𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑨𝑵 𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑺 - Rumplestiltskin [1]

FORTY ONE

41|NEW LOCKS AND DOCTORING TASKS

Bella stood beside Mary Margaret and Emma with crossed arms and a raised brow. They were watching August install a new door lock to protect them from anyone trying to break in again.

"No one is getting through that." He said reassuringly to the women.

"Wow, when are you installing the torture chamber?" Emma joked with an impressed smirk.

"You don't like it? I call it medieval chic." August replied with a serious smile.

"I don't care what it looks like as long as it keeps Regina and her skeleton keys out." Mary Margaret said happily, feeling slightly more safe in her own home.

"This is pretty handy for a writer. Where did you learn how to do all this?" Bella asked, stepping forwards to stroke the perfectly cut wood.

"Woodshop. Eighth grade." He answered with a cocky grin.

"Oh, speaking of school, I have to get going." Mary Margaret jumped up as she realised the time.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" Emma followed after the teacher, Bella right behind.

"After a stint behind bars, how tough can a room full of forth graders be?" She chuckled while making a coffee to go. "Besides, aren't you the one we need to be worried about?"

"Me? Why?"

"Well, you did threaten to take Henry away from Regina." August spoke up while packing up his tools.

"Oh, that wasn't a threat." Emma said seriously. "I'm hiring Mr. Gold to help build a case against her. She tried to frame you for murder."

"But you do know what happens if you win?" Bella sat down on the counter, raising a brow at the blonde woman.

"Yeah."

"And you're ready?" Mary Margaret added. "To be his mom?"

"Yeah."

"Whelp, I'm off to work." Bella stood up and poured the rest of the coffee into her own takeaway mug. "Do you mind giving me a lift half way?"

"Of course." The teacher grabbed her keys and walked out the apartment first, Bella close behind. They left Emma and August alone, gossiping about crazy things the two could do.

"Thanks for the lift Mary Margaret, good luck at work." She waved good bye to Mary Margaret and walked to the hospital, walking past Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop on her way. She still had to call him but after strange dreams of a scaly man, she was too scared to do anything.

~•~

"Dr. Richards." Bella sighed when she heard his voice, spinning around to great the crazy doctor.

"How can I help you, Whaley?" She smiled, seeing him look over her carefully, as if he was looking for an injury.

"I heard you weren't feeling well at the party. You sure you're okay to be at work?" Dr. Whale asked with concern, not finding a physical injury.

"Just a little sleep deprived but I've got the two easy wards today." Bella cheered slightly, sipping at her coffee as the two walked through the halls. "But first, paperwork."

"You want to do mine as well?" He joked, nudging her slightly as they entered her office.

"You want some cookies?" She offered, gesturing to the half eaten tin on her desk. "Or do you have rounds to do?"

"I need to check up on Mrs. Nolan but I will be back for them cookies." Dr. Whale laughed before waving good bye and leaving her office.

Bella sat at her desk and signed some paperwork, filling out doctors notes and analysis on patients. She sipped at her coffee and when it finished she made a second one, the lack of sleep starting to hit her hard.

Once she had finished and piled at one end of her desk she stood up. Stretching her tired limbs before grabbing her notebook for the day. Bella locked her office and wandered through the halls, desperate to go home but knowing she still had ten hours left.

"Hello, Mrs. Roberts." She greeted an elderly patient as she stood at the end of the bed. "How are you legs feeling today?"

"Much better, ma'am." Mrs. Roberts smiled at her, her green eyes gleaming as the doctor looked over the patient's legs, checking the damage.

"They definitely have healed, the first degree burns seem as if they never happened." Bella winked with a chuckle. "But they will definitely leave a small scar."

"I will seem like a badass." The patient winked back, making Bella laugh louder while nodding in agreement.