So wow it's been a while. I really had a plan for this story, and I fully intended to see it through. I just had a nasty case of writer's block and life. Anyway, I hope ya'll are still with me, and if you're just joining, welcome!
So just a refresher: Regina became the Dark One, almost killed Snow in her apartment, they had an emotional chat, Maleficent gave her some drugs, this guy came in and spilled all of Regina's secrets, and she had a panic attack on the bathroom floor at the station.
Trigger Warning: suicide, language, drugs, etc.
Today, Regina is staring at a dark gray, damp wall with her legs crossed Indian style. She doesn't eat. She doesn't sleep. She would probably laugh callously at her situation were she not in such a catatonic state.
Here she is in the place she trapped so many people: Belle, Sydney, and most recently her sister. How far down the hall is Zelena? Are they neighbors now? What a twisted turn of fate!
As Regina recalled the events leading up to her placement in the asylum under Storybrooke's hospital, the memories seemed foggy. Maybe it was all a dream. Or maybe she had fallen this hard.
The woman sitting lifelessly on the bed looked nothing like the woman who went back home with Robin and Roland after having every deep and dark secret exposed and exploited.
Robin had tried to be there for her. He really had. But nothing was going to stop Regina from ungracefully downing another bottle of wine.
"Alright, I think that's enough," Robin had said as he grabbed the neck of the bottle that was gunning for Regina's lips.
"Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what I can and can't do!?" Regina slurred in his face.
"Regina keep it down, I just put Roland to bed," Robin chastised.
Something snapped in Regina. It came from a deep place of self-loathing. She pushed Robin's chest with both of her hands, "What are you gonna do? Make me? Am I such a terrible, worthless slut that needs to behave?"
Robin stumbled backwards, dumbfounded. He lifted his hands in self surrender, "Regina, you're not thinking straight. I think you just need to calm down and get some rest."
"Shut the fuck up!" she screamed. "Don't pretend like you're not disgusted with me and the things I did."
"Shhhh. No Regina. Because you're not the same person anymore"
"Ha! That's what you all keep saying. I've even told myself that, but I'm still the same sick and twisted person who slaughtered villages and hurt children. I still think about killing people who get in my way or even look at me sideways. And sure, I don't act on it, but I easily could. I'm still every bit the Evil Queen, and now I'm the fucking Dark One. So please, tell me again how you're fine with all of this!"
At this point, Roland had woken up from the screaming coming from downstairs. "Daddy, what's going on?" he asked from the top of the staircase.
"Yeah daddy, tell him how fucking perfect everything is" she mocked. The next thing she did was the final straw.
She hurled the closest empty bottle at him with Roland still watching from above. Robin ducked as the bottle smashed against the wall. Glass went flying. Roland started wailing.
It was at that moment Robin decided he had to put his son first, and remove him from this toxic situation. As much as he wanted to be there for Regina, he just couldn't right now. Especially since he knows he'll slip up and say the wrong thing.
So he picks Roland up and heads out the door. He tried calling every member of the Charming Clan, but at this point everyone was sleeping, so he left voicemails asking them to check on Regina as soon as they can.
But that night, there was no one checking on Regina. No one was there to watch her break into Maleficent's room. No one stopped her from raiding her stash. No one could talk her down from such a pinnacle of self-hatred.
In the silent and careless night, Regina poured a bottle's worth of Maleficent's white pills into the palm of her hand, fisting another bottle of wine with the other.
She watched her reflection fade in and out and double, gripping the sink. She watched her existence erasing until her legs fell out from under her.
Hours later, Emma, Snow, and David banged on the door to the huge white mansion. When there was no answer, Emma took it upon herself to pick the lock due to Robin's urgent voice on the phone.
"EMMA!" Snow was the first to fine her lying on the bathroom floor with an empty bottle of wine and an empty bottle of pills.
"What did you do?" Snow dropped down to Regina and held her face in agony. A glimmer of hope in her eyes when she felt Regina's pulse: weak and faint, but there.
Emma and David rushed in and acted quickly. "She fading fast, she's not gonna make it to the hospital like this," Emma declared. She hoisted Regina's limp body up over the bowl of the toilet. Without hesitating, she shoved two fingers down Regina's throat, inducing some vomit out of Regina.
"Dad, get the shower. Cold water." David did as he was told, and lifted Regina into the tub. The three huddle around Regina's face, waiting for any sign of life.
A faint moan escaped her lips, and a shiver ran down her body. "Okay. Let's get her to the hospital right now!"
After being pronounced dead twice, Dr. Whale was able to revive her. Snow thought she'd never hear the end of the rhythmic "clear" followed by the grizzly shocking sound.
Regina was left with some nasty electric burns from the defibrillator, but that wasn't the only outcome of her resuscitation. After an MRI and a magical workup by Blue, Dr. Whale concluded that the darkness in her had retreated to a tiny notch in Regina's heart, which has been temporarily walled off by the light magic coursing through Regina's veins. However, it was believed that any used of magic would trigger the Dark One's return.
So now she's being observed. Put on a sort of suicide watch because she hasn't uttered a word since being resurrected. She didn't react to anything anyone told her. She didn't even make eye contact. She just stared ahead, but her stare wasn't blank. It was full of conflict.
There was a war raging within her. Everyone could see it, but no one could help her. She wouldn't let them. Not even when Henry kneeled before her in her cage, crying and pleading for her to look at him. Not even when Robin visited her for every meal that she didn't eat. His trips felt futile…. Until one day she looked at him.
Hope you enjoyed it! There's lots more to come!