Everyone settles into the hospital for the night. Emma and Regina talk, and Ruby awaits news of Grayson's surgery.
The hospital was a blur of confusion. Half the staff were missing or already suffering a curse, while the rest desperately rushed around trying to keep the place running. There was an influx of people crowding the waiting room, citizens injured by others in scraps or fist fights. The smell of antiseptic was heavy in the air, as was the fog of tension keeping everyone on their toes.
Bursting through the doors was an unconscious Grayson on a gurney, Ruby on his one side and Regina on the other, her hand against his chest and her magic keeping him alive. A medic led them through the ER with Emma barking at people to get out of the way.
David, Snow, and Granny played bodyguard from behind and trailed after them further into the hospital as the rest of their group automatically moved to do damage control in the waiting room, explaining to the angriest of voices that this was a life or death situation. Stepping in for David as a second deputy, August took control of the crowd, with Leroy, Belle, and the fairies for backup.
Whale met them in the surgery room, already snapping on his gloves. There weren't enough personnel on hand to enforce the "stay out of the room" rule and Regina, Emma, and Ruby ended up in the middle of it, assisting the doctors with transferring Grayson onto the operation table.
"Everyone out," Whale demanded as soon as his assistant began hooking Grayson up to the machines. "All of you. We've got it from here."
Emma gently nudged a crestfallen Ruby towards the door, her lips pursed as Regina remained rooted to the spot. The doctor clearly had no desire to argue with the queen right now so he said nothing and allowed her to keep her magical hold on the man.
Once Ruby was safely in Granny's embrace out in the hall, Emma went back for Regina, finding the brunette gripping the operation table with her free hand while the doctors worked around her. Her knuckles were white and her expression pinched.
"Regina, we've got him stabilized, you can stop now," said Whale, casting a glance at the woman and actually looking somewhat concerned. When Regina didn't respond, he immediately turned to Emma. "She's going to burn herself out. We've got him stabilized, I promise."
With a nod, Emma reached over and clasped her hand over Regina's, her other arm wrapping around the woman's waist. "Hey, it's okay, you can stop now. They've got him."
A tremor ran through Regina's body, her muscles protesting from weakness and instinctively sagging against Emma. She'd been holding Grayson back from death's door for the past half hour, having had to transfer into the bed of David's truck and make the drive to the hospital. With all the chaos going on lately, an ambulance hadn't been available to retrieve them. Still, her hand remained atop Grayson's chest, a magic glow connecting them together.
Emma pressed her face in next to hers, lips against her ear, voice soft and reassuring.
"Regina, please stop."
The connection faltered and broke, and Regina's hand slid from Grayson as her knees finally buckled. Emma caught her with care, lifting her up off her feet and into her arms bridal style. For the second time that week, Regina wasn't conscious enough to protest.
Whale spoke up even as he and the other doctors went straight to work. "Nurse!" A woman hurried into the room from another door. "Have these two looked at immediately."
"Grayson-" Emma started.
"I'll let you know as soon as he's out of surgery."
"Don't let him die, Whale."
"I'm doing the best I can," he said seriously, sparing her a short glance. With a somber nod, Emma followed the nurse out. Her parents, along with Granny and Ruby, were waiting in the hall for them.
"Here," David offered, holding out his arms. At this point, everyone could see Emma's limbs shaking with tiredness. Emma relented, passing Regina over and finding herself immediately wrapped up in her mother's arms. Snow pressed a quick kiss to her temple before the group was ushered along by the nurse.
"I'm proud of you," she whispered, giving Emma's hand a squeeze.
"But I failed. I lost the box."
"You did the best you could, Emma, and that's all anyone can ask of you." Snow's lips tugged up into a reassuring smile. "We'll figure it out. Together."
Too tired to argue, Emma just nodded and let herself be pulled along. The nurse set them up in a private recovery room with two hospital beds, one for Ruby and one for Regina. Emma sunk into a chair as Regina woke enough to swat the nurse away. Deciding to step in before fireballs started flying, David convinced the nurse to tend to Ruby's injuries first.
"You need to get looked at, Regina," he said quietly, hovering at her bedside.
"You hit your head pretty hard," Snow added, to which Regina curled her lip.
