“Alice, it’s KitAngie’s sick and we’re at the hospitalI ”

“What?” Alice’s eyes shot open and she was suddenly very much awake.

“I need to get hold of Bette, but I don’t want to leave Tina alonecan you come here?”

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Next Kit phoned Shane. Shane was the only one she could trust to be completely discreet about locating Bette, and she was the only one who would respond immediately. On the phone Kit fired instructions at her.

“yeah you need to give some damn password which I have at home, as they are very strict about unsolicited visitors and stuff okay?”

“I gotcha” Shane’s gravely voice replied.

“Call me at home when you get near I’ll have the details as soon as Alice gets here and I can leave.”

“Okay,” Shane was following the instructions carefully.

“And Shane?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure you don’t come back without her.” Kit’s words were final and Shane wondered if Angelica were sicker than she had been led to believe.

**

Bette had been having a whale of a time. From day one she had wondered what the heck she had gotten herself into, especially when she saw the straw filled mattress that she had to sleep on in the bare walled tiny room that they had given her. She had been driven to what looked like a monastery from the outside, except all of the occupants where female and had all taken a vow of silence.

‘Great!’ Bette had thought sarcastically, ‘No one to complain to about the amenities.’ She had joked with herself but then was soon to regret it when she did see the facilities.
“Godtalk about leaving your worldly possessions behindhow about basic hot and cold water and a toilet system that flushes” she had said to no one in particular.

After the first couple of days Bette found herself missing, no aching for her basic worldly possessions, in particular her Tempur mattress. But by the end of the week her body became so tired from her early rising and daily chores that when dusk came it was all she could do but keep her eyes open and the straw mattress began to look like the most comfortable bed available at one of the best hotels in town.