Chapter 26
"Are you done, Kenny?" Bette asked, pointing to the man's plate.
"Yes," he answered, glancing down at his plate.
"I'll take it. Will you put away the ketchup, pickles, and mayo for me?"
He nodded, scooting his chair back. He was always willing to help when asked.
When she asked him what he wanted for dinner, he informed her it was cheeseburger night and brought her to the refrigerator to show that Kerrie had everything she needed to make the meal.
Kerrie had to stay over at work, helping with something at Tindle Street, because one of the counselors had been out the last few days. Bette's heart warmed in her chest when Kerrie asked if she could watch Kenny. It was like trusting her with her child. Kerrie was very protective of Kenny. She knew Kerrie's feelings were deepening by asking her to watch him.
It had been a month since their first night together. A night that Bette often revisited in her mind. The feelings, the sounds, the tastes, and the smells. She felt like a hormonal teenager. They had snuck in intimate moments whenever their schedules permitted. Kerrie seemed to be always doing something. Bette didn't think the woman understood how to say no, but she didn't mind much because her own personal life had increased. Zoe was starting her first big-girl job and was shopping around for an apartment. She had a semi-weekly dinner date with Missy that she was growing to cherish. It was nice to have a life again. To be functional and social. She was even enjoying her work at Turtle Grove, finally feeling comfortable enough to get to know the clients. It was a little heartbreaking that they only stayed for a short while, but seeing them brighten up and get back on their feet was exhilarating. Well, those that wanted to. That had been a hard lesson to learn. Not everyone could be saved, even if only temporarily.
She sent Kenny to the living room to watch TV while she washed the dishes. Another thing she was enjoying. Being more domestic. Cooking and even cleaning. She hadn't realized how much having other people do things for her had saddened her. Just the simple task of washing dishes gave her a sense of fulfillment. She had been embarrassed when she confessed that to Kerrie, explaining that she didn't know why she would feel such a way about dishes. Kerrie had told her it wasn't foolish to feel like that. Bette had spent so many years having little things taken away from her that she lost the things that made her feel human. It made sense. She was enjoying her more down-to-earth life. Even thinking about the environment she had been in, the constant cases at the firm, the need for things to be as perfect as possible, and Shelly in general. It was just too much. Life was much easier now.
"Kerrie's home," Kenny announced from the living room. A half second later, Bette saw the headlights of Kerrie's truck out of the window above the kitchen sink.
A few moments later, Kenny shuffled in, assuming his spot in front of the back room, nose poked through the curtains. A few minutes ticked by, causing Bette to frown, wondering what was keeping Kerrie, but then the truck door slammed, and Kenny stood back.
Kerrie walked in with her lunchbox and a haggard look. Bette's frown was back, seeing the lines around Kerrie's eyes and stooped shoulders. "My lord, what a day."
Kenny gave Kerrie a hug. He chastised Kerrie. "You're late."
"I know, I know. I promise I'll be on time tomorrow," said Kerrie, turning to Bette. She leaned down and kissed her, leaving the taste of coffee on Bette's lips. "Thank you for staying with him."
Bette beamed up at her, shrugging. "My pleasure. It's not often I get to cook dinner for a handsome man."
Looking away, Kenny laughed as he rubbed the balding spot on his forehead. "It was good."
"I'm guessing he told you it was cheeseburger night."
"Yeah, even showed me where to find the meat and insisted they be cooked in the cast iron skillet."
"I mean, that is the only way to cook a good burger without using a grill. "
Bette rolled her eyes at the Matthews twins and motioned to the microwave. "Well, your cast iron-cooked dinner is in the microwave. I hate to run, but I promised Zoe I'd look over her insurance options at her new job to help her pick one."
"That's okay. I'm going to eat and call it a night. I'm beat."
They bid each other goodnight, and Bette went downstairs using the basement laundry entrance. They didn't bother locking the doors that separated the shared laundry room anymore. It was more convenient and safer than walking outside to use the exterior doors.
After making herself a cup of tea, Bette settled into her bed and opened her laptop to the email Zoe had sent her.
Sometime later, she woke up having fallen asleep with her laptop still open, streaming The Golden Girls that she had been watching after she had finished her Zoe task. Something had woken her, but she didn't know what.
She closed the laptop, hearing something that sounded like a cry. Then it came again.
Frowning, she slipped out of bed, grabbing her phone.
"Help!"
She definitely heard it that time. It was coming from the laundry room by her bedroom. She opened the door and heard Kenny's frantic cry as he tried to get down the steep basement steps. He was clinging to the railing, crying as he tried his best to get down to the next step. "Help!"
"Kenny, what is wrong?" She asked, hurrying up the stairs to stop him before he hurt himself. "No, don't come any further. You'll fall."
"Help! Kerrie!" he sobbed, his eyes wide with fright. Tears fell down his face, and snot was collected on his top lip. Without thinking, Bette planted herself in front of him and used the hem of her robe to clean up his face. He shook his head. "Kerrie!"
