Emma had learned two things during her great treasure hunt for answers. One: hospitals gave her the creeps. Two: the people who worked here really didn't give a shit (save for Regina.) Emma had spent the last 3 hours trying to find a sliver of evidence to back up her theory on Storybrooke and the curse. She had gotten lost in a dark hallway with a flickering fluorescent light above her, making her shiver and wonder if she was truly alone.
She had passed at least 3 orderlies who—upon hearing a noise—would lazily turn their heads toward whatever sound Emma had accidentally made before sticking their noses back in their phones.
As Emma passed the same room for the fifth time in a row, she sighed and changed her direction. She wondered where Henry was; she was sure he knew the place well enough to give her a guided tour rich with detail. But the teen was nowhere to be found.
Regina had come back to work the day after she had come to see Emma, however, she was back to her old clinical self. She hadn't asked about Storybrooke or even tried to pretend to listen to Emma during their therapy sessions or group meetings. It was as if Emma had AIDS and was purposefully contaminating everyone she knew. Regina stayed far away.
Emma was hurt by the doctor's sudden change of behavior, but she simply reminded herself that Regina was partially the reason she was stuck in this place. She wanted to deem Emma crazy, to have control over every little thing she did, like some sort of lab rat that was conditioned to be submissive.
Emma didn't need anyone (besides Lily), at least that is what she told herself. She would prove her story to be right and once she was released, she'd never look back.
Henry seemed to have caught on to her mission however, for when she woke this morning, a bent bobby pin lay tucked neatly underneath her pillow. Clever kid.
Emma had taken her first opportunity once she gave Mary Margaret a reason for missing group therapy (she played the part of a sick person very well,) and once the nurses had disappeared after poking and prodding and checking her temperature and blood pressure, she was left to her own devices.
Emma almost felt bad, lying to Mary Margaret. The woman seemed sweet and only wanted what was best for her. But Lily's echoes traveled to the forefront of her mind and reminded her yet again, that every single staff member in this facility was not to be trusted. She had to float it alone, which felt all too familiar and caused an awkward weight to settle upon her shoulders.
She had just successfully broken into Blue's office and was searching for clues when Henry made an appearance.
"I know you're new at this sleuthing stuff, but anyone with a brain would know to close the door behind them." The teen casually strolled in, shutting and locking the door behind him.
Emma barely glanced up. Ever since she gave into her cursed delusions, she'd had more and more memories of this little boy—her son—and this teenage Henry with the same name looked all too familiar. His eyes matched hers, his smirk was uncanny, and he had that fighting spirit she had at his age. It was too confusing to think about.
"Let's go get a snack and catch up." Henry looked around the room, seeming unimpressed at the simplicity of it.
"Beat it, kid. I'm busy." Emma searched through drawer after drawer, becoming increasingly agitated as she came up empty-handed. She was half-tempted to turn the drawers over onto the desk and paw through them with a fine-tooth comb, but that would raise suspicion.
"I know you were looking for me earlier. You passed my hiding space twice. Besides—" Henry held out a leather-bound book that Emma hadn't noticed he was holding, "—I think you'll want to see this."
So Emma painstakingly led him to her room and waited while he bounded off to round up some snacks and undoubtedly cause trouble. The teen returned with a toothy grin as he tossed a pack of milk duds on the bed. Emma stared at the candy, then up at the boy.
"How did you— "
"I know a guy," Henry interrupted, ripping into a package of gummy bears. "David's pretty cool. He doesn't have the same restrictions as us, since he's technically not crazy."
Emma peered at the shut door. "But what if Mary Margaret comes in to check on me? Or Regina?"
Henry lazily rolled his head back toward the door. "Regina is in a session with Blue. Apparently, she needs her own therapy. And Mary Margaret won't come in for a while; I made Belle cry again."
Emma shook her head and pushed away the feelings of guilt as she opened her candy and popped a few in her mouth.
"Mm, I missed the taste of chocolate. Hey look, it's that cool kid. Good to see you can make friends without me."
Henry gave Emma a knowing grin. "Lily's back, isn't she?"
