Blinded in Chains

"S-so I-I'm blind per-rmenantly?" I asked. My voice was shaking and my body was trembling. I was holding my arms to stop shaking, but so far I wasn't having any luck at controlling my body.

"I'm so sorry Copper, but yes. I believe it's true," the doctor said.

"Great," I managed to whisper. I wasn't even sure if I said it outloud or not, it sounded so faint to me.

"Are you ok Copper? Do you want me to give you a sedative to relax you?" he asked worried.

I shook my head. "No, I'll be fine in a minute."

I sat there in silence, rocking back and forth on the bed. I'm blind. I'll never see anything again. No colors, no movement, no light. I'll never see my friends faces again, never see my dog again. I'll never see Brian's face. I gave a sardonic laugh. Hell, I'll never even see myself again.

Then I had a bizzare thought. If you can't see yourself, does that mean you don't exist? Could I just up and lose myself?

"Doctor?"

My head snapped up at the sound of Brian's voice. "Hey." I said, trying my best to sound normal. I even made the effort to open my eyes and look in the general direction of where I thought he was at. He still didn't give me the present he promised and I had been dying to know what it was.

"Hey girl," he said. I could tell he was smiling by the sound of his voice. "Should I come back later, or are you done in here Doc.?"

"I think I'm done in here for now Mr. Haner," the doctor said, sounding chipper.

"Brian. Please," he said with a laugh. "Mr. Haner makes me sound old past my time doc. I'm not that far past my teen years yet."

The doctor laughed. "Brian it is then. Have fun you two. And Brian?"

"Yes?"

"I think you forgot your bag here the other day," the doctor said.

I listened as the door closed and Brian walked actross the room. "You didn't remind me girl," he said, a laugh lacing his voice.

"Remind you of what?" I asked. "And why do you keep calling me girl?"

I felt the bed dip down. "Remind me to give you the present I bought you two days ago. And..." he stretched the word out, "I keep calling you girl because, so far, noone has yet to tell me your name."

I slapped myself in the forehead. "Are you serious?"

"Yep," he said with a laugh.

"Wow," was all I could think of to say.

I sat in silence, waiting patiently for him to tell me what the present was.

"Are you going to tell me your name, or do you like me calling you girl?" he whispered in my ear while nudging his shoulder into mine.

I felt myself blush. "Oh, Right. Sorry. It's Copper."

"Copper?" he asked. I could tell he was puzzled by that one. "Isn't that an element? Why would your parents name you that?"

I smirked. "Copper is an alloy. As for why that's my name, well, when I was born they wanted to name me Audrey. I was born and I had red hair. Copper hair to be specific."

"Oh. Well that make sense then," he said with a grin.

How do I know he's grinning? I wondered. "Yeah, it does make sense."

Once again, I sat in silence, waiting for him to tell me what the gift was. He didn't speak. "Damn it Brian, your killing me with suspense here. Do I get my treat or not?"

"Oh! Yeah, here it is," he said. I could tell he was blushing just by the sound of his voice.

Something was placed in my hands and I frowned. "Brian, is that giftwrap?"

"Yes it is. Why do you ask?"

I shrugged. "I wanted to be sure before I started to rip it." I ran my hands along the object to feel the shape. Square. "Brian, describe the paper to me please," I asked with a blush.

"Well, " he started. I felt his hand lay gently on top of mine as he glided my hand across the paper. " Do you feel those ridges?"

"Yes?" I said in more of a question than an answer.

"It's silver glitter designs running through the paper. The wrapping color itself is a dark hunter green with sky blue through it. It's like an army design, but the colors aren't green and brown," he said, removing his hand from mine. "Now come on already. Open the gift."

I laughed at his childish behavior. "Okay, okay." I dug my nails into the paper until I felt it rip. Then I pulled the paper back until I felt it fall away to the bed. The object was still completely square. "It doesn't have a texture."

He started laughing to the point of almost being in hysterics. I felt my eyebrows furrow as I blinked. "What the hell is so funny Brian?"

I felt him once again take my hand before he opened the object. Immediatly I felt a ton of little bumps run under my fingers as he drug my hand across it.

"What is i- Brian? Is that brail?" I asked confused. "Did you buy me a book in brail?"

He stopped laughing immediatly and his voice shook. "I uh.. well I thought you might like it. Please don't be mad at me Copper. I thought you would like it," he said fast. I had a hard time trying to seperate his words, they all just jumbled together. "Please don't hate me girl. I didn't think it would make you sad or anything. I'll take it back right now and get you something else instead. A shirt, or a pair of slippers, or-"

I felt him take the book out of my hand as he kept rambling on. I reached out and snatched it back, placing it under my pillow fast before I layed down on it. "If you attempt to take this book away from me, I'll casterate you Brian."

