"Do you need any help, beautiful?"

Emma's voice cut through Regina's musings about sleep and how much she craved it. Even this, unbuttoning her pajama shirt and pushing it down her shoulders, was making her tired. Now she forced herself to snap out of it and shook her head in amusement. It wasn't the first time Emma had asked if she needed help. And as lovely as it was to have Emma undress her, Regina felt like she had to do this on her own. Prove that she was still functioning.

The pajama shirt escaped her grasp and landed on the floor. Regina left it there for now. Instead she concentrated on the purple bra laying ready and waiting on the hospital bed. She slipped it on and hooked it in the back. She supposed that she could have skipped the bra today, but she was stubborn enough to insist upon wearing it. Not wearing a bra felt sluggish.

She was a bit more eager as she hooked her fingers in the waistband of the dreadful white hospital pants and pushed them down her legs. Regina could not stand those pants. The material was terrible. Flimsy. It felt like she was wearing a plastic bag. She was more than happy to trade them for the comfortable pair of yoga pants and the soft, cream colored sweater with the V-neck she would be leaving the hospital in. Unfortunately, she was not allowed to wear any type of scarves or collars that could press against the wound on her throat. She had to leave the hospital with the bandage on her throat exposed. But perhaps that was okay when thinking about it. It certainly was good training and all that.

She ran her fingers through her hair and looked over her shoulder to flash Emma a smile.

"You look beautiful," Emma told her and returned the smile.

Regina scoffed. 'I look tired', she signed in return. Seriously, the bags under her eyes looked like they were about to sport their own bags.

"You do not."

What a sweet, blatant lie. Regina did not call her out on it, though. It was sweet of Emma to deliver the little white lie.

"You are obviously going to take a nap once we get back to the hotel, right?"

Oh, yes. Regina nodded as she stepped into a pair of ballerina shoes. No high heels for her today. Emma could bet she was going to take a nap. Regina was so tired she could probably fall asleep standing up. It had been two days since the operation, and Regina was feeling the full effect of the strong painkillers she was taking.

"Good, good. And how is the pain? On a scale of one to ten?"

Now, why did it feel like Emma had asked her this before? The answer to that was simple. Because Emma had asked her that before. About a million times. Or so it felt. Regina humored her and raised three fingers in the air. Currently, her pain was on a tolerable level.

"Okay. You're supposed to have painkillers in... four hours, right?"

That was entirely correct. Regina nodded to confirm that. Emma knew her medicine schedule. Equally sweet and impressing.

"Got it," Emma said and quickly whipped her phone out of her pocket. "In fact I'll be setting my alarm for it right now."

Regina could not hide her amusement at that. Emma was nothing but not throughout.

"Don't laugh at me, Mills," Emma wagged a teasing finger at her. "Your medicine is important."

It sure was. They could easily agree on that. Regina was still amused, though. She was smiling as she unfastened the three balloons from the hospital bed. Henry had begged her to bring the balloons back to the hotel, and who was she to deny him anything? Of course she would be bringing the balloons back to the hotel. Even though they had gone pretty flaccid. It would probably be a matter of time before they deflated completely. Pity, really. They had been so festive. Especially the teddy bear shaped balloon. Now his little face looked as tired as Regina felt.

"It's a sad day," Emma quipped as she followed Regina's gaze and looked at the teddy bear balloon.

Regina gave the balloon a soft little poke and almost felt sorry for the poor fellow when a little bit of air seemed to slip out of him.

"Don't hurt him."

It was hard not to laugh when Emma was saying such ridiculous things, but Regina caught herself at the last second and clamped her mouth shut. She was not supposed to laugh. Laughing hurt.

"Are you ready to go, beautiful?"

Regina answered the sweet question with a nod. She was more than ready to leave. She wanted to go back to the hotel so she could take a nap. And she also really wanted to go back to Vancouver and her own bed. But she would have to wait a little longer for that. For now, she settled for snatching the bouquet of red roses right out of Emma's hands. Those were coming back to the hotel with her too. All of the flowers were. Regina had received so many flowers. Of course the roses from Emma and the bouquet of snapdragons from Mal. But there a bouquet of colorful flowers with a 'get well soon' card signed by Eugenia, Ruby, Elsa, Isabelle and Robert Gold had also arrived. That had been quite the surprise, but Regina had obviously been very happy about it. She wanted to bring all the flowers back to the hotel.

"You don't have to carry those." Emma stepped in and took the bouquet of snapdragons and the colorful bouquet from her. "Or those." She plucked the strings attached to the balloons out of her hand. "Don't strain yourself."

Regina shook her head lightly. She was pretty sure that carrying a few bouquets of flowers wouldn't have been enough to finish her, but oh well. She reached for her suitcase instead.

"Nope." Emma took the handle of the suitcase right out of her hand. "Not that either."

Alright, alright. Regina settled for sighing, shaking her head and then walking towards the door.

"Uhh, aren't you forgetting something?"

Regina turned her head and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Emma hadn't moved an inch.

"Sit down," Emma said softly and pointed to the wheeling chair standing in the corner of the hospital room.

Absolutely not. Regina shook her head firmly and folded her arms across her chest. She was not going to sit down and be wheeled out of the hospital room!

"It's hospital protocol, baby."

Regina raised an eyebrow again. Emma had taken to call her 'baby' quite a lot since the operation. In the past, Regina would have scoffed and called it a cliché. But when Emma said it, it didn't sound like a cliché at all. It just sounded sweet. And now she was getting distracted. They had been discussing the wheelchair. The wheelchair, Regina most definitely wasn't going to sit in.

