Bane of His Existence

Chapter Twenty-Two

Regina, Henry, Zelena, and Tilly worked tirelessly ministering to their friend while Rogers remained unconscious within the throes of the fever that was plaguing him throughout his body. Henry kept running back and forth getting fresh hot water, while he and Tilly stepped in to hold the younger detective's trembling and writhing body down when his fever spiked, or his anguish became unbearable for him. The women carefully wiped down his body after tending to the knife wound within his lower stomach, which was thankfully not as deep as they initially feared. However, the growing striations, which the sisters continued to keep hidden from those without their memories using a blanket to cover the lower half of his body, were still the biggest concern and they knew there was nothing more they could really do for him, except hope Gold was coming up with a plan to get the cure without them having to give in to the witch's demands.

"So… why is it that we're not taking him to the hospital?" Henry asked in concern for his friend, finally breaking the long silence that had fallen over them since they had first brought him there over an hour ago. "I mean, surely the doctors can treat him much easier than we ever could."

"If we could bring him into the hospital we would," Regina answered sadly, as she dipped her rag she held in her hands into the fresh hot water her son had just brought down for them again and then continued to wipe it across Rogers' fevered brow, along his face, and his upper chest once they stripped him of the filthy shirt he had been wearing since the morning of his abduction. "But right now, Rogers is still wanted for murder and if we did, then Weaver would have no choice but to arrest his partner. We're doing the best we can to protect him and keeping the fact that we've found him a secret from everyone else is almost just as important as taking care of him."

Henry glanced towards the stairs that led up into the main room of the bar while he replied, "I have to admit, I had no idea Weaver cared enough about him, or anybody for that matter, to risk breaking the law by harboring a fugitive even though he does know Rogers is innocent."

Without taking her eyes off of the sick man lying in front of her, Regina responded despondently, "You'll find that he can be full of surprises. Would you… all of you give me some time alone with Rogers? We don't really all need to still be here. If I need your help, I'll call for you. Besides, Henry… shouldn't you be getting back to the hospital yourself to be with Lucy and Jacinda?"

"Sabine is there with them now," the young man answered when he reached out to lay his hand over Roni's shoulder for comfort, as he could see the sadness in her eyes while she continued to stare down at Rogers. "And so is Nick, Lucy's real father. We all saw the news earlier and Jacinda assured me that my place was here for right now, so long as our friend's in trouble. There haven't been any changes in Lucy's condition anyways. I was feeling useless there. At least here I feel like I'm needed."

"You are, but for now if you wouldn't mind checking in with Weaver to see if he's come up with some kind of plan yet?" Roni asked while she finally turned her head to look into her son's eyes, then she reached up to lay her own hand over his that continued to lie on her shoulder.

Zelena stood and then helped Tilly on her own feet as well while she said, "Of course we will. Call us if you need us, sis."

Henry let go of Roni's shoulder and followed after her sister and Tilly, leaving the former Queen alone with Rogers like she wanted, then Regina continued to wipe his face down as she whispered to him gently, "I'm so sorry that there's nothing more we can do to help you. But whatever's happening to you now, whatever pain you're suffering… you have to keep fighting to live. That witch doesn't deserve the satisfaction of knowing she destroyed the good man you really are, Rogers. And you are… a really good man. I can't lose you. None of us can. Your daughter… Tilly needs you. I need you."

"Reg… Regina…" he suddenly uttered weakly when he slowly began to awaken and Regina stared down at him in surprise upon hearing him state her true name and not her cursed name, until her happiness and hope was dashed when he opened his eyes at last, then once again saw her only as the owner of her own bar from Hyperion Heights with the next word from his mouth. "Roni? Is that… You found me?"

"Yes," she replied sadly while Rogers struggled to remain awake as he tried to focus on the woman above him. "Weaver and I… we found you. And Tilly. It was mostly thanks to Tilly actually. You're going to be alright. We're all taking care of you and Weaver is working on trying to take down Eloise and her friends for what they've done to you. I'm so sorry, Rogers."

He spoke again weakly saying, "Don… don't be. She did this. And I all…. Allowed her… to. I was weak."

Regina immediately took his hand in hers as she responded, "Don't say that. Don't do that to yourself, Rogers. You had nothing to do with why this was done to you. Eloise framed you and then drugged you so she could do… all that she did. And if you're blaming yourself because you feel like you should have been able to resist whatever obsession you've been feeling for her, there are circumstances beyond what you can imagine going on because of her. I need you to trust me that there's nothing you should be blaming yourself for. I only wish we could have seen this coming sooner so we could have protected you from this pain."

"I feel as though… as though I've been care… cared for like this be… fore," Rogers continued as he closed his eyes and allowed his head lull to his side, while Regina quickly rinsed out the rag again in order to keep on ministering to him, listening to him speak almost incoherently as she did so. "Nights ago… I dreamt of… of a woman who heal… healed me… as you're… now. She save… saved me."

"You've told Henry and me about this mystery woman from his book," Regina answered worryingly. "The woman who kept you alive long enough for the paramedics to arrive after you had been shot while on duty."

However, he shook his head in an effort to disagree with her assumption, when a sudden pain shot through his body causing him to writhe. Regina grabbed hold of him and held on tightly until the pain passed. Once he settled back down against the cot, then saw that Rogers' eyes were still closed, she gently pulled back the blanket still draped over him to observe the striations and sighed out of worry upon seeing that they were higher up his side than they were the last time she checked on them.

When he was finally able to speak again, though it was difficult for him, Rogers continued, "No… She was… a different woman. Only I can't… can't see her face. I can only see… she had black hair. Radiant… kind eyes. We were surround… surrounded by trees… in a dar… dark forest. She whisp… whispered to me. Telling me not to… give up. That I didn't fail. I feel as though this dream… this other woman… is… more of a strange… memory. She's been my only com… comfort in night… after night of nightmares… and sleep… sleeplessness."

Regina looked down on him again with surprise until Rogers slipped once again into unconsciousness and she tightened her grip over his hand in effort to comfort him despite him no longer being aware of her presence while he unwillingly slept in the midst of his anguish. She knew that somehow despite having no memory of who she really was, or of who he really was himself, that he had dreamt of their time while they had been trapped in Neverland all those years ago.

From a few feet away, her sister being unaware that she had come back down to check in on them, Zelena spoke up quietly saying, "It appears that your touch the other morning was far more powerful than you realize, Regina. His mind is fighting to remember you."

"You're wrong," the younger sister replied sternly. "I mean, Hook may be in there somewhere, struggling to come back, but it's not because of anything I've done. If all of this that he's suffering now isn't enough to wake him up completely, then one small touch from me is ridiculous."

"You're just afraid to admit that you're still in love with him and that he feels the same way about you too," Zelena responded adamantly, then stood again to leave her sister alone with him once more upon seeing their love for one another rekindled. "When you took his hand that morning, you felt something and he did too. However, it terrified him because he was trapped under Gothel's spell over him. He still is, but at least he can resist her easier because now he knows what she really is. A villain. Even if he still doesn't know the whole truth about her being a witch. You heard him just now, Regina. Since your touch, he's been dreaming of you in between all of the nightmares that have plagued him. True love is far more powerful than most of us can comprehend. A small part of Hook has come out. Perhaps in time, he will come to remember who he truly is and who you really are to him. Even without this curse being broken."