Green with envy | Wicked | Book 1/3

Elphie

I turn my key in the lock and push open the front door, I'm glad to be back after a day of boring lessons and unending staring and name calling.
I step inside, Nessa is lying on the floor with her wheelchair toppled over beside her, father is crouched next to her.
She isn't moving.
Oh god.
"F...father" I croak shakily, he whips his head up from looking at Nessa,
"Elphaba" he mumbles dryly,
He's not angry at me I hope.
"Elphaba go somewhere else" he says wearily.

I head into the lounge, that way I can see what's happening but not distract father.
I see our maid rush past me and into the hallway, she hovers beside father untill he acknowledges her presence.
She sits down beside Nessa and puts a hand on her wrist.
She breaths a sigh of relief.
She must only be unconscious.
I hope.

I keep watch of Nessa, she still hasn't moved, father is getting increasingly more agitated as time passes.
More of our staff crowds round.
Finally one of our maids, Tilly, comes inside the lounge with me.
She closes the door behind her.
Now I can't see Nessa.
"Elphaba" Tilly says slowly, "are you alright?"
I glance up at her then back at the closed door.
"Is Nessa okay?"
"That's not what I asked" Tilly says, placing a hand on my knee.
"I'm not important" I whisper, Tilly frowns and goes back out into the hallway.
My heat is racing.
My mind floods with images of what my life would be like without Nessa.
Loveless, cold and full of hate.
What if something bad has happened, what if Nessa is dead.
No.
I can't think like that, Nessa will be fine and everything will go back to normal.

I start pacing up and down the lounge.
I hear movement in the hallway,
I open the door slightly and peer through father is carrying Nessa upstairs, her head is slumped over, she's still not awake.
I'm getting far more worried as time goes on.
I don't know what to do with myself.
Suddenly I hear my father shout at someone.
Whoever it is, is really getting an earful.
This kinds of anger is usually only reserved for me.
I listen closer.
He's shouting at Nessa!
That's never happend before, I'm so shocked, I don't think it's fair that he's shouting at her just after she's been hurt.
I'm not entirely sure what happened.
I hear my father coming down the stairs. He picks up nessas chair and drags it upstairs, Shouts again then comes into the lounge,
"Elphaba, it's time for bed" father says, his face red from shouting.
I nod politely and go upstairs.
Nessa is crying loudly, she's lying on her back with her covers pulled over her face.
I get ready for bed and turn the lights off and get in my bed.
Nessa is still crying.
I feel awful for her.
I don't think I've ever heard father shout so loudly.
I'm used to fathers shouting but she's not.
I can't help but feel slightly smug however because now she knows how I always feel.
I close my eyes and try to ignore nessas sobs and go to sleep.

Nessas crying wakes me up, I open my eyes.
Did she sleep at all last night?
I decide it's probably time to comfort her.
I get up and walk over to her bed,
She sees me coming and pulls her covers back over her head.
"Nessa it's okay" I say trying to sound comforting,
She sobs louder.
"Nessa please talk to me" I beg "what happened?"
Nessa pulls her head out of the duvet, her face is red and puffy from crying.
"I was trying to be independent!" She sobs "the doll you brought me fell down the stairs and I tried to get it but I fell"
She gasps for air in between words,
"You should get out of bed Nessa" I say encouragingly
Nessa sobs
"I can't, I can't do anything."
I put a hand on her shoulder,
"Well I'll help yo-"
"No" Nessa cuts me off "I don't want any help anymore, I'm sick of being helpless"
She looks so miserable just lying there, I walk over to her chair and push it beside her bed.
Nessa is still balling, she looks awful.
"Will you let me help you?" I ask gently, she nods stubbornly and I pick her up and place her in her chair.
She sits there with her arms in her lap.
She uses one arm to turn herself around so she's facing the mirror.
She lets out a shriek when she sees herself.
I pull her away and hug her tightly.
"Elphie get of!" She sobs "your hurting me"
I step back instantly,
"where, where does it hurt?" I ask frantically,
"Don't worry about it" she says wiping her eyes.
I look at Nessa, she's holding one of her arms with the other.
"Nessa, how are you feeling?" I ask timidly, she rolls her eyes.
"I'm fine" she mumbles but she looks like she's holding back tears, she glances around the room nervously.

After a while father comes upstairs, he looks defeatedly at Nessa who bursts into tears at the sight of him, he bends down and hugs her,
"Ouch" Nessa whimpers, he backs away,
"What's wrong darling?" He asks lovingly,
Nessa shakes her head.
Father furrows his brow,
"Nessa does something hurt?" He asks worriedly.
I stand watching nessa start to silently panic.
"Nessarose?" Father says, deepening his voice.
Nessa looks at me frantically, tears spilling down her red cheeks.
She tilts her head forward to look in the mirror and starts crying louder.
"My arm" she exclaims "my arm hurts."
Father jumps into action, a horrible guilty look spreads across his face, Nessa wails as he touches the arm that she had left lying on her lap.
I just stand there observing everything.
"Elphaba stay with your sister, I have to phone the doctor" father says rushing downstairs.
"No no no" Nessa cries "I don't want to see the doctor"
Nessa is getting more and more stressed out.
I don't know how to help her.
I remember that Nessa spent about the first year of her life at the doctors, I rarely ever saw her, until finally the doctor just gave up and said he couldn't help her.
Her legs didn't develop properly when she was born so that left her paralysed and doctors couldn't do anything about it.
I put my arm gently on nessas shoulder, she looks up at me, her eyes full of tears.
"Elphie I'm scared" Nessa whimpers, "I hate having the doctors look at me"
I hold nessas good hand and nod at her, I can't tell her that they won't because they have to.
"They talk about me like I'm a toy" she cries, squeezing my hand tightly.

She's still crying, I feel awful.
I can't believe that I was happy that father shouted at her, I should be ashamed.
Suddenly he comes rushing upstairs,
"Come here Nessa, I've got to take you to the doctor."
Father picks Nessa up and carry's her towards the stairs, she screams at the sight of them.
I run back to our room and lie on my bed.
Taking in everything that just happened.
I feel so sorry for Ness.