Love me Apocalyptic

Chapter Three: Sick Like A Dog

If you're sick like me there's no stopping now, -Sick, Adelitas Way

Emma stood at the same spot that two days ago had been the scene of a battle between life and death. The scene of a battle she had lost. All that remained of it now was the decomposing corpses of three bodies. Hook stood silently by her side, flask in his hand and hook hooked around a shovel. Emma carried one too.

"We should bury them. It's the least we can do," her voice was soft but the ground was not. Her shoulders ached and her hands had blisters on them by the time they finished three shallow graves.

"Here's to the kids," Hook said, pouring a little of his rum into each of the adjacent graves. "And to the many others this curse has taken." A moment of silence, regret, and then they shoveled the dirt back onto them, placing a few rocks as placemarks. Weary and dirty, and in the case of Killian, stumbling slightly from drink, they crossed the barrier back to see an angry Regina waiting there for them, tapping an impatient finger on her crossed arms. This was what Emma had been hoping to avoid: getting caught by the mayor.

"Miss Swan. Jones," she grit between her teeth and Emma knew when the mayor used last names like insults, it was not going to be a good conversation. "Why did I call the sheriff's office only to find out the sheriff wasn't at her job?"

Tiredly, and halfheartedly for she knew she had 0.01% chance of succeeding, Emma tried to defend her way against the wave of anger threatening to be unleashed against her. "David was covering-"

"I don't care if he was covering. What were doing outside the barrier?! Do you really have a deathwish? No consideration for Henry? What if more vampires appeared? We could barely take them on the three of us and this time you only went with the handless wonder!"

Killian narrowed his eyes at the insult, but seeing as the world was blurry and his stomach thought it was a washing machine on the highest spin cycle, he said nothing, just dug his shovel into the dirt to have something to lean against for balance.

Emma picked up her hands in a placating motion. "Regina, nothing was going to happen. There weren't going to be any vampires."

"Yes, I forgot you are all knowing. That you can see the future!" Regina claimed sarcastically. She would be spitting fire if they weren't in a highly flammable area.

Killian would have liked to defend Emma verbally but the spin cycle in his stomach had stopped and now the liquids there were looking for a way to drain out. He kept his mouth shut tight and breathed heavily through his nose, hoping this conversation would be over soon so he could leave and feel bad in the comfort of his own room.

Emma sighed, drained by the mornings morbid events and not needing Regina sucking the last bit of life out of her. "Just relax, will you? I went to give the kids a proper funeral. I didn't want them to be disrespected. And it's helping me cope with my feelings. Somewhat." It had, a minuscule. It made her feel less guilty.

Regina opened her mouth to argue some more when Killian threw up all of a sudden, too close to the mayor's shoes for her liking. She grimaced at him. "Drunk at eight in the morning?"

"Must have been something disagreeing with me," Killian said, pulling out a napkin to wipe his mouth with. "Or perhaps the morbidity of what we just did, though I profess I had thought myself of harder constitution on such matters." He had thought Emma would be the one to get physically ill at such things but it seemed he was the one who was more weak stomached than initially believed.

Now that Emma looked at it, he did look pale faced and sweaty. She had just thought he looked that way because of the exertion of grave digging. Even Emma had been green faced at the bloated bodies, sightless eyes pecked out by birds and throats ripped wide open like some animal had done it.

The mayor waved her hand and the offending sight was cleared up. Too bad she couldn't do the same to Hook. "It wouldn't be the first time something has disagreed with you," Regina quipped back and Emma sighed, not wanting an argument to start up between Regina and Hook. Try how they might, the two were not at all sneaky with their dislike towards each other and Emma was just waiting for the day they slipped up around her so she could chew them out for behaving this cruelly.

"We'll be back on our way to the station. Don't worry about that anymore. I'll be back to doing my job, 'horribly' as you say."

"Wait, don't go just yet," Regina started and both Hook and Emma paused. "I wasn't talking about you, Jones. You can leave now, seeing as you've already offended my tastes enough today," she added nastily and Emma glared at that rude dismissal.

Hook gave a fake bow. "Of course. Perhaps next time I should aim better." He looked pointedly at her shoes and she narrowed her eyes at the threat. Then he was ambling off, flipping his collar up to keep the glare of the sun away for it was not helping his impending hangover.

