Emma watched from the tiny room with Whale as Regina was put into the MRI machine. She had woken several times the night before from nightmares. She had screamed so loudly at times that it freaked out the nurses on duty. She also seemed determined to leave again and they ended up holding her down to sedate her and strap her down to the bed.
That is how Henry had to see his mother that morning when they arrived. Emma had immediately gone in search of Whale to demand an explanation. The problem was Whale wasn't exactly wrong in ordering her to be restrained. If they hadn't Regina would have tried to leave and right now the hospital was where she needed to be.
While she was still sleeping (thanks to another dose of sedative) they decided to do the tests. Emma had dropped Henry off at school and came back to observe.
The screen came alive with colors as the machine began to send information to the computer of Regina's brain.
"Is that normal or not normal?" Emma asked after Whale had been studying it for a while.
"Normal. There is no sign of bleeding, clots or other damage showing up here."
"Then what is wrong with her?"
Whale chose to ignore her.
There were more tests done after the MRI and Whale took advantage of Regina's unconsciousness to check her wound again and make sure it was healing ok.
"I will review all the tests, but I feel fairly confident in saying that her issues are more mental in nature than physical," Whale said.
"So what, we get Archie in here to talk to her?"
"If you think the cricket can help, that is your choice. I will limit my suggestions to more scientifically based answers. The sedation will probably wear off sometime in the next hour or so. Do you plan on sticking around?"
"I need to get to work," she said feeling a little guilty about leaving her. "Do you think you can keep the straps off of her?"
They were currently off since they had just returned her to the room.
"That will be entirely up to Regina. My first concern as I said last night is getting some nutrients into her."
"Yeah, she could use a few cheeseburgers in her," Emma commented.
"Let's try something a little more healthy to begin with."
Emma was at her desk at the office reviewing some files when her phone rang a few hours later.
"Sheriff Swan," she said.
"Hello sheriff this is Judy over at the hospital. Dr. Whale asked me to call you."
"Is something wrong?"
"Dr. Whale wondered if you might come back go the hospital to assist us."
"Assist with what?"
"Getting mayor Mills to eat something."
"She's not eating?"
"No. Dr. Whale said you were helpful yesterday with handling her and he wondered if you might help once more."
"Yeah, I will be there in a little bit."
She hung up the phone wondering how in the hell she was going to assist in getting Regina to eat something. She left the paperwork on her desk and told her father where she was headed.
Instead of heading straight there she made a stop at Granny's. If she was going to have to convince Regina to eat something, it wasn't going to be hospital food.
She walked in carrying a to go bag. She hadn't really eaten anything but a bagel so far so she got food for herself. Maybe if Regina saw her eating, it would be enough to entice her to eat. She met with Dr. Whale first, who gave her a disapproving eye about the food, but told her he would allow only because Regina was malnourished.
Regina had apparently woken quietly this last time and the nurse who had found her awake had immediately had food brought up. They had placed it on the moveable tray and placed it in front of her, but she only stared at it a moment before ignoring it. They tried to tell her she needed to eat to get well but she looked at them like she did everyone else – blankly.
She still was shying away from anyone who got near her although she had not tried to leave the bed again. Perhaps the memory of being held down while they sedated her was enough for her to not try it.
Emma knocked on the door frame before entering.
"Hey," she said. "So they tell me you haven't eaten anything and while I can't say I blame you for turning your nose up at hospital food, you still need to eat."
Regina looked at her, but gave no sign that she understood or cared what Emma was saying. Emma sighed and began to take containers out of the bag and place them on the tray.
"I got you the turkey sandwich because I figured that was at least better than a cheeseburger," Emma said. "And there is a side of cole slaw because Granny thought you might like that better than fries."
She had pulled Granny aside when she had gotten there. Word had already spread around town about Regina's condition, and once Emma had told her what the problem was Granny didn't hesitate to make up the food for her to bring.
Emma also got a sandwich but she got fries. She thought if Regina saw her eating the same kind of sandwich that it might prompt her to eat as well. She took her own carton and placed it on the chair and then she moved the tray over the bed so it was in front of Regina, who looked at the food with a clear expression of confusion.
"It's yours. To eat."
