Author's note: Welcome people to my new story! I know I still have OTLOS going on, but I just had this idea for a long time and when I realized that there is not a story like this one I decided to give it a go! Hope you like it and don't forget to review and follow! Reviews really make my day. PD: No beta, all mistakes are mine.

So it finally happened, Emma thought the moment she saw the doors of Storybrooke Hospital open for her. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Emma Swan had always fought for the right to become a doctor. Having been left at an orphanage as a baby, Emma grew and moved from one foster home to another. To most children, such a system meant instability and bad grades, but for Emma it meant a way to show the world that she was worth it. It meant to show to the people that abandoned her the big mistake they did and how wonderful and intelligent she truly was. She realized that if she wanted to change the way her life was it had to be because of her own accomplishment and not from a far-away miracle. Hope, in Emma's mind, was something that just didn't happen. The world had been tough on her, and as a result of that Emma decided to face it straight on and win. It started with keeping her grades up no matter the emotional situation she was going through. Being moved from one foster system to another meant that she changed schools, professors and subjects a lot, but during the months she stayed in school she gave it her best and learned the most she could. This system of studying and reading all the time truly helped her, and thankfully she was able to finish middle school and start high school: By graduating with one of the highest grades she secured herself a scholarship in Boston University and, deciding that she wanted to be a doctor she studied like crazy and finished college in two and a half years. She immediately went to medical school and finished it in just 3 years, which already meant that she was almost 4 years ahead in comparison to her peers. After that she started her general medical internship, again in Boston University and finished it in 4 years, probably the first time she was unable to graduate earlier. Now, with 26 years she was starting her surgical internship, and as everyone would have expected her to do she should have stayed in Boston and finish it there. It was the obvious thing to do, and when Emma told the hospital that she was doing it somewhere else the news were a complete shock to them. To be honest, even for Emma it was a shock to leave Boston and finish her surgical education in a little town that no one knew about. So then you must be wondering why she did it.

Emma had been preparing all the necessary paperwork for the internship program in Boston University, and after checking her mail she saw a letter addressed to her. It was from her mother, her birth mother who had abandoned her in the middle of Boston. The letter said the reasons why her parents abandoned her, apparently some excuse of giving her 'her best chance' at life and not keeping her back. Almost tearing the card after that, Emma took a deep breath and kept on reading, realizing that her mother was dying and had managed to somehow find her. She was begging her to come to Storybrooke, Maine so they could meet and make amends. Emma knew it was because she wanted to die peacefully, and, although it pained her, she realized that it was the right thing to do.

The distance from Boston to Maine was not so long, and after reading the instructions the letter gave her she finally found herself in Storybrooke, Maine. It was truly a small town, with only one clear hospital and one diner. Scoffing Emma drove around Main Street and turned left on Baker Street (she assumed they named it Baker because the bakery was right there) and saw a small apartment at her right. Taking a deep breath she got out of the car and headed to the second floor, going straight to the door on the left and knocking it slowly but clearly. It took a few minutes, but a woman finally opened the door and looked at her in deep concentration. Emma returned the stare and she was able to see the similarities the two of them shared: Same chin, same height and complexion and same color of eyes. Gulping, Emma made her way in after being invited by the woman and sat down in one of the couches. The woman followed and just stayed in contemplation, trying to gather her courage.

"Emma..." she started to say. "Thank you for coming."

Emma nodded. "Well, you really didn't give me a choice, did you? I mean, after telling me you were dying and it was your last wish to see me..."

"My name is Mary Margaret Blanchard." she added while giving Emma some water and taking a seat.

I have heard that name before, Emma thought while accepting the drink and taking a sip from it. "So, your letter..."

"Yes..." Mary Margaret said quietly. She took a deep breath. "In regards to your previous statement, we always have a choice Emma." the woman replied. "And I am not dying, at least not yet." she said quietly.

"So it was all a trick?!" Emma said angrily.

"It wasn't Emma." Mary Margaret said sadly. "I got diagnosed with Alzheimer's."

Emma looked up at Mary Margaret and exhaled, already realizing what this all meant. "And you have no one else."

