Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked, the wonderful Gregory Maguire does, and if I did, I certainly wouldn't have Elphaba die in the end.

Blood.

There was blood everywhere. She was dying. That much Frex and Nanny were sure of.

"Go get a doctor! Dammit Frex, get a doctor!" Screamed Nanny, swaddling the child in the crease of her arm.

Frex eyes were lightyears away, the light was on, but nobody was home.

He stumbled aganist the wall and took off to find a surgeon. A medic, somebody who could help his wife. She had pushed out the baby alright. but, there was just too much blood. It wasn't normal.

Nanny bent onto her rickety knees to face Melena. She had gone into labor much earlier then expected, Frex didn't have time to call the Mid-wives, causing them to both temporarily take on the role of doctors.

Melena had stopped crying. Nanny wisely took this as a bad sign. She was slowly losing life right infront of the old womens eyes. Nanny placed her hand over Melena's clammy, pale face. And wheezed deeply to fight back tears. Tears wouldn't help, thought Nanny, it would upset her and the baby.

The baby.

It struck her, she hadn't even checked out the poor thing. She stood and unraveled the blanket just enough to inspect it. It was a boy. Obviously noted by the usual plumbing. He was healthy. scared, but healthy. She clutched the boy against her, to soothe him, or perhaps, to soothe her.. It was terriblely ironic, the child being a boy, after all the heartache Melena went through with her children being born girls. It was this one that would kill her.

"Nanny?"

Nanny gasped and turned to find Melena calling out in a dreamy haze.

"Shush. Dear, it'll all be okay."

Melena didn't listen and trashed in her blood smeared sheets. Nanny reached out and took her hand to hold, this seemed to calm her. "Nanny. I need to, to tell you.."

"Tell me nothing. You need to relax. You need to-"

The baby was asleep, and Nanny thought that he would never see his mother. Melena's voice cracked as she spoke.

"You've told me what to do for many years. Let me speak."

Nanny considered fighting her further. but decided she should leave Melena her dignity, not quiet her like a child struck with a sore throat. Melena started slowly.

"In these last years.. I begun to remember those long, sleepy days in Nest Hardings. Before Elphaba was born."

Nanny sighed and said. "You don't need to drudge this up."

Melena continued as if nothing was said.

"And I've begun to remember, perhaps, it's all a bit fuzzy, curse those damn pinlobble leaves! .. I remember a man, a strange man. He visited me, long ago.. Frex was away on another of his missions for the Unnamed God.. OH. I was younger then. I had urges, desires.. Well. I can just make out his face.. strong features. Big, dark eyebrows. I don't remember much.. but, I can recall him saying that he came from another word. I was drugged, I hardly remember anything else.. he was just so handsome. I was lonely.''

"Melena. Are you trying to tell me that this happened around the time Elphaba was born?"

She couldn't say it. So, instead she bit her lip and nodded. Melena frowned and looked up at the older woman.

"Where are my children?"

"Nessarose is in her crib, and Elphaba is in the den."

Melena squeezed her eyes shut and muttered:

"Could I see Elphie?"

Nanny sighed and patted her on the head and said:

"Are you sure you want her to see you like this?"

Melena nodded as best as she could. Nanny mumbled to herself and momentarily walked away from the room.

When she remerged she had a small girl, that came up just below her thigh. I don't need to explain that this girl was a particular shade of green. The girl was whimpering. Her normally withdrawn brown eyes bugged out of her head.

"Elphaba." Melena moaned, feeling the blood rush out of her head.

"Mommie?" The pipsqueak cried.

Nanny nudged her with her knee. "Go speak to Mommie, go on.. Do as Nanny says."

The girl understood the command and approached her, and took her hand when Melena reached out to her. But recoiled a bit when she spotted the clots of blood surrounding her mothers hips.

"Hello, Elphaba." She whispered, with her free hand rubbing the childs face. Melena felt sad looking at the green girl. She knew how much she neglected her. But, she couldn't face it. She was a Thropp for god's sake! Thropps do not face, they ignore until the problem goes away. But, she could see it, looking into her eyes. That she would never recover from it. The damage was done..

"Mommie?" Elphaba, said, sure of herself.

"What is it, Elphaba, darling?" Melena said, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Are you gonna die?"

Before Melena could retch from the words her child spoke. The door to the room flung open, and her husband, her Frexspar was standing infront of her with a man who appeared to be a doctor, although he more resembled a toad then anything else.

The toad-man wabbled over to her and examined her with large, runny eyes. He finshed and walked over to Nanny and Frex, and took them from the elbow. He muttered something to them that made Nanny blubber like a child and caused Frex to go frozen solid, like a Vinkus statue.

"What is it?" She called to them. She looked at her daughter to realize that she was still rubbing her forehead, and the spot had been rubbed raw, starting to deepen into a deep green color, from her nervousness. She stopped and tried to smile at her. It didn't have a soothing affect as she had hoped, but seemed to make Elphaba more nervous then she was already.

Now she was really dizzy and the sounds around her seemed to be echoing, becoming far off from her. She heard them whispering, but she couldn't make out the words. She heard Nessarose crying somewhere. Elphaba sniffling..

"You have to do something!" Nanny shrieked.

Strangley enough, this didn't scare her. Everything felt good now.

She started to find that death was better then she expected.

There was nothing to worry about, she found, no screaming children, no husband gallavanting around, no green babies..

She smiled at her baby one last time, this time Elphaba noticed something wasn't right.

Melena wondered how a girl so young could have so wise an expression as she did now. As she thought, Elphie swooped down on her mothers and pressed her lips aganist her cheek. As a last attempt of daughterly affection.

It was actually beautiful to look at, the mesh of green skin aganist flushed pink flesh. The simple tears that fell from Melena's eyes. Not out of sorrow, or happiness. But out of the great release she was feeling now.

The only thing that scared her was the last words she heard.

They were uttered by the toad-doctor, he was talking to Frexspar. It scared her because it was what she feared about her daughter in those last moments.

He said, in a monotonous voice. "The damage is irreparable."