Regina glanced up at her, but Emma again found it unnerving that she wasn't even sure any of this was registering with Regina.
Emma backed up to the chair and picked up her carton. She sat down and opened it, picking up the sandwich, keeping her eyes on Regina as she did so. She took a bite of it, chewed and swallowed. Regina watched her the whole time. Emma took two more bites before Regina looked back down at her own sandwich.
Pick it up, Emma thought to herself.
But Regina didn't pick it up.
"Regina, damn it, eat the food," Emma said a little more sternly than she meant to. The tone seemed to get Regina's attention and Emma saw her heart rate increase a little. She hadn't meant to scare or startle her; she just wanted Regina to eat the food. To her surprise Regina tentatively picked up the sandwich and took a quick bite before putting it back down.
"Um, that's good," Emma said although a quick glance at the monitor showed Regina's heart rate wasn't going down. "Look I am sorry for snapping at you."
Regina didn't react but her heart rate began to go down. Emma took another bite of her sandwich and had a couple of fries but Regina wasn't eating again. She was trying to figure out what she could do. She put her own food aside and approached the bed, noticing Regina's wariness as she got closer.
"Come on Regina, you have to be hungry. Please, pick up the sandwich and eat or if you don't want the sandwich, have some cole slaw."
"Mom."
Emma turned and saw Henry and Snow in the doorway. She must have lost all track of time if they were here already.
Henry came closer to the bed and Emma stepped out the way. She kept her eyes on Regina wanting to see how she would react to Henry.
"Mom, are you ok?" Henry asked as Regina remained silent.
"Did the tests find anything?" Snow asked.
"No," Emma said. "Whale thinks this is mental."
"Mom, it's me Henry, your son."
It pained Emma to hear that phrase accompanied by nothing but silence on Regina's part. Henry's shoulders slumped. "Mom, where have you been?"
Emma didn't know if Henry kept saying mom because he was hoping Regina would remember or if he was even aware he was doing it. Even so, the lack of recognition and confusion were clear on Regina's face.
"Hey Regina," Emma said bringing Regina's eyes back go her. Emma walked up to Henry and put a hand on his shoulder. "This is Henry. He's your son." She almost added our son, but she didn't want to confuse her any more than she already was.
Regina looked at Henry and Emma could tell the other woman was almost willing herself to remember, or at the very least understand what was being said.
Then she averted her eyes. She began feeling around the edges of the cast on her wrist, something Emma had observed earlier but hadn't thought much about it. Regina then looked up once more.
"Where?"
The word came out so raspy and low that if there had been any noise in that room Emma was sure she wouldn't have heard it.
"You're home, you're in Storybrooke."
Regina fell silent once more.
At least they now knew she was capable of speaking. Emma was beginning to think that Whale was right and this was mental. She would need to get Archie to come over to see Regina because Emma was at a loss as to what to do.
"You should probably eat some more," Emma said to her. She felt a headache coming on that she was sure was from frustration as Regina made no move to pick up the food. "Regina, you have to eat. Just pick up the sandwich and take a bite."
This time Regina did it and again Emma was surprised. She took one bite and put the sandwich back down.
"Are you my new master?"
Emma's eyes got wide upon hearing Regina say these words. "What? No. No, no one is your master. Why would you ask that?"
She could hear the desperation in her voice and she didn't care; what she wanted to know now was why Regina would say that. Regina's eyes tightened in confusion – an expression Emma was beginning to hate.
"Why did you ask that?" Emma said more sternly this time, but Regina didn't respond. "Where have you been? Who did this to you?"
She asked a litany of other questions until she felt Snow's hand on her arm and she was being pulled back. She hadn't even realized she had stepped right up to the bed, but as she moved back she also saw Regina's heart rate had spiked again. She had frightened Regina and she felt like any progress they had made had been wiped out by her outburst.
"Emma, why don't you go back to work? Henry and I can stay here with Regina. You've probably been here too long and need a change of scenery," Snow said.
Emma just nodded. "Hey kid, you can have the rest of my food, and hers if she won't eat it," Emma said. She looked at Regina. "I'm sorry."
She left, not wanting to be in that room any longer.
