#elsa sick

[sajdahfrozen]

What a beautiful sneeze 🤧

[barefoot-redhead]

Frozen Fever

Maybe I'll work this into something longer later..  

It was nearly sunset now! What more could Elsa possibly have planned for them today?!

"Come on. Now we climb!" Elsa exclaimed. Anna's face was full of worry and concern as she followed her sister through the square, and her eyes finally fell upon the enormous clock tower that rested in its center. Elsa knew it was one of Anna's favorite spots in the kingdom.

"Elsa, that's too much. You need to rest." Anna begged, exasperated. Her sister hardly seemed to notice.

"We need to get to our birthday chills- I mean thrills! Making dreams! Making plans! Go, go, go, go! Follow the string to the end, you are my very best friend.." Elsa's voice began to droll off a little as Anna trailed her sister helplessly, struggling to balance the enormous bundle of presents in her arms. Her nervous eyes glanced up at the long winding staircase, and she stared back at her sister with worried eyes.  

"Elsa?"

"What? I'm fine.." Elsa insisted. "We're gonna climb, we're gonna sing. Follow the string to the thing. Happy, happy, happy. Merry, merry, merry. Hot, cold, hot birthday-"

"Elsa!"

Time slowed to a horrifying halt as Anna's eyes followed her sister's feet, dizzily spinning her about as she drew nearer and nearer to the edge of the enormous watchtower. Her heart froze in her chest and she was diving forward before she even knew what was happening. All of the extravagant presents her sister had given her were flung to the floor as Anna threw her arms out to grab the thing she treasured most in the world. She grasped her sister's arm with two shaking hands before yanking her back to safety and into her own arms as the two of them collapsed on the tower's edge. For a few moments, Anna could only breathe as she clung to her sister furiously, trembling violently. The sickly heat radiating off of her sister's weak body snapped her out of her panicked daze, and she finally found her voice again, "Elsa, look at you.. You've got a fever. You're burning up." Her voice was riddled with fearful trembling as well. Anna's hand gingerly brushed the stray hair from Elsa's pale face and she gave a worried sigh. The heat was immense. "Come on, admit it to yourself." Anna pleaded gently, her voice a fraction steadier. Elsa's breathing was labored as she surrenderred to her sister's desperate hold on her. She dizzily struggled to meet the eyes of her terrified princess, feeling an overwhelming sense of helplessness and shame.

"Okay… I have a cold." She whispered. Anna gave a small smile. Maybe it was silly to feel like it was somehow a significant accomplishment to coax any vulnerability out of the older girl, but Anna felt an unfamiliar rush of emotion that she had managed to make her sister lay down her pride, if only for a moment. She felt.. important. Anna had never really felt that she had gotten the chance to handle and control the situation that plagued the kingdom when her sister had run off and frozen everything. She had been naive and misguided, and blind to things that should have been transparent to her. Now she felt a renewed sense of determination. She could handle this - she would handle this - for Elsa.

"Come on, Elsa, I am going to take you home now and you are going straight to bed." She touched her sister's flushed cheek with reassurance when Elsa tried to look away timidly.

"But-"

"None of that. Come on, I'm getting you out of here." Anna shuddered as her eyes wandered back over the edge of the clock tower's steep edge, and she pulled her sister to her feet.

"But, the gifts-"

"Elsa, don't worry about the gifts! I'll send someone back here to fetch them, okay? They don't matter right now." Anna didn't mean for her voice to sound so curt. Elsa's face fell a little. Maybe she hadn't done as good a job picking out each present as she had thought. Maybe Anna wasn't satisfied with them? Feeling her world begin to spin, Elsa reached forward to steady herself on the wooden beam when her wobbling legs began to crumple beneath her weight, but Anna stubbornly grabbed her arm instead. "Elsa, I'm right here. You can lean on me." Her voice held a twinge of hurt. Was Elsa unable to trust her? Was she convinced that Anna wasn't capable of caring for her? Anna felt her jaw tighten just a bit as she pulled her sister's arm up higher around her neck to support more of her weight.  

