A/N: More hospital stuff plus cute SwanQueen fluff!
As soon as Regina and Henry turned into Emma's corridor later that day, the young boy set off at a trot, eager to see the blonde again and present her the meal he and his mother had created. Despite his initial scepticism, he had to admit that his mom had helped him to cook almost as well as Emma used to, before her accident. He hoped she'd get better soon though so she's be able to help him cook again.
"Henry, you need to knock on the door when you get to Emma's room, please," Regina called after his retreating back.
She was sure he heard her but the request was ignored and the boy reached up to the handle and turned it, walking straight in without any display of manners. He stopped in the doorway, however, when he saw that Emma was not alone.
"Henry, what did I say?" Regina asked when she caught up to her son, laden down with a basket full of food and a large bouquet of flowers in either hand. "You have to knock before you go into someone's bedroom."
"Who are you?" Henry asked, ignoring his mother entirely and instead addressing the people in Emma's room.
Regina followed her son's gaze and took in the two strangers sitting beside Emma's bed. The blonde herself was sat up in bed, grinning at the duo still stood in the doorway.
"You must be Henry," the pixie haired woman said, standing up and walking over. "My name is Mary Margaret. I'm Emma's foster mom. And that is my husband David," she added, pointing to the man with sandy blonde hair, flecked with grey, and a kind, weathered face.
"What's a foster mom?" Henry asked, looking up at the woman now smiling down at him.
"Mary Margaret and David looked after me when I was younger because I didn't have a mom and a dad," Emma said.
"Everyone has a mom and a dad," Henry frowned.
"A topic for another time," Regina said before they fell too far down that rabbit hole. "Hi, I'm Regina," she continued, tucking the flowers into the crook of her arm and stretching out her hand to shake Mary Margaret's before ushering Henry further into the room.
"It's lovely to meet you at last, despite the circumstances. Emma's told us all about you," Mary Margaret said, a wide smile on her face. "Both of you, in fact. Henry, I hear you like to cook, just like Emma?"
The boy had climbed back up into the chair where he had sat that morning and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. Emma helps me cook. Today me and mom made food for Emma though cos she's hurt."
"That was kind of you, thank you, Henry," Emma said. "Hi, by the way," she added, beckoning Regina closer to her side with her bandaged hand.
"Hey," Regina said, bending down to kiss Emma lightly. "How are you feeling?"
"Good. My headache has almost gone now and I'm still high on pain meds so my hands are fine. In fact, I'm actually hungry," Emma admitted. "The food here is not great. David was just about to go out and find something edible."
"Looks like we saved you a trip. Henry, can you go and wash your hands then we can have dinner with Emma and her family," Regina said, smiling at the two on the other side of Emma's bed.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Mary Margaret said. "David and I need to go and check into our hotel anyway. We came here straight from the airport."
"Hotel? Nonsense. You can stay with us," Regina offered without thinking as she set about unpacking a crystal vase she had brought from home for the flowers. Every hospital room needed flowers. It was an unwritten rule.
Emma's eyes widened slightly at both how prepared her girlfriend was (who carried around crystal vases?) and the offer which had just been made. "Really?" she asked, the same query echoed by both Mary Margaret and David at the same time.
"Of course," Regina said, arranging the flowers in the vase. "We have plenty of space and it doesn't make sense for you to pay for a hotel room when I have a whole floor of the house which is never used."
No one questioned why half of Regina's house wasn't inhabited. Of course, Emma knew and in some way Mary Margaret and David knew not to pry. Henry had just become accustomed to never climbing the stairs.
"Are you sure?" Mary Margaret asked when Regina came back from filling the vase with water from the private, adjoined bathroom. "We don't want to be a burden."
"I insist," Regina nodded, Henry following her back into the main room with his hands and sleeves dripping wet.
"In that case, thank you," David said. "That's very generous of you. I'll go and cancel the hotel booking now. We hired a car at the airport and we've visited Emma here once before so please don't feel like you have to play host. A room to stay is more than enough."