Emma went back to work, but she found it nearly impossible to concentrate for very long. Why would Regina ask if she was her new master? It begged the question, who did Regina think was her old master?
She finally couldn't take sitting there any longer so she went out on patrol hoping to calm down. All she could feel was anger. Someone had done this to Regina, had made her into someone who was afraid. Emma was determined to find out who it was.
Regina could speak, which means she was capable of telling them what had happened Emma reasoned.
But she also knew she needed to tread lightly around this Regina. She couldn't afford to scare her like she had there in the hospital. She didn't want Regina equating her with someone who she should be afraid of and she certainly didn't want Regina thinking she was her master.
The more she thought about it, she realized that Regina had only taken bites of the sandwich when Emma had given her a direct command to eat. It made Emma feel even worse about the whole encounter.
Maybe it would be best if she backed off for now, she thought. If she did though, who would make sure Regina was being cared for?
The problem was Regina didn't have anyone. Yes she had Henry but Henry couldn't make the adult decisions that may need to be made.
Her mother was clearly willing to help out, but Emma would feel odd asking Snow to take that kind of responsibility.
She parked her car and pulled out her phone to text Snow. She simply asked how things had gone with Regina.
Instead of getting a text in return her mother called her.
"I think you better sit down and speak with Henry tonight," Snow said.
"Why, what happened?"
"He hasn't said anything but I can tell he is upset. Regina wouldn't respond to him. When you left she was looking at him because he was trying to talk to her, trying to get her to eat something, but she wouldn't. Then she turned away from and laid on her side to go back to sleep. He didn't eat anything, just threw the food in the trash and then we left."
"I will come by and pick him up in an hour or so. I will talk to him then."
"I called Archie. He said he will come by the hospital later and see Regina."
Her mother was better at dealing with this than she was, Emma thought.
"Thanks," Emma sighed. "Hopefully he can get through to her."
They ended the call and Emma continued to sit there in her car thinking about the situation. She guessed her only hope at this point was that Archie could help her.
Emma picked Henry up but waited until they got home before speaking to him. The entire ride he was silent and he tried to go directly to his room once they were home.
"Hold up," Emma said. "Come sit with your mom so we can talk about what's happening with your other mom."
"What is there to talk about?" he said making no move to sit with her on the couch. "She doesn't even know who I am."
"She may not now but that doesn't mean she won't remember."
"You don't know that."
"You're right, I don't but do you care any less for her because she doesn't remember you?"
The question seemed to stun him.
"This is her fault to begin with," he said.
This time it was Emma's turn to be stunned.
"What do you mean by that?"
"She said it herself that it was time for her to pay for the things she had done."
Emma couldn't believe she was hearing this.
"Do you believe she deserved this?" Emma asked.
"I'm sure that is what people are saying around town."
"I don't care what other people say; I am asking you, do you think she deserved to have this done to her? Because let's make no mistake, someone did this to her."
Henry stood there and Emma saw his features soften. "I just want my mom to be back."
"She is back."
"No, she's not," he said. "That person in that hospital room, that's not my mom."
She didn't really know what to say in response. "She's going to need our help. You saw her, and I know that's got to be tough on you to see her like that, but we are all the family she's got. Regina … she's the toughest person I know and she'll get through this, but to that she's going to need her son at her side."
"I know this is going to sound selfish, but I don't want to see her like that. The way she was in the hospital, I don't want that to be the image I have her in my head."
Emma nodded, "I understand. If you don't feel comfortable visiting her, then I am not going to force you."
"Can I go to my room now?"
"Yeah."
She watched as he disappeared to his room and she thought about how that couldn't have gone worse. There were so many times in the last 14 months that she felt like she failed him. It wasn't so much failure as feeling like Regina would have known the right thing to say or do for him.
She knew that Henry didn't really believe Regina deserved what happened to her, but right now he was tore up over it and probably didn't know how to handle seeing his mom like that.
Emma was finishing up her morning coffee after a night where she barely got any sleep. "You ready kid?" she called out.
"Yeah," he said coming out with his bookbag. She was going to drop him off at school and then head into work.
Hopefully she could get a whole day's worth of work in without distraction. They were no sooner in the car when her phone rang and she recognized the number as the hospital. So much for no distractions she thought as she answered it.
