Tina never thought that a simple bike ride at a slow to moderate pace
would leave her body so sore. Just the act of taking off her sneakers
had been difficult… toeing them off really.

"Definitely need to spend extra hours in the gym," she moaned.

Sorry to say her last thought hadnt been Angelica. She was to busy
debating on whether to take a shower or bath when her cell phone rang.
If anything she expectd Bette to be calling asking to come over… not
the sitter.

"Sophie would you mind keeping Angie for another day. I just really need
a day to-"
"Tina, I’m at the hospital."
"Hospital? What happened? What’s wrong?"
"I don’t know. They don’t know,"meaning the doctors,"Everything was fine
last night when I put her down. She slept through the night. This
morning her face was swollen. I tried to wake her and she wouldn’t.
They’re running test right now."
"Where are you? What hospital?"
"Ceders."

Tina unthinkingly hung up the phone without saying anything else. Her
first thought was getting to Angelica.

And Bette.

She hadn’t planned on talking to Bette today but the fates had other
plans. She picked up her cell again.

"Bette… I need you."
"I’ll come over right now."
"No."
"But I thought we-"
"Its Angie. She’s in the emergency room. Sophie just called me. I don’t
know what’s wrong but its serious," Tina explained all the while pulling
on jeans, forgetting the previous pains.
"Oh god."
"Ceders,okay? Bette…"

Seconds passed.

"Bette," Tina called again.

Tina sighed. She didn’t have time to deal with Bette’s anxities when
Angie’s health was so much more important. So she told her ex-wife just
that.

"Bette… I don’t have time to deal with your anxities or insecurities
right now," Tina listened to Bette’s shallow breathing, "I need you. So
does Angie. Do you hear me?"
"Yes."
"I’m leaving now. I don’t want you driving crazily. I don’t need you to
be in the hospital too."
"Yes, Tina."
"I’m hanging up now."
"Okay see you at the hospital."

*****

Tina ran through the emergency doors and saw Bette already standing next
to Sophie.

"What did they say?"
"The nurse just paged the doctor," Bette answered.
"I’m so sorry. I should have paid better attention to her. I should have
known something was wrong when she went down so easily," Sophie rambled
on.
"Sophie… Sophie, it’s okay. Angie showed no signs. There was no way of
knowing something was wrong otherwise," Tina comforted the sitter.

Tina really held no solace for the young woman. She still felt it was
somehow her fault.

"Ms. Kennard?" a young looking female doctor asked.
"And Ms. Porter," Tina introduced Bette, "We’re Angelica’s mothers."
"Sorry we have to meet under such circumstances. I’m Dr. Francine. I’m
the pedetrician treating your daughter. When Angelica came in she was
non-responsive to any form of stimuli. I’ve checked and all her vitals
are normal. So I have ordered a series of test to determine if her
condition has to do with the brain. After that…we’ll set a course of
treatment," the woman said watching as Bette pulled Tina close to her.
"Can we see her?" Tina asked.
"As soon as she comes back from taking a CAT skan."
"Excuse Doctor… that lab will like you to take a look at something," a
nurse interrupted holding the phone close to her shoulder.
"Tell them I’ll be right up," Dr. Francine replied.

Turning her attention back to the couple, Dr. Francine told the women
she would right back.

*****

"The Cat skan came back fine. There appears to be no damage to the
brain.," the lab technician explained.
"At least we’ve ruled out a major area," Dr. Francine sighed, "I’ll have
to check her blood work," she muttered more to herself than anyone else.