"Come on," Emma sweetly coaxed. "Doctor Auburn will give us hell if she sees you walk instead of being wheeled out. It's hospital protocol."

Regina scowled. She didn't like hospital protocol.

"What if she decides to keep you here if you refuse the wheelchair?" Emma said and gasped in mock fear.

Darn it. She wasn't going to win this one, was she? She might as well admit defeat and resign to her fate. No matter how humiliating it was. Regina sat down in the wheelchair. And made sure to keep the scowl firmly on her face.

"There you go." Emma tied the balloons to Regina's wheelchair. Then placed the bouquets delicately on Regina's lap. She had been so careful with Regina for the past two days.

"Let's roll," she playfully announced, and Regina reached up and opened the door. At least she was capable of doing that. And Emma's hands were otherwise engaged. She was pushing the wheelchair with one hand and holding Regina's suitcase with the other.

For the millionth time, Regina marveled at how kind and caring Emma was.

Emma wheeled her out of the hospital room and down the hallway. They were getting close to the exit when they ran into Doctor Auburn. Well, not literally. But it did come rather close. Apparently, wheelchairs were dangerous. Or so it felt.

"You look well, Regina," the doctor said (how sweetly they all lied to her) and smiled at her. "Are you feeling okay?"

Regina nodded. Right now, she was doing okay. Albeit a bit tired.

"A bit affected because of the pain killers?"

Definitely. Regina nodded again.

"Yes, you are currently on some very strong pain killers, and that will most likely affect your appetite, but it's very, very important that you eat. I cannot stress that out enough," Doctor Auburn said in that professional way.

"I'm an expert in making soup."

Emma's words had the doctor chuckling and Regina reached back and gently touched her hand.

"And make sure to get plenty of rest," Doctor Auburn continued. "That's very important as well."

Food, check, rest, check. But there was one more thing Regina wanted to do. 'Can I take a shower?' she signed. After two days in the hospital, she felt a bit greasy. And she also felt like she smelled of hospital.

"Yes, you can take a shower," Doctor Auburn nodded. "The bandage used to dress your wound is completely waterproof and will puff up as a protection when you shower. But just make sure to not soak it completely, okay?"

Roger that. Regina nodded.

"Your bandage will need changing tonight. "But of course you already know how to handle that?"

Regina nodded as Emma offered a "yup!". They both knew how to handle that. Regina didn't particularly like looking at the wound, she had admitted that to Emma. And Emma, being the sweet soul she was, had offered to help her clean the wound and change the bandage. Regina had been a bit apprehensive at first. Emma was her girlfriend. Not her nurse. But then Emma had kissed her cheek and said that she wanted Regina to be as comfortable as possible. And if tending to the wound made her feel uncomfortable, she would be more than happy to help.

Regina had caved then. They were partners after all. And partners helped each other.

"Alright," Doctor Auburn said. "Make sure to look for any sign of redness or swelling."

"You got it," Emma said. "And I've got plenty of that ointment you gave me, doc."

"Excellent," said Doctor Auburn, smiling briefly at Emma before turning her attention back to Regina. "I've arranged an appointment with Doctor Anton for you when you get home to Vancouver, and I've scheduled your first meeting with the voice therapist in three weeks, does that sound good?"

Honestly, it sounded a little bit daunting, seeing a voice therapist, but Regina nevertheless smiled and nodded. Seeing a voice therapist was necessary. It was the next step in 'operation words'.

"Alright." the doctor smiled again. "You take care of yourself, Regina. We don't want to see you here again."

Amused, Regina smiled at the doctor. She didn't want to come back either. Once the doctor had disappeared down the hallway, Regina reached back and patted Emma's hand to indicate that she was ready to continue.

Emma put the wheelchair in motion. Wheeled her out of the hospital, into the fresh air and straight towards the waiting taxi. She was being so gentle and careful as she helped Regina inside the taxi. Regina wasn't of much help. Her legs were shaking under her with each step. Quite useless, really.

While Emma dashed back inside with the wheelchair, Regina made herself comfortable in the back seat. Or, tried to. She was pretty sure that the shift from sitting in the wheelchair to standing up even for the briefest moment, had made her a bit dizzy.

Soon Emma joined her in the backseat. She asked the taxi driver to take them back to the hotel, and as they drove away from the hospital parking lot, Regina tipped her head back and stretched her legs a bit. Perhaps she could make them work if she moved them a little.

"On a scale of one to ten?" The question was followed by Emma taking her hand.

Regina lifted an eyebrow. She couldn't deny that she was amused.

"Yeah, I'm gonna ask that a lot," Emma said and grinned a bit at her. "So be nice and answer the question."

Willingly, Regina humored her. She held up three fingers like she had earlier, but she also held up one finger, moved it down and then held up a second digit.

"Three and a half?" Emma guessed.

Exactly. Regina nodded in confirmation. She did not want to lie about how she felt. If she claimed that she was fine and pain free when she wasn't, Emma wouldn't be able to help her. There was no reason to play the hero.

"Okay. I'm not gonna pretend that I like that, but..." Emma did that thing where she scrunched up her nose in dismay.

Regina gave her hand a little squeeze. A quiet reminder that three and a half wasn't a lot. It could have been worse. It could have been ten…

By the time they arrived at the hotel, Regina had grown impatient to reunite with her son. And she was also thrilled to be free of the wheelchair. She was actually a bit surprised at her own speed as she grabbed the balloons and exited the taxi on legs that didn't feel as unsteady.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Emma was right behind her. And naturally, she was scolding her. "Not so fast, damnit! You're supposed to take it easy."

