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"So?!" Regina snapped. "What's wrong with her?"

She felt a pinching on her elbow from where Cora was standing beside her. "Regina…" She sang. "Ladies do not shout…"

Doctor Hopper looked up from leaning over Emma- who was asleep on Regina's queen-sized bed. "No, no it's quite all right" He smiled. "Your employee will be fine Mrs Mills", he said, addressing Regina's mother.

"What's wrong with her?" She asked again.

"The flu." His gentle smile slipped away. "She shall be in bed with a high fever for the next few days. Maybe she will even hallucinate."

"But...she will be okay?" Regina double checked. "I need- I mean- her son needs her,"

"Oh yes." Doctor Hopper confirmed, "If you keep her warm, comfortable, and feed her hot fluids, her fever shall probably break soon. But do not let her go back to work for at least two or three weeks."

She felt Cora stiffen. "Three weeks?! That's ridiculous! What is the point of her then? Surely keeping her and her son here is just a waste of our money!"

Regina turned on her mother, while Doctor Hopper stared between the two in disbelief. There was nothing she would like to do more, than push her mother out of the window. "Mother, don't act like Emma is eating us out of house and home", she growled.

"I'm not!" Cora said, offended. "But why should we pay her!"

"We don't have to pay her for the days she isn't working mother, if you are truly that selfish." She hissed.

Even though she knew Emma definitely deserved to have sick pay, Regina had to pick her battles. "But you cannot kick her and her vulnerable son to the streets, nor starve them!"

"I don't see why you had to pick someone so vulgar anyway, and with a child no less". Cora sniffed, knowing she'd lost that particular fight. "But she can sleep back up in the attic."

"The attic? Really mother?"

"If I may"… the doctor spoke up, winking at Regina. "Miss Swan really should be somewhere warm and comfortable, also it's not such a good idea for her to be moved at the moment…" He gestured at the huge bedroom, draped in all kinds of finery. "She should stay here, until she has fully recovered. After all, Mrs Mills… you wouldn't want everyone speaking about how… your ungenerosity caused your Servant… to die?" He coughed delicately.

Regina almost laughed aloud at how excellently Doctor Hopper had understood her mother, at how he knew how much Cora valued her status.

Cora huffed and stormed towards the door. At the last minute she turned, and said "If you think I am getting a nurse for that woman, you have another thing coming. Regina… you have always wanted a dog, now is your chance to see what it will be like caring for one."

Regina clenched her fists. How dare she compare Emma, beautiful Emma, to an animal? Doctor Hopper placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Leave it for now Miss Mills. You have won a lot of victories today, do not let them slip away," He whispered.

In a louder voice, he reminded Regina to feed Emma plenty of soup, keep her warm, and to let her see her son, so as to "keep her remembering what she has to live for."

Regina sighed as she stood up and stretched. It was the middle of the night, and Emma had been asleep the whole day.

She barely knew if she was alive or not, the only thing that reassured her was the rise and fall of Emma's chest. Every so often, Regina would move from her chair to wipe a damp towel on the blonde's forehead.

As she did that, Henry stirred from his position on the bed. He was curled up next to his mama, his fingers clasped around the woman's hands. His eyes were tightly shut as he slept, as if willing Emma back to life.

Regina stifled a sob that rose up in her chest. Yes, Doctor Hopper had said Emma would be okay… but looking at her, she wasn't so sure. Despite her bright red cheeks that burnt from fever, Emma was shivering. What if... what if she never awoke from her fitful slumber? What if they never held each-other tight again, wrapped in the other's arms?

It wasn't fair, not to Henry, not to Emma, and not to Regina.

They'd all been through so much. Even though Regina didn't know much about Emma's life, she knew she hadn't had a family for much of it.

And now she did. Henry did. Would she really be ripped away from all of that?

At that very moment, Emma... Emma opened her eyes. Regina leapt up to tend to her, in the excitement, Henry awoke.

"Mama?!" He exclaimed. "You're awake!" I knew you would wake up! I knew you would!"

Regina knelt down besides the bed, clasping Emma's hand, but then she noticed Emma hadn't responded to Henry's hug… it looked like she didn't even recognise him.

The woman's breathing was harsh and loud, she coughed once or twice, and made no movement to comfort her son. Suddenly she spoke up "Who are you?"

Henry fell back, all of a sudden uncertain. "Mama?"

"I'm not a mama kid", Emma slurred, and with some effort, nudged the boy away from her. Her eyelids flickered, and she was back asleep.

Henry looked up at Regina, his eyes brimming with tears. "Mama?" He repeated.

Regina held back her own tears. That poor boy. He'd dealt with a lot, especially that day. The moment he'd heard his mother was ill, he tore up to Regina's bedroom… He hadn't left the woman's side all day, but then again neither had Regina.

She supposed now was a good time. She held her arm out. "Come Henry. Let's go on a walk dear."

The two strolled along the hallways, Henry looking at the other woman anxiously, waiting for her to speak.

After some time, Regina paused and looked down on him. "Henry. You know mama loves you right," She said softly.

He shrugged. "She woke up, she ignored me. Mama ignored me. I don't understand, why wouldn't she talk to me?"

"Henry… your mama didn't mean to."

"It's because I didn't behave nicely the other day isn't it", he sobbed. "I ran around outside, ignoring her, I wouldn't go to bed, now she hates me." Tears streamed down his face, he stared down at his shoes, visibly shaking.

"Oh Henry." Regina bent down and gathered the boy into her arms. She made up her mind, there and then, to never abandon that child, and do everything in her power to secure a stable future for him, her, and please G-D, Emma. No matter what.

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter:-) please review xx