CHAPTER 16

We eventually fell asleep.

I woke up and glanced at the clock. It was 2 am. I looked over at Tina, her shirt was wet again. This time I noticed that she was crying but she was still sleeping.

“T” I whispered. But that did not help. Her eyes were darting back and forth, breathing labored. Then I gently shook her awake.

“T, can you please trust me enough to tell me why you can’t sleep and when you sleep you wake up sweating?”

Tina opened her eyes completely, hesitating before embracing the trust I offered.

“Ok Bette, I will try. I am a twin. My brother’s name was Eric and just before we were to come here we were on our way to my friend’s house. Eric was driving. A guy in a semi truck fell asleep at the wheel and hit us head on”

“Oh my God T !!!! I am so sorry” said Bette, completely shocked by this revelation.

“When I woke up, the car was upside down. I crawled out but my hands were too damaged to help him. Somebody called the police. Almost as soon as I got out of the car, it exploded and he died”

While she was telling me this, her tone was of total detachment, like it had happened to someone else. I held her like she had held me only hours before. There wasn’t much said for some time. I tried to fight sleep, for I wanted to make sure she was able to fall asleep again, but I found myself engulfed by the silence of the night, and succumbed to sleep. When I woke up, Tina was in the kitchen. I got up and went to the bathroom. Then I went in the kitchen.

“T, did you get any sleep last night?” I asked.

“No” she said.

“Maybe you should see a doctor about not sleeping” I said.

“I am fine” she snapped, “Bette I am sorry to snap at you, I am ok really. What are your plans today because I want to take you somewhere?”

“Nothing really. I have a few calls to make. I need to check in with Maggie then I am all yours”

“Good. Can you meet me back here at 1pm? Will that give you enough time to get all the things you need to do?” asked Tina.