confusifying | wicked | book 3/3

Elphie

"Would you like a cup of tea Boc?" I ask gently.
Boc looks up nervously, I think I've interrupted a deep thought.
"Huh?"
"A cup of tea, would you like one?"
Boc nods absentmindedly and I carefully fill his cup for him with boiling tea, I watch the steam curl like a claw, scratching the air around the cup.
"It's quite hot." I remark.
Boc blows gently on the scorching cup, he then shifts his gaze to look at me.
"They won't treat her." Boc says suddenly.
My heart drops.
"They can't think of anything to do so they are e just keeping her there." Boc continues.
"How's Nessa feeling about that?" I ask cautiously.
Boc smiles sadly to himself.
"I think she's relieved."
"Relived?" I cry.
Boc sighs solemnly.
"She's tired Elphaba and she just wants to rest but she won't admit it. I think shes glad to be alone for a while."

The use of the word alone scares me awfully.
"You don't mean that she's actually alone do you?"
I hold my breath.
"Oh goodness no!" Boc cries, finally letting me breathe again "she's got her own Nurse, they're treating her like a celebrity."
I'm not sure how I feel about that, though it's not my place to be annoyed, if Nessarose is happy then I'm happy.
"And how are you?" I ask suddenly shifting the conversation to Boc.
"I've been better." Boc reply's chucking emptily "haven't slept very well."
I nod, listening carefully.
"I'm just so worried about Nessarose, she's always been very unpredictable when she's unwell." Boc mopes "even when she was governess there would be times where she was ill for days at a time, munchkin land was constant prepared for her death."

I've never known that, I wonder how long my sisters been worried to die for, I'm curious as to how much of her time this thought has cruelly taken up.
"I think it's ridiculous." Boc states after a while, "Theres magic deep within Oz and yet no one can help Nessarose."
No one knows that more than me, I hate that I can't help my sister more, I brought her back to life and she hates me for it.
She won't admit it but she does.
There's a creak in the floorboards, I tilt my gaze towards the door to the lounge, where my mother is lurking anxiously.
"Mother." I call out towards the hallway "are you alright?"
There's no answer to be heard for a short while as I'm sure that's a rather complex question given the circumstances.

"Elphaba," mother mumbles, stepping into the lounge and hurriedly taking a seat on the sofa across from me.
"Has Nessarose not contacted yet?" Mother questions.
Boc answers before I can get my words out from my mouth.
"No," he replies bluntly "Nessarose sent me to fetch her some things."
Mother looks confused, she carry's a lot of stress and concern upon her brow.
"She's not coming home then?" Mother cries.
I shake my head slowly, watching the tears in my mother eyes build up like the water behind a damn.
"Mother she was admitted for a heart attack, she's not coming home for a long while." I whisper regretfully, I'm scared I told my mother everything too fast.

Mother looks in front of herself with trembling hands, all of a sudden she throws her head down into her hands and starts to sob loudly, Boc and I make concerned eye contact with each other.
"Melena." Boc clears his throat "She's happy in hospital."
My mother glares at Boc I breathe a sigh of relief that she's not staring at me in such a hateful way.
"She should be happy here!" My mother cries desperately "she's barely a woman and she's dealt with so much, Nessarose doesn't know if she's happy!"
Boc looks at me pleadingly, begging me for help with his eyes.
I choose to not anger my mother further.
"Nessarose is supposed to be at home." Mother snaps.
Boc sighs deeply.

It's not difficult to see that Boc is irritated, the way he hasn't really made eye contact with me since Nessa gained some of my powers really cemented the fact that Boc is angry with me, he would have been far more angry with me if I just let my sister die.
Bocs also angry at my mother, but that's not her fault, he's angry because she's stressed and her being stressed is stressing him out.
I'd even argue that Boc isn't best pleased with Nessa either, for dying and leaving him alone with nothing.
"Do you need me to come back with you, Boc?" I ask hesitantly, nothing would be more awkward than having him say no.
I observe him ponder for a moment, before he stares me down.
"I don't see why you shouldn't come with me." Boc shrugs "you deserve to see her has much as I do."
I nod silently, noticing that Boc hasn't gotten any of Nessas things together.

Boc stares down at his hands angrily, I swallow my words for a moment.
"Boc." I mutter suddenly, he tilts his head towards me. "Nessa needs a change of clothes."
He nods, gazing longingly upstairs.
"Clothes, right." Boc answers absentmindedly.
"Boc you don't have to do this on your own." I reply to his solemn expression. "It's okay to not want to do this."
Boc smiles, happy for a moment that someone understands him.
"I'm so tired Elphaba." Boc mutters, suddenly overcome with emotions "and I want to be their for your sister all the time because I love her so so very much but I can't be there because I'm so exhausted."
I place my hand firmly onto Bocs shoulder.
"They're looking after her there Boc."
"I know that Elphaba but I want her to know that I'm here for her and that I am doing everything I can to be by her side at all times."
I've never heard truer words, Boc understands.
He really, truly, understands.