The smooth breezing air outside was tinted a dull shade of purple as the sun began to set upon the dark trees outside of the Belvedere hospital. Of course Clarice Starling couldn't tell you that. She had gone blind two weeks earlier. She lay in her paper feeling, blue and white hospital gown, alone in a closed off section of the hospital. Clarice hadn't really gone blind; rather she was made blind, by gun powder. The last thing she remembered seeing was Jame Gumb lying on the floor in a pool of blood. After that her eyes began to burn and it all when black. She had known she wasn't asleep and she wasn't dead. After she arrived in the hospital she was told by two doctors that a bullet had flown right in front of her face and her eyes were burnt with the excess gun powder.
She was blind and alone in this room. She tried to look around but everything was either a grayish color or pitch black. Two days after she checked in, not really sure of what to do with herself, she heard someone come in. The foot steps weren't heavy or light and there was a unique smell in the air as the person entered. "Hello? Who are you?" she called looking around with no success, for a moment she forgot her newly gained blindness. The footsteps stopped at the left side of her bed and the room remained quiet for a reasonable amount of time. "Who the hell are you?!" she yelled this time, obviously afraid. A warm and soft hand touched her cheek then disappeared as she jolted in surprise. A few more moments that seemed endless passed by and she felt a light kiss on her forehead. She swung her arm up in hopes of hitting the person, but missed. This time heavy footsteps sounded they were walking away. Clarice sighed and lay back down.
These visits were becoming frequent and starling was learning to expect them. Always someone would come in and watch her, kiss her on the forehead then leave. Never was a word spoken from her visitor. Finally one day she wasn't in the room when her visitor decided to show up, she was in therapy learning how to read in brail.
She was led back to her room afterwards by a nice nurse who helped her everyday to and back from therapy. Today the nurse guided Clarice's hand to the edge of the bed before helping her sit down. "Hold on, there's a letter on your bed." The nurse slowly picked it up and faced Clarice. 'It's addressed to you, umm, would you like me to read it to you?" Clarice nodded, knowing she had missed her visitor today. "Okay, it says: My Fair Clarice, I have watched you for so long. Only to not be watched back. I must say, little starling, that your eyes are still as beautiful as they have ever been. A crisp blue. I am afraid I can no longer visit you. The FBI has caught up to my recent accommodations and has searched the entire home. Don't worry though Clarice, I left nothing they could trace. Assuming they can not trace half of a human lung and a few teeth. I wish you luck in future days. HL MD. P.s." at this point the nurse quieted her voice. Probably out of shock or horror. "P.s." she continued. "I love you Agent Starling. That's what it say." The nurse walked over to Clarice, her blind eyes wide open. The name Hannibal escaped her lips. It was the only thing she could say at that moment. The nurse helped her sit on the bed.
Clarice's visitor never returned. However a few weeks later money was sent to her from "a friend." It was accompanied by a short unsigned letter. The money was just enough to pay for a corneal transplant.