The woman nodded. "I have always lived alone. After your father died..." she started to cry softly. "I knew I couldn't give you the life you deserved with me being an 18 year old high school graduate. I had to give you your best shot at life." she tried to apologize. "It was the hardest thing I ever had to do."

Emma nodded in comprehension. She was still upset, but to give a face and a reason for her mother's action somehow appeased her. "And then what happened?"

"I became a doctor." the woman laughed. "I became one of the best doctors this country has ever known."

Emma looked up at Mary Margaret and realized why she had heard that name before. It was because her mother was responsible for inventing the Blanchard Method, an audacious laparoscopic technique meant to treat gallbladders. The technique was so groundbreaking when it first came out that it was published by The American Journal of Medicine and earned Doctor Blanchard her first Snow White award. Why were they named that way, Emma never knew, but the reality of her mother's influence in the medical field was immense. Hell, the doctors at Boston University taught her how to do her mother's technique. And it was all going to fade, she realized sadly. All the accomplishments and knowledge this woman had were going to fade away forever.

"I'm sorry." Emma said knowingly. "I can only imagine what you feel."

The woman nodded and stared at her. "You are also a doctor." she said.

Emma nodded. "I'm going to start my surgical internship in Boston University."

"And you are 24?"

Emma huffed. "I'm 26."

"And you are already doing your surgical internship?" Mary Margaret mused mostly to herself. "That means you are almost 4 years ahead of your peers."

Emma nodded.

"Impressive..." Mary Margaret started to say. "You are just like..." she stopped and then looked up at Emma with determination."Stay and learn from me."

Emma looked up at Mary Margaret in complete shock. "What?"

"You heard me." Mary Margaret repeated herself. "I have done many wrong things in my life, and one of them was to abandon you Emma." she said softly. "And I know there is no way we can turn the clock back, but what I can at least do is help you become the best in your field."

Emma stared at her mother, still numbed. "But... but my whole life is in Boston. I work at the hospital, and they want me back..."

"Of course they want you back." Mary Margaret smiled softly. "They want you back because you are a prodigy Emma, just like I was."

Emma smiled a little. "But I won't be able to find a job here... and who else will teach me?"

Mary Margaret laughed brightly. "Just because we are in a god forsaken town that doesn't mean the doctors are not good. If you stay Emma you will find a job at Storybrooke Hospital." Mary Margaret promised.

Emma looked at Mary Margaret, her mother, again and slowly moved towards the door. Before leaving she turned around and watched how her mother was looking intently at her. That determination was the same one she saw on her face every morning she woke up.

"I'll do it." Emma confirmed her and left the apartment, and ironically, her old life behind.

It took her approximately two weeks to get everything ready and, just like her mother promised her, the moment she went to Storybrooke Hospital and asked for a job she was interviewed by the Chief of Surgery. The man was clearly in his fifties, and although it showed she had to admit that the man was charmingly handsome. He had blonde hair and blue peaceful eyes. It was surprising to see such a calm man be the chief of surgery, but then again, this was a small town that barely saw some action.

"So Miss Swan, it says here that you just finished your general medical internship at Boston University..." Dr. Nolan told her calmly.

Emma nodded.

"And from being in one of the country's best hospitals you decided to leave it all behind and come to our small town of Storybrooke?" he asked with disbelief. "Why did you do this?"

"I came to Storybrooke so I could learn from Dr. Blanchard." Emma said with determination.

"Dr. Blanchard just got diagnosed with Alzheimer's." Dr. Nolan said sadly.

"And I understand why my decision to learn from her surprises you." Emma finished for him. "But I plan to learn all she can teach me before she loses her lucidity."

Dr. Nolan looked at her and nodded in understanding.

"And she is my birth mother." Emma continued softly. "I cannot leave her alone."

This earned her a surprised look from Dr. Nolan. "You are Mary's daughter?"

"You know my mother?"

"Well yes." Dr. Nolan stuttered. "We were residents together at Storybrooke Hospital."

Emma nodded, accepting his explanation but still suspecting that something else was going on. "So..."

"Oh right." Dr. Nolan laughed. "I just wanted to ask you about your rushed decision to leave Boston, but seeing that it was in order to be closer to your mother I welcome you to our surgical internship program." he grabbed her hand and grasped it tightly. "I wish you luck, Dr. Emma Swan."

