Chapter 16

When Emma woke up again, it was already starting to get dark outside. She was relieved to find that her headache had reduced to a dull, well-tolerable pressure. Zelena seemed to have left; instead, Henry was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace with his textbooks spread out around him. "Hey, kid," Emma whispered, trying not to startle him and smiled over at her son.

Still, Henry's head shot up before he smiled too. "Hey, Ma. How are you feeling?"

Emma had to laugh and sat up. "Well, I'm starting to think I've become a cat. I sleep at night, I sleep during the day," she enumerated, rolling her eyes.

"That's a good thing, you'll feel better soon," Henry commented.

"Sounds like something your mom would say," Emma noted, rising from the couch and sinking heavily cross-legged to the floor beside her son.

Henry shrugged and grinned. "Who knows?" Then he briefly put his arms around Emma and gave her a hug. "Zelena said you haven't eaten anything yet."

"That's not true, I have eaten something," she immediately objected.

"I saw the hamburger. It looks like a mouse nibbled on it."

Emma took a deep breath and brushed her hair back. "If I could eat, I would."

"What did you eat at the hospital?" Henry wanted to know.

Emma thought for a moment and propped her hands behind her. "Fresh stuff. Yogurt, fruit salad. That sort of things."

"I'm surprised you haven't lost more weight then," it came perplexedly from him, which made Emma laugh.

"Well, first of all, even if you can't imagine it, kid, there are vegetarians who eat nothing but that all their lives. And secondly, I also got infusions with the nutrients in them, because most of what I ate I threw up again anyway," she told him honestly.

Henry looked at her without understanding. "Then how did you come up with hamburgers today?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she looked at him. "I can't explain it. At that moment I just had an appetite for it. And Heart says I can eat anything I feel like. She should tell Regina that sometime, by the way. Have you seen that nondescript stuff that's in the kitchen?"

Henry nodded.

"That's what your mom made me for breakfast."

"I tasted it," Henry commented then. "Seems to be some kind of smoothie, I guess, and it doesn't even taste that bad, but I imagine it must be visually appealing when you're feeling sick all the time."

"You said it," Emma nodded. "Anyway, I wanted the burger, I really wanted it! And then I sat in front of it and wanted to run straight to the bathroom."

"Do you want me to bring it to you again now? Or something else? Why don't I make you a fruit salad if you were able to eat that at the hospital? Or yogurt with fruit?" Henry suggested and was already on his feet before Emma could answer.

So she put her head back to look up at him. "You'd do that for me?" She would have lied if she had denied at that moment that she was touched, which was clearly evident from the broad smile on her face.

"Of course I would," Henry agreed. When Emma held out her hands to him, he pulled her to her feet and the two hugged tightly for a moment.

"Thanks, kid. But I'm coming with you to the kitchen. And I'm afraid you'll have to peel the fruit, actually I shouldn't be eating that at all because of the potential germs," she sighed rolling her eyes. Shortly after, Emma sat at the table again and watched her boy remove the peels and cut the fruit into small cubes. "No oranges, please," she said when he finished with the apples, bananas and pears.

Henry turned to her. "Didn't you always like them?"

"I did, but the chemo ate away at my whole oral mucosa, I'll spare you any more details. Anyway, it hurts like shit when I eat anything sour."

"Okay, no oranges then," Henry nodded, mixing the three remaining fruits together and pouring the yogurt on top. "You know what's funny?"

"Huh? What?"

Henry tilted his head and looked into the bowl. "What Mom prepared for you was probably almost the same thing. If she just hadn't pureed it, you might have eaten it."

"And if Zelena hadn't warmed it up," she nodded resentfully.

Henry snorted. "She didn't!"

"Yes, she did! And knowing her, she probably knew it would make it worse, too."

Still laughing, Henry poured a portion into a small bowl and put the rest in the refrigerator. "Enjoy it," he then said as he slid into the chair next to Emma and dished up the yogurt and fruit for her.

"Thank you, Henry," it came honestly from her, before she already shoved the first spoonful into her mouth. "You know what's just missing now?"

"Your Mom?"

"Yeah, her as well. But actually, I was thinking more of cinnamon right now," she grinned. Noticing that Henry was already about to jump up, she held him back by the arm and shook her head. "No, better not. If it doesn't smell so strong or taste obtrusive, I won't get sick so fast. And I don't want to spoil the cinnamon for the future."

