After getting herself cleaned up and bandages replaced on her face, Bette sat in the wheelchair waiting for her lunch. Her mind was still full over her argument with Victoria and seeing Tina again. Bette sighed wishing things would have turned out differently but just to see Tina again renewed her spirit and she couldn’t stand not having Tina in her life and needed to talk to Victoria about it in hopes that she would understand.

Bette came from her thoughts when she heard the door open and a white flag appear waving. She giggled as the person behind it slowly made themselves visible from behind the door.

”I give up. I surrender. I’m sorry for earlier. It was wrong of me to push you about Tina and I know you would never cheat on me. I love you. I’m so sorry” Victoria said eyes glistening with tears as she walked toward Bette.

Bette smiled and held out her hand.

”Come here Babe. I love you too” Bette said as Victoria grabbed Bette’s hand and leaned down giving her a kiss then pulled away to sit in the chair beside Bette.

”I’m glad to see you up. Has the doctor been by?” Victoria asked as she rubbed Bette’s hand with her thumb.

”Yeah she has. Look Um? Vic?. Dr. Lawson is um? Well she is Tina. That’s why I thought I heard her voice Vic. We talked for a few minutes” Bette said nervously

Victoria stopped rubbing Bette’s hand not totally shocked by the news but sat quietly to go through her emotions. Bette didn’t hide that fact from her so she decided to let her insecurities go and trust Bette’s love for her.

”Wow. Um? Well. Ok then. Well what did she say about when you could leave?” Victoria asked pleasantly much to Bette’s surprise

”She didn’t actually. We didn’t get that far. We kind of just were stunned-Well I was stunned to see her. And most of our brief conversation was about her not showing up at the fountain to meet 10-” Bette paused and remembered Tina’s birthday ”Oh Shit. Her birthday was yesterday” Bette said scrunching her face upset that she forgot.

Victoria swallowed hard and cleared her throat.

”Did you find out why she didn’t show?” Victoria asked

Tina turned her Mercedes into the drive leading to her mother’s house. She parked and grabbed her purse and Kyle’s birthday gift out of the backseat. Struggling to get any ounce off energy to flow through her body she slowly made her way to the door feeling like she was walking through mud the whole way there.

As she reached to grab the knob the door flew open and for a split second all her tiredness and exhaustion and overwhelming sense of sadness was gone when her son wrapped his arms around her and gave her a warm loving hug.

”So glad you got to leave the hospital Momma. I did really good today in the game. I got a trophy and everything.” Kyle mumbled as his head was buried in Tina’s chest.

Tina wrapped her free arm around Kyle’s back then brought it up to rub his head and bent down giving him a kiss on top of it.

”I know..I heard. I have my own Kobe Bryant on my hands..That is great. I hope your Dad will leave a copy of the video. I hate that I missed it but Happy Birthday Sweetie.. I love you Bub!” Tina said handing Kyle the gift in her hand.

”Oh thank you Momma. I love you too..I hope it’s the Nintendo DS I asked for. ” Kyle replied grinning up at his mother and feeling of the package ”Oh and Happy Birthday to you Momma. I love that we have the same birthday”

”Me too” Tina answered giving Kyle a big wet kiss on the cheek

”Ewwwww Momma..That’s gross!” Kyle scoffed and wiped his cheek off in disgust as they walked into the living room

”Hey! Look what the sewer rat drug in!” Philip yelled from the sofa where he and Crystal were sitting.

”Yeah. A beat up, worn out, overworked, tired as hell rag doll” Tina replied weakly and threw herself down on the love seat. ”Hey Crystal” Tina said feeling her energy finally drain.

”Hey Tina!…Happy Birthday!” Crystal replied.

Tina just waived in response.

”You know Tina. You are way too young to be killing yourself working in that God forsaken place. I wish you would come to Mercy. You know the offer is still on the table. Martin wants you there.” Crystal said as she popped roasted peanuts in her mouth.

Tina tried to move but couldn’t. So many emotions suddenly flooded her mind and body and mixed with the exhaustion she was fighting it took all she had not to faint. Feeling lightheaded, she staggered slightly as she stepped closer to the woman she had wanted to be with for the rest of her life.

”Dr. Lawson? Are you ok?” An attending OR nurse asked as she came over to steady Tina.

Quickly focusing on the task at hand, Tina nodded and fell into surgeon mode putting her personal feelings aside and went to work.

”Yes. It’s just been a long grueling week. Let’s begin” Tina responded in a weak tone

After several hours, Tina was carefully removing pieces of glass from Bette’s face after repairing the compound fractures in both her left arm and leg. She took her time in suturing Bette’s face as to keep scarring down to almost a minimum. Even through the swollen, lacerated, puffy state Bette’s face was in, Tina couldn’t help but see how beautiful she was. She was even more beautiful than Tina remembered.

Tina put the final suture in place and pulled down her mask.

”Ok..Great job everyone. Thanks. Get the patient to recovery and I’ll go fill her family in on her status” Tina said as she turned away from Bette and walked out of the OR.

Feeling relieved that Bette’s injuries were not life threatening she made her way to the waiting area and pushed open the doors.

”Porter family?” Tina announced as she spotted a very beautiful but distraught red head making her way towards her.

”I’m Victoria Douglas-Porter. Please tell me that my wife is going to be alright?” Victoria asked while wiping her eyes and nose from the tears she had been shedding.

”Yes. Ms. Douglas-Porter, your wife will be ok. I’m Dr. Lawson. I had to repair two compound fractures in her left leg and one in her arm which required screws and casting and she will be in those for at least 6-8 weeks. She had multiple lacerations to her face which required sutures but in time should heal nicely and leave scarring to a minimum. She’s in recovery now and will be admitted to a room shortly. All in all, she is very lucky and with physical therapy for her arm and leg once the casts are removed, she should make a full recovery” Tina explained

July 1987

”It’s ok Tina. We will see each other again” Bette said as she sat next to Tina comforting her in their special hiding place in the woods not to far from their house’s.

”But I don’t want you to move. You can’t leave me. I will be all alone” Tina sobbed as she clung to Bette for dear life

”I don’t want to move but my Dad got a new job in Chicago. I can’t exactly stay. I’m only 14. I still need parental guidance.” Bette said trying to lighten the mood but got a slap instead.

”How can you joke about this? I’m losing my best friend..I will be best friendless at 13 years old. I will need years of therapy” Tina said jokingly while sniffling against Bette’s chest

Bette laughed feeling better that Tina was at least trying to joke a little.

”Tina. You aren’t losing me. We can call and write and visit” Bette said hoping that would help calm her best friend ”This is killing me too you know”

Tina got quiet and went into deep thought in which the silence was starting to bother Bette.

”Hey. Did the cat get your tongue?” Bette asked while rubbing Tina’s shoulder.

”I love you” Tina said softly.

”I love you too T” Bette said patting Tina on the shoulder.

Tina looked up and put her hands on Bette’s face ”I don’t think you understand. I love you. Like in love with you”

Tina pressed her lips to Bette’s and felt Bette respond back. Bette wrapped her arms around Tina and tilted her head slightly as she took Tina’s lips between her own and began softly and tenderly kissing her. Bette slipped her tongue inside her best friend’s mouth exploring and tasting the person she had secretly been in love with since they met two years ago. And was overjoyed that Tina felt the same. But then sadness overtook her because she was moving and she felt herself pulling away from the best kiss she had ever had in her young life.

”Tina. I’m in love with you too. I never said anything because I was scared you would hate me or something. And with Nathan and everything I had no idea you even liked girls like that” Bette said as she softly kissed Tina again on the lips.