Elsa was unable to resist her sister's stubbornness as Anna all but carried her entirely down the long flight of dismal wooden stairs of the clock tower and back towards the gates of the castle. She felt relieved in a sense that her cheeks were already quite flushed, masking the guilt and embarrassment she was feeling. This was supposed to be the perfect day for Anna. Anna was supposed to have all the attention and all the joy in the world. This entire day had taken weeks to plan. This was all wrong! Elsa felt tears springing to her eyes as Anna led her slowly towards the gates. Back into those same gates that had trapped Anna for years, and now it was Elsa's fault they were going right back into them again. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and placed her closed fist over her eyes in frustration. Anna mistook the gesture as a sign her sister might collapse and she took both of Elsa's shoulders immediately.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I just wanted to give you one perfect birthday. But I ruined it. Again." Elsa's entire body seemed to slump forward in despair. Anna frowned. Why on earth would that be where her sister's head was right now? It was insane! Maybe she just wasn't thinking straight because of the fever. Anna made her sister face her loving eyes.

"You didn't ruin anything. Let's just get you to bed." She smiled. Elsa stared into her face in silence for a second, as if there was more she wanted to say. Anna tried to make her expression as gentle and tender as possible. Maybe she would finally get through all those walls and get her sister to finally trust her completely.

Suddenly, the gates of the castle flew open, and a huge party erupted in a cheery "surprise!" Anna's eyes widened with glee as they drank the entire scene in. There were beautifully bright colors and tables filled with guests, tiny snow creatures scurrying around the courtyard, and a breathtaking giant cake!

"Wow!" She exclaimed.

"Wow.." Elsa followed. The guests swept her sister away and into the mass of cheering and celebration, and Elsa followed her sister with her eyes and gave a loving smile as she wrapped her arms silently around herself to ward off the sickening chills that wrenched through her. This was much closer to what she had envisioned. Anna deserved to be the focus of attention. She was the center of Elsa's whole world, and as much as Elsa hated sharing her sister's attention, the smile on Anna's face made everything worth it. Elsa jerked forward and covered her face to sneeze, and a flurry of magic snow burst around her, and tiny snowgies plopped onto the cobblestones at her feet. She glanced in confusion at the tiny creatures she had unintentionally whisked into existence, and one of them even smiled up at her. She stared down at her hands for a few seconds. How bizarre.. Elsa looked back up at her sister again as everyone began clapping and serving the cake. It wasn't exactly how she had planned it, but this party was full of love and adoration for the young princess, and Elsa felt a wave of excitement coursing through her veins as she ambled over to where Anna was standing,  

"..a perfect day!" She shouted hoarsely, putting an arm over her sister's shoulder and swaying dizzily. Anna was knocked from the chaos of the party when she saw Elsa begin to stagger weakly, and she took her sister's arm to steady her again.

"Okay, to bed with you." She pressed.

"No, wait. Wait, all that's left to do is for the Queen to blow the birthday bukkehorn." Elsa stumbled towards the giant wooden fixture, barely able to keep herself upright. Anna worriedly tried to tug her sister back, but Elsa merely dragged her along as well.

"Oh, no, no, no-" She was interrupted as Elsa sneezed into the horn and a blast of snow erupted over the castle gate and rained down in the courtyard. The party guests squealed with delight and began dancing in the surprise flurry. Elsa's body pitched forward faintly, and Anna gasped, jerking her sister back up into her arms. "Elsa! Hey, I am getting you to bed this second!" Anna raised her voice in alarm.

"But.. Your party!" Elsa slurred in dismay. Anna shook her head in mounting frustration, both at herself for being unsuccessful in making her sister somehow understand her, and in the mere chaos of the entire scene continuing to unfold around them.

"Elsa, please forget the party!" Anna placed the back of her hand over her sister's forehead again. "Your face is so pale, I'm worried about you." Anna mumbled. It felt like she was begging her sister at this point. Anna knew she needed to be firm and take charge. She asked Kristoff to explain to the other guests the situation and to apologize for her hurried departure, and she led her sister carefully into the castle doors. "We are getting you to bed and you are going to rest." Anna insisted. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Elsa felt a strange calmness wash over her. The weight of the last few weeks seemed to melt right off her shoulders, and the overwhelming pressure she had placed on herself seemed to fade away into darkness too..