"I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's all. I don't need to get looked at." She stubbornly swung her legs over the edge to stand, hesitating only when Emma's hand came down on top of hers.
"Just lie down for a while," Emma said softly, tiredly. "Please."
"Emma, we lost Pandora's box."
"I know. We'll get it back, I promise. But not like this."
She threaded her fingers around the brunette's, squeezing gently, her eyes begging Regina to cooperate for once. Unhappily, Regina settled back into the bed, wincing as the back of her head touched the pillow. Emma slouched over and rested her forehead atop their conjoined hands with a long exhale.
"How are you feeling, Red?" Snow sat on the edge of Ruby's bed, reaching out to grasp her hand as the nurse fussed over her wounds.
"Like someone's ripped my heart out of my chest and is squeezing it hard," Ruby admitted with a wobbly laugh. She leaned over to see past the nurse at Regina. "No offense."
Regina just waved it off. Ruby slumped back down, wincing as disinfectant was swiped over her wounds. She automatically relaxed when Snow's fingers squeezed hers.
"He'll be fine," the pixie hair woman said. "Like you used to say, that jerk just won't die."
Ruby tried to smile at the memory but couldn't quite bring herself to do it, instead dropping her chin to her chest. "Yeah, and the day I finally forgive him, he goes and gets himself skewered. I- I didn't even have the chance to tell him…"
"Hey." Snow jostled her hand until she looked up again. "He'll survive. And then you can smack him for being an idiot and tell him how you really feel."
If Ruby were in wolf form, her ears would have flopped. "Is it that obvious?"
"It was obvious even back when we were in the Enchanted Forest and you were ranting about wanting to strangle him," said Snow, snorting with amusement. Granny just huffed and rolled her eyes, keeping guard at the window with her crossbow cradled in her arms.
Over at Regina's bed, Emma felt herself drifting off with exhaustion. Her body was tired, everything hurt, and she just wanted to not think about the utter hellhole they were in right now. A hand stroked her head and she gave a soft hum, somehow knowing it was Regina's touch and appreciating the gesture.
"... 'Gina," she murmured in a sleepy rumble as a pleasant warmth spread through her body, relaxing her muscles and easing her aches. It took her a moment to realize the brunette was healing her, then she sat up abruptly, pulling away. "What are you doing?"
"Helping," Regina said blankly, her expression pinched. David furrowed his brows and Snow turned from Ruby to look at them questioningly.
"You're in no shape to be using magic right now, you're already burning yourself out."
"I just needed a minute, that's all."
"Says the one who passed out from exhaustion!"
"Emma, I'm fine-"
"Stop saying that." Emma ground her teeth together, jaws tightening. "Nurse, are you ready to check on her?"
The nurse had in fact been waiting on them, having already finished with Ruby, though whether or not she felt ready to check on the once Evil Queen was a whole other matter. Still, she gave a professional nod and a stiff smile. Emma turned on Regina.
"You will sit still and let her do her job, or so help me…"
"You'll punish me?" Regina finished wearily. She had hoped Emma would crack a smile at the old reference, but the blonde just glared. Resigned to her fate, Regina sat motionless and cooperated as the nurse looked her over, flashing a penlight in her eyes and checking her vitals.
Emma and David left to get coffee from the machine down the hall, and since Granny was talking quietly to Ruby on the other side of the room, she was left with Snow White.
"You're worrying her," the pixie haired woman said, a frown marring her usually soft features. Regina sighed, averting her eyes as the nurse gently touched at the back of her head.
"I'm trying my best. It's not my fault if- oww!"
She winced away from the nurse's prodding fingers. The woman cringed just as badly.
"I'm so sorry, your Majesty!"
Regina stiffened at the title, her dark eyes narrowing under furrowed brows.
"Madam Mayor," Snow corrected, giving the nervous nurse a significant look. The woman nodded emphatically.
"Madam Mayor. I'm sorry. May I…?" She gestured at the back of Regina's head. After a moment of scowling, the brunette nodded. Fingers gently touched the base of her skull and moved their way down her neck. "Is it sore here?"
"Yes," Regina ground out.
"Any other symptoms bothering you?"
