Beyond the Call of Duty

Downward Spiral

Everything was a blur to Regina. She knew she had managed to shower and change, not even bothering to blow dry her hair. Her natural curls started to appear, framing her face as Emma drove her to the hospital. The sheriff didn't tell her much about Robin but Regina didn't mind. She would rather get the information from the doctors and those who cared about her boyfriend rather than the woman who was trying to destroy her life.

Regina practically flew into the emergency room, her eyes wide as she tried to find a familiar face. Tuck's was the first one she saw and he motioned to her as he whispered to a rather burly man with long dark hair pulled into a ponytail. The man nodded and the two approached her.

"Hello, Regina." The burly man held out his hand to her. "I'm John, Robin's friend and roommate."

"John," she repeated, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you at last."

He nodded. "I just wish it was under better circumstances."

She certainly felt the same way. Releasing his hand, Regina hugged herself. "What happened?"

"Why don't we go sit down first?" Tuck suggested, gently taking Regina's hand. "It might be best."

"Okay," she said, not putting up a fight as the older man guided her to one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs that filled Storybrooke General's emergency room. She sat down as John and Tuck took seats on either side of her. Turning to John, she asked: "Well?"

He sighed. "Okay, I guess it starts last night after he returned home from visiting you at the sheriff's station. He was really upset."

"We had a fight," she said softly, regretting some of the harsh words she had said to him last night. He hadn't deserved the amount of anger she had unleashed on her, especially when he was more of the wronged party than her.

"I know," he replied. "Robin told me everything. And he was angry."

"At me?" she asked, her heart skipping a beat even though she knew she would've deserved his anger.

John shook his head. "At himself. He cracked open a beer and spent the night berating himself."

Regina swallowed, imagining Robin just ranting about what an idiot he was for not trusting her. For a brief moment, triumph filled her as she was glad he realized how wrong he had been. But then she imagined him getting absolutely drunk and doing something stupid. Swallowing, she asked: "What happened next?"

"He decided he was going to go to bed and then wake up early in order to drive to all the neighboring towns until he found someone who would be willing to take your case," John explained. "And he did just that."

A chill swept through her as she realized what had likely happened. Robin had driven too close to the town line and the curse sabotaged him so he couldn't cross it. Not many people had tried to cross the town line since they arrived in Storybrooke but she knew the few who had dared try ended up with bumps, bruises and broken bones.

John squeezed her hand. "He wasn't driving drunk, if that's what you were thinking. He slept off his beers, ate a good breakfast and had coffee. He didn't even look hungover, just energized since he was a man on a mission."

"The bloodwork will confirm that," Tuck agreed. "If he does have any alcohol in his system, it will likely be way below the legal limit."

"But it was a car crash?" she asked, needing them to say it out loud.

John sighed, looking over at Tuck. Nodding, Tuck confirmed her worst fears. "Yes, it was a car crash. It seems that Robin hit a patch of black ice and lost control of the car. He ended up spinning out before rolling into a ditch."