Bette ran back up to her, catching Tina as she fell in to Bette…. Henry stood at the end of the drive watching as Bette took hold of Tina and helped her inside.

Bette took Tina to the sofa, and pried her hands away from her face… Tina’s face had already started to swell, but that wasn’t what worried Bette, the split lip, and the broken nose pouring with blood did… Bette ran to the kitchen and ran a tea towel under the cold tap… wringing it dry she came back to Tina and helped her hold it against her face…

Tina winsed from the pain.

Bette: ‘so sorry baby, I know it hurts but we need to keep something on it till I can get you to the hospital.’

Tina started to cry a new…..

Bette wrapped her in her arms and lifted her from the sofa… she helped Tina to the bedroom, so she could change her clothes….

In the car on the way to the hospital Tina still cried….

Bette: ‘everything is fine now T, I will never ever let him do anything like that to you again… I promise’

Tina looked at Bette: ‘I am so glad you were there, god only knows what he would have done if you hadn’t been, what if Angie had been there… Oh god Bette.’ she winced again as a new throb of pain hit her…

Bette stroked her leg, weaving in and out of traffic….

Bette was steaming as a nurse took Tina through to be checked out… She called, Kit, Alice and Shane… they came a running….

Bette paced the waiting area. A nurse came out and took her to Tina…

Bette was overwhelmed when she saw Tina… Her face was black already from bruises, her lip had swollen to twice the size, and the blood from her nose congealed.

Bette took Tina’s hand: ‘you alright baby?’

Tina nodded: ‘they gave me something for the pain, do I look terrible?’

Bette smiled: ‘you look beautiful to me…’

Tina tried to smile, but grimaced when the stitches in her lip pulled.

A nurse came back in: ‘there are some people here to see you Tina, I told them that you needed to rest but they were very insistant.’

Bette: ‘I called the girls’

Tina: ‘please let them in’

Nurse: ‘ok but not for long ok… you need to rest’

Alice, Shane, Kit and Angie came in to the room.

Angie: ‘Mamma…’ Angie held her arms out to Tina….

Kit helped Angie on to the bed.

Angie looked up to Tina: ‘mamma ouch’

Bette: ‘Yes Angie, Mamma ouch’

Kit looked at Tina: ‘so girl what ya gonna do?’

Tina looked quizzical: ‘what do you mean?’

Alice: ‘about Henry T….. you have to press charges… this is assault’

Bette: ‘I was thinking along the same lines, but I wanted to give you some time before I approached the subject’

Tina: ‘there’s nothing to discuss’ she covered Angie’s ears ‘I’m gonna nail the mother fucker’