Regina opened her mouth with lies ready on the tip of her tongue, but Snow squinted at her. Squinted at her as if she were dealing with a child and knew when she was being lied to, and Regina wondered when the hell their roles had become reversed.
"Headache," Regina muttered, her tone almost petulant. "Pressure in my skull. I feel slightly nauseated."
"You have a minor concussion," the nurse said, nodding along agreeably. "Nothing severe, you just need to take it easy for a while. I can have some medication-"
"No," Regina interrupted. "I don't need any. I just need to replenish my energy so I can heal it with magic."
"But-"
"No medication," Snow agreed, giving the nurse a quick smile. "Just bring her something to eat and drink?"
"Err… I'll be back with some protein bars and vitamin water, then," the nurse conceded, hurrying away. Regina sighed and gave Snow a grateful nod.
"Now where were we?" said Snow, in a light tone that said she wasn't letting this go.
The grateful nod turned into a scowl.
"Let it go, Snow."
The younger brunette frowned. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were punishing yourself."
Regina gave a scoff. "If I didn't know any better I'd say keeping that hideous haircut of yours is punishing yourself."
"The Häagen-Dazs comeback was cleverer," Snow muttered, recalling their old banter with some fond amusement.
If I didn't know any better I'd say you look smitten, she had once teased the Queen, back when Regina and Robin had still been together. Regina had sneered to hide her embarrassment and snapped back, If I didn't know any better I'd say Häagen-Dazs is smitten with your stomach. Snow had been eight months pregnant with Neal at the time, though, so she never took any real offense to it. It was pretty funny now that she thought back on it.
"Honestly, you're not a virginal school teacher, you can grow your hair back out," Regina snarked. Snow rolled her eyes at that.
"Don't change the subject. I know you, Regina, and you've changed for the better, we all know that, but this-" She waved her hands at the haggard state Regina was in. "This isn't you. This isn't a rational you. So what's going on?"
Regina glanced sideways to find Ruby and Granny not-so-subtly watching them. "What is this, an intervention?"
"I'd pull the curtain but they're werewolves, they'll still hear us." Snow shrugged.
"Absolutely not. I am not having this conversation with you."
Snow crossed her arms and tilted her head to one side. "Well, you're dating my daughter and for whatever reason you're punishing yourself and hurting her in the process, so I think we are having this conversation whether you like it or not."
"Hurting her? I was healing her!"
"And harming yourself. Your well being is just as important to Emma."
"I would have been fine."
"You really need to stop using that argument," Ruby interjected. "No one likes to hear it. Doesn't matter if you'll be fine in the end, what hurts is seeing you suffer. You think I like seeing Grayson throw himself into harm's way just to prove to me that he deserves my forgiveness? I forgave him today and he still played careless hero and got himself hurt. I have half a mind to kill him myself if he doesn't die on the operating table."
Despite the angry bite to her tone, her eyes were bright with tears again. Granny reached over to pat her granddaughter's hand as Regina averted her eyes and Snow lowered her head. Emma and David returned at that moment with coffees for themselves and for Granny and Snow.
Snow purposefully cleared her throat and gave Regina a "this isn't over" look before she shuffled to a corner to talk with David.
"Where's the nurse?" Emma demanded, standing at the side of Regina's bed.
"She already checked me over, and she'll be back in a few minutes," was Regina's tired reply. With pleading brown eyes and a gentle pat on the bed beside her, she said, "Can you sit down?"
Grudgingly, Emma perched herself on the bed, nursing her coffee in her hands. She didn't even look up when a warm hand wrapped around her forearm.
"Emma, please," came the quiet request.
"What, Regina?"
"Please, just look at me."
Emma's eyes closed, her expression pinched. After a long moment, she finally turned to meet Regina's eyes, her own guarded and reluctant. Even in her anger and frustration, she looked hurt. Betrayed. Regina still couldn't quite fathom how her own well being could so greatly impact another. No one had ever cared that much before. She'd never gotten there with Daniel, Cora had never cared, her own father didn't care enough to protect her, even Robin hadn't been this upset when they thought they were soul mates.
There had only ever been Henry, and even his concern with her well being had changed during the time he'd believed her to be a villain.
And now here was Emma.
