Realizing she had not told them the
best news of the evening she brushed back a curly lock of hair from her face
and said.

“Tina woke for about 6 or 7 minutes
tonight and Doctor Tate said he would be by to check on her again tomorrow
morning when he made his rounds.”

“Did she say who did this to her?”
Angie asked staring at Bette with a hard glint of hatred reflected in her eyes for
who she thought was responsible for Tina’s condition.

“No Angie she didn’t actually she
was pretty out of it. She seemed really scared and confused although I did try
and tell her where she was and who was here with her.”

“Well that’s good. I really want to
be here in the morning when Dr. Tate makes his rounds. Do you think she will
wake up again tonight?”

“No they came in and gave her pain
medication about a half hour ago and said she would probably sleep through the
night.”

“Well in that case Maggie and I are
going to go so I can be here bright and early tomorrow morning. Bette would you
like to go with us? You really should get some sleep you look so tired.”

“Thanks but I think I will stay
here just in case she wakes again. But could you do me a favor and drop some
laundry at the hotel for me? I don’t have any more clean clothes and this is my
second day in these and I feel a little gross.”

“Yeah I will bring them back with
me in the morning.”

As Bette got up to get her carry on
full of dirty laundry she looked in Kasey’s direction.

“Bette I think I will stay the
night here too. She may need me and I want to make sure I’m here when she
does.”

“Well I guess it will be just the
three of us then.” She said as she handed her bag to Maggie thanking both women
for their help after removing a few items from the bag she thought she might
need throughout the night.

Settling in for the long night
Bette and Kasey passed the time talking. Kasey knew that Bette was still in
love with her sister. Her utter devotion to Tina in her hour of need plainly
displayed that to Kasey. She hoped when this was all over Tina found happiness
in her life once again.

After a couple of hours both women
drifted into silence. Bette was never one to sit idle so reaching down beside
her she picked up a worn copy of Walt Whitman. Softly she began to read Song
of the Open Road, to Tina. Each line brought back memories to Bette of the
years they spent together and how they had found a life with each other when
they couldn’t with those that came before. Listening to the last lines Kasey
smiled at Bette and said. “You know I now understand why Tina loves reading
that too. Many times over the years I have witnessed her turn to that poem and
she would get this look in her eyes as if it could take her someplace magical
that only she knew about. It was you wasn’t it?

“What?”

“It was you she was remembering
when she read that specific piece.” She voiced answering her own question.

Thinking on what Kasey had just
said to her she quietly placed the bookmarker inside and closed it saying, “I’m
going for a walk. I’ll be back soon.”

Nodding her head in acknowledgement
of Bette’s words and knowing her comment had surprised her Kasey turned her
eyes back to the pages of the book in her own hands.