"Talk," Emma rolled her shoulders back when Killian had finally gone, and Regina bristled at the blunt tone.

"I will not stand for insubordination from you, Ms. Swan, let me make that perfectly clear."

"I don't have time for long winded chats, Regina. Just get to the point. I have work to catch up on." Emma didn't want to get into another argument with Regina. She knew with Regina's truculent personality and Emma's obstinate viewpoints, such things were not avoidable. But she had been hoping that now as newly minted friends, they could have more pleasant conversations than unpleasant conversations.

Regina felt a vein in her neck throb. Not only had Emma disregarded her own safety and Regina's strict clarity on waiting to tackle the vampire apocalypse, now she was being insulting! "Are you calling me long winded-"

"Regina," Emma said warningly and with exasperation. "Please, just whatever you have to say, say it already."

Regina warred with her pride that told her not to give up easily, and with the softer part of her wanting to please Emma, finally deciding on the latter. "I could have gone with you. Why didn't you ask me?" She tried not to sound hurt but a tiny bit of it leaked through in her tone. If trouble had come, she would feel better knowing she could offer Emma better protection.

"Because I didn't think you would care enough. And I didn't want you looking at such...things. Didn't want to ruin your senses." Emma just didn't feel comfortable with bringing Regina alone because she knew her friend would have said no from the start, and Emma had needed to do this. No one else would have treated those kids bodies respectfully. She couldn't leave them uncared for; it was the least she could do after she had failed them.

"Emma." Regina had seen more dead bodies than Emma could ever dream of. Regina was sure she could have handled it. She could handle anything.

Emma merely shrugged at the reproach in Regina's tone.

"Just...tell me where you are next time. I want you to be safe," Regina left it at that, knowing more wouldn't be breached in this conversation, and poofed away back to her office, hurt that Emma hadn't wanted her there to support her but that Hook could.

It was a week later and still Emma couldn't get the incident out of her mind. It haunted her in her dreams, made her sad during the day, and guilted her when she was able to enjoy the simple perks of being alive. They could never eat a bear claw again, they could never drink coffee in the mornings, or brush their teeth. Silly little things like that, but it all got to her and she scolded herself for she knew it was pointless to dwell on it any longer.

She forced those thoughts aside by working out more at the gym, going on long runs, on filling out paperwork that did not need to be filled out. She would use Henry as a distraction, going to fun places with him, but she knew that he knew something was bothering her yet she'd never answer fully when he asked.

"It's just something between me and your mom."

"Are you and mom fighting again?" he asked mid lick on his ice cream cone.

"It's not a fight...just, something sad happened and she's helping me get over it, though we both have such big differences in opinions on it and how to deal with it."

That answer was not nearly anywhere as satisfying at it should be for Henry's curiosity. "Is this about the apocalypse?"

Her head snapped to him too quickly to be nonchalant. He narrowed his eyes. So, it was something to do with that. Hmm.

"It's.." she licked her lips to think of how to say this but she reconsidered. It was no good to lie to Henry. "Yes. I'm worried about that. I'm worried about the people out there, and for your safety and for this town and what will happen to the future of this world-"

Henry placed a hand on his mother's to stop her rambling. Her hands were shaking and Emma hadn't even noticed. "It'll be fine Ma. I know it will be. You can't do anything about what's happening outside. So don't do something stupid, okay?"

Now Emma's eyes narrowed at her son. "Did Regina put you up this?" He was normally all for saving people who were in trouble. He thought Emma was invincible and could take anything on. And now he had no belief in her?

Henry tilted his head. "Put me up to what?" he was confused.

Emma studied his face for a while and then sighed once she'd decided he was innocent of Regina's influences. "Nothing. Just...nothing." Oh boy, he sure was Regina's son. Emma did not do, 'stupid things', okay. At least, not all the time.

"Don't stress Ma. Things will be fine. Mom and you can protect this town. The apocalypse won't be able to touch us."

"But don't you care about the people out there?" Emma was a bit taken aback by her son's close mindedness about this situation. Usually he was so open minded that sometimes Emma believed he was an old man trapped in a young boy's body.

Henry shrugged. "I'm ten. And there are vampires out there that are really scary."

