Bette inhaled a deep breath and walked into the room…she stopped and looked at

Tina… she was sitting on the hospital bed, with the paper gown on…”What?”

asked Tina…
“Tina..I really think you should consider telling the doctor about Eric…”
“No..” said Tina as she shook her head to match her answer…” I can’t Bette…you

don’t understand….if I do have HIV…I don’t want to know about it…”
“Tina…if you have the HIV virus, I want to know about it…I have to know…I

can’t work through things with you, if I don’t know…”
“What are you saying, Bette? Are you saying that you want to work things out with

me? Do you forgive me?”
“Tina, it takes time to forgive someone…especially concerning adultery…there

are alot of questions I have, and alot of things to think about…I can’t just

rush back into anything with you yet…I can’t let myself be subjected to this

kind of pain over and over again…’
“Then there is no reason for me to know whether or not I have the virus..”
“Yes there is..you need to know for yourself…what if you are pregnant and you

have the virus and you don’t know it…bringing a child into the world with AIDS?

Tina, u are not that kind of person…” said Bette..
“I know…I know…dammit, why do you always win? okay…I will let him know…god

knows it is embarrasing…but I will do it….but only for you…”
Just then, Dr. V. poked his head around the corner..”Are you ready, Miss Kennard?”
“Umm..yes sir, but first I have to tell you something…”
“Yes, mam?” the doc asked…
“Ugh,well, the guy whom might have gotten me pregnant………” started Tina as

shelooked up into Bette’s eyes….Bette shook her head yes…”Go ahead, T…it’s

ok..”
“Okay..” she whispered…”He um told me last night that he is HIV Positive….”
“So, you want to get tested?”
“Yes, sir…if I could…”
“Okay..” said The doc…”be back in a minute.” He turned to leave, going up to the

nurse’s station…”The young lady in room 4 needs paper work to be HIV

tested…and I need a nurse to assist me in a papsmear…”
“Ok…Dr. V, we will get right on that….nurse Kelly will assist you…”
“Fine then…send her back now…” he said as he turned to walk back to the

room….
Upon entering, right behind him came nurse kelly….as they were setting

everything up, “Umm…mam…I am going to have to ask you to step out…” he said

as he looked at Bette…
Tina immediately said…”No…Bette stays…”
“That’s okay with you Miss Kennard?” asked the Doc..
“She is my wife…..” said Tina as she looked up at Bette with tears in her eyes..
Bette took her hand into her own…
“Okay, Miss Kennard…slide down just a bit….” said the doc..
She did as asked…
“Now take a deep breath…”
As he slid the speculum in, Tina tensed up from the pain…”Shhh..” said Bette

trying to calm her…”Just relax..”
“Easy for you to say…” said Tina…
“I’m just trying to help..” said Bette…
“Well, you aren’t ***** helping…”
“Ladies…” said the doc…”You can continue that later…”
“Sorry.” they both answered at the same time.
After he took a couple of swabs of Tina’s cervix, he was done with that part of

the exam..
“Another deep breath…” he said as he pulled the speculum out….
The doc put one hand up to the nurse holding 2 fingers up….the nurse opened a

pack of ky-jelly, and squirted a bit onto his fingers….
“Alright, Miss Kennard..another deep breath..” he said as he entered her with 2

fingers..pushing all the way up to her cervix…he pushed down on her belly in

different spots until Tina cried in pain…”SHhhh..” said Bette..’It’s ok…T..”
He pulled his fingers out…”You can sit up now…” he said as he took the gloves

off and threw them away…
” You can go ahead and get dressed now…I’ve got to send these cultures off to be

tested, and we will get that blood work done for you as soon as the nurses get the

paperwork in order….”
“Ok..” said Tina…
“Ummm Doctor V…” said Bette…”what are the cultures exactly for?”
“Well, they will make sure that there aren’t any STD’s…”
“And how long will it take to get the results back?”
“It should take no longer than a week…your regular gynecologist will get those

results and go over them with you in her office…”
“Thank you..” said Bette
“Welcome..” he said as he left the room, nurse hot on his heels…
Bette helped Tina get dressed…”I am so proud of you..” she said
“Huh? for what?” asked Tina
“For doing so well during that…and for telling the doctor about the test….”
“Yea, well…I am not so proud of myself…..I fucked everything up with you and

put myself into this awful predicament…..I deserve everything I get from now

on..”
“Don’t say that…you don’t deserve any of this…no matter what you did….” said

Bette as she pulled Tina into a hug….
The nurse walked into the room…”I’m sorry..” she stated..
“It’s okay..” said Bette
“Ok, Miss Kennard..if you will sign this form right here by the x, we can get

that test done for you….”
“When will I get the results to it?” asked Tina as she signed by the x on the

dotted line…
“When you go to your appointment with your regular gynecologist, she will give you

the results…”
“Ok..” said Tina as she handed the paper back to the nurse…

The blood was drawn…and the doc came back in….
“I am pretty sure that you have an ulcer, and that is why you have been vomiting

blood…are you under alot of stress?”
“Ummm, well Dr. V, any answer to that would be an understatement…”
“Well, you should try and reduce the stress…even though it may be hard…and

here is a list of gastroenterologists..for you to see about that problem… I am

also writing you a prescription for a week’s worth of Prevacid…but, make sure to

shedule an appointment as soon as possible..so that the doctor you choose can test

you for that, ok?”
“Yes sir…” said Tina…”And thank you…”
“You are welcome……the nurse will be in here in a few minutes to let you

go…oh,and one more thing Miss Kennard, make sure that if you have sexual

intercourse, you take the appropriate measures to make sure that you are protected

from any STD’s and pregnancy…” Tina looked over at Bette out of the corner of

her eye…and she had tears rolling down her cheek….Tina said nothing…she knew

why Bette was crying…
“Thank you…” said Tina

A few minutes later, the nurse came in and got them out of the ER…
Once in the car….there was silence all the way home…
“Come on…” said Bette as she helped Tina out of the car….”Let’s get you to

bed…”
“I don’t want to go to bed…I want to talk…” said Tina as they walked through

the front door….
“What do you want to talk about?” asked Bette
“Us..”
“T…come on…it’s late..you have had a hard night..just get some sleep and we

can talk tomorrow…”
“Don’t u have to work tomorrow…well, this morning…”
“Yes…but I will be home fairly early if you need me to be…and we can talk

then..I may even just call in…”
“K.” said Tina as she let Bette tuck her in..on the couch…..then turning to go

to bed herself…

tbc……….