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lelitachay · 5 months

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Frozen fanfiction: Søsken

Summary: An accident in the North Mountain forces Elsa to spend several weeks in her brother’s apartment under Anna's care. During that time, Anna realises there is more to Elsa than meets the eye. The truth about Elsa’s past comes to light after an unexpected family reunion, and both girls’ lives begin to fall apart when they realise Elsa wasn’t the only one with a big secret and a turbulent past.

Anna/Kristoff - Elsa - Family - Family drama - hurt/comfort - Modern AU - Elsa & Kristoff are adoptive brother and sister - Ice bros - Found family - Serious injuries - Mental health issues - Health issues - Frohana

Links:

Fanfiction.net - HERE

AO3 - HERE

Tumblr - Chapters 1 to 10 - Here Chapters 11 to 20 - Here Chapters 21 to 30 - Here Chapters 31 to 40 - Here Chapter 41 - Here Chapter 42 - Here Chapter 43 - Here Chapter 44 - Here Chapter 45 - Here Chapter 46 - Here

With the dawn, what comes then?

The moment Kristoff had told her Elsa was in the ICU, she knew things were most certainly serious, but not once had she imagined her sister’s health would be so seriously compromised.

As soon as Anna had walked into the director's office, where Kai and Gerda had already been waiting for them, she knew they were bound to get bad news. She wasn’t naive and knew exactly what the downcast looks meant. The atmosphere was gloomy and the way Gerda averted her eyes when they entered told Anna everything she needed to know.

To make matters worse, Nielsen had taken upon himself to explain the situation the very moment they sat down. Asking for them to listen, not even giving Kristoff a second to address his parents or gather himself. The doctor, being a lot more serious than he had been in the evening, when Anna had met him, explained to them everything that was going on. And with every new piece of information given, Anna had felt her stomach tightening and her heart thumping more and more loudly.

Elsa’s health was steadily deteriorating. She was struggling to overcome what her own body was causing. Within a matter of hours, her body had begun developing an immune reaction that was now turning against herself. The fever had not only spiked to dangerous levels, she had also had trouble breathing and her blood pressure had dropped so low they feared she could go into shock at any given minute. And in order to prevent it, the doctors had been forced to start an IV treatment on her, sedating and intubating her to make sure her oxygen levels remained stable — Anna hadn’t been entirely sure what it all meant, but the look Gerda sent their way did nothing to appease her.

Throughout the explanation, Anna had been able to keep herself in check. She had focused on the hard data, trying to detach the person from the information given, forcing herself to forget for a moment the patient they were talking about was her sister. But as soon as Nielsen was over and Kai and Kristoff began asking questions, she found herself powerless in holding back the tears. No matter the words Nielsen tried to use, she knew deep down that everything they were discussing meant there could be dire consequences for Elsa in the future if things didn't improve. And while Kai had tried to remain more optimistic, asking about the recovery process and what to expect from it — a process that seemed arduous even for someone who didn’t have deep revulsion for hospitals like Elsa did — Kristoff had been more blunt, asking exactly what they were all thinking:

Will she be okay?

It seemed like a logical thing to ask, the most important, even; but Anna knew Kai had refrained from asking it himself in fear of what Nielsen could say.

She’s receiving the care she needs; but sadly, the mortality rate is up to 40%.

Nothing had helped lessen the blow then. A moment after hearing his answer, Kristoff had excused himself, leaving the office before Anna or Kai could stop him. Anna had tried to follow him, but Gerda had put a hand on her arm stopping her. The old woman murmured something about giving him a minute or two on his own, and she also requested Anna to stay so one of them knew what they had agreed to do about Elsa's powers. Not wanting to go against her mother-in-law’s suggestion, and unsure of what else to do, Anna had stayed. Frozen in her seat, she had listened to the rest of the conversation in silence.

Deep down, Anna felt it was a bit cruel on Nielsen and the director’s part to force the old couple to discuss the details on how to tell the staff about Elsa’s powers at that moment. It was clear Kai and Gerda were trying to stay focused on the conversation, even though their sad looks told a different story. However, she refrained from arguing or stopping the conversation, thinking that perhaps focusing on their next tasks helped them cope with the situation a lot better.

