Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 18 - Escape

Emma walked from the lady's in Granny's and over to a table where Henry sat. She fixed up her shirt as she walked.
"Thanks for the shirt." she said as she sat down. "Hey, is this your mother's?"
"She'll never notice." Henry said talking a sip for his cup.
"Where does she think you are anyway?"
"Playing Whack-A-Mole."
"And she bought that?" she said surprised.
"She wants to believe it. So she does."
"Imagine that."
Henry nodded, then the door of Granny's opened, the bell ginggled and Mary Margaret walked onto the diner.
Henry looked towards the door. "She's here!" he said excitedly.
"Hey, don't get your hopes up. We're just getting started, okay?" Emma said before Mary Margaret spotted them and briskly walked over to them.
Mary Margaret slided into the seat next to Henry and Emma looked at her inquringly.
"He woke up." she said.
"What?" said Emma, her expression changing.
"I knew it." said Henry happily.
"I mean, he didn't wake up-wake up....... But he grabbed my hand."
"He's remembering." said Henry.
"What did the doctor say?" asked Emma.
"That I imagined it. But I'm not crazy I know it happened."
"We have to go back. You have to read to him again." Henry said.
Mary Margaret noded and took Henrys hand. "Let's go." They stood up.
Emma still sat at the table, perplexed. "Wait. Wait..... What?" she stood up.
Mary Margaret turned and Henry walked to the door. "If I got through to him, if we made a connection........" she started.
"You don't believe........"
"That he's Prince Charming? Of course not."
Emma took a breath.
"Somehow, someway, I touched him." she turned and walked to the door.
Emma stood in the diner, at loss of what to say it do.

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Henry ran through the asiles in the hospital, towards the private room, Mary Margaret and Emma walking briskly behind him.
"You're right! He's waking up." Henry said turning a little to looked at them.
Doctors and nurses crowded in the private room, while the sherif, Graham talked to a man outside the room.
Graham turned as he heard Henry approach him. "Henry, you should stay back."
"What's going on?" asked Mary Margaret. "Is it John Doe? Is he okay?"
Graham sighed. "He's missing."
They stood outside the room, in shock of what they heard.
Regina stood in the private room, staring out at the three people she had just noticed outside the room.
Regina walked quickly from the room and towards Henry, Mary Margaret and Emma.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she said casualy. "And you." she walked over to Henry and grasped his arm, pulling him towards her.
Emma breathed heavily, keeping her rage inside her ashe glared at Regina.
"I thought you were at the arcade. Now your lying to me?" Regina said staring into Henrys face.
"What happened to John Doe? Did someone take him?" Mary Margaret asked Graham, concerned.
"We don't know yet. His IV's were ripped out, but there's no sign for sure there was a struggle."
"What did you do?" asked Henry, glaring up at Regina.
"You think I had something to do with this?"
"It is curious that the Mayor is here." Emma said staring at Regina.
"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact."
"You know him?" asked Mary Margaret.
"I found him on the side of the road years ago with no ID. I brought him here."
Dr. Whale walked over to them. "Mayor Mills saved his life." he said.
"Will he be okay?" asked Mary Margaret.
"Okay? The man's been on feeding tubes for years, under constant supervision. He needs to get get back here right away or, quite honestly, 'okay' might be a pipe dream." said Dr. Whale.
"Well then let's quit yapping and start looking." said Emma and she turned and started walking away.
"That's what we're doing." corrected Regina. "Just stay out of this, dear."
Emma turned again, rowling her eyes slightly.
"And since I clearly can't keep you away from my son, I guess I'm just going to have to keep my son away from you." she took Henrys hand and walked forward. She stopped in front of Emma. "Enjoy my shirt, because that's all your getting." she turned away. "Sherif, find John Doe. You heard Dr. Whale, time is precious." she walked off taking Henry with her.
Graham sighed. "Doctor, hoe long between your rounds site you last saw him?"
"Twelve hours or so."
"Then that's what we need to account for."

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Graham, Mary Margaret and Emma stood in the security room, a man sat next to the sevalance cameras and Leroy stood next to him.
"You two were the only employees on the floor last night." said Graham. "And you saw nothing?"
"Not a thing." said the man by the sevalance cameras.
"Did anyone walk by?" asked Emma.
"I didn't see nothing." said Leroy.
"Miss. Blanchard, was there anything unusual you saw during your trip with your class?" asked Graham.
I don't think so."
Emma walked towards the sevalance cameras. "We're looking at the wrong tape. This is the ward where Henry's class put up the decorations. If this was really the tape from last night, we'd see the banners the kids hung." she knelt down next to the man sitting in the chair.
Leroy sniggered. "You fell asleep again." he said pointing at the man.
"You selling me out?" asked the man looking at Leroy.
"I ain't getting fired for this."
"Least I don't drink on the job."
"Gentlemen, enough!" interrupted Graham. "Where's the real tape?"
The man changed the tape. On the screen showed the ward full of pacients, during the night next to the private room. All was calm and silent until the door of the private room opened and John Doe stumbled into the ward and walked out the door.
"He walked out alone." said Mary Margaret. "He's okay." she said in relief.
"Four hours ago." said Emma, pointing to the screen. "Where does this door lead?"
"The woods." said Leroy.