ShiKahr, Vulcan, Stardate 2292.296

"I do not wish to disturb you further. You have other visitors on the way, and the hospital staff have informed me that visits today should be limited in duration. However, I will remain here until Amanda arrives with Malar and Naalem. Do not hesitate to contact me should you need anything."

Losha nodded and looked past Sarek to the doorway. He didn't really want to be left alone, but he also wasn't sure what to say to his grandfather. The others would be here soon enough though.

"Thank you again." He turned his gaze back to Sarek. "For bringing my padd."

"It is illogical…" Sarek stopped midway through his sentence and paused. "It was no trouble."

"And for everything else. For helping me to get this surgery."

Sarek looked as if he were on the verge of saying something, but simply nodded his head and left the room.

It was strange to actually see his grandfather for the first time and to discover that he did not look at all like the person he had imagined. Aside from the texture and color of his hair and perhaps his build, he could not see where his father much resembled him. Perhaps his father looked more like his mother. His mother who had raised him because Sarek didn't want any involvement in his son's life. He told himself not to let it bother him, because it hadn't bothered his father enough that he'd ever mentioned it. But then, nothing had ever really seemed to bother his father much. He had been resilient in a way that few people were.

But Losha had Sarek to thank for recovering his eyesight, and he was thankful. His grandfather's motivations may have been strictly out of a sense of familial duty or obligation, but he had helped him nonetheless. He was grateful to him, even if he could not agree with all of his actions nor understand his motivations.

There was no use getting upset at the moment. He turned his focus to his padd. On Senes and during the trip to Vulcan he had been listening to a historical novel about a Klingon captain who had prevented a war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire some sixty years earlier. Losha had never found Klingons to be particularly interesting, but the novel was intriguing and he was learning that much of what he had assumed about Klingons was inaccurate. He was eager to continue with the story.

Looking down at the padd, however, he realized that the script was blurry. He squinted his eyes, then held the padd out and moved it around, trying to look at it from different angles. It was no use - it was blurry from every angle. He sighed and tried not to let himself be disappointed. At least he was no longer blind. Still, what good was vision if he couldn't even walk to the lavatory without feeling disoriented? It would take time, he told himself. Be patient. He thought about listening to more of the novel, but found he wanted to continue looking at things, rather than listening. He called up images of Senes on his phone - the Sea of Lataan, Undaa, its people and animals. The images he could see fairly clearly, it was just text that presented a problem. He told himself over and over to be grateful that he was once again seeing things he thought he'd never see again.

After what must have been an hour since his last visit, Sodok came in to check on him. He brought a cup of water with him and asked again if Losha wanted to attempt to walk to the lavatory. It was no easier than his first attempt. Sodok informed him that Dr. Karatek believed the issue would be resolved in a matter of days, and if necessary, a walker could be requisitioned.

Sodok was helping him back into bed when Naalem appeared in the doorway, Malar behind him.

"Losha!"

"You may enter," Sodok said as he turned towards the doorway. "I will be back in a hour." So Sodok could speak Standard. Until this point, he had conversed with Losha entirely in Vuhlkansu.

Naalem and Malar moved into the room so that Sodok could pass, then approached the bed.

"Sarek says that you can see!" Naalem smiled hesitantly.

"Yes, but things are still blurry when I try to walk, and I can't see text clearly. But I am seeing a vision therapist tomorrow. Hopefully that will help."

"But you can see, Losha." Malar's face was composed, but she had that glint in her eyes he had nearly forgotten. He had not been blind that long, and he hadn't forgotten what she or Naalem looked like, but seeing them again was somewhat surreal.

"Yes, I can see." He smiled slightly.

"I knew the ambassador was going to be able to help you," Naalem's hesitant smile broke into a broad grin. "I knew you wouldn't be blind forever."

"And how did you know that?" Losha looked at him playfully.

"Because I just knew that was not how things were supposed to be for you."

"I see," Losha laughed. "And what have you been up to today?"

"We've just been waiting at the house with Amanda."

"Oh, yes, Sarek said she was coming with you. Where is she?"

