Robin had been bringing all of her meals to her for 3 days. They already had to give her IV fluids and electrolytes because she wasn't eating. If she kept it up, they would have to force feed her.
So on this third day, Robin brought Regina her dinner, begging her to eat it. He was desperate.
"Please Regina," he knelt down in front of her and was level with her knees. She was still sitting Indian-style, as if she hasn't moved a muscle.
Robin looked up into her vacant eyes that were looking past him. "I'm not going to give up on you," he whimpered as he lowered his head against her right knee and began to sob.
He couldn't even remember the last time he cried this hard. He gasped for air, and his breath hitched as he let out what he had been holding in for the past week.
Robin flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder. At first he thought it may have been a nurse, but it was so light and gentle. He let out a small gasp when he looked up to see those brown eyes he loved looking directly into his.
Not only had she acknowledged him, she had acknowledge his pain by comforting him. She still hasn't spoken, and Robin didn't want to push her and have her shut down again. So he reached for the hand on his shoulder, kissed it gently, and then sat next to her on the bed.
Regina's eyes wandered the room, free of the catatonic trance. Robin suddenly remembered his task. He slowly reach for the piece of bread on the food tray and held it up to her. "Please eat something," he pleaded.
She stared at it for a moment and then at Robin. She really wasn't hungry, but desperation oozed off of his face and made her feel guilty. So she broke off a small piece and gingerly placed it into her mouth. She grimaced while chewing. Eating only made her feel more nauseated, but after a few bites, she felt better. When offered the rest of the tray, she refused. That was enough for one day. Baby steps.
Robin bent down to pick up the tray. As much as he wanted to stay, he didn't want to impose or stress Regina out more. They had made so much progress today, and he didn't want to ruin it. However, he felt a hand wrap around his wrist as he rose from the bed.
Regina looked at him with pleading eyes. "You want me to stay?" he tentatively asked. He had to suppress his excitement when she slowly nodded her head. She wanted him to be by her.
He got her to lay down next to him in the twin sized bed. She immediately sunk into him, completely comfortable. Everything was slow and quiet, like approaching a bird or wild animal.
Robin felt Regina's head grow heavier and heavier on his chest. After thirty minutes of listening to Regina's heavy and steady breaths, Robin allowed sleep to take him.
Robin reluctantly left Regina to take care of Roland on the condition that Regina would talk to Archie.
"I think it would be good for you to walk around more, and maybe socialize with the other patients." Archie received the biggest death glare of his life after suggesting the Queen should mingle with the deranged.
"Hey, the sooner you display normal social and psychological behavior, the faster you can get off of suicide watch and get out of here. If you really put forth some effort, I'll even arrange for you to spend Christmas at home."
Regina perked up at the suggestion of going home and seeing Henry. She missed him so much, but she refused to let him see her in this place.
The first two days of mingling with the patients was only slightly painful. Regina spent most of her time reading books on the couch in the common room, only engaging in small talk.
Some conversations consisted of her humoring the idea that aliens were watching them on the other side of every mirror. It was just another mundane day until someone obnoxiously plopped down next to her on the couch with a familiar high pitched sigh.
"So look who finally came to join the rest of us. I was beginning to think you'd never come out to play sis." Regina rolled her eyes at the redhead, "How are you even here. You should be locked up without visitors."
Zelena shrugged, "I guess they felt it was inhumane to keep me in an 8x8 cell for the rest of my life. Don't worry, I've got this lovely piece of jewelry to keep you safe," she said raising her wrist to show the leather cuff.
Regina chuckled. "I don't need any kind of protection from you."
Zelena smiled, eyes wide. "Oh really, cause a little birdie told me that you tried to off yourself and now you can't use your magic. Sounds to me like you can't do much fighting for yourself." Regina eyed her as she rose from the couch and turned to face her with a wicked smile.
Zelena laughed, "You really are quite pathetic. Can't keep any friends. Can't keep a boyfriend. Can't keep your son. Can't even keep your own life. It's sad really. But I guess it's better for it to happen this way. You'll just slowly fade away, and it'll be like you never existed. Robin will move on. Your so called son won't have such a pathetic excuse for a mother. I bet he won't even miss you..."
Zelena was interrupted by Regina's fingers wrapping around her neck. She had pounced off the couch and slammed Zelena against the wall. A couple of orderlies came rushing towards them. Regina wanted so much to use her magic. It was building up inside her.
Regina and Zelena locked eyes. Zelena smiled as if this were exactly what she wanted. Regina must have picked up on this because she slowly realized that word of this fight would get back to Archie, the only one who could grant her Christmas with her family.
"I struck a nerve didn't I?" Zelena asked as a heavy breathing Regina loosened her grip. "You're not worth it."
Henry continued to attend school, worrying about his mother every day and wondering why she refuses to see him. Snow, Emma, and David were still trying to get to the bottom of the Rumple situation.
It wasn't too long until he turned up in the sheriff's station, seeming to be exactly where he wanted to be. His magic had returned so he felt brave enough to admit to his crime.
He had arranged for Regina's ex-guard to kidnap the girl and hold her in exchange for an interview with Regina. Rumple told the man exactly what to say.
Emma narrowed her eyes at him while Snow gasped, "Why on Earth would you do something like that?"
Rumple smirked, "The Dark One is dormant is it not?"
A wave of realization rushed over their faces. "You knew she would try to kill herself. But how could you know?"
Rumple looked down at the floor and the up again and sighed, "Because she's done it before."
It was something Emma had considered, but hearing that she actually tried several times before was sobering. Snow inhaled sharply. Apparently she never though Regina was so miserable that she would end her life.
David chimed in, "But how did you she wouldn't succeed?"
Rumple chuckled once again, "Because dearie, the Dark One never dies." And there was a glimmer in his eyes that suggested that he too had tested this hypothesis before.