"Connie?"
Tristan leant against the bed, she felt the pressure against her side and she shook her head ever so slightly. She heard him exhale and the sound of the door opening with a creak.
"Everything ok?"
She heard Tess ask, her voice sounding further away than it was.
"Fine."
She spoke quickly, her head bowed.
"Fine?!"
Tristan's voice made her jump and she turned her face to the sound of it.
"You can't fucking see!"
His voice changed direction and she assumed he had turned from herself to Tess.
"She can't see a fucking thing!"
She cleared her throat louder than she had meant to and Tristan tutted his tongue against his teeth, biting his lip against any more foul language.
She heard the sound of the door close with a soft thud and the careful creak of Tess's shoes as she made her way over to the bed.
"Connie?"
Tess spoke softly and she felt the gentle press of a hand against her thigh. She looked up, smiling nervously, just the sliver of a sparkle at the corner of her right eye that dazzled her if she moved her head too quickly.
"Can you see me?"
Tess asked quietly, noting how Connie's eyes seemed to search for her despite her close proximity.
"No..."
She whispered, pursing her lips and turning to look back down to where she knew her hands were folded in her lap, she widened her eyes in the hope that somehow her sight would return.
"Ok, Connie? I'm just going to go and get Dr Hanna, just wait here OK?"
Tess pressed firmly again on Connie's thigh before the touch disappeared and again she heard the soft pad of her shoes and the click and pull of the door opening and closing.
There was silence for a moment, she let her jaw slacken and her lips parted as she exhaled slowly, closing her eyes against the panic that she could feel rising.
"Tristan?"
She whispered, she heard the shift of him beside her.
"Mmm?"
He murmured, she could tell by the muffled sound of his voice that he was chewing at the skin of his bottom lip.
She swallowed hard, the twtich of a smile flickered briefly across her lips and she dipped her head again, raising a hand to push her fingers against her forehead just beneath her bandage.
"Help me."
She whispered, the sound of the door opening again came with a thud and Zoe's heels clicked sharply across the floor to her.
"Connie?"
Zoe asked from somewhere nearby. She raised her face in acknowledgement but remained silent.
"Can you see anything at all?"
Zoe spoke again, she was nearer this time and Connie caught the bright flicker of something within her peripheral vision but before she had time to register what itw as it was gone.
"No."
She said quietly.
"Just a..."
She raised a hand to the side of her face, flexing her fingers to demonstrate.
"a flicker...every now and then."
She let her hand drop back down to her side and heard Zoe sigh.
"Ok, I'm just going to shine a light into your eyes."
Connie flinched as Zoe touched at her cheek, her fingers cold but soft as she tilted her chin up toward the ceiling.
"Anything?"
Zoe asked. Connie shook her head, looking blankly up at the throbbing black mass that smothered her eyes.
She heard the rustle of papers and the sound of a lid being taken from the end of a pen.
"It's possible that there might be some swelling due to the head injury..."
Zoe paused, exhaling and tapping the edge of the pen against the notes that she held.
"And that your sight will come back once the bruising and swelling subsides."
She cleared her throat and Connie felt the pressure of finger tips about her eye sockets.
"The CT scan was clear but I'd like to do another just to be sure."
Connie felt her hands drop from her face and heard Zoe's heels move away from her.
"I'll get you transferred upstairs as soon as possible so that you're back down here in time for dinner."
Zoe spoke again, and Connie turned to face the new direction from where it sounded.
"I'd like to go home."
Connie said, speaking into the silence, shifting against the bed causing it to creak beneath her weight.
"Once the scan is complete I'd like to go home."
She spoke again when she heard Zoe hesitate and Tess clear her throat.
"Grace needs me."
She added quietly and she felt Tristan's hand slip over her shoulder, his fingers squeezing gently.
"If the scan comes back clear I'll see what I can do."
Zoe said eventually.
"Thank you."
Connie whispered.
More soon xxx
Kendal-Rose: I got both of your comments. I'm re-writing it, the same story but based in Casualty rather than Holby City. I will post it up on here after Christmas (finally it will have an ending!)
