Chapter 18

“I can´t loose her too Alice. I just can´t.” Bette cries.
Alice takes Bette´s hand in hers as they drive into the city.
“You won´t Bette. Tina will be okay.” Alice says.
“The last thing I said to her was, you be careful too. Right after I love you. At least I got to say that.” Bette cries as she stares out of the window.
Alice didn´t know what to say, she just held her hand. A little later they drove into the parking house at the hospital. They parked, got out of the cars and started towards the main entrance. Bette tried her best to wipe the tears away, to look at least a little presentable. Dana took the chance of calling Joanne again.
“Joanne, it´s Dana. I´m at the hospital. Can you tell me where to go?” Dana asks.
“Sure, we´re on the third floor, the surgical wing. Tina´s in surgery now.” Joanne says.
“Oh, is she going to be okay?” Dana asks. Bette looks nervously at Dana.
“They hope so, they´re not sure yet.” Joanne says.
“Okay, we´ll be up in a minute.” Dana says and hangs up.
“What´s going on?” Bette asks.
“She´s in surgery.” Dana says softly.
“Oh dear God, please let her be okay.” Bette whispers.
“Come on, she´s on the third floor.” Dana says.
Once they get up there, Joanne spots Dana, she walks towards her and embraces her.
“Dana, hi.” Joanne says. She´s surprised to see the two other women with her. “You brought friends?” Joanne asks.
“Yes, this is my girlfriend Alice Piezecki, and this is… a dear friend of Tina´s, Bette Porter. They´ve met here in the city. Bette runs a gallery.” Dana says.
“Oh, nice of you to visit Christina. I´m Joanne and that over there are my husband Paul.” Joanne says and points over towards Paul and the kids. She looks back at Dana and notices her hand holding Alice´s, she´s surprised to say the least.
Megan spots Bette and lights up, she taps Michael´s shoulder, he looks up and smiles. He stands up and they walk over.
“Bette, hi, nice to see you again.” Michael says.
“Hi, Michael, how are you?” Bette asks and gives him a smile. Megan steps forward and hug Bette. Bette put her arms nervously around Megan, and looks up at Joanne who is as surprised as Bette.
“Michael, you´ve met Ms. Porter before?” Joanne asks.
“Yeah, when we visited Tina. She´s great.” Michael says and gives Bette a wink.
“Yeah mom, she´s fun and she has this amazing gallery, with many nice paintings and stuff.” Megan says with great enthusiasm. Bette smile down at her.
“Joanne, please, is there any news on Tina?” Dana asks.
“No, not yet. Both her lungs collapsed. Her legs and arm are hurt, and she also has a large wound on her forehead. She´s been unconscious for a long time, according to the guy they found her with. Another student, he´s alive too, just a broken leg.” Joanne says.
Bette felt her tears starting to fall again. She quickly wiped them away, so Tina´s parents wouldn´t get any suspicions. Megan slipped her hand into Bette´s hand. She looked up at Bette, and Bette gave her a little smile.
They all takes a seat in the waiting area, and 1 hour later the doctor comes out. Joanne stands up, the others follow.
“Hi, you´re the Kennards?” He asks.
“Yes, Joanne and Paul Kennard.” Paul says.
“Good, I´m Doctor Trager. Your daughter is now stabile. She´s not breathing on her own at the moment, so we had to put her on a resperator to help her with that. Her leg is being operated on now, as for her right arm, that will be taken care of another day.” Dr. Trager says.
“When will we be able to see her?” Joanne asks.
“I don´t know at this point. I don´t know when they will be done with her leg. It´s a complicated fracture in her upper thigh area.” Dr. Trager says.
“Oh, but she will live?” Joanne asks.
“Yes, I believe she will mam.” Dr. Trager says and smiles. “I should get back. I´ll send a nurse for you, when she´s in her room.” He adds.
“Okay, thank you so much, Doctor.” Joanne and Paul says in unison.
The next few hours of waiting, was fearful for Bette. She kept going over and over again, how close she was to loose Tina, her soulmate, her beautiful love. Every now and again, tears would find their way down her cheek, she quickly wiped them away. But Joanne noticed it, she started to think that there was more to this Bette Porter woman then anyone led on.
Alice walks over to Bette with a cup of coffee. She sat down.
“Hey, how are you holding up?” She asks silently.
“Okay, I guess. I just want to run in there and hold her hand, telling her that everything is going to be okay.” Bette says. Alice softly rubs her back.
“You´ll get that chance soon. You heard the Doctor, she´ll be fine.” Alice says.
Another hour goes by, before a nurse enters the room.
“Mr. and Mrs. Kennard, your daughter is in her room and she´s awake.” The nurse says and smiles.
