Ma woke up in the hospital. She could tell because everything smelled like sanitizer and baby powder. It smelled like sickness.

Ben had laid his head at the foot of her bed, his hand gripping almost desperately at her legs. As if she would fly away if he ever let go, which was ridiculous because Mal didn't even feel like getting up at that particular moment.

"Hello," she croaked. Her throat felt dry and scratchy, but she figured a cup of tea or a cough drop would fix that issue simply enough. Immediately Ben jolted up right, the whites in his eyes were red rimmed. He looked like he did when he pulled an all nighter back home. He would lock himself inside of his office and spend all night doing paper work. Mal would sometimes join him but she'd always fall asleep and would wake up in her own bed. Ben carries her there.

"Mal, hey!" He replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "How are you feeling?"

Mal stuck up her thumb. "Never better," she said sarcastically. Ben allowed a real smile to spread across his face.

"What exactly happened?" Mal asked. "I felt like I blacked out or something. Everything was all a weirdly sickening blur."

Ben ran his hand through his hair. "Sezuire." He sighed. "They did an emergency scan once you arrived at the hospital and found a tumor in the brain. They want to do more test to figure out if it's anything serious.or.if it can just be remedied with surgery."

"A tumor..." Mal rubbed the bridge of her nose. That didn't sound promise. "Cancer."

"We don't know that!" Ben piped in quickly. "Don't jump to the worst car scenario so soon!"

Mal was silent for a moment. A headache began to pound on the side of her head. She was being paranoid, but she couldn't help shake the notion that perhaps she did have cancer. What then?

"Where my baby?" Mal asked, changing the subject.

"Ryan is with my parents," Ben answered, glad to get off the topic of cancer. "I called Evie, Jay, and Carlos but only Carlos could stop by after his shift at the shelter. Evie's and Jay are swamped at the moment."

"It's fine." Mal flipped to her side. "Can you turn in the tv for me?" she pointed to the tiny set in the corner of the white room. She ned a distraction for her wandering mind.

Ben nodded and quickly flipped on the television and the first thing that popped up on the screen was the Auradon news channel. Snow white stood in front of the castle, their home, the microphone gripped tightly in her hands

"Worry news today Auradon! She exclaimed. "Rumors have got out the the Queen of Auradon, Queen Mal was admitted to the ICU late yesterday evening due to an unknown medical emergency!""There's a shock," Mal mumbled.

"An ambulance was spotted on the scene yesterday evening with some witnesses claiming they saw the Queen herself being loaded into the back of an ambulance in a state of shock. Could this be the end for the Area Queen? Should we all be preparing to grieve this-"Ben quickly flipped the television off, settling down in a chair with an exhale. His hair was plastered to his head, he looked terrible.

"Did you get any sleep?"

"No" Ben answered honestly.

Before Mal could press him further, a young man in a long white coat and a face mask walked into the room with his hands clasped firmly together.

"Hello Mal, nice to see you awake," he said. "My name is Dr. Morris, it's so nice to meet you."

"Hmmm," Mal hummed, not in the kids.for talking that much.

"Well we ran some test in the lab and we have some news."

Ben straightened in his seat.

"I'm not sure how to break this to you." He was shaking. "But we have reason to believe that her majesty is suffering from...Cancer."

"...What did you say?" Ben asked softly.

Mals head fell back into the pillows with an iceedoulous look on her face. She knew it, she knew it.

"Now this isn't what you think-"

"Did you just say...Cancer?" Ben interrupted.

"Yes, but let me assure you that-"

"I want more test done," Ben demanded. "You obviously made a mistake. My wife is fit as a fiddle she can't just suddenly develope brain cancer."

"You wife is still vulnerable to these things," Dr.Morris said, "and we are quite certain about our conclusion."

"But I don't understand!"

Mal gripped Ben's hand to calm him down, but mostly because her heart was beating out if her chest and for the first time in she didn't know how long, she was afraid.

"What are the options?" Mal asked.

Ben looked at her like she was insane for accepting this.

"No, no!" Ben stood up. "Redo the test and figure out what's actually wrong!"

"Sir we were very precise about our test methods."

"I'm the king!" Ben yelled. "Your suppose to do as I say!"

Mal frowned. "Benjamin!"

He turned towards her.

"You better ait down right this instant and let the doctor do his job! Denying it isn't going to make the problem disappear!"

Ben's mouth was working like he was trying to speak but at a lost for words. In the nd he just flipped down in his chair with a huff and crossed his arms.

"What are our options?" Ben finally asked.