I just couldn't wait. Please don't hate me.

Accidents Happen

As Emma sat at her desk in her now empty classroom the white walls around her made her wonder where the time had gone. This time last year she thought her life would never be the same because she had lost so much. And now, a year later she felt like she couldn't be happier. She had her son, and after one more summer he would be joining her at the high school, and then she would have both people she cared about so deeply under the same roof as her nearly 24/7. There really could be nothing that could bring her down.

Emma played with a small square box between her fingers that lay lonely on the top of her desk. The smile of her face was permanent as she twisted it around in front of her. The felt material tickled her skin, and when she opened the box, her eyes widened as the diamond sparkled. The little mini heart attack every time she thought about the idea of possibly spending the rest of her life with Regina was something she never thought she would ever feel again. Henry loved Regina, she loved Regina, and the little family Emma still had left loved her too.

She jumped at the feeling of her cell phone vibrating in her pocket and she fully expected to see Regina's name on the screen, who was probably wondering where she was. Emma had spent far too much time packing up her room, and she was supposed to meet Regina and Henry at Granny's for an end of the school party with some of their friends almost an hour ago. She frowned at the unknown number on her screen, but she answered it anyway as she picked up her bags.

"Hello?" She answered firmly in her professional voice.

"Emma, it's Graham." He sounded breathless and rushed.

"Graham?" Emma stuck the box in her jacket pocket as her heart started to race. Graham had never called her with good news, or rarely called her at all for that matter, and her heart pounded at the crazy thoughts that began racking her brain. Did Henry do something? Is he in trouble? Is he okay? She couldn't take the silence over the phone.

"Graham, what's wrong?" Emma searched frantically for her keys, preparing for the worst.

"Um…" He hesitated.

She shot back at him quickly when he didn't answer her question. "Graham. You tell me what happened right now, or so help me I will…."

"There has been an accident. There was a drunk driver, and it all happened so fast." Graham's words were short like he was trying to hide a secret.

"An accident? What kind of accident?" Emma was out her door faster than she thought she could move, her bags left in the middle of her classroom. Her lungs burned as background noise filled the space between her and her phone. She called out to Graham for more answers but he sounded like he was shouting at someone else on the other side of the phone. She picked up small pieces of what he was saying, but nothing that would help her figure out what the hell was going on. Her breath hitched as she started up her bug and peeled out of the school parking lot. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to go.

"We got them to the hospital as fast as we could but the doctors have not come back out." Graham sounded so rushed and flustered.

"Them?" Emma could feel the tears already running down her cheeks as her entire being began to melt from the inside out.

Then she heard their names. "Regina and… Henry."

The phone fell out of her hands and collapsed to the floor at her feet. She could hear the faint call of Graham's voice from the speakers but the words were not processing.

Emma? EMMA! Shit…

This was not happening, not now, not ever. No, this was not how this was supposed to be. What kind of karma is this? What did she ever do for this to happen? In a split second her world was rocked into a million tiny pieces. She knew now why Graham was so hesitant. She was becoming hysterical. She screamed at her windshield, cursing the world and its unwarranted grudge against her.

She hardly had time to put her car in park as it skid to a halt in front of the hospital doors and she busted through frantically searching for them.

"Regina!" She called out. "Henry?" Her tears blurred her vision and the form of the nurse approaching her. "Graham!" She saw him down at the end of the hallway and she took off toward him, leaving the nurse sitting at the entrance speechless.

"Where are they?" She ran to him, and tried to pass him for the double doors that led to the rooms behind him but he stopped her.

"Emma. You can't go back there yet. They are in surgery."

"Surgery?! Oh my god." She felt her throat close off and she struggled through every breath inside of her.

"What… happened? Graham please tell me they are okay." She swallowed hard between her words and tears and she could feel her legs become like Jell-O. She was sure the only thing holding her up was Graham's grip around her arms. As her eyes cleared between swells of tears she could see the blood that spotted his tan uniform and a cut that followed his jaw line and it made her sick to her stomach. Who's blood is that? Henry's? Regina's? His? She needed answers.