"More scary than dragons and evil witches and magic apples that can kill with one bite?" Emma raised a brow. Henry had no issue with storybook characters but vampires were apparently not okay. His reluctance on this issue made her hesitant on her whole plan to solve the vampire crisis.

He nodded his head, giving a solemn lick of his ice cream. "Those are real Emma. And real world problems are always scary."

Emma couldn't disagree with that. She ruffled up his hair because she didn't know what else to say.

Emma doesn't feel much up for drinks, but she's promised to go with Hook sometime for their reunion and maybe copious amounts of alcohol are what she needs now to pick her mood up. Especially with how bad Henry made her feel for recklessly throwing herself out there towards the vampires. He was right, this wasn't a crisis born of some magic and fairytale nature. Emma was used to those, to being able to snap her fingers, or throw a sword and be done, villain of the week successfully vanquished. This apocalypse was something different and it was potentially more dangerous than anything else she had faced, and she had been unaware of the exact magnitude of dangers she had been throwing herself into.

Emma had Henry to think of. The safety of the town to think of.

Regina had been right at chastising Emma, but Emma wasn't going to admit to that. It was like admitting to being wrong, to giving up on her dream to help those people and Emma would never stop wanting to help them. She just...perhaps needed to take a step back, a moment to consider her options and the gravity of what was occurring. Her nature was to run into things, but that wasn't a good tactic when the things she was running to, could outrun her.

So, drinks...it would give her time to relax, to get her mind off of things. And it would give her a chance to see Killian again. Their goodbyes had been painful right before he had left to sea, and she was hoping that the damage wasn't irreparable, that they could still salvage a friendship out of all this. He seemed content with her, not as hurt as he had been when she'd revealed her true emotions to him.

She could never forgot the fallen look on his face, the way his jaw swung open, the way his shoulders slumped defeated as she told him she didn't love him like he loved her. He hadn't said anything, just walked away and departed with his crew the next day to sea. She'd felt like shit for doing that, and Regina had comforted her afterwards, telling her it was okay, that she didn't own anything to Killian.

Now the two months were over and Killian didn't look hurt anymore. He smiled like usual at Emma and this gave her hope that she hadn't lost him entirely.

They meet at the Rabbit Hole and Killian's already seated at the bar stool saving a spot for her. It's only after four, which means Happy Hour and not a lot of folks to bother them. Upon her entrance he raises his glass in greeting and she slides right next to him, raising a hand to flag down the bartender for her own drink order. It comes back a mere moment later, giving her enough time to settle down into her seat and take in the vibe of this place. It's been a while since she's been here.

A lot of Storybrooke folks have been coming here to drown out their worries about the apocalypse raging on their doorstep and Emma is surprisingly not one of them. She prefers a more private space to beat down her worries; she doesn't like to appear weak in front of an audience.

"So, I'd ask about your travels but from the news I already know it was no trip to paradise," Emma starts, sipping down her rum and coke and enjoying the combination of fizzing burn.

"And I'd ask how was staying in Storybrooke but I already know how Regina is," he responds and takes a hearty gulp of his drink. His hand shakes on the glass and Emma notes it with a frown. "Are you okay? How many drinks have you had?"

"Recently? Only one," he admits, knowing the low count will inspire questions in his friend.

"Cutting back on the liqueur?" she asks. Killian loves his drink; what could be the possible reason of his to enjoy less of it?

"I drank a lot at sea," he fiddles with his glass, words coming out slow. "Trying to get over you, and lets say at some point the drink tastes too much like tears and bad memories to want to be drunk in moments of revelry." It's not an exact truth but he does want her to feel a bit bad about the break up. He deserves to get his kicks in when it was she who broke his heart. He thought he was over her, but he still wasn't. And while his heart cheered every time it saw her, his gut twisted in painful recollection of her pushing him away.

"I don't love you the way you love me."

Words cutting and cruel. He tried to shake his thoughts away from that. He didn't want to be mean to Emma. It wasn't her fault that she didn't feel for him that way. Only his for pushing her so hard to do so.

Emma looked away shamefully into her drink.