The discussion dragged well into the night, as names and names of medical staff available to look after Elsa had been mentioned and considered. Finally, after what seemed to be the longest meeting Anna had ever been part of, the parts reached an agreement when the clock on the wall had struck the witching hour. And before Anna had time to see what was going on, she found herself standing in a cold and empty hall with Gerda standing by her side.

Her parents-in-law then discussed a few more details with each other, away from the director’s earshot; and when they both reached an agreement of their own, Kai disappeared into the office once again. She knew the situation was delicate and it was important to be sure the people they selected were to trust, but still there was a part of Anna that couldn’t comprehend the amount of tiny things to consider.

A moment after Kai had left them on their own, Gerda put a comforting hand around Anna’s arm and she had led her down the hall into a small room not far from the ICU. Kristoff had been waiting there, sitting in one of the small chairs all by himself, arms resting on his knees and his head hanging low.

Anna had tried talking to him, giving him a dose of that overoptimistic side of hers, when she noticed his red eyes, but she hadn’t found anything worth saying. After trying — and failing — to find the right words, she had sat down by his side in complete silence. Gerda had stayed as well, sitting next to her son, keeping a comforting hand on his back, trying to offer them some comfort, even when she couldn’t find solace herself.

---

Numb. That was the only way Anna could describe the way she felt. The news about Elsa’s condition had felt like a blow. It had come unexpectedly and with such a strong force that left her feeling dazed and disoriented. Sitting in the cold room with Kristoff and Gerda felt wrong and useless. And no matter how much she wanted to help, she couldn’t come up with anything. Making her head feel even more muddled.

After what seemed to be hours, the glass door that led into the room opened and Nielsen came in, followed by Kai. They were still talking to one another and the doctor was carrying a binder under his arm.

“Gerda,” Nielsen said, calling the woman’s attention as soon as the door closed behind Kai. “Given your experience and knowledge, the clinic has granted you the possibility to stay by Elsa’s side. You have no say in the treatment or the medical practices since you’re too attached to her, but you can help whenever you’re needed. Once inside, you answer to the staff’s orders. Is that clear?”

She seemed to listen to him, but it was obvious she couldn’t find the strength to raise her eyes and meet his. Anna’s heart broke for her mother-in-law at that moment. No matter what blood said, Elsa was her daughter. Despite the heartbreaking news, she was Elsa’s most trusted carer, forcing her to be up to anything at any given time, even when she couldn’t hold her head up.

Nielsen, used to dealing with similar situations and ignoring the obvious sorrow in her eyes, handed the old woman some files for her to sign. Gerda took a moment to read them before she signed them and handed them back as she stood up, ready to go to her daughter’s side.

When Nielsen and Gerda were about to leave the room, Kristoff rose from his seat and asked, “Can I see her?” It was the first time he spoke since he had left the director’s office and Anna noticed he still had a lump in his throat.

Gerda offered him a sad smile and caressed his cheek before she answered. “Not now, dear. They’re about to move her to a private room. Once she’s stable we may talk about it.”

“And even then,” Nielsen interrupted. “We can’t promise frequent visits. It’ll all depend on her recovery. You’ll have to wait.”

“What if she doesn’t recover?” Kristoff asked, surprising everyone in the room.

“Kristoff, please,” Gerda murmured, finding the thought unsettling.

“I need to know.” Kristoff said, looking at Gerda with pleading eyes before he turned to Nielsen. “I’d like to see her at least once.”

“You’ll see your sister again,” Nielsen said, holding Kristoff’s gaze. “That I promise.” The doctor then looked at Gerda again and insisted it was best for them to go into the ICU.

She nodded, but before she followed Nielsen out of the room, she turned to Kristoff and whispered something Anna couldn’t hear.

When they were out of the room, Kai took Gerda’s place standing in front of his son and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Things will be okay, son. Now come on,” he said “We’ve got to go.”

“Go?”

“I need you to take me home.”

“You’re leaving?” Kristoff said, baffled.

“I haven’t got my car here,” he explained. “I’d like to go get it and then go to the police station.”

Anna noticed the way Kristoff’s fists tightened, hands slightly shaking. He was quick to force them to stop, pretending nothing was wrong, but Anna knew he was feeling incredibly powerless under so much stress. She wished he’d allow himself to cry or curse or yell for a moment, finally letting go of all the pent up sadness and tension. She didn't think it could be healthy to keep everything inside. Though, to her disappointment, he only straightened his back and paid attention to his father.

