The incessant beeping of the heart monitor resounded loudly off the stark white walls of the hospital room. The room itself was bear of visitors, save the patient lying supinely in the bed connected to various cords and tubes, and one lone woman holding the patient's frail hand in her own.
Suddenly a knock disrupted the eerie silence serving to mask the gravity of the situation with the false security that comes with a quiet calm.
Though there be, but one sole occupant, aside from the aforementioned patient, there were numerous visitors previously that day. The crowd of friends and loved ones had dwindled as the day progressed coming to a halt after 6 pm. Although, whether that stemmed from people going home to eat a nice meal and retire for the night or for the simple fact that the hospital visitation hours were from 8 to 6, one could not be sure.
The woman lifted her head as her eyes focused on the barrier of the door separating her and the probable nurse coming to take vials. Just as one drifted to sleep it seemed to be interrupted by some member of the medical team coming to preform their duties. As easy as it would be to hold malice toward them it could not be done, because this was not a luxury hotel, nor a shabby bedroom. No this was a place for those who required constant monitoring.
Finding her voice the woman answered, "Come in."
The henges of the door gave way to reveal a rather unexpected face, or faces really.
"Good evening, miss Lucas."
Ruby stared at him with confusion drawing her brows together.
"What are you doing here?" She replied, not bothering to return the pleasantries.
Sensing her apprehensive behavior the second visitor decided to speak.
"We, I," The woman cut her eyes at Rumplestiltskin as she corrected her choice of pronoun, "Was going to come earlier but there were a lot of people here and, well I'm not that popular among the populace so I thought I'd come once everyone had left. Unfortunately, it seems I wasn't the only one with that idea."
She watched them intently for a moment regarding the answer and also taking in their appearance. Both were bundled warmly to keep the chill of Maine's frigid weather away. Flecks of snow littered their shoulders indicating that it had once again began to snow. The weather in Storybrooke Maine was chilly on a day to day basis, but winter, let alone Christmas time, it was down right freezing. Knowing that they braved the almost unbearable cold gave a little lead way to their appearance.
"Alright I'll buy that, but what you two really doing here?" Ruby emphasized the word, really, as to uncover the motive behind the two unlikely visitors.
Regina eyes soften as she looked down to avoid eye contact with the younger woman. "I... your grandmother wasn't, isn't, wary of me like everyone else. I changed but everyone looks at me with fear in their eyes, even if they don't try it's still there. Yet..."
Her eyes came to rest on the figure lying in the bed clad in a standard hospital gown. Hesitantly, she stepped closer to reach the unconscious woman's hand. She was taken back at the chill she found there giving away an aura of lifelessness. Giving a small reassuring squeeze she smiled sadly.
"She didn't think about what I could be. Only what I was in that moment."
Regina released the limp hand from her grasp meeting Ruby's gaze with mirth in her eyes.
"Aside from that her gruff attitude and sarcasm have grown on me."
Ruby allowed herself a small smile after Regina's spill. Knowing what she said about her Granny to be true. Her mind began reeling over memories she shared with her Granny, which was a lot considering she'd spent the majority of her life with the woman. From shortly after birth to the wretched 'incident' leading to her and Snow to journey the countryside, she was there. Yet even then after that, Regina had cast the dark curse and they had been reunited again, granted they didn't know it for twenty-eight years.
Her musings were cut short when Rumplestiltskin stepped closer. Bringing his hand out front of himself she took notice of a beautiful arrangement of assorted flowers held within his grasp. Various carnations, lilies, and roses of differing colors all bound together at the stem by a tie, though there were many colors they did not clash, but blended together almost like magic. Come to think of it had he been holding them this whole time? Ruby didn't remember seeing them, then again she didn't not remember seeing them. But she was extremely doubt he had walked all the way here carrying a bouquet. What a sight that would have been! Yes, using magic was much more probable.
"Here, these will brighten the place up."
Ruby took the flowers and set them on the bedside table. Glancing up at the clock on the wall she saw it was almost 10. She knew she need to leave soon. The diner wouldn't run itself and she needed to shower and get sleep before the early morning shift.
Pausing for a moment realization came on her. "Wait how'd you guys get in here anyways visiting hours ended like three hours ago?"
Regina half smiled half smirked. "Sometimes being feared can have it's advantages."
"You threatened your way in here?"
"I wouldn't say threaten. More like persuaded."
Ruby gave a small bitter laugh. "And to think all this to see Granny and she won't even know."
"Well dearie I suppose you'll just have to tell her the tale when she wakes up."
"If she wakes up."
"Now, now, I'm sure she'll be up and out of here in no time. Perhaps before the week is up. It'd be something of a Christmas miracle."