"Elsa!" Anna screamed as her sister collapsed into her arms limply. She awkwardly grabbed at Elsa's falling body, and lowered them both onto the floor, panic freezing her entire chest up. "Elsa! Someone help me! Help, Please! Send for a doctor- do something!" Anna grabbed her sister's face, tossing the hair away from her closed eyes as she pleaded for a response. She could see and hear the castle staff hurrying around her in the background but they became like muddled shadows that did not truly exist. "Elsa? Elsa, wake up! Answer me please!" Tears poured down Anna's face as she touched her sister's cheeks and neck. The heat was so profuse, it terrified her. She slid her arm under Elsa's neck, and pulled her sister up against her fiercely. "You're okay.. You're okay Elsa, I've got you.." She murmured. She wasn't entirely sure why she felt those words fall from her lips, but she knew she needed to say them. They needed to be true, Anna would make them true. "The doctor is coming.. Just hold on.." She laid her cheek over Elsa's forehead and hugged her tighter. Several staff members attempted to crowd close to the queen, to assist Anna, or to help pull her off the floor. Yes, she shouldn't be on the floor, Anna was knocked from her terrified thoughts, hardly able to think or move. But she needed to do something, she needed to be the one doing it. "No!" She yelled at the staff, causing a few of them to jump back away in alarm. "I've got her!" Anna insisted. She pulled her sister up against her chest, and with a low grunt, she lifted Elsa off the floor quite easily. She forced her shaking legs to obey her as she carried her sister carefully down the long hall with castle staff bustling nervously behind her. Anna halted at Elsa's closed door in silence for a moment. She realized she had never really even been inside of Elsa's room. It was like standing at the precipice of a strange and foreign land. It felt almost like she was unwelcome. Could that still be true? Without hesitation, one of the servants threw the door open for her, and Anna took a deep breath, marching into the room triumphantly. She was met instantly with a harsh coldness, not in temperature, but in the entire feel of the place. This was the world her sister lived in? This was her comfort and home for all those years they spent apart? It was drab and unfeeling. Anna knelt at the side of Elsa's bed, gently laying her sister against the soft blankets. "Build up that fire at once! Light some lamps here and here! Make sure the windows are securely closed! Bring me more blankets, please!" She began barking orders immediately, and the staff hurried off to comply. Anna climbed onto the bed alongside her sister and touched her face again, eyes darting down, nervously searching for signs of life. Elsa was breathing. Anna tried to blink away the tears of relief furiously as she ran her fingers along Elsa's tassels of loose hair and pulled the blankets up tighter around her. The seconds were dragging on like years. "Stay with me, Elsa." Anna fought against the tears in vain as she could only hold on to her sister and wait for help to arrive. "Don't you dare leave me alone again.. N-not like this." She sobbed, letting her worst fears close in around the two of them. "I- I just got you back!"A whimper escaped her throat as she leaned forward and pressed her lips on Elsa's hot face.

It felt like years before the doctor finally arrived. Anna let out a sob that was almost a laugh of relief as soon as he entered the room that was now warm with light and color. Anna paced furiously as she watched the doctor examine the queen carefully. As soon as he tore his eyes away from the bed and stood to his feet, Anna flew in front of him, almost reaching out to grab at him desperately.

"What is it? What's wrong with her?! Is she going to be okay?" She demanded. The doctor's serious face brought more tears to her eyes almost at once.

"Her situation is not as good as I would like. She needs a lot of rest. It would seem she has been neglecting her health for nearly three weeks now, at the very least.. I will rejoin you again in the morning, but it would allay some of my worries if she were to awaken tonight. Your highness.." He gave a polite bow before excusing himself promptly. Anna covered her mouth with horrified eyes as she watched him leave. Three weeks? She had heard him correctly? Three whole weeks? How had she not noticed anything amiss? How could she have let her sister's health decline to this point? Anna reached for her sister's hand as she rejoined her on the bed helplessly. She broke into tears as she held Elsa's limp hand to her lips.

