This chapter is dedicated to MiDushiNoSushi. xx
When she had gone upstairs to see if Regina was still awake so she could tell her about the conversation with Dr. Montgomery, Emma found Regina and Henry both fast asleep. Keeping her promise to let Regina sleep and to tell her about it in the morning instead, Emma decided to just go to bed herself. She'd had an extremely full day of trying to tame the townspeople, taking care of Regina, and also of trying to get over the residual shock of discovering the whole new reality she had been thrown into. After barely getting any sleep the previous night before being called away into town, she was beginning to feel as if this was all just a dream and when she woke up, everything would have gone back to the way it was before the curse had broken.
As for her parents, now that they knew the house was unprotected, Mary Margaret and David had offered to stay overnight for the remaining time it took to get Regina to safety. That night, Mary Margaret was staying in Henry's room and David had said he was fine with one of the sofas. Knowing that there was a little extra security in the house that night, Emma found herself more easily able to surrender to her dreams.
Unfortunately however, Emma's much needed rest was short-lived. About an hour-and-a-half into what was becoming a very restful sleep, Emma was awoken by a noise from down the hall.
She groggily blinked her eyes open and rolled over to check to the time. She gave a tired sigh as she realized it was just after 2:00 AM. Yawning heavily, she sat up and tried to determine what it was that had woke her up. She did not know what had roused her, and by the time she was relatively alert everything had gone silent again. Even so, now that she was awake she wanted to make sure everything was okay before trying to go back to sleep.
Just as she was preparing herself to leave the warmth of her bed, she heard the muffled voice of Regina. However Emma could not make out what she had said, nor to whom.
Emma's tired eyes narrowed as she listened for more. It was most likely that Henry and Regina had both woken up and were talking to each other.
Heaving a soft sigh, Emma began to get out of bed. Seconds later however, she was startled by a piercing scream.
"Regina?!" She called.
Feeling as if her heart was in her throat, Emma practically fell out of bed in her rush to get to Regina. Emma's blood had run cold as her mind instantly raced through the possibilities of what could be happening.
"Henry?!"
"Emma what's going on?" Mary Margaret asked as she emerged sleepily but hastily from Henry's room. The light she had turned on in the bedroom spilled into the shadowy hallway, sufficiently illuminating their faces.
The startled look on her daughter's face as she glanced back at her told Mary Margaret that Emma was in the dark about what was happening too.
"I don't know," Emma's voice quivered. "Regina?!" She flung the door open to the master bedroom as her mother hurried after her.
Mary Margaret stayed near the doorway, looking around the room as Emma rushed to where Regina and Henry were sitting on the bed.
"Are you guys okay?! What's going on?" Emma asked, switching on a bedside light. Her eyes washed over the mother and son, checking for visible signs of trauma. The only thing she noticed was that Regina's face seemed to be a little more flushed than usual and the sudden brightness had caused her to jump.
Henry's eyes were full of frightened tears as he looked up at Emma. Regina had pulled him into a tight, protective embrace as she stared horrified at a fixed point across the room. She shook her head slowly, as if she were pleading with someone not to do something. She did not acknowledge the newcomers.
"Regina what is it? Tell me what happened. Are you hurt?" Emma glanced over to where Regina was looking but could detect no threat.
Regina didn't respond, she just continued to stare at what seemed to everyone else to be a nonexistent danger. She was breathing heavily and she continued to hold Henry desperately in her embrace.
Emma swallowed worriedly, looking to her mother for an explanation. Mary Margaret had paled slightly and she had a worried look in her eyes. She shook her head, indicating that she didn't know what was going on.
Just then they could hear footsteps running down the hall towards them and soon David hurried into the room.
"What happened? Is everyone alright?" He asked breathily. "I heard a scream."
"It was Regina." Mary Margaret replied in a whisper. "We're not quite sure what happened yet."
"Regina," Emma whispered. "Tell us what happened."
She reached out, wanting to touch Regina's arm, but decided against it. She wasn't certain as to whether Regina was even aware that there were three new arrivals in the room, and so she didn't want to scare her even more.
"Emma is she okay?" Henry asked in a frightened voice.
Emma patted his leg gently, trying to comfort him and to silently tell him there was nothing to worry about, but all the while her own heart was beating rapidly in her chest.
"Henry what did your mom say before? I heard her talking."
Henry only looked tearfully up at his adoptive mother.
"Henry it's important that I know. Was there anyone else here?"
"Please don't." Regina finally said in an anguished whisper, still staring at the same spot as before.
"Regina, what?" Emma asked gently, now touching her arm.
Regina flinched badly. She sucked in her breath and curled in on Henry, finally breaking her gaze from the intangible threat.
"Please don't hurt him." She whispered, bowing her head towards Henry's, and subsequently hiding her face behind her own hair. "Don't hurt him."