It was said very softly. Regina smiled at her. She knew that she wasn't being scolded for real. Emma was just trying to look out for her, that was all. Which Regina appreciated. But she also needed to 'get back in the game'. While Emma grabbed her suitcase, Regina paid the taxi driver. She felt quite proud of herself when seeing how steady her hands were. At least right now. She knew that her steadiness would only last until the next round of painkillers. Tremors was one of the side effects. Along with extreme fatigue, of course. She couldn't quite decide what was the most annoying of the two.

They went inside the hotel, and in the lobby, they were greeted by the 'welcome committee'. Meaning Zelena and Henry who both leapt from their chairs.

Regina hugged her son. Tightly. Perhaps even more tightly than she normally would. She had only gotten the briefest look at his face, but she could have sworn that he looked a little pale. A little peaky. Whilst hugging him, she took the opportunity to discreetly run her fingers across the back of his neck to check if he felt warm. He didn't. So he did not have a fever. That was good.

He hugged her back. Just as tightly as she was hugging him. Had he just missed her, or was something afoot? Regina couldn't quite decide. But her mommy-sense was tingling. And her mommy-sense was rarely wrong.

After a moment, Henry let go of her, and then it was Zelena's turn to hug her. "Feels good to be out of hospital, sis?"

It sure did. Regina nodded. Returned her sister's hug and then turned her attention to Henry again. She gave him one more tight hug and hoped to silently communicate what she couldn't say into this hug.

You can tell me, my little prince. Whatever it is that is troubling you, you can tell me.

She let her son go again and looked at him. He was smiling. Did he look less troubled, or was that just her mind playing tricks on her?

"Do you wanna head upstairs and lie down before lunch?" Emma asked hopefully.

'I would like to take a shower first,' Regina signed. Seriously, her hair and skin smelled of hospital.

"Okay," Emma nodded.

"Then we'll see you at lunch," Zelena smiled and put a hand on Henry's shoulder. "You still have a bit of homework, don't you, Hen?"

Henry groaned in dismay (how reliving! He sounded like himself.) but then amended: "it's actually not that bad. We're supposed to analyze one of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytales."

"Oooh," Emma cooed, eyes lighting up. "That sounds interesting!"

"Do you wanna help me?"

"Yeah, of course," Emma said immediately and glanced at Regina.

Regina was not the least bit offended that she hadn't been included in the conversation. It delighted her every time Emma and Henry spend time together.

Her two fairytale loving creatures.

They left the lobby. Zelena went to the hotel room she shared with Henry to have a nap. Regina sympathized with her. She remembered how fatigued she had been when she had been newly pregnant.

Regina, Emma and Henry continued into the hotel room Regina and Emma shared. Regina went straight for the shower. Undressing was a bit more tricky than usual because she was not allowed to do anything that potentially could pull at the bandage on her throat.

Tricky. But not impossible. Regina felt like some kind of super woman when she at last had shed all her clothes and could step into the water. The warm water poured down over her naked back, and she let out a little sigh of relief as she ran her fingers through her hair to wet it. At some point, her fingers accidentally grazed the bandage on her throat, and it was the strangest experience. The bandage had indeed puffed up. Regina carefully poked at it with one finger. It was very strange to touch. Like jelly, but more solid. How odd. But it was all good. The new wound on her throat was very much protected by this strange barrier.

Regina washed her hair thoroughly. Twice. Just because she could. Just because she finally had been let out of the hospital. Then she washed her body. Twice. Same reason.

Once done showering, there wasn't much strength left in her. She felt so drowsy as she got dressed in the comfortable, soft slacks and the red sweater with V-neck. She wiped the mirror with her sleeve so she could see herself while brushing her hair. Now she was the one who looked peaky. She tied her hair back in a loose, low ponytail and exited the bathroom. Walked over to the full figure mirror so she could look at herself without having to deal with steam. She definitely looked peaky. Her eyes were a bit glassy. And that bandage… It was still a bit puffy. But that was just the bandage. Not the wound. Nothing to worry about.

"You all good, babe?" Emma asked in greeting and immediately looked up.

Regina nodded.

"Does your throat hurt, mom?" Now Henry was looking up too. From the very impressive mess he and Emma had made on the bed. Sheets of papers had been spread out.

But Regina did not mind. Henry was just dedicated, that was all. And he had just asked her a question too. One that needed answering. Regina shook her head, and yes, she was lying a tiny bit to her son. Because the pain in her throat had in fact just flared up a little. But it would be fine. She just needed to lie down, that was all.

She walked over to the bed and climbed up. There was room for her right between Emma and Henry. She grabbed the sheets of papers and curiously looked at what Henry had written so far. It was, of course, brilliant. Henry had gone so much into detail about describing the little mermaid's struggles with communicating silently in a world that expected you to speak.

"Do you like it?" He asked her.

Eagerly, Regina nodded. 'What a great subject you have chosen!' she signed.

"Of course I chose to write about The Little Mermaid," Henry said and sounded as though it should have been followed by a 'duh'.

"You have a real talent for writing, kid," Emma complimented and ruffled his hair fondly.

"Really?" Henry grinned at her.

"Really," Emma confirmed and grinned right back at him.

Henry looked so proud, and Regina wished that she could have contributed to the conversation in some kind of way. But she was just so goddamn tired. Seriously, every time she blinked, her eyelids seemed to remain in only one position.

"Tired?" Emma asked softly.

Mmm-hmm. Regina nodded.

"Should we leave?" Henry asked. Ever the thoughtful little boy.

