The entrance of a nurse woke Bette from her light sleep.

“Well it’s about time young lady”  

“What…Have I really been asleep that long” Bette said while lifting her head from Tina’s tummy.

“Not you….look” the nurse nodded her head.

If Bette had spun her head round any quicker it would have surely flown of her shoulders.

The immense relief rendered her speechless at the sight of Tina with her eyes open.

“I’ll be right back with Doctor Phillips, he will be pleased to see you have decided to join us”  the nurse left the room.

Tina’s earlier confusion had grown exponentially at the arrival of the nurse not to mention the realisation that she seemed to have lost the ability too form coherent words.

“It’s ok….T….everything’s going to be ok….I’m here….ok”  Bette couldn’t stop the flow of her tears when a single tear escaped from the corner of Tina’s hazel eye.

The arrival of Dr Phillips and his entourage halted any further attempt at communication.

Bette hung back and allowed the medical staff to see to Tina.  That was the point when Bette became painfully aware that everything wasn’t ok, everything wouldn’t be ok for some time.

Now should have been a time for her to be overwhelmed with happiness at Tina’s awakening and the words that she could hear coming from Dr Phillips that there is absolutely no reason why Tina would not make a full recovery.

Bette was beginning to regret her insistence that she should be the one to tell Tina that she was the sole survivor of the crash that her entire immediate family where involved in.  Surely Tina was already wondering why her parents and brother where not at her bedside.

Happiness would not be an emotion that would be making an appearance any time soon, the only thing that Bette was feeling right now was doubt,  she gazed over to Tina’s busy bedside, Tina looked completely bewildered and was seeking reassurance as she returned Bette’s look.

Somehow Bette found the strength to temporarily soothe Tina’s confusion through a smile and hoped that her eyes did not reveal the devastating truth.  

All too soon the room was cleared of all personnel and as Bette took Tina’s hand she accepted that she couldn’t prevent the barrage of pain that her answer to the inevitable question would divulge, she made a silent promise to herself that no matter what she would never leave Tina again.