With the sleeping arrangements decided, the group began to lay out the food Regina and Henry had brought on various tables and surfaces in Emma's room. Regina realised that she may have over catered but she and Henry had had a lot of fun together that afternoon, despite the reason for their cooking lingering in the back of her mind. Reminiscent of the day they had met, Regina had made hummus and an array of vegetables. There was also a number of salads, a cous cous dish and some chicken sandwiches. The last of these was the newest addition to Henry's list of acceptable food.
Just as they were finishing dinner, Ruby and Belle arrived to check in on Emma. The couple had been busy making arrangements in light of Emma's accident. Ruby had called Killian and told him about the accident. He had mumbled something indistinct before agreeing that Emma could take a month off work; more if necessary. August had then been contacted and was happy to take over as head chef in Emma's absence. He also promised to visit some time over the next few days. Meanwhile, Belle had called the moving company and rearranged for a full team to move all of Emma's packed possessions over to Regina's the following weekend, a plan Regina had agreed to before the duo left the hospital that morning.
"Did you hear anything from the police?" Regina asked when Emma was all caught up with the new work arrangements.
"Yeah, they came by earlier," Emma nodded, putting down the now empty plate which had been piled high with a bit of each dish. Regina had made sure to prepare lots of healthy, balanced options.
"And? Did they catch the person who hit you?"
Emma nodded. "Well, sort of. They identified the car owners but when they went to the house, the two people on the registration claimed neither of them had been driving the previous night and that the car had been stolen."
"So they don't know who's responsible for putting you here," Regina growled.
"Yeah, they do," Emma said. "Just as the police were leaving, some spotty teen rocked up with a gash on his forehead and a limp. Turns out their son had taken the car without permission and gone for a drive. Idiot doesn't even have his full license yet and lost control when he skidded on some surface water going too fast. Cops say he never hit me though. There's surveillance footage of the crash from a traffic camera and I swerved out the way and slipped on the wet road apparently."
"Apparently?" Ruby asked.
"I still don't remember," Emma sighed. "The cops wanted me to ID this kid cos both parents are still saying that the car was stolen even though the kid's injuries are consistent with a crash. But I can't remember anything about the crash, let alone who was driving."
"So are they prosecuting?"
"They're building a case," Emma shrugged. "But I won't be much good to the prosecution. They're getting a court order for his DNA to match it to the blood in the car. Looks like he hit his forehead on the window when the airbag went off. If they get that, then I won't be needed and the kid will probably plead out."
"He'd better be found guilty," Regina glowered. "He could have killed you."
"I reckon he learned his lesson," Emma replied. "He won't be driving at night in the rain again in a hurry."
Regina had been about to say that he shouldn't be allowed to ever drive again but Henry interrupted the conversation by announcing that he was bored. Full of food, the child needed entertaining and the hospital room was decidedly dull, especially since Emma couldn't play with him.
"I'd better get him home," Regina said, noting that it was after seven in the evening.
"Shall we follow you to your house?" David asked.
"Yes, sure," Regina nodded. "Emma, do you need me to bring anything? I'll come to visit you after I drop Henry at school tomorrow morning."
"Clean underwear and some wash things might be nice," Emma said. "I feel grimy."
"You look grimy too," Ruby teased, taking the seat vacated by Regina who was packing up their dinner items as Belle sat down in Henry's chair, the boy obeying his mother's instructions to help her.
"Shut up," Emma said, yawning.
"You're tired. Do you want us to go too?" Ruby asked. She had been looking forward to chatting with the blonde without her ever-expanding family present but didn't want to burden the injured woman.
"No, you can stay for a bit," Emma said. "I'll probably kick you out in half an hour or so."
"I'm hurt," Ruby teased. "Plus, I thought you said you wanted to hear the proposal from Belle's point of view."
"Oh yeah," Emma said, grinning suddenly. "Did she really have a rose between her teeth when she knelt down at the top of the Eiffel Tower?"
