XXVI. A little bit of trust
…
During the morning, the nurse came to collect Zelena's daughter for a thorough medical examination. The time she spent alone in the room dragged on unbearably and for the first time she really realized how much this little one had already grown on her. She hoped that the circumstances of her conception had not harmed her. When the doctor finally came in, a slim woman who wore her light blonde hair in a braid, she found it difficult to put her baby back in its crib. Zelena read the name Ingrid Fisher on the tag attached to her white coat.
"Hi," she began with a warm smile on her lips that gave her glacier-blue eyes a lively sparkle. "How are you feeling?"
"Just fine, I guess." She took her eyes off the sleeping infant to look at the doctor. "Is everything all right with my daughter? Is she healthy?"
"Yes, she's perfectly fine. Her height and weight are just within the lower normal range. She is well developed and her lungs are working properly. I would guess that she was in a bit of a hurry. When was the due date calculated by your gynecologist?"
Zelena didn't reply to this at first and avoided the doctor's attentive gaze. "You're really sure that she doesn't have any diseases that are... inherited?"
"You can't detect everything directly; some genetic dysfunctions only develop symptoms after months or years. Have there already been such illnesses in your family that should give cause for concern? Then of course we can test for them." She thoughtfully arched her brow.
"No, that's not necessary," the redhead conceded quickly.
"Don't worry, your daughter is alive and well. However, I see on your medical chart that you suffered from acute respiratory distress during the birth and were given acid reflux. That's why I want to check on your lungs first." When Zelena involuntarily tensed up, she put her hand on her arm to reassure her. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you."
The stethoscope she finally placed on Zelena's bare skin felt cold, giving her goosebumps. She tried to breathe calmly and evenly. She was reluctant to be examined, but at least she was glad not to have to deal with the doctor who had been with her during the delivery at the previous night.
"Take a deep breath," the doctor instructed her. "As deep as you can."
Zelena tried, hoping to be left in peace if she let everything happen without complaint, but the unpleasant stinging in her chest, which increased immediately, made her grimace.
"That's enough. I can see you're in pain." With her brows drawn together, Ingrid lowered the examination tool. "Do you get out of breath quickly when you exert yourself, like when you're exercising?"
"Sometime it's happening. I cycle a lot." She shrugged her shoulders.
Ingrid slightly nodded. "Please turn around now so that I can examine you from behind."
This time, Zelena did not comply with her request. She turned her back even further towards the wall behind the bed, while the doctor attentively looked at her. "It's not so bad. I fell down the stairs, that's it."
"How long ago was that?" Ingrid asked immediately. "Did you see a doctor afterwards?"
"I don't know, probably a few weeks ago. I'm fine after all!"
"The cause of the complaints should definitely be clarified; I'll arrange an X-ray and a heart echo." Concentrating, she skimmed over the data sheet and entered something. "The birth itself went without any further complications. To be on the safe side, I would like to keep you and your daughter here overnight. My esteemed colleague has noted that this is not the first time you have given birth. So this is not completely new for you."
Zelena shuddered at the idea of returning to the farm, where she was at the mercy of Freek's whims. Her hidden pregnancy gave him enough reasons to be angry with her. His visit that morning had made it clear to her that he wasn't sure if the baby she had given birth to was really his.
"Are you all right?" The doctor smiled gently. "I'm sure your family will be looking forward to bringing you and your little darling home soon."
"Then he's probably not so clever after all. How would he know that?" Zelena answered briefly and with enough emphasis to avoid any further probing questions. A vague memory of a sultry Sunday in midsummer, when she had been only twenty-four, flashed through her mind.
Ingrid observed her over the narrow lenses of her reading glasses. "He may be a little too full of himself, but he knows his job. Pregnancy and childbirth leave their marks on a woman's body, which can still be seen in the reproductive organs after years." She glanced at her wristwatch. "It's almost midday; I'll leave you for now."
"Are these examinations really necessary?" Zelena quickly followed up to change the subject. The pain would get better soon, as it always did.
"Absolutely. It's urgent to find out where your breathing problems are really coming from. Of course, untreated injuries from your downfall could be responsible, but the heart could also be a possible cause."
She sighed devotedly. "Fine, as long as I'm allowed to get out of here then."
"Of course you will. I still need your maternity record so that I can complete your data. You haven't lived in Storybrooke for very long, so we don't have anything about the examinations you had at other doctors during your pregnancy."
"I forgot it at home." She realized how lame that sounded, but she couldn't give a better answer.
Ingrid made a dismissive gesture. "No problem, your husband can bring it with him when he comes to see the both of you."
At these words, Zelena immediately stiffened. After the doctor left, she was left alone with her thoughts. Of course, Freek had never allowed her to consult a gynecologist, not even when she had become pregnant. Instead, he had blamed her for it and severely punished her. She had not conceived again in the past few years and had already hoped that her body was too broken for it after being through several miscarriages.
The baby whimpered softly in its crib, so she carefully took it out and cradled it in her arms. Her heart pounded against her ribs, but for the first time in an eternity it was not out of fear. She loved her child and felt all the more guilty for having brought it into this kind of life. It might be too late for her, but her girl deserved to grow up safe and with care.
…
Regina had a hard time at work that day. She was unable to concentrate and felt like she was making no progress at all. Her thoughts revolved around Zelena and the question of what she could do to help her and her newborn daughter. It was a balancing act to gain her trust. If she pushed her too hard, she would retreat from her and she would only give Freek the opportunity to abuse her again. It mustn't come to that. Regina simply didn't understand how he could harm Zelena that much. The bitter realization that he was not her husband, but her father, made it even more unbelievable. Her gaze kept moving to the framed photos that adorned her desk. Two of them showed her son, one at the age of six on his first day at school, the other was taken in the previous summer. Her attention, however, was focused on the third picture, from which her father was smiling at her, his arm around the shoulders of her own eighteen-year-old self. It had been her birthday and a rare sunny day in a dreary winter. Her mother had been strict and bossy with her, but her father had always cared for her. He had never regarded her with anything other than love and concern. Even after thirteen years, she still missed him very much.