"I'm sorry," Regina whispered, her voice coming out a hundred times weaker and shakier than she had wanted it to, yet it seemed to change everything for Emma when her green eyes softened and her expression melted into one of immediate forgiveness. She always knew when Regina was lying, and this was as genuine as it got.
"For worrying me, or for punishing yourself?" she asked, exhaling slowly as if she'd been holding her breath the entire time.
"Both?"
"Regina."
"I'm trying, Emma. I really am."
Setting her coffee cup down on the side table, Emma took Regina's hands in hers, thumbs stroking across her knuckles. "I know. I just wish you would forgive yourself when I've already forgiven you."
"That's a little hard when I deserve it."
"That's exactly the problem: you don't. You think you do, but you don't." Her fingers tightened around Regina's, giving her hand the gentlest of shakes. "We all make mistakes, and you've more than made up for yours. Prolonging your suffering hurts me too, you know. And haven't we all suffered enough?"
Regina wilted a little in place. "Don't say it like that."
"No more of this," Emma insisted, shifting closer. "I can't stand seeing you hurt."
"I'll still make more mistakes."
"So will I. That's what makes us human."
Regina gave a weak laugh. Emma sounded just like her father at that moment, so gentle yet sure of herself. It had to be the Charming gene.
"And when we do make mistakes," Emma added, leaning closer and lowering her voice, "we'll just have to find ways to make it up to each other."
"I… oh." She was suddenly lost in those beautiful green eyes, feeling Emma's warm breath against her face as she inched closer and closer.
"Can I kiss you now?" the blonde asked, her voice a whisper against Regina's lips.
"Yes."
It was slow and sweet, lips brushing tenderly against lips, their breaths mingling as they pulled back ever so slightly to press their foreheads together. Emma's hands gently rubbed up and down her arms in a comforting gesture and Regina all but melted in her soft embrace. She had never felt safer anywhere than in the savior's arms.
"Madam Mayor…?" a tiny voice squeaked. When they looked up, the nurse had returned, carrying a tray loaded with protein bars and bottles of vitamin water.
"Ah- thank you. Right over here is fine." Regina gestured to the side table. The nurse put the tray down and, after confirming that no one else in the room needed anything, made her escape. Emma lifted a brow at it inquisitively.
"I simply needed to replenish my energy so that I could heal this concussion." With a shrug, the brunette tore open a bar and took a bite.
"So you did have a concussion!"
"Were we taking bets?" David joked, grabbing a bar for himself. Snow whacked her husband on the shoulder.
"Of course she'd have a concussion! She really hit her head hard."
"Well you did tackle me, dear," Regina grumbled. When the younger brunette squinted at her, she added, "But thank you for saving me."
Snow took a bottle of vitamin water and sat back in a visitor's chair, crossing one leg over the other. "You're welcome. Protecting each other is what family does."
Regina just took another big bite out of her bar to avoid responding, and everyone else settled down with some food and drink without complaint. Baby steps, Emma had murmured reassuringly when Regina gave her an apologetic look afterwards.
When it became apparent that they would be waiting a while, they managed to drag in some extra cots from another room so that everyone could get some rest. August, Leroy, Belle, and the fairies rejoined them and they all took turns resting and standing guard. Regina and Emma slept the most in an attempt to fully restore their magic reserves, spooned together on a shared bed with their fingers entwined. Ruby bounced back and forth between sleeping and pacing the room, only ever sitting back down when Granny gave her a stern look. August and Tinkerbell took turns patrolling the hospital and the waiting rooms, just in case people started acting up, and Leroy had proclaimed himself Nova and Belle's bodyguard whenever the two women went down to check on Dr. Whale's progress.
"Anything yet?" David had asked when they returned for the third time that day.
"They're still in surgery," Nova had whispered, casting nervous glances to where Ruby lay sleeping in her bed.
"That's a good thing, isn't it? It means he's still fighting?" Belle had suggested hopefully, and the others just shrugged and hoped that she was right.
"Still quiet, like the calm before a storm," Granny said a few hours later, glaring out the window at the darkening sky when she felt Snow coming up beside her. The old woman hadn't put her crossbow down since they'd all left the diner after lunch, and that felt like so long ago.
"Do you think they've figured out how to release the demons from the box?" Snow asked, her voice low and uncertain. Granny just shrugged.
