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It all happened so quickly that Snow didn't have time to make a move. Before her brain could register anything, she was thrown asunder and everything went dark. The last thing she remembered was her heart lurching in the shrieking silence just before a dazzling white light encapsulated the room, the immense heat burning her skin. There were a few, faint murmurs before it all escaped from her and she slipped into the darkness.
"Emma," she whispered groggily, "what are you doing?"
"I was just…I was…I don't know." Why did words always fail her at the most important times? "I just needed some fresh air." That was the best she was going to come up with as Lara stumbled out of bed to take the bag out of her hands.
"Let me get this straight; you're climbing out the window at midnight with all of your belongings just so you can take a walk?" She chuckled as she tossed Emma's bag onto her bed. "What's going on, Em?"
Emma didn't know that to say. It wasn't like she planned the whole thing; she just felt like she had to leave. She should have guessed Lara would catch her; apart from being a light sleeper, Lara, being Emma's best friend, had developed this weird sixth sense when it came to Emma. That, coupled with the blonde's complete lack of stealth meant that Emma didn't stand a chance. "I don't belong here."
"Well technically neither do I," Lara laughed, "but this is the best foster home I've ever been in and they really care about us, Em. They take us shopping and buy us new clothes and there's always food for us to eat. They treat us good. Why would you want to leave?"
She was always the voice of reason – a caring, considerate voice of reason. Emma met her three years previous in the system but didn't really get to know her until Bill and Sarah Carson came along. The Carsons fostered four children and had two of their own. Being the only girls besides Mrs Carson living in the house, Emma and Lara became fast friends, learning to live with and depend on one another. Lara was Emma's best friend. Actually, she was Emma's only friend, and there was no one else on the planet Emma cared about more.
"Because I can't shake the feeling that we're not going to be here much longer and I don't want to be here that day when they come into this room and tell us that they're sorry but we've to pack our bags and go back into the system." She was upset now; tears stung the back of her eyes but she didn't want to cry. She'd done enough of that when she was younger. She had to be strong.
"What makes you say that?" Lara dropped onto the edge of her bed, crossing her legs.
Emma scuttled from the window pane back onto her own bed, facing her friend. "I overheard Sarah telling her mother that Bill lost his job. There's no way they can afford to keep six kids in the house with only a teacher's salary as income," she conspired.
"You don't know that. You'd be surprised the amounts of cash families have locked away. I reckon you're just over-analysing the situation – as usual."
"Fine," Emma said, rising to her fee again and walking over to the other bed to collect her bag. "You stay here and wait for them to kick you out, but I'm going before they get the chance."
"Emma Swan you're fifteen years old; where do you plan on going? And more importantly, why am I not included in this little Houdini act you're pulling, huh? Don't want me around anymore?" she smiled widely. But before Emma could answer, Lara continued. "Well don't even answer that because I wouldn't go with you. Besides it being below freezing out there, you'd have to deal with that ten-foot drop from the window, and I hate to break it to you but you're no Rambo."
Oh yeah. Emma forgot about the fall. She really needed to sort out plans before instigating them. She let out a sigh and flung her bag that contained the few possessions she owned across the room, the items spilling onto the ground.
"Look, I know you're scared," Lara started softly, "but I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Emma didn't respond. Deep down she fiercely hoped that what Lara said was true but she had gone through so much in the eight other foster homes she had been in to know not to get too comfortable in one place. She couldn't shake the feeling of being abandoned and she feared that that was something that would never go away.
Lara, seemingly accepting that Emma wasn't going anywhere just yet, got back into bed and breathed deeply. "What do you want out of life, Emma?"
To that, there was only one answer. "I want to find my parents; I want them to look me in the eye and tell me that the only reason they gave me up was to give me my best chance…and that they love me."
Lara mulled that over for a few quiet moments and Emma decided to get back under the covers of her own bed. "That seems fair," she eventually replied thoughtfully. "Do you ever dream about a normal life? You know, having a good job, nice house and car with a husband and kids?"