Regina shook her head. She didn't want them to leave. She wanted them to stay right here and talk while she took a little nap. She laid her head down. Then curled up and made herself smaller so there was room for all three of them. She tried not to wince when the movement pulled a bit at the bandage. The pain flared, but she breathed her way through it. Slowly. In and out, in and out. After a moment, the pain subsided again. Thank god. It was too early for medicine.

Regina closed her eyes. Ohh, that was wonderful. And even more wonderful was it that Emma and Henry's voices floated in and out of her conscience. Like they were a pair of angels watching over her. Perhaps they were at this rate. Regina certainly wouldn't have been in the place she was in now if it hadn't been for them.

Henry laughed. A very genuine sound. Perhaps it was her who had been paranoid before. Perhaps he wasn't troubled by anything. Regina certainly didn't hope so…

When she woke up again, Henry and the many sheets of papers had disappeared. But Emma was still there, and she looked up from her phone when Regina moved.

"Hey, babe," she smiled. "You awake?"

Regina slowly lifted her head and blinked. Yes, it felt like she was awake. Her head was a bit fuzzy, though. She looked at the empty spot on the bed that had been occupied by Henry earlier.

"Henry went to call Nick," Emma explained. "It's just you and me here."

Oh. Regina smiled a little.

"How are you feeling?"

Well…. Honestly, she was a bit worse for wear. She lifted her hand and moved it in a 'so-so'-manner. Perhaps it was just the effect of waking up after having napped in the middle of the day, but Regina strongly suspected that she was having another flare.

"I'm sorry." Emma reached out and smoothened a hand up and down Regina's back.

"I can't give you your medicine yet, but is there anything else I can do?"

Regina smiled and shook her head. Then gently patted Emma's free hand. This was fine. More than fine. She highly appreciated that Emma hadn't upped and left while she was sleeping. She could have left out of concern for waking her, but she hadn't, and it meant a lot that she had stayed. Regina wasn't so sure she would have liked waking up alone.

"It's almost lunch time," Emma said, now clearly aiming for conversation to distract Regina. "Are you hungry?"

Absolutely not. Regina shook her head. Food still didn't really apply to her.

"You have to eat," Emma said immediately. "Doctor Auburn said so."

Yes, well, Doctor Auburn had said a lot of things. Regina made a point of rolling her eyes dramatically because she knew it would amuse Emma.

She was right. Emma let out a soft chuckle. Then wiggled closer to her. "I've missed having you around."

Regina had missed being near Emma. She wagged a finger in a 'come hither'-motion. She knew that Emma would understand what it meant.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked cautiously. "I don't want to accidentally put pressure on anything."

Regina was more than sure. She smiled and wagged her finger again. Very insistently now.

Emma took the not so subtle hint and wiggled closer to her. Right into her arms. Regina had missed that too.

"Just think about it..." Emma's voice went all soft and light and her green eyes shone with excitement and joy. "Pretty soon we'll be able to do this all the time."

Regina nodded slightly and smiled when Emma turned her head slightly, so they were more face to face. Almost nose to nose.

"Are you looking forward to moving in with me?" Emma teased.

Yes! Oh yes! Regina gave an eager nod and smiled at Emma. Had it been possible for her to move in tomorrow, she definitely would have!

"I get to sleep with you every night!"

Beg your pardon? Every night? Regina quirked an eyebrow and smirked a bit. That was a very bold statement from dear Emma. And a very optimistic one too.

"Not like that," Emma laughed and defended: "You have a dirty mind, Mills!"

Feigning offense, Regina shook her head. But it was possible that she did have a dirty mind. Now she certainly couldn't stop thinking about it. She reached out and grabbed her phone. Typed exactly what she was thinking ('I miss that') and showed Emma the message.

"You miss... sleeping with me?" Now Emma was the one who was smirking.

Uh-huh. A lot. Regina felt a bit warm all the sudden.

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about," Emma laughed and pecked her cheek lightly. "It's nice to be wanted. And I'm really relieved that you are capable of thinking about that so soon after the operation. That has to be a good sign."

Regina whapped her arm lightly. Then typed on her phone once more. 'It really isn't fair that we have to wait six weeks.' Again, she flipped the screen so Emma could read her complain.

Warm lips pecked her cheek again. Emma was all smiles when she said: "I'm literally so impressed right now, babe. You're on insanely strong painkillers and yet here you are. Thinking about sex."

Regina did not feel embarrassed by that. She merely smirked right back at Emma. Truthfully, it really was nice that she was able to think of something that wasn't how fatigued and achy she felt.

"But maybe that's why you're thinking about sex?" Emma suggested with a grin. "Is that a side effect from the medicine?"

Perhaps. Regina offered a light shrug and a little grin.

Emma burrowed further into her arms. Turned her face away from the bandage on Regina's throat. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Regina nodded sleepily. It had been an exceptionally good nap. She hadn't been disturbed by nurses poking and prodding her or people speaking too loudly in the hallway.

"Yeah? You didn't hear Henry and me chitchatting?"

Nope. She shook her head. She had heard absolutely nothing whatsoever.

"Good. I'm glad you weren't disturbed by our chatter. Did you have any special dreams this time around?"

None of that either. Regina shook her head again and wrapped her arms a little more firmly around Emma. She wanted her closer. Didn't even care when she felt Emma's cheek brush against the side of her neck.

"Careful," Emma softly admonished. "I don't want to hurt you."

Regina was pretty sure that wasn't humanly possible. She held Emma even closer. Acknowledged how much she had missed Emma in the days she had been in the hospital.

"Oh, this is nice!"

Regina rumbled in agreement.

"Careful. No laughing, Mills. You know the rules."

Her and her rules. Regina went from rumbling to scoffing.