"Sorry, shouldn't have said that," he mumbled, a twinge of ignominy flaring to life in him. "That's not the entire reason I'm not drinking so much. I did miss you, still do...but I'm just not feeling too well is all." He was slightly ashamed of not being as forward with the true state of his being as he could be. To reverting to trying to hurt Emma for his own unwell nature, for trying to make her hurt for their break up even though falling out of love was not controllable, not repairable.

"Nah, it's okay," she looked up from her drink. They drink in silence for a couple of moments before Emma asks, "how bad is it out there?"

"Terrible," is his honest answer. "The oceans aren't bad. You get onto them, get deep enough out to the blue and you're safe. But on land," he shakes his head, takes a sip. He feels more ill just speaking on this and the drink stands in his throat but he forces it down. His eyes glaze over as he goes into a not too distant memory. "We landed off of the coast of Virginia in Chesapeake Bay. Everything there was abandoned, a true ghost town. There weren't even any bodies and any helpful goods we might need were already plundered from the stores. We didn't even get far in town to replenish our supplies before we spotted them, a crowd of about twenty. It was a good thing we had our guns with us."

He visualizes them, dark red glowing eyes peering out from behind trees and cars and stores, saliva dripping from their mouths at the scent of fresh blood. Hook's hair on the back of his neck had risen and his command to run had risen not mere seconds after. He had never ran so fast in his life as he had that day.

"We ran, keeping them at bay with our weapons, but gradually they were catching up, growing more bold and unafraid of our fire arms. So when we got closer to the boat, I ordered Smee to fire the cannons. That wiped a good chunk of them out of the picture and allowed us to board again."

Hook could still feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, heard the loud blasting of the cannons, the acrid tang of smoke and the cold spray of the water as they raced for the boat. The vampires stalled at the edge of the water, hissing at the lapping waves but not coming closer. Hook didn't know why they stopped but he didn't ponder it as he and his crew got away.

It had been hell sailing around with no supplies around but they couldn't dock anywhere easily. And until they had enough rations they couldn't head back home.

Emma shivered at the way Hook told the story. She could just imagine being chased down by a horde of hungry vampires, hot on her heels, fingers almost managing to touch her back. "I'm glad you got out of there alive."

"So am I," he chuckled before his stomach twisted up in pain and he was forced to bend over with a loud groan.

"Hook, are you alright?" Emma's hand was warm on his back and everything was too noisy. It was hurting his head.

"I'm sorry, love," he managed to get out. "It seems I am too unwell to continue our little evening together." Sweat was beading down his neck as his stomach roared in anger at having to consume those beverages.

"Come on, I'll get you home." She was already slinging his arm around her shoulders.

"I can get home on my own-"

"Not like this, you aren't," and she set her jaw, unwilling to hear otherwise. Stumbling both, they made it out of the bar and to his ship.

Regina picked up the phone with the intention to call Emma. After Henry had told her the blonde was still down about the incident, Regina decided what the sheriff needed was a nice warm meal to cheer her up; food always worked wonders on the voracious sheriff. The blonde answered on the last ring.

"Hello?" Emma said a bit distractedly. There was a loud clatter as something fell to the ground. "No, stay put. You're sick," she said to someone else. There was the murmur of an answer.

"Who are you talking to?" Regina asked, because she was never good with having information withheld from her.

"Uh, oh, it's just Hook."

Of course Emma was with Hook. Regina's lips tightened. "Well I do hope you won't be too busy with Hook because I'd like to invite you to dinner with me and Henry tonight."

"Tonight? Shit." There was the sound of Emma sucking her teeth. "I really want to but Hook is sick. Like really sick."

"Sick?" Regina wasn't surprised. "What with living on that filthy deathtrap of a ship and drinking nothing but rum, I'm not surprised."

There was another loud noise as something else fell over and then the distinct sound of retching. "Damn it Hook!" Emma cursed out a couple of choice words. "Do it in the trash next time, and not my shoes!"

Regina's lips curled up in distaste. "How badly ill is he? Do you think you'll be able to make it over? Henry's very worried about you." And so am I, Emma. But she didn't say that out loud.

"Uh, I don't know. I think he's got like the flu or something. He's shaking all over and pale and he can't seem to eat anything."

"Flu? In the middle of summer?" Regina arches a disbelieving brow.

"Dunno, he must have caught it on his trip or something. He refuses to leave to see Dr. Whale."