Emma turned around and headed to the interns room, realizing that she had five minutes left before her shift started. She had been excited the previous night, and after having some drinks she had found herself in a small trivia game.

"The postictal state is associated with?" Mary Margaret asked her.

"Seizures." Emma answered.

"What medicine prevents Wernicke's encephalopathy?

"Thiamine."

"This heart valve is located between the left atrium and left ventricle..."

"It's the Mitral (bicuspid) valve."

"Which of the following signs of inadequate breathing is more prominent in children than in adults?" Mary Margaret smirked a little. She knew of Emma's dislike towards pediatrics.

Emma huffed, knowing what Mary Margaret was attempting to do. Although she didn't like pediatrics that didn't mean she wasn't prepared to treat a child. She smiled brightly. "Grunting respirations, nasal flaring and see-sawing of the chest and abdomen."

Mary Margaret smiled and nodded.

"Come on MM, you must have harder questions." Emma begged Mary Margaret, mostly because she was getting sleepy and she wanted to at least have a tough one before she went to bed.

"A 70 year old lady presents with right upper abdominal pain for 1 day, which was severe and persistent, with radiation to the back. She also experienced a low grade fever, nausea, and several bouts of vomiting during the same period. This is her first such episode, and her medical and surgical histories are unremarkable, with no history of diabetes, tuberculosis or peptic ulcer disease. A complete blood count, liver profile, and renal profile are all normal, while a random capillary glucose level is 10 mg/dL. Serum amylase and lipase are reported to be 1280 U/L and 1100 U/L respectively. Urgent ultrasonography of abdomen reveals a normal hepatobiliary tract, the pancreas could not be visualized clearly." Mary Margaret reads from one of the cards.

Emma thinks for a while about the symptoms. "How does she look?"

Mary Margaret smiles. "Not pale or icteric, although she does look ill. Temperature is 37.7 C, her pulse is 110bpm, her BP is 110/70 mmHg and her RR is 24 breaths per minute."

"What about the abdomen?"

"There is tenderness and guarding in right hypocondriac region. No organomegaly or palpable masses and her bowel sounds are sluggish."

Emma concentrated on everything Mary Margaret told her. She closed her eyes and imagined herself in the hospital, talking with the patient and examining her. "I would do a CT Abdomen scan, a Lipid Profile and a Serum Calcium."

"CT scan reveals acute pancreatis and left sided nephrolithiasis. Lipid Profile reveals high Tryglycerides and HD cholesterol while the Serum Calcium reveals a high Ionized Calcium."

Emma nods and smiles brightly. "She has acute pancreatitis associated with hypercalcemia."

Mary Margaret nods. "Yes she does. Emma, and that was a case question meant to be given to students that are taking their Board exams." she finishes with complete awe. "You are truly exceptional."

"Thank you MM." Emma says embarrassed by the sudden attention.

"With my help you will become the best surgeon this country has ever seen." Mary Margaret promised her.

Emma managed to give her a smile. And yet what I want the most is not that, Emma realized sadly.

By the time Emma finished changing into her blue scrubs, all the interns were already in the room. Emma had seen that there were at least fifteen more people in the group, but from those fifteen only four looked interesting enough. There was a woman with brown hair and green eyes, a real beauty who seemed to like talking about other people's business. Next to her was another woman, this one was also a brunette but instead of green she had blue eyes and an obvious Australian accent. The two of them seemed like best friends, and although they were trying to be quiet, the tall woman was almost shouting their whole conversation.

"Come on Ruby, we haven't even started and you are already giving us that bad vibe." a man complained softly.

"It's not my fault that you are so superstitious Neal." Ruby answered him while laughing. "You know that all I hear ends up becoming true."

Neal pouted. "You don't need to remind me that."

"Yeah, because you said he would barely make it to the program after almost failing the admittance exam." a man with black hair, blue eyes and a clear Scottish accent smirked.

Small town with already weird people, Emma mused to herself.

"And did you hear about that woman that came from Boston?" Ruby told them excitedly.

Emma looked amusedly at the four of them talking about her.

"Yes... totally weird. I mean, I have been trying my whole life to get out of here and she comes willingly." the other brunette said.

