In A Land Without Magic

Prologue

***I OWN NOTHING***

New York, Bellevue Hospital
Saturday, 1:43pm....

The automatic bay doors leading into the Emergency Department swung open. Two stretchers, one behind the other, hurried around the corner and through the threshold where they were met by two nurses half way down the hall. "Her stats became unstable as we pulled in. Tachy and O2 dropping." One of the paramedics explained as both gurneys were pushed into the doors leading to the trauma unit. "We couldn't get a trach in."

"This from the wreck that has Union Square at Park Ave shut down?"

"Yeah, it was a fuckin' mess. Word sure does travel fast."

"My husband gave me the tipoff. He's stuck down there, bumper to bumper."

Several more nurses filed in as they transferred both new patients into their own beds. One of the attending physician's quickly walked in, grabbing a pair of nitrile gloves from the boxes on the wall. "What do we have?"

"Double MVA. These two were together in the second car, the driver of the first was DOA." One of the responders says over the shoulder of another.

The charge nurse came in on the heels of the doctor, grabbing a dry-erase marker ready to take short hand on the white board. "We got a line on either one of them?"

"Yes, 18 gauge on both."

"Names?"

"Uh, lets see...was it Milton?" The paramedic slid over to the back end of his stretcher, grabbing his tablet and a small white bag containing what little belongings they had found. "No sorry, it's Mills. Henry Mills. He's been in and out of it, syncopal episode times two. The female didn't have a wallet on her and we weren't able to locate a purse but we also didn't make that a priority after assessing her." He jiggles the little white plastic bag before handing it off to one of the nurses charting. "His license and things are in there along with two cell phones. Both are cracked but still working."

A handful of nurses crowd both beds as they worked, cutting through shirts to apply the leads for monitoring. Just as the doctor opened one of the woman's eyelids, her eyes rolled back and her body arched and began to stiffen. "BP 80 over 60 and falling!" One of the nurses claimed as they firmly restrained an arm at the shoulder.

"Do we know if she's epileptic?" The doctor took a quick glance at the monitor. "Hell, do we have anything on her?"

"We got zilch... She's had LOC since we got there and the kid hasn't been conscious or coherent long enough to answer any of our questions." The quieter paramedic piped up as she wiped her forehead with her inner forearm.

"Ah-ha!" A nurse at a computer called out. "We have a Henry Mills and date of birth matches. Looks like he came in earlier this year for xrays."

"Push 5 of Dilantin on her."

"Pulse is 130 and climbing!" Another nurse called out. "Get the crash cart in here!"

The woman's body falls limp. Her head tilting to the side and for a moment all eyes fall on her as the cardiac monitor's alarm goes off with it's numbers flashing. All bodily functions coming to a halt. "She's coding! We need to intubate now!" One of nurse tech's slide in to start early CPR as the cart is wheeled in and supply box is cracked into. The doctor steps to the head of the bed with tube and scope in hand. He pulls the woman's head back, pushing her jaw open. On the second attempt, the tube slides down into the trachea. "I'm in, someone start bagging...." Three nurses and two CNA's step in to start the CPR rotation as the Ambu bag is attached. The group around the bed quietly watching the first round, all eyes on the monitor. Mid-way through the second rotation the defibration pads are pulled and prepared when numbers light up the screen. "We got her."

"Vitals?" A voice calls out from one in the group.

"Still tachy, 121. BP is 105 over 70. O2 Sat is 81."

The charge nurse took a step back to look over the board as she re-capped the marker. "Alright, someone get Respiratory to bring us a vent and call CT, tell them we have a STAT. I'll call ICU."

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Storybrooke, 108 Mifflin Street
Saturday, 2:37pm....

It had taken a year or so for him to completely understand all the rules of the game, but with time Robin had fully turned into a football fan. He and David both embracing the season every year, even making small bets with one another. And every other weekend there seemed to be a party at one or the other's house to cheer the teams on. It was good to see the thick friendship between the two, almost as if they were brothers. They're families intermingling, creating an even bigger one. But this Saturday evening was a bit different. David had promised Snow a mini-vacation as well as pit-stop to visit Emma now that she and Killian were living back in New York. The Swan-Jones family had kept their property in Storybrooke but with this being Henry's first year at college both she and Regina agreed that they'd feel safer if someone was closer to him. And truthfully, it just worked out perfectly for them. Emma knew the Big Apple almost as well as she the knew the back of her hand and after all, it was only a year or so. But after baby Hope came along, Snow was just dying to make that trip to have more time with her daughter and newest grandchild.

On Friday Neal was dropped off at the Mayor Mills residence for the weekend, nothing out of the ordinary there. Roland met them at the door and the two of them ran off to play video games until supper was ready. Snow gave Regina a quick hi and bye at the door and that was that. They had done this with before with the boys having sleepovers, nothing to bat an eye at as the weekend started out close to normal.

The following day, Regina found herself busy in the kitchen making dips and preparing food for the grill as Robin carefully showed the boys his own proper techniques of barbequing. And luckily enough, no one lost their eyebrows. Come two o'clock and it was time for the ritual to begin. Robin settled into his special spot on the couch with Regina as Roland and Neal flanked them on both sides. From all the noise coming from the livingroom she would have almost said it was the Superbowl they were watching. The television nearly blaring with another touchdown as Robin and Roland both roared in excitement. Even Regina got in on it, donning the colors of Robin's favourite team along with the rest of the trio to more or less cheer them on. With a laugh and shake of her head, she tussled Neal's hair as she got up from the sofa to replenish drinks and foods.

Finger sandwiches and drinks are carefully arranged on a tray just as Emma's name lights up on her phone. It rings, vibrating against the marble counter top as the little jingle is almost gets lost in the noisiness of the household. She balances the food in one hand as she quickly grabs her phone to place it to her ear.

"If you're calling to complain about your father's behavior over that last touchdown you can save your breath." An airy laugh slides in between her words. "I'm well aware how he gets."

"......it's me, luv."

"Killian?" An eyebrow raises as she balances the phone between her shoulder and ear before setting the tray of sandwiches back down on the counter. In just that short phrase she can tell something is wrong. "Where's Emma?"

"She's here, but....." Sure enough, that usual playful tone he had was gone. "...you're needed. There's been an accident."

Regina grips the side of the counter. "What happened?"

The pirate hesitates.