Lost and Found: A SwanQueen Story

Chapter 22

The phone had rung three times now. Emma just sat and stared at it. She couldn't face another of her mothers 'let her go' talks. If it even was her mother. Emma had no idea, but wasn't really in the mood for talking. All she could think of was Regina. She'd been in the hospital over a month and she wasn't getting better. She was getting worse. When the phone rang for the fourth time, Emma groaned and answered it.
"Yes." She grumbled.
"Emma, it's Tink. I think you should come down to the hospital. Now." Emma didn't even reply she just put down the phone and ran. What had happened now?
~~
When she arrived, the door to the ward was already open. This put her immediately on edge. The door was never open. Reluctantly she headed inside. Tink was stood talking to a female doctor and Regina's sister, Zelena. She saw Emma and stopped mid-conversation. Both the doctor and Zelena turned to Emma. Zelenas face was tear-stained and her mascara had run down the side of her cheek. Tink pushed past them both and walked Emma away from them.
"What's... What's going on?" Emma croaked. Before Tink could speak a man dressed in a black suit came down from the dingy corridor and nodded slightly at Tink, before allowing several doctors down the corridor. Emma looked at Tink, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Emma... She's being transfered to a more secure unit. They are going to have to run tests on her and try some strong medication..."
"So they're going to make her better? But why couldn't you do that? This is a hospital!" Emma interrupted. Tink stood back and looked at Emma in surprise.
"Because Emma this is an asylum! The people in here can't be fixed. They're broken!" Emma stumbled backwards as if she'd just been punched in the stomach. Tink tried to say something, to apologise, but she couldn't find the words, so instead she just walked away. But the word she'd used. That one word kept flying around Emma's mind. Asylum. Mental asylum. Emma collapsed to the floor, crying her eyes out. This beautiful, mixed up romance had turned into a horror. It had a while ago. Emma had just been too blinded by love and in some ways she still was. She felt a light touch on her arm and looked up to see Zelena. She stood up and hugged her tightly. They looked eachother in the eyes. Neither one of them had to say a thing. They both knew how eachother felt and at that moment they were there for one another. The sudden sound of squeaky wheels managed to turn both their heads though. They saw Regina being wheeled out on a hospital bed with straps around her arms and legs.
"Emma!" She shouted. Emma jumped in fright. She hadn't heard Regina's voice in so long. It wasn't as smooth as it used to be. It was worn and hurt. But it was there.
"Emma! I want to speak to Emma!" Regina protested as they tried to wheel her away. Emma rushed to her side and grabbed her hand. Regina looked at her with all the love in the world.
"Don't let them take me away. Please, Emma! I'm not crazy! They're just dreams! You know that! I should have trusted you and I'm sorry, but please... I won't ever see you again..." Emma looked up towards where Tink was standing.
"Is that true? I won't... see her again?" Emma asked her voice breaking. Tink nodded slowly. Emma looked back at Regina and then at the doctors.
"You can't take her." She said, her voice starting to wobble. She couldn't manage anymore. Zelena, thankfully, came to her rescue.
"No. We won't let you take her away. She doesn't deserve to be tested on like some animal. She's my sister and Emma's girlfriend and we love her, so if you want to wheel her through that door, you'll have to get through us." Zelena said strongly. She stood beside Emma, who smiled at her, as did Regina. The man in the black suit pulled them both away from the bed.
"She has to be taken care of... professionally. She can't live an ordinary life. For heavens sake she can't even go to sleep without trying to kill someone!" He growled at them both. Emma stared at him and looked back at Regina. She was staring at the ceiling, but Emma saw something in her eyes. Fear. Regina was terrified. This wasn't going to mend her it was going to pull the last peices apart.
"Please... give her a chance." Emma pleaded. Zelena nodded and the man sighed.
"I can't..." He began, Tink stepped in and pulled him aside. Emma and Zelena watched in suspense as Tink tried to persuade him that Regina wouldn't benefit from his care. After a few moments he walked over to the bed and just looked at Regina. Finally he turned to the women and said,
"You can take Miss Mills home for a week, with one of the doctors to watch her. If anything happens... and I mean anything! She comes to the secure unit." Emma smiled and nodded. She ran to Regina's side and told her the good news. Then the man spoke to the female doctor, Tink was talking to earlier, who nodded and walked over to join Emma and Regina with Zelena by her side. She unstrapped Regina's legs and then her arms. Just as she did Regina jumped up and threw herself onto Emma. She hugged her so tightly and buried her face in the crook of her neck. Both of them were sobbing, but for once they were happy tears. Emma looked at Regina and kissed her deeply. The brunette smiled into it. She pulled away after a while and looked over to Zelena who was watching them, smiling.
"Sis..." Regina whispered coming to tears again. She pulled Zelena into a meaningful hug. Then she looked back at Emma.
"Let's go... lets go home!" Her voice broke and they hugged again. In Emma's arms she was home.