"Maybe she messed someone in Boston." Neal added. "And that's why she came here. You know, a fresh start."

"Or maybe she killed someone." Ruby screamed excited, making Emma flinch.

"Or maybe she just got bored of the city life." Emma added to the conversation.

The four of them looked at her with complete surprise, obviously not knowing who she was. Emma smiled charmingly and walked towards them.

"Emma Swan." she said while giving them their hand and shaking it. "Just moved here from Boston. Didn't kill anyone. Not that I know off." she winked at Ruby, who immediately blushed and looked down.

"You just got owned!" the brunette man screamed while high fiving Emma. "My name is Killian Jones, but everyone just calls me Hook."

"Hook?" Emma asked. "As in Peter Pan's Captain Hook?"

"I really like the story." he explained while blushing.

"I apologize for all of them." the short brunette with blue eyes said. "They can be so immature sometimes. My name is Belle French."

Emma smiled. "Don't worry. I would have thought the same thing."

"So why did you come then?" Ruby asked her.

"I came because a relative of mine is sick." Emma said carefully. She didn't want people to be nice to her because of who her mother was.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Belle said softly.

"Yeah, but that's life and as doctors we know there is a point in which nothing can be done." Emma said quietly.

Ruby, Belle, Neal and Hook looked at each other, clearly in need of saying something to the blonde but also too shy or just too awkward to do it. Thankfully they didn't have to because an old woman with glasses entered the room and everyone fell quietly immediately.

"My name is Dr. Eugenia Lucas but you will all call me Granny." she said going straight to the point.

"Granny like Red Riding Hood?" Hook asked, immediately earning a scowl from the woman.

"I am not your friend, I am not the person you will go to and cry. I am not the person you will try to joke with or go have a beer after work. I am your boss and you will go and do exactly what I tell you to do. Right now I have 15 interns in front of me, but I'm sure that by the end of this first year the number will decrease. Our career is not meant for everyone, and trust me that the attending surgeons will not make your life easier. You will need to earn your spot with them, and that is by being ready and knowing everything about their field of specialty."

Everyone looked at each other, clearly nervous about the woman's speech. Granny stared at all of them, trying to put a face to the name she was reading on her chart. She stopped for a while when she looked at Emma, and noticing that she was caught she quickly scolded the blonde for messing in other people's business. Emma liked her immediately.

"So as you all may know, we have seven departments here in Storybrooke Hospital: Pediatrics, Neurosurgery, Trauma, Plastic Surgery, General Surgery, Gynecology/OB and Cardiology." she said while looking at each one of the interns. "I will be alternating you between each department, and if an attending requests you for a surgery then you will only be able to do it if you are free or someone else is covering your spot." Granny continued. "So I suggest you make some friends." she looked at Emma who raised her hands in surrender.

"Head of the Pediatrics department is Dr. Ashley Boyd. Head of the Neurosurgery department is Dr. Gold, and don't ask me his first name because no one knows it." Granny added when she saw everyone ready to question her. "Head of the Plastic Surgery department is Dr. Jefferson McHatt. Head of the General Surgery department is the Chief of Surgery, Dr. David Nolan. Head of the Gynecology/OB department is Dr. Katherine Nolan and head of the Cardiology department is Dr. Regina Mills."

"I heard that they call Dr. Mills the Evil Queen." Ruby told them excitedly.

"Ruby!" Belle scolded her again. "I have heard that she is brilliant."

"I have heard that she is like a prodigy who finished her residency at 29 years old." Neal said while looking for Granny.

"You have heard a lot of things." Emma said amused.

"It's a small town." Belle told her while smiling. "Everyone knows each other's businesses."

"Those are the perks of having no privacy." Hook said while looking at Emma up and down. "Perhaps I can help you and get you to know our small town and it's dashing residents."

Emma laughed at the flirting attempt. "Thank you, Hook, but I'm afraid I don't go that way." she winked at him. "If you know what I mean."

Neal laughed. "So you bounce for the other team?"

"I bounce for any team that doesn't have Hook in it." Emma answered and everyone except Hook laughed.

"I like her." Neal said. "More if she can take him out of his self-imposed pedestal."

