“Rob,” she asked placing her hand on the side of his face, “You can go see Clara now.”

Rob lifted his head from Elizabeths shoulder and looked upon Bette with tear stained cheeks. He wiped at his face with one hand.

“I can?”

Bette nodded, “You can. She wants to see you.”

Rob nodded his head and stood up with Bette following suit. Bette watched as Robs lips quivered as he tried not to cry. She pulled him into a hug where he held on to her tightly.

“Its going to get better Rob. Not now, maybe not soon but one day. Itll get better.”

She felt his nod against her chest. He pulled away and with one last swipe to his eyes squared his shoulders and went to Claras room.

Bette closed her eyes briefly and sat down in the chair next to her mother. She leaned her head on Elizabeths shoulder.

“Are you okay sweetie?”

Bette shook her head, “No. Can you take the kids home mom,” she asked lifting her head to see Devon and Graham asleep in the chairs

Devon had Shay in his arms and she was asleep as well.

“I dont want to leave you here alone Lizzie,” Elizabeth tried to argue

“Please.”

Elizabeth sighed and nodded her head, “Okay.”

Elizabeth woke up the boys and after hugs all around they all left leaving Bette sitting in the waiting room by herself. Pulling out her cell phone she looked at it a moment debating on whether or not to call Tina.

“Suck it up,” Bette remarked to herself under her breath

With shaking fingers she dialed the number that she now knew by heart.

On the other side of town Tina sat with the girls at the Planet laughing at the latest scheme that Alice had managed to pull off when her cell phone rang.

“Hello,” she remarked still laughing

Bette frowned at this. She didnt want to ruin Tinas good mood.

“Hello,” Tina asked again

“Uh hi, its me…Bette,” Bette clarified clearing her throat

“Hey Bette.”

The girls all smiled at this.

“How did things go when you got home?”

Bette glance around the waiting room she was sitting in at this question.

“It was good…until it wasnt.”

Tina took note of the pained quality of Bettes voice, “What happened?”

“Im uh…at the hospital.”

Tina motioned for her friends to be quiet so she could listen better, “Are you okay?”

“Im not the one thats in the hospital. Um…Clara…she…I.”

By the tone of Bettes voice and how she sounded on the verge of tears Tina understood what Bette was trying to say. She understood.

“Oh Bette.”

Tina was already grabbing her stuff.

“Which hospital are you at?”

“Uh…Im not sure.”

“You dont know?”

“I was kind of preoccupied to notice,” Bette spoke a little too harshly, “Im sorry.”

“Dont be.”

Bette stood up and went over to one wall that held plaques of some kind, “St. Annes.”

“Okay, Ill be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you Tina.”

“Dont worry about it Bette.”

“Im in the waiting room on the OB floor.”

“Okay, Ill be there.”

Tina hung up her phone and threw it in her purse.

“Whats going on TK,” Alice asks

“Clara is in the hospital and it sounds like Bette is falling apart. I need to go to her.”

“Do you want us to come with,” Shane asked rising to her feet

“No, thanks for the offer Shane. I should go alone. Ill call you guys okay.”

With that Tina ran out of the caf to comfort the woman that she was coming to care for more than her own life.

TBC…