“Take me home,” Kai requested. “Then go home and get some sleep. At least a short nap in a proper bed.”

A faint smile drew in Anna’s face at the small, protective squeeze Kai gave Kristoff’s shoulder as he spoke. No matter how serious and unaffected Kai seemed to be, Anna knew that deep down he was only pretending to stay strong for his family.

“What about Elsa?” Kristoff asked, looking over his father's shoulder at the door where Gerda and Nielsen had disappeared.

“Your mother will stay with her, of course.” Kai smiled sadly as he looked in the same direction. “No one’s moving Gerda from her side.”

Anna understood perfectly what he meant. After having heard the stories Elsa shared with her, after long hours studying together, she knew how much love the old woman had for her adoptive daughter. She couldn’t phantom the idea of Gerda leaving Elsa on her own now that she’d been allowed to stay by her side.

“And don't worry about your mother,” Kai continued, knowing well Kristoff would continue disagreeing. “I'll go talk to the chief, fill out some forms, and ask for a few days off. I'll be back in an hour or two.”

“That's too long.” Kristoff insisted, unsure about leaving. “Take a cab. I'll stay.”

“There's nothing you can do here,” Kai said with a sigh, as if he knew this was going to happen from the very beginning. “Only Gerda is allowed in Elsa's room. And your mother has Nielsen. He might seem too harsh at times, but they’ve been friends for years. He will help her and Elsa with anything they need.”

Kristoff looked at the glass door once again and then he turned to Anna, hoping she’d have something to say in the matter. But once again, Anna had no idea what to say. She couldn’t help but feeling whatever she said would be the wrong thing at that moment.

“I don't know… I feel awful leaving,” He finally said, when he realised Anna wouldn’t pick sides.

Tightening his hold on his son’s shoulder, Kai insisted, “You need to take a shower and rest…” He pointed to his son’s work clothes, as if it was all the proof he needed. “Not to mention go to work in only a couple of hours.”

Looking down, Kristoff sighed and admitted, "I don't think I can go to work anytime soon.”

Surprising both Kristoff and Anna, Kai smiled and pulled Kristoff into his arms into a tight embrace. "I can't blame you," the old man whispered. "But we might need your help in the near future. Someone to help us take care of Elsa. I don't want you to have problems at work when the time comes.”

Anna's eyes brimmed with tears at the peculiar love display from her father-in-law. It only served to prove how serious the situation was, and how much the stoic man needed some comfort as well.

"But—"

"Let's go, Kristoff, please." Kai begged, finally letting go of his son, but keeping both hands on his shoulders so he’d look at him. "We can argue all you want on the way home, but I need to stop at the police station before meeting some nurses in a couple of hours."

Sighing deeply, Kristoff combed back his hair with his hands, trying to release some stress. “I guess there is no reason to stay in these awful plastic chairs,” he finally accepted. Turning to Anna, he offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. “Come on. Let's go.”

She stood up, unsure of what else to do but follow them. Facing Kai, she dared speak for the first time. Hoping it wasn’t too late to show Kristoff she had his back. “Are you sure Gerda will be okay on her own?”

Kai nodded with a small smile. “I'll be before she knows I’m gone. Don't worry.” He then watched them for a moment, before calling their attention one last time.

---

As they left the hospital, Anna took some distance from the men in front of her, walking a few steps behind Kai and Kristoff, absorbed in her own thoughts. Her mind kept going back to Elsa and how sick she had seemed to be in the early evening when she left the Bjorgman’s house. She felt like an idiot for wasting minutes, sitting by Elsa’s side before she went to look for Gerda. She felt useless for it, though deep down she knew she couldn’t place the blame on herself. No one could. They all had tried to help Elsa the best way they could, trying in the process to keep Elsa’s wishes in mind.

When they left the wards, Anna suddenly remembered about Marshall and his worried look as he was left in the waiting room on his own. Looking around, she hoped she could see him, let him know what was going on, even if she was certain the news was going to crush him.

