Betrayed

A guest asked for a oneshot of Emma being badly injured on a call and ending up in hospital. Snow is in labour, but Emma doesn't know and thinks her mom doesn't care until she visits the next day.

Emma moaned in agony, feeling queasy as blood trickled down her arm. She couldn't believe she'd been so careless, so stupid. What a way to lose a perp: tripping over her own damn untied shoelaces. It was just her luck that not only did she fall over, her arm went straight into a broken bottle.

"We've tried calling your next of kin number Emma, but nobody's picking up I'm afraid." The nurse who was going to stitch her up said as she came in with the equipment. "Is there another number you'd like us to try?" Emma shook her head.

"No thank you. Could my parents be contacted again in a little while please? Maybe they're just busy." The nurse nodded and got Emma settled to have her arm cared for.

Emma couldn't deny that she'd rather have her parents here for this process. It stung like a bitch. Even when it was over the doctor said he'd like to keep Emma in overnight just to make sure there had been nothing on the bottle that had caused an infection by getting into her bloodstream. Over the next few hours various nurses tried to contact either of Emma's parents, but neither answered. When the lights went out that night Emma was left feeling betrayed. They told her they had cared. They had promised. She shouldn't have been stupid enough to believe they were being truthful when they said that.

The next morning, Emma wasn't really sure that she wanted to go home when she was eventually discharged. What was the point when her parents couldn't even be bothered to come visit her when she injured herself?

"Is it this cubicle?" Emma suddenly heard a voice outside ask. Before she had a chance to process any more the curtain went swishing open and her dad came rushing in.

"Emma, we've been so worried!"

"Have you?" Emma snarled. "Thing is I've been here since yesterday afternoon. I had them try to contact you no less than seven times, dad. Not once did either of you pick up or even call back. Can tell I mean a lot to you." Charming came closer to Emma. He crouched down beside her bed and took her good hand, not allowing her to snatch away.

"We have good reason." He said gently. He turned to face the corridor. "In you come Snow." Emma looked up as her mom came in, carrying a newborn baby. Emma was astounded.

"But…but you weren't even pregnant. How?" She stammered. Snow just smiled, walking closer with the baby.

"Apparently I was pregnant and didn't realise. I thought my periods had just stopped again because I was still breastfeeding Neal on and off. But here we are, a little surprise baby to join our family. I went into labour yesterday and your sister here was born about three this morning. Only after all the shock of her arriving did we focus on you being missing. That's when we checked our phones and got the missed calls. Emma what happened? Are you alright?"

"Fine." Emma said, still in shock. She was a big sister again? "Can I see her?" Snow nodded and smiled, handing the little bundle over to Charming who held her out for Emma to get a closer look at. "She's so beautiful." She breathed. She reached out and gently ran her fingertips over the baby's head. "Does she have a name yet?"

"Not yet." Charming answered Emma. "We're still thinking. We didn't really get any time to prepare. Now," Charming passed the baby back to Snow and held up Emma's bad arm. "Let's see this arm of yours." Emma obediently held her arm up for her dad to check over. She felt guilty for making assumptions of them. Maybe, for once, she had people she could trust when they promised to care for her.