BLIND FAITH
Summary: A miniscule injury with the potential to disrupt the entire dynamic.
Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.
Content Disclaimer: This story is not written from or for a child's perspective. Though both dark and light moments are present, if you don't wish to see cannon characters distressed, this is probably not for you.
In the plane, Carmen pulled her hat down to cover her face. Every aspect of her panicked being wanted to scrub at her burning eyes. However, she knew that as long as her henchmen were watching that action was akin to suicide. If they figured out that her eyes were damaged, she'd be dead.
Carmen could hear, like an eeiry drone, Suhara's remembered voice over the din of the engines. There are three things you have to protect in a fight, Carmen Chan. There might be a thousand things you want to protect, but three are not optional. No matter what else happens you must retain your ability to see, breathe, and feel. Because you can't fight unconscious, you can't stay awake without air, and you can't win blind.
She couldn't see. Not a thing. And her eyes were wide open.
They had to know… how could they not? Wasn't it obvious? Even if her eyes weren't visibly disfigured, her demeanor had to be screaming.
But Carmen didn't hear what she expected to hear, were that true. No whispers, no heavy respiration save her own. Someone at least ought to be nervous.
All she could detect was her own heart pounding, her own breath racing, a rhythmical cadence of fear.
The master thief tried to tell herself to be brave, to face whatever was coming with some sort of dignity.
Carmen was terrified.
At least she had the presence of mind to turn her face away from the driver, to appear to be looking out of the window. And to force her trembling hands to her side.
It was so frightening, such a totally helpless feeling. Even now, they were burning.
The master thief, though desperately trying to steady herself, could barely think.
Somehow, she had to get to a hospital. Or a doctor… something. And, if she wanted to live through this, she had to get there without alerting her employees. This was a cutthroat business, and no one wants a weak leader. Carmen was convinced they would eliminate her in a second if they guessed.
But she wanted to live.
It was that last thought that finally calmed her down. Even if this horrible darkness was permanent, Carmen knew she wasn't giving up.
So she had to work out the logistics and fast. It was a simplifying notion. Logistics were, after all, what Carmen did best. She would treat getting home as a particularly well crafted challenge and not concern herself with the penalty for loosing. Naturally, that penalty resembled the usual. If the odds were less in her favor, wouldn't that just lead to a sweeter rush?
The master thief turned her face just enough that the pilot would realize she was talking to him. "Fly out to the edge of the city", she said "and drop me off at the safe house."
"Yes boss…" The pilot answered. Carmen analyzed in a hurry. She recognized the voice of the man flying the plane. With two men having accompanied her on the heist, that made the other henchman…
"And David I expect an escort to the building." Their boss continued confidently. "Because you need to carry the box of control supplies back to headquarters, remember?"
"Oh right…" The henchman muttered sheepishly. "I almost forgot."
Ok, not too shabby thus far. At least she knew where he was now. David did have these weird old school tendencies. Now she just had to pray he'd take her arm to walk her to the house. He probably would… unless she intimidated him and ended up trying to walk alone and falling flat on her face. Usually she found the gesture dated but charming. Now, she was depending on it for dear life.
So, Carmen concentrated on trying to make herself look open, even a little flirtatious. That was hard to do because she had no clue how her face looked. Eye contact was key in this and the thief didn't even know if she could focus the lenses properly. Besides, what if her eyes were red or even bleeding? It wouldn't do for her to turn her face all that way towards him.
So instead, the master thief focused on what she could control, relaxing her shoulders and moderating her gestures.
Having something to do turned out to be a complete godsend. It kept Carmen from panicking, and when they landed, the henchman not only helped her out of the plane but walked her by the arm as well.
"Catherine Sanchez?" The nurse called.
Carmen stood up when she heard the use of her alias. "Here" It had been incredibly difficult to get from the safehouse to the clinic, and she had only managed it by literally hugging boundaries, first the fence leading from the remote house into the city and then the storefronts.
She was lucky that she remembered the location of the clinic from the last time she had been in Dublin. That time, she had thrown out her knee. International felons didn't exactly have medical insurance, so it was her practice to visit places like these. The organizations tended to receive very large untraceable donations shortly thereafter.
Crossing the streets had been the worst. While trying to follow the sound of the footsteps, Carmen had recited The Tyger by William Blake over and over in her head, trying to keep herself calm. The rhythmical beat of that poem usually tended to soothe her, and she sometimes whispered it to herself when she was trying to fall asleep. However, by the second or third repetition, the thing had taken a slightly hysterical timbre.
"Oh!" She heard someone say in surprise, "Be careful!"
Carmen found out why when she ran into the door frame.
"Oh honey…" The kind voice said as she felt a hand take her arm. "I forgot. Here, let me get you a wheelchair."
Angry, Carmen twisted out of her grasp. "I can walk! Just tell me where to go."
"Careful." Nurse Henderson told the doctor. "You've got a live one there."
"Which one is this?"
"Spilled some sort of chemical in her eyes" The cynical woman explained. "And won't tell me how. Cleaned her up, but someone better explain a few things to her."
"She's got to be frightened…" The empathetic MD explained.
The nurse rolled her eyes. "Well she wasn't acting it."
Carmen sat quietly, twisting her hands in her lap.
Then, the darkness spoke. "Miss Sanchez?"
"Yes…"
"What seems to be the problem?"
"I spilled something in my eyes…" she whispered, her voice shaking. "And I can't… can't see."
"Ok…" The doctor said gently. "I'm going to put my hands on your face so I can keep your eye open and I can have a look. Is that alright."
Carmen nodded, feeling a bit soothed by the soft Irish accent.
She heard him pick up something, a light she supposed and then he held one of her eyes open.
"Ah yes.." He droned. "You've done a job on these. Was it an acid then?"
"Alkali…" The master thief contradicted. "I think…"
"You're going to feel some paper on your eye… it's a litmus test to check."
"Alright…"
A few moments later, he spoke. "Very perceptive. It is alkali."
"T-thank you." Carmen responded.
She heard a sigh and the light going back on the table. "These are out of my depth. I can get you an appointment with a surgeon, but you'll have to pay for it."
"I can pay…" the thief's voice was shivering.
The doctor came back a moment later. "Consultation 5:00 Friday." He informed her. "Beaumont Hospital. Attending is a mate of mine. He'll take good care of you. In the mean time we'll make sure we've washed all the chemicals off."
"Is this fixable?" Carmen asked.
"I don't know. I'll give you a prescription for antibiotics and some painkillers. Try not to rub 'em."
"Can you at least tell me if my eyes look…?" Carmen trailed off.
The MD informed her. "I'd wear something over them if you don't want funny looks. But it'll be murder trying to see out of 'em anyhow."
"So if you just look at me…" Carmen inferred… you can tell…?"
"Well sure, but you'd be thick to try and pass 'em off as normal."
"That's my choice." Carmen muttered.
"That it is." Carmen heard the doctor say.
She swallowed.
"Do you have a ride home?" He pried.
"Yes." She lied.