”you… you had a little clot, Amelia operated on you… everything went well, it seems.. God Bette… you’re alive”

Bette wet her lips, they were dry and cracked, Tina took a napkin and wet it with the jug of water passing it delicately over the lips of the brunette who squeezed them in pain.

”sorry….”

”how are you?” Bette said in a jagged but understandable way, her voice weak and hoarse.

Tina was shocked ”are you really thinking about how I am? You are alive by a miracle…”

Bette coughed ”I thought about you before I fell asleep…”

”I thought about you every moment…I was scared Bette…” Tina was moved ”I thought I would never see your eyes again…”

Bette reached out with difficulty to hook her hand into Tina’s, who was now letting go after the four horrible days she had had without Bette, not really knowing how it would all go. Bette noticed Tina’s vulnerability, it had been really horrible she thought.

”I’m here now…” Bette sighed ”if you don’t regret what you said…how many days ago?”

Tina laughed, sniffling ”four…” then looked at Bette seriously their eyes saw nothing but themselves ”I never told you how beautiful you are, right?”

Bette closed her eyes ”Tina you’ll make my stitches explode right away…”

”ok…but you really are beautiful…”

”well you too…” Bette whispered.

”I should call someone…I don’t know you woke up…maybe Amelia or Helena…”

Bette blocked her with her hand ”no please…stay here a little longer, let’s just stay the two of us for a while…another five minutes…”

”I want to be alone with you too Bette, but…”

”just five minutes please, I want to enjoy this happiness”.

”ok…” Tina decided to fulfill this little wish of Bette’s ”but tell me at least how you feel..your head?”

”like a balloon”

”the wound on your chest?”

”It pulls when I breathe, but that’s normal, I could stitch it up myself.”

”I don’t doubt it” Tina raised an eyebrow.

Bette smiled slightly, her eyes half open, but it was already quite an achievement. She closed her eyes, inhaling a bit of air, her chest hurt but it was the right price to pay, it was okay if it meant living.

”What do you think?”