𝙷𝙰𝚄𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙳, ᴏᴜᴀᴛ²

THIRTY FIVE

(CHAPTER 35 - SELFLESS, BRAVE AND TRUE)

🦢🗡

Flashback: Phuket - 2011

On October 24th of 2011, August had been asleep beside a woman, when he suddenly woke up due to a shooting pain in his led. He abruptly sat up and looked at his left leg, seeing it beginning to turn into wood.

August turned to the woman, "Wake up! Wake up!" He said as he freaked out.

The woman looked at the clock and groaned, "It's only 8:15, go back to bed," She said and pulled the covers over her head.

August pointed to his leg, "Look at this, right here," he pulled the blanket off her head, "Athena, wake up! Help me!" August pleaded.

Athena sat up, resting on her elbows, "If I look at your leg and nothing's there, I'm going to hurt you," she sighed, "Now, what are you com-," She began to say, but stopped seeing his leg.

"I need to go to a hospital," August told her.

"A hospital?" she looked at him properly, "August, your leg is wooden! A hospital isn't going to help," Athena said.

"Well, you never know," they looked at his leg, "Athena, this is bad," August said.

"I'll say," Athena said.

August and Athena looked at each other again, "I'm turning into wood/You're turning into wood," They said in unison.

End of Flashback

In the loft, David was about to take a breakfast tray over to Mary Margaret, when the twins walked downstairs, "Breakfast in bed? Seriously?" Emma questioned.

David turned to them as they walked into the kitchen, "What happened has been really hard on Mary Margaret. The least we can do is make sure she's eating," David said.

"We think it's time to give the hot cocoa and the foot massages a rest. It's time to haul her ass out of bed and get her to move past this," Emma said.

"That's a little harsh, don't you think? She took Cora's life," David said.

"She's only partially responsible for that," David looked at his son, "Nadia helped, yet she's acting like the weight of the world is only on her shoulders. She's not a child, David. She's a mother and a grandmother, as weird as it is, that's who she is. So, if she can't get her ass out of bed," the eldest twin shrugged a little, "I can't help someone like that," Elias said.

"That's a little harsh as well," David said.

"Yeah, well, the world's a harsh place...fairytale or not," Elias said.

Henry walked down the stairs, "Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Everything's fine, kid," Elias moved over to his son, "Get your coat, we're gonna be late," He said.

"Bye, Gramps, Emma!" Henry said and left, grabbing his coat on the way out.

"Sure you don't want me to come?" Emma asked.

"I can handle a few minutes," he put his coat on, "Open the station for me?" Elias asked as he slipped his Sheriff badge onto his belt.

"Will do," they watched Elias walk out the door, headed after his son and she turned to David, "I know you think that she needs our help, but at the end of the day, she's the only one who can help herself," Emma said and left, grabbing her badge and coat on the way out.