"We can't have you being in more pain than what is absolutely necessary," Emma continued, now joking more than scoffing. But there still was an edge of admonishing in her voice. She sounded a bit strict. Professional, almost.

Regina felt very inspired by the professionalism in Emma's voice when she found her phone and typed: 'is this nurse Swan speaking again?' then she turned the screen towards Emma.

"Oh yeah," Emma drawled. "This is most definitely nurse Swan speaking."

Had she not been fatigued, Regina definitely would have come up with some kind of interesting way to answer that, but now she settled for shaking her head lightly.

"Maybe I should buy a nurse uniform."

Okay, fatigue or no fatigue, Regina's hormones were still working, and she was pretty sure her eyes widened as she was flooded with a million images. Emma Swan in a nurse uniform. Good god almighty.

"Would you like that?"

Regina tilted her head in response. Yes, she would like that very much actually.

"I'll have to do some shopping then."

Well. Regina wouldn't be unhappy if Emma really did that.

"Are you ready to head downstairs and have some lunch?"

That again. Was it really necessary? Couldn't she just skip it this time? She wrinkled her nose in dismay.

"You have so eat something," Emma said quickly and flicked a lock of hair away from Regina's face. "It's important."

Yes, yes, but… 'The medicine is screwing with my appetite.', she typed on her phone.

"I know it is," Emma said softly. "But you still have to eat something. It'll make you feel better."

Maybe it would. And maybe it wouldn't. Regina huffed and puffed and insisted that they cuddled a few more minutes. Luckily, Emma was all for that idea, and Regina felt perhaps a fraction more motivated to eat when they rose from bed and left the hotel room.

In the hallway, Regina knocked on the door to Zelena and Henry's room to let them know that they were about to head downstairs. Zelena soon appeared in the doorway. Her hair was a bit ruffled, but she looked more bright eyed than she had earlier. "You look all bright and refreshed, sis," she smiled. "Was it a good nap?"

Regina nodded in confirmation and took the opportunity to ruffle Henry's hair when he squeezed past Zelena.

Henry sneered, but at the same time… not really? Regina's maternal instinct spiked again. Emma touched his shoulder. Perhaps she had noticed too.

Henry moved towards her, so they were nearly attached at the hip. Regina slipped an arm around her boy and quietly wondered what on earth was going on. He had been fine earlier, but now he seemed upset again. Had something happened with Nick? Had they argued? Henry didn't normally argue with his best friend, but you never knew.

Either way, Regina gave him a little squeeze and hoped that Henry would confide in her soon. If he did not talk to her, she couldn't help him. And there was nothing she wanted more than being able to help him. Always.

In the downstairs restaurant, they easily found a table for four. In the corner. Regina was grateful for that. She felt a little self-conscious. She wasn't used to walking around without her scarf. The soft squeeze Emma had given her elbow, had helped a little, but it still hadn't taken the feeling away completely. Today, the corner was her friend.

"I want a big lunch," Zelena declared after having flicked through the menu.

Of course she did. Newly pregnant women tended to have quite the appetite. Regina flashed her sister a knowing smile across the table.

French fries and chicken wings for Zelena. Sandwiches for Emma and Henry. And tomato soup for Regina. Soup. She wasn't over the moon when the food arrived, and she picked up her spoon. She had barely started enjoying cooking before she was stuck with eating soup. Again.

"It is not a step back," Emma sweetly reminded her.

No? Well, it felt like it. But Regina wasn't about to whine. She kept a smile plastered to her face as she dunked the spoon into the soup. Slipping the spoon between her lips, she had to admit that the soup wasn't that bad.

But swallowing… Oh god, swallowing! That really hurt. It felt like her throat was burning, and Regina bit the inside of her cheek. She was not going to make a scene right here in the restaurant.

A warm and gentle hand touched her knee under the table. It did not make the burning feeling in her throat go away, but Regina appreciated Emma's way of comforting her.

Regina soldiered on and swallowed mouthful after mouthful of soup. Perhaps she was a little hungry after all. Her eyes wandered to the chicken wings on Zelena's plate. Those looked good. Very good. She wouldn't have minded eating a chicken wing right now. She would have endured the burning sensation in her throat, if it meant that she could have a nice, crispy chicken wing.

"Sorry," Zelena said and patted her free hand. "If I was allowed to, I would certainly offer you a chicken wing."

Regina nodded and turned her attention back to the uninspiring tomato soup. It was all she got, and according to Emma and Doctor Auburn, eating was an important part of her recovery. Well then. She would have to endure the uninteresting soup.

"Just think of all the ice cream you can eat, mom," Henry piped up. It was actually the first time he had said anything since they arrived in the restaurant.

Regina smiled genuinely at her strangely meek son and nodded. He was right about the ice cream.

"I'll have to stock up on licorice ice cream," Emma chirped in. "In fact I think I'll have to buy an extra freezer."

That was probably a bit too much. Regina gestured to indicate that she would end up with a balloon belly.

"No, you won't," Zelena scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Regina was sure she could read her sister's mind just then. I'll be the one with the balloon belly. Not you. It was a fair point. She continued eating her soup. Ended up grimacing because it really didn't taste of much. Emma mistook the grimace for pain and became concerned, but Regina assured her that she wasn't in pain (lies!) and communicated that the soup was just boring. That was all.

"Oh. Just you wait until we get back on the train. That soup was pretty good, wasn't it?"

Yes, it sure was. Regina remembered that. The onion soup had been particularly good. She was looking forward having that again. And she was just generally looking forward to being back on the train. Going home. So they could plan the upcoming move. Regina was tired of waiting for her future to begin. If she could choose freely, she and Emma would be living together as soon as possible. And she had a feeling that Emma felt the same way. They had waited long enough…

It was a pretty cozy day.

