Emma wakes suddenly at the sound of the door handle turning. Her head hurts and everything is too bright and she's disoriented, not initially recollecting yesterday's events, or the reason for her current location. She tries to sit up and bright pain brings everything back. Oh.
Regina is standing at the door, her back to Emma as she eases it shut. Emma glances at the clock. It's just a little after eight in the morning, and all Emma wants to do is sleep for the next month. There have got to be some hospital-visiting-hour rules that Regina is breaking here.
"Miss Swan," Regina says, stepping forward, each tap of her heels on the linoleum stirring something up inside Emma. Every conversation is a battle, and Emma can practically feel the anticipatory adrenaline coursing through her body.
"Madame Mayor," Emma drops her chin, lifts an eyebrow.
"How are you feeling?"
"I've been better."
Regina smirks, the action just barely discernible on her full lips. She looks down at the bouquet in her hands, which Emma has just recognized. "I wanted to thank you."
Silence. Emma expects her to say more, but apparently that's the end of that statement. She lets herself relax a little more into the bed. "And here I thought you'd come to scold me for spending time with Henry."
"As much as I would like to do just that, you did save his life, and for that, I'm... very grateful."
Emma presses her mouth into a small half-smile, which Regina probably doesn't see. Her eyes remain not-so-subtly averted – floor, bouquet, chair, floor, bouquet, chair – briefly revealing to Emma an emotion she rarely sees in Regina; discomfort, for reasons Emma can't quite determine.
"Where is he?" Emma tries.
And in a second, that vague vulnerability is gone. "At school," she replies, stepping closer to the bed and placing her flowers on the table next to Henry's. "It is Monday morning."
"Right."
Regina sits down in the chair Mary Margaret had occupied the night before, sliding it even closer. The familiar scent that is purely Regina fills Emma's nose. Sweet soap and ripe apples.
"He does want to see you," Regina adds, and Emma's surprised that she so readily admits it. "Do you know how long you'll be here?"
"I don't know. You beat Dr. Whale here this morning. But Henry can come by anytime, and after they let me leave, I'll be staying at Mary Margaret's."
Regina nods, and then they don't say anything. Suddenly, she stands abruptly and announces, "I really should be going."
"Of course," Emma forces herself to sit, to show some kind of strength or control in this situation. "Thanks for the flowers."
Regina nods again, evident discomfort returning, and says, "thank you, Miss Swan." She steps across the room to the door and is gone, the only evidence that she'd ever been in the room being the flowers on the table and the strange feeling in Emma's stomach that she can't quite place.