Love Makes Blind

[Paul's Point of View]

“You have to wake up.”I begged and held Elia’s hand in mine. “Wake up, Elinora.”
I was alone in her room while Darin had gone to eat and Leah was waiting outside. I could hear her talk to someone other than Angelo, and I had difficulties to calm myself down when I heard it was Matteo.
“Please baby, wake up.” I placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

The doctor had told us that she could wake up any moment, but she would be weak. She had got a little color back in her cheeks after she got the blood transfer from Darin, but she still looked paler than before. Random twitches reassured me that she was still alive and of course the beeping from the heart monitor. But sometimes her heart would start to race; as if she was afraid. The scariest thing was that tears would run from her closed eyes and she would whimper.

I tensed when she gasped for air and started blinking her eyes. She didn’t stop blinking and she started ripping at the tubes in her hands and tried to sit up; she wouldn’t be able to move for a few days because of her injuries. I pushed her softly down with my hands on her shoulder before I started brushing her cheek.
She mumbled something, but I didn’t understand what she said.
“Shhh, it’s okay Elia, I’m right here.” I said and kept brushing her cheek.
Tears started flowed from her eyes as she kept blinking. She tried to talk again.
“Don’t try to speak; I’ll go get the doctor.” I said and started to stand up, but Elia grabbed my arm and started at the roof, it was as if she didn’t want to meet my eyes. “Paul.” She croaked.
“I’m right here, baby.” I said and took a hold of both her hands.
“I- I can’t.” She took a breath as her voice broke. “I can’t see.” She said and sobbed.

I froze.
“I can’t see, Paul.” She cried.
I didn’t know what to say. I sunk down in the chair again.
“Why didn’t you tell me this, mom?” she mumbled weakly.
I was too numb to think about what she said.
“You didn’t say anything about this!” she almost screamed and I snapped out of it.
“I’ll go get a doctor.” I said and stood up and walked to the door.

Everybody stared at me as I walked out of Elia’s room and closed the door behind me. I leaned against the wall and slid down so I could rest my arms and head on my knees.
“She’s blind.” I said against my arm.
“What?” Darin shot up from his chair and rushed past me into Elia’s room; I could hear her frustrated cries.
“I’ll go get the doctor.” Angelo said and walked down the hallway to the reception.

“Aren’t you going to comfort her?” Leah asked and put a hand on my shoulder.
“I can’t.” I said sadly.
“oh no… I’m so sorry.” Matteo said and stood up; he was headed for the door next to me when I flew at him and pushed him against the wall.
“Don’t you dare to go near her ever again!” I roared as my fist collided with his nose. “Don’t you ever lay a finger on her again, or I’ll kill you with my own two hands. Slowly, so you can feel the pain as your life slips away.” My voice turned menacing.

“Paul.” Leah pulled me back when I started shaking. “Not here.”
Matteo looked defeated; I hoped the guilt would eat him alive. “I’m sorry.” He said again before sitting down again and cracking his broken nose.
I wanted to yell at him to get the hell out, but I was interrupted but Angelo and a doctor.

^^^

The doctor’s had no explanation. They told us they didn’t know why Elia was blind again, but they hoped it was just temporarily. A doctor that had been present under her surgery said that Elia had coded on the operation table, and that would probably be a reason seeing that her blood stream had been cut off; it could have hurt her occipital lobe.

Everybody had left except me. I lay in Elia’s hospital bed with my arms wrapped tightly around her.
“I never believed the darkness would be so strange for me.” Elia said quietly as we both tried to get some sleep. “I had gotten so used to seeing things. Do you think we’ll get through this, Paul?”
“Of course, we did the first time, didn’t we?” I brushed my thumb over her lower lip. “And they said it could be temporarily.”

“Do you wish I would have woken up and be the same old me?” Elia asked me.
“I’m not sure how to answer that question.” I sighed. “I wish you weren’t blind; yes, but the same old you? This is the same old you. I have told you several times before that I don’t care if you’re blind or not.”
“I’m going to get scars.” Elia mumbled and hid her face in my chest.
I had to take deep breaths to calm myself. “I know.”
“They will be ugly.” She said in a sad tone.
“I don’t care; you still are the most precious thing out there.” I said and kissed her hair.

I could feel Elia’s tears on my shirt.
“Hey, what is it baby?” I asked her.
“I can’t ever see you again.” she sobbed.
I had to stop my own tears, not because she wouldn’t see me, but because of her pain.
“You can see me, I’m right here.” I lifted her hand and rested it against my cheek. “You can feel me. You did that for a long time before you could see. It will be okay, Elia.”

Elia relaxed a little before she sighed and snuggled closer to me. “I love you, Paul.”
“I love you too. I was afraid I would lose you.”
“My mother saved me.” Elia mumbled, but I think she had fallen asleep.

I wasn’t sure if blindness was our curse or blessing.