Fix You

"Can you hear me?"

My ear twitched. Was the voice real?

"That's it, you're waking now."

I force my eyes open, a fluttering gooey mess.

"Take it easy. There you are. Not too fast now."

I tried to sit up but was gently pushed back.

"My....eyes..." I mumble.

"It will take some time but they will come back. No worrying darlin'."

I want to protest, ask more questions, but the exhaustion.

And her voice. It's eerily calming. So I give in.

My body relaxes against the sheets and my head nestles into the pillow.

Everything feels so comfy. Too comfy actually.

I awaken. Not even recalling falling asleep. It takes a minute and then I remember.

My sight. It's back!

"Thank God," I mutter under my breath.

"Hmmm?"

I freeze. Definitely thought I was alone.

Then again, I really hadn't taken in my surroundings yet.

Blinking a few times and clearing away the rest of the goo, I scan the room.

Pure white. Blinding white. And so organized. Bottles and gloves all put away neatly. Not a speck of dust anywhere.

Hell even the wires and machines looked perfectly placed.

Everything belonged.

"I've got to stand out in this pristine of a room," I whispered to myself.

"If you're trying to talk to me, you gotta speak up man!" a voice replied.

Shit. I forgot I wasn't alone. I looked towards the voice.

There is a curtain dividing the middle.

The other side must be where the voice came from.

The curtain flew back, causing a jump from me. How'd it move?

"Ya hear me?" she sassed.

"Oh, erm, sorry..." I stumbled over my words. "I... well... I mean, I thought I was alone and I was sort of just talking out loud and..."

"Stop," she interrupted. "I'm kidding."

Since I was avoiding eye contact, I finally looked at her face.

A soft smile greeted me.

"What's ya name?" she asked.

"Lauri," I replied. "Yours?"

"Roxy."

She had a strong accent that I couldn't place. There was also a sense of familiarity about her. Do I know her?

"So what ya in for?"

She broke my thoughts.

"Oh, erm, knee problems." I patted my left knee gently, signaling the cast.

I hate telling people my history with pain. It's exhausting.

"You?" I asked.

Her eyes grew wide.

"That's crazy! Mine's my right!" she laughed, pulling back her sheet and showing her similar injury.

"Curious," I said, smiling sheepishly. Why do I feel so uncomfortable?

We both went rather silent after the award exchange. Resorting to small chuckles over the television.

After a while, I started dozing off.

I bolt upright, a thrashing sound causing me to wake. Becoming hyper alert to my surroundings, I look towards Roxy, thinking maybe she fell.

She didn't.

Her whole body is convulsing. Violent shaking taking over from her head to her toes.

I freeze, a scream not even able to escape from my mouth.

A nurse comes in and I become a little more calm, knowing she could help.

She caught my eyes, a serious look coming across her face.

"You may want to look away, darlin'."

The tone she used causing my stomach to sink.

Obeying, I look the other way, becoming more and more terrified.

Roxy's scream pierced the air and ripped through the silence.

I couldn't help it any more. I look back.

The (nurse?!) was holding a massive needle. I follow the needle with my gaze until I got to the point... which was penetrating Roxy's eye.

A scream finally escaped.

The nurse slid the needle out then smiled at me.

"Better run now, darlin'."