"Before you dive into that," Regina said, stepping up to the bed, basket now packed neatly with empty Tupperware, "and congratulations by the way. Emma, we're going to head off. If you need anything at any time, just call me. I'll be here at about nine thirty tomorrow."
"Ok, thanks," Emma smiled. "And thanks for dinner. You too Henry. Great cooking."
Henry beamed with pride and puffed out his chest. Regina laughed before bending down to kiss Emma goodnight, whispering 'I love you' and heading out of the room. Mary Margaret and David said their goodbyes too and followed.
The rest of the evening was a little awkward for Regina. While she had no regrets about offering one of her spare bedrooms to Mary Margaret and David, it did involve her venturing into the upper floor of the large house and preparing the rarely used guest rooms. Her cleaner kept the rooms spotless but the air felt a little stale and oppressive. Henry followed as she completed her tasks, as if he was waiting for her permission to climb the wide staircase. All the adults were aware of an unspoken reason for the ghostly space but no one said anything.
Regina wondered how much Emma had told her foster parents. She wasn't even aware that Emma was in regular contact with the couple who had cared for her through her teen years. It was clear that they had heard about Regina and Henry and their important place in Emma's life, however. Did that mean they also knew what had happened with Mal? If they did, they didn't mention it and after sharing a bottle of wine and polite conversation, the three adults went to bed, agreeing to take it in turns the following day to keep Emma company, with the foster parents taking the breakfast shift while Regina took care of Henry and took him to school.
The blonde was sitting up in bed reading when Mary Margaret and David arrived the following morning. Despite the early hour, Emma was wide awake. She had slept well all night, the headache reducing to the point where it was barely noticeable. Grinning at the sight of her foster parents, she set aside the trashy book a nurse had brought her from the waiting room and beckoned them both closer.
"How was your evening with Regina?" Emma asked after the questions about her own night had been answered.
"She's wonderful, darling," Mary Margaret gushed. "I can see why you're so in love with her."
Emma couldn't help the smug grin that spread over her face. Yes, she thought to herself, Regina was wonderful.
"And Henry's dynamite," David added. "He reminds me of a kid we cared for, over twenty years ago. Do you remember, sweetie? Tommy, his name was. This was before we knew you, Emma. Doesn't Henry remind you of Tommy, MM?"
"Absolutely," Mary Margaret nodded. "He's a great kid."
"Yeah he is," Emma said. "They're both amazing. I'm so lucky."
"They're lucky too," Mary Margaret said. "They have you."
"Thanks Mom," Emma said, almost shyly. She rarely called Mary Margaret 'mom'. As she was already a teenager by the time she moved to live with the Nolans, it had never been pushed upon her. But there were times when the woman's motherly, caring nature made the term seem apt. She had called Mary Margaret 'mom' the day she was found out she couldn't have children as a result of her anorexia.
When Regina arrived later in the morning, Mary Margaret and David headed out into the city to go shopping and visit the newest exhibit in the city's biggest art gallery. They all agreed that they would meet back at Emma's bedside for dinner. The Nolans had been given Emma's key, so they could let themselves in and out of Regina's whenever they wished.
As soon as her foster parents had left the room, Emma demanded a second good morning kiss. Regina obliged at once. She missed feeling her girlfriend's body against her but didn't dare apply any pressure as she leaned over for fear of causing her pain. Emma's lips and mouth, however, were mercifully unharmed.
Her hands were a different story. Barely five minutes after Regina and Emma's passionate exchange had ended, Doctor Whale and a nurse arrived to discuss her injuries and tend to her hands. Regina offered to excuse herself but Emma insisted she was happy for her to stay.
Both women tried to focus on what the doctor was saying as the nurse tenderly unwrapped the bandages around Emma's hands but were incapable of looking away once they were full exposed. Emma hissed in pain as the open wounds came into view, as if her brain had finally realised what had happened. Regina just let out a little squeak.
The palms of both hands were red and raw, skin ripped away in the crash as Emma skidded across the rough road. Her fingers were also damaged but it was the palms which had borne the brunt of the injury. Regina forced herself not to look away, but she felt sick at the sight. Emma's face showed no emotion.