To her disappointment, the mountaineer wasn’t there. And she couldn’t blame him for leaving; after all, he had been forced to stay outside for hours. Being kept in the dark of what was going on, and unsure of when he’d get some news. When she peeked at the clock, she was surprised to see it was already half past five, proving his decision was only logical. Anyone would have gotten sick of the uncertainty and the waiting at some point.

She exited the building and began walking towards the car park, still lost in her own thoughts, when she heard Kai call the mountaineer’s name.

“Hålkesen, you’re still here,” he exclaimed, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. “I was certain you had left hours ago.”

Looking up, Anna hurried to Kristoff’s side who was only a few steps behind his father. That’s when she saw Marshall. He was sitting in the hood of his old truck, arms resting on his knees, and his head hanging low. He barely raised his head at the mention of his name, but he made sure to look at Kai as he spoke. Anna also noticed he tried, and failed, to hide a brown bottle in between his knees.

“Thank you for your help tonight,” Kai said, barely stopping in front of him. “My son will take me home now.”

“Yes, sir,” Marshall murmured with a nod of his head.

He was trying to be as respectful as ever, but Anna knew there was some resentment behind his words.

“You should go home and rest.” Kai finally said, not giving him a second glance, as he began walking towards Kristoff’s truck on the other side of the car park.

Anna stopped in front of Marshall, offering him a small smile. She looked at Kristoff, hoping he’d be the one to deliver the news to him; but, to her displeasure, Kristoff only followed his father in silence, too lost in his own thoughts to even address the man who had been helping his family all evening. Feeling bad for Marshall, Anna stayed, wondering how exactly she could tell him what they had been told. She could understand the annoyed glance Marshall sent Kristoff and Kai, but she wished he wouldn’t let his anger on her. After all, she agreed with him. It was unfair to leave him off after everything he had done. For some reason, it didn’t seem to be enough for Kai to stop and talk to him for at least two minutes.

“Anna, you coming?”

She heard Kristoff call her name in the distance, and for a short moment she almost followed him. But then she remembered her mother’s car was parked only a few metres away from where she was standing. “Mum’s car is over here. I'll see you in a couple of hours, okay? Try to get some sleep, honey.”

Kristoff smiled at her in the distance and promised to do so, before he finally got in the driver seat of his truck. Anna watched them leave and only then she turned to Marshall once again.

“I didn’t know you were out here,” she said, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Marshall raised his head, finally looking back at her. His grey eyes looked a lot darker in the dim light of dawn; yet, she could still see that what she thought to be anger and resentment was mostly sadness.

“I couldn’t stand the ticking of the clock,” he said in a low voice. “It was driving me insane.”

Anna nodded, even though she wasn’t sure which clock he was talking about. “May I?” she said, pointing to the empty space on the hood by his side.

Marshall nodded and moved slightly to the left, to make sure they both could sit. Not caring about her presence, he then raised the bottle to his lips and took a long sip from whatever it was he was drinking.

“Did you get to see her?” he asked when she made herself as comfortable as possible in the cold metal hood next to him. The smell of his breath confirmed what she already suspected: it wasn’t the first bottle of the night.

“No,” she answered, trying to ignore the unhealthy coping mechanism. “Only Gerda is allowed in her room.”

“Is there a diagnosis?” He wasn’t slurring in his speech and he was asking coherent things, to which Anna was thankful, at least he was not drunk.

“No test results yet,” she made sure to clarify. “But Nielsen said it's most certainly sepsis. I suppose you know what it is…” She hoped he did since she had no idea how to explain the things Nielsen had told them in a matter of minutes.

His deep long sigh told Anna he knew exactly what she was talking about, and his discouraged reaction did nothing to help Anna stay any positive.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, he turned to look at her with sad eyes. “How is she?”

For a moment Anna thought about lying, making him believe things were not as bad as Nielsen had said. But there was no reason to. With his experience, he’d be a lot more ready to face the truth than they were, even when he looked as if he was about to crumble. She looked down, wishing he didn't, and said the only thing that came to mind. “Not good.” Not good didn’t even begin to explain what was going on, but she had no idea what else to say.

“Her vitals aren’t stable yet…” It wasn't a question. He already knew. But Anna understood he was looking for confirmation of some kind.

“No,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “They're quite concerned about her oxygen levels.”

“Fuck.” he muttered as he ran his hand through his hair and let it rest on the back of his neck, as he hand his head low once again.