"What about her? How did you get down here this far?"
"Kerrie!" he demanded louder, pointing to the top of the stairs.
Clarity began to pierce through her confusion. "Kerrie? Is Kerrie okay?"
"No," he sobbed, hugging her.
"Shit, okay. Come on, let's get you upstairs so I can check on her."
The climb back up wasn't nearly as fast as Bette wanted it to be. Kenny's legs were wobbly, and his coordination was shot. Kerrie had told Bette before that it was from inner ear damage from when he was younger. The upset state he was in didn't help either. Once they were safely upstairs on solid ground, she was able to let him go. "Where is she?"
"Upstairs. "
"Okay, stay here. Don't try to go up the stairs without me."
He nodded and began to pace, rubbing his head and crying. The sight broke Bette's heart, but she didn't dwell. She gathered the hem of her robe so she wouldn't trip and sprinted up the stairs. She could hear water running from the bathroom and see the light was on.
She gasped when she looked in, finding Kerrie face down on the bathroom floor, only in her boxers. "Kerrie!"
Turning the large woman over wasn't easy, but she managed. She placed her head on Kerrie's bare chest and let out a relieved breath when she heard a heartbeat. A second later, she felt Kerrie take in a shallow breath. At least she was still breathing. Breathing is good, she reassured herself.
She shook Kerrie, hoping to get a response, but there wasn't one. She then lightly smacked Kerrie's face a few times; on the last smack, Kerrie's eyes opened briefly, but then they rolled back as she let out a short, gravelly groan.
"Fuck! Kerrie, please wake up!"
Nothing; she got nothing.
Panic rising, she frantically searched her robe for her phone and then dialed 911.
"911, what is the location of your emergency?
"510 Nixon Lane. I need an ambulance.
"510 Nixon Lane?" the shrill voice on the other end asked.
"Yes, my girlfriend is unconscious."
"Is she breathing?"
"She is, I checked. I don't see any blood either. She's just out cold on the bathroom floor."
Bette's lip began trembling as she took in Kerrie's weakened form. She put the phone on speaker, realizing Kerrie was shirtless. She knew it was probably silly, but the idea of strangers seeing her in that state made her uncomfortable, so she began tugging the nearby t-shirt on the floor over Kerrie's head as she continued to answer the woman's questions.
"What is her name?"
"Kerrie Matthews. K-E-R-R-I-E."
"And do you know of any other health problems she has?"
"Uh, hold on."
She left Kerrie and went to the top of the stairs. "Kenny, which of you has the high blood pressure and which has the low? "
"I'm low," came the reply from below.
"Kerrie has high blood pressure," she answered.
"Who else is there with you?"
Bette returned to the bathroom and resumed dressing Kerrie.
"Her twin brother is the only other person. He's special needs and was the one that found her."
"Okay, the police are almost there, and the ambulance isn't far away. Can you make sure the door is unlocked?"
"Yes." She finished tugging Kerrie's arm through the sleeve of the shirt and walked to the stairs once more. "Kenny, can you unlock the front door so the police and ambulance can come in?"
"Yes," he replied, not as hysterically as before, but she could still hear the fear in his voice. Her heart broke for him.
What felt like an hour couldn't have been more than 10 minutes from when she first dialed 911. A policeman arrived first, calmly greeting them both, followed by another, then the EMTs. While they assessed Kerrie, Bette checked on Kenny, pulling him in for a hug. When they began bringing Kerrie down on the gurney, she made Kenny stay in the kitchen, unsure if letting him see her in such a state was wise.
When they left with Kerrie, the quietness of the house was overwhelming. She wasn't sure if she needed to go to the hospital or stay with Kenny. She didn't think dragging Kenny to the hospital would help. But the thought of leaving Kerrie alone at the hospital was hard. It was just more than she could stand.
"Kenny, do you know how to get in contact with Mabel?"
"My phone." His face was red, and his eyelids were swollen from crying.
Bette frowned. "You have a phone?"
Kenny had a phone. Apparently, he kept it on the charger most of the time, sitting by his recliner. It was a flip phone with preprogrammed numbers, so Kenny could easily call people without help. Mabel was #2. He proudly showed Bette how he held #2 down until the phone began to ring.
Mabel could not have been any kinder. Being dragged out at midnight was never fun, but she had no complaints when she arrived to sit with Kenny. Mabel had a calming effect on Kenny that Bette couldn't compete with. It was clear they had a beautiful bond. By the time she changed her clothes and went back upstairs, the older woman had managed to get him tucked into his recliner watching SpongeBob and was beginning to doze off.
"Here's my number," Bette said quietly in the kitchen, jotting it down on a piece of paper. "I'm going to see what I can find out."
"Okay, here is mine. Call when you find something out. Kenny will be fine with me." They exchanged pieces of paper, and Bette left for the hospital.