Emma sat in her cruiser in the hospital parking lot for at least 40 minutes after leaving. She had more words with Whale after Regina's seizure. She had insisted he take the restraints off of her, but he refused. She didn't like seeing Regina like that, and the whole thing felt off to her. She couldn't say why though.
The tingling sensation had left her hand almost as soon as it had started. The white light that came from Regina's hand, she knew that was magic – light magic – but had it caused that feeling in her and if so why? She knew just enough about magic not to make a complete fool of herself, but she was no where near Regina's level.
Regina was barely conscious though which meant if she was doing magic she may not even realize she was doing it. Maybe Whale was right by putting some precautions in place, but even as she had the thought her stomach turned with the distaste of it.
She knew Whale was taking some glee in pointing out to her that this was all her fault, but at least when he was in the kids' rooms, even with his clinical discussions of their symptoms, there was something about him that told Emma he cared.
She didn't get that sense when they were talking about Regina. She could be reading more into it though. She was tired, she was stressed and she needed to get home to Henry.
Dr. Whale watched as the nurse took another blood sample from Regina. He wondered how many times Regina had personally oversaw an execution or the outright murder she had ordered. The woman had no redeeming qualities as far as he was concerned. The nurse handed him the vial of her blood. "Prep her for a spinal tap," he said.
Emma got home to Henry who was watching TV. She sat beside him.
"I saw Regina," she said. "She's um ….she's not doing well and Whale hasn't been able to find a cure. He still says you can't come to the hospital. I wish you could. I think it would do her good to know you were there."
"Did she say anything?"
"No. She's too sick. She was asleep most of the time I was able to see her."
Silence.
"Thank you for checking on her," Henry said finally.
"I will check on her tomorrow too. I promise."
She got up and went to take a hot shower. Hospitals in general weren't her favorite places in the world and now she felt – well she wasn't sure how to explain because it sounded crazy to her, but she felt sweaty and she hadn't done anything to sweat. She stripped down and turned the water to hot. She readjusted the temperature slightly upon getting in. She had no real interest in washing her hair or anything she just wanted to feel the water. She was part way through her shower when she felt a stabbing pain in her lower back which actually caused her to cry out loud. But it was over a second later.
She rubbed her lower back but didn't feel anything. Weird, she thought. It felt like someone had jammed a needle in her.
The pain brought Regina awake. Her whole body ached. Even opening her eyes seemed to hurt. "Water," she said to no one. The room it's bare, she thought, even for a hospital. "Water."
She tried to move, her back feeling more uncomfortable than the rest of her. She thought if she moved on her side it might help. But when she tried to move, she realized she couldn't. Why were there leather straps on her arms? She tried to move again. Not just on my arms, she thought. She could feel them on her legs to.
She moved her head to the side. There was a table there and one of those small plastic pitchers hospitals have along with its matching cup. Water. She needed water. She heard a door open and could barely make out a figure that was walking toward her.
"Water," she said again.
"Don't worry dear. I know you are thirsty. I will take care of you."
The voice sounded familiar but her vision was blurry. She concentrated and the blobby figure began to sharpen in her eyes.
"Mom?"
"Yes, my dear. I am here to take care of you."
"But … but you're dead."
"Of course I am," Cora said. "Don't you remember you killed me? You gave me back my heart – something I never had any use for. Just like you don't. But we can rectify that."
Regina screamed as Cora's hand went into her chest pulling out her heart.
The phone rang, waking Whale from his sleep on his fold out bed in his office.
"Yes," he said.
"Doctor. It's Regina. Her hallucinations have started."
"I will be right up. And call down to the lab and see if they have results of her latest blood tests and spinal tap. If they don't tell them they better have them to me within the hour."
He checked the time – 3:34 a.m.
He wondered if Regina would make it another 24 hours.
Across town Emma woke to the strangest dream. She got up and went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. She then went out to the kitchen getting a bottle of water from the fridge. She was thirsty and drank it down completely. She looked at the clock above the fridge – it was just after 3:30 a.m.
She rubbed her chest above her heart. In her dream Cora had ripped it out of her chest. The feeling of it lingered with her and she wondered if she would be able to get back to sleep.