Suddenly Regina's heart clenches in fear; in suspicion as something clicks in her head. She says woodenly, "yes, he must have caught it on his trip indeed. I'll be over to help." And she clicks the phone off before Emma can protest.

Emma looks at it, confused by the suddenness of the call ending and then Regina is there in a cloud of purple smoke, standing in Hook's dark cabin. His sheets are a tangle and he's shirtless and on his knees cleaning up the mess he's made.

"Regina-"

But Regina is pulling Emma roughly behind her back. "Stay away," she hisses and Emma is confused.

"He's sick, he's not dangerous-"

"On the contrary he is," Regina says and Hook looks up at her. It's dark in the cabin but Regina can make out the dark circles under his eyes and the way he eyes her neck with too much interest. "Why, the Evil Queen herself in my humble cabin?" He gets up so he may bow mockingly but she flicks her wrist.

"Don't." And the curtains over his window rip open. Immediately a scream leaves from his lips and he throws himself against the wall where there is shade. Where the smoldering of his skin can stop. He huddles there, hands over his head, wailing in agony.

Emma's eyes open wide and her jaw drops open and Regina only nods her head in confirmation. She had thought as much, but she's not happy about it. There's infected in Storybrooke. And Hook is patient zero. She intends to make him the first and last one.

"What's-what's going on- what's happening to me?!" Hook cries out. He doesn't understand anything and it scares him.

"You're becoming a vampire, Hook," Regina says and she's cool as she eyes him despite how many internal red flags this is raising in her. She won't have him threatening the safety of her haven, of her son, and of Emma!

"You're coming with us." With a flick of her wrist the trio is gone.

"Is this really necessary?" Emma asks, unhappy that Regina has orchestrated placing Hook in a quarantine room in the hospital. Whale stands by them, adjusting his shirt collar nervously while his eyes glow in unhealthy interest at this new subject.

"It is," Regina stays steely, watching as Hook paces in the stark white room, empty save for a bed and sink and toilet. The man is not happy and he's screaming but his words are indecipherable through the thick glass. "He's infected, and I won't have him spreading this to other people. This is the safest option until we can figure out what's wrong and how to fix it." She gives a wry smile, her eyes never leaving Hook, wondering how close he is to completely being overcome by the virus. "Congratulations Ms. Swan. You have finally got your wish. Now we have no choice but to solve the infection."

Emma's face pales. "I didn't...I didn't wish for this." She lets out a groan. "Oh god, what if this is my fault? Did...did he get sick because of me?" She's thinking of her little escapade a week back, when they had gone out to try to help those humans.

Regina immediately feels bad for her earlier comment. She tries to soothe. "No, it's not your fault Emma. The incubation period lasts longer than a week. So it couldn't have been you. It must have been during his travels that he caught it." Damn it, she knew she should have banned him from coming back, but her mind had been preoccupied with other matters.

Emma only felt marginally better at Regina's words. As she watched Hook rip the mattress off in uncontrollable rage-another thing that those who were infected suffered from apparently- she felt pained on his behalf. He was a good friend of hers. She didn't want to see him in pain, and locking him up like this, made it seem like they were treating him like some sort of animal. Yet, she knew it was for the best. She'd seen what those two vampires had done. They had looked human but give them the scent of blood and they were monsters, ripping veins open indiscriminately with razor sharp teeth.

She didn't want to see Hook hurting others. Didn't want him to become a monster like that.

"We need to find a cure," she whispered out, adamant to amend things, and Regina nodded her head.

"That is a given. Now, Dr. Whale, you are to keep him here under surveillance at all times. Do not do anything without verifying it with me first. Am I clear?"

The doctor nodded his head. Everyone knew of his proclivities to experimenting with human bodies if not forbidden from doing so, and they did not want him messing with Hook who was now an unknown variable.

The doctor strode away, dismissed, leaving the two women together.

Truthfully, Regina didn't even know where to start. She didn't care for the pirate at all-she thought this served him right for all he had done to her in the past- but Emma cared for him, and she didn't want Emma to be sad. She'd probably have to start looking for actual cures soon. Maybe there had been something in the human news she had missed?

