“Yeah, Michael, why don´t we give these two a little privacy. Let´s get som lunch or something.” Joanne says.
“Sure.” Michael says, the both walk out of the room, leaving Bette and Tina alone.
They spend a few moments, just looking at each other before Bette speak.
“I can´t describe how happy I am to hold you, to talk to you, look into your eyes, hold your hand again. I´m sorry for not coming sooner.” She says.
“It´s okay babe. But I really am glad that you´re here.” Tina says and smiles.
“Me too.” Bette replies.
“What changed?” Tina asks, as she pats the side of the bed, motioning for Bette to take a seat. She does.
“I walked into the gallery, shut everything out, worked for an hour and it hit me. You are alive, you didn´t leave like Caitlin and Isaac did, you´re still here, I am able to hold you again, kiss you again, and I couldn´t go inside the building, I was being a fool, I told myself that, I am a fool. I should´ve ran up those stairs quicker then the light, not keeping my distance because I thought I couldn´t handle it. I didn´t get to take them home again, I left this building alone. This time I will be leaving with you with me, because you´re still here… I found love, for the second time in my life, I´m not letting stupid ways of thinking get in the way of that… So I stopped, turned off the computer, grabbed my bag and hurried back here., taking a deep breath by the front door, but, I got through it.” Bette says and smiles. Tina has tears streaming down her cheeks again. “I know we haven´t been together for that long Tina, but I know how I feel, I know my heart, I know when it beats because of love and when it beats for fear and when it beats for… just existing. And the last time I remember it beating just for existing was the few seconds before I saw you for the first time. At that exact moment, it started beating both for love and fear. Finally I was alive again.” Bette is also crying now, she takes a hold of Tina´s hand again, softly squeezing it. “I know I have a lot of baggage with me, but I still hope that you´re able to see beyond that, and love me, hopefully forever, as I intend to do you. When I look at myself 10 years from now, I see you, standing in the kitchen, making dinner, two kids sitting by the table, with me entering the front door, coming home from work…. Not that that will happen, becuase you´re gonna work and make a career of your own, but you know what I mean… This accident, made me think, and open up my mind, my heart and I know I want you in my life as long as I live.” Bette says as she wipes the streaming tears away for her eyes, but they just keep coming.
“Wow.” Is all Tina whispers out. After a few seconds she starts.
“When I was down there, under all the rocks and walls and… you know, all I could think about, was you. Your laugh, your eyes, your smile, your hands, everything, how I might not be able to look into those eyes again, feel your lips in mine. But those same thoughts, kept me hanging on, because I didn´t want our last conversation to have been on the phone. And I needed to be able to tell you that I love you, and I want to spend my life with you too. And I only dreamed of you wanting the same.” Tina cries. Bette leans down so their foreheads touch.
“This is real, isn´t it.” Bette whispers, still close.
“Yes, it is.” Tina replies with a growing smile.
“Should I propose now, should I be the gentleman?” Bette asks, chuckling a little.
“No, marriage is down the road, to early, but I will make a commitment to you, like… I promise to be your wife in 4 years. What do you say?” Tina asks, hoping Bette wasn´t dissapointed at the turndown of the wedding.
“Perfect.” Bette replies grinning. “How about 4 years from today?” She suggests.
“Perfect.” Tina replies.
“Can I ask you one more question?” Bette asks.
“You can ask me anything you want.” Tina replies.
“Are we like engaged? Am I allowed to buy you a cute little ring?” Bette asks, holding her breath for Tina´s respons. Tina pushes Bette up a little, so she could look into her eyes.
“I guess we are. And a ring? It has to be cute, under 100 dollars, nothing fancy. Okay?” Tina says. “A more serious ring buying can happen in two years.” She adds.
“Okay, great.” Bette says. She looks down into Tina´s eyes, so much love radiated from them, Bette hoped Tina could see the same in her eyes. “I love you, so much.” Bette whispers as she leans down and kisses Tina softly and lovingly on the lips.
“I… ditto.” Tina gets out in between kisses.
“Ditto?” Bette asks, breaking away.
“Well, I was busy kissing you to get out a proper reply.” Tina says, blushing a little.
“Ditto… I like it. It can be our code.” Bette say raising her eyebrow.
“A code? For what? A code for I love you” Tina asks.
“Yeah, dumb idea?” Bette asks.
“No, not at all…. ditto.” Tina says and smiles.
“Ditto.” Bette replies. She leans down again and kissing Tina more.
There´s a knock on the door.
“Do we tell?” Bette whispers.
“No, let us keep it to ourselves for now. With me here, my family just finding out about me. Let´s just wait, until we give them a heart attack.” Tina says and smiles.
“Sure. Come in.” Bette says out loud.
Alice and Dana walks in, followed by Joanne, Michael and Megan.
“Is it safe to come in?” Michael asks smiling.
“Yeah, take a seat.” Tina says and smiles, she sees that her father is still not there with them, and she gets a little sad and angry at the same time because of it. Bette sees that the heart monitor that´s connected to Tina, increases in heart beats. She leans down and whispers in her ear.
“Baby, calm down, whatever it is, we´ll get through it.” Bette says and softly squeezes her hand. Tina calms down and smiles lovingly up at Bette.
A few minutes later, there´s another knock on the door. Alice is closest, so she opens the door. Outside stands Josh, leaning on his crutches and another man, helping him keep his balance.
