Chapter 4

Tina cell phone was ringing. She groaned and opened her eyes. 3 o’clock in the morning! If it was Bette, she was going to kill her. “Hello?”
“Tina Kennard?” the voice was rough and male.
“Who is this?” Tina asked as she walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water.
Ms. Kennard, this is Officer Alban of the Hollywood police department,” Tina stopped dead in her tracks. ‘Oh my god,’ she thought.
A Ms. Better Porter has you listed as next of kin for all medical emergencies.”
Tina’s head began to get fuzzy, and her hands began shaking.
“Whats happened” she said unable to control the tremors in her voice.
“Ms. Kennard, Ms Porter was in a car accident and is currently being treated at Hollywood Medical Center. We need to ask that you come down here to sign some forms.” Tina dropped her glass barely hearing it shatter on the cold tile floor. ‘Bette, oh my god” she said. “Is she okay?” Tina was hardly able to move but knew that she needed to get to Alice and wake her up.
“She is alive, ma’am. I’m afraid thats all I can say until you come down to the hospital. Please ask for Dr. Crane or Office Alban when you arrive.” Tina said okay and hung up the phone. She was in a daze, and stumbled into Alice’s bedroom. ” Alice, wakeup.” She began as she turned on the light and started getting dressed. Alice was in no mood for interruptions. “Huh?”
“Alice, get up!” Tina yelled and kicked her friend. “Bettes in the hospital, I need you to drive me!” Alice bolted upright from her sleep. “What? Okay!” She scrambled for her jeans. “What happened?”
“I dont know, the officer was very vague. Oh God, Alice, What if?”
Tinas voice trailed off and she began crying. Alice looked up from putting on her shoes and said” No Tina, Dont think like that! Lets go!” and with that the two girls headed out the door into the deep night.

The drive to the hospital felt like it took forever, though there was no traffic. Tina sat in the passenger seat, wringing her hands; while Alice called Dana and Shane to have them meet them at the hospital. Once they had parked, Tina flew out of the car before Alice even had her door open. She was inside waiting for the dr. when Alice walked in.
“Any news yet?”
No, Tina said, they paged the doctor. Said it would be a few minutes.
Alice put her arm around Tina to try and steady her. She had been shaking so bad the whole ride, Alice wondered if Tina even realized it. A few minutes later, a tall curly redhead walked into the room in a white doctors coat. ‘Yum.’ Thought Alice who immediately felt guilty for thinking someone was hot while her friend was hurt. The red head spoke with the nurse and then walked over to stand in front of Tina and Alice.
“Ms. Kennard?” she said looking back and forth at them both.
Tina stood up and said “Im Tina Kennard. Please tell me what has happened to my wife.”
“Lets talk someplace more private” Dr. Crane began to walk to the left of the emergency room. Tina motioned for Alice to come with and took her hand as they walked. All Tina could imagine was that Bette was dead. She was crying again as they followed the doctor to her office.
Dr. Crane took a seat behind her desk and motioned for Tina and Alice to sit in front of her. “Tina was already speaking asking when she could see Bette, what had happened, and began pleading for some answers.
Dr. Crane looked compassionately at Tina before speaking.
“Ms. Kennard, Ms. Porter was in a very sever car accident this afternoon. Her car struck a parked vehicle before spinning out of control and crashing into the side of the mountains that run along PCH. She was airlifted here and has been in my care ever since.’”
Tina sat back trying to absorb all of the information.
“Ms Porter is in Intensive care. She has already had her spleen removed. There is severe damage to her internal organs, mostly her liver. Right now, her liver is failing to function properly. Ms Porter also has sever trauma to her brain.”
Tina was sobbing now, slumped over in her chair. No, not my Bette!’ she thought.
Alice did her best to hold Tina up and give her support, while feeling that she was going to pass out herself.
Dr. Crane continued to speak; ” We dont know the extent of the trauma to her brain, and wont unfortunately, until Ms. Porter wakes up. She is in a coma right now.”
Tina took a moment to compose herself and asked if she could see Bette.
“Yes, but I must warn you. Her condition is failing, Ms. Kennard.”
Alice turned to the doctor with fire in her eyes. “Doctor, what are Bettes chances?”
Dr. Crane looked at Alice and was her strength. She looked back at Tina and spoke.
“Her brain function is minimal, we wont know the full extent of her brain injuries until she wakes up. However, with her liver continuing to fail, unless we can find a donor quickly, death will be imminent.”
Tina felt her world spinning out from under her. She was going to be sick. Tina jumped up and raced down the hall to the bathroom. Alice stared after her friend, in shock herself.
She looked at the doctor. “What do we need to get her a new liver?”
Doctor Crane stood and motioned for Alice to follow her.
They walked down the hall towards the bathroom and talked about liver transplants.

Tina was in the first stall, dry heaving. She felt like she would pass out. She kept telling herself that this was not happening, it was all a terrible dream. But she couldnt wake up from it. Tina wiped her mouth and walked to the sink. She splashed cold water on her face and walked out of the bathroom where she found Alice and Dr. crane waiting for her.
“I’m okay. Please take me to see Bette.”
Alice took Tinas hand and walked to the doors of the ICU with her. Tina looked at Alice and hugged her, then turned to follow Dr. Crane. Alice walked to the sliding doors of the emergency room and began dialing her phone.

Tina stood looking through the glass doors at Bette, summoning the strength to go in the room. ‘You can do this. She needs you. Be strong, Tina’ before she walked in the room, Tina had a vision of the night she found out about Candace flash into her mind. She shook it away as she stepped in the room.

END Chapter 4