Hook was now calming down from his tantrum, having sufficiently trashed his room enough. Pillows were gutted, the mattress shredded to bits, and the sink leaking from how he had broken it. Now he was approaching the glass separating them. He couldn't see them on the other side, yet he still pounded his fists onto the glass and pressed his face flat against it, his breath misting it. He mouthed the words 'let me out' over and over.

"Do you think...we can talk to him?" Emma was hesitant to voice this, but loathe to think he was utterly inhuman now. There had to be a way to reach him.

"I think he should be calm enough for reason now." From what Regina had read, these rages came and went in the early stages so she had to get some information out of him before he reverted back to screaming and hissing. Not everyone suffered from them, but she shouldn't have been surprised he was. He had never been good with containing his fury.

She pressed a button on the side of the glass, opening a two way connection through speaker. "Hook, we need to ask you some questions."

His face contorted in fury upon recognition of her voice. "Regina! Let me out of here!"

"I'm afraid I cannot. You pose a danger to the community now. Just take a look at your room."

He turned his head and with a crease in his brow noted the state it was in. "I...I did that?"

Hmmm, so memory loss was also a part of this process. She'd make sure to note that down. "Yes, you did. And there's no telling what else you can do. So for now, you will be kept here until we can find a way to cure you."

"I got infected?" He was in disbelief. "But how?" He hadn't been bitten. Being bitten was how one got sick, right?

"That's what we're hoping to find out."

"We?" He swallowed. "Is Emma...is she okay? I didn't hurt her, did I?" He couldn't recall much, he just knew Emma and him had been together throughout the day at some point and now they were not. Had he hurt her?

"No, you didn't," Emma assured.

"Emma!" Hook was overjoyed to hear her voice. "Emma, love, if I did-"

"Hook, focus!" Regina hissed. She didn't know how much more time they had until he spazzed out again. There was no time for his lovey dovey sentiments. She needed answers! "Tell me, did you ever get bitten by a vampire? Think, how could you have gotten sick?"

Hook closed his eyes and ruminated on this. His long silence itched under her skin. "I know it must be extremely strenuous for those last three brain cells you haven't killed off yet to think, but I do need you to try, dear."

"Regina!" Emma reprimanded. "Why must you-"

His eyes snapped open, finality in his gaze. "No."

"No what?" Regina queried.

"No, I did not get bitten by any vampires, or even so much as get scratched by them. After one or two incidents, me and the crew stayed far away and booked it home."

"Are you sure? You might have been too drunk to even be aware of it." She was skeptical of his sword ability and even more so with his memories.

"I wasn't," Hook said. "I'm being earnest now."

As much as Regina wished he was lying, Emma nodded her head next to her, confirming that he wasn't. Regina swallowed hard, fear pricking at her skin. He was slowly confirming her current theory about the virus. But to be sure...

"Hook, while back in Storybrooke, have you interacted with anyone?"

"Well, with Emma mainly. And you, your majesty, though it was sparingly."

"No one else?"

He closed his eyes once more in thought. "Only in passing. Such as Granny. Or some of the crew. But other than that it's only been me on the ship. Or me with Emma."

Regina felt her stomach churn in worry. Emma noticed her pale face and touched the back of her hand. "Hey, are you okay?"

Regina shook her head, voice slightly wavering as she spoke. "Emma, I think this infection must be airborne."

"And?" Emma's voice faltered as she began to piece together some of what Regina must have meant. Regina switched off the connection so Hook wouldn't overhear this.

Regina took in a deep breath, let it out. Took in another. Tried to remember if breathing was ever this difficult before. Prepared herself. "And...I think you need to go to quarantine too."

Emma felt her heart plummet to her stomach. Her voice croaked as she spoke. "You think...I'm infected?"

"It's a possibility..." a possibility Regina dreaded, but one she had to account for. "If it's airborne, and you've been spending a lot of time with Hook..." Regina knew the rest of town would be fine- the magical barrier could even prevent unwanted air currents from coming in. She would of course go back to ensure that it would be a 100% filter so no other bad air could be inhaled, as soon as this talk was over. "And the crew. I'll have to put them on lock down too. Just in case." They had been out in the world. There was no telling if they were sick as well. And then there would be the interrogation of who they also interacted with and hunting those people down and...it would be a lot of work. Her head was already hurting from thinking about this.

Emma nodded her head solemnly even as her stomach rioted. "How long?"