He stopped his rambling and took a deep breath. "What?"

I smiled. "You heard me, Mr. Haner," I said in a mocking tone.

What happened next I wouldn't have expected in a million years. I started laughing uncontrollably as I writhered around on the bed, Brian half laying on top of me. "Brian, I- ahh, no, stop, please, haha, stop. Brian, haha, that haha, tickles!" I gasped between laughs.

"You little imp," he said laughing. "I'll tickle you to death for scaring me like that. Don't ever act mad at me again. You almost gave me a complex here."

I layed there gasping for breath once he took his hands away. I layed on my side, Brian laying behind me with his arm drapped over me. He took my hand in his and entwined our fingers together while he whispered in my ear. "Do you really like the book? Your not mad or anything?"

I turned around slowely until I was looking at him. Well, atleast I hoped I was looking at him. I reached out extreamly slowely so as not to poke him in the eye or something. My hand hit his flesh so I lightly ran my fingers up and down. That's his nose I think. I moved my hand to the left and put my hand down a small bit. Cheek? I ran my hand lower until I felt a dip in his face. Lips.

I put my fingers lightly on his lips as I moved forward. I kissed his cheek lightly before pulling back, droping my hand away from him. "I love it Brian."

*************************Brian's PoV*****************************************

I took her hand in mine and directed it across the page in a straight line.

"What is i-Brian? Is that brail?" she asked. Her face was scrunched up and her eyebrows were almost touching. "Did you buy me a book in brail?"

I stopped laughing immediatly and took my hand off of hers. "I uh.. well I thought you might like it. Please don't be mad at me Copper. I thought you would like it," I rambled quick. She hates it. I just pissed her off. Shit. What do I do now? "Please don't hate me girl. I didn't think it would make you sad or anything. I'll take it back right now and get you something else instead. A shirt, or a pair of slippers, or-"

I took the book out of her hand and went to put it on the table beside the bed, intending to take it back to the store as soon as I left. She reached out suddenly and snatched it right out of my hand before throwing it under her pillow and laying her body on top of it. "If you attempt to take this book away from me, I'll casterate you Brian."

I stopped rambling and took a deep breath, unsure of what she just said to me. "What?"

She smiled. "You heard me, Mr. Haner."

I was stunned at her mocking tone. I couldn't help it. I reached up over her body and started to tickle her sides. She started wriggling around on the bed, causing me to almost end up laying on top of her. "Brian, I- ahh, no, stop, please, haha, stop. Brian, haha, that haha, tickles!." she gasped between laughs.

"You little imp," I growled, laughing. "I'll tickle you to death for scaring me like that. Don't ever act mad at me again. You almost gave me a complex here."

I took my hands away and layed beside her, just watching her try and catch her breath. I layed on my side behind her. I couldn't resist it anymore. I reached over her body and took her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. I moved closer to her and rested my chin lightly on her shoulder before whispering in her ear. "Do you really like the book? Your not mad or anything?"

She let go of my hand so I pulled it back. She rolled over until she was facing me and I sucked in a breath. Her eyes were open and I could have sworn she was looking directly at me. She didn't look blind in that moment.

I watched as her eyes looked left and right before comming to rest back on my face. Her eyes were the oddest color of green and grey, but it just made her look more beautiful to me. I loved how the two colors seemd to swirl together.

I held my breath as she bit her lip and reached out slowely to me. What's she doing? I stayed as still as I could as her hand touched my nose. She ran her fingers up and down the bridge of it before moving her fingers over to my cheek. She put her hand flat until her palm was cupping my cheek, then let her fingers once again start to trail downwards. She moved her hand to the right and I shivered as the pads of her fingers grazed across my lips.

She kept her fingers on my lips and she started to lean forward. Please let her try to kiss me. I almost groaned in frusteration as her lips softly grazed my cheek before she dropped her hand and sat back on the bed. "I love it Brian."

And I think I'm falling in love with you, I wanted to say. Instead I smiled and layed down beside her again, letting my arm drap over her. "Are you tired?"

She yawned and snuggled closer to me. "I just need to rest for a few minutes Brian. I've been up all morning talking to the doctor."

I nodded into her shoulder and just layed there with her. After a few minutes, her breath evened out and I realized she fell asleep. I shifted myself until I was laying on my elbow. I reached out slowely with that hand and lifted her head up gently while I grabbed the book with the other. I layed her head back on the pillow and put the book on the table.

I stood up slowely, careful not to move the bed to fast so she wouldn't wake up. I pulled the blanket up over her and smiled sadly at her. She looks so peaceful laying there. How could anyone abuse her and be the cause of her lose of eyesight? I sighed and bent down, kissing her cheek. "Goodnight Copper," I whispered before walking out of the room.