Chapter 1: Head Above Waters

Beep...beep...beep.

The anesthetic machine kept on making short beeping noises as Regina Mills laid on the hospital bed. She had been in a tragic car accident that left her in a comatose state for two weeks straight. The nurses were not optimistic about her recovery or even if she would wake up.

Even though her condition was uncertain, there was one thing constant. Her support system. Her mother, Cora and sister, Zelena were there everyday during the day. They talked to her like she was still alert, and tried to make everything seem normal. Cora only wanted her daughter to hear good and positive things.

"Hey sis, guess what? I have terrific news, and you will not believe it even if I told you. I am pregnant. My due date is May 19th. I shall know the sex of the baby in a few weeks, so I expect you to be there when I find out, and when I give birth. No arguments." Zelena said, holding Regina's hand. She and Regina had their problems, and definitely had their share of meltdown fights, but at the end of the day, Regina was her little sister that she loved very much. She couldn't imagine this life without her baby sis.

Cora and Zelena looked up to see a nurse come in to check on Regina. The woman sanitized her hands before advancing forward.

"How is Ms. Regina doing?" The young red haired woman, known as Sarah, asked. She looked at her chart and walked over to the aesthetic machine. She wrote down a few notes and started to check Regina physically

"She is doing as well as can be. I wish we knew more about when she will wake up." Cora stated.

"Right now, we have to focus on the good. Her vitals are stable. Even though she's not responding to various stimulants we subjected her to, that's expected with coma patients. We are continuously checking on her around the clock. We just have to wait on her, but the moment she wakes up, we will let you know." Sarah said confidently. Both Cora and Zelena smiled.

"Thank you." Zelena said.

"No problem. Don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything." She told them sweetly. She then sanitized her hands once more and headed out the door.

Zelena had looked at her watch. It was nearing 3pm. She had to go back home before her husband got off of work.

"Mother, I have to go. Zachary is going to be home soon, and I have to make supper." She said as she grabbed her purse. Cora got up along with her.

"Unfortunately, I have to go too. I hate to leave Regina here." Cora said, trailing the side of her hand down Regina's face. She smoothed a piece of hair that laid over her forehead, and kissed the now open spot. "I love you, my darling. I'll see you as soon as I can." She whispered. Zelena followed suit and kissed her sister's cheek. They both went out the door and left.


Emma Swan had a coughing fit as she had her CPT, or Chest Physical Therapy. Her therapist was helping her to loosen her mucus that was being stuck in her chest. Vee, her therapist, stopped with the thumping and let Emma sit up.

"You are all done! How are you feeling?" She asked Emma, signing with her hands. Her cheeks were bright red.

"I can breathe a little better, but it's like I'm still trying to keep my head above the water to breathe." Emma signed back to her. She gently rubbed her own back to sooth the part where the thumping was admitted. Cystic Fibrosis wasn't a joke. It was a hard process. Sometimes she resented what she had to go through, but it was apart of her; it had been since she as a little girl.

"Just remember your breathing techniques. When you feel like you can't breathe, do what I taught you, and you'll be able to breathe better until you're able to see me, okay?" She reminded the blonde. Emma nodded her head.

"Okay, I'll see you later. Take it easy." Vee rubbed her back and left. Emma laid back down on her hospital bed for a moment. Breathing in and out slowly, she looked at the clock. It was nearing 7pm. Though she was feeling worn down, she had somewhere to be, and she never failed to go to the same place at the same time everyday. She grabbed her notepad and pencil and made her way over to the unit that held the person she has visit everyday.

The night shift nurses looked at her and smiled. They knew her routine that she kept day after day. Though visiting hours were over, they made a special exception for Emma and her new friend.

Emma stepped softly over to the door that was labeled with the numbers 213 and she quietly opened it.

A/N: Next Chapter is longer, and already typed out. Let me know what you think, and if I have enough people wanting to read more, I will post it! xx