A/N: Thanks so much for the lovely reviews! They are what spurred me to finish this chapter tonight even though it's 1:35 am here and I have to work tomorrow! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: All aspects of Once Upon A Time belong to ABC and the show's creators.

David drove Mary Margaret and Emma to the hospital but had to leave Emma in the ER waiting room with his wife. He was still on duty and was needed for help, especially with the mess at the docks. Emma didn't want him to leave, not when he was so strong and solid when he held her. It was so much easier to be with David in situations like this. David didn't offer condolences when he didn't know if Killian would be alright, instead choosing to stroke her arm and kiss her hair. Mary Margaret was the opposite. She didn't stop her stream of don't worries for as long as they sat in the waiting room.

But Emma did worry. Because Killian was in rough shape. They had taken him straight to the operating room and no one would come out and tell Emma what was going on. Emma wasn't sure if anyone in the ER actually knew what was going on. All the people who knew Killian's condition were behind doors she couldn't reach.

She'd asked the nurses to tell her what was happening but they didn't tell her anything because she wasn't family. Nothing Emma could say would convince the nurse that Killian didn't actually have any family left, that she was his girlfriend and the person he loved. But she wasn't on his forms as his emergency contact so her pleading was useless. The nurse insisted she wait until the doctor came out and Killian was moved to recovery. If he even makes it that far Emma thought sourly but the nurse's glare at her attitude told her not to voice the thought. Angered, she stalked back to the chairs she and Mary Margaret were occupying and sat down with a huff.

Ruby arrive an hour later with a change of clothing for Emma and her sling. Emma refused to go change from her wrinkled clothing that was, upon further inspection, spotted with Killian's blood from where she had clutched at him. She didn't want to leave the waiting room and miss the doctor with news on Killian's condition. Killian had been in surgery for three hours already- how much longer could it be? The longer it took the more convinced Emma was that he was dying. So instead of changing she took the sweater Ruby offered and pulled it over her bloodstained clothing and slipped her sling back on, easing her aching muscles into the fabric with a sigh.

Ruby sat on her other side and held her hand. Emma leaned onto Mary Margaret's shoulder, making a quiet shushing noise into her ear to stop the stream of words coming from her friend's mouth. Mary Margaret nodded and set her cheek on the top of Emma's head. Tangled together Emma tried to calm herself. Another hour ticked by, Ruby's fingers squeezing Emma's every time a nurse or doctor walked into the room. But none of the medical professionals approached the women.

A little while later there was a cough to the side of the huddle of friends, as someone tried to get their attention. Emma bolted upright, startling her friends. She turned to face a tired-looking man with a few gauze pieces wrapped around his bicep and stuck to his forehead and neck. Obviously he had been on board The Northern Osprey with Killian. Emma tried not to resent him for being fairly uninjured after the fire when Killian could possibly be on his death bed. The man's hair was cropped short to the sides of his head and he regarded Emma with nervous brown eyes. A leather jacket was tucked under one arm of his tall and lean body.

"Are you Emma Swan?" he asked and Emma felt a vague recognition at his voice but in her state she couldn't place it. Emma nodded then waited for him to continue. "I just wanted to apologize. I'm Will Scarlett."

"You," Emma hissed, pushing herself up from the chair. She closed the gap between them, anger shaking her body. How dare this man, who had started this whole mess with Killian show up, nearly unscathed, and try to talk to her. No, she wasn't having that.

Will held up his hands, trying to placate her. Behind her she heard Mary Margaret's hissed warning to control her behaviour before security was called. "I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about what happened. I wouldn't have done that if I had known. Jones just seemed so absolutely head over heels about this girl he'd reunited with that I assumed you felt the same way, or at least knew. I didn't think you would have that kind of reaction."

"That's because you don't know me," Emma bit back. Will cringed.

"I know that now. So I came to try and convince you to give Jones a second chance." Emma raised her brow, confused. What did he think she was doing here? Selling Girl Guide cookies? "I've never seen a man so upset about a breakup. All he worried about was how he had hurt you. It was then that I realized there was more to your story than I had originally thought."

"We didn't breakup," Emma whispered. She had caused that pain for Killian? Stupid, selfish, Emma. She should have called him back, told him everything she wanted to before the fire.

"You didn't?"

Emma shook her head. "I was going to tell him I loved him when he got back Friday. I didn't think about how upset he would be. I should have known but I was too scared." Emma's voice broke and a tear rolled down her cheek. Will stepped forward, unsure what to do.

