A/N: I have NO idea what the patient rooms at St. Luke's looks like, so I'm just gonna roll with my ideas! Also, sorry if I'm bugging you with Regina having so many lines; I just feel she's more perceptive and insightful than some of the other characters.

There was a clicking noise, then the heavy door to the room swung wide open. A tall, dark, muscular guard emerged with his arms crossed and biceps bulging. "You have visitors. Can they come in, or no?"

The figure folded into the corner of the room sluggishly lifted her head from her lap. "Who are they?" Her voice was raspy and distant; it was barely audible even though the room was dead silent.

The guard shrugged. "Didn't ask; don't care."

It was the girl who shrugged this time, though the action was barely perceptible. "Sure, they can come in. I guess."

"Hold on," the guard said forcefully. He left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Emma listened to the hollow, metallic sound that reverberated through the room as he bolted the door shut.

"Here she is," said the guard, gesturing at Emma, before turning and leaving. She was still sitting in the corner of the room, knees folded up to her chest.

Henry burst into the room at full speed. "Mom!" he shouted. Emma barely managed to stand up in time for Henry to run into her at full force and wrap his arms securely around her.

Regina and Snow came walking in not too far behind him. They both stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Emma, though; she didn't look like the Emma they were used to. For one, she wasn't wearing her usual attire of a tank top, leather jacket, skinny jeans, and combat boots. All she had on were simple running shorts and a gray t-shirt, and her feet were bare. But that was the least of the differences in Emma. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, and the normal confidence she carried in her posture and expression was gone. Emma looked afraid. Terrified.

Emma's unsure eyes met Snow and Regina's faces. She gingerly placed one arm on Henry's back in an attempt to return his hug, but it was clear she was afraid she would hurt him.

"Henry, come here," Regina called, sensing Emma's uncomfortable-ness.

"Emma," Snow breathed at the sight of her daughter. She made her way quickly across the room and lightly placed her hands on Emma's cheeks. Mary Margaret smiled at the bittersweet sight in front of her, and a tear slipped down her cheek. She pulled her daughter into a tight embrace.

Regina noticed Emma flinch ever so slightly at Mary Margaret's touch. Having been former enemies with the blonde, she knew a lot of Emma's tells and weaknesses, so to her, the movement was more than obvious.

"Snow, Henry, can I have a moment alone with Emma?" Regina said abruptly.

Snow looked surprised and frankly, a little upset, but she nodded her consent. "Alright." She led Henry out of the room, who honestly looked slightly disappointed as well.

"I saw that," Regina said accusingly.

Emma crossed her arms and looked down at her bare feet. Her matted blond waves covered her face. "Saw what." She didn't even bother to make the sentence sound like a question; she already knew what Regina was talking about.

"Emma!" Regina exclaimed, frustrated. She grabbed Emma's arm and pulled her aside. "Why are you flinching whenever Henry or Mary Margaret touches you?"

Emma looked up then, and Regina immediately dropped Emma's arm and gasped. Whatever parts of her face Snow had touched were a deep red, as if she'd been burnt. There was the faintest hint of the gold sparkle that was common to the Dark One's complexion, just barely visible underneath the red on Emma's cheeks.

"It's not just my face," Emma admitted. She extended her arms; there was an apple colored line from when Henry had hugged her, and another from Snow's hug There was even a sparkling, red, hand-shaped pattern where Regina had grabbed her.

"Does it hurt?" Regina asked.

"What?" Emma's forehead creased into a frown.

"Does it hurt?" Regina repeated.

Emma closed her tired green eyes. "Yeah, a lot."

"I get it," Regina said, sitting on Emma's bed. She looked around the room; it was relatively simple: white plaster walls, light fixtures that were even with the ceiling, and a twin bed with stiff sheets in the center of the room. That was it. There wasn't even a bathroom in the room. Regina drew in a deep breath. "You're so afraid of hurting them that it hurts you to be near them."

Emma paced the room, her arms crossed. "Yeah. I guess."

"You're not gonna hurt them," Regina assured her.

"Not now," Emma said truthfully. "But who knows what'll happen once this whole thing progresses? I don't know if or what I'll be able to resist then."

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there. And I'm guessing you still have some magic in this world?"

Emma groaned. "It's kicking my ass. There's basically this 'there can be only one' battle going on between Saviour Emma and Dark Emma, and I'm pretty sure they're both going to lose in the end."

Regina looked sympathetic. "We'll get it figured out. Don't tell Snow or Henry about this, though, okay? They don't need to know."

Emma nodded slowly, the redness fading away from her face and arms as she calmed down a little.

"Henry, Snow, you can come back in now!" Regina immediately called through the door. They both came in quickly, and Henry resumed his hug with Emma. Snow joined her daughter and grandson; she wrapped one arm around Henry and the other around Emma. For now, Emma didn't flinch at either touch; she just enjoyed the fact that her mother and son were with her. Even if she hadn't wanted them to find her.

Regina shared a look with Emma, letting her know she had a friend in addition to a devoted family and boyfriend.

"We need to talk about some things later," Regina said to her.

Emma nodded and rested her chin on Henry's soft curls.