“Hi, is Tina here?” He asks, not seeing anything beyond Alice.
“Yeah. Tina, there´s a couple of guys here for you.” Alice says and steps out of the way, so they can enter. Tina looks up and sees Josh, slowly making his way towards the bed and stopping at the foot of it.
“Hi Kennard.” He says and gives her a grin.
“Oh my God, Josh.” Tina says and tears stream down her face for the 100th time that day it seems. “Come here.” She whispers. He jumps around to the side and stands looking down on her. “How are you? How´s the leg?” Tina asks.
“It´s healing, and I´m fine, what about you?” He asks, looking from head to toe.
“I´m getting better and better.” She replies. “I´m glad you´re here. I´d like you to meet my mom.” She says and points to Joanne standing behind him. “Mom, this is Josh, the man that saved my life. He covered me with himself, kept talking to me.” Tina cries. Joanne´s eyes fills up with tears too, before she pulls Josh carefully into a warm and tight hug. “Thank you.” She simply says.
“You don´t have to thank me mam, I only did what was right. I would do it again. No need to thank me. Tina is my friend, she would´ve done the same to me.” He says and gives her a smile.
After a few minutes, with small talking, everyone leaves except for Josh and Kevin,
Tina keeps holding on to Bette´s hand so she wouldn´t leave.
Kevin gets a chair for Josh and helps him sit.
“So, how are you really?” Josh asks.
“I´m getting better, but I´ve had some rough spots. My heart stopped the other day, I was held alive by a respirator, I couldn´t breathe on my own when I first came in here. But I´m better now, at least I can talk again.” Tina says and smiles lovingly up at Bette. Josh looks over at Bette and smiles.
“Nice to see you again. I´m sorry for that… thing back then.” Josh says.
“It´s okay. I guess I should thank you. Hadn´t you come over that time, I don´t think I would´ve noticed Tina.” Bette says and smiles down at Tina.
“Well I´m glad then. Tina I want you to meet Kevin. Kevin, this is obviously Tina.” Josh says and smiles at Kevin.
“Hi, Tina, it´s nice to meet you. I´ve heard a lot about you.” Kevin says.
“Nice to meet you too, he´s talked about you too.” Tina replies with a smile.
There´s a moment of silence.
“Tina, I have with me, a DVD. I don´t know if you want it or not. The video I shot down there, you remember?” Josh asks.
“No, what video? OH yeah, I remember.” Tina says, suddenly remembering.
“I´ve edited it, my way of dealing I guess. It actually turned out good. Do you want it?” Josh asks.
“I´d like that yes… I told everything, didn´t I?” Tina asks.
“Yeah, you did, you opened up pretty much. I showed it to mom and dad and my brother. You remember me telling you about Kevin, and that I hadn´t told my parents. Well, when Kevin came here, I couldn´t hide out anymore. I gave the disk to dad, and they apparently watched it at home, before coming to see me. They are okay with me and Kevin. They are still struggling a little, but they´re working on it. If it can be of some assistant to you, then you should show it to them.” Josh says.
“Well, they know, everyone knows, but my dad, hasn´t been in here to see me after I told him. He could maybe benefit from seeing it.” Tina says.
“Yeah, I think he can. It´s a pretty strong video to watch. I had problems with it myself.” Josh says and gives the DVD cover to Bette, so she could hold it. “You know, dad told me that we were the last ones that were found alive.” Josh says.
“What about Daniel and Sarah?” Tina asks.
“Sarah is okay, the artist is okay, but Daniel, he… he didn´t make it.” Josh says as a few tears falls down his face.
“Oh my God, no.” Tina says and starts crying too. Bette leans down and hug her softly, giving the best comfort she could at that time.
“The Dean has been here to see me, has he been here yet?” Josh asks.
“No.” Tina says in between sobs. “But I´ve been in pretty bad shape, so, only family has been allowed inside the room.” Tina says.
“Oh okay. I guess he´s coming soon then.” Josh replies.
“Daniel´s dead, why didn´y anyone tell me?” Tina asks, to no one in particular.
“We didn´t know anything.” Bette says to calm her down.
“When´s… the… funeral?” Tina asks.
“Two days.” Josh says.
“I have to get out of here till then.” Tina says determined.
“Babe, calm down. Please stay calm, your heart rate shouldn´t go up that much yet. If you´re well enough, I´m sure we can work something out. But, please, just focus on yourself.” Bette says.
“Bette, I was just told that one of my best friends died. How can you ask me to calm down?” Tina says angrily as her heart rate keep going up. A nurse comes in because there was an alarm going off at the nurses station saying that Tina´s heart rate was too high.
“Ms. Kennard? You need to calm down right now. Your heart rate is too high.” The nurse says. Bette leans in and whispers in Tina´s ear.
“Baby, I´m sorry about Daniel, but you need to calm down. I can´t loose you too. Please, breathe, please calm down.” Bette whispers softly.
Josh is watching and gets scared, thinking that he shouldn´t have said anything.
Tina´s heart rate doesn´t go down. The nurse page the doctor who comes in moments later.
“What is the problem?” The doctor on call asks.
“Her heart rate, won´t go down.” The nurse says.
Bette tries one more time.
“Babe, please, think about when you first met me, that time in the diner, or that time when I was at your place and we watched Imagine me and you, how calm we were. Please goet back to that…. You have to calm down baby. Do it for me.” Bette whispers.
Then finally after a few more moments the heart rate slowed down.