The last thing he could remember was being dragged away, strapped onto a table, and being stuck in the arm with a needle.
When he woke up, it was night. Iggy couldn't remember a night when not even a sliver of starlight shone through the tiny window. He sighed, drifting off to sleep.
When he woke up, it was... still night? No, that couldn't be right. He could hear the others moving around, calling his name.
"Ig? Iggy. Iggy. Wake up." That was Max.
He sat up, eyes straining for something to focus on, but there was only the dark.
"Max?" His voice shook, and he fought back tears.
"Ig! Are you okay?" She sounded so worried.
He bit his lip, shaking his head. "I- I don't think so. They- my eyes. I can't-"
He couldn't say it. If he said it, it would be true. He closed his eyes. He wouldn't let himself cry in front of them.
"Are you sure?" That must have been Fang. Iggy opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. He shook his head instead.
"Oh, Iggy." Max again. "Maybe... maybe it's only temporary? Maybe you'll get better? Maybe they can fix it." But she didn't believe what she was saying. The way her voice caught in her throat betrayed her.
"Yeah, I bet they'll totally make it better! You'll probably be able to see a million times better than us." Nudge. So young and hopeful and un-broken.
"Guys. Don't." Fang again. "Don't say stuff like that."
Iggy nodded. "Look, guys, I'm fine. Really. It's... it's fine." He gave a half-hearted smile. And maybe it was enough to convince them, and maybe it wasn't, but after that they changed the subject and left him alone.
Night fell, but for Iggy it was marked only by the sound of the fluorescent lights clicking off.
"I'm blind," he whispered to himself as he lay curled in his crate. And then the tears came, hot wet streaks that burned his useless eyes and cut trails down his cheeks. He cried himself to sleep, keeping as quiet as he could. If anybody heard him, they didn't say anything.