The Enchanted Forest
To help pass the time on the long walk to the village Snow started chatting with Fiona about her life. She was worried that conversation would dry up at some point, but she quickly discovered that the girl had plenty to say. They were now discussing Fiona as a baby.
She told Snow with straight face, "My papa said that I was meant to lead. That he knew as soon as he saw me."
"Really, why is that?"
The child beamed as she told Snow her reason. "He said that I was more content when there were several around me. That I was a happy baby whenever I was in a crowd." Not wanting to hog up the conversation, Fiona asked, "What about you? What were you like as a baby?"
Snow dug around her memory to pull up something her mother once told her. "I actually was a very particular and fussy baby and I only wanted to be held by my parents. My mother had to cancel several engagements because she could not leave me with the nursemaids."
"Really? But you seem so sweet."
Snow laughed. "I'm glad to hear that's how you see me, but how you are as a baby doesn't always dictate how you will be later."
"Interesting." Fiona mulled on the thought for a bit before asking another question. "Were you an ugly baby?
The former princess had no idea on how to take the question. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, you're very pretty now. And you just said that how you are as a baby can be different. I was just curious."
"I was told that I was cute." Snow decided to turn the tables. "You're beautiful girl. Were you an adorable baby?"
"Ridiculously so." She said it as it was a simple truth.
Snow shook her head at the girl's abundance of self-esteem. "Glad to see you're humble." She playfully mumbled.
Not hearing what she said, Fiona asked, "What?"
"Never mind."
Storybrooke
As they were being wheeled into Storybrooke General Hospital, Regina looked ahead at Fiona, still unconscious, but breathing. Being a small facility, they were all in the same area for triage, but they had curtains that served as partitions to give some feeling of privacy.
The missing girl they rescued, Chelsea, was taken to the other side of the giant room. Her parents were with her the entire time, holding her hands and crying, both from joy and pain. She stared at them, wondering what they were saying to another.
While she certainly had some recovering to do, at least they found the girl alive and relatively well. Her family would no doubt be there to help her work through everything. Regina received some satisfaction knowing girl was back where she belonged.
A female voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Ms. Kyle, do you hear me?"
Alarmed, Regina glimpsed as part of the curtain was pulled back and everyone around the young woman looked concerned. Fiona's eyes were open, but she wasn't speaking and she appeared dazed. The female doctor handling Fiona wasn't doing much of anything, simply reading the machines and puzzled, but hardly touching her patient. She seemed inexperienced. After what seemed like an eternity, the young woman tried to say something, but instead she passed out.
Not content with watching the flustered doctor fumble in her dutiese, Regina called out. "Someone get a capable doctor in here!"
Hearing her yell, Dr. Whale came up to the Mayor. "Regina, you need to calm down."
"What I need is qualified physician to handle Ms. Kyle."
He spoke to her in a hushed tone, not wishing his colleague to overhear the conversation. "She already has a doctor-"
"Who is inept!" Regina finished. She was irritated at the lack of competence at this place. Regina pushed him away. Go take care of Miss Kyle this instant."
"It's not that simple Mayor Mills."
"I'll make it then." She got up and pulled the curtain back. "You! You're fired from this case. Go home or I'll make sure your license to practice medicine is revoked." She then addressed Whale through gritted teeth. "Now you make sure Ms. Kyle is getting the medical attention and expertise she needs."
"Yes, ma'am." Dr. Whale complied and attended to his new patient. He pulled the curtain all the way over and began to work. While she was frustrated that she couldn't keep tabs on what was going on, she was happy that the best doctor in town was watching over Fiona.
The team worked for a few minutes in hushed tones and Regina wondered what was happening. She thought that they both had split the difference when it came to the attacks, but perhaps Crane got more licks in with her partner than she realized. She relaxed when she heard the young woman's voice from the other bed. It was certainly slurred and groggy, but she was talking. "Where am I? What happened?"
"You're at Storybrooke General, getting treated for concussive trauma among other thing."
Where's Chelsea?" she asked.
Dr. Whale eased her fears. "She is fine Ms. Kyle. Thanks to you and the mayor, she's now safe and with her parents as we speak."
Is Regina alright?" The mayor was caught off guard. While she expected the young woman to be concerned about the little girl, she was touched that someone worried about her as well.
For some unknown reason she kind of felt happy that Fiona referred to her by her first name. Graham certainly did that and she had heard others mentioned it, but it was usually paired with some insult or complaint about her. Even though they muttered it under their breaths, she usually heard what people said about her.
"She's okay too. Let me show you." With that, Dr Whale pulled the curtain and Regina saw Fiona. She looked better battered and worse for wear, but she was alright. Satisfied, the hazel eyed woman gave a relieved smile and then laid back down. A nurse pulled the curtain again and Regina had her privacy once more.
The Enchanted Forest
As the day was starting to wane, Snow and Fiona were setting up camp for the night.
Gathering wood, the two were now talking about growing up royal.
It was Fiona's turn to ask a question. "If your stepmother wasn't chasing after you, would you be Queen?"
