Thanks for the reviews on my previous stories everyone!

I changed my mind about posting 'Hiding' because it's another high school story so I'm gonna post this one instead.

Hope you like it, please review!

Thanks

Ang

Chapter 1

Gabriella felt the warmth spread across her face just as her smile followed suit.

The sun must be shining through the window, she thought. Her hands were busy knitting as she stared outward; apparently enjoying the view but nobody could tell.

Gabriella couldn't see.

She sat in this hospital, day after day, talking to the patients, keeping them company or bringing them things they wanted from the shop.

Only today was different, she could feel it.

There was a new patient in room number five and she was eager to meet them, introduce herself and generally, find out about them. It was her favourite part of the day, finding out about someone knew.

It always surprised people, how much she could see without the sense of sight. Gabriella was intuitive and bordering on psychic. She could read a lot from a person's words, their tone. Even the sense of their movements.

Right now, Mr. Williams was regaling her with yet another story from his youth- one that heavily involved motorcycles from what he had told her so far.

She smiled warmly, finishing the row on her knitting- a jumper for Mrs. Stephens' grandson that she spoke so fondly of.

"You are monopolizing my time, Mr. Williams." She chided gently.

"I don't know why you don't just call me Frank." He replied. "You're practically family anyway." He returned.

That drew a rather pensive look from young Gabriella.

She wasn't family, was she? She had to say goodbye to these wonderful people over and over and some of them caught her heart, made her wish for more time.

Born with no vision, she had become accustomed to coping with help from others, to fighting for her independence like no other. But she had been protected, sheltered and it left her now with a biting need to experience life.

Her mother and father had been just a little too controlling, too protective and she had broken free, seeking comfort elsewhere.

Seemingly in the company of strangers. Anyone to remind her she was here, she was alive and she had something to contribute to the world.

"You know I can't, Mr. Williams," she reminded him gently, not for the first time. "It's a mark of respect." She added.

"You've been coming to see me for weeks; I'm going to insist upon it." He said back.

"Well, if you insist…" She said, her hands resting in her lap now.

Gabriella heard a noise, only faint but definitely there. She felt like she was on alert sometimes when she heard sounds before anyone else.

It came again, stronger, louder, pained.

"Oh my…" She murmured, the moans of pain repeating ever louder.

"That sounds awful." Frank commented with a wince that Gabriella mimicked without knowing.

She cocked her head, her face creasing with concern. "Do you think he's okay?" She wondered, knowing the voice was male, feeling the agony in his cries.

"Gabriella, I've never known anyone to worry about others like you do." He complimented.

"I hate the thought of people in pain." She sighed and she resumed her jumper, still half listening for any more sounds.

"Pretty girl like you should be out with your friends, not stuck in here with old men like me." He said then and she smiled again.

"I wish I could see sometimes. I wish I could see if I am pretty or if people just say that." She pondered.

"You best get on; your next patient will wonder where you got to!" He joked jovially and she sensed him shifting up in the bed, hearing his movements.

"You're right; I wouldn't want to be late on their first day here!" She returned brightly, reaching for her white stick beside her and rising from her seat, expertly making her way out of the room, swishing the light pole from side to side before her.

"Hello! Anyone home!" She called brightly, pushing the door open as she came into the next room, searching for the chair which wasn't in its usual place.

She paused, lifting her head, listening carefully.

She could hear breathing. Faint, slow, but definitely there. Maybe they were asleep? She moved to the end of the bed, picking up the clipboard, reading the brail writing.

"Mr. Bolton?" She tried carefully, placing the file back, still moving around the room and not finding the chair.

"What do you want?" He asked gruffly back, surprising Gabriella but not insulting her. She might have woken him. What if it was him who had been wailing just those short moments ago?

"I'm Gabriella Montez, I'm a hospital visitor." She explained, frowning. "Where is the chair?" She asked then, reaching out until she touched the bed frame to comfort her.

"It's not here, I don't want visitors." He said, his voice rough and resigned.

"You're frowning." She accused instead, bypassing his brush off.

There was silence then, almost awkward but Gabriella ignored the heavy weight in the room, wondering what this stranger looked like.

He didn't sound as old as the others, but he sounded a lot more skeptical.

It shocked her that he had the visitors chair removed but maybe he really did want to be left alone.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" He asked, not particularly kindly but she sensed the need in his voice and then she knew what this was.

He didn't want to let her in.

God she knew how he felt, letting your guard down was difficult enough, let alone when injured or in her case- permanently at a disadvantage. It kind of left you vulnerable.

She wondered why he was in here but didn't linger on the thought.

"I guess not. Not if you don't want me to…" She blushed, blinking her lashes against her face. "I'll be back though." She warned, moving to leave. "You may just want to give in now because I'll be here very day until you stop frowning." She added lightly, reaching the door, pausing to listen for any response.

There was none and her heart sank. She could feel the sadness surround her like invisible fingers of sorrow.

--

"So how was the newbie?" Frank asked the next morning, his bright, cheerful voice always bringing a smile to Gabriella's lips.

"Oh, he was…you know." She shrugged, knitting the next part of the jumper she had started.

"Oh, they always start off like that." He chuckled and she nodded.

"He feels different. He's too young to be that jaded." She frowned and the old man watched her face marred by the action.

"Take him some cookies." He suggested and she giggled beside him.

"It's too soon!" She argued back playfully.

"It's never too soon. He must be blind if he can't see how beautiful you are…" He grumbled and she pressed her lips together.

"Oh I'm sorry." Frank said quickly, realizing his words.

"It's ok," she said softly.

"I didn't think." He added sheepishly.

"Do you think one day someone can love me?" She wondered aloud, her thoughts so far away she forgot for a moment who she was with, where she was, even.

"Oh, sweetheart. A lot of us already do!" He joked and then softened his voice. "You don't need to see someone with your eyes for them to see your beauty inside, Gabriella. Any man would be lucky to have you." He assured.

She nodded, letting a tear roll down her face.

She didn't know what it felt like to be loved, to be touched. Even to be kissed. Her parents had shielded her from any kind of contact at all with boys, so afraid that she would be hurt.

But it left her curious, frustrated even. Desperate for a man's touch, a man's love. Just the feeling of being held.

"Sometimes I just wonder when…" She said sadly, wiping her tear away as it drove toward her chin.

"It'll happen, Gabriella, I promise." Frank said and she smiled softly, resuming her knitting as they shared a comfortable silence until she gathered her things and went onto her next patient.