“What do you want Alice?” she asked in a weak and scratchy, soft voice scrunching her face at the direct sunlight penetrating her eyes for the first time in weeks.

“I just wanted to check on you. To see if maybe…, maybe you needed anything?”

To this Tina walked away from the door leaving it open to Alice to enter as she pleased. Once inside she saw that Tina had pushed the mail out of the way to open the door and it had swept itself over to one side. Tina sat down at the dining room table, one leg tucked under the other and waited for Alice to start her speech of how this was unhealthy and that Rick wouldn’t want her to live like this. She had in a way prepared herself for it, she’d even hoped that her usually convincing face would speed up Alice’s departure. Alice looked down at Tina and saw how her body had transformed into this thin casing, of her friend. That inner light that shone so brightly whenever she was around had disappeared and it had been replaced with mourning sorrow. It filled her through and through.

“Babe, you gotta eat.” Alice tenderly said holding her tears at bay.

“I’m not hungry.” She answered back not bothering to look Alice in the eye when she spoke. Instead her mind would only take her to the times they’d all spent in this room throwing food at each other and binding themselves together as tight family.

“T, Sweetie, you have to eat something, this isn’t healthy.” to this she scoffed.

“Fuck healthy!” She barked with steel eyes that were unmovable on the subject. “Rick was a the biggest health nut I’d known and now look at him! Scattered around some fucking lake?!,” her voice broke as she thought about where her husband had ended up. She’d even recalled how he promised her that they’d spend that time together in eternal bliss. “Don’t talk to me about health Al, please.” her voice weakened and cracked, she felt her eyes burn at the return of tears falling.

“Ok, Ok, I get Babe, I won’t try to push you anymore. But please try and eat something for me, I need you to eat this.” she took the bag from Tasha.

“Just leave it on the…” Tina swayed back and forth and stumbled to the side before she passed out. she didn’t finish her sentence and Alice dropped the dishes and rushed to her side. Shaking her, screaming her name as she cradled her head, tapping her cheek willing her to wake up. Tasha was on the phone calling in her badge number and requesting a bus to Tina’s home.

　

　

…………………………….

　

“Thank God, here she comes.” Tasha said motioning to her friend in the E.R. Alice was up and rushed the doctor finally breathing as she could clearly see that there was no need for such anguish anymore.

“Hey Carm, how’s Tina?” Tasha asked placing her hands on Alice’s shoulders as she bit down on her former nails now nubs.

“Everything appears to be to fine. Her heart rate is a little high and with her condition that’s what most likely caused her to pass out , that and the lack of sustenance in her body. She’s dehydrated and runnig a fever. But there isn’t much we can give her for that.”

“What!?” Alice asked yanking her hand out of her mouth and ready to strangle the doctor. “Why not!?”

“Because it wouldn’t be good for the baby. With the lack of hydration in her body I don’t want her on to many drugs. I want her natural immune system to kick in and handle that before we go pumping her full of drugs that maybe harmful to her and the baby.”

“Ba-”

　

　

　

TBC?………………………………..