Author's Note: I'm terribly sorry for the delay. Life just got terribly busy there for awhile. And I actually had to write this chapter under the influence of Tylenol Cold and Sinus, so please forgive the style of this chapter if it seems a little out there.

Free Fall

Chapter Seven: Rebuilding Bridges Part II

"So Kenzie," Aunt May said, breaking a few moments of silence that had settled over the group, "Peter tells me you work for the police?"

"Yes, I do. I'm an intern right now but I'm hoping for a permanent position when I graduate."

"And what position would that be?" the older woman pressed.

"A crime scene investigator for starters. I would like to make detective one day." Though that was highly doubtful right now, Kenzie tried to keep up with her most convincing smile. It seemed to appease Peter's aunt as she turned to discuss other matters with her nephew.

"Are you alright?"

Kenzie tried to react to Harry's whispered question as if he were an annoying buzzing in her ear but the attempt was only half-hearted. The truth was, she wasn't feeling alright. Sundays had always been her best day but now she felt shaky, weak and sick. The dinner was delicious and she enjoyed every bite but now the thought of it made her stomach do somersaults. It probably wasn't that out of the ordinary to feel this way, but she felt it was ominous.

She settled for an "I'm fine" and Harry retreated from her personal space, something that left her feeling oddly lonely. She'd give anything right now to just lean against him and fall asleep again. Sleep gave her a reprieve. But from the looks of things, she couldn't do that. Sure, he had shown some concern for her well-being but that look of condemnation on his face was terribly hard to forget. He might just be saving face in front of Peter, MJ and Aunt May. A shiver shook her body and Kenzie crossed her arms in front of her, trying to hide the movement. Why was it so cold in here?

"Are you sure you're alright?" Harry asked again.

Instead of leaning away from him this time, Kenzie leaned towards him. Being that close to her, she could feel the warmth he was giving off. "I'm just cold."

He put his arm around her and that took away some of the chill. She had tried to brush aside the little looks and touches that he would send her way as an unspoken apology but by now she was too cold and tired to keep up the appearance of being slighted. She was never one to hold a grudge either, it took too much energy in her opinion. So, despite that uneasy event in the limo, Kenzie laid her head on Harry's shoulder and closed her eyes. She promised herself she wouldn't fall asleep again but within seconds, that promise was broken.

May Parker may not have had children of her own, but she had raised her nephew and knew a sick person when she saw one. Peter had told her all about Kenzie's condition with the cancerous brain tumor and May had steeled herself for the typical chemo patient to walk through the door. But Kenzie surprised her, on many different levels.

On the outside, Kenzie looked like a small framed, bohemian artist that often set up easels in the park and worked on their masterpieces in the open dressed with her broomstick skirt and t-shirt. Her fine featured face had the beginnings of that chalk white look of a cancer patient but there was still some color present and her curly black hair still looked thick and healthy. She wondered how long it would take to transform the pretty girl that had sat at the dinner table and regaled them with stories of her mother and their adventures into a bed bound cancer patient.

She had asked how Peter's classes were going and that had launched him into a detail description of a lab he was in the middle of doing. Quite frankly, he had lost her somewhere in the beginning of the account around "proton particles" but she nodded when appropriate and took joy in his enthusiasm of the subject. She glanced over at Kenzie, to see how the girl was holding up, and had to hide a small smile behind her tea cup.

Harry was still awake but his eyes had that glazed over look. Kenzie, on the other hand, was sound asleep with her head on his shoulder. She hadn't seen Harry for a very long time now and was pleasantly surprised when Peter had told her he might be coming today. She knew he had so much to cope with in the aftermath of his father's death and then taking over the company. She could see the strain in his face, making appear older than he was, despite him being the same age as Peter. Kenzie would be good for him, May decided. The girl seemed to have to have the kind of persona that forced people to slow down and relax.