"I was the one Jones went back to save. I should have known to get out of the engine room when the pressure escalated so much but I wanted to fix it. I'd screwed up his relationship and our friendship. I at least could fix the boat. But then the fire started and the blast of the pipes exploding knocked the wind out of me. Killian arrived in time to help me out of the engine room but just as he was leaving behind me another pipe exploded because of the flames and trapped him. I ran for help because the metal was too heavy and hot for me to move on my own. When I got back he was unconscious. I'm so sorry." It was then that Emma noticed the gauze coving burns across his palms, burns he had gotten trying to free Killian. Her anger towards Will disappeared.

"Thank you," Emma murmured, offering a gentle smile.

"I don't know how much comfort I can be but I'd like to wait with you," he offered. Emma nodded and moved back to the chairs. She would let Will stay. Will was a friend of Killian's; one he thought enough of to risk his life for. She wouldn't, couldn't, turn him away.

Will sat down next to Ruby and they all waited in silence. No one really knew what to say to Emma, terrified and upset, both at the unfair situations she so often found herself in and at her own inability to let herself be happy. And what could they say to Will? A man whose friend had risked his life to save him just days after said man seemingly destroyed the other's relationship? The motley crew that was huddled together was a mess but at least Emma found comfort in not being the only mess.

Emma didn't speak again until a weary doctor approached the group. They all rose as one, Emma and Will stepping forward a bit to meet him. "I take it you're here for Killian Jones?" he asked. Emma nodded, not trusting herself to speak. "Surgery went as well as could have been expected and he is in recovery now so you'll be able to see him as soon as he's transferred to his own room. The hand was saved but the burns and broken knuckles were severe enough to irreparably damage the nerves that control movement of his wrist and fingers. In surgery we managed to release pressure on some nerves so he may get some sensation back but don't expect much."

"But he's okay?" Emma couldn't focus the damage to his hand yet. She had to know that Killian would be alright.

"With rest and time to get used to his reduced mobility, Killian will be fine."

Emma let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she murmured and the doctor smiled and nodded.

"A nurse will be out shortly to take you to him." With that he walked away and Emma turned back to her friends. She was enveloped in a hug by Mary Margaret and Ruby, the kindness and familiarity of their touch making her cry again. It felt good to be secure after so long spent waiting for the news that her boyfriend was either alive or dead. She snaked her arm out from the crushing hug and grabbed Will's hand, pulling him into the hug from where he had been standing awkwardly to the side. Mary Margaret moved her arm and fit Will in their embrace as easily as if he'd always been a part of it. They stayed like that for a long time.

When a nurse told the group Killian's room number it was all Emma could do not to run up the hallways to find him. Mary Margaret and Ruby bowed out at the elevators so Will and Emma could see him first under the guise of Mary Margaret needing to go practice ballet and Ruby having the only car at the hospital. Emma was glad she'd be given a bit of space to be with Killian, even though Will went with her. But he stayed in the hallway when they reached Killian's room, telling her to see him first.

Emma moved over to the bed and sat in the chair next to it. She didn't look at him until she sat down, not trusting her legs to keep her upright when she took in his injured form. Killian was pale but someone had cleaned the soot and blood off his face which made him look healthier than he had at the dock. His hand was heavily bandaged and rested on top of his chest, oxygen pumping through the cannula in his nose helping his chest move up and down at a gentle pace.

"Jones?" she asked tentatively. The nurse said he should be able to wake up but she wasn't sure if he wanted to speak to her.

"You're still here," was his rough response. Killian didn't open his eyes but he tilted his head towards her.

"Of course I'm here," Emma answered. She reached forward and brushed her fingers over his hand. She didn't want to push him with contact, especially since his words of shouldn't now still echoed through her head. But she did need to risk pushing him with her words because he needed to hear them. "I love you, you big heroic idiot. And I'm sorry that I was a bigger idiot for being too scared to tell you earlier." Killian tilted his hand and captured her finger tips giving them a soft squeeze before letting go.

"You're not an idiot, Swan," he replied, his voice quieting as sleep started to claim him again.

"You don't have to try and lie to me to get me to like you."

"Maybe I do. I assume the doctor talked to you." Killian's voice was devastated and lost, as if he was certain there was no way they could still be Killian and Emma anymore.

Emma bent forward and rested her head on the pillow beside him. "I've got a messed up a shoulder, you have a messed up hand. I can lend you my hands whenever you need them."

"And you can have my shoulders to carry help the weight of our problems if you'll take them," he answered.

"Good," she answered and watched his breathing slow again as he drifted off. She may not have totally convinced him that they could still love each other yet but she had made progress. Emma just had to hope that the rest of the process would happen naturally.