Silver Lining

The truth

Robin took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to avoid her pained gaze. The things he was yet to say were not particularly good, but nowhere near as devastating as she expected them to be.
"Regina, when you came in, there were clear signs of a threatened miscarriage. That means that you still have a significant chance of carrying the baby to term, but under proper observation and care. We could not figure out what caused it, but most women who go through this have already lost a pregnancy in the past. Is that the case?" he asked.
"No, I have never been pregnant before. However," she added, shifting in the bed, "I did fall down the stairs."
It was clearly a lie, Robin could figure out that much, but he chose not to dwell on the subject right then.

After that, she went silent. The realisation that her baby's life was put into danger creeped its way up her spine, and no other words could be spoken. Regina was listening to him and trying to assimilate his words. She felt tears starting to well up in her eyes, but she was not strong enough to hold them back. Once again, something she wanted so badly was almost denied by Leo. However, she still had a chance at carrying the baby to term, if her partner would allow her to do so. Regina Mills would do anything for a child, so she could not help but feel guilty for not being able to have a more important saying on what concerned the baby.

"There are chances of a miscarriage, but we will do our best to prevent it. You will be able to go home in a few days," Robin said.

By the time she heard his last words, the machine which displayed Regina's heart rate and blood pressure seemed to lose its mind.
"I can't... I-I can't go back there. He will hurt me again and I can't protect this baby," she managed to say.
She realised the confession left her lips when she met Robin's shocked expression, so Regina quickly covered her mouth with her hand, as if trying to prevent more words from spilling out.
It was the first time she said it out loud, and only then it truly became real. She knew what was going on was not normal or healthy, but Leo managed to reduce her self-esteem to barely anything at all, making her believe that their relationship was all she deserved.

"Talk to me. Tell me what is happening," Robin said while coming closer to her bed and dragging a chair next to it. When he saw the way she furiously fumbled with her fingers, using her nails to scratch them, he placed his own hand on top of hers.
Although he figured the problem involved a man, Robin never imagined the extent of his control over Regina. He saw her breathe in deeply to calm herself, and her eyes were closed as she began her story.

"I... I have been with him for almost 5 years" she said, letting out occasional small whimpers. "Everything was fine at the beginning, but he became so possessive, he would not let me leave the house. Then, he started hitting and forcing me. I was not able fight back, could not leave... I was his play-thing. He made a strict schedule I had to follow, or else he would punish me in various ways, such as beatings, making me spend the night on the bathroom floor and... forcing me to sleep with him," she confessed, noticing the way Robin's body would tense.

"He usually comes home late at night and I have to wait for him so we can have dinner. Well, so he can have dinner. I am not allowed to eat unless he considers I worked enough for the food. He has recently put up cameras all over the house and he watches me while he is away, I cannot do anything without him knowing. When he sends me to do the grocery shopping, he only gives me the exact amount of money for the things he wants, never enough for me to get the most insignificant thing to eat on the way home," Regina said.

Regina felt as if she could tell Robin everything. She trusted him in a way she did not even trust herself. It was the first time she ever confessed what she had been through, and she simply let it all pour out of her. Other than the courtesy offered by the grocery store employees, Regina did not get any social interaction, so having someone who actually took the time to listen to her was something out of the ordinary. Leo's voice was still at the back of her mind, telling her that she was not worthy of having anyone listen to her, but she still pushed through that feeling.

Robin could not find his words, so he just held her small body against his, ready to eliminate the piece of dirt who did this to her. Leaving a pregnant woman return to such an abusive partner stepped over each and every rule of his moral code, so he would not allow it to happen. Robin could see that she was a powerful woman and the possibility of a spectacular recovery was there, as long as she was far away from Leo.