“She´s awake?” Joanne asks.
“Yes, she still can´t breath on her own, so she´s hooked up to a respirator, to help her breath. The Doctor is in there now, explaining it to her.” The nurse says.
“Can we see her?” Joanne asks.
“Sure, follow me. Not everyone though, can´t fill the room, just yet. Only family.” The nurse says.
“Dana, you can come, I know Tina looks at you like a sister.” Joanne says.
“Thank you, I´ll follow soon. You go ahead first.” Dana says.
The Kennards all walk down the hallway, following the nurse into Tina´s room.
“I´m sorry Bette. I´ll try and see if Tina says anything or imply anything, okay? Do you want me to say anything or show her anything?” Dana asks.
Bette takes out one of her business cards and write something on the back of it.
“You scared me. I love you so much – B.” Dana reads silently. “I´ll show it to her. I´ll be back soon.” Dana says and leans in and kisses Alice softly on the lips. They smile at each other and then Dana walks down the hallway and into Tina´s room too. Once in there she walks up to the bedside and looks down on Tina. She has her eyes open and notices everything, tears are falling every no and then.
“Hi TK, you gave us quite a scare, glad you´re okay.” Dana says and leans down and kisses Tina´s forehead. Tina slowly raises her good arm and gives her a thumbs up.
Everyone let´s out a chuckle.
“How long will she have to be connected to this?” Dana asks and points to the tube.
“The doctor says at least for another day. Her lungs needs to get better first.” Joanne says and smiles down at Tina and softly strokes her arm.
Tina again raises her arm and starts motioning with her fingers and thumbs. Like she´s writing a text message on a phone. Michael is the first to get the hint.
“She wants to talk.” Michael says and moves to her side, he takes out his cell phone and turn on the message window. He gave the phone to her, she smiles with her eyes.
“I got your back sis.” He says and smiles.
She starts slowly texting. Showing the first message around, saying “I love you guys.” Everyone answered her and she started on the next message. She showed that to Dana.
“Dont read loud. Is B here?” She deleted it right away.
“Yeah.” Dana replies with a big smile.
“What did it say?” Joanne asks curiously.
“Oh, sorry, private, girl stuff.” Dana says and smiles. Joanne isn´t convinced.
Tina continues with the writing, showing the next one also only to Dana.
“Still not loud, tell her I luv her, and Im sory.” Tina shows it again.
“I will.” Dana replies, still smiling.
Tina deletes it and writes more. That one she shows to her parents.
“Josh, guy I with, he okay?” Tina shows it.
“Yes, he´s okay, he just had a broken leg. He´s okay.” Paul says. Tina closes her eyes for a moment. She writes “good.” and then shows it.
She writes more and then shows it to Dana. “Go and get B.” Tina writes.
“You sure?” Dana asks. Tina gives her the thumbs up.
Dana looks nervously at Tina´s parents, then she leaves the room.
Tina writes more, this she shows to Michael.
“You still have my back? with Bette?” She shows it to him.
“Always sis.” He replies.
She then writes another message, this one she shows to her parents.
“Mom and dad, I have something to tell you.” She shows it to them. Both curious now, waiting for the next message. She writes it slowly.
“I met someone. Im in love. Bette is the one.” Tina writes and shows it to her parents. She blinks her eyes faster to try and remove the tears. Michael looks nervously at his parents from the opposite side of the bed.
“WHAT?” Paul asks, almost shouting.
“Dad, calm down.” Michael asks.
“I won´t calm down. Christina, you are not gay.” He says. “No child of mine are…. that…. gay.” He adds.
Tina writes more and shows it to them.
“Yes I am, and I luv Bette.” She writes.
Just then the door opens and Dana comes in with Bette slowly following.
“YOU.” Paul says and walks up to Bette. “You did this to her. You did this.” He shouts.
Bette is shocked, he pushes her against the wall.
“Mr. Kennard, stop it. What are you doing?” Dana asks and tries to push him away from Bette.
“Christina just told us she is gay… She wasn´t that when she lived back home. She turned gay when she came here and met this woman.” Paul says.
“You´re being ridiculous.” Dana challenged.
“No child of mine is gay, that´s final.” He says.
The machines on Tina is starting to beep more frequently, everyone stops. Tina is shaking. She holds up the phone. Michael takes it and read it.
“Dad, stop it. I luv her. nothing u can do about it. I´m an adult. my life.” Michael reads. He looks up at his dad, who walks over to Tina´s bedside.
“She clearly has manipulated you. You are not gay Christina.” He speaks softly.
The machines keeps beeping, a doctor comes in.
“What is going on here. We can hear the loud speaking down the hallway.” He says. He then looks over at Tina and sees that she´s having trouble breathing. He hurries over.