"Well, if anyone here can have a pedestal it's Dr. Mills." Belle continued gushing about the woman. "She is one of the best cardiologist this country has ever seen, with multiple Snow White Award nominations and she still decides to work in a small town."

"Maybe she has someone here." Hook said. "You know women and love."

Ruby, Belle and Emma looked at the man with angry eyes, clearly ready to hit him.

"Only you would have such retrograde thoughts." Belle said angrily.

"Still, he may have a point..." Ruby said, earning angry looks from Emma and Belle. "Wait let me finish." she said and laughed. "Because I also heard that she has a thing going on with the head of the nurses, I think his name is Robin Locksley."

"With a nurse?" Hook said while laughing. "What kind of doctor dates a nurse?"

"Perhaps the one that is not concerned about starting his practices in the right way?" they heard a woman's voice answer him.

Emma turned around to look at the person that owned such a captivating and powerful voice. When she saw the woman she wasn't disappointed at all. She was petite and had shoulder length black hair that complimented her face. She was wearing dark blue scrubs that hugged all her curves perfectly and her lips were painted with a dark red lip gloss that went perfectly with her olive-tone skin. Emma was captured by the beauty of the woman. She was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"Dr. Mills." Granny smirked when she saw the frozen look that Hook was giving the Cardiology attending doctor.

"Eugenia." Regina said while looking around the room, clearly disinterested. "I'm afraid I'm quite packed today and I will need one of your interns to help me." she said completely bored.

Granny nodded. "Take your pick." she said while giving her the list.

Regina looked at it for a while before returning it. "I want someone that clearly has an idea about my field." Regina said while staring at the students who were nervous. "If the ductus arteriosus does not spontaneously close off soon after birth (to become the ligamentum arteriosum), it may have to be surgically ligated. When clamping or ligating it, what important structure immediately behind it must be identified and saved?"

Everyone looked at each other around the room, clearly not having an idea of what Regina was talking about. Emma smiled, knowing that the question was tougher than what one would normally ask first year interns. She saw Regina looking completely bored and ready to give up on them all.

"The left recurrent laryngeal nerve." Emma answered.

Regina looked at the blonde and nodded, clearly surprised that someone knew the answer. "And why is that?" she tried to test the woman further.

"Well, because when performing surgery in this area, like the repair of a patent ductus arteriosis, if the left recurrent laryngeal nerve is damaged the repercussions of such an accident may lead to paralysis of the left vocal fold and cause hoarseness in the patient." Emma recited calmly.

Emma saw how everyone was looking at her in complete shock, clearly surprised of her knowledge and how calm she seemed to be. From what she could see, Regina (yes, in her mind she is already Regina) was also looking at her with complete surprise, and could that also be amusement?

"Blockage of blood flow in the proximal part of the anterior interventricular artery could deprive a large area of heart tissue of blood supply, unless a substantial retrograde flow into this artery develops via an important anastomosis with which other artery?" Regina asked her again. She knew this question was way tougher than the last one, and, if the intern got it then she was definitely going to take her along for her rounds.

"It's the posterior interventricular." Emma answered without hesitation. Thank God I love cardiology, she mused to herself.

"And why would it be that one?" Regina asked surprised.

Emma glanced around the room and saw how Ruby and Belle were looking at her as if she were an alien from outer space, clearly at awe. Neal was sneering, clearly jealous of how much she knew and Hook was just trying to see Dr. Mills cleavage. Asshole.

"The anterior interventricular and posterior interventricular arteries often anastamose. If there was a very extensive anastamosis between the anterior and posterior interventricular arteries, it is possible that the posterior interventricular artery might supply the tissue usually fed by the anterior interventricular artery." Emma said and then smiled brightly. "Besides, other arteries near the area would not be able to anastamose with the anterior interventricular artery because they supply other areas of the heart. But of course you knew that." Emma smiled brightly and winked.

"Very good Dr..." Regina complimented her softly.

"Emma Swan." she said while giving her the charming smile. She knew how this smile worked for her.

Regina reciprocated it softly, which earned her a surprised look from Granny who huffed and smacked the woman softly.

