All the Little Things.

So, I'm gonna spoil this for you right now: I did see Dr. Kalani. And Leo's right, he's awesome. I'm still seeing Dr. Kalani, but they're more of, "Hey, how are you?" "Oh, I'm doing great, thanks, and you?" visits. If they aren't, then I'm going with Leo. I've come to accept his blindness, and he handles it a lot better than I do, but he still likes to talk to Dr. Kalani about it. Sometimes, he even likes to joke about wondering if I look any different. It still makes me a little sad that Leo has the heart to joke about such a thing and doesn't mind being blind.



I got a phone call this morning from the hospital. Apparently, Leo was in the hospital because today, their art teacher brought in someone who makes glass for a living. Not window glass, but those fancy art pieces. As he was working, he was trying to do some tricks, but the glass hardened already and it was thrown against the wall. Glass shards flew into Leo's eyes. As the nurse was explaining this to me, I was bawling my eyes out. I'm not ashamed of it. How could something like this happen to Leo, someone so kind and caring and funny and sweet? What did he do to deserve this?

I dropped everything and ran to my car as soon as the nurse asked if I knew a Leo Thornwood and introduced herself as a nurse from New York Presbyterian Hospital.

"Fuck!" I shouted as soon as I hit traffic. It took me half an hour to drive somewhere fifteen minutes away. I ran into the lobby, flustered, and walked up to the receptionist.

"Uh, I'm looking for Leo Thornwood?" I gasped out. The young girl at the desk raised an eyebrow.

"Are you a relative?" Fuck you, bitch.

"No, but the nurse called me," She rolled her eyes at me, which really pissed me off. She picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers, mumbling a few words before she was actually talking to a living person.

"Leo Thornwood, did he say he'd have any visitors?" The person on the other end said a couple of things and the bitch nodded and said this really annoying, "mhm" with every nod when she put the phone down and asked me what my name was.

"Gemini St. Claire," I replied curtly.

"Level two, room two forty-seven." I didn't bother thanking her as I left for the elevator. As soon as the elevator arrived, I walked in, pressing two as many times as I possibly could. Just as the elevator door was about to close, someone shouted, "Hold the door!" I internally groaned as I pushed the "open doors" button. The person that walked in looked almost exactly like Leo.

"Thanks," he breathed out, looking at the buttons. I guess he was going to level two, too.

"Uh," I said as the elevator doors closed. He looked at me, and he had the exact same honey-coloured eyes Leo did. Or eye. Or whatever. "Do you happen to be, uh, visiting Leo Thornwood?" He grinned and stuck his hand out.

"Mark Thornwood," I slowly took his hand, shaking it, and when the doors opened, his smile dropped, a worried expression replacing it.

As soon as we hit the middle of the hallway, Leo's door was right there, begging to be opened. When Mark opened the door, I couldn't look away. Leo's eyes were wrapped up in layers and layers of gauze, and I was horrified. The heart monitor was steadily beeping; Leo must have been asleep. I choked out a sob, my hand clamped over my mouth. Before I knew it, I was engulfed in Mark's arms, crying on his shoulder.



I'm not sure when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, I was lying on Leo's bed, his arm around me.

"Hi," he says quietly.

"Leo," I mumble nervously, not really sure of what to say.

"You don't have to say anything, Gemini, really,"

"Who was it? The instructor guy, I mean," Leo shakes his head.

"I can't tell you that, Gemini," Suddenly, I'm even more upset than I should be.

"You have to, Leo! Do you understand what he did to you? You're blind, Leo! Thanks to his fucking genius brain!"

"Just let it go, I'm fine,"

"Leo," I cried. "You're blind because of him. You can't see because of him. How are you fine?"

"I don't know," is Leo's reply. "But just let everything roll along, you know? Everything will sort itself out."

I really do wonder how Leo can talk about this so lightheartedly. I guess when he said he was an optimist, he really did mean it.

"What are you gonna do now?" I say, finally calmed down. "About your art classes?" Leo just shrugs.

"I'm still gonna be taking them, but it'll be a nice new perspective. I'm just a little sad that I can't see, 'cause I'm curious as to how my 'blind artwork' will turn out." All I can do is smile sadly.

"I wish this didn't happen to you," I say, my fingers going through his hair.

"I don't," is his response, and we are left in a comfortable silence.