"Two weeks. That is when the symptoms become obvious."

"And what about work? About Henry?" She wouldn't be able to come to work. And what would she tell Henry and her parents?

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of all of it." Regina tried to give Emma a warm smile but it died on her lips. If Emma was infected...she didn't know how she'd deal with this. Emma was the closest thing she had to a friend. The thought of losing her brought a sharp sting to her eyes, made her feel like hitting the wall and crying out that the world wasn't fair, that it was yet again going to take someone close from her. But she kept her face neutral, tried to be strong for Emma. "And I promise, I will stop at nothing to find a cure for you." This came out sounding like a fierce promise, one she was desperate to upkeep no matter the costs.

"Okay," Emma's voice was weak and she tried to plaster on a brave smile though she was failing. Regina sounded serious, sounded absolutely murderous; if one could even kill a virus than her voice alone could do it. Emma balled up her hands to keep them steady and nodded her head, unable to look at Regina anymore. Did the mayor think her a monster? A walking liability? What would happen to her now?

"Let me just get some things, and I'll move in next door to Hook."

Regina hated seeing Emma on the other side of the glass, but what else was there to do? She had a town to protect. She couldn't risk the safety of it just because of her friendship with the blonde. But her guilt wouldn't subside, even when she went out of her way to visit Emma each day to bring her her favorite dishes and to inform her on how the town was fairing.

"How's mom and dad?"

"Surviving. David's been able to cover for you at the station quite well."

"And Henry?"

"Doing well in school too. Though he is getting suspicious of our contrived excuse." Regina and Emma had come up with the lie that Emma had gone deep under cover for an investigation.

Regina had used that lie on everyone else too, and was met with an equal amount of suspicions and acceptance. Some suspected she had done something to the savior, which was absurd! They were friends now.

"And Hook's crew?"

"None of them have transformed."

All very rote questions, this asking and answering of inquiries upon meeting a procedure meant to delay the inevitable principal reason for the visit.

Emma took the info into consideration, finishing up the last bite of Regina's lasagna. It was good news to hear so far the crew was clear, but they why had it only been Hook then? Why did he deserve catching the virus?

"I can't believe it's already been a week in here. I'm so bored!" Emma flopped down onto her mattress, discarding her empty food tray. Regina had slid it through a small special slot for just this reason.

"Are the books not enough?" Regina had left some with Emma each time. She could bring more- she'd be glad to bring more.

"No, it's not that. It's just...I'm going stir crazy. Being stuck in the same place for so long. These white walls are beginning to hurt my eyes." And make her skin itch. Was it possible to be allergic to the color white?

There was silence, filled only by the buzzing of fluorescent lights. Regina took the time to gather up her courage, same as she did every time she visited. Emma knew to expect this so she waited patiently. "Have you felt any symptoms so far?" finally fell out of Regina's mouth, and it felt like a death sentence, like each time she would say this would be the last because Emma would show symptoms, would end up turning and Regina had to try hard not to choke on the fears crowding her throat and taking hostage of her tongue.

The time between Regina's question and Emma's answer hung in the air, volatile, full of either corrosive promise or uplifting resolution.

"No."

At Emma's words Regina thought her knees would collapse with relief but all she did was grab the wall next to her and clear her throat. Doing this each day was torture for her- this not knowing, this clock ticking down over their heads, this seeing Emma boxed in like some sort of mental patient. She hated it. It hurt with an intensity she hadn't felt in a long time, ever since Daniel's demise.

Regina supposed she ought to be happy Emma was fine, but it was hard to when 'fine' could turn into 'not okay' the very next day. And they went through this everyday, a whole list of symptoms and still there was nothing. Regina kept expecting them to pop up, waiting for her to settle into normalcy, into thinking Emma was okay, and then rearing their head in a cruel joke at the last moment.

"Should I?" Emma poised and there was the smallest hint of doubt there. She had seen too many movies about these sorts of things, but with zombies. The person was bit, thought they were okay, went on with their life, and then bam everything spiraled down quickly from there.

"It is still a bit early." And maybe a bit too early to hope that Emma would be fine. The second week had just started and this was when things truly became revealed.

A thoughtful hum from Emma as she contemplated her own state before turning to another. "And how's Hook?"

"He's fully turned into a vampire now."

