.."I already did the test.”

“And?” Bette asked hopefully. She wondered if she should feel bad for wanting so desperately that she wasn’t pregnant.

“We’ll keep that for some other time, this is all about you.”

“Oh. Okay.” 

Silence.

..“So… aren’t you worried people are going to see us?”

..“Not really. Ms Peabody has been here, Mr Haspel has visited you, just as Ms Hunter.”

“Ms Hunter? Maths?”

Tina nodded. “Yes. She is human, you know, despite teaching that alien science.”

..Bette chuckled, Tina stretched. “Actually, I should be proud,” Tina admitted. “I am the person who is with you when you’re conscious and talking for the first time in ages,” she smiled.

Bette blushed and decided to change the subject.

“So, what book are you reading?” she asked, feigning complete interest, as if she didn’t know already.

..Tina showed the book – it was a very old and worn edition. “To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s my favourite novel, really. I think I’ve read it over fifty times. Have you?”

.."Well, not fifty times, but maybe twenty,” Bette said seriously. It gave her such a warm and fuzzy feeling that they liked the same books. Did her boyfriend like the same books?

They chatted like that for a while, until Bette feel asleep again. The next time Bette woke up, Ms Kennard was gone and it was dark outside. She felt hungry, but didn’t try to get up or call Kit. All that she could think about was the possibility of ms Kennard being pregnant. Her life would be over, her world would fall apart. Because she honestly didn’t know what she was anymore without ms Kennard, which part of her was still her and which part was the woman she loved so deeply and desperately, which part of her consisted of aching for her, desiring her, admiring her. She didn’t know if the things she thought and did were truly her, or influenced by. It scared the hell out of her and she couldn’t tell the one person she fully trusted – ms Kennard herself. Kit was too close. Shane was probably busy. She bit back her tears. She’d end up all alone – ms Kennard would be too busy for her. She would have to take a leave from work and suddenly, Bette would stop seeing her, even before the end of school year. She grabbed some more pills, not even looking how much of them were in her hand. It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t die – Kit was around – and if she did, so what?