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Blind
Chapter 6
Wufei hadn't wanted to come in the examination room but Heero had insisted so he found a corner that allowed him to observe what was going on between doctor and patient. He stood there and watched as the doctor unwrapped Heero's bandages and he thought back to the first time he saw those dead eyes and shivered.
The past two days had him at his wit's end trying to be there for his friend but at the same time, allow Heero to function as normally as possible. Heero wanted to do everything for himself and for the most part, that was ok. He could feed himself well enough, but it still resulted in a collection of crumbs or some sort of spillage as he learned to eat all over again. And although it was no surprise that Heero could navigate his own apartment, he insisted on doing it as if his eyesight were working, instead of at a more cautious pace. This resulted in Heero banging a knee here or toppling something there, adding to Heero's already agitated state. Wufei was always on guard whenever Heero was on the move, but yesterday as Wufei reached out and caught a lamp before it came crashing to the floor, Heero whirled on him and yelled.
"Let it go, Chang! It's just a gods damned lamp! I don't want you hovering over me 24-7! Back the hell off!"
That little outburst kept Wufei at a distance, watching as Heero fumbled and cursed through the day, his frustration making things more difficult than usual. But by the time dinner had ended, Heero had calmed down and was more inclined to ask for assistance, even if it was just a little verbal directional help. But things were still not comfortable between them.
One thing that kept both of them tense and Wufei couldn't see any way around it, was the morning routine of washing and dressing. It was quickly agreed that Heero could take a bath by himself, and afterwards Wufei would wash his hair because of the necessity of keeping Heero's bandages dry. But Wufei was still paranoid enough to stay until Heero had actually gotten into the tub safely before leaving him alone. He still felt extremely uncomfortable having to stand by while waiting for a naked Heero to get in the tub and he tried to keep his back turned during the process, but he couldn't control his eyes and they immediately found Heero's exposed body, catching glimpses of a strong back, well-defined arms and smooth thighs. Every morning Wufei would berate himself for not being able to respect Heero's privacy. What the hell is wrong with me? I've seen him naked before, so why is this any different? Is it because I'm trying not to look and it's a basic human instinct to do what you're not supposed to do?
A low growl brought Wufei out of his reverie and he saw the doctor looking at Heero with wide eyes as Heero held the doctor's wrist firmly away from him.
"Heero, what's wrong?"
"I want a straight answer."
"Mr. Yuy, I have told you before, you have a very serious injury and the eye is a very delicate organ. You must be patient. I can't say for sure one way or another whether or not you will regain your eyesight. I'm sorry."
"Heero, let him go."
Heero turned towards Wufei's voice and even though there were white bandages covering his eyes, Wufei could feel the glare burning into him and he couldn't help but smile. Such power of will to be able to express his emotions without his eyes.
Heero glared at Wufei for a few more tense seconds before letting the doctor go and turning to face forward again. The doctor cleared his throat and turned towards Wufei who regarded him with mild amusement.
"Before you go, Mr. Chang, you should stop by the burn unit. I believe Doctor Muraki has left some cream for Mr. Yuy. Just please keep in mind that just like we don't want the eye drops to touch his skin, we don't want the cream to touch his eyes."
Wufei nodded and went over to the examination table to guide Heero down and the pair slowly exited the room. As they walked down the hallway Heero could hear Wufei mumbling under his breath about "arrogant doctors" and he smiled.
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The next dose of eye medicine the following day went as smoothly as before, but this time, Wufei had the added task of applying the burn cream to Heero's face.
"Ok, I don't know how this is going to feel, so if it hurts or anything just----"
"I'll be fine."
Wufei squeezed a small amount of white cream on one fingertip then rubbed it over all ten before slowly reaching out and gently rubbing Heero's face. Heero hissed and jerked away from Wufei's touch.
"Does it hurt?"
"N-no. It's…cold. Really cold."
Wufei waited a few seconds and then warned Heero he was beginning again, and this time Heero barely flinched and just tensed up. As Wufei rubbed the burn cream into Heero's skin, he felt the tensed, quivering facial muscles slowly relax under his fingertips. Heero couldn't help but give in to the soothing combination of coldness penetrating his irritated flesh and the feeling of strong fingertips easing the tension in his whole body through simple facial massage.
But the pleasant sensation stopped all too soon and Heero felt the restrictive bandages being put back on his eyes.
"Wufei?" Wufei was halted in his task by a strong grip on his wrist. "Do you think you could wait a few moments before putting the bandages back on?"
"I guess so. Any particular reason? Is something wrong?"
"No. It just feels nice right now."
Wufei smirked as he unwound the two layers of bandages and left Heero to sit with his face in the open air for a few moments. I can't blame him. I have a hard time tolerating bandages on any part of my body. I don't even want to imagine the frustration of having them on my face.
"I'm going to go start dinner. Any requests?"
Heero just shrugged and Wufei frowned. He'd been having a hard time getting Heero to eat sufficient meals. He ate whenever Wufei put food in front of him, but he never finished an entire serving, always leaving food on his plate. I wonder if he's always been like this or if it's a sign of depression. I better keep an eye on him.
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It had taken longer than expected, but finally, the two friends had adjusted to living together and handling the delicacies of Heero's injury. They had established routine and order and found that they actually complimented each other in their living styles and habits.
Although they still had not conquered one problem: they were having trouble finding things to keep Heero occupied.
"I'm bored."
"Would you like me to turn on the TV?"
"No. There has to be something I can do."
"You could always go out to the corner and beg for alms."
"Do you honestly think I'll let you get away with that?"
"You don't really have a choice at the moment. You can't see."
"I'll find a way."
"I do believe you just found something to occupy your time."
Heero heard the smugness in Wufei's voice and despite his situation he couldn't help but chuckle. This was why he wanted Wufei with him. Yes, he needed someone to take care of him, but he didn't want to feel helpless or be treated like he was helpless.
"I'm going to start lunch. Let me know if you think of anything."
"You'll be the first to know."
Wufei chuckled as he left the room and Heero just sat there will a sly smile on his face, plotting his revenge.
To be continued…….