"Regina no one's here to harm Henry." Mary Margaret assured her gently.
"Please, he's my son."
"Henry's safe Regina," Emma said in a slightly strained voice. She blinked back a few tears as she tried to figure out what it was Regina believed the danger to be.
"Mother please..." Regina sobbed.
"Mother?" Emma repeated.
"Please... No."
"Regina are you seeing Cora?" Mary Margaret asked cautiously.
"Mother I love him. Don't take him from me please," Regina begged in a whisper.
"Regina your mother's not here." Mary Margaret said. "She's gone, remember? She died before the curse. She can't hurt anyone anymore."
"Mom I'm okay." Henry's voice quivered fearfully as he clung to her, trying to comfort her.
"Regina there's no one here." Emma insisted.
"Please..." Regina begged.
"Just listen me alright?" Emma said softly. "Don't listen to your mom. She can't hurt Henry. She can't hurt him because she's not really here. There's no one here who is going to hurt you or Henry."
Emma reached for Regina's arm once more, and even though Regina jumped again, she didn't let go. "Regina look at me."
Regina shakily let out a fearful breath as she finally raised her eyes to look at Emma. "Emma it's her." She said in a broken voice.
Emma bit her lip, nodding. "I believe you. I know you can see her, but Regina she's not really here. It's just us: me, Henry, David and Mary Margaret. There's no one else. You're safe."
As Regina finally seemed to recognize that they were all there with her, Emma forced a soft smile to show Regina that everything was okay.
"It's just me." Emma repeated. She swallowed a lump in her throat. She felt horrible for the woman in front of her but she was fairly certain she knew what the problem was and how to solve it. "Regina, I'm just going to check your temperature, is that okay? I think your fever's come back again and I think you might be having a hallucination."
"Emma..." Regina's voice fearfully caught in her throat as she stared desperately into her friend's eyes.
"It's okay Regina. Everything is going to be fine." Emma responded softly. She slowly reached her hand up to Regina's forehead, giving the brunette plenty of time to object.
Emma was relieved when Regina did not do so, and instead closed her eyes as she allowed Emma to feel her temperature.
"Oh my god," Emma breathed. She turned to her parents with wide eyes.
"What is it?" Mary Margaret asked fearfully.
"She's burning up like crazy. Can you guys go get a damp cloth, some soda crackers, and a glass of water. And can you also grab the painkillers from the cabinet in the kitchen?"
"Yeah of course." David said, tugging Mary Margaret's arm as she continued to watch her stepmother in worry.
"Could you also bring a thermometer?" Emma called as they left. "Just so we know her exact temperature. Thanks!"
Trying to remain calm, she turned to the brunette again. "Don't worry Regina, you're going to be fine. It's just your fever, it's gone up again but don't be afraid okay? We're going to take care of you. And don't worry about your mom, she can't hurt you guys. Okay?"
Regina gave a tiny nod as she finally began to relinquish her hold on Henry.
Once she had let go of him, Henry moved to sit a few feet away, but watched silently as Emma tended to his adoptive mother. She piled some pillows behind Regina so the latter could recline back against them without having to lie flat on mattress.
"Regina, lean back against these okay, just try to relax? You're safe. Henry's safe. It's just your high fever causing a hallucination. We're going to bring it down in a few minutes though, just try to stay calm."
A tear slid down Regina's cheek as she lay back against the pillows. Emma took her hand, squeezing it gently as she brushed her fingers softly through Regina's hair. Regina's gaze travelled near to where she had been staring earlier, and Emma had to assume that she was still seeing and hearing the unwanted guest.
Regina gave a soft whimper, closing her eyes tightly.
"It's just the fever." Emma repeated softly.
About a minute or so later David and Mary Margaret returned.
Emma took the thermometer from Mary Margaret.
"Thanks." She said. Ignoring her trembling hands, she held it up for Regina to see. "First step."
Regina closed her eyes briefly, before opening her mouth just enough for Emma to insert the thermometer. They waited silently for one long minute, no one really knowing what to say, when finally the little digital thermometer beeped and Emma took it out to check.
She heaved a heavy sigh. "We're going to have to give you the painkillers." Emma said, showing Regina the temperature.
Regina glanced at it before closing her eyes again. She gave a tiny nod in agreement.
Emma picked up a box of crackers that Mary Margaret had left beside her. "Here Regina, eat some of these first." She said, opening the a package. "When you take the pills it'll be easier on your stomach if you have a bit of food in you."
Regina's eyelashes fluttered open. She gazed warily at the crackers Emma had given her before sinking back into the pillows, turning her head away. All she could think about was what had happened the last time she had eaten something.