Regina had her medicine and because of it, she ended up taking a two hour long nap. When she woke up again, she, Emma and Henry watched a movie on Emma's laptop. The choice fell on E.T. One of Henry's favorites. And one of Emma's too. Regina wasn't that big on aliens. She had watched E.T enough times to be over it.

But for some reason, she still teared up when the sweet little alien left young Elliot by the end of the movie. It had to be because of the painkillers, of course.

Once the movie was over, Regina communicated that she needed some air. She felt warm and groggy after the nap. It didn't take long before both Emma and Henry offered to go with her, and Regina of course welcomed that offer.

It was cold outside. Regina shivered even though she was wearing her coat. She supposed that was because of the medicine too. They didn't stay outside for long, and even though it had been Regina's own suggestion to go outside, she was relieved when they came back to the hotel room. Henry had gone to explore in the lobby, but Emma stayed with her as she lied down on the bed once more. She probably would have ended up falling asleep again if it hadn't been for Henry's return to the room. He hadn't come empty handed.

"We should play this!" He declared, waving the game he had just found.

Regina smiled. Ludo. Of all things.

"I'll go get aunty Z!" Henry breezed out of the room to return a moment later with his aunt in tow.

"I hear there's a game happening," Zelena drawled, clapping her hands together.

"Apparently, yeah," Emma grinned. "Is this your way of saying that you're in?"

"My nephew has summoned me, so naturally, I'm in."

So was Regina.

An epic game of Ludo unfolded. Zelena won, and Regina was not happy about it. She might even have glared a bit at her sister.

"Rematch?" Henry suggested with a small grin.

Regina nodded eagerly and smiled at her son. She was glad to see him grin. He was still being a little bit too quiet for her liking.

Another game of Ludo unfolded. This time, Regina won. And she did nothing to hide her victory. She triumphed and showed off and made a point of annoying Zelena. None of the Mills' sisters were very good at loosing.

"You won, babe," Emma murmured and kissed her temple. "Well done."

Regina turned her head and pecked Emma's lips. Just because she could. And because she was happy that being with her family made her feel less groggy.

That was when Zelena insisted on another rematch. Regina turned her full attention to her dissatisfied sister. She was more than happy to win over Zelena again..

Not long after they'd had dinner, Regina had a chicken soup this time, Regina started to fade again. Very much ready for bed. After having said goodnight to Zelena and Henry (and having been assured that Henry wouldn't stay up too late), Regina and Emma retired to their hotel room for the night. Regina had tried telling Emma that she didn't have to go to bed just because she did, but Emma had brushed that aside. Regina left the bathroom. She had changed into her grey silk pajamas and had removed her makeup. Her bare face had been a jarring sight. Hollow cheeks and dark circles under her eyes. Having a surgery had apparently aged her ten years. Well then. Still, she flashed Emma a little smile. She was sitting perched on the bed, waiting for the bathroom to be available.

"My turn," she said softly, hopping off the bed and grabbing the long tanktop she always slept in. On the way to the bathroom, she gave Regina's arm a soft brush. Then she disappeared into the bathroom.

Regina perched herself on the bed like Emma had a moment ago. She was not waiting for the bathroom to become available. She was waiting for Emma.

Regina ran her fingers through her hair. She wasn't exactly looking forward to this, but she knew that Emma would be gentle when she changed her bandage. The nurses had been gentle too, obviously, but still, it would be different to have Emma do it. She wasn't nervous though. Emma knew what she was doing.

As summoned by her thoughts, Emma returned from the bathroom. "You all good?" she asked sweetly as she reached under the bed to grab the box they had been given by the hospital.

Regina nodded and eyed the hospital box.

"I'll be quick." Emma opened the box and found a pair of latex gloves. "I promise."

Regina wasn't doubting her. And to show that, she flashed Emma a little smile.

Emma slipped on the pair of latex gloves and brought the box over to the bed.

It was time. There was no reason to postpone the process. Regina quickly undid the first four buttons in her pajama shirt. Then she pulled her hair away from her face and tipped her head slightly back to expose her throat.

"Okay, here we go." The soft 'warning' was followed by Emma's glove clad fingers slowly inching towards her neck.

Regina did not look at Emma's fingers, but she certainly felt it when they began pulling at the surgical tape that held her bandage in place on her throat. Ouch. She made a face. That hurt.

"I'm sorry," Emma gently apologized. "But I can't just yank it off. That would only hurt you even more, babe."

Regina understood that. She hummed lightly and focused on her breathing when Emma pulled at the tape again. It nipped at her skin and the wound, but the pain wasn't unbearable in any way.

Once the tape had been discarded of, Emma removed the bandage. She was indeed being quick and gentle, and Regina was relieved because she could barely feel it.

But the plaster waiting underneath was less forgiving. It nipped at her skin and pulled at the wound when Emma began to gently peel it away. Regina winced. She couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Emma apologized and the look in her eyes suggested that this was causing her pain too. "I'm probably doing a pretty crappy job compared to the nurse, huh?"

Not at all. Regina shook her head and smiled. 'Favorite nurse', she signed before pointing lightly at Emma.

"I'm your favorite nurse?" A hopeful little smile blossomed on Emma's perfect lips.

Absolutely and without a doubt. Regina hummed softly yet again to confirm it.

"That's nice to know." She resumed pulling at the plaster and Regina made a point of sitting stock still and not make any faces. She didn't want Emma to feel bad about this. She was helping. And Regina was so grateful for that. Emma doing this was a million times better than doing it herself. Regina's hands had already trembled terribly when she changed her plaster.

