The Daughter I Never Had

Gone Too Soon

Flashing lights.

A blaring horn.

By the time I reached the scene, the paramedics were packing the victim inside the ambulance.

I looked all around but couldn't find Graham within the crowd yet not once did I ever consider the possibility of him being the one that got shot.

"Madame Mayor!"

I heard someone shout just before a firm hand was placed on my shoulder.

Turning on my heel, I faced one of the paramedics, "What happened? Who was it?"

The young man hung his head, "The Sheriff. He didn't make it..."

It felt as if someone had punched me in the gut, knocking out all the wind I had in my system.

"No..." I replied in shock quietly, eyes swelling with tears.

I hadn't even realized how much I cared for Graham.

The years he spent locked away in my castle, cursed to do my bidding whether he wanted to or not, must've impacted me more that I'd like to admit.

"We have to get him to the morgue and Dr. Whale insists you come as well. Something about a John Doe waking up..."

Too much information in just five minutes.

"Al-alright. Let's go."

He helped me into the back of the ambulance and the entire ride to the hospital, I never took my eyes off the black bag that sat on the stretcher in front of me.

The bag that contained the only other person in this town I cared anything about and yet in a flash he was gone.

I couldn't bring myself to cry in front of everyone else, I couldn't allow weakness to be shown.

"You're a queen Regina, and queens don't cry. They fight." My mother's words rang in my head as we pulled up to the hospital.

I got out first and went inside, my hands stuffed in my pockets with my head down as I made my way to the nurse's desk.

"Madame Mayor, Dr. Whale is expecting you. Straight down that hall."

Following where the nurse pointed, it only took a minute or so before I ran into him.

"What's this about the John Doe?" I asked, too distraught to even have an agitated tone.

He simply escorted me into the room where...no...him?!

I gasped but immediately attempted to find an excuse for it, covering it with a cough.

"He's suddenly woken up. He's been out for weeks."

I stood still, my eyes blinking slowly.

"Okay...let me know when he starts talking. That's what's important."

All he did was stare at the ceiling, his eyes had met mine momentarily so he knew we were in the room but he remained silent.

I would've stayed but I needed to find out more information on Graham, obtain the official reports and head back home.

It would be midnight or probably later before I could leave this place and I'm sure Snow wasn't having much of a hard time with Emma and August...at least I hoped she wasn't.