Emma looked around the hall before sneaking toward room 8A. She approached Henry's room and looked through the small window in the door. There didn't seem to be anyone aside from the prone figure laying on the bed.
She quietly entered the room, taking another quick look over her shoulder before going to Henry's side. She took stock of all his bandages, and tubes and monitors.
"Jeez kid. What the hell did they do to you?" Emma gently took his hand. "I'm so sorry, Henry. I should have known those assholes would try to come after you, restrictions or not. I know you can handle yourself. You're strong. You're fast. I know you could have taken anyone of those guys on their own… Which is probably why they all jumped you at once."
Emma sat in the chair next to him, and began to cry. She brought her forehead down to their hands and closed her eyes. "I swear to you and your mom, kid. I'm going to find what we need to nail these little fuckers."
"I thought I asked you repeatedly not to swear in front of my son."
"Regina?!" Emma shot to her feet. "I'm sorry. I thought... I thought he was alone. I'm sorry. I just wanted to see the how the kid was doing… how you were both doing…"
Regina had just stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered and changed. She had opened the bathroom door at the same time Emma had entered, and snuck back in to try and avoid her.
Emma hung her head, avoiding the steel eyes staring at her, completely missing their breaking resolve. The woman's words to her unconscious son, had pushed Regina out of hiding.
Regina knew the quick bond the two had developed, made the attack personal for Emma. But seeing her cry by her son's bedside touched her heart far beyond anything she had ever felt.
"I'll just go." Emma practically whispered.
She walked toward the door, but was stopped by a shaky hand on her arm. Emma looked down at the hand and slowly followed the arm up to now watery eyes. Regina didn't look to be angry anymore, but Emma wasn't sure what to do.
Tears began to fall from Regina's eyes and her lips start to tremble. Emma quickly engulfed her, missing the feel of Regina in her arms, and wanting desperately to comfort the weeping woman.
"I'm so sorry, Emma." Regina whispered against her chest.
Emma pulled away slightly to wipe away Regina's tears.
Regina took deep breaths to try and calm herself. "I shouldn't have pushed you away like this. I panicked. Henry was hurt while we were off having fun… I just felt so guilty and angry, like I should have been here for him." Regina began to sob in earnest. "He shouldn't have been alone."
Emma led them over to the window seat. Sitting back as far as she could, she pulled Regina closely to her side, letting her cry and rocking her gently. When Regina's cries calmed, she remained leaning against Emma.
"He's sixteen, Regina. You can't watch him every minute of every day. And what happened to him wasn't his fault, or yours."
"I know. It's just hard. I thought this had stopped."
"Me too." Emma laid her cheek on the brunette's head and rubbed her arm.
"I truly am so very sorry, Emma. I shouldn't have pushed you away. I was so cold." Regina wouldn't meet her eyes.
"I know. And no, you shouldn't have." Emma kissed the brunette head against her shoulder. "That's why I let you have some space… But truth is I forgave you a long time ago."
Regina turned to wrap her arms around a thin waist. "This is just how Mary Margret was holding me this morning." Regina said softly as she burrowed deeper into the woman's arms.
"You were cuddling with Mighty Mouse? Trying to make me jealous?" Emma chuckled. "She told me she was going to try and sneak in here to, quote 'snap you of it!'"
Regina laughed in a sigh, "That she did. I'll never understand how I can submit so easily to that little woman, but she seems to have that effect on me when she's yelling. She's going to make an excellent mother."
"Yup. It's no wonder David's her perfect match. He's a push-over for the women in his life."
They sat in the comfortable silence, reconnecting by holding on to one another, and staring at Henry. His heart rate monitor the only noise, other than the hum that usually accompanies hospitals.
"Have you heard anything from the police about the investigation?" Regina asked.
"No. They're handling it as an assault, but have no leads or eye witnesses, or even any real proof of who did this." Emma sighed bitterly.
Regina griped Emma's jacket, snuggling closer. "Thank you, Emma. For trying. Mary Margret told me what you've been up to. I can't tell you how relieved I am that someone I trust is looking into things."
