A/N: I'm trying to finish this up so I can start on another fic, so chapters may be coming more quickly. Thanks again for all the reviews!!
Betty sat down next to her mother on her old bed. She was having a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact that she was sitting here talking to her mother. She fingered the comforter absently as she looked at Rosa.
"Betty my sweet girl, do you remember what happened before you got here?" Rosa asked. Betty tried to think back to earlier that day. She could remember seeing MODE and talking to someone, but her memories felt like they were wrapped in cotton. She shook her head at her mother. Rosa took Betty's hand in hers.
"Mi hija, you are in the in-between. The place between life and death. This is your mind's way of telling you that it is not your time to go yet." Rosa said. Betty felt her mother's soft hand in hers as she spoke.
"But mom, why am I here? I don't remember what happened." Betty said. Rosa nodded and stood up.
"Follow me. I will show you." Rosa said.
Betty followed her mother outside the house and down the street. Betty felt peaceful as she walked along the city streets with Rosa. After what seemed like only a few minutes, they were down the street from Henry's apartment as they approached a crowd gathered in the middle of the street, surrounding someone on the ground. Rosa walked Betty up to the edge of the circle of people. Betty gasped at what she saw. It was HER, lying in the middle of the street. Betty knew to her own eyes she looked almost dead. She saw Henry holding Aiden's head against his shoulder sobbing, Betty's broken glasses in his hand. She looked at her mother with fear in her eyes.
"That's me!" Betty exclaimed, "but how did..." Rosa pointed back up the street where Betty could see Charlie standing on Henry's steps, still clad in his button down. The memories of what happened rushed upon Betty and she stumbled back away from the crowd.
Betty standing in Henry's doorway.
Charlie's arms around Henry's neck.
Running down the street, Aiden chasing behind her.
Betty's stomach rolled as she took a step towards Henry and Aiden. Rosa's firm grip stopped her.
"Betty, they can't see you or hear you." Rosa said, "You're looking at something that's already happened." Betty watched as an ambulance pulled up. The crowd parted as they quickly loaded her onto a stretcher, Henry following her body into the ambulance as the sirens started and the vehicle pulled away. Betty looked over at her mother.
"Mama, I can't do this!" Betty cried, "Everyone is going to be hurting. Make this stop, please Mom!" Rosa shook her head and took Betty's hand again.
"Mi hija, I cannot. Only you have the power to stop this." Rosa said. She walked in the direction the ambulance headed as Betty slowly followed.
Betty's eyes slowly adjusted to the red neon above the Emergency Room doors as Rosa approached the hospital. Her mother turned and beckoned to her as Betty followed her inside. She and Rosa drifted past the other patients and families waiting for treatment or news of their loved ones. Betty rode the elevator up to the fifth floor and followed her mother down the hall. The door pushed open as Betty walked into the room. Rosa stood at the foot of her bed as Betty approached the figure sitting in the chair holding her hand. Henry was crying openly as he spoke to her. Betty's heart swelled as she listened to Henry telling her how much he loved her. As Betty reached out to touch Henry's shoulder, she froze as she heard Henry's tone change. He was telling her goodbye!!! He thought the accident was his fault!!
"Oh mom," Betty said sadly, "Henry thinks this was his fault. But it isn't...it's just something that happened."
"I know dearest, but Henry's heart is too full to comprehend that. His love for you is now tempered with guilt for feeling like he did this to you and caused you hurt." Rosa sighed. Betty stared at her mother in shock.
"You know how Henry feels?" Betty asked. Rosa smiled at her daughter.
"Betty, just because my body is no longer with you does not mean I am not. I have always been with you. I knew you and Walter were not meant to be. Walter is a kind man, but he is not your soul mate. I was with you when you met Henry and began to fall in love with him. I was there as your heart broke when Charlie appeared in his life, and I was there when Charlie separated you two." Rosa said, "I know the fear that keeps you lying here in this hospital room unable to open your eyes and reunite you with your Henry."
"Mom?" Betty said.
"Betty, I was terrified when I left Mexico with your father. I knew that he had killed my first husband, but your father was such a powerful force that I couldn't refuse him or my heart. I knew that your grandmother did not want me to marry him, but my heart refused to listen to anything but my Ignacio and his promises for a better life. And I did have a better life. I had you and Hilda, my two dearest gifts. But fear is a powerful enemy Betty. Fear will keep you from following your dreams. Fear will keep you from taking a chance. And your fear, the fear of Charlie, will keep you a prisoner in this hospital while Henry suffers each day without you with only his guilt to cling to." Rosa said, putting her arm around Betty's shoulders. Betty watched as Henry kissed her forehead and quickly walked out of the room.
"Henry, wait! You can't leave me! This isn't your fault." Betty cried as she ran after him. She chased him down the hallway to the elevator. She tried to touch his arm to stop him, but her hand met empty air. Henry took off his glasses and wiped his eyes as he entered the elevator. Betty felt him looking right through her as he looked at her hospital room door one last time before the doors closed on him.
"NO!! Henry, come back!" Betty screamed as she sank to the cold floor in front of the elevator. Rosa walked up to her daughter and stood over her.
"Betty, mi hija valiente I must go now. I cannot go any farther with you. Be strong my sweet baby girl." Rosa said.
"Mom, wait don't go. I can't do this without you." Betty cried.
"Yes you can." Rosa said as Betty stood, "you have the strength, you just need to remember that. The love that you and Henry have is stronger than any Charlie, any obstacle put in your way. And I'll never be gone Betty. When you feel the spring rain on your face, I will be there. When you see a shooting star on a perfect night, I will be there." Rosa said as she hugged Betty. Betty hugged her mother for a moment. As she felt Rosa's arms slip from around her, Betty realized her mother was gone. Betty turned and walked back to her hospital room.
For three days Hilda and Ignacio sat at Betty's bedside, each taking turns sitting up with her. They would alternate; one would go home, shower and put on fresh clothes while the other sat vigilant by Betty. Neither of them knew when she would wake up, IF she would wake up, but neither of them wanted to be gone for even a second. Both of them knew Betty would need them once she DID wake up.
Henry had called the past few days, checking for any progress on Betty. Hilda had been too mad at him to do more than thrust the phone to her father whenever she heard his voice. Ignacio had reported that so far there had been no changes to Betty's condition. Henry sounded depressed and exhausted every time Ignacio talked to him. After hanging up from the most recent Henry call, Ignacio turned to his oldest daughter.
"Hilda, that was very rude of you." Ignacio said, "Henry is trying..."
"Trying to break Betty's heart again!" Hilda said. Ignacio shushed her as Hilda continued in a low voice.
"Betty needs him here Papi." Hilda said, "I can't believe Henry is such a coward..."
"Hilda." Ignacio said sternly, "remember when Santos had been shot and his family didn't come to the hospital for a long time?" Hilda grudgingly nodded.
"Henry is not a coward. While I may not agree with him not being here for Betty, Henry deserves more from us than just beating him up when he's not here to defend himself. Don't forget mi hija that he and Aiden had to watch Betty get hit by that car." Ignacio finished. Just as Hilda opened her mouth to reply, a painful groan sounded from the bed.
"Betty?" Hilda said jumping from her chair.
"Mi hija?" Ignacio exclaimed. Betty slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room. As her eyes fell on her sister and her father, she croaked out one word through her dry vocal cords.
"Henry."
TBC...