A/N: ok, now we know what's wrong with Henry, the new task is working out how to cure him ...


By the time Regina finished her night shift the following morning, she was exhausted. Luckily she hadn't been busy and she had been able to steadily treat and correctly diagnose everyone who had arrived in A and E. But now, as she slipped off her scrubs and pulled on her winter coat, a wave of tiredness overwhelmed her. She didn't begrudge Zelena for waking her the day before, far from it. She was immensely glad she had been able to be there when Emma and Henry had been told about the boy's illness. In fact, there was one more stop she needed to make before she finally headed back to her penthouse for a much needed sleep.

She entered Henry's private room quietly, the curtains still drawn at the windows suggesting both Swans were yet to wake. Emma was curled up in the chair, a blanket tucked up under her chin but her right hand reaching out towards Henry. The boy too was sleeping, his left arm extended and hanging off the bed mere inches from where his mother's fingers were. Regina couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Not wanting to wake either of them, Regina checked Henry's charts which had been taken through the night and readjusted his IV bag. Satisfied that there was nothing more she could do, Regina headed for the door. Just before she reached it, a croaky voice from behind her made her turn around.

"Hey."

"Hi," Regina said, smiling at Emma who was rubbing her eyes sleepily. "I was just coming to check on Henry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Emma glanced at her phone and her eyebrows rose when she saw what time it was. She hadn't slept for such a long stretch of time since New Year's Day. Whether it was simply the exhaustion catching up with her or because at least now they had a diagnosis, she wasn't sure. Either way, Emma was feeling a little more refreshed for the first time in almost a week. Glancing at her still sleeping son, she bundled up the blanket and stood from the chair, crossing the room and leading the way out into the corridor. Regina followed.

"How are you?" Regina asked as the two of them sank into the chairs outside the room.

Emma shrugged and yawned. "My foster parents are travelling up from Bristol today. They're going to get a test to see if they're a match for Henry."

"Good," Regina said. "Despite being a difficult blood type because you can only receive a transplant from the same group, O is one of the most common blood groups so if you have people willing to get tested, Henry's in with a great chance."

"Yeah, Doctor West said that yesterday," Emma replied.

It hadn't been why she had called her foster parents. She had known she needed to tell them sooner or later that Henry was ill. But she had wanted to wait until they had a diagnosis to avoid the endless questions and speculations. At least now they knew what was wrong her foster parents would be able to lend her some kind of support. She wasn't holding out hope of them being a match but the fact that they at once offered to be tested had been a huge relief.

"Did you sleep ok last night?" Regina asked, noting that Emma looked a little better than the day before.

"Yeah, better than usual," Emma nodded. "Henry too. And he ate his dinner yesterday. Doctor West said we should be able to go home this afternoon if he keeps eating. There's nothing more they can do for him here until we get a bone marrow transplant option and we both agreed Henry would be happier there."

"I think that sounds like a good idea," Regina said. "There's no point you both waiting here when it could be weeks or even months before a transplant becomes available."

Emma nodded and swallowed thickly. The thought of being in this suspended state of terror for the next few months suddenly hit her. She had thought that after the diagnosis the treatment and cure would come quickly. But she was slowly realising that Henry could be waiting a long time for a bone marrow transplant that was suitable. She wished her foster parents would hurry up and arrive so they could be tested. She knew it was a long shot but it was the first step.

"We'll find one for him, Emma," the doctor said, perfectly reading the emotions on the young mother's face.

Emma nodded but said nothing. She couldn't, not without crying again. And Regina had seen her cry far too much over the past twenty-four hours.

"Are you heading home now?" Emma asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," Regina nodded. "I have three days off now and then I'm back on day shifts."

"Oh," Emma said, suddenly realising she had gotten used to seeing the brunette doctor twice and day and that a little part of their hospital routine was about to disappear. "Well, good. You deserve a break."

"So do you," Regina said. "When was the last time you left this hospital?"

Emma shrugged. She genuinely couldn't remember but it had to be at least two days ago.

"Do you want me to sit with Henry whilst you go and take a walk outside? It's important to get some fresh air, you know. You need to keep on top of your own health if you're going to be there for Henry."

"Do you mind?" Emma asked.

"Of course not," Regina reassured. "Take as long as you need."