"There was a drunk driver. I don't know who, but they collided at a stop light. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Regina sustained most of the injuries. As far as I could tell, Henry only had a few deep cuts from the shattered glass. They just need to remove the shards and get him some stitches. I'm not sure about Regina. They got her out while I was with Henry and I couldn't see her." Graham tried to explain as Emma tried to squirm from his grip. Her face was littered with wetness as she couldn't control herself. "The driver was brought here shortly after I got here with Henry."

She suddenly stopped, sucking in a small grasp of breath and her face fell emotionless realizing that someone was responsible for this. "I'll kill him. Where is he?" She started looking around frantically and after pushing herself from Graham's grip she ran over to the nurses station nearest to them.

"You! What room is he in?" She slammed her hand down on the desk and the nurse jumped back, scared from the approach of the uncontrollable blonde.

"I'm sorry Miss I don't know who…"

"Where is he!" She screamed, interrupting the woman, and reached over the counter and started grabbing papers from the station below, hoping to find something, anything, that she could use to find him. Graham immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her over to the wall. He forced her to sit down on a bench and held her down.

"Emma, if you don't calm down you will leave me no choice but to handcuff you to this bench." Graham said as calmly as he could, struggling under her thrashing.

"I swear to god Graham if something happens to her, I will personally put a bullet in his head." She shouted through tears. When she heard the clicking sound and the cold metal around her wrist she immediately stopped and looked down at her right hand. It had be connected to the leg of the bench by Grahams handcuffs. She looked back up at Graham with a face of both disgust and innocence. Graham rubbed the scruff on his face, wincing as he bumped the cut on his chin, trying to decide what his next move was.

"Emma, I will let you go when you calm down." He stated calmly. "Now you know I will do everything in my power to put that man behind bars for what he has done. But right now, I need to make sure we have a body to put in prison. Okay? As much as you think he deserves to die, and as much as I agree with you, he still has to be given a chance. You cannot get involved in this, Emma."

She tried to raise herself to her feet, but the handcuffs were too short and she fell back, sliding off the edge of the bench onto the floor. Any and all control that she thought she had left was gone. The flood gates had opened, her body numb to the coldness around her. Her hands fell open in surrender, the handcuffs clicking on the metal of the bench.

"Why me?" She managed pathetically through her shallow breaths.

Graham squatted and took Emma's head in his hands and pulled her to his chest. He placed a kiss on her top of her head and let her cry. He struggled at holding back a few tears himself as one escaped and ran down his rough cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Emma. I'm so sorry."

She cried like she had never cried before in her life, and all that had been built up just poured out of her. Graham's pressure only made her cry harder. He assured her Henry would be okay, but as for Regina, that was another story since neither of them really knew the extent of her damage. Nobody could give her the answers she wanted. The answers she needed. She needed to know they were going to be okay.

Soon after Graham had cuffed Emma to the bench he unlocked her. He knew she wasn't dangerous and the impact of the news was what drove her to overreact. She reacted just as anyone in her position would have. Learning within minutes that both her girlfriend and her son were in critical condition after a car accident is not something Graham would have expected her to take well.

After restlessly sitting around the hospital for god knows how long, Dr. Whale, the leading physician at the hospital, came through the double doors and headed in their direction. They both looked at him expectantly but he asked for Graham to come with him… alone. Emma immediately protested but after Graham went for his cuffs, she huffed and turned to go back down one of the hallways.

Graham was worried about what the doctor could have to tell him that Emma couldn't hear. He wanted Emma to be able to see her son and Regina as much as anyone, but he also needed to figure out what happened without interruption.

"The surgeries were fairly successful." Dr. Whale started. "Regina has sustained major brain trauma and after talking with a few of my colleagues , we have come to the conclusion that she will live, but she will not be the same. The swelling on her brain is still too high to really give us any clear answers, and as far as I can see… I'm afraid her long term memory will be gone. She may see things in flashes but as far as remembering who she was before she wakes up, there is a very low chance."