She could hear the worry in his voice even though he had muttered the word so low she almost didn't hear him. Anna looked up at the changing colours of the sky as she tried to give themselves a moment to gather their thoughts.

After a couple of minutes, in which none said a word, Anna turned to him, wanting to ask him about something Nielsen had said and she hadn’t truly understood. “Nielsen said something about people going into septic shock when they can’t help patients soon enough…”

Alarmed at what she had just said, Marshall left the bottle behind them and grabbed Anna’s shoulder so she’d look at him. “She hasn’t gone into septic shock, has she?”

Taken aback by his sudden reaction, Anna took a few deep breaths to calm her own racing heart. “No. Not yet, at least. He said they’re doing everything in their powers to avoid it. I know it’s stupid to ask but… It isn't good, is it?”

Sighing in relief, he let go of her shoulder and leaned forwards, resting his arms on his knees once again. “No. Even if she pulls through, it can cause some serious permanent damage.”

Anna felt her chest tightening once again. The idea of Elsa not making it was enough to make her want to crawl in bed and cry her heart out. But now that Marshall was confirming she could end up living the rest of her life with serious physical or mental damage, she couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t selfish to wish she made it out at all costs. The mere thought of her sister having to endure any of those things, made it impossible for Anna to hold back the tears at that moment. And before she knew it, the dam broke.

Hiding her face in her hands, she allowed herself to cry out all the sadness and worry of the last few hours. She was relieved to know she didn't need to be strong in front of Marshall as she needed to be in front of Kristoff. She didn't care if she made the mountaineer uncomfortable, or her cries made him worry even more. What was going on felt like too much to even pretend she could bear it.

“She was okay a few hours ago,” she tried to say I'm between sobs. “I mean, she clearly wasn't okay but—” Taking in a deep breath, she tried to order her words. “It was just a fever. I never thought… Life's not fair.”

Moving closer, Marshall put his arm around Anna's shoulder, giving her an awkward side hug. “I'm so sorry, Anna.” She felt him tightening his grip in an attempt to soothe her pain. “I should've done something sooner.”

“This isn't your fault,” Anna managed to say.

“Not my fault?” Marshall exclaimed, as if he was offended she didn’t think so. “I knew she needed proper medical care when she first got injured and I didn’t help her. I let her powers distract me from what was truly important.”

The scowl on his face was enough to tell Anna he truly believed he was the one to blame, and she couldn't accept it. No matter what had happened, Anna knew Marshall was not guilty. He was incapable of hurting Elsa; just a glance told her he'd change places with her at that very moment if he only could. But she also knew he was a stubborn man who wouldn't accept otherwise unless he was proven wrong.

“Those bandages are from that night, aren't they?” Anna pointed out when she calmed her breathing. “Elsa told me she hurt you.”

“Huh?” Looking down, he paid attention to his bandages for the first time that day. “Yes, her ice burnt my skin. But she didn't hurt me. Not on purpose.”

“You had more than one reason to lose focus, Marshall.” After drying a couple more tears, Anna cleared her throat. She wanted him to listen to her and trust what she was saying. “You can't blame yourself.”

“What about the other day?” He asked, now looking back at her. “I knew she had a high fever yet I didn't help her until it was too late.”

“Too late?”

“I gave the infection a head start,” he admitted. “I should’ve checked her hand in the morning, as soon as she woke up. It was obvious she was feeling sick and I just suggested she sleep it off.”

“Marshall—”

“I was selfish…” he said, letting go of her. “I wanted her to stay with me a bit longer.”

Even if it was the closest he had ever come to admitting loving Elsa, Anna couldn't rejoice at it. It was bittersweet at most. Anna felt it was incredibly unfair for him to be blaming himself just because he had wanted to spend some more time with her. Anna wasn’t sure if Elsa and Marshall had spent the night together or not, but something had clearly changed between them that night, and now Marshall couldn't look back at that moment without feeling extremely guilty. And Anna hated it.

“Elsa made her own choices, Marshall.” She knew it was useless to argue, but she had to try. “Running away from you, lying to Kai and Gerda about what really happened, even hiding her pain… Those were her choices.”

“Two nights ago, when we talked,” he clarified. “She looked exhausted.” He was angry now, and Anna understood there weren't many things she could say to change his mind. “I should've known something wasn't right.”