She concentrated on her breathing again. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Slowly. In and out. No biting the inside of her cheek. That wasn't going to make her feel any better. It would only cause her pain.

"Nearly done."

Regina gave another little humming sound and tipped her head further back. She could feel the plaster slipping more and more. Thank god.

The plaster pulled at her skin one last time. Then Regina felt cold air on her now exposed throat.

"There we go."

Emma had done it. Regina smiled at her in gratitude. But she made no attempt at looking down at the wound. She had no desire to see it. It was bad enough that Emma was seeing it.

No. That was wrong. Emma didn't care about the wound or her scars or anything else for that matter, Regina reminded herself. The wound wasn't horrible or disgusting. It was there because she had just been through surgery. End of story.

"Looks like it's healing nicely, babe."

That was good. Regina smiled again, but still did not look at the wound. She took Emma's word for it instead.

After Emma had swapped the latex gloves for a fresh pair, she grabbed the tube of ointment from the hospital box. Popped the lid of the tube and squeezed a bit of the ointment onto her fingers. "Alright, here we go," she said softly as she began to spread the ointment on Regina's throat. Not to the wound. Just to the swollen area around it.

Regina bit the inside of her cheek. That stung.

"Sorry. Does it hurt very badly?"

She shook her head and silently formed the word 'fine'. Leading Emma to believe that she was in agony, was not an option.

"First phase done," Emma announced after a moment and moved her fingers away from Regina's throat.

The ointment on Regina's throat took a moment to dry. Regina waited patiently and observed Emma as she removed the second pair of latex gloves and slipped the third and last pair of latex gloves on. It was all very professional. So many latex gloves. Regina grabbed a magazine and folded it up. Then fanned herself with it. She had just realized how warm she felt under the bandage and plaster. Warm and slightly itchy. But that was a good sign. Itching meant healing.

Last phase came after a moment. Regina suspected that Emma even was giving her a moment longer to fan herself. But now it was time for the plaster. Emma was as quick and professional as any nurse would be. Perhaps even more. She certainly was lovelier than all the nurses combined. And she was being so gentle as she assured that the plaster was sitting smoothly and not folding in anyway that could rub against the wound. Next was the bandage. That didn't hurt either. The softness against her throat was actually quite nice.

Lastly was the surgical tape that held everything together. Emma frowned in sheer concentration and looked quite adorable as she assured that the tape wasn't folding anywhere either. Once assured, she took off the gloves, stuffed them into the bag and announced: "all done. I'll just get rid of this." She grabbed the bag containing the discarded medical stuff and leapt from the bed.

While she was puttering about in the bathroom, Regina stood from the bed and walked over to the mirror. She pulled her hair back and looked at the finished result. Emma had done a wonderful job. Everything was sitting nicely in place. Regina smiled at her reflection and was overflowed with pride towards her girlfriend. Another talent of hers had been uncovered tonight, and Regina thought to herself that Emma Swan had gentle hands in every situation. She carefully touched the bandage. No bulging anywhere. No folds. Just perfection. If this kind of practice was included in becoming a nurse, Emma could sign up right now. She had passed this 'test' with flying colors.

The door to the bathroom swung open, and Emma emerged. She was rubbing her hands together and looked a bit nervous.

Regina turned to her. She knew exactly what she was going to do.

"All good?" Emma asked, now shifting a bit. "I'm sorry if I was fumbling. I really tried to be as careful as possible, but I know I'm not exactly- mphh!"

And that is how you make someone stop worrying, Regina thought to herself as she angled her face, so the kiss became just a little bit deeper. She wrapped her arms around Emma's neck and pulled her closer. Smiled into the kiss when Emma's arms looped around her waist. It would appear that she had succeeded in convincing Emma that she had no reason to worry. This was Regina's way of thanking Emma for the help. Her way of telling Emma that she had the most gentles hands and most patient ways. Emma truly was the perfect nurse.

After a moment, Regina was forced to pull back. She was running out of oxygen. Unfortunately.

"You didn't use that method to say thank you to all your nurses, did you?" Emma's voice was all teasing now. And the smirk on her face told the tale of how satisfied she was.

The question had Regina grinning as she shook her head. Then she kissed the tip of Emma's nose.

"I really am your favorite nurse," Emma said, back straightening in pride and green eyes all ashine as she laughed.

Regina wanted to do more than just nod. She walked back to the bed and snatched her phone from the bedside table. 'You are my favorite everything.', she typed. Emma had followed her, so she didn't have to walk back to the mirror. She only had to turn the screen around so Emma could read her answer.

"I love you too," Emma said softly.

Regina smiled at her smart girlfriend who always understood everything and could read between the lines. She put her phone down and slipped under the covers. Then patted the empty space in the bed. A clear invitation. And one that was answered immediately by Emma when she wiggled under the covers and snuggled closer to Regina who was the big spoon tonight. She curled up in Regina's arms, much to Regina's delight, then proclaimed: "this... is awesome."

Indeed it was. Regina hummed in response and gave Emma a little squeeze.

"That too," Emma snickered softly.

Regina hummed again. Sleepily. Her eyelids felt heavy again. She was pretty sure Emma was laughing sweetly at her, but Regina was too tired to react.

"G'night," Emma murmured.

Regina felt her hand being squeezed. She pressed her lips against Emma's temple once, and then peacefully drifted off to sleep….

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Regina was jolted out of her sleep in the most violent way. Groggily, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. What on earth was happening? For a single confused second, Regina jumped to the worst kind of conclusions and considered whether the hotel was under some kind of attack.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

No, hold on. The hotel was not under attack. Obviously not. No, that was the sound of someone banging on the door. The question was who. And more importantly, why?