"It isn't just me. A lot of people care about you two. We'll find the proof we need, I promise." She squeezed the woman in her arms, before asking quietly, "Have the doctors said anything?"
"They think he either fell and hit his head, or was hit in the head with something hard. His ribs aren't broken, but there are some fractures. They'll take some time to heal. They want to wait for the swelling to go down around his face before seeing if his cheekbone will need surgery." Regina bit her lip to keep it from trembling.
"That sounds like a good idea. He'll be awake, then we can tell him he might get a badass scar out of it. Drive the girls wild." Emma smiled at having made Regina laugh lightly.
"I think Violet might have a problem with that. She has stopped by here every day after school. Just to sit with him for a little while." Regina sat up and wiped her eyes. "She really is a good girl."
"Yeah she is. He couldn't have asked for a better girlfriend."
Regina cupped Emma's cheek, looking directly into her eyes.
"Neither could I," she said sincerely.
Emma's eyes sparkled as her lips formed into, what Regina could only describe as, a goofy smile.
"Girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend." Regina repeated and leaned into kiss her.
They embraced and exchanged small tender kisses. Smiling too much to deepen their kisses, but content in keeping their bodies and lips close.
"Gross…" a scratchy voice from the other side of the room sounded.
"Henry!"
"Henry!"
Both women yelped and ran to the boy's bedside. Regina gently wrapping her arms around her son's head.
"God, you scared the crap out of us, Kid." Emma squeezed his leg, receiving a one-sided grin from the teenager.
A pained look overtook his features. "Ow. OK smiling hurts."
"Are you alright, dear?" Regina asked.
"I'm ok, Mom. But I could really use something for the pain." Henry swallowed dryly. "Maybe some water too."
"I'm on it. You stay here." Emma leaned over and kissed the top of Regina's head and left.
"Oh, Henry I'm so glad you're awake. I was so worried." Regina smiled as much as she could.
"How long was I out?" Henry asked.
"Going on eight days."
"A week?! I was asleep for a week?" Henry tried to calm his breathing, feeling it pull at his ribs. He took in the brace on his arm, reached down and felt the bandage around his abdomen. Touching the wrap on his head, he looked back at his mom, "Why can I only see out of my right eye?"
Regina swallowed her tears, "Do you not remember what happened to you?"
"Oh I remember. Neal and the other guys got the jump on me." Henry went to tighten his fist, then quickly released it in pain. "Shit that hurt! Sorry." He quickly apologized for the profanity.
Emma re-entered with a cup of water, "The Doc's on his way to check you out and get you some pain meds. Here you go."
Henry took the offered water with a shaky hand, and Emma took it back. Sitting on the opposite side from Regina, she held the straw to Henry's lips so he could drink.
"Thanks, Emma." Henry relaxed back against his pillows, still angry. "I can't believe those jerks knocked me out for a week."
"So it was Neal and his friends?" Emma asked pulling out her phone. "I'm calling Sheriff Booth to head over for Henry's statement."
"What about Violet? Is she alright?" Henry started to sit up, but was gently pushed back down.
"She's fine Henry. She actually sort of saved your life. She found you behind the dumpster and flagged down help. Which actually ended up being Mary Margret. They stayed with you until an ambulance came, and followed you here to the hospital. They were the ones that tried contacting us to tell us what happened."
"Oh man, the ranch. I'm sorry I interrupted your ride, mom." Henry lightly squeezed her hand.
"You did no such thing." Regina reassured him.
Emma returned to her seat next to Henry, and offered him more water. "Sheriff Booth will be here tomorrow. He said he's going to go pick up Neal and his buddies for questioning. Now that Henry's awake to pinpoint them, the police have probable cause. Gold can't fight it."
"Good." Regina snapped.
"Tell us what happened, Henry?" Emma asked taking Regina's hand across Henry's legs. "Take it easy though."
