………

The reunion unfolding before her eyes was beyond comprehension.  Her entire world within reach but she knew this was not a simple coincidence.  Was this an obvious setup to test her perhaps?  Bette’s mind rapidly connected the significant of current happening to proceedings of recent past.

It all started somewhere deep inside NIA headquarter.  At some point during their payback, her body instinctively shut down to mitigated the painful blows.  Her physical pain was being cushioned among the clouds, drifting out of consciousness and in a pain free word.  She was brought out of a self-induced trance slowly by the gentle and soothing childhood melody. 

Then it all came crashing down.  The sadness of her life overshadowed that brief happiness and reverted itself into agonizing guilt.  She had to face reality and at first sight, the face of that woman shocked her.  Bette thought it was a dream or a hallucination her mind still in recovery from. 

“Elizabeth…don’t strain yourself…you’ve been hurt badly…I’m sorry.” The caring in her voice was genuinely apparent.

Bette’s entire being spell bounded by her radiating affection.  She lay still, baffled by the sincerity of the woman’s words and how comforting her touches were.  She closed her eyes and focused hard to remember what had happened.  All the memories came rushing back accompanied by her quick recoil from the woman’s hold.

“Elizabeth don’t move.” Maxine cried out sensing Bette’s distress but she was too late.  Bette had rolled off and back away until her back hit the wall.  Her breath was heavy and labored from the hasty retreat.  She felt every pain in her bones and muscles but her eyes fiercely locked on the woman’s.

“Don’t come any closer.” She managed a weak grunt to thwart the older woman’s from approaching.

“Elizabeth, let me help you.”  She heard the other woman spoke as if pleading.  Bette gave her an incredulous stare before gathering a deep breath and response.

“All I need is your death.” Bette bravely challenged the woman with her remark.  She could have sworn she saw the other woman flinched as spark of pain clouded her sad eyes but wasn’t sure.  The woman was already on her feet and walked back toward the examining table, abruptly severing their minimal contact.