"Sure, understandable," Henry replied, leaning back in his chair again.

They were both silent for the next few minutes, and Emma spooned the bowl empty without feeling nauseous. "That was really yummy, kid. Thanks!" She pressed a kiss to his cheek, which he just had to accept at that moment, whether he wanted to or not.

"Ma!" it came promptly from him.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Can't nobody see around here. Say, did Regina actually get in touch with you, too? She called me and told me she wanted to hurry home. But I don't want her to be so pressed for time."

"She only called three times to make sure everything was okay with you," he reported, but that made Emma roll her eyes again. "But no matter what she said, I still think it's going to be late. Tomorrow is the town festival and even if she says she doesn't care, you know how she is. If she's in charge of it, then it has to be perfect. She'd never let something like that stand."

"Right you are," Emma agreed with him and put her bowl in the dishwasher. "Do you have a lot to do for school?"

He shook his head. "I've already done most of it, and I've got all weekend to do the rest, don't I?"

Emma nodded; of course, it was the weekend. Since days of the week hadn't mattered at all to her lately, every few minutes she forgot what day it even was. "Then maybe you'd like to go outside with me for a bit?"

Hesitantly, Henry eyed his mother. "Is that possible? I mean, aren't you too weak for that?"

"It has been two days since the last chemo. I am feeling better. You forget that it wasn't the leukemia that knocked me out so much as the treatment. No treatment means no side effects." Still reading skepticism in his gaze, she added, "Sure, I'm still exhausted and that won't go away completely, but exercise is good and important for healing, the doctors can tell you that too. I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't feeling well. I wouldn't do that to you on purpose."

Finally, Henry nodded. "Well, okay. After all, you want to go to the festival tomorrow too, so you should probably have at least had a little walk in the garden beforehand," he nodded.

"That's right," Emma smirked and followed him into the hallway, where she put on her thick anorak and lined boots. She wasn't as paranoid as Regina, but she was well aware that she needed to be careful and not recklessly risk a cold that could quickly develop into something worse, considering her general condition.

Henry was already dressed and waiting for his mother with one hand on the doorknob.

"Do you have your cell phone?", Emma made sure before walking outside with him.

"Why, do I have to type 911 into the keypad already as a precaution?" he wanted to know, looking at her askance.

Again, Emma rolled her eyes and buried her hands in her jacket pockets. "No, but if Regina has already called three times, the fourth time won't be long in coming. And we don't want to live to see what happens if we don't answer, do we?"

Henry grinned and nodded at her. "Good point." To signal that his smartphone was within reach, he tapped his chest pocket where it was.

Emma took the first few steps to the garden gate very slowly, intentionally taking deep breaths in and out. The cold air stung her lungs, but it was a pleasant ache.

"Are you all right?" Henry wanted to know, who stepped up beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Yes, I'm fine. The air is glorious," she said, and with her eyes closed, she again inhaled deeply the smell of moss and damp leaves lying around on the paths, softened by the rain. "Are you going to take a walk with me, or are you too embarrassed?" Grinning, she eyed her son.

"Why embarrassed?"

"Oh, I don't know. A 15-year-old taking a walk around town arm in arm with his old, frail mother..." She shrugged. "Thought you might be too cool for that!"

Henry rolled his eyes and passed the garden gate with her. "Stop it. And you're not old and frail."

Emma had to grin as he came to her defense, but secretly she couldn't quite agree with him. She might not be old, but her body was on strike, denying her everything she loved and valued: sports, exercise, fitness. "Have you played soccer with your friends again?" she then wanted to know.

Confirming, he nodded briefly. "Yes, almost every day."

Emma pursed her lips and stopped. "Until Regina and I made you come home in a hurry right after school."

"You didn't make me."

"No, but you're too well behaved to refuse the request," she countered, glancing at her phone to check the time. "Are they still playing?"

"Could be."

"Henry!"

"Yeah, they're probably still playing," it came from Henry. You could tell by his tone that he didn't really want to answer that.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Emma gave him a kindly nudge against the shoulder and nodded in the direction of the sports field where he and his friends used to play. "Or am I too embarrassing for you now after all? Don't worry, I'll be a good girl sitting on the sidelines cheering you on," she smirked.