In a business-like way, the nurse set about cleaning the open wounds, wiping carefully but firmly across each hand to clean away any build-up of pus or residual dirt. Emma's eyes snapped shut at the first touch and didn't open again until fresh bandages were wrapped around her hands, now slathered with antibiotic ointment. Doctor Whale finished discussing his prognosis for Emma's recovery and left. It wasn't until the door had closed behind the doctor that Regina spoke.
"Emma," she began. "Are you ok?"
"I'm doped up to my eyeballs with pain meds," Emma nodded, hands now resting back down on the mattress. "I'm fine."
"Yes but still," Regina pushed. "I mean, you can't tell me that didn't hurt."
"Yeah, it hurt, a bit," Emma said, not making eye contact with the concerned brown eyes beside her.
"And?"
Emma bit her lip, the teeth digging into her flesh as if she wished to cause herself pain. Thanks to the cocktail of drugs she was on, however, she felt nothing.
"I'm not going to be able to work," she said eventually. "For weeks. Months, maybe. I can't hold a knife or lift a pan. I won't even be able to touch food until the skin is healthy again. What … what am I going to do?"
"Sweetheart," Regina said, laying a hand gently on Emma's forearm. "You're going to concentrate on getting better and nothing else. Yes, it's going to take some time but you'll get there. Your hands will recover and you'll be back in the kitchen before you know it. And while you're recovering, I'm going to look after you, ok?"
"I don't like it."
"Don't like what?"
At last, Emma let her gaze settle on her girlfriend. "Being helpless. Not being able to look after myself. All my life I've taken care of myself because no one else did. Even with Mary Margaret and David. By the time I went to live with them, I was so used to not being cared for that I didn't know what to do when I suddenly had two parents who wanted to take care of me. I resisted. I wanted to cook my own meals. I didn't want them to help with my homework. I wouldn't even let them do my laundry. It took months for me to accept their support. And now I'm in a position where I need help. I hate that. I hate feeling weak or vulnerable."
"Emma, you're not weak or vulnerable. You're hurt. Because some idiot child stole a car. This isn't your fault. It doesn't define you. But you are going to have to accept that for a while, you are going to have to lean on those around you who love you."
"I know," Emma sighed. "It's just hard, ok?"
"I understand," Regina said softly. "And I'll do my best to make it as easy as possible for you."
"Thank you, and I'm sorry. I know this sucks for you as well. You don't want to be looking after your crippled girlfriend."
"Emma, don't say that," Regina scolded. "You're not crippled, but even if you were, you know I'd be here for you."
"Yeah right," Emma scoffed. "No one's ever stood by me when the shit's hit the fan."
"Well, I'm not no one," Regina said, wondering but not vocalising what fan-hitting-shit Emma was referring to. "I'm here. I'll always be here."
"Really?"
"Always," Regina repeated.
"Then can you please help me to the bathroom? I need to pee."
Regina nodded and sprang to her feet at once. Emma had been given the all clear from Doctor Whale that she could get up and move around on his first visit of the day. Her catheter had been removed just before Mary Margaret and David had arrived but she had not yet got out of bed. Regina helped the blonde untangle herself from the blankets and ease herself up. Her legs had escaped relatively unscathed in the accident and, aside from a bruise on her knee, were working perfectly well. She winced, however, as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.
"Ok?" Regina asked, voice laced with concern.
"Ribs," Emma said through gritted teeth. "But I'm good."
Regina nodded and positioned herself so that Emma could lean on her to stand up from the bed for the first time in over 24 hours. Once upright, the pair made their way slowly towards the bathroom. Emma insisted that she's be fine on her own so Regina retreated and hovered outside the open door, darting back in as soon as Emma announced she had finished.
"This is sexy," Emma commented as she heaved herself back to her feet and flushed the toilet.
"Emma, come on," Regina chuckled.