“You had no way of knowing. You can't blame yourself.”

He didn't answer and he didn't look at her either. He simply stayed silent, head hanging low. Anna didn't know him as well as Elsa did, and half the things she believed to be true about the man were her own conjectures, but she knew she couldn't let him believe he was to blame for the way things had turned. If something were to happen to her sister, it'd be too much for him to bear.

“Elsa loves you.” Perhaps she was crossing a line. And perhaps she was getting his hopes up. But as long as it helped him find some peace of mind, then she'd rather do it. “She may not show it. She may not know it, actually… but I know she does.” Anna had his attention, even when he wasn't looking at her. “And I know she wouldn't let anyone blame you for what happened. What makes you think she'd let you blame yourself?”

To Anna’s surprise, Marshall didn’t answer. He only hid his face in his hands and drew in a shaky breath. She knew he was trying to process everything that was going on in just a few minutes and she felt it was best to give him a moment. No matter how close they had strangely become lately, Anna knew he was still a reserved man, who probably needed time to think before he did.

Putting her hands behind her, Anna rested her weight on her arms in an attempt to look at the sky while she gave him some time to get himself together. And in doing so, she knocked down the bottle he had placed behind them. The drink spilled and she was quick to pick it up, avoiding a bigger mess.

She looked at the label and then at Marshall. The drink wasn’t strong. Just a light beer. But still, the fact he had chosen to drink his worry away didn’t set well with Anna. If not for the mountaineer’s health, for her own sister’s happiness. Deep down Anna wanted to believe they were a perfect match for each other, but she wouldn’t root for a person who could end up hurting her sister in the long run.

Not holding herself back, she leaned forward to meet his eyes. “And she wouldn't like to see you drinking over this.”

Marshall sighed once more, and finally let go of his face. Looking at Anna, he took the bottle from her hand. “I know.” He looked at the liquid inside for a short moment and then decided to pour it on the ground. “She's the only person who has ever kept count of how many beers I drink whenever we hang out.” Leaning back, he rested his weight on his elbows and looked up at the sky. “I don't know why she does it, but she always gives me a warning when I drink more than two.”

“Because she cares,” Anna said matter-of-factly. Looking around, she tried to see if there were any other bottles lying at the side of the truck. “How many have you drunk?”

“This was the third one.”

“So… you've had more than two.”

Marshall smiled, thankful for what she was doing and Anna felt relieved he didn’t mind she was taking up her sister’s role at that moment. Anna smiled back before she said, “Do you have a place to stay? I don't think you should go back to the mountain after—”

“I'm not drunk, Anna.” Marshall stopped her, dropping his smile. “I just had a long night.”

“We all did.”

The two of them looked at each other, daring the other to contradict them. And to Anna’s surprise, he was the first to relent.

“I was planning on staying at my mother’s for a day or two,” he said with a tired sigh. “She lives close by.”

“Okay, that’s good.” She wouldn’t admit how thankful she was at not having to convince him. Jumping off the hood, she began walking towards her mother's car before she turned around and said, “Let's go.”

“What?”

“I'm taking you home. Come on.”

Sitting up straighter, he exclaimed, “I’m sitting on my truck. There's no need to drive me anywhere.”

“I won't let you drive like this. Besides, I'll feel more useful taking you home than sitting here until you sober up.”

He smiled again when he had finally understood she was only trying to return the favour of the night before.

---

After dropping Marshall off, and promising to call him as soon as she got some news, Anna drove back home. The city was already awake by the time she finally arrived, so she wasn’t surprised to find both her parents awake. What did shock her was to find them arguing so early in the day.

Even if fights between her parents had been rare when she was growing up, she now was becoming accustomed to them. The truth about Elsa coming to light had broken something in her family, and no matter how hard Idunn and Agdar had tried to pretend they could overcome any storm together, Anna knew they were drifting apart as the months went by.

There were days she wished things would’ve stayed the same, at least to find some comfort whenever she came home. But deep down, she felt it was only fair they had to endure some consequences for their actions all those years ago.

