She made her way to her Mini, copious tears flowing without restraint down the sides of her face. Pulling out her phone there was only one person other than Dana that would be able to make her feel better. Alice needed her Yoda.

Fifteen minutes later Alice was sitting at Shane and Jenny’s kitchen table and their talk lasted some time.

“Al I know it’s easy for me to say and not easy to believe but this isn’t personal. Dane obviously had some issues with today and she did what Dana does best, she ran and avoided it.”

“I thought we’d got past that.”

“It’s not a case of getting past it Al, it’s always gonna be there. Dana is going to feel shit for a while yet and every day she’s going to have thoughts about what happened to her and what is going to happen. It’s fuckin scary to think about and it’s not even happening to us. We’ve not had our careers taken from us, we’ve not been betrayed by our bodies, we’ve not had to have major life saving surgery which has left us without one of the things that identifys us as a woman. Dana’s just lost, trying to find a way to cope with this shit that’s going on. I’ll bet she’s feeling a whole lot worse than you are just now and I’m not even talking about the chemo.”

“Fuck you’re so right.”

“Don’t crowd her but she needs you just now. If she shouts and screams at you just leave the room, don’t leave the house. She’ll calm down and come to you soon enough. You two love each other so much that it hurts to watch you be apart.” “and that’s coming from me who doesn’t believe in love!” Shane added with a wink.

Knowing that Yoda had dispensed all of her advice for that evening, plus the fact that it was now after 9, Alice knew what she had to do.

She used her key to let herself into Dana’s home and was met with an empty couch which Dana had obviously been lying on as the spare duvet and pillows were piled up on it.

“Dane?” Alice called out gently as she checked the kitchen quickly as she headed through to the bedroom

“Dana?”

Quiet sobs could be heard coming from the en suite. Alice slipped off her jacked and made her way to the door.  She opened to reveal her beloved girlfriend slumped over the toilet, sweating and shivering at once and crying into the porcelain bowl.

Alice’s heart broke as she mentally scolded herself for leaving Dana when she needed her most and again for seeing the pain that her lover was going through. Knowing that she could do nothing to take the pain away she had to settle for her usual supportive role. She swiftly made her way to the athlete, placed her hands gently on Dana’s back as she kissed the top of her head.

“Al?” Dana croaked, her throat dry from both the crying and the sickness.

“It’s ok baby I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, as long as you’ll have me.”

“I’m so sorry Al I just so fucking stupid.”

“Sssh, stop. Not now. Come back to bed, I’ll put a bucket by the bed in case you’re sick again but I’m not having you catching a cold by sleeping here ok?”

Alice guided Dana up and into their bed, and tucked her in. She cleaned up the toilet and got a glass of water on the bedside table and a bucket next to Dana, just in case before getting into her own pjs and climbing in to bed.

“I can’t believe you came back…thank you.” Dana said through fresh tears.

“Dane baby I’m going nowhere, I’m here because I love you and I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

Dana’s head thumped, she felt nauseous and exhusted but her heart swelled with love.

“Im sorry Al.”

“Me too now shh, I’m trying to sleep here!”

Dana smiled, knowing this was Alice’s discreet way of telling her to shut up and rest.

“Whatever Piezecki” Dana jibed back before succumbing to sleep.