So I said that I would name this story 'Here I am,' but that didn't fit. So here we are with the sequel to Oh Queen, My Queen! It doesn't stand alone, so make sure you started there! Enjoy!
"I don't know what you want from me, Dr. Hopper." Emma Swan said as she lay on her back, the very picture of a traditional psychotherapy patient. She had her feet up on the leather couch, as if she hadn't a care in the world. The pained look on her face said differently.
Archie took on the air of someone who has repeated himself many times. "You can call me Archie, you know that." He sighed. "And I want you to be honest with me, Emma. More importantly, I want you to be honest with you."
Emma scoffed. "I am nothing but honest, Dr. Hopper."
"I don't believe you." He let the silence between them build until Emma couldn't take it anymore. She jumped to her feet, facing Archie.
"What do you want me to say to you? Do you want me to tell you that every night I sleep in bits and pieces? That I'm lucky to get enough sleep each night to make it through each day? Do you want me to tell you that when I do sleep, I never dream or have nightmares? Nothing at all? Or maybe you want to hear that I love my son, but I can't be the mother he needs?" Tears welled in Emma's eyes. "That every day I drag myself through the along, knowing that the mother he needs, deserves, is in a coma. A coma brought on by nothing, as far as doctors can tell. That the woman I love has shown no signs of waking up? Or that I think I've loved her for as long as I've known her…" Emma choked on the words as the tears spilled over. "And it took me too long to realize it." She sat back down on the couch, as if the anger that fueled her had drained away. "And that now I drag myself through every day, because I don't know what my other options are." There was a moment of silence as Archie waited to see if Emma was finished. "Is that what you want me to say? Because I won't say that." She hung her head.
Archie slid the box of tissues in front of Emma. He ignored the last sentence she said. "So you love Regina?" When Emma didn't answer, Archie continued. "You know Emma, you've been coming here for six weeks, at the urging of your mother, and this is the first time you've ever said you love Regina." Emma grunted in response. "Emma, more than anything, I want to help you. Maybe the best thing for you is to let go."
"Let go?"
"Of all your pain, all your suffering. Don't let go of Regina. Don't give up on her. But continue to live. You're alive. Henry is alive." He paused, as if he wasn't sure what his next words should be. "I know you visit Regina for hours every day."
Emma's head snapped up. "How do you know that?"
"The town talks." He said simply. "Mostly they wonder why you visit her. The consensus is that it's because you feel indebted to her after she helped bring you home."
"I don't care what they say."
"Then let's talk about something else. Does anyone know how you feel? Does your mother? Your father? How about your son?" He waited for Emma to answer, and she didn't. "Emma, talk to me. That's why you're here."
Emma looked up at the clock. "Looks like time's up Dr. I'll see you next week."
"Emma, wait!" Archie called after her as she shut the door. Once outside she stopped in the hallway, leaning against the wall and catching her breath. She inhaled deeply a few times, collected herself, and walked briskly down the hallway, making her stealthy exit before anyone could realize she was even there. It was her lunch hour, so no one at the station had missed her. She made a quick stop at Granny's before driving back. Emma walked in with a box of grilled cheese and fries.
"Hello Sheriff." Aurora said stiffly, looking up from Mulan, who was sharing Aurora's desk for lunch. "That took a long time, didn't it?" She said, gesturing to Emma's grilled cheese.
"Yeah, Granny's was really busy. Any calls while I was out?"
Aurora pulled her notepad closer to her. "Henry called. He wants to know if you'll still be showing up for career day at the school at-"
"Shit!" Emma shouted, dropping her food on her desk. She hadn't even removed her jacket yet. "Mulan you're in charge!" She yelled, running from the station and jumping back into the squad car, burning rubber as she ripped from the parking lot.
Emma and Henry walked from the school, Emma's arm looped around Henry and a rare smile on her face. "Seriously mom, that was so cool!" He jumped out from under her arm, pointing a pretend gun. "You should have taken your gun out. Everyone was impressed by you; imagine how they would have felt about a gun!" He pointed it at the sky, pretending to shoot down birds that were flying by.
Emma grabbed him, reeling him back in. It was rare for her to see Henry in such a state, and she enjoyed it. He put his hand on her gun, and she slapped it away good-naturedly. "Henry…" She said, a small warning.
"I know, I know. Just thought I'd try!" He laughed. "You know mom." He got serious. "I really didn't think you were gonna make it. Why were you so late? What were you doing?"
Flashbacks of a lunch time meeting with Archie assaulted Emma. "I'm sorry kid, I kind of forgot." She hung her head. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"How?"
"Anything you want."
The smile left his face as he looked around, thoughtful. "Will you take me to see my mom?"
"Are you sure?" Emma hadn't kept him from Regina, but he also hadn't asked to see her either. He'd been living with one parent for so long, it almost seemed as if he could only handle having one parent at a time. He had never forgotten Regina, but Emma hadn't wanted to pressure him into visiting her. "Because I'll only take you if you're sure."