"Did you bring the medicine?" Emma asked her parents. She glanced at Regina who still had the crackers in her hand. "Please Regina, eat them, they'll help I promise."
"I wasn't sure which ones you wanted so I brought them all." David said, putting several bottles of pain relievers on the bed beside Emma.
"That's perfect David, thanks." Emma said, pushing a few bottles of aspirin and Advil out of the way.
She selected the one she wanted–a bottle of Tylenol–and was about to open the bottle when Mary Margaret placed her hand on top of hers.
"Emma wait, I thought we weren't supposed to give her painkillers. Won't they hurt her?"
Emma shook her head, "we don't have much of a choice. We have to get her fever down. But don't worry, Montgomery said that we can give Regina some acetaminophen when absolutely necessary. We can't give her aspirin because it could..." She trailed off, glancing at Henry and then at Regina. She had been about to say it could cause internal bleeding, but she did not want to give Regina any more reason to panic just then. "Because aspirin is too dangerous for her right now. But acetaminophen shouldn't cause lasting damage if we're careful."
"Okay," Mary Margaret said, withdrawing her hand and sitting down beside Henry instead. He moved into her embrace as he continued to watch.
Regina's breathing was still coming a little too quickly and she had her eyes closed where she still lay resting. Another tear had escaped her lashes and was rolling silently down her face.
Emma rubbed the brunette's arm softly. "Come on Regina, you have to do this." She said gently.
After a moment or two, Regina let out a soft, reluctant breath before opening her eyes and slowly pushing herself into a sitting position. Without saying a word, she blinked back a few tears and wiped the rest away before staring uneasily at the empty space in the room beside her. She then took her time eating the saltines.
After sharing a heartbroken look with her parents, Emma opened the bottle of Tylenol and shook two tablets into her own hand. "Here Regina, take these. They'll bring the fever down and they'll take the pain away."
Regina merely sniffled in response. She had a depleted expression on her face as she looked down at the pills in Emma's hand.
"Regina you have to take these. Your fever can't stay this high, it's too dangerous. Don't worry, the doctor said they are safe for you to take. I wouldn't give them to you otherwise, I promise."
Regina pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, it was pounding uncomfortably again, just as it had for much of the day before. She knew the pills would probably help, but she was still a little afraid of getting her hopes up that she was finally going to get a break from the agony. Breathing a little shakily as she tried to calm herself down, she reached out her hand and Emma placed the two pills into her palm. Once Regina's hand had closed around them, David passed her a glass of water.
"Here you go Regina." He said softly.
"Thank you," she mumbled, before laboriously swallowing back both of the pills.
Once they were down, she took another small sip, closing her eyes as she appreciated the sensation of the cool water soothing her dry throat. She continued to drink the rest of the water in intervals, knowing it would help to bring her temperature down, but also because she was aching with thirst.
Once she was finished she handed the glass back to David.
Emma gave Regina a soft smile, placing a gentle hand on the side of her head. "You're going to feel loads better in just a few minutes, I promise."
Regina's hand wrapped softly around Emma's wrist in response, but her gaze dropped unseeing to her lap. She appeared incredibly worn out. Without looking at anyone she laid back down on the pillows and was starting to turn onto her side facing away from everyone, when Emma stopped her.
The blonde indicated the damp cloth she had just picked up.
"Sorry," Emma said softly, "but it might be best if you put this on too. Your fever is way too high right now."
Regina groaned quietly. She closed her eyes tightly in reluctance, but moved to rest on her back again all the same. Emma's heart went out to Regina as she carefully placed the cloth on the brunette's forehead.
"We don't have to leave it on for long if it's bothering you, but at least keep it until the Tylenol kicks in."
"Okay," Regina practically whispered, closing her eyes.
"Is there anything else I can do Emma?" David asked. Mary Margaret was still comforting a teary-eyed Henry.
"Could you get a bowl of water for the cloth? Just in case we need it."
"Yeah, of course," David responded, taking the empty glass of water with him to refill that as well.
Emma returned her attention to Regina. The brunette's chest was rising and falling as her breathing was coming heavily again.
"Are you feeling cold at all Regina?" Emma asked, knowing how unpredictable fevers could be.
It took a few moments for her to respond but soon Regina gave a tiny shake of her head.
"Okay, then is it alright if I take this comforter off? It might help."
"Yes, that's fine." Regina responded quietly.
Emma and the other two stood up, and Emma and Mary Margaret folded the duvet down so it was near the foot of the bed, leaving Regina under only one sheet.
Once that was done, all three sat down on the bed again to keep close to Regina. Blinking back a few tears, Emma reached for the queen's hand and squeezed it comfortingly.
"Everything is going to be okay Regina. You're going to be fine, I promise."
xXxXxXxXx
A/N: Thank you for reading, please don't forget to review xx