"So, you gonna take her or what?" Granny asked. "Because if you don't I may keep her to myself. She at least seems to know what she is doing here." Granny told the rest of the class who just looked around the room.

Regina glared at the old woman and nodded, clearly embarrassed at being caught staring and even worse, returning a smile. "Dr. Swan, follow me."

She saw Emma go straight next to her and walk silently alongside her. Regina was already regretting her decision about getting an intern to follow her because they always tried to enact some kind of lame conversation or to gain some points with her. Nevertheless, not a single word came out from the blonde woman who was just looking around the hospital quietly. This is quite a surprise, Regina thought to herself, a surgical intern that doesn't talk like crazy. She had been surprised, and actually shocked at seeing the knowledge that the intern had. The questions she asked to the group were hard on purpose because she almost hoped to find no one smart enough. Then again, Emma seemed to be very knowledgeable about her field, and confident enough to tell her about the second trick question she asked the group. She usually hated cocky people because they were the ones that at one point made terrible mistakes. But, for some strange reason she didn't hate that cockiness in Emma. In fact, it actually went pretty well with the young woman, and based on the little she saw, the woman was willing to give her peers an opportunity to answer before she took the stage. So she is also a doctor that likes teamwork, Regina smiled softly at that and found herself doing something she never did: Start a conversation.

"So tell me Dr. Swan, how come it's the first time I see you around this hospital?"

Emma looked at Regina with surprise. "How do you know I'm new here?"

Regina shrugged. "I would have remembered seeing you before."

Emma smiled. "Why thank you Dr. Mills. You are not so bad yourself, if I may say so."

Regina looked at the woman and blushed softly. Wait, did I just blush? I never blush. "I didn't mean it like that." she corrected herself immediately. "I said it because it's a small town and everyone knows everyone."

Emma laughed softly. "I understand Dr. Mills. And yes, I am new in town. I came from Boston."

Regina looked at Emma with complete interest. "Well, why would you come from there to here?" she asked amusedly. This woman is being truly interesting.

"A relative of mine got sick and I came to take care of her." Emma said calmly.

"I'm sorry to hear that Dr. Swan."

"Nah, don't worry. That's how life is, even to us doctors who believe that we are able to cheat death." Emma said while smiling softly.

"An intern without a God complex?" Regina asked loudly. "Dr. Swan, you are a hidden gem."

Emma laughed again. "And you are a very nice doctor, Dr. Mills. We just met and you already gave me two compliments" she winked at Regina.

Now it was Regina's turn to laugh. "Me nice? Just wait until you hear the nicknames I have earned from older interns."

"Oh I heard them already." Emma said calmly. "Still don't see the resemblance."

"Perhaps if you wait for a while you will." Regina teased her softly.

"Well, if it means I can learn from you then I think I can compromise." Emma smiled at Regina.

"It truly does seem that you are the only one from that bunch that actually knows a thing about medicine." Regina scoffed.

"They were just nervous." Emma defended her group quickly.

"And you were not?" Regina asked curiously.

"No. I don't get nervous anymore." Emma said while opening the door of the cardiology department for Regina who nodded in appreciation. "I learned a long time ago that if I don't help myself then no one else will. I have studied my whole life for this opportunity at being someone who can be worth it, be important to others. So, the moment I stopped getting scared was the moment I decided to prevent things from holding me up."

Regina looked at the young blonde in a complete new light. This intern was so different from the other ones she had met. This woman was determined to be successful, had the knowledge to do so and yet didn't brag about it. Emma Swan was truly a hidden diamond among rocks.

"I quite agree with you Dr. Swan. No one will help you, in fact, they may try to stop you if it means they advance before you do." Regina answered sadly. "But that doesn't mean one has to stand to their same level." she finished before going inside a room and asking Emma to do the same. "The patient from this room is now getting some scans done. I want you to read the medical file and see what is going on with her and what we could do."

Emma nodded and immediately grabbed the folder. She opened it and started to read it while slowly heading to one of the chairs from the room and taking a seat.

"So you are going to read it here?" Regina asked her amused.

"Well, since no one is here and I will have to come back..." Emma answered quietly. "Thought it would give me more time to actually read the file instead of walking back and forth, and of meeting the patient."

Regina nodded in acceptance. "That does make sense actually."

