Penny opened and closed her mouth. However, her attempts to break the ice and lighten up the mood were quickly shunned. Hence, she ended up zipping her mouth.
The silence in the ward was unmistakable, and neither of the Bennet brothers nor Zoren seemed to have planned to break it. Penny cast Slater a look, wondering where his complaints and rude retorts had gone. She was only saved from this stifling silence when her parents and Haines arrived.
"Oh, my Penny!" Allison's worried voice pierced through the thick silence, almost making Penny weep. "My baby, are you okay?"
"Mom…" Penny quickly welcomed her mother's embrace, tears welling in her eyes.
"Penny."
She peeked at the person standing beside her mother and reached out. "Dad."