Emma's mouth hung open in shock. How the hell did this kid know that?
Henry answered her silent question. "When Lily talks to you, you get distant. Like, disconnected from reality for a few seconds. It's your crazy tell. And when she comes out, boy, that's fun to watch." The teen winked at her. "Sup, Lil? Miss me?"
"Where the hell have you been?!" Emma silently demanded.
"Those drugs that little miss Blue bitch has been giving you blocked me! At least the pills give me a bit of a gateway to get in. How are you doing, kid? They didn't torture you while I was gone, did they?"
"No, other than the fact that I've been stuck in solitary with a feeding tube and a permanent sedative. I've been back in my room for a few days. Regina finally started to believe me about this curse thing I think, but now she won't even talk to me."
"Okay, it's nice that you two are catching up with your girly talk or whatever, but I've got more important things to discuss." Henry waved his hands to catch Emma's attention.
Emma snapped out of her head and sat up straight. "Okay, kid. Tell me your plan."
Henry had then proceeded to show her the book and explain the stories. He said that he had found it in Regina's office and had been looking through it for a few days, examining it thoroughly. Emma looked at the pages supportively, but her hopes fell as she realized it didn't say anything about Storybrooke.
"These are just tales, kid. These are printed and copied world-wide in hundreds of languages."
Henry shook his head. "There's a twist." He pointed to the picture of a baby wrapped in a knitted blanket which was sewn with the name 'Emma'. "That can't be a coincidence. Besides, I'm in the book too."
The teen flipped a few chapters and Emma gasped. The picture before her showed a blonde in a leather jacket walking together toward a school bus with a chestnut-colored, shaggy haired teen. On the boy's other side was a raven-haired woman in a dark pantsuit. The pictures were painted, but the resemblance was uncanny.
"If this were true—not saying that it is—then how did we end up here?" Emma motioned to the room. "How come the doctors have evidence of me killing a little boy?"
"Henry!" Mary Margaret entered the room just as the teen shoved the book in under Emma's mattress. "You know better than to go into other patient's rooms, let alone poor Emma who has been very ill. And candy too? I told David not to give you any more!"
Henry gave the woman an innocent look. "I'm very sorry, Miss Blanchard. You know when I get down I need someone to talk to. I was afraid I might hurt myself. Or even someone else."
Inside Emma's head, Lily snorted. Emma herself couldn't help smirking at the boy's obvious cover-up.
Mary Margaret, on the other hand, fell into the lie without a moment's hesitation. "Henry, you know you can talk to me. I'm your main doctor, remember?" The woman laid a hand on the teen's shoulder.
Henry nodded somberly. "I know. It's just, Emma has been a really great friend to me since she's come here. Can we have just a few more minutes to talk?"
Mary Margaret pursed her lips, considering. "All right. 20 minutes. Then it's time for lunch."
Once the doctor had left, Henry pulled the book out from its hiding spot. "The last page shows you holding onto some dark being. See?"
Emma craned her head to look at the picture. It showed a blonde woman in a white sweater taking some sort of darkness away from the same raven-haired woman in a pantsuit. Her brow furrowed in confusion. What did that mean?
One line of the story jumped out at her. In an act of love, the Savior reached her hand into the darkness that was once in Rumplestiltskin's heart, refusing to let the Queen become evil again.
"You sacrificed yourself," Henry explained to make sure she understood. "For Regina."
"Regina?" Emma stared at the pages, willing a memory to come to her mind. It made sense, for when she arrived here at this facility she knew Regina somehow. She felt a connection with her when they had both seen memories of another life. Only now, Regina seemed to have forgotten them. Or refused to believe in them.
"What does Blue have to do with any of this?" Emma asked.
"Blue never liked Regina. Back before she was evil, Tinkerbell tried to help her find her true love. Blue found out and stripped the fairy of her powers. When you came to Storybrooke, you and Regina started to have feelings for each other. That was my doing, of course." Henry smiled proudly.
Emma raised her eyebrows. "And who are you, exactly?"
"I'm your son."
"Grab some popcorn and relax. This is even better than attacking the other patients. This kid is a riot," Lily laughed.
