankets off of my sister who convulses slightly at the movement.
Marigold observes a large tear in the fabric of Nessas dress and sees that's where the blood is coming from.
Without hesitation, marigold presses her hand over the gash and holds it there steadily.
My eyes turn to the knife, it's a green handle in the shape of a snake and a curvy silver blade, no longer than the length of my hand.
Carefully, I ease it out of my sisters clutches.

"Miss Glinda," marigold gasps, I can see it on her face that she's struggling to keep her hand still, "call doctor tip."
"She'll never get here in time!" Glinda cries.
Marigold cursed under her breath.
"She never left the emerald city, she should be here in a matter of minutes, now go!"
Glinda scurries away, looking just as frantic and pale as Rebecca did.
Blood starts to trickle out from between marigolds fingers and she quickly notices and pushes down harder.
Nessa wheezes and coughs, opening her eyes suddenly.
She looks much less alert, and her eyes appear like there's a sheet of glass over them.
"Nessa," Boc mumbles but she doesn't react at all.
I hatefully place the dagger onto the cabinet by nessas bed and gently latch onto her hand.

Doctor tip rushes into the room suddenly, followed by a hysterical Glinda.
Tip opens her suitcase and pulls out a large patch of gauze.
I hurriedly dash out of her way and cradle my mother upon the floor.
I watch as tip binds my sister abdomen and places a large white patch over the wound.
"Miss Nessarose?" Tip questions, "Miss Nessarose can you hear me?"
There's no response from the bed and I carefully pull my mother up onto the window seat as I walk nervously towards my sister.
Nessas eyes fall upon me and I cringe at the sight of her starring at me.
"Do you have her?" Marigold asks tip, her fierceness that she once had has now dissipated and now her voice is trembling and shaky as she holds her blood soaked hand out before her.
Tip nods without taking her eyes off of my sister.

Marigold ambles past me into Nessas bathroom, I hear the tap running and follow her inside.
She's scrubbing at her bloody hand rather viciously with a bar of soap, crying relentlessly.
"Marigold?" I whisper gently, taking pity upon this sweet, old woman.
Marigold looks up at me, leaving the tap running over her hands, her eyes are red and mourning.
"I'm so sorry dear." She mutters, "I said not to contact a doctor earlier, this is all my fault." Marigold sobs.
I don't blame her for the choice she made, no one could have possibly had an inkling that Nessa would do that.
"I would have made the same decision." I admit hesitantly "no one would have known..." my voice seems to tumble away and fall silent.
Marigold finishes cleaning her hands and turns the tap on.
"Poor little dear." Marigold whispers under her breath "my little chick."
I put my arm around the old woman, allowing her to rest her head momentarily on my shoulder.
We stay together silently for a while before walking back out to view my sister.
There's so much blood everywhere, doctor tip is tearfully wrapping a second bandage around my sisters abdomen, though Nessa seems too tired to care.

Boc is stood beside the bed starring at my sister, a look of anger across his face.
"There's no way for me to numb the area." Tip mutters, marigold walks over to converse with her.
"Tip she shouldn't have to feel this."
Doctor tip nods in undoubted agreement.
"I'm going to have to speak with her when she's more alert." Tip comments, placing a hand upon Nessas forehead and swiftly jerking it back "She's a little cold for my liking.
Tip babbles something about thermoregulation and quickly falls silent again.
"We should all take turns in sitting with her Eminence because I really don't think it's safe for her to be alone." Tip comments and I offer to take the first round.
Tip denies my request and states that it should be Marigold.
"Miss Elphaba is welcome to stay with me." Marigold comments, placing a hand on the side of my arm, she gives me a comforting pat and I smile at her feebly.
Now I just need Nessa to speak to me.