Emma smiled gratefully and stood up, stretching. Regina looked away as a sliver of pale, flat stomach appeared when Emma's sweater rode upwards.

"I'll be back soon," Emma said before setting off down the corridor.


The cold morning air bit at her skin and Emma wrapped her arms protectively around her body as she stepped outside. She instantly regretted not having brought her coat. Even though London wasn't the cleanest city, she took a deep breath, savouring the comparative freshness outside the hospital. The smell of disinfectant had become commonplace for her. Hands jammed into her sweatpants' pockets and shoulders hunched, she set off around the hospital.

The car park was quiet, her own yellow bug gaudily standing out a mile amongst the few dotted vehicles. Doctors and nurses were coming and going for their shift changes and occasional patients and family members could be seen too. Emma kept her head down as she began to walk. At the corner of the building, Emma was pleased to see a small pavement which ran along the next wall and followed it, deciding a couple of laps of the building would be enough. She didn't want too long alone to think.

The cold air had woken her up and her brain was already going over everything which had happened the day before. After Regina had eventually calmed her down, the two of them had talked for over an hour about Henry's diagnosis, the treatment and what to expect over the coming days. Emma knew Regina wasn't his doctor but she couldn't deny that she was glad it was the brunette who had explained everything to her. She liked Doctor West and Henry did too. But for some reason she felt more comfortable around Regina, even after Ruby and Billy's observations.

She had forced herself not to think about what her two friends and Henry had said. She herself hadn't noticed the doctor looking at her in any particular way and believed Regina when she said she was visiting them because she was invested in Henry's health. Her son was endearing, after all. Surely there was no other motive for Regina to continue her involvement in the case. From what Emma had seen, the brunette was professional and an excellent doctor, and certainly not someone who might jeopardise her career over inappropriate patient-doctor relations. Although Emma wasn't actually Regina's patient, the blonde mused. Not that that was relevant, of course. As she had said to Henry, it wasn't like that with Regina.

Ok, Emma couldn't deny that the doctor was attractive. Beautiful, even. Those wide brown eyes and that dark silky hair. Her slender body and those luscious lips. Even her collarbones, which delicately protruded from the top of her scrubs were stunning. But that wasn't the point. Yes, Regina was gorgeous but Emma didn't think of her in that way. She hadn't thought of anyone in that way since Lily, in fact. Maybe one day she would be ready to move on but at the moment it was all about her and Henry. Even before he got sick Emma wasn't thinking about dating, let alone now. So what if Henry's doctor was exactly her type? And so what if the feel of Regina's arms around her the day before had made her heart beat faster? That wasn't on the cards for Emma right now, regardless of the woman who had just burst into her life.

By the time Emma had finished berating herself for the feelings she had been suppressing for days, she found herself back at the hospital entrance. Not ready just yet to return to the sterile environment inside, she continued her walking, this time forcing herself to think about her son.

Henry was going to get through this, she told herself. Henry had to get through this. They would find a donor and he would have the bone marrow transplant and he would get better. Within a few months this would all be behind them and he'd be back at school, playing with his friends and bubbling with life just like he used to. He was just a kid, after all. Of course he was going to get better. Henry was strong. He was a fighter. He was -

"Emma!"

She looked up at the call and saw her foster parents running towards her. She had just appeared around the side of the hospital and Mary had spotted her at once, dragging her husband behind her as they sprinted towards their daughter. Two sets of arms wrapped around her simultaneously as the pair barrelled into her, hugging her tightly. She hugged them back, face buried in her mother's hair.

"Hi Mum, Dad," she said as they pulled apart. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course," David said at once. "How's Henry?"

"He was sleeping when I left," Emma said. "Come on, let's go and see him."

Emma filled her parents in on the details of their grandson's illness as the three of them headed up to the private room. Mary began wiping her eyes as soon as Emma started talking about surgery and David's face was white. Their family consisted simply of Emma and Henry, having been unable to conceive themselves. Neither could bear the thought of what might happen to their only grandson.

Henry was awake when they reached the room, chatting happily to Regina who was spreading peanut butter on some toast for him on the breakfast tray which had appeared during Emma's absence.

"Gran! Grandad!" Henry exclaimed, grinning happily.

"Hello young Henry," David said, approaching the bed with a cautious Mary by his side. Neither had known quite what to expect and Henry's perkiness had thrown them off. "How are you feeling?"