"She's in the waiting room." Malar answered. "She wanted to see you too, but thought we should come in first."

"You can tell her to come in."

"I'll go tell her." Naalem turned and hurried out the door.

"Naalem, slow down! We're on Vulcan, remember?" Malar gave him a stern look.

"They'll probably throw him out for being unruly. This is the quietest hospital I've ever been in."

"We are on Vulcan, remember?" Losha smiled at her.

"You don't know how happy I am, Losha. Happy for you."

"I know. But don't get emotional on me, alright?"

"Hmmph." Was all Malar could manage. Vulcans aside, Malar was the least emotional person he knew.

"I was looking at pictures on my padd. Look, it's the Sea of Lataan." He pushed the on button and held his padd out to Malar. "I never thought I'd see it again."

"And it won't be long before you see it again in person. But first there are so many things to see here on Vulcan. In time, of course. Sarek explained to us what the doctor said about it taking time for your eyes to adjust to the light. And to focusing again so that you can read."

Footsteps approached the room and Losha looked past Malar to see Amanda and Naalem at the door. Malar turned in surprise. She, apparently, hadn't heard them. Vulcan hearing was only marginally better than Seenan. Losha wondered whether he had developed more acute hearing since losing his sight, or whether Malar simply hadn't been paying attention. He certainly paid more attention to sound since the accident, but perhaps that would fade with time now that he also had sight to rely on.

"Losha, I'm so glad to see you." A smile lit the old woman's face. "And to know that you can once again see me."

"Thank you. I really appreciate what you have done for me."

"Nonsense. You're family. And even if you weren't, it would have been my pleasure, our pleasure, to help." She smiled and Losha knew it was a genuine smile, that Amanda would have helped him even if he were nothing more to her than a total stranger.

The three of them remained for about a quarter of an hour, but then had to say goodbye for the day as visiting time was limited.

Sodok continued to make his hourly visits until the evening nurse, T'Vel, took over. She was young, perhaps even younger than Losha, yet quite stern, with a no-nonsense attitude. Though Sodok had seemed to him unremarkable, Losha found himself wishing he would return. At least he would be asleep for much of T'Vel's shift, he thought.

Amanda had suggested he look at pictures of some of the places on Vulcan she hoped to take him. Besides the attractions in Shi'Kahr itself, she suggested a trip to Lake Yuron, which was within Shi'Kahr's provincial limits. It was a popular tourist destination for visiting aliens and she thought its diversity might be appealing to him, as well as to Naalem and Malar. There were places further from Shi'Kahr she wished to show them too, but that it would all depend on what he wanted to do.

"Is your vision improving? Amanda told me you were having difficulty reading."

Sarek stood in the doorway, looking at Losha look at his padd.

"No, I'm just looking at pictures. Nothing's improved yet. I didn't think anyone was coming back to see me tonight."

"After I saw you this afternoon, I returned to my office in the city. I thought I would come to see whether you required anything before I returned home." Sarek entered the room and approached the bed.

"No, I'm fine. But thank you."

"The Celjok Shrine." Sarek looked down at the image on the padd. "Lake Yuron is quite a popular tourist destination."

"Do you recommend I visit it?"

"If only because you haven't seen it before. I visited it often as a young man. There are a number of hiking trails, the P'Tranek monastery, and the shrine, of course."

"Did you ever go during the season of renewal?"

Sarek straightened and Losha could see a tiny upturn in his mouth that was clearly a repressed frown.

"Nearly all students in Shi'Kahr visit during the season of renewal. The beaches and the shrine provide excellent places to meditate and focus for those in the midst of their studies."

"Amanda said there were hot springs at the monastery." Losha couldn't help but cracking a smile.

"Yes, the hot springs are believed to have healing properties, though this has never been proven conclusively."

"I see. So it sounds like a fun place to visit then." It took all the control Losha had to prevent himself from laughing.

"I would not use the word 'fun' to describe it. However, I have no doubt you will find it a worthwhile destination during your stay on Vulcan. What other places has my wife suggested?"

Losha couldn't say for sure, but he was fairly certain that Sarek repressed a sigh.