Swan Song ❂ Killian Jones [1]

30

David and Odette had moved quickly through the hospital, on their way to the room where they'd been told they'd find Dr Whale. And when they reached it, David was the first to start questioning the person that had found him in the first place. "What's going on? I just got a call that Dr Whale was attacked."

Looking into the hospital room through the glass separating them from it, Odette took in Whale's state as he lay in the hospital bed. It was clear that whoever attacked him had truly spared no punches. His body and face were littered with bruises, but worst of all was the fact that he was missing an arm.

"You'll have to ask his doctors." Regina answered the question, seeming to have no information to give them.

"No. I am asking you." However, David himself didn't believe that. Not when Regina was involved.

"I came here to speak with him and discovered he was hurt." Regina shared all that she could. From the tone of her voice, it was obvious that she was annoyed by David's silent insinuation of her involvement. One that he did not give up on as he sent her a look of disbelief. "It's the truth."

"What else?" It was too short of a story, containing too little information and for David that seemed rather suspicious. "What did you come here to speak with him about?" He questioned, thinking it all to be too much of a coincidence to actually be one.

Giving out a small sigh, Regina paused for a few moments before finally answering the question. "Someone from my past. I believe he's come back. Daniel. His name is Daniel." Odette's eyes widened at the revelation.

"And you think Whale had something to do with it? Something like what? Was he back in the Forest?" She questioned in surprise. Not only was the idea of Whale being able to bring someone over from another realm a shocking one, but she also couldn't imagine what the possibility of it might feel like for Regina.

"Odette." David spoke in a warning tone, lightly shaking his head at her in a silent sign that had the blonde's brows furrowing. At least until David continued and revealed more of the story. "The man you were supposed to marry. Snow told me what happened, and... how it was her fault that he died." David pointed out, and Odette couldn't help but be surprised, silently scolding herself for so easily believing Regina's story.

"Yes. He did." But the former mayor was still adamant in telling it.

"Well, then how could he be back?" David questioned, obviously having a hard time believing this story. Odette was too. In all of her research on magic, one thing was always clear. No form of magic could bring someone back to life, no matter how hard you practised and tried to do so.

"Whale." Regina revealed, and for the first time since the return of their memories, Odette found herself wondering who Whale might've been back in the Enchanted Forest. "He believed he could bring him back from the grave, and... I don't know how... but he has."

"You don't know how? Guess." David insisted, believing that if anyone could understand how such a feat could be accomplished it would be Regina and all of her vast knowledge of dark magic. Because bringing someone back from the dead certainly did sound like dark magic to him.

"He practices something more powerful than magic... or so I was told. All he needed was a heart, and he took one of mine." Regena's revelation had both David and Odette's eyes widening in shock.

It was lucky that David pulled Regina off to the side, further out of the earshot of any of the nurses passing by them. It reminded Odette not to scream out the question on her mind but rather, as David did, ask it quietly to avoid raising a panic. "You have hearts here?"

"In my vault." Regina nodded her head, not even bothering to hide that part of the story. However, she did quickly add on a somewhat remedying fact. "From our land." She attempted to make it clear she wasn't currently stealing any hearts. They were all from before.

"Whose heart did he take?" Odette questioned, believing they had to do what they could to get the heart back and return it to its rightful owner. As should be done with all of the hearts still in Regina's possession.

"I have no idea. I took so many; it was impossible to keep track." Regina answered honestly, quickly dispersing any ideas Odette may have had about returning to hearts. They couldn't give them back without knowing who each heart needed to be given back to in the first place. "I need to go. I have to help him." Regina, done with the conversation and overcome with a new sense of urgency, tried to step past David, but he wouldn't let her.

"No. Where is he?" David insisted, obviously wanting to be the one to go after Daniel himself. However, upon noticing Regina's hesitancy to tell him, he realized she'd need more persuasion on the matter. "Look what he did. He's dangerous." He reminded, his hand pointing back to the bed in which Whale lay.

"Not to me. He won't hurt anyone else, David, I promise." Regina tried to plead with him.

"You know I can't take that chance. You have two choices, Regina... tell me where he is, or jail." David insisted. A part of Odette felt as if it would be a smart idea to let Regina be the one to go after Daniel.

If she was right, and he wouldn't hurt her, then she was the best person to face him. And to have a chance to see the man she loved again. But as her thoughts seemed more alike Iris' than her own normal ones, Odette chose to remain silent in the moment, believing David's judgement to be better than her own at the time.

"I think it's like when...you awoke from your coma." Regina finally started to share what she believed might be Daniel's next destination. "He's following his final thoughts to where he last met me... the stables." And while the thought, the romance of it all, seemed to brighten something within Regina, for David and Odette it made dread overcome them.

"No. Henry. Henry's at the stables." He revealed, and soon enough, even Regina's won smile was wiped from her face as she came to understand what David's words meant.

Within seconds all three were gone from their spots standing by Whale's hospital room and instead they were rushing through the halls. The debate over who would follow after Daniel and try to stop him was now long forgotten. They were all going. And they were all aware how precarious of a position Henry may find himself in if they weren't fast enough.