"So sit then." Emma told her distractedly while turning the page of the file. "I may have some questions about her history."

For the first time in her life Regina didn't rationalize her decision. She quietly lowered herself to one of the chairs and looked at Emma intently. The woman was clearly beautiful, and based on her face it could be said that she had 27, 28 years. But still, even with that young age she still had this huge level of maturity, of knowing when to stop finding answers and when to toss the towel.

"So she suffers a coronary occlusion and subsequently it is noted that there is a heart block." Emma read the diagnosis out-loud.

Regina nodded. "We did an EKG and we found that she has a Mobitz Type II heart block."

"So you are going to put a transvenous pacemaker?"

"Yes, we are applying transcutaneous pacing pads and..." Regina stopped the moment her pager went on. "Shit!" she yelled while getting up and running out of the room.

Emma immediately stood up and went behind her, dodging people and trying to move as fast as Regina. "What happened?!"

"She went into sudden cardiac arrest." Regina said while going into an exam room and watching the nurses giving CPR to the patient. She immediately moved and stood next to the nurse who was doing it.

"She is still unresponsive." the nurse said while compressing the woman's chest.

Regina moved around the nurse and took the pads. "How much was the last shock?"

"It was 200." the nurse answered while giving Regina space.

"Put an epi of 1mg with 20ml ns." she ordered the nurse who nodded and got to it. "Also, prepare the biphasic shock to 360." she said while getting the pads from another nurse. When the pads beeped Regina looked around the room. "Clear!" she yelled and pressed them down, the patient's chest rising because of the shock.

Emma saw how Regina then gave the pads back to the nurse and stopped everyone from moving. When they finally heard a heartbeat Regina relaxed and started to move back from the patient.

"Her heart beat is irregular but it's there." Regina said. "Finish putting the pads and after that prepare me a room for surgery." she ordered quietly and left the room.

Emma followed quietly behind, not wanting to disturb the older doctor who seemed to be deep in concentration. She was at awe of how calmed and composed Regina was during the whole ordeal, especially since she just resuscitated a patient in the middle of an exam room. Hell, the woman was a complete badass. When they finally got to the surgery isle, Emma followed Regina inside one of the prep rooms and saw how she started to prepare herself for surgery.

"Shouldn't you wait until they confirm you they have a room?" Emma asked surprised.

"They have a room ready, Dr. Swan." Regina answered softly. "The room we were taking her later in the day to install the pacemaker."

Emma nodded. "Small town, not so many patients, got it."

Regina nodded. "She crashed during the placement of the transcutaneous pacing pads." she continued while washing her hands and scrubbing furiously. "Why do you think this happened?"

Emma looked at Regina numbed. Is she seriously testing me in the middle of the prep room? And it seemed she was because Regina was waiting for an answer.

"She probably had a Ventricular fibrillation." Emma answered. "Other than that I see no obvious reason, besides the fact of her having a Mobitz Type II heart block that can easily become a complete heart block if left untreated."

Regina nodded in acceptance and turned off the sink. "So there was nothing we could do to prevent the cardiac arrest?"

"No Dr. Mills, and you know it." Emma finally understood what Regina was doing. She was trying to convince herself that the cardiac arrest wasn't her fault by testing Emma. "We can't control people and tell them when to come to get checked." Emma said softly while getting closer to Regina who looked down. "But we can do what you did and save them from their own stupidity."

Regina laughed softly. "It does seem the world is suffering from it."

Emma laughed too. "Trust me, I'm more worried about the douche apocalypse that is already upon us instead of a far away zombie one."

Regina looked at Emma and smiled amusedly. "You are not getting ready for the surgery Dr. Swan?"

Emma looked at her in complete shock. "Can I?!"

Regina smiled. "I assumed you were planning on getting in and watch me place the pacemaker, perhaps even try to place it yourself?"

Emma smiled her biggest smile of the day. "I wouldn't want nothing more Dr. Mills."

Regina was left speechless. She had never seen such a beautiful, sweet and innocent smile in her whole life. She knew what this meant, and although it was wrong of her, she knew there was nothing she could do about it: She liked Emma Swan and there was nothing she could do to stop it or herself from wanting to know her more.