It was shortly after Wendy's first full year of training, while I was attempting to recover an ancient Druidic Staff (yet another random magical thing that could end the world-lucky me), when its protector- some kind of werebeast-attacked me. The thing must have been close to ten feet tall, and even in dragon form I felt small next to its massive furry hide. I managed to duck most of its swipes at me, and had partially incapacitated it by using my flames. However, it retaliated and managed to land a strike on my left cheek-nearly hitting my ear and killing me, but not quite. At this point I grimaced and decided to flee with the artifact instead of continue fighting the beast. When I emerged from the cave I flew to a high ledge where I knew I would be safe, then transformed back. I could not see out of my left eye, and I could feel blood pouring out of the wounds the beast had left. I had to get medical attention soon or else I would bleed out. I called Grandpa to tell him where I hid the staff and that I was going to the hospital, it went to voicemail-they were all asleep at home.
I flew quickly to the nearest town and collapsed into human form in front of the emergency room of the hospital. I limped as I felt the life pouring out of me, staggering toward the glass doors in front of me. The receptionist screamed as she saw me and called down a stretcher immediately. I fell face-first on the linoleum and blacked out as a doctor rushed to my side. The next morning I woke up in the ICU of Harrison Memorial Hospital in Kentucky. I honestly hadn't remembered anything they did for me, but when I pressed the call button the nurse quickly appeared and seemed glad I was awake. After they sutured my lacerations and managed to secure a transfusion (AB- isn't common a common blood type apparently) they tried to save my eye, but couldn't. I put my hand up to my face and felt the gauze. She continued that I would be on antibiotics for quite some time to prevent infection, but that if everything went well I should be free to return home in a few days. I was on a morphine drip and couldn't feel the pain, but I knew I was messed up.
She also said that I had visitors waiting for me-they hadn't let anyone in while I was resting. I smiled weakly and said that they could come in. She went out into the hall, and a few minutes later I was greeted with a rush of friends and relatives crowding through the door. Rose had brought the kids as well as Mom and Dad, and Grandpa and Fu. Spud had also come down with Stacy (leaving their kids with a sitter) and Trixie had managed to get the time off to check on me as well-complaining how her commanding officer had no idea what it was like to have to actually deal with an emergency.
I sat up in bed and mustered all my strength to appear normal, but could only manage to be upright for a brief moment before I fell back onto the mattress. Rose smiled, saying that I didn't have to act tough anymore, and adjusted the mattress to angle my back up, fiddling with a remote connected to the mattress. No one seemed to mention my injuries, I guess to avoid the elephant in the room-but I couldn't stand it.
"So, on a scale of one to Hamburger Helper, how bad do I look?"
"Jake, it's going to heal-you'll be fine in a few weeks." Rose ran her fingers through my hair and kissed my forehead.
"Jake, Imma be honest, you do kind of look like Freddy Krueger." Spud stated. Rose, Trixie, and Stacy all glared at him.
"What? I said I was being honest. Look, I know Rose loves you and all, so she isn't going to say this, but your face looks like pizza mixed with a dead possum."
"Thanks Spud." I snarked.
"Does it hurt?" John asked, trying to poke the bandage, only to have Rose swat his hand away.
"No, not too much. They've got me on some morphine so daddy can't feel much of anything right now." I smiled lifting my arm to pat his shoulder.
"Daddy, I brought you a book and crayons and my so-soft so that you feel better…" Wendy pulled up her bookbag and dumped a pile of coloring books and crayons on my lap. She then pulled out her so-soft, the baby blanket we had taken her home from the hospital in, and wrapped it around my leg. Her so-soft was her security blanket, so to have it offered was a great honor. I smiled at Wendy and motioned for her to come forward, then kissed her forehead.
"Dad! Your beard is itchy, stop it!"
Rose took the kids back to the hotel while the rest of us talked for a bit.
"So, Jake, did the doctor say anything about…y'know…" Dad trailed off.
"My eye? Yeah. It's done-for. The nurse said that it was damaged beyond use, so they had it surgically removed."
"I'm so sorry, I should have been there- then this wouldn't have happened." Haley was on the verge of tears as she sat down across from me.
"No, stop. It doesn't matter what could have happened. All that matters is what happened. I'm still here, that's what counts." I put my arm on her shoulder. "Besides, if you were there it might have ended up with both of us in the ICU."
Haley smiled sadly, "Well, since you're awake and feeling sappier than ever, I'm going to ask the nurse if we can get you something to eat."
"Do you know any spells that might be able to help Jake?" Stacy asked Spud.
"No, I don't. Maybe Gramps does?"
Up to this point Grandpa had been quiet, standing by the door, not being too close to the others. He sighed as he walked forward, revealing he had been standing in the back to try and conceal his tears. "Young dragon, I am sorry but I do not know how to help. In all my time I have never seen a dragon survive such an attack."
"Kid, Gramps and I will try our best to figure out if there is anything we can do, but you just need to focus on getting better." Fu placed his paw on my shoulder. "You've been through a lot of shit, but you need to learn that this time you need to stop and heal. I know you, and I swear if I even see you thinking about going dragon before this thing is healed I will make sure you are bolted to this bed!"
Haley came back later with a menu and helped me figure out what to order-her recent vegetarianism leading her to try to convince everyone else to do the same. I ordered a sandwich and a few other small things, then played some cards with everyone (Mom had brought a whole poker set in her purse).
Two weeks later I was discharged into an oppressive August heat. Rose had stayed the entire time, with the others visiting as often as they could. The kids were at Mom and Dad's, and Fu was watching our house. Grandpa had gone to New York with Spud and Stacy to try to see if there was anything to help me regain my eye, but hadn't found anything yet. When Rose picked me up the first thing that struck me walking out of the hospital was the heat. I'd been in air conditioning for the past two weeks and it felt like walking into a wall. The humidity didn't help. Rose and I caught a flight back to Pennsylvania, and I gradually managed to train myself to function with only one eye.