Today

Untitled Part 1

REGGIE'S POV 

 "Hey, Regina!" I stiffen at the familiar voice. Even I'm painfully aware of how awkward I look when I spin around with a nervous wave, my face bright red. I'm also aware of how much worse I make it when I open my big mouth. 

 "Sorry, I have to uh go do a...thing? With a person at a place? Um, I mean, bye?" Which is of course followed by an awkward mix of running and waddling before I can turn a corner and flee to Endless before Conelly gets the opportunity to catch up with me."I'm so stupid!" I whine to no one but myself as I pass by no one. No one? I look around to find absolutely no one around me. Wait, where is everyone? I know Todd and Esther are in school, probably in a class by now actually, but what about the people of Endless Island? They're never far, they love me and they love to greet me when I arrive, as they've done since I created or found Endless. I'm still not sure which one it was, but I do know that this is my island and its people adore me. I mean, I didn't really want to talk to any of them right now, but still! 

 "Guys?" I call out as I walk around. "Where is everyone?" I feel worry bubble up in my chest, what could have happened while I was away to make everyone disappear? A wave of relief washes over me when I hear noise coming from nearby. I slip through the trees and find everyone gathered around something, so I move closer. I don't even get to see what they're looking at before the pain sets in and I'm laying on my back. What happened? Black spots start to fill my vision and my body feels numb. I don't want to die here. I have to get out of here! I lift my key again and escape into reality. Please be safe until I return, Endless. 

 CONELLY'S POV:

 I stand up from where I had been leaning against Regina's locker, hoping that she might have forgotten something that would force ger to return. I wonder what I did to make her hate me. With a small sigh, I turn the corner to find the young redhead curled up on the floor of the hallway. How long had she been lying there? I sit down next to her still form and brush some of her hair out of her face. Feeling something wet, I pull my hand away to find my fingers covered in red. Please let this be some stupid prank. There's no way she could have gotten hurt without me hearing it. I was just around the corner from her! Pushing her hair farther out of the way, I find a gash on her forehead. I also find that her eyes are open. She was staring weakly up at me, her eyes starting to glaze over. I'll never be able to get the look of fear in her eyes out of my head. 

"You're gonna be ok. I'm gonna take you to the hospital, " I told her in the most comforting voice I could muster despite starting to freak out on the inside. I scoop her small body up and rush out of the school with her in my arms. What the hell happened to her? I couldn't shake the gruesome possibilities out of my head. I settle for the least gruesome as an answer even if it wasn't likely at all. She must have run into a locker and I was just too lost in thought to hear the clang of her head bouncing off of it. It did seem like a Regina thing to do. The only thing keeping it from being a possible truth is that I didn't hear anything. 

 "I don't want to go to the hospital, " she mutters so quietly that it's barely audible. She struggles to move her head up from it had been laying limp over my arm. To her, her head probably weighed a thousand pounds. 

 "I know hospitals can be scary, but you need it. The doctors and nurses there can help you feel better. Don't you want to feel better?" 

 "Hospitals are boring." She's been in the hospital before? I hope this isn't a regular thing for her. She's so precious and needs to be protected.'Snap out of it, Conelly!' I mentally chastise myself, shaking my head to clear it of any thoughts other than getting Regina to the hospital.