Henry coughed and cringed. Speaking softly he began to tell them what happened to him as much as he could with a raw throat.
"I was leaving the library with Violet, but she forgot her notebook, so she went back in while I waited outside. I was looking at my phone, and didn't notice Neal and the guys round come from the alley until they were right behind me. Neal started harassing me again. This time about the both of you. I guess he and the guys saw you two together at the gym."
Emma and Regina shared guilty looks.
"That explains why Rumple referred to you as my girlfriend that day in the hospital." Regina said to Emma.
Henry accepted more water from Emma. Quick to put a stop to their guilt, "Hey. It's not a secret, and I wouldn't want it to be, ok? You two being together is none of their damn business, and I told him as much. He started saying lewd things again, about the both of you. I started to walk away, Mom. I swear I did. I was going to go back in the library."
Regina nodded her head, trying to reassure him that she believed him. "Easy, sweetheart."
Henry closed his eyes and took some calming breaths. Emma grinned, recognizing the cadence of the breathing exercises she had taught him.
"One of the other guys started to tease Neal. Telling him to grow a pair and go after me. It didn't take too much, cause Neal charged me." He smiled crookedly at Emma. "He was throwing wide punches that were easy to dodge."
Emma smiled proudly at him in a way she hoped Regina didn't catch.
"He pushed me toward the side of the building. On one of his last throws, I ducked and his fist went straight into the brick wall. It was the same hand he hit the locker with, but this time I know he broke it. He was crying and holding his hand."
"Serves that little shit right." Regina said, getting identical surprised stares. "Well it does."
Henry shared an amused chuckle with Emma.
"Well, I was so focused on him, that I didn't notice someone come up behind me. I don't know what hit me, but I went down. Then there were fists and kicks hitting me. I threw out a couple of kicks, but they didn't let up. The last thing I remember is Neal's boot coming toward my head. Everything went dark after that."
Emma's hand was numb from Regina's angry squeezing. By the end of Henry's retelling, the kid looked tired. He was taking steady breaths that seem to hurt him.
"Okay, Henry. You have a couple of bruised ribs that are going to be super tender, along with other injuries. Don't exert yourself." Emma placed her free hand on his braced arm. She looked toward a worried Regina, and tried to give her a re-assuring smile.
The door opened, and Dr. Fredrick walked in. "Henry! So good to see you awake, kiddo."
"Hey Doc." Henry smiled gauntly.
"Easy there, Mister Mills. I'm just going to take some vitals and check you out ok. You relax and let me do the work. No need to worry your mother and Miss Swan."
Regina and Emma moved out of the way, and Emma instantly wrapped an arm around the Mayor's slim waist, feeling her relax into her embrace.
After checking Henry's vitals, throat and wounds, the Doctor lifted the blanket off of Henry's feet.
"I'm going to tickle your feet a little bit Henry. Just to check out your reflexes, ok?"
Henry nodded, and noticed his mother hold her breath staring at his feet. He let out a laugh and groaned in pain from his ribs. Everyone in the room released a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad everyone likes seeing my pain." Henry jested.
"No, kid. Just glad to see those talented kickboxing legs are moving." Emma winked at Henry.
"Me too." Henry said as he winced in pain again.
A nurse came in and made her way to Henry's IV to administer a shot into his line.
"Nurse Rodriguez is giving you a bit of morphine. It's very strong stuff, that'll likely make you very loopy and sleepy. Which is a good thing. Right now, all you need to concentrate on is resting and recuperating. Alright?"
Henry nodded and watched the nurse give him the pain killer.
Dr. Fredrick approached Emma and Regina. "His vitals are strong, his reflexes and breathing are normal. We'll get him in for another CT scan to check out his head injury, but so far so good."
"Thank you so much, Doc." Emma patted the man on his shoulder.
"I can't thank you enough, Dr. Fredrick." Regina shook his hand.
"My pleasure, Miss Mills. You have a strong young man there. We miss seeing him, and you Miss Swan, at the gym." Dr. Fredrick shot Emma a sincere smile, and made his way to the door.