"Emma, I don't know... It's pretty cold and you just got out of the hospital," he said contritely.

Tilting her head, she looked at him. "Come on, kid. I want to do this for you after the way you've had to back off for me lately."

Torn, as he liked to please everyone, Henry looked down the street. "All right, then. But we'll just stay for a little while and then go back home," it finally came from him.

Emma grinned and patted him on the back. "That's what we'll do." The longer they walked, the more confident her steps became, and even though her heart was beating faster than usual in her chest, she felt liberated and light.

Soon after, they had reached the sports field and Henry had been right: the game was still in full swing. When the other boys spotted him, cheers immediately came from the field and after one last glance at Emma, he ran to his team and high-fived.

Emma, as promised, sat down on the bench where she had been sitting last time, waiting for her nose to stop bleeding, and watched her boy having fun with his friends.

After only a short time, however, sitting around made Emma feel too cold, so she got up and paced up and down the sidelines. She thoughtfully watched her boots sink slightly into the sodden ground and tried to imagine what it would feel like to jog on that surface.

"Hey, Emma."

She was abruptly startled out of her thoughts when she noticed Max right beside her. "Hi, Max. You okay?"

"Sure. Aren't you playing today?" he asked, making sounding like a prompt.

She smirked slightly, then shook her head. "Not today, no. I'm definitely not dressed for that." As Henry jogged over to them, she looked up.

"Man, Max, I told you she wasn't playing today," it came from him as soon as he was within earshot. This was exactly what he had feared when Emma had made the suggestion to come over.

"Your mom just happens to have this genius trick where she cuts the ball. That would be awesome if we could do that next game against the guys from high school!" Max said enthusiastically, looking back and forth between Henry and Emma.

"I said no," came Henry's voice abundantly clear.

Max had to laugh. "Which one of you is actually the adult? You sound like my dad."

Before the situation could escalate again, Emma put a hand on both of their shoulders. "Hey, guys. Don't fight. I'm not in gym clothes, okay? But I can still explain," she offered, hoping to present a good solution.

Henry still didn't look convinced, but Max immediately nodded enthusiastically and gave her a thumbs up. "Great, thanks!" As he ran off to tell his friends the news, Henry turned to Emma again.

"Please don't do this, Emma. It's too early."

"I'm just explaining it to you. What's the difference between me standing here or over there?" She hugged Henry tightly for a moment, then looked him in the eye.

"Mom's going to kill us, first me and then you!" he retorted.

Emma shrugged one shoulder. "Not if she doesn't find out."

Henry rolled his eyes and ran back to his friends, while Emma followed more slowly.

Emma spent the next quarter of an hour explaining to the teens how they had to play the ball in order to give it a cut, but without losing control of the trajectory. "You guys just have to try it. It's like anything, practice makes perfect."

"Can you show us?" one of the boys asked, who had been looking at the ball earlier as if he didn't know what to do with it at all by now.

Emma took a deep breath before shaking her head. "Another time, maybe." The disappointed faces she was met with in response caused a knot to form in her stomach. She was incredibly grateful to Henry for keeping to himself that she was sick, but she knew what she was doing to him. He constantly had to dodge questions and if she was such a killjoy now, the questions would only increase as it was out of character for her. "I'll go ahead and do it once. That will have to do for today."

As cheers erupted around them, Henry, who was standing at the very back, literally flapped his mouth open. "Emma," he hissed at her as the crowd dispersed.

"I'm not playing, kid. I'm going to make the damn play and that's it, you have my word on that," she countered, placing the ball in front of her. After a short dribble, she increased her speed and then centered in a perfect arc directly to one of the boys. Again, the teens applauded and Emma indicated a slight bow. "Well, that's it for me today. You guys can practice that now while I watch you," she said, turning away. As she walked slowly to the sidelines, she pressed a hand to her chest as if that might calm her heartbeat and rapid breathing. She was aware that Henry was closely following her every move, so she finally lowered her hand and smiled at him as she took a seat on the bench.

"Hi, Emma!" Ruby slid next to her and immediately hugged her. "I haven't seen you in ages!" the young woman then stated, eyeing her friend up and down.