Regina stumbled out of bed and staggered over to the door. She felt incredibly dizzy. Lightheaded. She wasn't supposed to wake up like this. And she certainly wasn't meant to be awake when it hadn't been long since she consumed medicine.

She grabbed the doorknob and was vaguely aware that Emma had woken up too. Regina opened the door and was greeted by a bushy haired, pale faced Zelena with her green robe hanging loosely from her body as though she had thrown it on in haste. Regina's first and immediate thought was that something was happening to the tiny little life Zelena was carrying inside her, and concern filled her.

"I'm sorry for waking you," Zelena croaked. "But Henry had a nightmare, and it was clearly a very bad one."

Oh god. Henry! The feeling of being lightheaded disappeared as quick as lightening as Regina dashed past her sister and ran into the hallway. Reaching Zelena and Henry's hotel room, she yanked the door open and rushed inside.

She found Henry sitting curled up on the bed. He was shaking from head to toe and sobbing. Regina nearly tripped over her feet as she hurried over to him and sat down next to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around her little prince and held him close. "M-mom," Henry whispered. "Mom!" He burrowed further into her. Clinging onto her as though his life depended on it. Like he was afraid she was going to disappear. Regina kissed the top of his head and stroked his hair. She had to know what it was that had scared him so badly. This was worse than his night terrors. This was more than monsters under the bed. Her maternal instinct told her so. Something else was tormenting her precious son, and Regina was desperate to know what it was. Henry had to tell her. He couldn't keep this stored away anymore.

"I'm sorry, mom," Henry whispered into her pajamas. "I'm s-so sorry, m-mom!" What? Why on earth was he sorry? Why was he apologizing? He couldn't possibly be apologizing for having had a nightmare. That was not something to apologize for. Not now, not ever. Regina rubbed his shoulders. They were tense. Much too tense. No child should be this tense. She was so confused about what was going on. What was this really about?

There was a soft knock on the door. Regina answered by tapping lightly against the bedside table before swiftly wrapping her arms tightly around Henry once more. He was still crying. Sobbing into her pajama shirt. Shaking uncontrollably. Regina could even hear his teeth chatter.

Emma came inside the room. She had thrown a robe over her long tanktop, and her eyes radiated sadness as she looked at Henry. Sadness and… something else.

Regina frowned slightly. She had just picked up on something. Was it possible that Emma knew more than she did?

"Oh, kid," Emma murmured as she walked over to them and sat down next to them. Again, those two words seemed to be loaded with something. It was more than an 'oh kid, I'm so sorry you had a nightmare'. It was an indicator of something. Emma definitely knew something. Regina drew random circles and figure eights on Henry's pajama clad back. She felt so incredibly frustrated at not being able to verbally comfort her son. More than ever, did she wish that she was able to speak. Tell her son that everything was going to be okay.

Henry sniffled against her shoulder. Hiccupped. He wasn't shaking as badly now, but his breathing was still much too fast. Regina felt him lifting his head slightly. Was he looking at Emma?

Regina turned her head just in time to see Emma reach out and touch Henry's shoulder. She loosened her grip on her son so she quickly could sign: 'do you want me to sleep in here tonight?'

"Y-yeah, I would like if you s-sleep in here tonight," Henry managed between ragged breaths.

Regina nodded and hugged him tightly once more. She felt Henry bury his face in her pajama again. He was inconsolable tonight. His small hand trembled as he reached back and touched the hand of Emma's that was still resting on her shoulder.

"Go on, kiddo," Emma said softly and seemed to squeeze his shoulder a little. "It's okay."

"No, it's not!" Henry half-cried into Regina's shoulder. "It's not okay!"

What wasn't okay? Regina looked at Emma to get an explanation.

But for what felt like it could possibly be the first time, Emma didn't provide her with one. She just sat and looked at Henry. Sadness radiated from her. A sadness she seemed to share with Henry.

Why? What was going on? Regina was so confused about all of this. What was it that she wasn't seeing? What point was she currently missing out on?

Henry took a deep breath and pulled away. He looked into her eyes, whispered: "m-mom there's something I need to t-tell you."

He sounded so serious. So unlike himself. Many years older than ten. It was almost eerie. Regina frowned, but of course nodded to encourage her son to tell her. He could tell her anything, and she hoped he knew that. Otherwise she had done a very poor job at being his mother.

"I know!" Henry exclaimed and buried his face in her pajama shirt once more.

That didn't bring any clarity at all. Regina gently grabbed her son by the shoulders so she could look at him. She needed more than this. Easing her hands away from his shoulders, she signed: 'what do you know, sweetie?'

The question clearly wasn't the right one to ask. Henry paled and looked almost sickly now. He lunged forward again and hugged her tightly once more.

Regina was at complete loss. She turned her head and looked at Emma. Help me. Help me understand what's happening.

Emma reached out and touched Henry's shoulder again. A gentle touch. Another encouragement?

"I know what he did," Henry whispered against her shoulder.

I know what he did.

The words seemed to ring in Regina's ears.

It still wasn't anything to go on. At least it shouldn't be. It could mean anything.

Anything and everything.

But if that was the case, why did it feel like it only meant one thing?

No. No, of course not. Whatever it was, it couldn't be that. It had to be something else.

Anything and everything.

Henry pulled back and looked at her with eyes that overflowed with tears. His voice was so quiet when he spoke, but Regina still heard every word. Every. Single. Word. "I know what Kil- what he did to you, mom."

To Be Continued…