Lucas watched as fear filled her eyes when she tried to talk. The ventilator she had been on preventing her to do so. She began to move around as panic set in. Lucas quickly got up and sat down next to her trying to calm her down.
"Hey Kenzie I need you to stay still ok?" He asked as he placed his hands on her shoulder. "Dr. Carson has to come remove that tube, that's why you can't talk right now."
Lucas waited for her to give a nod before he paged a nurse, who in return got Dr. Carson as well as calling Brooke
Dr. Carson was very pleased to see McKenzie awake. He made it to her room in a matter of minutes to check her over and see how she was doing. "Alright Princess." He said as he pulled on a pair of gloves. "This might hurt for a second but then it will be all over." He told her softly as he began to remove the ventilator. Once the ventilator was out Kenzie let out a cough that shock her whole body. Reaching for a cup of water he helped place the straw into her mouth. "This will make your throat feel better." He told Kenzie.
"Daddy." McKenzie said her voice weak as she spoke for the first time. Lucas held her as Dr. Carson checked her pulse and temperature pleased to see that her temperature was only at 101.2.
McKenzie didn't stay awake for long. Dr. Carson assured Lucas that it was normal. Kenzie's body was weak and she would most likely be too weak to do much of anything for the next few weeks.
Brooke was pretty sure she had ran at least three red lights as she made her way to the hospital. A drive that would take fifteen minutes took her ten. Quickly parking the car she ran inside dodging every nurse and hospital staff that seemed to find their way into her path. She made it up to the ICU and into Kenzie's room in two minute's rushing over to where Lucas was sitting with Kenzie in his arms ignoring the nurse that was in the process of changing the hospital bed sheets
"How is she?" Brooke asked as she sat down next to them rubbing the sleeping girls head.
"Tired." Lucas told her. "She was up long enough for them to get her ventilator out then she fell asleep. Her throat was pretty sore." Brooke nodded as Lucas helped move Kenzie over to her arms.
Kenzie's eyes began to flutter open as she took in her surroundings. "Mommy." She said quietly.
"Hey bug how ya feeling?" Brooke asked softly with a smile plastered on her face.
"Tired." She said as her eyes began to flutter close.
"Sleep." Brooke said as she kissed her head and began to rub her back.
The next two days passed by slowly. They kept McKenzie in the ICU until her fever had nearly completely broken and she was no longer coughing so bad that she required oxygen. Dr. Carson had told them that the worse was over and that now it was a matter of getting her body strong enough for the transplant.
They were going to have to start all over considering it would be at least another two weeks before McKenzie could start back up on Chemo. Dr. Carson had also explained that they were going to be watching very carefully, as well as doing a spinal tap, to see if her cancer would be progressing at all while she took a break from the chemotherapy.
"Can we write my letter to Santa Clause?" McKenzie asked as she sat in her hospital bed coloring. She had been back in her old hospital room for not even a day and you could tell she was much happier. When she was up in the ICU she didn't really have much to keep her occupied the few times she was awake, however now she could watch movies, color, or play board games with her Lucas and Peyton.
For the last twenty minutes or so Kenzie had been up and coloring while Brooke worked on her new line. McKenzie was definitely starting to come around she had insisted that Brooke put in her Justin Bieber Under the Mistletoe CD.
"We sure can." Brooke said as she sat down her sketches and dug through her bag for a pen and paper. "How about you tell me what you want and color a picture while I write it down?"
"Ok!" She said happily as she began to flip through pages in her Christmas coloring book decided on one of Rudolph. "Dear Santa," She started out. "I have been a very good girl this year."
"That's a good start." Brooke said writing down what Kenzie was saying word for word.
"This Christmas I would like the new Barbie that comes with her own plane and the Justin Bieber Barbie."
"Don't you have a Justin Bieber Barbie?" Brooke asked looking up at the four year old.
"There is a new one!"
"Oh alright alright." Brooke said with a laugh. "Anything else?"
"I also would really like it if I could spend Christmas at home with Mommy, Daddy and Aunt Peyton."
Brooke's heart melted when she heard those words come out of Kenzie's mouth. She just wasn't sure if it was possible that Kenzie would be home for Christmas. It was only ten days away and Kenzie was still fighting of the pneumonia. Her leaving the hospital was just too risky.
"Can I have a drink of water?" Kenzie asked as she covered her mouth a cough escaping her lips.
Brooke reached over handing McKenzie a small cup filled with ice water. "Are you ok?" Brooke asked once she was done taking a drink.
Kenzie nodded. "My throat hurts." She said sitting down her crayon.
"Would some ice cream make it feel better?" Brooke asked with a smile. The past three days Kenzie had only been allowed soft foods, things like jello, apple sauce and ice cream.
"Chocolate?"
"Of course." Brooke grabbed her phone and texted Lucas. He had gone out to pick up Karen from the airport and she was sure he would bring some ice cream back.
Later on after Kenzie had first woken up Lucas told Brooke that he had called his mom. She had been away with Andy but she had promised him that she would come as soon as she could. After Kenzie had woken up Lucas called her saying that she didn't need to come but she still insisted.
"Did Daddy and Aunt Peyton go pick up my grandma?"
"They sure did and they are going to bring you some ice cream back."
"I'm excited to meet them." Kenzie said as she let out a yawn.
"Well it's still going to be about an hour so why don't you take a nap and I will take you up when they get here."
Kenzie laid down and pulled her covers up to her chin. "Ok." She said sleepily as she closed her eyes.
