Mr. Gold beat her to the hospital, but she beat him to the finish line.

There was no time for delay. Regina punched in the code as fast as her fingers would allow, carelessly leaving the door open in her haste. Grabbing the nurse's arm, she nearly ran over to the girl's "dungeon".

"Open it."

The nurse looked at her, smug, but she said nothing and did as she was told.

Regina approached the girl; she looked, and smelled awful, but such were the realities of hospital life.

"Dear? We're going to have to move. It's not safe here anymore." Regina grabbed her arm.

Belle roughly yanked it away, fire in her eyes.

"It was never safe here."

Regina had no time to react, before Belle was on her. The girl screamed and clawed like a woman possessed, and the mayor went down easily enough.

Next was the nurse. Belle tackled her, drove her into the wall, and was gone before the woman could recover.

Belle ran down the hallway, breath ragged in her lungs. There was no one in sight, some screaming from behind, but they couldn't catch her now.

She turned the corner. The door was open! And just beyond, back turned to her, was him. He had a cane, and looked a bit more human, but it was almost certainly him. The sight of it stopped her in tracks, but only for a moment.

Which turned out to be a moment too long. Rough hands grabbed her from behind, the orderly was here. She struggled futilely, then screamed, long and loud, and the man outside turned and looked at her.

Time stopped, for him at least. She's alive, thank you thank you thank you.

For Belle, time was still very much in motion. She noticed that he seemed to recognize her, thank God. She gathered herself to scream again, when she suddenly felt a prick in her arm. Oh God, not again she thought as the fight promptly left her. Before she lost consciousness, she saw the man striding towards the door. He's coming to save me! Oh Jesus oh thank you I knew it and then the door slammed in his face, The Mayor or was she the Queen? standing triumphantly by the door. She could hear his yelling from the other side, but he may as he well have been on Mars for all the good he could do her.

Regina turned to her, strode over, and grabbed her by the hair. The Mayor's face was still red from where Belle had socked her one but good.

"You're not going anywhere."

Belle thought to say that the Queen was wrong. That she didn't know anything about the man on the other side of the door. That the Queen didn't know anything about HER, and that she'd be free no matter what, even if she had to do it herself.

Unfortunately, before she could voice any of these things, she passed out, his frantic screams echoing in her ears along with a lower, more sinister laugh.