"Elsa, I'm so sorry! I didn't even see what you were doing to yourself! And all for some dumb presents and a party?! Elsa, how could you do that to yourself? - to me?!" She threw her body over Elsa's protectively, wrapping the older girl in her arms tightly. Her ragging sobs were shaking the both of them, but she couldn't bare to be any further away from her sister than this. It felt as if she just held on to her, she could keep her safe and keep her here. Anna let the faint thrumming of Elsa's heart resound in her ears as she clung to her, praying for the sound not to stop. "Stay with me, Elsa, please.." Anna begged over and over. "Stay with me.."

It must have been much longer into the night before Anna realized she had cried herself into a soft doze. The numerous gifts Elsa had given her were gathered in a pile nearby. Anna pulled the birthday sweater around her sister's slim shoulders carefully before worriedly placing an ear against Elsa's still chest again. Anna sighed. Elsa was breathing. It was a beautiful sound. There was a gentle tickle against Anna's tearstained cheek, and then it nuzzled into her hair. They were delicate and loving fingers that caressed the princess's face and hair. Anna gasped, sitting upright swiftly.

"Elsa!" She cried. The older girl's eyes were dim and weak, but she gave her sister a faint smile as her ears were filled with that lovely voice. A sob of joy burst from Anna's throat as she touched her sister's face. "You're awake!" She cried with relief. She bent forward and kissed her sister's face over and over, and the queen let out a weak giggle of embarrassment. Elsa was so unused to such affection and attention - it felt wonderfully terrifying. She didn't quite know how to feel. For the moment, she was just happy to see her sister, and to not be alone.  

"What-? What happened? Your birthday-"

"You really scared me!" Anna threw her arms around her sister again, pulling her up into a tight embrace and rocking forward a little. "You're gonna be okay! I'm here, I'm going to take care of you!" Anna buried her face in Elsa's neck and began crying again. Elsa hugged her sister back shakily, feeling lightheaded and airy as the younger girl held her. What an intoxicatingly wonderful feeling.. "Elsa! Hey, stay awake! Stay with me for a bit, okay? Can you do that for me?" Anna shook her shoulders a little, when her sister slumped forward. Elsa blinked at her sister's concerned face.  

"I… would do anything for you." She whispered. Tears spilled down Anna's cheeks as she touched her face.

"Oh Elsa.. I know you would. You've done so much for me.. just to make me happy." She hugged her tightly again, pulling her fingers up Elsa's neck and into the messy braid. Then she kissed her sister's forehead. "You're still so hot, Elsa.. Let me give you something to eat before you rest." Anna called for one of the staff members to bring hot soup before taking both of Elsa's hands carefully. "You need to take better care of yourself, Elsa! You made yourself so sick.. For a moment I thought that I might actually.." Anna let her voice fade away, unable to complete the thought as more tears slid down her pink cheeks. Elsa brushed them away with her thumb, and sighed.

"Hey.. I'm right here.." She shushed the younger girl gently. Anna gave a short laugh in embarrassment as the soup was delivered to her.

"Silly! I am supposed to be the one taking care of you, remember?" She smiled. "Now here, let me get some of this soup into you and then you get some more sleep, okay?" She blew on the spoon softly before holding it out towards her sister. Elsa hesitated. "Please," Anna coaxed, "let me take care of you. You do so much. Let me do this." Elsa conceded silently, feeling her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment as Anna looked after her carefully. After a few moments, another small smile graced the princess's lips.

"Best birthday present ever.." She sighed. Elsa felt her heart begin to race when she heard those words. She had done something right! She had given her sister something wonderful after all!

"Which one?" She had to know the source of her sister's joy. She had to know what had finally proved how much she loved Anna, and how willing she was to give her anything in the world. Anna put the bowl of soup aside for a moment and pulled the birthday sweater up tighter around Elsa's shoulders.

"You letting me take care of you.." She smiled.