Chapter 11

He immediately turned around, hearing my footsteps, "Hello Kari."

"You can tell who I am by the way I walk?" I asked, impressed.

"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't 'see' in other ways," he said, clearly pissed off that I couldn't tell. He turned back towards the night.

"Sorry," I said, "Can I join you?" Iggy shrugged his shoulders so I sat down next to him.

"Is it hard sometimes? Being blind?" I asked tentatively.

"Sometimes," he said, "I remember when I could see. The world was full of color. Now it's darkness, and I have to imagine those colors again. It's getting hard to remember them."

"So then you rely on hearing and touch mostly, huh?" I said.

"Yeah," he replied, "And thanks Kari."

"For what?" I said, surprised.

"For asking me what it's really like being blind. The Flock gives me their sympathies, but they don't know what it's like. It's hard, but it's something I think I would never forget," Iggy said.

"Iggy . . . you're welcome," I murmured, secretly pleased.

"You know, I was the one who saved you when you jumped off the ledge. I heard you," he said, chuckling.

"Really?" I asked, "Well, thank you so much!" And I actually meant it. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, "Kari?"

"What?" I asked.

"I'm glad you came to the Flock."

I took his hand and squeezed it, smiling.

I woke up, blinking in the light. Dang. They left me behind again. Not like I could fly anywhere, but they could've given me some notice. I sighed and sat up. Thank the Lord for fast healing. I peeled off some of the bandages that I knew that the injuries underneath were slight and smiled at the tiny white shrinking scar lines. Soon they would be gone.

I pulled myself up and slowly stretched out my wings. At least with all the red feathers, you couldn't see the blood. Geez. I REALLY needed a bath. Just wait until I peeled off some more bandages and I could go to the lake/pond thing close to the cave.

I raided the cave for the medical supplies and changed my own bandages, dribbling antiseptic onto it, wincing and then putting a strip of gauze over it, or wrapping it in cloth, or . . . well, yeah, you get the point. I went out to the ledge and just sat in the sunshine, drinking in the light. I left a couple of my wounds open so they could dry with the air.

When the Flock came back, I was dozing in the sun. "Hey," I said, cracking one eye open, "Whatcha been doing?"

"Stuff," Max said, "Here's some food." She tossed a couple of fast food cartons and I tore into them, starving.

"You look better," Fang said quietly.

"I feel better," I said happily.

We finished eating and I watched them fly until the sun went down. I finally fell asleep. But then I woke up in hell.