"Sometimes," the blonde answered honestly, wondering where all this was coming from. Lara never talked of things like this. "I suppose I'd want to get married and have a couple of kids someday, yeah. But I'm telling you, if I ever have kids, I'm going to make them feel like they're loved and wanted and I'd make sure to protect them from anything or anyone that hurt them. No kid should have to feel the way we have. I want to make sure that my kids are happy."
"I know what you mean but if it's a happy ending you're looking for, turn on one of those Disney princess movies because I'm pretty they're the only places those exist," Lara giggled. "True love and happily ever after sounds nice but I don't think our world is capable of that."
"Well I like to believe that it is," Emma laughed back at the absurdity of their conversation. No matter what the circumstances, Lara could always make her laugh.
"You do that, then, but I'm going to catch-up on some sleep. Goodnight, Sleeping Beauty."
Emma scoffed good-naturedly. "Sleeping Beauty? No way. If I was going to be any princess I'm going to be Snow White. She's probably got the most messed up family situation out of all of them!"
"You've got a point there. Night, Em."
"Night, Lara."
Emma's eyes bolted open only to meet passing lights. Where was she? The only thing she could remember was being at home and Regina was there…and then she was fifteen again, talking to her friend Lara. What was happening?!
She tried to move – to make any kind of movement – but she was stuck, restrained to…something. Then, all of a sudden, a face swam into her view, holding a torch and rapidly projecting it into her eyes. A panic took hold of her and she felt like she had to get up and get out. "Hen-Henry?" she managed to choke out as other people clouded her vision yelling and pointing in all directions.
"Emma? It's Dr Whale. You're going to be okay," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. "There was an accident. You're at the hospital now and you're going to be just fine; you just need to try and relax."
Relaxing was the last thing she could do as a shooting pain erupted from her legs and ran up her back. A cry of anguish escaped her lips and her fear accelerated to a new level. She grappled furiously against the hands that were holding her arms and legs, trying to free herself but to no avail. "Where's Henry?" she screeched, "And Mary Margaret and David?"
"I'll explain everything later but right now you need to take deep breaths, okay?"
Her world was spinning chaotically and it became too hard to focus on anything. She squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to block out the pain and the thoughts that ravaged her mind. Something cold pricked her exposed upper arm and within a few seconds, Emma succumbed into a peaceful slumber.
"Mary Margaret? Mary Margaret…can you hear me?"
"David?" she replied, slowly opening her eyes. The first thing her eye alighted on was the cold, clinical wall facing her and that was enough to send her heart into a tailspin. She was in…the hospital? What?
"Yes, I'm here."
She frantically turned her head to the right to see her husband lying in the bed next to her, separated only by a bedside locker. "David, what happened? What's going on? Where's Emma?" She was bordering on hysterical, her mind full of unanswered questions and horrible feelings of trepidation. She didn't feel sick; just a little lightheaded and that would dissipate over time. She didn't know why she was in hospital in the first place.
"Snow, honey, everything's going to be okay." Snow continued to gaze at him, afraid to look anywhere else. He was so calm, so serene. So in control. Giving the room a once-over to check if the coast was clear, David gently pulled back his covers and carefully planted his feet on the ground, standing upright, all the while draping an arm across his ribs. His legs moved mechanically as if the slightest of wrong movements would send him crashing to the floor. Snow watched his every move with extreme care; her heart ached as his struggle was proving more and more evident with each step.
Throwing caution to the wind, she flung back her blanket and rose to her feet to help her husband. Taking hold of his wrist, she guided him to the edge of her bed and tenderly helped him to sit down. "Thanks," he acknowledged with a worn smirk.
"David what happened?" She weaved her fingers through his and sweetly kissed his knuckles.
He sharply sucked in air between his teeth as a dart of pain coursed through him and, not wanting to make his agony any worse, all Snow could do was rub circles on his hands and brush her fingers through his short hair in comfort. She hated to see her tough, strong-willed husband so out of his depth. Charming took every fall, every injury in his stride – his pride normally too big to overcome. "I don't really remember," he proclaimed quietly, locking the bridge of his nose with his thumb and finger. "I remember being in the apartment and Emma and Regina having a fight and then…I think Emma may have used magic." A chill ran up Snow's spine; her anxieties confirmed. "The next thing I know I'm here and Dr. Whale is over me shooting that blinding torch in my eye and asking me all sorts of questions."