Walking into the dining room, she threw her keys onto the table and sat down with a heavy sigh. Idunn and Agdar, still unaware of her presence, kept arguing in the kitchen, and she tried to listen to the things they were saying. Wondering if intervening was worth it, Anna pushed the idea aside after a minute. She couldn’t focus on them at that moment. Her head was pounding and the only thing she could think about was her sister. Her conversation with Marshall on the way to his mother’s house had helped them find some much distraction; but now that she was alone, she felt the worry and fear for her sister’s health returning.

Even if things began to improve in the next few hours, there were no guarantees Elsa wouldn't end up with severe health problems. And the more she thought about it, the more Anna felt like crying. Her sister had gone through so much in her life at a young age, and apparently it hadn't been enough. Making Anna think that whatever Elsa had done in a previous life had to be terrible enough to justify even half of the things she had to go through in this one.

She wasn’t sure how much time went by until she heard the argument in the other room come to a stop, and a few seconds later she saw her mother walking into the dining room where she was still sitting.

“Anna!” Idunn exclaimed, when she finally noticed she had returned. “Dear, when did you come back? How’s your sister?”

“Could you two stop arguing for a moment?” Anna said, trying not to show how incredibly close she was from breaking down.

Clearly uncomfortable at having been heard, Idunn turned her face to the kitchen and then to her once again, unsure of what to say.

“The day hasn't started,” Anna continued. “Yet you're doing your absolute best to irritate each other.”

“Anna…”

“We were not fighting,” Agdar, who had just entered the room, said suddenly, interrupting Idunn before she got the chance to speak.

“Sure.” Anna wasn’t often sarcastic around Agdar, but she couldn’t stand it when he tried to downplay the things going on around them. “And things haven't been uncomfortably tense between you two for days either.”

“Dear, there are some things that—”

“I don't want to know what happened.” Anna stopped her before she said too much. She had to deal with too much crap and bad news already, the last thing she needed was to get involved in their problems. “I just want to have one less thing to worry about. Stop arguing.”

“Well, this is our house. And we've got the right to—” Agdar tried to say, clearly bothered by Anna’s tone, but before he could say anything else, Anna interrupted.

“Yes, you do.” She said, her eyes filling up with tears. “All I'm saying is your problems are not the only ones that matter. So, excuse me for feeling like shit already and not wanting to hear you two going at each other as soon as I come back home from the hospital!”

“Hospital?” Dropping his defensive mood, Agdar lowered his voice and asked, “What do you mean hospital? What happened?”

“How's Elsa?” Idunn asked in a low voice, her concern for her eldest daughter returning.

“Elsa?” Agdar looked at his wife and then at Anna once again. “What happened to her?”

“An infection got out of control. She's unconscious and they don't know if she'll make it.” Anna answered, avoiding her parents' eyes. She tried to talk fast and give all the information to her parents before she broke down, but she couldn’t really keep the tears at bay.

Anna felt terrible, not only for Elsa but for her mother as well. No matter how mad she was at her parents for all the things they had done and continue doing, Anna was certain the love Idunn had for Elsa was real, and she wasn’t strong enough to watch her heart break over the news.

No one said anything for over a minute and Anna felt it was necessary to raise her head and make sure they understood what she had just said. And when she did, she noticed Idunn was frozen in place, her tear-filled eyes looking straight back at her.

“Not make it?” Agdar asked when Anna turned to look at him. “Anna, do you mean…” He didn’t find the courage to ask what he wanted and Anna couldn’t blame him.

---

For the next hour, Anna tried her best to fill her parents in on what had happened. It had proven to be a difficult task, since she had to go back several days to let them make sense of everything that was going on. More than once she noticed they had been about to ask questions about Elsa and how she was feeling, but Anna had kept on talking, knowing the most important thing at that moment was Elsa’s health.

When she finished speaking, the only thing that could be heard in the house were Idunn’s failed attempts to stop herself from crying. As soon as Anna had explained in detail Elsa’s diagnosis — and the things Nielsen had said — her mother had broken down in tears, and there seemed to be nothing that could make her stop.

