Thank you doctor, is all I can say. She can breathe on her own; that must be good news. I turn and enter Bettes room again. BEEPBEEPBEEPthe slow, steady beep of the machine eases my mind as I sit next to her bed. Gently picking up her hand, I realize her fingers are cold, a stark contrast to how warm they usually are. I feel her hand in mine and look upinto her faceher beautiful features still shine through the bruise covering the right side of her face. I press the back of her hand to my lips and feel a tear trickle down my cheek. Still holding her hand in one of mine, I reach up to stroke her cheek with the other. Her face is also cool to the touch. Without thinking, I lean in and place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Her gauze bandage is rough under my lips. I sit down in the nearby chair and watch her sleep. Her breathing is a slow, steady rhythm. After several minutes, I find my own breath has fallen into sync with hers. The calming effect this action has on me is immeasurablethe slow, deep breathing not only steadies my pulse, it also allows me to feel some kind of connection to the unconscious person in front of me. This single person means more to me than anyone or anything has ever meant in my life. Yanked out of my sedation by a twitch of her hand and the sound of a low, soft moan, I quickly rise to my feet and look into her face.

BetteBaby, I ask, trying to rouse herpleading silently for her attention. Can you hear me Baby? Its Tina. Im right here. My words are as reassuring as I can make them, the emotion in my body escapes with every remark. I stroke her hand with my thumb as my other hand returns to her cheek. Softly, gently caressing her cheek, I feel the warmth now emanating from her body and notice the warmth of her hand as well. Staring intently at her face, I see her eyes begin to move and the soft moans continue.