Although most of this fic will be in Regina's POV, this chapter is only in Emma's POV. Hope everything is still flowing smoothly. Let me know of all, good, bad, and ugly...
Emma wished she knew more about magic as she waited by Regina's side for the paramedics to get there. The former Evil Queen had a pulse and was faintly breathing, but between the deep gashes on her wrist and ankles, and the obvious head would she received from her mother when Cora smashed her own daughter into the wall like a cannon ball, Emma was a nervous wreck.
"David, where they hell are they?" Emma cried, still wrapping Regina's wounds with whatever was near by, hoping to be scolded by Regina later for blooding up her things.
"They'll be here soon Emma." Soon was not near quick enough. Emma made sure the wrappings on Regina's wounds were tight and that blood wasn't seeping through, then carefully lifted Regina's head into her lap, brushing away the hairs that were sticking to the Brunette's breathtaking face.
"I'm so sorry Regina," Emma whispered, no longer able to contain her guilt as a tear fell and landed on Regina's cheek. Emma looked down, no longer seeing the woman she had been feuding with over the past year, but someone, who without her even realizing it, she truly cared about, who was slipping away from her. Emma carefully wiped her tear from the Regina's face, before taking care of her own mess that was pouring out of her. Giving up on fighting away the tears, Emma began to rock back and forth with Regina held as close to her body as possible before slamming her own head back against the wall. She didn't care what anyone said to her, this was her fault, all of it. She thought about it for a brief moment earlier, but now it was all she could think about. Henry had said Regina was changing, and although she was hesitant to believe him at first, she eventually could see it too. Then Archie was "killed," and everyone in town, including her parents pointed to the Evil Queen without so much as an inkling to look into anyone else. Emma listened to her gut at first, until the pressure of the town led her to use magic. She too, turned on Regina, and joined the possessed mob. The old Emma would have never given in so easily. She would have looked at the whole crime through unbiased eyes, and would have pushed that it was all too easily set up to be Regina. But she caved, and betrayed her gut. Yes, Emma was glad she had found her son and parents, but she felt like she was beginning to lose a part of herself as well, and Regina was now the one paying the price for that.
Emma refused to leave Regina's side as they brought her into the ambulance, then into the Hospital. Even when Dr. Whale was accessing Regina's injuries, Emma remained, nerving the doctor a little, but she didn't care, Regina wasn't leaving her sight.
Dr. Whale admitted Regina into the ICU as a precaution. Thankfully, her injuries turned out to be not as life threatening as they appeared.
"Anyone else would probably be dead before reaching the Hospital," Whale started. "Luckily, our Evil Queen here has magical capabilities that help heal any injuries done to her, even without her knowing it at times."
"That's good to know, and her name is Regina, or Madame Mayor, not the Evil Queen." Emma snapped.
"I apologize Sheriff Swan," Whale replied as he stepped out of the room, but Emma didn't even bothering looking at him. She kept her eyes on Regina.
Once Whale was gone Emma took Regina's hand and stared down at her peaceful looking body, never closing her eyes as the Savior watched over the former Evil Queen as she slept.
The next morning came without Emma even realizing it. She even blocked out the doctors and nurses who would come in to check on Regina throughout the night. Not too long into the morning, David and Mary Margaret stopped in to check her and Regina as well. Her parents tried to talk to Emma, but her focus was primarily on Regina, only giving them one syllable responses to everything they asked. After a while, she even forgot that her parents were even there.
"I think it's time we go and get Henry," David said after a few more awkwardly silent minutes passed by.
"I don't think he should see her like this," Emma answered, her voice a little shaky. And although she didn't remove her gaze from Regina, she could feel her parents share a look.
"What?" Emma questioned annoyed.
"It's just, you know Henry," Mary Margaret began. "We can tell him what's going on, but that won't be enough. He's going to want to be here whether we think he should or not." Emma let out a sigh, her mother was right, but she didn't know if she could face her son without breaking down entirely. At the same time, Regina was his mother, he had every right to be by her side. Emma didn't have the strength to speak and simply nodded to her parents. Both David and Mary Margret hesitated as they left, Emma knowing it pained them to see her like this, but they needed to get her and Regina's son, not worry about the well-being of the so-called Savior.
Emma kept her fingers interlocked with Regina's while she slept, but wanted to do more. She brought up her free hand and began to place soothing strokes to Regina's arm while she fixated her gaze on her, canceling out everything else around them. She may not have appreciated the way Dr. Whale spoke about Regina's magically powers healing her, but it was important information to know. Emma knew she had no idea how to use magic properly yet, but if she kept contact with Regina while thinking positive and healing thoughts maybe it would continue to help her heal faster.
An hour passed without Emma knowing it and Henry appeared in the doorway.
"Mom," he said weakly staring at Regina as he slowly came up to the other side of the bed.
"Is she going to be ok?"
"Yes Henry, she's going to be fine. She just needs some rest." The words left Emma without her permission, but she needed to hear them too. Only then would she begin to believe them. Henry took a seat on the other side of Regina's bed and took her other hand, letting a small smile finally leave Emma's face.
"Emma," David called for her, ruining the small moment she was having with Henry and his other mother. "Emma please, your mother and I need to go over something with you." The Savior rolled her eyes as she squeezed Regina's hand, swearing for a brief moment she saw the monitor pick up, but she shook the thought away.
"What is it?" She asked trying to hide the agitation in her voice.
"I know you're worried about Regina, but Cora is still out there."
