"Nobody move! Hands above your heads! Everyone."
The policemen and women inched closer to the group with guns outstretched. Gio swore under his breath and put his hands above his head, as did everyone else except for an unconscious Henry. As the officers handcuffed Gio and took him to the car, one officer talked to a much shaken Hilda about the details of the attack. Another officer went to check Henry's pulse, while Betty watched tearfully.
"He's going to be OK, ma'am. An ambulance will be arriving here shortly."
"Thank you officer," Betty whispered before crouching down to Henry's level. His face was bloodied and his body fell at awkward angles, but he was breathing, so Betty could too.
Hilda came to comfort her sister as the paramedics took Henry away on a stretcher. As the ambulance was pulling away, Betty heard something faintly from the back of the warehouse. She motioned to Hilda and went to check what it is. It was Henry's phone. Betty looked at the caller ID. It read...
"Charlie"
She contemplates in her head but then decides to. She flips open the phone.
"Charlie?"
"Betty? Where's Henry? Why are you answering his phone."
"Gio, that's the best I can explain it." she says, not wanting to get into the story.
"Gio?" Charlie asks. It seems as if there was something. "Uh, what is Gio up to?"
"You don't wanna know, and I thought you didn't know Gio." Betty says.
"Well..." Charlie starts "We do know each other...and...uh...that's why Henry is back in New York." Charlie says with caution.
"No, No Charlie, PLEASE don't tell me that after all of this stuff, that Henry..."
"Is not the father? yes." Charlie says.
"Wait, if Henry is not the father, Gabe isn't, then...No...Oh nonononononono Charlie. Please don't tell me..."
"Gio is the father, yes." she says. Betty is in total disbelief.
"Please Betty, please whatever you do, don't yell at me. It was only one time when we both were in the same place and we have known each other for a few weeks. I didn't know what I was doing!" Charlie says.
"Does Gio know?" betty asks.
"No, I don't believe he does, and PLEASE don't tell him. I want to."
"Then you better get to New York then…" betty says with disgust
"Why?" Charlie asks.
"Because you have to bail him out of Jail"
Betty sat in the lobby of the hospital trying to figure out everything in her head right now. Everything reveled about Gio, Gun to her head, Henry in New York, Henry not Nate's father, Charlie and Gio. There was so much her head was spinning. She didn't notice the doctor walk up.
"Excuse me miss, the doctor placed his hand on her shoulder. Betty jumped nearly 10 feet in the air. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you.
"Oh. No not your fault" Betty said as she caught her breath.
"Anyway you're here for a Mr. Henry Grubstick?" Betty stood up.
"YES IS HE OK, WHA ..." Betty's heart raced.
"Yes ... yes he's just fine he's asking for you actually, let me take you to his room." The doctor led her down the hallway. As she entered the room her eyes instantly glued to Henry. He could hear her freeze at the door ... he looked over, tears in her eyes.
"Betty ... you're here." ...
Henry told Betty everything, about Charlie, the baby not being his...but Betty just put her finger to his lips and said, "Shhh, its ok. I know all about it. I'll tell you once you get out."
As Betty looked at Henry, with his hair all messed and a bandage around his head, she smiled and had a tear roll out of her eye. "I was so worried I might lose you."
Henry said, "You can't get rid of me that easy."
Betty slowly crawled into the hospital bed next to Henry and put her arms around him. "I am never going to let you go, again."
Henry smiled and said "I love you Betty"
"I love you too...Sugarstick."
They both giggled and fell asleep in each other's arms.
Hilda and her father approached the room, but when they saw the two of them together, Hilda said, "Let's leave them alone, we will see them in the morning. They've been through a lot this past year."
2 days later, Henry was free to leave the hospital. He walked out holding Betty's hand, breathing in the (semi-) fresh New York air.
"We should go to my house for dinner. My dad and Hilda have been complaining that they need to catch up with you too."
Henry laughed, and then took a long pause. "I don't think I want to go to your dad's house."
"What? Why?"
"Well, I haven't got anywhere to stay in New York yet... what if we got our own apartment?"
"Wow... I mean, my family would be lost without me. I mean, who would get Justin's lunch together, or make sure my dad took his heart medicine or--"
"Betty its ok. If you think your family needs you too much, you can stay."
"You know what? They do need me too much. But I need you, so they're going to have to deal with that."
"So that's a yes?"
Betty kisses him lightly. "Yea, that's definitely a yes!"