"Hi, Ruby," Emma greeted her in turn, smiling. "I haven't been to the diner in a while, that's true," she confirmed. "I'm not going to work at the moment, and that's why it hasn't come up."

"You're okay, though?" she then wanted to know.

"Do I look that crappy?" came a laugh from Emma, who, however, already knew the honest answer to that question.

Ruby let her gaze sweep over her again. "I don't know, do you want me to be honest? You seem pretty worn out."

"Yeah, that's what you look like when you're a thirty-something and challenged to a soccer match by a bunch of teenagers."

Thoughtfully, Ruby tilted her head. "No, that's not it. Have you lost weight?"

Emma nodded truthfully. "A little, yes."

"Everything's okay with you and Regina, though?"

Again, Emma laughed. "Why does everyone always immediately think there are problems in your love life when you're not in a good mood?"

Ruby shrugged her shoulders. "As much as I don't begrudge you guys, and I know you love her tremendously... But I can imagine it's not always so easy living with her," she ventured.

"Everything is fine with us. On the contrary, things couldn't be better than they are right now."

"I'm glad to hear that! But what about your job? I saw Hook the other day, puffing himself up like a cocky rooster just because he's wearing David's badge on his belt now. Are you really going to let him get away with that?" Ruby asked indignantly, brushing her long hair behind her ear.

"As long as he does the job conscientiously, I honestly don't care. He is who he is and he's a good guy on the inside," was all she retorted.

Ruby snorted briefly. "Fascinating."

Questioningly, Emma looked at her.

"You gave him quite a bit of hope back then. I didn't think you two could become such good friends after you turned him down."

"We're grown people. And I never got his hopes up. How he interpreted it is his business," it came dryly from her. "What brings you here anyway?" she then changed the subject.

"Oh, I was babysitting Ashley's little girl and took her to the playground. She just picked her up there," Ruby explained with a grin. She loved Alexandra and kids in general, so it wasn't uncommon for her to be hired as a babysitter in addition to her work at the diner. "It's nice to do something other than take orders."

"I can imagine," Emma smirked. "Are you and your granny going to have a booth at the festival tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course." Theatrically, she rolled her eyes. "I can't wait to stand in there all day, selling sausages."

Emma giggled and returned her gaze to the game for a while. She considered confiding in Ruby the truth about her condition. After all, they were friends and it wouldn't be long before she was the number one talk of the town anyway. She didn't want Ruby to find out this way. While she liked to gossip and her work at the diner only reinforced that habit, Emma knew that being a friend meant she could be relied on to keep secrets as well. "Ruby, you're right, I'm really not well right now," she finally began slowly. "The doctors found degenerate cells in my blood."

"Degenerate cells? What does that mean?" Alarmed, Ruby eyed her.

Emma felt compelled to look at her again as she spoke. "They found that I have cancer. That's why I gave Killian my job, it was the only right decision. I want it back eventually, of course, but I can't work while I'm going through treatment and it's going to drag on for a while."

Ruby's eyes widened as the words sank in with her. "It's curable, though?"

"Well, I hope so, at least. There's a good chance. Ruby, I know this is a lot to ask, but could you keep it to yourself for now, please? You're a good friend, actually the only one I have here, so I wanted to tell you. But I don't want everyone to know right away. Can you handle that?"

Hesitantly, Ruby nodded and grabbed her hand while maintaining eye contact. "If you need anything, I'm here for you. Anytime, okay?"

Emma returned her gaze with a smile. "Thanks, I really appreciate it." Suddenly, her cell phone rang. When she pulled it out, a smiling version of Regina was displayed on her screen. "Sorry, I have to take this," she turned to Ruby, then pressed the green handset. "Hi, Regina!"

"Where are you?" it came growling from the receiver after she skipped right past the greeting.

"At the sports field, chatting with Ruby while Henry plays soccer with his friends," she returned, flippantly skipping the little training session.

"Why aren't you on the sofa?"

"Because I wanted to get some fresh air?! Regina, don't worry, I'm fine. We'll make our way home."

"No need," she replied, and Emma heard a car door slam. The sound came both from her cell phone and echoed from behind the hedge that surrounded the sports field.

Sighing, Emma ended the call and pocketed her cell phone. "Hey, kid, come here!" she called over to her son. "Now we're in trouble!"