“Calm down ms. Kennard, concentrate, calm yourself down. After a few minutes, she´s calmed down. “Now, please keep it down, and don´t do anything to harm her. You´re her family. Act like it.” He says and leaves.
Bette has managed to walk over to Tina´s side, she has her hand in hers. Tina smiles with her eyes, Bette moves her other hand and softly strokes Tina´s forehead.
“Get away from her.” Joanne suddenly says out loud. Bette turns surprised at the outburst. “Can´t you see that you being her is distressing her? She´s been through enough today. She doesn´t need anyone but her family right now. So, get out.” Joanne says.
“Mom, don´t.” Michael says.
“Why? I almost lost my daughter today. I won´t let anything get in the way of her recovery.” Joanne says.
“Why don´t we let Tina decide it?” Bette challenged.
“She can´t speak, can´t you just leave, this is a family matter… You being her, get´s her heart rate up, she´s upset…” Joanne now says almost shouting. “You don´t know what it´s like to almost loose a child, so please just leave. We don´t want you here.” Joanne says now harshly.
Bette´s shocked, she lets go of Tina´s hand, tears stream silently down her cheek.
“Mom, what the hell are you doing. Shut the fuck up.” Michael says, he runs to Bette´s side.
“I´m sorry, she´s just hurt, please I´m sorry.” Michael says.
Tina is banging on her bed. Michael turns towards Tina. He sees the phone. He walks over to her and takes it. He reads it once and then gives it back to her. By the time he turns, Bette is out of the room, so is Alice. Dana looks angry, Michael had never seen Dana that angry.
“What the hell do you think you are? You think you´re the only one who´s been in this situation, you think you´re the only one who´s experienced anything like this?” Michael says, finally he´s able to stand up to his bigoted and small minded parents.
“Michael, what are you…” Joanne says calmly as if nothing´s happened.
“No, no Michael me. Do you have any idea what Bette has been through? No, you haven´t, well, I do, and so does Tina, and so does Dana. Bette was married before, she and her wife had a kid. 2 years ago, they died after a car accident. She lost her whole family… And what you just said to her, that was… I don´t have words for it mom. I hate you right now, and I can assure you that what you just said, will not get any forgiveness from Tina either for a very long time.” Michael says. He walks back to the bed and takes the phone and read the latest message.
“She want´s you out of here. She doesn´t want to see you for a long long time. She´s an adult, she doesn´t need you here.” Michael says, he squeezes Tina´s hand softly.
“Christina, you don´t mean that. We´re your family.” Joanne says as she walks to the other side of the bed. Tina takes the phone again and writes another message. She shows it to her mother.
“Get out. I love you guys, but right now, I can´t stand to look at you, I dont know when Im able to again. get out.” Tina looks at her mother with hatred in her eyes.
Joanne and Paul walks towards the door.
“Megan, come here.” Paul says.
“I want to stay here with Christina.” She says.
“Sis, come here.” Michael says. Megan walks over to him. “I´m going to stay with Christina. I´ll make sure she´s okay, okay. Go home with them. I´ll call you soon.” Michael says and gives her a hug.
“I don´t want to go with them. They hurt Bette and Christina.” Megan says.
“I know. But please, for Christina´s sake. I´ll call tomorrow, I promise.” Michael says.
Megan cried as she followed her parents out of Tina´s room.
Michael stood up and looked at Tina. Dana walks over to the bedside too.
“I´m sorry sis.” He says and strokes her arm. She shows them the last message.
“Go get bette, make sure she´s okay. tell her parents r gone.” Dana smiles and leaves the room.
Dana looks outside the room, but she doesn´t see Bette and Alice, she walks back to the waiting area. Not there either. She pulls up her cell phone and dials Alice´s number. She picks up on the second ring.
“Hi, how is she?” Dana asks.
“Not good.” Alice replies.
“Tina threw her parents out. Told them go get the hell out. I think they´re leaving town. Michael´s still here though. Tina wants Bette to come, if she´s up for it.” Dana says.
“Hang on, I´ll ask her.” Alice says. She turns to Bette.
“Bette, Tina´s parents are gone, and Tina wants you to come back.” Alice says.
Bette stands up and starts walking towards Tina´s room again. They had walked down a different hallway when they left, so they wouldn´t run into anyone.
“We´re on our way.” Alice says and closes her phone.
Back in Tina´s room, she´s writing another message. She shows it to him.
“I love u, thank u for sticking up for me. and could I have some time alone with bette?” He smiles as he reads it.
“Sure, no problem sis. And I love you too. That´s what family are for.” He says and squeezes her hands softly. He then leaves the room, leaving Tina to her own thoughts for a few minutes.