"Which is exactly why I'm not leaving Regina's side." Of course that wasn't the main reason Emma refused to leave her, but she wasn't about to discuss those reasons with her parents right now.
"Ok fine," David answered, clearly not liking her response. "What do you suggest we do then, because waiting for Cora to magically return sounds like a very dangerous idea."
"I agree," Emma replied, but nothing her parents could say would take her away from Regina's side. She knew her parents would send someone else to watch over her, but after everything that had happened the last 48 hours she didn't trust Regina's life in anyone's hands but her own.
"Get Gold, he should have a few ideas on how to track down and deal with Cora, and also get a group together to sweep the Jolly Roger and Regina's house. I don't think Cora would go to either one of them now, but there might be something on the Jolly Roger that could lead us to where she will be going next, and I want to make sure Cora didn't do anything to Regina's house as well. All that anger she has toward her right now, I'm surprised we didn't see a giant fire-ball destroy the manor. Plus, while you're there, you can bring back some of Regina's nightgowns. The last thing I want is for Regina to wake up and strangle me because I left her in a Hospital gown.
"Ookk," Mary Margaret answered as she and David turned to go. Emma thanking them silently again for not questioning her last request about going through Regina's things.
When Emma turned back around she saw Henry crawling up on top of the covers to hold Regina while she slept.
"How did this happen to you?" He asked, fighting back tears. A mix of emotions ran through Emma as she stared at her son with his mother, but two stuck out in particular. First she wanted to run over and comfort him, to show Henry that he wasn't alone and that together they would get Regina through this. But the other was that overwhelming guilt for being the one to put Regina in the Hospital. Yes, she wasn't the one to inflict the injuries done to her, but it was her choices and actions that got Regina to that point. Emma decided to leave mother and son alone for a bit, thinking some space might do her good, but as she went to leave Henry called out for her.
"Emma, I mean mom, where are you going?'
"I just thought the two of you could use some time alone." Henry smiled.
"As nice as that sounds, I'd really would like it if you stayed." It took every ounce of power the Savior had left inside her not to break down at her sons request. And little did he know that was exactly what she wanted to do, to stay there, not only for him, but for Regina as well.
Emma and Henry didn't speak much as the next few hours passed. They were both too focused on Regina, and Emma appreciated that even more, because trying to explain to him how his mother ended up in this mess was not something she was prepared to do just yet. David and Mary Margaret finally returned with Regina's clothes and news that Cora was nowhere to be found, creating another unsettling feeling to develop in Emma's stomach. Where was Cora? And when was she planning on returning.
Her parents then took Henry out to get something to eat so that Emma could call a nurse in to help Regina change, but as soon as her family left, the Savior closed the blinds and locked the door. There was no way Regina would want anyone to see her in this state, let alone change her like a child. Emma would handle this herself.
Emma stared down at the Brunette before her, feeling nervous about what she was about to do, but took a deep breath, and made her way toward the bed anyway. There was no way she was going to let Regina sleep in a Hospital gown for a minute longer. Emma approached the bed and remotely lifted it so it was at an angle to make the dressing process a little easier. She carefully inched the gown back behind Regina's bottom, her fingers grazing her lower side momentarily and flushed filled her face. What the hell was wrong with her? Emma thought. It's not like she's never seen a naked woman before, between Foster homes packed with kids and Gym Locker rooms, she had seen her fair share of woman in the flesh, but maybe it was the combination of everything that had happened in the last few days, and the fact that this was Regina, the strong-willed, powerful, yet refined woman who despised weakness. Emma shook her head to regain her focus and proceeded in removing the Hospital Gown.
"Regina will kill you if you don't change her," Emma said under her breathing, believing it was building up her confidence, but as she tossed the Hospital gown to the side her eyes immediately fell to Regina's chest. Turn away, Emma yelled at herself, but it was like driving by an accident on the highway, as wrong as it was to turn a gape, she couldn't help but look. Regina's breast were the perfect form. She was just admiring them, Emma again said to herself. The olive tone of her skin covering every part of her remarkably smooth looking body, and as the Savior continued to stare, both breast began to perk up.
"Oh god," Emma yelped as she desperately started to look for the opening in Regina's nightgown. After a few minutes of unexplainable struggling Emma placed Regina's gown carefully over her head, then she went for the bottoms. Thankfully, the paramedics didn't need to cut off Regina's underwear and Emma left out a sign of relief, but still took a minute out of curiosity to see what they were, a lacy black thong.
"Of course it is," Emma said laughing, what else would a powerful woman like Regina wear.
Emma's heart was still pounding as she sat back down, now silently laughing at herself for making such a project out of dressing Regina.
David stopped by once more that night to drop Emma off some dinner, although she refused to eat anything. He and Mary Margaret were able to convince Henry to go home after they ate to finish up any homework he had for the week, and to get a good night sleep, then he could return to Regina's side bright and early the next day, which Emma appreciated. Henry needed to sleep in his own bed, not curled up in a chair like her, or squeezed tightly next to his mother, who was going to be monitored throughout the night by nurses. David kept Emma company for a little longer, but understood her constant silence as a sign that she wanted to be left alone and did so after giving her a comforting kiss on the top of the head.
That night it would be only her and Regina. Emma scooted the chair up against the bed, placed her head down along Regina's upper side, and wrapped her arm around the Queen's stomach. The Savior knew she probably wouldn't be able to sleep no matter how exhausted she was, but she didn't care, she wasn't leaving Regina's side until everything was back the way it should be.