"Agent Sands?" . Sands turned his head.. more out of habit; it wasn't as if he could see who was talking to him any better, now was it, he thought to himself. "Good your awake again. .I was hoping to speak to you again, when you were more.. with it, before you went for surgery" The doctor said "Seems your famous.. or is that infamous it was the first time even we specialists here had seen a home-done enucleation (eye removal ) but luckily it, even then, it is a proceedure where ordinary painkillers are sufficiant, I expect the gunshot wounds are giving you more pain.. "

"I find your confidence.. reassuring" Sands said sarcastically .. it was a tone he adopted by habit .. In fact it was practically standard issue to his CIA field kit, he thought to himself. Was he still CIA though?.. . probably only technically now he was on the road to being pensioned off with a disability. He didn't like thinking that way about himself.. twisted, insane, a murderer.. all that was fine.. no problem there.. but not that D word.. . "So where is 'here'?" Sands quickly said with a shrug. Might as well start with the most obvious of basics, or some variation of them; wake up, say 'where am I?' he smiled slightly to himself as he ticked that off the cliche checklist

"Lamtech Hospital; its a center of excellence for eye surgery and prostetics. . " the doctor replied

"Thats great.. but I hate to break it to you but I have no eyes"

"Hence my adding the term 'prostetics'" the Doctor said in a businesslike tone, "You know prostectic eyes have moved on in leaps and bounds, its amazing what can be acheived they are incredibly realistic these days.. you'd never know to look at them" he said.

"I'd know.. " Sands said tilting his head to one side "One slight give away, this side of them., I bet" he said dryly

"Well.. yes." the Doctor replied.. with a slight sigh.. "we have some work to do, to get you on the road to recovery and .. some normality."

"You don't say.. but it basically will just be dressing up the same problem in a more acceptably 'pretty' looking package, right?"

The doctor ignored Sands tone and direction in this, he had the standard information speech to give and he was on a roll and reluctant to stop now. "It would be helpful if we had some recent photographs of you to get it looking as, near your previous self as it can be. As I said we are a center of excellence, but we are not only that..we also conduct research.. we do need to do some testing to see what possible options for which particular proceedures are most suitable for you, that will include some other assessments of your situation will need to be done, it is some weeks before any medical proceedure can even begin. that will give more than sufficiant time psychological profiling, possible counselling amoung other things. " the doctor said, making it obvious in his tone this was not his area, nor was it coming from the medical side of things here at the hospital.

"Suitable for what in particular?" Sands said "And why does it need profiling for it?" he said. The Doctor ignored the question,by answering a different unasked one instead.

"We will be starting some reconstructive surgery right away, then we have to pack the eye socket for a week or so,everything can be conducted then and resolved. " He said with a brief, and quite unnecerssary businesslike smile. "The reconstruction should go fine.. any difficulties we can go the more extensive prostetic route.. but I see no real need for that.." he checked the elasticity of Sand's skin around where his eyes had been. "Yes, thats good. I will check up on you later, after the surgery." he said leaving so Sands could be prepared for it.

Waking up felt a bizarre experience. It wasn't just the drugs from the general anesthetic that was doing it, though they too were having their affect. It was waking up into darkness.. an endless night.. It was only in his dreams he could see. Reality was again.. deficient. Sands stiffened as he heard someone approach, someone he felt an interent hostility for, for they could see him as they approached and he lacked the ability to do the same. So he listened instead. Heels... quite high.. he tilted his head as she approached. "Agent Sands" she said.. it sounded like there was a smile in her voice. .. that voice. The voice he had found so comforting before.. it felt like days ago now.. in his darkeness the passing of time was something he was in danger of losing track off

He wanted to keep some things together.. he really did; he was just selective about what.

She had stopped right next to the bed and had taken his hand and shook it. He hadn't quite expected that, he wondered what message she was trying to give with that, business-like but humane, perhaps. "I am Agent Dr Sara Clarke, I was sent to do some of the assessments on your treatment. The CIA is interested in some possible treatments being developed here but we want to see how your doing first, before final treatments are decided on" she paused, he guessed she was smiling at him, just because he couldn't see it, it didn't mean people shed their established habits, and she was someone who sounded like she smiled.

"An agent and a doctor?" Sands stated "Which hat are you wearing now?" he asked

"Well... I am being a doctor, for the CIA, a doctor of psychology, I am meant to assess how you are bearing up" her tone was being kept light, he could tell.

"I have had better weeks" Sands said with a wry smile

"I can imagine" Sara said.

"Imagination, doesn't quite cut it.. it takes the bloody reality to really get it. " Sands said with a dry tone.

"Quite, though I read your file, seems it took more than being blinded to stop you. What do you think that is down to?" she asked

"Oh.. probably the luscious cocktail of drugs Guevera pumped me full off" Sands said in a slow playful tone .

"I think there is more to you than that, Agent Sands, much more. " she replied.

"Are you flirting with me Honeybun?" Sands said with a slight smile.. Seemed the CIA had send some entertainment his way, that and the real reason they had sent a psychologist along to assess him, there had to be a reason for that.. if they were retiring him for blindness he would be offered.. if he wanted it counselling after the fact.. after they had got rid of him.. not before.. But this was prior to treatment.. almost like they were hinting he had some real options in the pipeline.. he .. forgive the pun, he told himself.. just couldn't see it. But that didn't mean he wouldn't milk this for all the private twisted entertainment he could get out of it.