darker_london | Sympathy (Emma, Liz)

Liz was feeling guite sick to her stomach as she walked down the hopsital corridor on her way to Emma's room. She had finally decided, with the help of Dietrich, that she needed to see the woman who was still, according to law, her wife. Dietrich was being beyond understanding as supportive. That actually made going to see Emma harder, though he wouldn't have understood that. Liz knew, deep down, that Emma wasn't going to go anywhere this time. She just knew that. Because, despite the terrible thing Emma had done, Liz still knew her, deep down. And eventually, Liz was going to have to choose what she was going to do about that.

Liz appeared in Emma's doorway and she held her breath as her eyes found Emma for the first time in months. Emma was bruised and swollen and she looked absolutely terrible and Liz had to suck in her breath through her teeth to keep from making some sort of pained and shocked exclamation.

Emma heard the noise and she turned her head slowly until she found Liz there. And then, she sat up a little straighter, as much as was possible. Her Liz. Here. "Er..."

To be fair, Liz didn't know what to say either. But she did feel that it should be Emma's job to flounder for words in this instance and Liz would have made her, were she not injured. Instead, Liz spared her from that. "Hope told me she came to see you."

Emma nodded silently. Then she added, "she stayed with me for quite a while."

"Well, she's a wonderful girl." Liz said with a perfunctory nod. "She deals with things quite well. Most of the time. She feels abandoned, but she'll be okay."

Emma looked down at her feet, sticking up from under the covers. "And...how do you feel?"

"You want to open that door?" Liz asked, crossing her arms. It was still hard to look at Emma, but she forced herself to do so. When Emma nodded, Liz continued. "Alright. I feel betrayed. Sad. I feel angry and confused and upset. I feel lonely a great deal of the time. And humiliated. I trusted you and you humiliated me not two months after we were married. I forgave you for sleeping with Michael. I let you back in and you do this to me? I feel worthless. That's how you made me feel. Worthless."

"You're not worthless, Elizabeth..."

"To you?" Liz asked, her arms still crossed defensively. "How would I know that?!"

"I..." Emma sighed. "I don't think you're worthless. I love you. I'm just...I made a mistake." Even as Emma was saying it, she realised she was making up her mind. "I'll prove it to you. I'm not going anywhere again. I'll stay with you."

"No." Liz shook her head. "Not with me. Stay here if you want. Prove to your daughters that you won't run from them again. But you are not with me."

Emma hung her head, but she nodded mutely. "I understand."

Liz didn't soften. She had no sympathy for Emma's emotional turmoil in regards to her. Everything else, of course. But not this. "Good." Then she added, "you look thin."

Emma let out a breath. "Yeah. I...that's not...that was the Templar...it wasn't me."

"Oh...sorry.." Liz leaned against the wall and she frowned. "How long were you there?"

"Three weeks. I think. I don't know. It was...seemed longer."

Liz nodded and Emma nodded and then there wasn't much more to say. But Liz stayed anyway. If, for no other reason, than to prove that she wasn't one to leave.