"I'm serious. This was so not how I imagined this week going. We are supposed to be living together right now, not hanging out in a hospital. I fucked up."
"No, a kid fucked up," Regina replied. "It wasn't your fault."
"Sooo," Emma said, drawing the 'o' out for far longer than necessary, "with that being said, would you ever let me get back on a motorbike?"
Regina stopped walking at once, Emma forced to stop beside her since Regina was helping her back to bed. "Are you serious?"
"Kinda," Emma nodded.
"Emma, you can't."
"But it wasn't my driving that caused the crash. I told you, the cops said I swerved to avoid the idiot in the car. We can ask for the footage if you want to see proof that it wasn't my fault."
Regina's stomach rolled at the idea of seeing Emma's crash. She shook her head; there was no way she ever wanted to see the images that traffic camera had caught.
"I know it wasn't your fault but as I said before, it's not only your driving which could cause a crash. Emma, please. I think this accident proved my point that no matter how good a driver you are, motorbikes are not safe. They're dangerous. You can't do that to me. To Henry. This isn't only about you. This is about your family now. We want you to be safe. I can't lose you, Emma. I can't."
"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," Emma soothed, realising that tears were streaming down the older woman's cheeks.
"You could have died, Emma," Regina whispered. "I can't go through that again. I won't go through that again."
"Ok," Emma said at once. "Ok. Look, can you help me climb back into bed and then we'll talk about this?"
Regina obliged and a few moments later Emma was settled comfortably back against a bank of pillows. Well, as comfortable as you could be with three broken ribs. Regina sat down in her chair, wiping her face.
"I'm sorry," she began. "I didn't mean to be so controlling. Of course I can't tell you what you can or can't do. If you want to continue driving your motorbike then I will have to accept that, I suppose. It's your life, it's your decision. I just … I need you to know how I feel."
Emma shifted herself over slightly, grimacing as she did so, and pulled back the hospital blanket, exposing the crisp white sheet. "Come here," she said quietly, gesturing with her bandaged hand for Regina to climb up beside her.
"Won't I hurt you?"
"I don't care, right now," Emma admitted. "Please, Regina. Just let me hold you?"
Regina obliged, partly because she was desperate to be held by her girlfriend once more. Getting to her feet, she toed off her shoes and sat down beside Emma. At the blonde's insistence, she lay back, Emma's arm behind her neck, the bandaged hand sticking out beside the pillow.
"Are you uncomfortable?" Regina asked, rolling onto her side but careful not to touch the injured woman beside her.
"I'm fine," Emma said. "I'm better than fine, in fact."
"Good," Regina said, laying a hand gently on Emma's thigh, wanting to avoid her ribcage and abdomen where the surgery scar lay fresh and tender. "I've missed this."
"Me too," Emma murmured, placing a kiss to Regina's forehead. "And you're right."
"About what?"
"It's not just about me any more. I'm used to thinking about myself and no one else. But that's not my life now. I need to think about you and Henry. And while I was never a reckless rider, I know there is increased risk to motorcyclists on the road. I guess I've proved that point and ended up here because I was trying to make up for someone else's mistake. So you're right. I shouldn't be driving a motorbike. And I won't. Not any more."
"Really?"
"Truly," Emma nodded. "I want to be in your life and in Henry's life for as long as possible. I'm not going to do anything which could possibly risk me losing even a second of my time with you two. That means motorbikes are off limits. It's not worth it. Not when I think about what it could cost me."
"Thank you," Regina whispered, face now buried in Emma's neck. "Thank you."
A/N: I hope I wrote this conversation in the right way. I wanted it to be Emma's decision not to ride again but she also needed to hear how Regina was feeling. As a motorbike rider myself, I understand how families feel about the risks but that's counterbalanced by my love of riding … Also, lots of people commented saying they thought the accident was an attempt on Emma's life by Mal, Killian or Neal. I know my stories aren't always realistic but that seemed too far fetched. I promise you each of those 'villains' do have their storyline dealt with before the end of the fic, however.