Silver Lining

Safe Space

After a few hours, Regina started coming back to her senses. Her eyelids were heavy and she could not feel most of her body, but she struggled to open her eyes. Regina was afraid she would wake up in his house and everything she remembered was a simple fantasy her mind had created to protect her. The steady beeping of a nearby machine was the one that encouraged her to open her eyes and see where she actually was. It took Regina a few seconds to accommodate her eyes to the light, and even then, her eyelids were only half opened.

She was in the hospital, in a dimly lit room. A faint ray of light shinning through the dark blinds could be seen, but most of the light was coming from the machines she was connected to. Even though Regina always enjoyed being in a well-lit room, the lack of direct sunlight was exactly what she needed right then. There were many machines around her, and both of her hands had IV's sticking out of them. Most of her body was covered in sterile bandages and she could see various X-Rays next to her. It was not hard to tell that none of the ribs poked through her lungs, but there was clear evidence of things inside her not being where and how they were supposed to be.

By the time she realised what was going on, Regina could feel tears forming in her eyes. She was all alone in a hospital and did not know what happened to her baby. Even worse, she did not know for how long she had been away from home, so she could not even imagine how bad the punishment was going to be. It must have been hours, so she was fairly certain Leo might as well kill her. Leaving the house for such a long period of time without his consent was something she never even dared to think of.

Her cries were quickly accompanied by convulsive gasps for air, as she grabbed her abdomen, the place where her baby was supposed to be. The worst part had to be the uncertainty of whether she actually lost the pregnancy or not. It took her a few moments to remember that she was not allowed to cry - or else she would be given a real reason to do so. Even then, Regina could not prevent the tears from running down her face. She tried to muffle the sounds she was making by covering her mouth with her hand, but anyone could hear the clear distress coming from her room.

Lost in the overwhelming sensations she was feeling, Regina did not notice the door swinging open and a doctor coming towards her.
"Hey, breathe, please. It is alright," the man said as he carefully approached her bed.
Her instincts instantly kicked in. Leo did not tolerate her crying, or else he would punish her in a horrible way. Regina did her best to stop the tears, but her entire body was still shaking as she lifted her gaze to meet his. It was not something she had not gone through before, but she never got used to the feeling. Her body would start sweating profusely, her heart would be pounding, and her lungs seemed to deny any air from entering or leaving.

"I'm sorry," she managed to mumble through her tears.
She remembered him from earlier, he was the one who assured her that everything was going to be alright. However, she still feared that he would hurt her. After all, Leo taught her that her purpose was to get hurt.
"Alright, I need you to breathe with me," Robin said while trying to catch her attention. After several minutes, Regina's breathing was matching his.
Even during her panic attack, Regina could hear Robin's voice guiding her through it. She caught fragments of what he told her, but they were more than enough.

"You can get through this."
"I am here for you, you are not alone."
"You are doing great, I am so proud of you."

He never became closer than necessary to his patients, but Robin felt that Regina was something special from the moment he first saw her. She looked so small, scared, and unlike her true self, Robin wanted nothing more than to cradle her in his arms and fight the one who did this to her.

Although she still feared the touch of a man, Regina took advantage of the fact that Robin was close to her, so she wrapped his arms around his middle. She could feel herself relax in his arms, as he placed his chin on top of her head and rubbed small circles on her back. Her body fit in his embrace as if they were the two pieces of a puzzle, and she instantly latched onto him. Soon after, Robin could feel her small frame grow heavier in his embrace. She fell asleep, so he carefully placed her back on her bed, covering her with the thick blanket.

The only thing on Robin's mind was how he could find the man who treated her in such a way, that he could see the fear so deep within her eyes.

After waking up, Regina shyly asked for Dr. Locksley, afraid that she might bother him. Not even a minute passed after she asked for him, that he was already in her room, aware of the fact that he still had not told her about the baby.

He could read the angst and dread in her eyes and tried to compose himself. He had to tell her the news, but she already looked so defeated, as if she was not even expecting to hear something positive.

"Will you tell me what happened with my pregnancy?"