"Don't know much about that magic box other than the fact that it didn't do us much good against Pan last time. And I get the feeling these demons are far worse than Pan."
When night rolled around and Granny had no intention of leaving Ruby's side, Leroy and Nova volunteered to retrieve real food other than protein bars, returning a half hour later with chili and sandwiches from the hospital's cafeteria. Their late dinner was a quiet ordeal - no one wanted to discuss battle plans just yet, especially with Grayson still on the operating table - and once fed, they went back to sleeping or patrolling. Everyone was still tired and sore from the battle that afternoon and it was just easier to fall into a monotonous rhythm.
"How's your head?" Emma murmured, her voice rough from sleep. She and Regina had been drifting in and out of consciousness the past hour, waking up whenever one of them shifted in their sleep. They were too easily woken, their bodies instinctively on high alert, and yet they refused to sleep apart, finding comfort in each other's warm embrace.
"Just a dull throb," Regina muttered back, her eyes still closed as she pressed her back a little more firmly against Emma's chest. "I should heal my concussion soon."
"No rush. Go back to sleep." Emma nuzzled her face into thick dark hair, squeezing her arms gently around Regina's body before going slack again.
At some point in the night, a nurse arrived and whispered something to Granny, causing a frown to mar the old woman's face.
"Then take mine," she'd growled, to which the nurse shook her head.
"You can't Change anymore. It needs to be hers. She's young and strong."
Reluctant, Granny then shook Ruby awake. "Wake up, child," she murmured, holding her shoulders steady as the young brunette jerked into consciousness.
"What is it? Is it Grayson? Is he-?"
"They need werewolf blood," she said simply. Ruby gave a curt nod. Then she, Granny, and the nurse were gone. David and Snow took Granny's place at the window.
"David." Snow's voice was a soft whisper, her hand seeking his. He closed his fist around her smaller hand, tangling their fingers together. "What's going to happen?"
All at once he could see the fear and uncertainty in her green eyes, and for once, he thought his wife looked like Emma - like a lost girl. Their only weapon against the demons were gone, their new friend was lying at death's door, and everyone was tired and sore and hurting. He opened his arms and pulled her close, resting his chin against her head.
"I don't know," he admitted, his voice equally as low as to not disturb the quiet hum of their hospital room. "But whatever happens, we'll face it together."
He could feel her nodding against his chest, her face nuzzling into the worn fabric of his plaid shirt with a deep, steadying breath.
From Regina's bed, Emma listened to her parents' voices, though she remained motionless and with her eyes closed. Regina had drifted back into slumber shortly after healing her concussion and she didn't want to wake her by moving.
Fluorescent light spilled into the room as the door swung open - they'd all agreed to turn off the lights so that they could rest in relative darkness - and those still awake turned their heads to see Ruby and Granny re-enter, with Nova and Belle not far behind. There were fresh bandages on Ruby's forearms and she looked pale and withdrawn, so no one dared ask aloud the question on everyone's minds. Instead they waited, watching as Granny settled her granddaughter back down into her bed before Ruby finally spoke.
"He's out of surgery, but we can't see him right now. He's in intensive care." She didn't meet anyone's eyes, instead pulling the thin white blankets up to her hips and then hugging her knees.
"Oh, Red," Snow whispered, watching her friend wilt in place. "He'll be okay. Have hope."
Sleep came to most of them easier when midnight came and went. Granny finally agreed to sleep when August and Leroy returned to take up her post, one at the window and one at the door. Snow and David were curled together on a cot, Belle had dozed off in a visitor's chair, and Emma was sitting up talking quietly to Ruby when Dr. Whale stepped into the room at almost three in the morning.
"He's awake," Whale whispered, moving quietly to the end of Ruby's bed. "He's asking for you. Figured you'd want to see him right away."
Ruby clutched Emma's hand with both relief and anxiousness, and the blonde smiled at her to say See? Told you he'd make it.
"Go on, Rubes, we'll tell Granny when she wakes up," Emma promised. Without another word, Ruby slid from her bed and hurried off after Dr. Whale.
Regina rolled over once the door swung shut and cast their room in darkness once more.