A dark look passed Emma's face. "Shit."

Shit was right, though Regina would never use that word. The man still looked the same with the exception of paler skin and an appetite for blood. Whale was currently trying to figure out if they should feed the man or not. And if so, how? The man looked hungry, eyes wild with it. There was no doubt he would murder them the second he was let loose.

"We have no choice but to keep him here."

"And how's the progress on the cure going?" A hopeful question, but a fruitless one.

Regina shook her head despite Emma not being able to see it because of the barrier. "Nothing useful. The humans haven't found a cure for it yet. They too think it's airborne and simply say to avoid being in close proximity with those who are infected."

"Well, that's just great," Emma said sarcastically. She wouldn't lie, she had been hoping to hear a better answer than this. Having a sort of countdown hanging over her was no fun. Any moment she could start turning and she was hyper wired for any signs of symptoms. She constantly checked but so far it had been all smooth sailing. Except for her anxiety. It had skyrocketed ten times higher than her normal levels and it was tearing her apart, keeping her up at night sometimes. Or that could be because of the white. Why was there so much damn white in this room?

Regina hesitated before speaking next, because she knew her words could rile Emma up. But she needed to say it because it was something she and the doctor had considered. "I think we need to carry out our own experiments."

"What?" Emma jerked up from her bed. Suspicion painted her features. "Did Whale put you up to this?"

Regina shook her head. "No, he didn't. But, we need to find answers and we have a full vampire on our hands and-" her hasty rush to explain was cut off by one very indignant blonde.

"Don't you dare finish that thought!" Emma jumped off the bed now and glared angrily at the mirror, feeling a bit silly for arguing with her own reflection despite knowing Regina was behind it. "You will not be experimenting on Hook! It's inhuman!"

"He's inhuman!" Regina flared out her hands. Then in a softer voice, pleading. "Emma, I know it's not right, but he might be our only chance at-"

"No!"

Regina let her anger come back full force. "You would endanger the whole world over him? If he holds the answer to this conundrum in his body than we deserve to go in and find it!" Was Emma really willing to sacrifice so many for one?

"I won't let you cut him up to pieces. Or anyone else for that matter! That's not how we do things."

"Than how, Emma? Tell me, how are we going to do things? Am I just expected to let you all live here, trapped behind glass like animals for the rest of your lives?"

That sobered up Emma quickly; thinking of herself stuck here, wanting to escape, to be normal, but not able to. She would never get to see Henry again. She almost wanted to say, sure, go ahead, but she didn't. Just because she didn't want to be stuck here, didn't mean others were sacrificed. She was the savior. She sacrificed for others.

She licked her dry lips, having drawn to a rather last ditch conclusion. "You can...you can experiment on me when the time comes."

Regina was taken aback. The thought of so much as harming Emma in that manner made her stomach queasy. Made her feel dirty. Her voice was aghast as she spoke. "Emma I couldn't-"

"If it's for the safety of others, than do it. I don't care." She curled up her fist, tried to stop it from shaking, curled up her body, tried to stop the unease running through it. She wanted to look unaffected, tough. Like this was whatever and not some big life altering deal.

"But I care!" burst out of Regina's lips before she could censor herself. She was breathing hard. "I won't let the mother of my son, our son, offer herself up as some sort of lamb to the slaughter!"

"I'm the savior. I've always been the lamb to the slaughter; it's in my job description. I've just been able to avoid the slaughterhouse until now. So, when the time comes, do it. I'd rather it be me than anyone else." Emma said this woodenly with a shrug, no trace of emotion on her face. It was like she was trying to make herself seem less human so that the experiment wouldn't be morally wrong.

That wasn't right.

How could Emma think of herself this way? "Of all the stupid," Regina stopped herself there, pressing a hand to her suddenly tender stomach. She needed to leave. She cut off the connection rapidly and poofed herself home.

"Regina? Regina?" But there was no answer and Emma was left in the oppressive silence by herself once more.

Regina barely made it home and to the bathroom before she threw up. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to rid herself of the sick feeling that Emma's words had invoked her in.

"Stupid Swan," she groaned out, hanging her head on the rim.

A/N: Love writing snippy dialogue between Hook and Regina. I don't hate him, but it's fun to pretend to do so.