Emma and Henry were on their way home. "How's mom?"

"I don't know. She's being so casual about this and even went to work. I mean she said it was so she could get things done and rest."

Henry noticed a car ahead that had smashed into a tree head-on, "I wonder what happ...that's mom's car!"

"What?" Emma pulled over and put her car in park. "Wait here and call for help," the blonde ran to the driver's side door and saw her girlfriend unconscious with her head resting on the airbag. Emma was able to open the door but didn't move Regina in the event she had a head injury. "Regina, honey, I need you to wake up." The woman didn't budge. The paramedics arrived and took Regina to the hospital. Henry had also called his grandparents who met them there. The four sat in the waiting room for two hours before Dr. Whale came out.

"She's stable and awake," he announced.

"Do you have any idea what's wrong?" Emma asked.

"I know exactly what's wrong. She had a stroke and it's pretty bad. Regina can only move her right arm without difficulty and is having trouble speaking."

"Can she recover?" Snow asked.

"I don't think she can recover completely. There's been too much damage to her brain. She has no injuries from the wreck. Just some bruising here and there. Emma, you can go back and see her. Regina said that she didn't want Henry to see her right now in her condition."

Emma turned to her parents, "will you take Henry home with you?"

"Of course," David said. Henry didn't put up a fight. He understood his mother's feelings and tried to respect them. She had enough to deal with right now.

Emma waited until her family left to go back to see Regina. When she walked into the room, she noticed how the left side of the woman's face drooped. Emma walked up and took Regina's hand, "hey, honey."

Regina looked at Emma and hesitated, "h-h-hey."

"You gave us quite a scare. Henry and I found you on our way home."

"Did...he...see me?"

"No, I made him wait in the car and call for help."

"Good," she breathed out.

"Are you in pain? You look like something is bothering you."

"I think...we...should break...up."

"How hard did you hit your head?"

"I'm serious," Regina said.

"You were just in a car wreck because you had a stroke while driving. You can only move your right arm. I'm not going anywhere."

"Not fair to you."

"That's life, Regina. Now, I'm here for the long hall so get used to it."

"You're not...staying here...the whole...time."

"I'll go home to sleep. I'll stop by for every meal and yes I'll work." Emma leaned down to plant a kiss on the woman's head. She held her true love as she began to cry.

Three days after Regina ended up in the hospital, Emma went to have dinner with the woman in her room. A nurse stopped her and told her to wait for the doctor. Emma panicked, but the nurse insisted Regina was fine. Dr. Whale emerged and told Emma something she hadn't been expecting.

"What do you mean you released her?" Emma asked angrily.

"I was pretty sure that you would understand those words," Dr. Whale said.

"She's practically paralyzed and you let her leave."

"I diagnosed her and sent her home with the necessary equipment. She didn't need to stay here."

"You should have called someone to pick her up. She can't get around on her own."

"Then I guess you had better head to her house."

Emma ran out of the hospital and sped to Regina's. She ran inside and up the steps yelling the woman's name.

"Emma," Regina called for the woman.

"Where are you?"

"Back door," she said as loud as she could.

"Shit," Emma ran towards the woman who was lying on the floor half inside and half out. "Are you alright?"

"I don't...know. My wheelchair...is outside. Could you get...it please?"

"Sure," Emma rushed and found everything Whale had sent home with the woman. She brought it all into the kitchen and set the chair up. Gently, she helped Regina off the floor and into the chair. Emma checked the woman out to see if she had injured herself anywhere before wheeling her to the couch.

"I don't want Henry...to see me like this," Regina said slowly.

"That may not be possible."

"How did you know I was...home?"

"Dr. Jackass told me."

"He did more for...me than I thought he...would."

"I'm gonna ask my dad and Hook to set up a bedroom down here. It will be a while before you can handle the stairs."

"If I can ever...handle them again."

Emma helped Regina shift from her chair to the couch. The woman had a pained expression on her face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just sore."

"How did you even get here?"

"I used the little...strength I had to teleport myself. I...couldn't make it...all the way inside." Regina's left arm was limp. She couldn't move it and could barely move her legs.

"Honey, where's your sling?"

"I think it's...in my bag."

Emma dug through Regina's hospital bag to find the sling. Regina was supposed to wear it while her left arm recovered. Emma helped the woman put it on. "Do you need anything?"

Regina struggled to speak, "I...I...need you."

"I'm right here." Emma sat and took the woman in her arms. "I'm always going to be here. Why don't you take a nap?"

"I probably should."

"I'll help you lie down." Once Regina was situated it didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

Snow and David brought Henry home around dinner time. They had warned him about the shape his mother was in and that she was self-conscious about him seeing her. Henry found his mother resting on the sofa. He gently hugged her and took a seat next to her.

"I know you don't want me to see you like this, but it's okay. You can't help what happened. I'm going to try to not fuss over you. Instead, I'll wait for you to ask for help. Unless someone else asks me to help you. You don't have to talk either if you're uncomfortable."

"Thank you," Regina said slowly, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Once Henry had gone to bed, Emma helped Regina. Charming and Hook had turned a room on the first floor into a bedroom. Emma walked up to her girlfriend, "you ready for bed?"

"Yeah," she answered.

Emma helped Regina into her wheelchair and helped her get ready for bed. "Do you need anything else?"

"Will you stay...in here with me?"

"Of course," Emma answered, "where else would I be?" Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's waist while Regina put her right arm around Emma's shoulders. Regina sighed with relief once she was in bed. Emma had to help the woman lift her legs up. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Do you need anything before I do?"

"No, thank you," Regina sighed. Emma kissed her girlfriend and walked to the bathroom. Walked. Regina watched intently as her girlfriend did something she could no longer do. Something she may never do again. Walk.