Graham let out a deep long breath. "How low?" He wiped the exhaustion from his face. There was only so much bad news one person can take in one day.

"It's hard to set a number to it, but if I had to guess, I'd say she will only remember about 10-15% of her past memories. Most of them probably only from her childhood, since that part of our lives is stored so much more deeper in our brains. Honestly, sheriff, we will be lucky if she can remember her name when she wakes up."

"And what of the boy?"

"The boy will be fine. He will have a scar above his right eye and a few lingering bruises, but as far as any permanent damage, there is none. We'll keep him here for a few days for observation and then he'll be free to go." Dr. Whale sighed and placed his hands on his hips, his head falling to the floor.

"What about the drunk driver?" Graham questioned again.

"We are unsure whether he will make it or not. He was not wearing his seat belt, and the force of the impact sent him partially through his windshield. If he doesn't make it, it will be from blood loss and internal bleeding. We are still working to try and stop it, but it's going to be difficult. But there is one other problem."

"What?" Graham looked up at him concerned.

"We initially couldn't identify the body because he was so cut up. But after running his DNA…" The doctor paused, and he looked like he was unable to keep the secret. "It's Daniel."

Graham froze, unable to process what he had just heard. "Daniel? As in Regina's ex-husband Daniel?" Graham finally questioned after trying to wrap his brain around the news.

The doctors silence was all the answer he needed.

"Holy shit." Graham bent over, gripping onto his knees like he was going to hurl. His stomach turned and he was sure he was going to be sick. After everything that he had been through with Daniel, this was the last thing he thought he was capable of doing. Come to think of it, he hadn't even heard from the man since Christmas, and now this.

"What should I tell Emma?" Graham asked straightening up, fully aware that he needed to relay all of this information to the distraught woman outside.

"I would advise that we hold off on giving her any information until we are certain. Henry is fine, that much is for certain. I need more time with Regina. As for Daniel, well I'll leave that to your better judgment." The doctor struggled through his words. This was a small town where everyone knew everyone. When something like this happened it effected everybody, and the doctor was not immune to his emotions.

"Thank you Doctor Whale." Graham patted him on his shoulder and then with a heavy breath made his way back to the double doors. He struggled with the information, knowing that Emma would most likely be bombarding him with questions soon enough.

"Sheriff." The doctor called out before Graham made it through the doors.

"You know I'm going to do everything I can."

"I know you will. Come get me when Daniel wakes up. I'd like to have a few words with him." And with that he disappeared through the doors. He looked down the hallways near him, but the blonde was nowhere to be found. He walked up to the nurses station and before he could ask his question, the nurse pointed knowingly down a hallway near them. He thanked her and took a few quick steps in that direction, unsure of what she was doing, but by the sound of her kicking the vending machine he figured she couldn't be getting into too much trouble yet.

She had found the break room and sounded like she was struggling to get something to drink. Graham walked up next to her as she kicked at the machine again.

"Damn it…" She whispered.

"You okay, Swan?" Graham approached hesitantly.

"No. Damn vending machine took my change." She crossed her arms in a huff. She pinched the bridge of her nose curbing the urge to start crying again.

"Here, let me try." Graham stepped up next to her and slipped in a few coins. He pushed the buttons and a water bottle fell from its line in the machine.

"Thank you." She said pulling it out of the drop bin. She opened it up and took a small swig, just enough to wet her lips.

"What did the doctor say?" The question finally surfaced. She almost didn't want to know for fear that she would find out what she had convinced herself could not be possible. That Regina was not okay. And Henry. God, if something happened to him, she would never be able to function. It would be like her whole purpose for living would be gone. Everything would become worthless. Including the life that stole them from her.