“How didn't she notice?” Agdar was the first to talk, when after some minutes of Anna trying to calm her mother down had seemed to work. “Her hand must have been hurting a lot…”

Anna caressed her mother’s hand with her thumb once more before she looked at her father. “She hasn't been in a good place lately.” She felt strange finally sharing the things that had been worrying her about Elsa, but she couldn’t find a good way to explain the situation without sharing more of Elsa’s life with them. “The night she cut her hand open, she lost control of her powers and hurt someone she loves by mistake. She came to town to get away from him and hide, but there are things she could not escape. She ignored her wound until it was already infected, too concerned about other things at the time. To make matters worse, the infection developed fast.” She remembered Nielsen admitting he was disconcerted about how fast it all had happened. “It’s not uncommon, but they'll still try to find a reason. See if her immune system is impaired in some way.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Agdar asked in a low voice, lost at how to help in such a delicate situation.

“There isn't much to do but wait…” Anna sighed, as she looked at her mother once again. It broke her heart to see her inconsolable. But no matter what Anna said, she knew it was going to be a lie. The truth was there wasn’t much to do but wait and hope things turned up for the best. She could only expect the new day would bring something to look forward to.

---

First of all, I want to apologise for the long wait. I truly wanted to publish this during October but life has been hectic lately. I haven’t had a weekend for myself in over a month, except for a few hours here or there. Work, friends’ visits, helping other friends move house, being a presiding officer twice in the last month (general elections and the subsequent ballotage)... I’m exhausted, really. And I still need to face the end of the year and the piles and piles of exams to correct. These things have consumed too much time leaving little to no time to sit and write. I kept writing here or there whenever I could, but when I sat down to check what I had written I felt like it was garbish and I started again. So, that’s that. The good thing is I’m doing good and it’s just lack of time and not lack of inspiration that's stopping me. I’m all the time plotting and writing down ideas, and that’s good for the story.

Now, about the chapter, I know some of you may feel like time stood still in this chapter but I wanted to take the time and see what went through Anna’s head during the night. Even though Elsa is the person who connects everybody in this story, I think Anna is the bridge between the two sides (or three if you consider Marshall to be on an entirely different side of things.) And well, I wanted to see how she dealt with everything that’s going on.

I hope you have enjoyed the chapter, regardless of what you expected to read in it. But rest assured that I’ll tackle all — or at least most — of the details I’ve left open in the story so far, and that you’ve been mentioning in the comments. As always, thank you for commenting about those things and leaving such amazing messages and analyses. I’m surprised at how many of you are health professionals, and even more surprised to see that you have taken the time to leave a diagnosis or shown concern about Elsa’s health! It warms my heart the attention to detail you guys show me, truly. I hope my story keeps you company during long shifts at work or when you come home tired. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to help people! Thank you as well to all the other readers who haven’t commented but always show their love through kudos or shares. When I first started this story, I made it clear that I was going to finish it because I was writing it for myself, and it was a personal challenge, but now I feel like this story wouldn’t have come this far without you. So, thank you!

Feel free to leave a comment sharing what you think of the chapter or pointing out anything that seems amiss. Everything helps me in the process.

PS - I owe many many answers and reviews to you guys. I promise I’ll do it as soon as possible. In the meantime, enjoy!

Read you soon!

--- Do you guys still want to be tagged? Let me know, please. I don't want to bother people who are no longer following the story. Also, do tags even work?

@swimmingnewsie @melody-fox @kristoffxannafanatic @kristannafictionals @neptrabbit @skneez @ellacarter13 @wondering-in-life @who-i-am-8 @fanfictionrecommendations-com @815-allisnotlost @khartxo @joannevixxon @betweenthedreams @burbobah @rileysfs @earlvessalius @blood-jewel @snowycrocus @the-sky-is-awake @disneyfan103 @anamaria8garcia @welovefrozenfanfiction @bigfrozenfan @bigfrozenfan-archive @frozenartscapes @deisymendoza @zackhaikal123 @cornstarch @roostercrowedatmidnight @showurselfelsa @when-dawn-arrives @tare-disney @wabitham @just-your-local-history-nerd @dontrunintofirexoxo @daphmckinnon @poketin @luna-and-mars @shimmeringsunsets @aries1708 @wabitham @agentphilindaisy @spkfrozenkindikids123 @jimmi-arts @snowmanmelting @loonysama @hiptoff @loonysama @tare-disney @frozenwolftemplar @true–north @holycolordreamertree @bigfrozensix

#Søsken #sosken #elsa #anna #kristoff #modern AU #kristanna #found family #chapter 47 #health problems #health issues #angst #hurt comfort

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