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Free Fall

Chapter Twelve: One Step Forward…

Kenzie stretched her muscles and settled back into the comfort of the bed. From where she was laying she could see Harry's black suit hanging next to her white one in the hotel closet. Doris hadn't disappointed her when she helped pick out her wedding outfit. She ended up wearing a tailored white pants suit, scarf and a white newsboy's cap to cover her lack of hair. The red dahlias she had carried down the aisle were sitting in a crystal vase on the small table in the room. It had been a small, simple wedding that truly was the best day of her life.

"Good morning, Mrs. Osborn."

Kenzie didn't even try to hide her smile as Harry tightened his arms around her waist and planted a kiss on her shoulder. "I had a really strange dream last night."

"What about?"

Kenzie laughed slightly. "I was a singer and I wrote this one lyric, just one and it made me famous. Everyone was moved it and I never had to write anything else again."

"That sounds like some lyric. What was it?"

"'I remember my wife in white.'"

"I can relate to that."

"Maybe I should try to set it to music and see what happens."

Harry laughed and started running his hands down her arms. She had no idea her body was an instrument till he had played a symphony on her skin last night. Just as she starting to turn towards him, her cell phone starting ringing.

"You have got to be kidding me," she groaned.

"Do you have to answer it?" he murmured against her neck.

"Everyone that has my number knows where I am." Kenzie pulled herself away from the inviting bed and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Kenzie?"

"Doris?"

"I honestly hadn't expected you to answer," Doris paused slightly before continuing. "I'm really sorry to ruin your honeymoon like this but Emma Marko insisted I call you."

"What's the matter? What happened?"

"It's Penny Marko. She was admitted this morning with a very high fever. We've been working with her for over five hours now and she's still fighting. Emma was begging me to call you."

Emma? Emma Marko hadn't said more than two words to her since they first met in the chemo room. It had actually left Kenzie speechless.

"Kenzie?"

"Yeah, Doris, I'll be there. Tell her to hang on."

"Thanks sweetie. And tell your new husband thanks too."

"You bet." Kenzie shut the phone and started grabbing her clothes. Harry had silently started doing the same.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Penny Marko was admitted to the hospital this morning with a fever and her mother was begging Doris to call me."

"Marko? Isn't she the woman that never talks to you?"

Kenzie pulled her shirt over her head and gave Harry a sympathetic look. "Yeah, that's why I feel I need to be there."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll call downstairs and get a cab."

"What about our plane tickets?"

"I'm sure we can find someone to give them to. We can always go to Bermuda in the next few days."

Kenzie leaned down and kissed him. "Thank you."

Kenzie was met by Doris at the nurse's station in the ICU. She could tell the older woman was in "doctor" mode.

"Where your new husband?"

Kenzie fingered her mother's locket nervously. "He went to go get us some breakfast. He'll be up shortly."

"I'm sorry-"

"No, don't worry about it. How is she?"

Doris shook her head. "Her temp got up to 107. We just took her out of her third ice bath and we're starting to see it fall but not by that much."

Doris led her right into the room where Penny was hooked up to an IV full of antibiotics. Emma sat at the girl's bedside, looking washed out and exhausted. Her tired eyes had black circles under them and her face was pinched. Kenzie laid a hand on the mother's shoulder, letting her know she was there. Emma turned her exhausted eyes up to Kenzie.

"I didn't know who else to call."

"That's fine," Kenzie said, pulling up a chair.

"It's just, Penny likes you so much."

"I like Penny too. I like you both."

And just like that, the strong mother façade cracked and fell to pieces. Emma started to sob and Kenzie quickly pulled her into a hug. Through the gulps of air the woman was pulling into her lungs, Kenzie heard Emma's mantra, "I didn't know who else to call."

Kenzie stayed in that position till Emma had worn herself out with crying and worrying. Between Doris, Harry and Kenzie, Emma was able to be moved to the other bed in the hospital room. Doris closed the privacy curtain to keep that side of the room dark and also buffer the noise. While Doris did that, Kenzie sank back down next to the bed. A cup of coffee was shoved into her hand and she looked up to see Harry taking the other seat.

"How is she?"

Kenzie rubbed her eyes. "Her temperature is down to 101, which sounds high but it's actually very good. She should be waking up soon."

Harry took a sip of the coffee and pulled a face. "Let's put some of this in her IV, that'll wake her up for sure."

"I should have told you there was a Starbucks one and half blocks over."

"Which direction?"

"East."

"Ah. I went north."

"Gert's café?"

Harry laughed. "You never cease to amaze me."

Kenzie went to say something when Penny stirred.

"I'm going to call Peter and let him know that we didn't leave," Harry said, standing up.

Kenzie nodded and leaned over the side of bed, taking Penny's hand in her own. It only took a few minutes before the little girl's eyes opened. "Hey, you."

Penny looked at Kenzie with still fevered eyes, most likely wondering where her mother was. But once recognition dawned on her, a wide grin spread across her young features. "Hi, Miss Marshall."

"How are you feeling?"

"Sleepy."

"Then why don't you go to sleep?"

"I don't want to."

"Alright."

Penny's eyes went to the set of rings on Kenzie's hand. "You're not Miss Marshall anymore, are you?"

"Nope, I'm Mrs. Osborn now." The words sounded so new in her mouth. "But you can call me Kenzie."

"Mommy doesn't like me to call grown ups by their first name."

"Ok. Then Mrs. Osborn it is." Kenzie twirled the locket between her fingers once again before sliding the chain over her head. She took the locket and pressed it into Penny's hand.

"I want you to have this," Kenzie said. "My mom wore this when she was fighting cancer and I've been wearing it. Now, I want you to wear this and every time you feel sick or sad, I want you to look at it and remember that there's too many people who love you for you to just give up. Okay?"

Penny nodded solemnly. "Okay."

Kenzie took one last look at the picture of her mother in one side and the picture she put in there of herself before putting the chain around Penny's neck. "If you do what I said, that locket will give the strength to get better. No matter what."

Author's Note: I have to give credit to the book "Dogs of Babel" for the line "I remember my wife in white." You will see that line again later on in the story. Also, I need credit to go to Jodi Picoult once again for the beautifully crafted sentence "She didn't realize her body was an instrument until he had played a symphony on her skin." When I read that sentence, it so perfectly fit Kenzie and Harry I had to use it.