"Anyway, Blue didn't like the idea of the Savior i.e. 'the one destined to save us all', the product of true love, falling for the Evil Queen. And when you made the ultimate sacrifice for Regina—my adopted mom—Blue somehow interfered and created this new curse." Henry shut the book and slid it back underneath the mattress.
The teen frowned for a moment. "That means I called my mom hot. Gross."
Emma grabbed the boy's hand. "Listen, Henry. Your name might be the same and we might look like these characters in these stories, but we're not. This is real life. I know all of these memories I'm having are delusions. Just like Lily is."
"More like you are my delusion, Princess. I'm more real than you'll ever be," Lily snapped, obviously offended.
"Henry." Mary Margaret was right outside the door now.
Henry stood to go. "Just look at the book. Okay? Take a chance and read it. Then you can tell me I'm crazy."
Regina stared at the lone red pill sitting in a tiny cup in front of her. Across the desk, Blue smiled and nodded. "Take it, Regina. It'll get rid of your stress."
Regina's eyes flicked up to her friend. "I thought these therapy sessions were just for talking, Blue. I'm not a patient; I can refuse to take this."
Blue nodded in agreement. "You can. But would you really like to spend the rest of the work day in a stressed mood? Remember: A troubled leader makes for troubled minds."
Regina rolled her eyes at the obvious quote from the motivational poster hanging to her left. Of course everyone here had troubled minds, they were all suffering from mental illness. But now, Regina wasn't so sure. Although she had stopped encouraging Emma to talk about Storybrooke, with each session with the woman, she seemed to be plagued with memories from another life. The same delusions Emma was having, only from her point of view.
"Regina, have you had any more delusions? Of Emma and this supposed cursed town and your son?" Blue asked gently.
Right after Blue had taken her out of Emma's room, she had brought her into her office and explained to her that Emma's illness was affecting her now as well. Mental illness was contagious, if one felt a connection with the carrier. At least, that was Blue's belief. And Regina having been married to Emma, felt a connection stronger than any other. She forgot about Storybrooke and the delusions, but one glance at Emma brought them all flooding back.
Tears filled Regina's eyes. "I feel crazy. Isn't that ironic?" She held her head in her hands and tried to calm down.
Blue sat forward and rested her hands on the desk. "Which is why I am requesting you take that pill. If you don't, it will be in my best interest as your friend but more importantly, your co-administrator, to give you the medication by injection."
"What will it do to me?" Regina eyed the little pill suspiciously. Ever since Emma arrived here, Regina found it harder to trust Blue, though she had been her friend for as long as she could remember.
"It will take care of those delusions, dear. Set you in the right mindset so we can continue doing what we do best; helping the mentally ill."
Regina was suddenly hit with a memory so hard she gasped out loud.
"Mom, you have to try this!" 13-year-old Henry called from the middle of the lake.
Regina simply smiled and shook her head, snapping a picture of her son for the photo album. At that moment, Emma decided to show off and do a complex twirl, unaware that she was the clumsiest woman Regina knew. How she managed to keep her position as sheriff even with the mayor's favor was beyond her.
Henry scrambled to get off the ice as Emma landed in a twisted heap and cracked it, nearly falling through. Heart pounding in her throat, Regina ran over to find the woman was soaked in freezing water and her leg was bent at an odd angle.
Emma herself was laughing, oblivious to the severity of the situation. Regina doubled over laughing at the woman before casting a weightless spell and lifting her into her arms.
"Remind me to never let you go ice-skating again, Miss Swan," Regina chastised as she drove her to the hospital.
"This was a fun day," Emma giggled in the backseat as Henry took a snapshot to capture the memory.
Regina blinked as she came back to herself. Henry was their son. Storybrooke was real. Emma wasn't crazy. She stood up quickly, nearly knocking the chair over as she did so.
Blue stood as well, concern set deep within her eyes. They stared at each other for a good 30 seconds.
"What are you doing, Blue? Why do you want me to forget?" Regina asked, her voice a near whisper.