Frustrated, she poured herself some coffee before turning back to the open folder lying on the table in front of her. The knock on the door made her look up, but it wasn't Bernice who rushed into the room. Her assistant would have waited until she was invited in. Emma stood in front of her, wearing her orange quilted jacket and holding a lunchbox.
"Am I interrupting something important?" she innocently whispered as she sauntered around the table and sat provocatively on the edge next to Regina.
She raised her eyebrows. "I'm working, but no, you're not interrupting. It's not really my day, I guess." Sighing, she closed the large ring binder in which she had previously filed some bills.
"Good, I brought you a snack in case you didn't make it for lunch." With a grin, Emma placed the patterned plastic box on the work surface in front of her. "Pastrami sandwich; I even put a lettuce leaf in it."
"How did I get the honor?" Surprised, Regina opened the lid to find a loaf of bread cut into two triangular halves in it. Her stomach immediately let out a low grumble, as she hadn't actually eaten anything since breakfast.
Emma shrugged her shoulders. "Do I need a special reason? I care for you, Regina. I just wanted to do something good for you. Will you tell me what happened yesterday? You were avoiding me."
"Zelena was in pain and could barely stay upright when I found her. I had to persuade her to let me take her to the clinic. It was quite hectic there and took a while, but I didn't want to leave her alone."
"What's wrong with her? Is she hurt?"
A soft sigh escaped Regina; she had hoped to have some time left for this conversation so that she could think of the right words to say. "No, she's quite well again. At first I really thought she was bleeding internally or something, but fortunately I was mistaken."
"And what was it then?" she probed further.
"Contractions. Zelena gave birth to a baby girl last night."
Emma's eyes widened in disbelief, not knowing what to say for a moment. "She was pregnant? Really? Two days ago she didn't even have a baby bump, when I saw her working in the supermarket. Is everything all right with the child?"
"The little one is fine."
"I'm glad to hear." Emma gently took Regina's hand. "How about Henry and I pick you up for dinner and head to the fish restaurant at the harbor?"
"For once, you don't insist on a greasy cheeseburger and fries at Granny's?" An amused smile played around her lips before she became serious again. "Not today, Emma. I promised Zelena I'd come to the hospital after work. Maybe she can go home with her girl by then."
"Don't you think her husband would like to look after her and the baby?"
Regina huffed angrily at these words. "It certainly wasn't him who held her hand when she gave birth. I stayed with her, otherwise she would have been alone."
"Wait, when did you become such close friends exactly?" Emma furrowed her brow skeptically and abruptly slid off the table. "Or is there something else between the two of you? Don't play games with me, Regina Mills! If you don't want me anymore, at least be honest and tell me right into the face. Do you have feelings for her?"
As she turned away and stepped in front of the window covered with translucent curtains, Regina stood up as well. From behind, she put her arms around her girlfriend's waist so that she could feel her warm body close to her own. "Jealousy doesn't suit you. You're the one I want to be with, and only you."
Emma uncrossed her arms in front of her chest to place her hands on Regina's. "I've never felt so much for anyone that it scares me. The thought of losing you, I mean. We're just starting to open up to each other. What if you realize that I'm not the one for you?"
"But you are," she whispered, inhaling Emma's scent of sandalwood and leather. "Do you trust me?"
She finally turned to face her so that she could look at her and take her face in both hands. "Of course I do."
"Then help me. Please." Regina looked into her green eyes, which still hid so much that she wanted to discover. "Emma, my intuition didn't deceive me. Freek is abusing Zelena, it's really bad. I can't protect her and her daughter from him without you."
"Are you sure? Did she tell you?"
She slightly nodded. "I don't want to imagine what she has been through all these years. No one ever helped her, nobody was there."
Emma gently took her by the hand to pull her onto her lap as she sank into the comfortable leather chair. "Unfortunately, domestic violence is very difficult to prove. I can only investigate if she reports her husband, and it will be necessary that she gets examined by a doctor. In order to charge him, the district attorney needs solid evidence. Do you know if there was any sexual assault?"
"She has just given birth, what do you think?" Regina really wished to tell her everything she knew, but she couldn't risk Zelena's trust, if she wanted the redhead to open up to her.
"Couples sleep together. A pregnancy is no clue if the sex was consensual or not. Without a rape kit as soon as possible, it's impossible to prove it. Marital rape especially. If Zelena trusts you, you need to get her to report him. Otherwise my hands are tied." She lovingly stroked a dark strand of hair from her forehead. "You are truly concerned about this, aren't you?"
Regina leaned against her friend's upper body. "Have you ever looked into her eyes? They're burned out and empty, as if she gave up long ago. No one deserves a life like that." Her face showed that she still had many questions on the tip of her tongue, but she understood that now was not the time. She was grateful to her. "Come by in the evening and let's talk then."
Suddenly she felt Emma's soft lips on hers. The taste of disgustingly sweetened mouthwash made her turn her head away in protest. "Yuck!"
"I kiss you and you say yuck?" Amused, Emma pushed her off her lap.
"You've been drinking root beer again, so it's your own fault!"
The two women hugged each other and Emma placed a kiss to her forehead before turning to leave. For the first time since the disturbing realization of the previous night, Regina's heart felt a little lighter.