"Sheriff Swan," she said.
"Sheriff," Dr. Whale said. "I have a missing person to report. It appears Regina finally made her escape."
"How is that possible?"
"One of the nurses called in sick today which left the ward short staffed when it came to shift change and there was a delay in anyone checking on her. During that time she apparently managed to leave her room. The nurses and orderlies are searching the hospital, but so far they have not found her."
"You make them search every inch of that place," Emma said. "I will be there after I drop Henry off at school."
She hung up the phone without waiting for him to answer.
"What's wrong?" Henry asked.
"Regina's missing. She left her room at some point this morning. They are looking for her there but haven't found her."
She put the car in gear. The sooner she got Henry to school the sooner she could get to the hospital to help in the search.
"Can we go by the house?" Henry asked.
It took Emma a second to realize he meant the mansion.
"If she left the hospital, maybe she went home," he said.
"Ok. Let's go."
They got to the house and Emma was surprised that Henry had the key with him. Had he been carrying it around all this time, she wondered.
They entered, Emma insisting on going first, and she didn't see or hear anything that gave her an immediate indication that anyone was there.
"Regina?" she said loudly. "Regina, if you're here, it's Emma and Henry."
They heard something clatter up the stairs and Emma and Henry looked at each other before heading up.
"Regina," Emma called out again as they neared the top. If Regina was there she wanted her to have full warning that they were on their way. The last thing she wanted to do was scare the other woman again.
She moved forward thinking Regina was probably in her room again, but as she passed Henry's bedroom she saw her. She stopped and moved to the doorway with Henry on her heels. Regina, who was dressed only in the hospital gown, was in the process of picking up a framed photo that was on the floor. Emma guessed it had fallen and that was the noise they heard. Regina straightened, her good hand gripping the photo that she was now staring at.
Emma knew which photo it was. She had been surprised when Henry had chosen to leave it behind. It was a photo of Regina and Henry – a smile on both of their faces. She figured Henry was maybe six or seven in the photo – years before he would show up at her doorstep.
"Regina," Emma said softly, but it must not have been soft enough as it seemed to startle Regina who dropped the photo. Henry rushed in and picked it up. He stood there in front of his mother and held it out to her. She glanced over at Emma before taking it from him. She stared at it again for a moment before holding it out for Henry to take.
He seemed sad that she did but he took it from her. "This was your favorite photo of us. You have the same one in your office," he said.
Regina tilted her head as if she was trying to understand what he was saying.
"Who lives here?" she asked him. Her voice was still low and raspy.
"This is our home," Henry said. "This is my room and your room is just down the hall. Do you remember any of this?"
Emma watched as Regina seemed to struggle with understanding. Regina bit her lip and then looked at Emma.
"Can I sleep?"
"Um, yeah, we'll take you back to the hospital."
"Here," Regina said.
"Look, you're hurt and you should be in the hospital. The doctors and nurses there, they will be able to help if you're in pain or something."
She realized she sounded like an idiot but she wasn't sure Regina fully understood her anyway.
"Don't want to go."
The sound of Regina saying that hurt Emma because she knew she had only one response she could make. "I am sorry, but you have to go back to the hospital. Come on."
She motioned for Regina to walk toward her and Regina did so, and Emma felt bad for making her do it. Regina paused in the doorway, reaching out to touch it and Emma realized she was steadying herself. If she doubted her rationale of taking Regina back to the hospital she didn't now seeing her close up. She looked even more pale than she had at the hospital and Emma looked down at Regina's feet and saw they were dirty. Somehow it hadn't occurred to her that Regina had to have walked here.
Regina let go of the doorframe and stepped out and almost immediately had to grab a hold of Emma to remain upright.
"Ok, maybe you should lie down a moment before we leave," Emma said and she helped direct Regina into her room and got her on the bed. Regina laid down and curled up on herself again, closing her eyes.
"Maybe she should stay here," Henry said, looking not at Emma, but at Regina. "She came here when she first got back; and again so maybe she is starting to remember."
"Look at her; does she look like she needs to be anywhere but in a hospital?"
"She isn't going to be in the hospital forever though."
"And when Dr. Whale says she is ready to be released we will deal with it."