But there was something that May noticed that caused her some concern. There was a pinkish-tinge to Kenzie's cheeks and neck. Every so often, May noticed the slight tremor to the girl's limbs, as if she were cold. She may not have been well informed about the treatments for cancer but she was fairly certain that should Kenzie develop something as simple as a cold, it could have serious consequences on her health. Just as she was about to say something, Harry moved to take off the sports coat he had worn.

"She's giving off more warmth than a space heater."

May leaned over and placed her palm on Kenzie's face. The heat she felt there was amazing in it's intensity. "She's running a terrible fever from the feel of it."

Harry's grip seemed to tighten on Kenzie's shoulder. "What should we do for her?"

"First," May set her cup and saucer down on the end table. "I think a cold compress on her face should be our first course of action." She went into the small bathroom and soaked a washrag in ice cold water before ringing out all the water and heading back into the living room. By the time she had gotten there, Kenzie was stretched out on the couch with all three young people staring down at her.

She smiled slightly and gently pushed Peter out of the way. "If she wakes up with all three of you staring down at her like that, you'll frighten her to death."

Harry, Peter and Mary Jane all smiled briefly before stepping away from the couch. Well, Peter and MJ stepped away, Harry stood rooted to the spot. May placed the rag on the back of Kenzie's neck and the girl's eyes flew open.

"Mom?" she gasped.

May was surprised at Kenzie's response but before she could get any answers, Harry reached down and gently took one of Kenzie's hands in his own and May understood the basic bond between them. As May dabbed the wet cloth to Kenzie's cheeks she felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. So many children without parents: Peter, Harry and now Kenzie.

Kenzie seemed to calm down, most likely from the combination of the coolness of the cloth and Harry's rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. She closed her eyes again and seemed to quiet despite the fast beating of her pulse which May could see on her neck.

"What should we do?" MJ asked.

May folded the wash cloth and let it sit on Kenzie's forehead. "I think it might be best to take her to the hospital. Do you know the name of the doctor that's treating her?"

Three heads were shaking "no."

"Do you know what hospital it is that she's been going to for treatment?"

"I do," Harry spoke up. "St. Anne's."

"That's not that far from here," Peter said.

Harry had pulled out his cell phone and was asking the driver to bring the car to the front door. MJ touched May's shoulder.

"I'll stay here with Aunt May and wait to hear from you."

She nodded to both Harry and Peter, and both of them agreed. Harry scooped up Kenzie with surprising ease and Peter held the front door open for him. May watched as they got onto the elevator and the doors solemnly closed. She sent up a silent prayer that Kenzie would be fine, today as well as at the end of her treatment.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," MJ said, her voice shaking slightly.

"Of course she will," May turned around and tried to smile encouragingly. "Now, I haven't had the chance to hear about this show you're in."

The ride to the hospital was almost unbearable for Harry. Kenzie was folded up on his lap like a marionette on fire. The heat that was coming off of her in waves was actually making him sweat. It was either that, or having Peter wedged with him and Kenzie in the back seat of the town car.

"You didn't have to come, you know." Harry hadn't meant it in a mean way, but the look on Peter's face showed him otherwise, so he amended the comment. "I appreciate it though."

Peter relaxed somewhat. "That's what friends are for."

Harry wanted to apologize for the time wasted between them but just as the words were forming, the driver announced they had arrived at St. Anne's. Peter was out of the car and had opened the door for Harry before Harry had even realized his friend had left the car. Together, they were able to get Kenzie out of the car, who was completely oblivious to the activity around her and into the emergency room.

An African-American nurse, with braids half-way down her back, came running over to them as soon as they stepped through the doors. Harry caught a glimpse of her name tag and thought he read the name Doris. Whoever she was, she held some sway as a group of EMT's slid a gurney under Kenzie.

"Her name is Kenzie Marshall," Harry said. "She's a cancer-"

"I know who she is," the nurse cut him off. She shouted a lot of technical jargon before they pushed the gurney out of the ER and back into the bowels of the hospital, leaving Harry and Peter empty handed and heavy hearted.