Ruby's entire countance suddenly changed. Her face became unreadable, almost expressionless. Her body language and posture seamed to drop and become rigid all at once. It was quite strange, the atmosphere of the room itself became somber with palpable tension hanging in the air.
Ruby scoffed loudly. "I don't believe in Christmas miracles."
Rumple was taken back by that strange confession. Ruby seemed to be a rather happy go lucky girl. What could be her reasoning behind that? I mean everyone believed in Christmas miracles, right? Even he, himself, believed, to a certain extent, in little wonders that happened around this festive time of the year.
Regina stood there with an incredulous look on her face trying to process the words she just heard.
"Wait a minute. You're telling me that you, of all people, don't believe in Christmas miracles? You, Snow White's best friend slash lapdog."
Ruby rolled her eyes at the Queen's comment. Ruby and Regina actually got along but her majesty couldn't help but take jabs at the wolf, even subconsciously apparently.
"Yep, that would be me." She deadpanned.
Regina eyed her warily. "I find it hard to believe that Snow's constant speechs on hope, happy endings, and all that nonsense haven't been indoctrinated into you."
"Snow's a good person, but she hasn't lived the life I have. I've... too much has happened for me to be naive."
After several awkward and tense moments of silence later Rumple decided to speak.
"Perhaps you could enlighten us as to what has caused your current viewpoint on the matter."
Ruby met his eyes searching. Searching for... something. She then did the same to Regina who felt uncomfortable being scrutinized by the young woman. Her gazed hit the floor as her eyes steeled.
Looking up at the pair she took a breath in and exhaled it.
"Back in the Enchanted Forest I was just a kid living with Granny, probably 14 or 15 years old, I'm not really sure anymore. It was winter. The harshest and coldest I had, have, ever seen."
Her gaze pointedly met Regina's as she nodded her head towards her with a bitter smile.
"I wasn't like you. Didn't have a big house or castle. Heck, I barely had clothes to wear. I wasn't royalty or nobility, I'm peasant and being a peasant means praying to the gods for a mild winter. We didn't get our wish that year."
Rumple's face softened as he was pulled into memories of his time with Milah and Bae. Knowing well what the girl was speaking of. Winters in the Enchanted Forest were brutal for the wealthy, but for the poor they were deadly.
"That year it was really bad and on top of that there was a food shortage in my village. I remember talking with a friend of mine about the blizzard that was coming, it was supposed to get even worse. I wondered how we were gonna keep from starving to death. He said we probably would."
Ruby laughed dryly and then continued with false enthusiasm. "I told him maybe we'll get a Christmas miracle!"
"He gave me this look that I can't forget and told me he didn't believe in Christmas miracles. That there weren't such things, there were only Christmas tragedies."
"I didn't understand how he could be like that. I mean sure our lives kinda sucked sometimes but we still had hope. Oh, God I sound like Snow."
She said shaking her head ruefully before continuing.
"He said he'd seen too much bad to believe in that. I, like an idiot, told him it was because he didn't believe. That to have a miracle you had to believe."
Ruby threw her voice in a mock to exaggerate her last sentence.
"It was Christmas eve and I remember being so hungry. We had only ate once that day and it was watered down soup at that. The next day I woke up and realized I wasn't starving anymore. I was so excited. It was a Christmas miracle just like I told him!"
"A few days past and the blizzard had stopped. That's when I heard the news. He'd gone out looking for some food on the night of Christmas eve, but never came back. They went out and searched for him, but all they found was blood soaked snow and part of his jacket."
"I thought it was horrible, what happened, but at the same time in my stupid little mind it was justified in a way. I believed so I got a miracle he didn't and went looking for food and got himself killed. I thought that if he only would have believed his tragic death would have been prevented."
Ruby put her face down in her hands so that her next sentence was muffled.
"Gosh I was so naive. I can't believe how stupid I was."
She looked up at them with glistening eyes full of emotion.
"It wasn't until I was on the run with Snow that I realized it. My life is a sick joke."
She stood up with her entir body shaking as her voice raised not paying mind to the room's unconscious tenant.
"I ate the freaking kid! I killed him in cold blood! The worst part is that I thought it was some sort of miracle! I was happy about it!"
Hot, angry tears streamed down her face as she roared on and neither of the magic wielders dared to speak, what could they?
Calming down a bit Ruby remembered why she had told the story to begin with. Steeling herself to get control of her emotions she spared a glance at her granny. As she began walking towards the door she stopped and spoke, not bothering to turn back to face either of them.
Her voice was low and heavy as she spoke. "That's why I don't believe. There aren't Christmas miracles, only Christmas tragedies."
The two of them watched her retreating form slowly disappear out of sight when their attention was snapped back into reality by a change in ever present beeping.
No longer was there a beep, but a continuous shrill buzz.
Let me know what you think!