Blue stepped forward, smoothening her outfit calmly. "I want to help you. That's all I ever wanted."
Regina didn't see the needle that penetrated her arm. In that moment, she didn't care. She knew who the enemy was now. She glared at Blue as she began to fall unconscious.
"I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do."
When Regina woke, she was dressed in the same light blue scrubs as the patients and she was tucked into a small bed, covered with a scratchy blanket. Mary Margaret was beside her, smiling gently as she put down the book she was reading.
"Dr. Mills. How are you feeling?" The young woman asked.
Regina blinked and looked around. "What happened? Was I attacked?"
Mary Margaret helped her sit up and drink a few sips of water. "Actually, you had a breakdown. Blue admitted you into the facility for a few days until you recover."
"She did what?!" Regina yelped.
Mary Margaret shushed her softly. Instead of annoying her like it should, it actually helped her calm down a bit. As much as she hated to admit it, Mary Margaret was a damn good doctor. Regina could say she almost trusted the woman. Almost. Blue had put her in here, and Mary Margaret was helping her—though she was only doing her job—and Regina was being treated as an insane woman in her own facility. There would be hell to pay.
Instead of getting upset, Regina decided to play it safe and ask a few questions. "What kind of a mental break did I have?"
"You were delusional. Blue said one of your patients you treated in therapy was trying to convince you that what they believed was real. She said some part of you began to give into that, and the talks she was having with you were no longer working. And since she is your emergency contact, she thought it was best you were admitted." Mary Margaret readied a syringe as she spoke.
"I am not delusional." Regina crossed her arms and watched the doctor warily.
Mary Margaret took a deep breath. "Of course you're not, Regina. You've been stressed with work, is all. I see nothing wrong with taking a few days off and getting some rest."
Regina tensed as the woman neared her with the syringe. Mary Margaret noticed and rested a soft hand on her thigh. "This part is unpleasant. But I promise, you'll feel so much better after. Besides—" Mary Margaret paused to stick the needle into her exposed leg, "—patients say I'm so good at it, they hardly feel it at all."
Regina's body relaxed and her eyes dropped just slightly. "They were right about that. You have the magic touch, Miss Blanchard."
The young woman blushed. "Oh please, call me Mary Margaret."
"Mary Margaret." Regina tested the name, realizing how foreign it sounded in her mouth despite having been the woman's superior for years. She had never gotten to know anyone on a personal level other than Blue, who didn't really give her a choice on the matter.
Regina didn't notice how much the medication was affecting her as Mary Margaret helped her up. "Where we goin'?" She slurred.
The raven-haired woman smiled and patted her arm. "I thought you might like to go to the day room. It's a nice sunny day outside, and the sun always makes me happy."
Regina offered the woman a real smile. "You make me happy."
Mary Margaret simply chuckled. "We're feeling more relaxed now, I see."
Regina settled in next to Mary Margaret and David in the day room, watching a Disney movie on the TV while they played their daily game of chess. She gasped and clutched the doctor's arm as a young blonde woman entered the room. The woman was gorgeous and somehow familiar.
"Checkmate." David gave his wife a pearl white grin as Regina's action messed up the woman's original move.
"Mary Margaret look! Who is that?" Regina whispered excitedly.
"Oh." Mary Margaret was nervous, though Regina didn't notice. "That's Emma. She's one of the newer patients here."
"It's weird that I don't remember her, but I remember everyone else. She looks familiar." Regina quickly looked away as Emma caught her staring.
Technically, Emma was the one staring at her. Everyone in the room was. They were surprised to see the most level-headed and professional doctor joining them as a patient with not a care in the world. Henry nudged Emma, and the woman quickly looked away.
"Should I go and introduce myself?" Regina asked.
Mary Margaret patted her arm. "Why don't you stay close for now and see if Emma decides to talk to you? Let yourself get used to the medication. Hey look, Big Hero 6 is on. That's a great movie."
Regina knew something was up, but the fog in her mind was making it hard to figure out why. So she pretended to watch the film while sneaking glances at Emma, her heart fluttering inside her chest as she waited for the moment they would be able to meet.