"I guess I would. I'm my father's only surviving heir." Snow gave her a sincere answer. "Though I'm not sure what kind of leader I would have been."
"What do you mean?"
"Honestly, until being exiled, I lived a pretty sheltered life. My father was a good and fair king, but I'm sure he didn't really understand how some subjects are simply scrapping by."
"So if you became queen you would fix it?"
Though the thought of regaining her kingdom seemed like a far off dream, Snow mused, "I would do my best to right those wrongs."
"I think you would be a nice ruler."
"Thank you Fiona." She started the fire while asking her companion. "So do you think you'll be ready to lead your people someday?"
The hazel eyed girl sighed. "I don't really have much choice."
Standing up, Snow looked at the girl. "You always have a choice. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."
"Maybe you do, but I don't." The girl scrunched up her nose. "I wish I could be free like you are. Without the exile thing of course."
Snow understood the intent and asked Fiona. "If you didn't have your duties to fulfill and you had complete control over your life, what would you do?"
The pensive girl pondered over the bandit's question. "I have no idea."
Storybrooke General Hospital
Fiona was hesitantly eating her lunch when she heard someone knocking. "Come in."
Regina opened the door. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Not at all." She scooted herself up on the bed. What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see how you were feeling." Having an unobstructed view, the concerned mayor noticed that the color was back in the young brunette's cheeks.
"I'm fine. But not as well as you are apparently. Are you already checking out?"
"Yes, I'm cleared to leave." She lied. Dr. Whale wanted her to stay another day, but she threatened to have him fire if he didn't sign off on releasing her. She hated hospitals and being around the sick. "How do you feel?"
"Honestly? Like a truck smashed into me." She laughed at her own comment, but winced in pain.
Regina gave her a "I guess you have some mending to do."
"Yeah, Dr. Whale wants to me to stay here for a few days." She hadn't been checked in for a day and she already felt stir crazy. She had no idea how she was going to do it.
Regina nodded. She had already inquired the physician about the details, but she kept that fact to herself. She examined the room and found it surprisingly bare. There was a small bouquet of flowers on the small side table, but otherwise it was a drab hospital room.
"You haven't had any visitors." She bluntly stated.
Fiona shrugged. "My aunt said she'll try to get down here tomorrow if she finishes work in time." She tried not to sound disappointed, but it bothered her.
Not one to hide her disdain for some people, Regina commented, "You think she'd at least have the decency to check on her wounded niece." For some reason, she was troubled by the idea that Fiona's family had disregarded her.
"It's fine. She has a lot on her plate." She was used to the callousness of her aunt's cursed persona.
"If you say so." Acknowledging the flowers, Regina asked, "Well at least you have something to brighten up the room."
"Mary Margaret dropped these off last night and said she be back tonight."
"I see." Regina reflexively scowled at the teacher's name. She had forgotten that her former stepdaughter volunteered here.
Unsure of what the mayor was thinking, Fiona cleared her throat to get the woman's attention. "Is everything okay?"
Shaking off the negative thoughts, she answered the young woman, "Yes, everything is fine. I'm glad things worked out. It may take some time for things to truly heal, but Chelsea is back where she belongs, with her family."
"I'm happy to hear that. Thanks for letting me know."
Feeling as her time was coming to a close, Regina started to give herself an exit. "I'll let you get back to recuperating." She neatly pivoted and walked to the door.
"Please feel free to visit again. I enjoy your company."
Regina gave a melancholic smile to Fiona. "Me too."
The Enchanted Forest
Going to bed in their makeshift shelter, Snow and Fiona stayed close to one another so they wouldn't freeze in the cold night. If all went well, Fiona would be back with her family before sundown tomorrow.
As the girl snuggled up to her, Snow kissed on the forehead. "You're a good friend to have on a trip."
"Why do you say that?
"For one thing,I don't think we had an awkward moment of silence." Snow was surprised at how much she had missed having someone else to talk with. Being on the run, usually meant ducking in and out of places. It was hard for her to establish meaningful friendships.
"I'm sorry if I talked too much." Fiona said apologetically.
Snow gave Fiona another hug to ease her fears. "No! I enjoy your company."
"You do?" She sounded amazed at the compliment.
"Surely your friends back home feel the same way." Snow reminded her.
In the moonlight night, the bandit felt the girl's body momentarily stiffen. "I don't have friends. Not counting my cousins that is."
"I find that hard to believe."
"It's true. The children I do talk to only do so because they have to. Their parents tell them to be polite."
Not wanting to have the last thought of night be negative, she told her young companion. "Well, it's obviously their problem because even though I just met you, I want to be your friend."
It must've been the right thing to say because Fiona wrapped her arms tightly around her.
The silent peacefulness and contentment between the two eventually turned to drowsiness. Just as she was starting to drift to sleep, Snow's mind was snapped awake.
"Snow?"
She debated whether to pretend to be sleeping or not. Giving up, she asked, "Yes, Fiona?"
"I think I have the answer to your question."
Confused as to what the girl was talking about, she turned over to face the girl. "What question?"
"You asked about what I would want to do with my life if I had a choice."
"What would that be?"
"I want to help people. Like you."
