CHAPTER SIXTEEN

" Hey, wake up," Frieda shook Zoe awake. This was the second time she had tried waking her. Zoe was curled up on her side with the blanket tossed aside. She looked pale and beads of sweat dotted her forehead. Zoe hadn't moved from Frieda's bed all night.

" It's so hot in here," she said, opening her eyes slowly. She felt so tired despite having slept all night without waking and her heart was pounding.

" Actually it's cold in here," Frieda frowned down at her, " Are you okay? You don't look so good."

" I just need to wake up properly," Zoe said getting out of bed. She swayed on her feet as the room spun dizzily around her. She clutched Frieda's arm for support, " I feel so dizzy," she murmured.

" Your face is turning grey," Frieda said alarmed, " I better go get someone." She remembered that Zoe has had heart troubles in the past and just when she was about to yell for help, Zoe's eyes went glassy and she collapsed to the ground.

Frieda ran towards the doorway, " Help! I need help in here!" she called out and two CO's hurried over.

The CO's requested medical assistant and Zoe was loaded onto a stretcher. " Can I go with her?" Frieda asked one of the CO's pleadingly but he shook his head no. Frieda sighed and sat on the stool to wait for further news.

Three hours later and Frieda was still waiting. She saw CO Virginia (often called Ginger because of her hair) Copeland doing her rounds. " CO Copeland, do you have any news on McKenzie? It's been three hours!" she said, wringing her hands.

" She's fine, she had go through an electrical cardio version procedure. She'll be back in an hour. "

" That doesn't sound good, what's that?" Frieda asked.

" They had to shock her heart to get it back into normal sinus rhythm. Her heart rate was above 120 bpm."

" Were you CO's aware that she had a history of heart problems?" Frieda demanded Copeland, " I'm not really surprised this has happened-most likely due to stress from getting shot."

" Yes I've read her file, I was fully aware Berlin," Copeland replied snappily,

" I was just asking," Frieda sighed, going back to her stool, " Thanks for telling me," she added brightly, to ease the tension between them. Copeland obviously didn't trust her because of her suicide attempt.

Almost an hour later, they bought Zoe back to their cell. Zoe was awake and one of the CO's asked Berlin if she minded that Zoe sleep in her bed.

" I don't mind at all," Frieda assured them as they helped Zoe onto her bed. They left and Frieda sat down next to her.

" How are you feeling? You really scared me," Frieda said, taking her hand in hers. She leaned over and gave her a tender kiss, " Maybe we really should stop with all the sex-cool it down a bit."

" I'm better. My heart is back to normal-ish. And cooling things down a bit? Not going to happen."

Frieda adjusted her pillow so that Zoe could sit up. There was some colour back in her face. " I remember waking up in the medical unit and they assessed me. They sedated me and did the procedure. They had to shock my heart twice."

" Have you always had heart troubles?" Frieda recalled the heart problems Zoe had back in minimum.

" I've got a heart murmur but it's never given me any trouble. Not til recently anyway." She twisted the hem of her shirt, " There's something I have to tell you Frieda. How I got into Florida."

" You said you struck a deal but you didn't elaborate." Frieda remembered.

" I gave Red's name to the investigators," She whispered, " They said as long as I gave her name to them, I'll be transferred to Florida. I ratted out my ex-girlfriend Frieda."

Frieda stared at her for a minute, " Zoe, you're not the only one who sold her out. You don't have to feel so guilty."

" I'm not?"

" I heard a few others sold her out too-and so did I. What we said was the truth and we did nothing wrong."

" But she was your friend-"

" I know. But I had to-it was the only way I could survive. If I didn't get into Florida, I'd be dead right now."

" Because of Carol and Barb running C and D blocks." Zoe realised, " If you had been transferred to either of those blocks…"

" I wouldn't have survived even one day."

Later that evening, Frieda told Zoe she could sleep in her bed.

Zoe smiled at her and put her arms around Frieda's neck and went to kiss her but Frieda took her wrists and untangled her arms from her neck, " It's getting late, you should get some rest."

" I feel fine," she protested, " Really-"

Frieda just smiled and kissed her forehead before heading over to her stool. Zoe watched her leave, shocked. Frieda had never rejected her like that before and they made love every night. Zoe pulled the blanket up to her chin as tears brimmed in her eyes. Frieda didn't want to make love-which meant Frieda didn't want her anymore.

Frieda heard Zoe sob quietly in the dark and she winced. She rejected Zoe for her own good-Zoe's body had been through so much-beatings, a gunshot wound and new heart problems and Zoe wasn't getting any younger. Frieda wasn't sure if Zoe was up for making love. She didn't want to put any more strain on Zoe. She must think I don't want her anymore, Frieda thought. It was the opposite-Frieda wanted her so much she ached. She had to think of Zoe's needs before her own.

The following morning, Zoe woke feeling sad and a little depressed. Health-wise she felt much stronger. She got dressed and brushed her hair in front of their small mirror. Frieda wasn't around, she must be in the bathroom. A few minutes later, Frieda appeared, " Good morning," she greeted her fiancée cheerfully.

Zoe smiled back coldly and resumed brushing her hair.

Frieda cringed, she deserved that. " Look, about last night-"

" I don't want to talk about it," Zoe replied, putting down her brush.

" It wasn't if I didn't want to make love but I thought maybe your body couldn't handle it. You've been through much and-"

" Isn't it up to me to decide what my body can or can't do?" Zoe interrupted, " Yes it's been through a lot, but I know my own body Frieda. When I said I was fine last night, I really was. It hurt me a lot when you rejected me like that."

" I know it did and I'm sorry. I thought I was doing what was best-"

" I know you were," Zoe's expression softened, " It just really hurt. You've never rejected me before."

" I'm sorry-I really am," Frieda hated it when they argued. She glanced towards the doorway but there were no CO's in sight. She opened her arms and Zoe melted into Frieda's arms for a tight hug. " Forgive me?" Frieda murmured into her hair.

Zoe smiled up at her and their mouths met in a tender kiss. After a while, Frieda pulled a bundle of sharp shivs from underneath her shirt. " Suzanne found these while you were in medical," Frieda said, " Somebody in here intends to hurt somebody-and I'm afraid that somebody is me. Or you."

" Where did she find them?" Zoe asked.

" It doesn't matter-she found them." Frieda hid them inside her pillowcase.

" Guess I didn't hide them good enough then," Zoe said and Frieda stared at her.

" Those are yours?"

" When you told me about the Denning sisters were gunning for you, I thought I'd better be prepared, so I stashed them. You taught me that I should always be prepared."

" Where did you get them?"

" A girl has to have some secrets." Zoe replied. Truth was she found them in the bathroom after she was beaten and kept them ever since.

" At least we have something to defend ourselves with. C'mon, it's lunch time."

" Did you get the money I transferred last night?"

" Yes I did, it arrived this morning."

" Good. So you'll let me into Florida?"

" Yes, you'll be in Florida soon."

" Can't wait to get my hands on that bitch. She won't see me coming."