"What did he ask?"
"Standard stuff like my name, age and where I live," he said, wincing.
"I'd hardly call that standard," Snow remarked with a small, wry smile. "For a guy who has multiple names, ages and places of residence, you could get easily confused." To her delight, David's face did brighten briefly. "Did Dr. Whale say anything else about what happened?" she asked earnestly, feeling like David was holding back on information.
Her husband gave her hand a tight squeeze. "There was a fire," he stated matter-of-factly. "Regina and Henry were unharmed. You were knocked out by the blast and treated for smoke inhalation but I have a few cracked ribs and some minor burns – nothing to worry about," he quickly assured, flashing his best smile which fell a little flat.
Tears burned the back of her eyes and she peered over at the man for solace. "And Emma?" She didn't want to ask but any hope she clung to dwindled as David failed to mention her. The thought of something horrible happening to Emma made her physically sick and she grabbed the corner of the mattress and held onto to it for dear life as she waited for an answer.
"I don't know," he whispered, running his thumb across the palm of her hand. In what must have been an excruciating gesture, he leaned over to kiss the top of her head and pressed his forehead to hers. "I don't know," he repeated, "but I do know that whatever it is, we're going to get through it. All of us together."
"But Charming what if-"
"No, Snow, don't do that. Don't torture yourself with thoughts like that. She's going to be okay. I can feel it." He kissed her forehead before pulling away enough to take in her expression. With a swift brush of a finger, he swiped away a wily tear that had travelled down Snow's face. "Besides, have you met our daughter?" he added with a soft chuckle.
"She believed this would happen," Snow professed, her breath just above a whisper. "She believed that her power would hurt the ones she loved…"
"But it hasn't, Snow," David urged, "we're okay, and so is Henry."
"Yeah but she might not be. We don't know how she is. If anything happened to Emma I just…I don't know what I'd do." She couldn't stop the tear flow; the reality of the situation they were facing too immense. What made it worse was the not knowing.
"I know, I know," David soothed, caressing his wife's cheek, trying so hard to be strong for the both of them. "Neither do I."
They sat there in silence for a while, taking time to collect themselves. "We need to find out where she is," he declared eventually. "We need answers."
"Yes we do, but you need to rest," Snow insisted. There was no way David was up for any kind of confrontation. In the state he was in, both physically and emotionally, the slightest of things would set him off…and not in a good way. He needed to take care of himself.
"So do you," he pointed out candidly. "You've just woken up from being knocked out for a few hours, there's no way you're doing anything that doesn't involve rest. You're not up to it, love."
Now that he mentioned it, Snow felt terrible. The mixture of light-headedness, worry and dehydration made her stomach lurch and the thought of lying down was the only sweet relief she could find. But she couldn't tell Charming; no, she had to be the strong one for the both of them.
But the thought of Emma being in the hospital…alone…in God knows what pain was unbearable. Snow shook her head and got to her feet, ignoring the wash of illness that ran through her body. "I don't care; I have to see her."
"No, Snow-" her husband protested weakly but their conversation was cut short by Dr. Whale's untimely burst through the doors of their separated room.
"What are you two doing up?" he demanded, flicking his gaze from Snow to David and back again. "You," he said, pointing at David accusingly, "are supposed to be in bed. Any kind of aggravation could lead to a deterioration in your recovery. And you," he continued, gluing his focus to the brunette, "were unconscious a half hour ago and need to be lying down and taking it easy." He quickly ushered over to her and gestured for her to sit down. Snow reluctantly obliged. "When did you wake up?"
"A few minutes ago."
He tilted her chin up and then to the side. "And how are you feeling? Any headaches? Nausea? You took a nasty knock to the head."
"I did?" Reflexively, Snow brought her hand up to her head and grimaced as her fingers traipsed along a tender spot. "Ouch. Yeah that hurts," she said, dropping her hand. "I guess I'm not feeling the best but I'm sure I'll be fine."
"While that may be true, as your doctor I have to advise you that you're not going to feel any better until you lie down."
"But I need to see Emma," the brunette countered, standing up again.