The two women suddenly heard Henry laughing, and turned to see a dazed look on his face.
"Did you know that Doc and his brothers are the seven little dwarves from the story books? He's just shaved his beard, and they don't wear beanies. I wonder if I should grow a beard. But I don't like beanies. They mess up my hair. Do you think Violet would find that sexy? Am I sexy? Why am I asking you two? You're my mom and you're my teacher, and you love each other not men. Men are all stubbly and stupid. Stooooppppidd… hahahaha that's a funny word. Stoooooopid."
Emma and Regina tried and failed to hide their amusement at the obviously high kid.
"I sleepy now." His eyes began to fade, before the shot open again. "Oh my God, does that make me a dwarf too?!"
"No, kid. You're too tall. Go to sleep." Emma told him.
"Damn right I'm too tall." He mumbled as he fell easily back into his pillow fast asleep.
The women smiled in amusement, holding each other tighter to ensure the other that this was real. Henry was awake.
"I think I'll call Sheriff Booth back and give him a rundown of what Henry said." Emma pulled out her phone, but paused from a hand placed gently on her chest, above her heart.
"Thank you, Emma." Regina smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss. "For being here for us."
Emma kissed her back. "It's where I'll always want to be."
After the call to Sheriff Booth, the couple settled back down on the window seat. Henry continued to mumble things in his drug induced sleep about chocolate and flying animals, amusing them both.
"Do you think it's wise for him to go back to sleep so soon?" Regina bit her lip nervously.
"I think it's more than ok. His body needs to rest." Emma squeezed Regina. "He's okay, Regina. You should get some sleep. Why don't I drive you home? Get you something to eat?"
"Oh I don't think so. Besides Mary Margret brought me a sandwich earlier, when she brought me clothes." Regina started to protest. "I couldn't leave Henry."
"Yes you can, and yes you will." Came a voice from the door.
Mary Margret entered the room with Violet right behind her.
"Hi Miss Mills. Emma." Violet smiled at them. "The nurse just told us. Is it true? Did he really wake up?"
"It sure is, Vi. The doc just gave him some morphine for the pain, and knocked him back out. He said that the kid's vitals are good and strong, though." Emma exclaimed and released Regina so Mary Margret could hug her.
"What a relief." Mary Margret pulled them both into a quick hug instead. "Well if he's doing well, and he's going to be out because of the morphine, I think Emma should definitely take you home so you can get some sleep. Violet can sit with him for a couple of hours. Then I can come relieve her for a couple of hours."
"I…" Regina started to speak, but Mary Margret squinted her eyes in warning.
"Visiting hours are over at nine. That gives you five and half hours to go home and sleep in your own bed, eat some dinner, then come back and spend the night with him. That's IF you can't be persuaded to let me stay the night here instead."
"I couldn't, Mary Margret." Regina almost whispered.
"OK, well then let Emma take you home 'til eight-thirty, then."
Regina looked to Emma and was met with pleading puppy-dog eyes. "OK." She sighed.
"Good." Emma nearly shouted in glee.
Regina walked over to Henry's bedside and kissed his forehead gently. "I'll be right back, sweetheart. I'm so glad you're ok."
"Mommy, can I have hot chocolate." Henry whispered like it was a secret, but didn't open his eyes. "With whip cream and cinnamon-amon-amon-amon…" He fell back asleep.
The women all giggled.
Violet, on the opposite side of the bed, took his hand. "I promise we'll get some hot chocolates at gran's when you're out of here, Henry."
"Mmmm… Violet pretty." He mumbled.
Violet blushed, and turned to the others. "My dad's picking me up at five-thirty for dinner. I brought a book to read to him, so I can stay with him until then."
Emma walked over and hugged her, "Thank you, Violet. I know he'd love for you to be here with him."
Regina followed and hugged her, whispering a quick, "Thank you, dear."
With that, Emma led a still reluctant Regina out of the hospital toward her home.