Tina was exhausted, she had spent 6 hours standing in front of the operating table, she and Karina had operated on the spine of a baby girl still in her mother’s womb, she wasn’t exactly in Tina’s class, Alice was more experienced in the field, but the parents were fixated on wanting the best neurosurgeon and Peggy had mentioned Tina’s name.

So she had worked hard in the evenings, or after shifts to study the case, it was the first time she had done an operation like that and it had been great, except for the pain in her feet and back, her hands were numb, but at least the gown had no traces of blood, not that neurosurgeons get much blood on them, but this time everything had been pretty clean and not disgusting.

It was past eight, Angelica as always would be the last to be picked up from the nursery, Tina sighed heavily, with the help of a partner this would certainly be easier.

She thought of Bette.

She hadn’t been able to get through the morning, and she wouldn’t get through now either, Angie had to go to sleep and she wouldn’t sleep easily after Bette’s visit. Tina immediately thought of Bette associated with the word partner, she saw her everywhere in her house, she saw Bette when she came home from work, to dinner together, on the couch with Angelica, in bed with Tina, especially in bed with Tina. She blushed.

Tina pushed the thought away, she had to take her daughter home, hoping that one day not too far away maybe Bette would be at her house, maybe they would share a dinner or a simple movie without anyone peering at them from outside the doors.

”how are you feeling this morning?”

”Good Al, as usual…are you on duty?”

”yes…I have to check on the post-op of the couple at the hospital…” Alice was munching on a bag of chips sitting on the chair next to Bette’s bed with the remote in her hand zapping.

Bette frowned ”couple?”

”yes Tina and Karina…De Luca kicked me out of the operation to impress her…I’m sure of it.” Alice said distractedly not looking at Bette.