"Come back here," she murmured sleepily, patting the spot next to her. Emma gladly climbed back into the bed, wrapping an arm around Regina's waist as the brunette snuggled into her side with her head nestled against Emma's chest.
From the corner of the room, August stifled a monstrous yawn.
"Get some sleep, Booth," Emma rumbled, jerking a thumb at the now unoccupied second bed. August rubbed at his eyes.
"Nah. Gotta keep watch, or Granny will have my hide."
"I'll take over, you sleep," Tinkerbell said, elbowing him aside from his perch at the window. She'd napped enough in the past few hours, and Leroy and Nova had the door covered. Too tired to argue, August promptly collapsed into the empty bed and fell asleep.
The intensive care ward stunk of death and antiseptics. Ruby wrinkled her nose as she followed Whale down the hall, trying to keep her stomach contents down. Death had a very peculiar scent and this ward had certainly seen its share of patients who didn't make it.
"He's in here." Whale stopped and motioned to a door. "With the help of your blood, I imagine his body should be able to start healing itself again soon. Still, he's in a precarious state, so try to keep this short, alright? He needs to rest."
Ruby nodded slowly. Her neck was stiff and all the short naps she'd taken since they arrived had made her sore and groggy. "Thank you, Dr. Whale."
She hadn't noticed the bags under his eyes until now. The man had operated on Grayson for hours and looked ready to collapse from exhaustion himself. He ambled off down the hall, leaving Ruby to carefully crack open the door and poke her head inside. "Grayson?"
"Hi." Grayson was grinning at her from where he lay prone in a hospital bed, wrapped up like a mummy with tubes sticking out of his forearms. He looked unnaturally pale even in the dim light, and from the rings around his eyes and the slight quiver of his chin, he was barely staying awake as is. Still, he grinned. "Told you I just needed to catch my breath."
A small sob escaped Ruby, immediately followed by hot tears trailing down her cheeks as she shuffled into the room and closer to his bed. "You're such an asshole."
"You know me." He chuckled, but the warm sound stopped and turned into a grunt as his face twisted with pain. Ruby was at his side in an instant as he sucked in a breath between his teeth. "Guess I won't be laughing for a while."
"Does it hurt a lot?" she whispered, her gaze trailing sadly over the thick swaths of gauze wrapped around his body. She still remembered his bare flesh, torn and shredded, blood everywhere. The thought sent a shiver up her spine.
"I can handle it." He carefully turned his hand over, palm up, expression hopeful. His lips pulled into a smile as her hand settled in his, fingers entwining. "Everyone else okay?"
"They're fine. You were a heck of a distraction out there, you know."
"So were you. We make a good team, huh?"
"Yeah we do. Except when you play hero and get yourself hurt."
He grinned. "Hey, I hadn't Changed in thirty years, cut me some slack for being rusty."
"I should've had your back." Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, shaking her head some. "If I'd been paying attention, that other one wouldn't have snuck up on you."
"Hey, no, Red," he said, squeezing her fingers. "That ain't your fault. You're right, I should've been more careful instead of playing hero. I'm sorry."
Ruby chuckled softly, swiping away the wetness from her cheeks. "Another apology? Who are you and what have you done with the real Grayson?"
"Hey, I'm capable of apologizing." He feigned a pout, then sobered. "But, honest, I am sorry. For this and for- well, you know. Everything back then."
"I know." Ruby gently grasped his hand with both of hers. "I forgive you. So stop doing stupid things, okay? I actually want you to stay alive."
"As you wish."
She looked up to find him smirking at her, his stormy grey eyes alight with mirth. "Are you quoting a line from a movie at me?"
"Maybe."
"God, that's so weird. I haven't seen you since the Enchanted Forest." She shook her head, laughing softly. "And you're so much older now."
"Hey, it's not my fault you were frozen in time," he said, feigning insult. "Besides, I'm in my prime, especially now that I've got my wolf back. Didn't you always say you liked older men?"
"I may have." Ruby smiled, stroking her thumb against his hand. "You should sleep, Grayson."
His expression softened, eyelids drooping. "Will you stay with me?"
"Of course I will." She leaned forward to place a soft kiss to his forehead, and when she sat back, he was already drifting off into unconsciousness again. "Always."