"Gina said I could have two slices of toast with peanut butter," he announced, turning to smile at the doctor.

"Are you Henry's doctor?" Mary asked, noting the white lab coat slung over the back of the chair but also that the woman wasn't wearing scrubs.

"Not exactly," Regina said getting to her feet and handing Henry his breakfast before shaking both grandparents' hands. "I treated Henry when he first came into A and E and I've been keeping an eye on him since he's been admitted. I was just sitting with him whilst Emma got some fresh air but I'll be heading off now. I've just finished a night shift."

If Mary and David were confused by this connection, they didn't show it and bid farewell to the doctor as she gathered her bag and coat to leave.

"Regina, wait," Emma said just as the doctor reached the door. Emma once again led the way out into the corridor, leaving Henry with his grandparents. She waited until the door closed before continuing. "I just wanted to say thank you for sitting with Henry. I needed to get out of there and hadn't realised how much until this morning."

"Of course," Regina said. "You need to look after yourself too, Emma. Please, call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, but you've done more than enough," Emma said. "Henry's not even your patient."

"Doesn't mean I don't care," Regina pointed out.

Emma smiled. "I appreciate that."

Regina nodded and readjusted her bag over her shoulder. "Well, I'd better go."

"Yeah, ok. Thanks again. And enjoy your time off."

"Thank you," Regina said. "And I mean it, Emma. If you need anything at all, please know that I'm here for you and Henry."

Emma nodded her understanding. With a final smile, Regina turned and headed off down the corridor. Emma watched her go for a moment before she returned to the room where her family was waiting, curious looks on all three faces.

"What?" she asked with a huff of annoyance.


Regina hadn't slept so well in years, she decided as she awoke later that evening. Wrapping a dressing gown around herself, she padded through to the kitchen of her penthouse and set about making a salad for dinner. Or breakfast. To be honest her internal clock was so confused by her night shift lifestyle that she didn't really care. All she knew was that she was hungry and when she took the first forkful as she sat down in front of the television, her body thanked her gratefully.

The television bored her but she forced herself to watch for a little while, needing to shut off her brain completely for a spell of time. Part of her training as a paediatrician had been in how not to get too attached to patients. Disassociation was key. And usually Regina was good at it. That night, however, Henry Swan kept invading her mind. Eventually she turned off the television and picked up her iPad, beginning to read about X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease. She was impressed Zelena had caught it. Proud even. The disease was not only rare but also incredibly hard to detect amongst a host of other symptoms related to glandular fever. Her reading, however, did not fill Regina with hope. Even if they did find a suitable donor for Henry, the small boy had a hellish road ahead of him and his chances of a complete recovery were, as Zelena had said, only thirty per cent. But there was a chance. That was what they had to cling to. And thanks to Zelena's early diagnosis, Henry's odds were definitely higher than most cases.

Regina reached for her phone when she'd finished the fifth article on XLP she could find, firing off a quick text to Zelena to ask how Henry was. She knew her friend would have clocked off work an hour or so before and hopefully the boy had indeed been discharged. Before the reply came through, however, Regina's exhaustion caught up with her once more and she fell asleep again, curled up in the armchair, iPad resting on her chest.


Emma loved her foster parents. They had taken her in when she was nine and had given her the first stable home of her life. It took some time but eventually she had even begun to call them Mum and Dad. After all, no one else in her life had ever deserved those titles. The Blanchards had never formally adopted Emma but the paperwork was negligible to all three of them. They were a family and that was all that mattered.

But it was when the two of them came to stay that Emma remembered how small her apartment really was. She had been looking forward to getting home so much and was immensely relieved when Doctor West had confirmed that Henry could be discharged. But as soon as the four of them had bundled through the door, she had needed her own space.

Mary had fussed over Henry and given him a bubble bath before burying him beneath a mountain of blankets on the sofa whilst David set about making Henry's favourite meal, salmon fillet and mashed potato. Emma stood watching, awkwardly displaced by her own parents around her own son. She was happy to have Henry home, of course, but deep down she wanted it to be just the two of them. And then a wave of guilt hit her as she remembered that both Mary and David had undergone blood tests that afternoon to determine whether they could donate their bone marrow to Henry. Emma had been told about the painful procedure and knew her parents would go through hell if they were found to be a match. And they would gladly do it for Henry, or even herself, making Emma feel even worse about the fact that she resented their presence in the house.

