𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑨𝑵 𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑺 - Rumplestiltskin [1]

FIFTY ONE

51|FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER

Celeste sat in her apartment reading a book, her legs were curled up to her chest with a blanket wrapped over her shoulders. She was not expecting a phone call from Regina. Throwing on her shoes and coat, she ran past her husband sorting his collection.

"I'm needed at the hospital." She called as she ran past him. Celeste kept running until she burst through the hospital doors. She cleaned herself up and dressed in her scrubs.

"Dr. Richards." A nurse greeted her and informed her of her patient. She was rushed into the surgery room where Dr. Whale lay unconscious from the drugs. Celeste got to work immediately, worried about her friend and why he was missing  an arm.

The surgery was quick and Celeste sat exhausted against the wall as they wheeled his unconscious body to a room. Another doctor helped her to her feet before they both went to clean themselves up.

"Regina?" Celeste walked up to Regina who stood outside the room, watching Victor through the glass. "He's going to be okay, you found him just in time."

"Thank you." Regina smiled at her as they both stood watching the nurses check on him.

"What's going on? I just got a call that Dr. Whale was attacked." Charming ran up to the pair.

"You'll have to ask Celeste." The Mayor turned to greet him.

"No, I am asking you." He said with a stern voice.

"I came here to speak with him and discovered he was hurt." Regina explained, holding back from attacking the disbelieving Prince. "It's the truth."

"What else?" Charming demanded, gesturing to the injured man. "What did you come here to speak with him about?"

"Someone from my past." She answered while Celeste stayed back, not wanting to interrupt the pair. "I believe he's come back. Daniel. His name is Daniel."

"The man you were supposed to marry." He sighed with understanding, not raising his voice anymore as he heard the pain in her voice. "Snow told me what happened and how it was her fault that he died."

"And yet people question why Regina hates her so much?" Celeste scoffed, folding her arms and leaning back against the glass wall.

"Yes. He did." Regina sent a grateful smile over her shoulder at the doctor.

"Well, then how could he be back?" Charming asked with a scoff while sending a glare to Celeste.

"Whale." The Mayor spat, gesturing to the man. "He believed he could bring him back from the grave. And I don't know how but he has."

"You don't know how? Guess."

"He practices something more powerful than magic." She quietly told him, not wanting the other hospital staff to hear. "Or so I was told. All he needed was a heart. And he took one of mine."

"You have hearts here?" Charming grabbed her arm and pulled her away from an oncoming nurse. Celeste followed along, standing in close so she could hear.

"In my vault. From our land." Regina explained quietly to him.

"Whose heart did he take?"

"I have no idea." Her voice broke. "I took so many. It was impossible to keep track. I need to go. I have to help him."

"No. Where is he? Look what he did. He's dangerous." Charming grabbed her again, stopping her from running off.

"Not to me." Regina said quickly, determined to find her old lover. "He won't hurt anyone else, David, I promise."

"You know I can't take that chance." He stopped her. "You have two choices, Regina. Tell me where he is, or jail."

"But you need to take that chance." Celeste inputted, biting her lip as she glanced between the two. "She needs to find her love."

"I think it's like when you awoke from your coma." The Mayor sighed in defeat. "He's following his final thoughts, to where he last met me. The stables."

"No. Henry. Henry's at the stables."

The doctor's face dropped but she knew she could not help, not when she had Victor to care for. Watching them leave the hospital, Celeste wandered into the room, looking over her friend with pursed lips.

"You're a blood idiot." Celeste laughed mockingly at him, noticing his eyes twitching as he woke up. "Oh look, it's alive."

"Richards?" He grumbled as he opened his eyes, glancing at the grinning doctor. "What happened?"

"Well other than you missing your arm and me stitching you back, not much." She shrugged, chuckled when she saw him roll his eyes at her. "Holy chicken! You're Victor Frankenstein!"

"Holy chicken?" He repeated her choice of words.

"I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out. I need to go reread the classics." Celeste sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "At least it explains why you are so crazy."

"Please don't tell people." Victor begged her with worried eyes. "They'll think I'm mad."

"You're currently lying in a hospital bed missing a limb because you brought a dead body back to life as a monster." She reminded him causing them both to laugh at the incident. "Don't worry, Victor, we're all mad here."

"That's true."

"I'm Princess Celeste of the Western Kingdom, wife of the Dark One." Celeste full introduced herself to him, purposely holding out the wrong hand for him to shake.

"You're evil." He chuckled and grimaced in pain causing the doctor to up his morphine.

"I am very evil apparently because I fell madly in love." She tucked the blanket closer over him. "Now rest."