"Uh, well the good news is, Henry will be okay. Couple of bruises, and he'll have a nice scar on his eyebrow but nothing serious. I'm sure it will go over well with the ladies once he gets older." Graham stopped not wanting to rush what he was told about Regina. He knew she would not take it well and he hated to see Emma so upset. The information he was carrying was not light by any means, and knowing Emma's history with Daniel, he had convinced himself that he would hold off dropping that bomb.

"And… what about Regina?" Emma forced the question, staring down at the water bottle in her hands.

Graham let out a heavy sigh, resting his hands on his hips. "The doctors are still trying to determine the extent of her injuries."

Emma closed her eyes to the blow. She wasn't stupid. She knew that Graham wasn't telling her everything, but she didn't press the matter because deep down she really didn't want to know. She wasn't ready to know.

Graham could tell she was exhausted. "Are you going to be okay, Swan? Maybe you should go home and rest or something. Come back tomorrow. I'm sure Granny would be willing to make you something to eat if you stopped off at the diner." He could see the dark circles under her eyes and her skin had lost any kind of lively color. She was almost grey sitting in the dimly lit break room.

"No. I'm fine. I'm not that hungry and I need to be here if something happens." She responded softly starting out of the break room. She caught the sight of the blood again on his shoulder and pictured him holding Henry next to him at the scene. She felt sick to her stomach as the picture became so real in her mind. She hated that something that seemed so impossible could feel so real.

"I can call you if anything comes up." Graham offered again. Anything to hopefully alleviate her stress. But he knew that was probably impossible.

"No." She answered shortly. There was really nothing else she could say. She had to be there. For her son. For Regina. She couldn't miss anything. All she wanted was the answers nobody could give her, and that was that everything would be okay. Her life had fallen into a million pieces within a matter of seconds and the only thing left to do was try and rebuild. She couldn't go home. It wouldn't feel right. Home was were the people she loved were, and right now it was this hospital. Their house would feel like a prison compared to this place.

She made her way back to the bench where Graham had handcuffed her when she first arrived. She sat down slowly, squeezing the water bottle in her hands between her knees feeling her body become small and shrunken. She felt the tears welling up again. She was surprised that she still had tears left to shed after this afternoon. Her thoughts were interrupted when Graham's radio looped around his shoulder came to life next to her.

Sheriff Graham, please come in.

"What is it, Billy?" He answered casually back.

We got a possible 215 down on 6th street.

"Where's Officer Phillip?"

He's out on a 415.

Graham sighed. "Copy that, I'll be there as soon as I can."

He rested his hands on his hips and sighed. He was hesitant to leave Emma behind in her state. He knew she was harmless, but he had seen grief drive even the sanest of people insane.

"Are you going to be okay if I go?" Graham asked looking down at Emma.

"Just peachy." She answered as if she was talking to her water bottle.

"I won't be gone long. It's probably just a couple of kids messing around outside of town. Should take maybe an hour tops."

"I'll be a good girl. Promise." Emma imitated crossing her fingers over her heart.

"Call me if you need anything?" Graham offered. Emma remained silent to his question.

"Please, Emma." He spoke again.

"I will." Her voiced raised a little as she looked up at him, her eyes red from crying.

He pulled his hand through his hair as he back away from her. After a few steps he finally turned down the hall and headed out. She listened to his boots echo on the linoleum floor until he was gone.

She dropped her head into her hands, sniffing her running nose and pushing a frayed hair behind her ear. This was not where she expected herself to be only hours before. She stopped her fidgeting and remembered the item in her pocket, quickly digging it out and holding the felt box out in her hand, seeing it through blurry eyes. She hadn't planned on a date yet to use it, but she knew it would have been soon. Now she wasn't even sure if the chance would come for her to officially make Regina a part of her life. She held the box up to her lips and a tear fell from her cheek onto the lid. Her body fell to the side across the bench and she pulled her knees close, her body shaking as she cried. She clung to the box and the fleeting hope that life after this would be anything but normal.

:O!