"Not until you've rested."
Snow's voice was low. "Whale, you have to let me see her. How can I rest knowing that my daughter is somewhere in this hospital?"
"Can you at least tell us how she is?" David pleaded.
Whale sighed, rubbing his chin aggressively in thought. "Emma should be okay," he started, "but it appears that she was the most exposed to the flames." Snow tensed as she listened. "She has several burns on her legs and hands which will need time to heal. She also inhaled a lot of smoke and has been drifting in and out of consciousness; she hasn't been conscious long enough for us to give her a full examination so I'm afraid that I don't really have any more information than that."
"But you said that she's going to be okay, right?" David probed, struggling to his feet to take Snow's hand.
Whale hesitated just long enough for Snow's heart to begin thumping faster. "Well, yes I assume so. It's just that…whatever happened…" he tried to gather his words together, seemingly flustered. "It's like Emma's body has been zapped of its energy; like her body isn't strong enough to function normally. We have her connected to a drip to keep her hydrated but it doesn't seem to having much affect. The fluids aren't being absorbed at the rate they should be so that's something that we have to keep an eye on."
Whale might as well have been speaking in some other language because Snow didn't understand a word he was saying. The only thing she sensed was her husband's grip getting tighter the longer he spoke. "What does all that mean?" she inquired worriedly.
"Maybe nothing. We won't know until she wakes up."
"But she will wake up?"
The doctor puckered his lips and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Right now it's hard to tell. Honestly, I expected her to have already woken but everyone's body reacts differently so it could just be taking longer for Emma's body to adjust. We have to wait and see. Now please get back into bed and try to sleep; you guys need to reserve your energy and take it easy."
Sleep was the last thing on Snow's mind. How could she sleep when Whale was so ambiguous over her daughter's condition? Her worry was flailing and her blood was rushing through her veins at maximum speed. Using the bed as a support, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying not to let any of the uncertainty forge to the forefront. She had to remain strong. Emma was going to be just fine. She always was and that was a truth that she had to have faith in.
Distant sounds of monitors beeping and various voices talking swarmed Emma's mind and though she could distinguish what each sound was, it felt as though they were all meshing together and creating this cacophony of noise that she couldn't respond to. She felt so weak, so lifeless. It was like every breath she took was using up every last drop of energy she had left – which wasn't much. Her memory was a haze and the only clear things she knew for sure was that she was in her apartment, and then the hospital, and along the way having vivid dreams of when she was a kid. It was all a bit much to take in.
Her head spinning from, well, everything, Emma subconsciously fought to stay awake but ultimately lost that battle. The darkness beckoned again.
David lay on his back in his bed, careful not move too much and exacerbate the pain of the burns even more. He'd never willingly admit it aloud but he was really hurting. Hurting from the cracked ribs and burn combo and hurting from the knowledge of his daughter's predicament. He couldn't say anything, couldn't think of any words to make Snow feel any better. She was quiet in the bed across from him with only whispered whimpers to indicate that she was still awake.
He couldn't sleep either. Every time he closed his eyes he was back in the apartment just before anything happened, calmly watching from the counter as Emma became more and more animated. In the back of his mind there was an awareness of the danger that lurked if Emma let her emotions take centre stage, but he honestly believed that they would never come to that moment.
There was a bright light and the next thing he knew, he was in the hospital. No matter how much he concentrated, he couldn't put any of the pieces together.
"Gramps!"
David snapped his eyes opened to meet the relieved smile of Henry standing over him. "Henry," he breathed, smiling back. He slowly angled himself upright into a seating position. "Come here, kid," he said and Henry wrapped his arms around him softly in a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"I'm so glad you guys are, too," he replied, breaking away and running over to Snow to embrace her as well.
Snow ruffled the boy's hair and sweetly kissed the top of his head. "How did you get out, Henry?"
"My mom saved me."
The clacking of stilettos caused them all to face the doorway to where Regina stood.
I know this chapter was done a little differently so if you didn't like it, please tell me! I just wanted to try something different and see if it worked. And I know there's a lot of angst but I hope you guys still enjoyed it! Please, please review and let me know! :)