She was relieved, therefore, when Henry fell asleep and she was given an excuse to escape the busy living room. She carried her son into his bedroom and placed him gently on the bed. She hummed the tune of one of his old lullabies to him, her hand rubbing soothingly over his chest. He was still hot, she noted as she touched his forehead, but the fact that he was eating meant his strength was returning.

Emma wasn't sure exactly what Doctor West had said to Henry the day before when she had been with Regina but the boy's appetite had definitely improved. She suspected the doctor had explained in child's terms the importance of Henry staying as healthy as possible before the transplant. Emma still hadn't had a chance to speak to her son properly about what was, hopefully, going to happen. She didn't know how much he understood nor did she want to get his hopes up if a transplant was unavailable.

By the time Emma returned to the living room half an hour later, Mary and David had expanded the sofa into a bed and were laying a clean sheet on top. Well, at least she didn't have to host them, Emma mused as she watched her parents making themselves at home.

"You look knackered, darling," Mary said, approaching her daughter with a concerned look in her eyes.

"It's been a long week," Emma shrugged. "I just need to get a good night's sleep in a proper bed and I'll be fine."

"Go ahead," David said. "Your mum and I can check on Henry for you too. Is there anything we need to know?"

"He can have a paracetamol any time after midnight if he wakes up but aside from that, no," Emma said. She headed towards her own bedroom but paused in the doorway and turned back. "Thank you for coming up to be with us. We really appreciate it."

Mary smiled. "Of course," she said. "Anything for our favourite daughter."

Emma rolled her eyes at the old family joke but couldn't help the twitch in her lips. Simultaneously, David and Mary blew kisses towards the blonde and, instinctively, Emma caught them, the tradition lifting her spirits slightly before she headed into her bedroom and closed the door.

Much as Regina had been looking forward to her time off, by the next afternoon she was bored. She had caught up on her sleep already, reorganised her wardrobe and done a much needed food shop. And now … now she was itching to get back to work.


Regina loved her job. She had wanted to be a doctor for as long as she could remember. Her parents had been supportive enough, although her father was a little disappointed she hadn't followed him down the political pathway. Her mother, however, seemed proud of her accomplishments. Becoming a fully qualified paediatric doctor by the age of twenty-nine had been a tough slog but she had worked hard and was loving her time at the London hospital.

Of course, seeing children and their families suffering, especially in A and E where it was so often unclear what was wrong was difficult but Regina found solace in the fact that she was working to make them better. With her best friend working in the paediatric wing, she was often able to keep an eye on patients who were admitted too. And then there were those special patients for whom a visit upstairs was sometimes in order.

She had been relieved when Zelena had told her the previous day how Henry Swan had been discharged, sent home with his mother and grandparents where at least he would be surrounded by toys and his familiar possessions. Hospital wasn't fun for any child, especially one looking at spending a lot of time there. She hadn't heard anything from Zelena since that text but she suspected the grandparents' blood test results were back. No news was good news, right?

Her fingers reached for her phone and she opened her messages. Should she contact Zelena? She was surprised her friend hadn't questioned Regina involvement in the case thus far. In fact, she was just waiting for the moment when the redhead called her out on it. After all, Zelena knew Regina better than anyone. She then wondered about messaging Emma but immediately realised that whilst the blonde had Regina's business card, she herself had no way of contacting the young mother. And, of course, that would be highly unprofessional.

Shaking her head in annoyance, Regina began to write a new text.

Hey, it was great to meet you on NYE. Sorry for the delay - I was on nights at the hospital. Would you like to meet for drinks this weekend? Regina x

She hesitated for a moment before she sent the message. Eventually, her finger tapped the button. Whatever she felt for Emma Swan, Regina knew she couldn't act on it. Instead, she needed a distraction and the pretty blonde from that New Year's Eve party would do perfectly.


Staring out of her window, watching the trains coming and going through Clapham Junction station, Emma wiped her tears away. But more fell in their place. Her parents said nothing, sitting side by side on the couch, helpless. Henry was asleep. He didn't know yet.

Doing the only thing she could think of, Emma pulled out her phone and began to type.

Hey, it's Emma Swan. Neither of my foster parents were a match for him. I don't know what to tell him. I don't know what to do. Can you help me?