"I'm sure." Emma had never seen him look surer in his life. She walked with him, arm in arm, to the cruiser. They got in, and she drove him to the hospital. The doctors and nurses knew the Sheriff as well as they knew each other. The occasional, 'Afternoon Sheriff,' was thrown out as Emma led Henry down the long hallways to the room where Regina had been spending her days. Two months ago they had moved Regina from her room in the ICU to a room on an upper floor of the hospital where the sun shone in most of the day. The fear most of the residents of Storybrooke had felt towards Regina had long since melted away, leaving behind a cordial, careful care by the hospital staff. In fact, most of them took better care of her then they needed to, occasionally switching out the vase Emma kept her flowers in, making sure there was always a fresh one on the counter. Emma saw that today as she opened the door, leading Henry into the room. Emma wasn't sure exactly what she should say, so she stood there quietly.
Henry however, had no such problems. He walked into the room slowly, taking in his mother at first sight. He leaned over her bedside and hugged her. His arms easily wrapped all the way around Regina's frail body. He'd just hit a growth spurt and was growing every day, while the immobile Regina was wasting away, her muscles shrinking after six months of non-use. "Hey Mom." Henry said quietly. "How've you been? I missed you." Regina didn't answer, but Henry kept up a steady stream of conversation anyways. "Today was career day. Mom came in. Everybody's impressed. One of my mom's is the Sheriff, and the other is the Mayor." Henry didn't hesitate at all, and Emma didn't miss it. He said Regina is the mayor, not that she was the mayor. Emma was surprised by the tears that sprang to her eyes.
"I'll wait outside Henry." Emma said, hurrying from the room. She watched him through the window for a few moments from the hallway. Henry talked up a storm. In the past few months he'd really come out of his shell. It was as if the curse being real had been all the validation Henry had needed. I wish Regina could see him now. Emma thought to herself, before turning down the hallway and heading to the cafeteria. Emma had almost rounded the corner when she heard Henry's frantic voice.
"Mom! Mom come here!" Emma spun around, running back towards Regina's room where Henry beckoned to her. "Come in here!"
"Why? What is it?" She asked, grabbing the door frame and using it to swing herself back in to the room. "What?"
"I think she's waking up!"
Emma looked at Regina in shock. "What do you mean!?"
"She moved her finger. Look!" Emma and Henry watched Regina in silence for a few minutes.
"Henry…"
"No mom, just watch!" And sure enough, Regina's index finger on her right hand moved just a little bit. It was more of a twitch than anything else, but it still caused Emma to gasp in shock. "See?" He asked, looking at Emma triumphantly.
"Doctor Whale?" Emma called to the doctor standing behind the desk.
"Yes Sheriff Swan?" He asked, not looking up from the chart he was reading.
"Can you come here, please?" Emma tried to contain her excitement, but the tone of her voice drew Whale's attention. He set down the chart, coming over to Regina's room.
"What is it? Is everything ok?" His gaze traveled quickly to the monitors keeping track of Regina's heartbeat before settling on Emma's face.
"She moved her hand!" Henry yelled.
"Henry, shhh. Actually, she moved her finger."
Whale moved closer to Regina, lifting each of her eyelids and checking her eyes. He looked at both of her hands, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. "Nothing seems any different, Sheriff."
"It happened, Dr. Whale! I saw it!" Emma put her hands on henry's shoulders, calming him.
"I'm not saying it didn't happen Henry. I'm just saying that it might not be a sign of her waking up. It might just be a muscular tick. A flinch."
"She's waking up." Henry was adamant. For Henry's sake, Emma kept her hope in check.
"We'll keep checking up on her, I promise." Dr. Whale said. "But I can't guarantee anything, Henry, Miss. Swan." He checked a readout coming from the heart monitor.
Emma's cell phone started to ring. It read, 'The Station.' "Hello?" She answered it. Sheriff we're having an emergency. We need you immediately. Meet us at the harbor. "I'm on my way." She hung up the phone. "Henry, we have to go."
"Where are we going?" He asked, watching Whale continue to check on Regina.
"I'm going to the station. You're going to Mary Margaret's. We have to go." Henry snuck by Dr. Whale, hugging Regina again.
"I'll see you soon, Mom." Emma and Henry left the hospital, Emma calling Mary Margaret on the way.
Regina could sense the exact moment her family had left her alone in the hospital room. She had been struggling for months to do something, anything that would get Emma's attention. And hearing Henry talk to her had given her the strength she needed. It hadn't been much, but she had moved her finger. It was hardly a cause for celebration, but to Regina it meant one thing: I'm getting stronger. I will fight back to them. She stopped trying to move any more, and began preparing herself mentally for tomorrow, when she knew at least Emma, and maybe even Henry, would be back.
Shit's getting real.