Blind Sight Chapter 3: Awakening to Darkness

"Ooohhhooooo…" Riza gave a small whine as she came back to consciousness. She found herself lying on her back. What happened to me? She wondered and put her hand to her forehead. She winced in pain as her slender fingers met her soft skin. She had a splitting headache. One like she'd never had before. Her eyelids tensed as the shooting pain barreled around her skull. She was in a bed. She could feel the soft fabric touching her skin, and the warmth that the thick blanket on top of her radiated and locked around her body. What happened last night? She asked herself as she slowly sat up. "Ooohoo…" she flinched again and put her hand to her head once more. "The more I move the more it hurts," she cursed. "I don't even remember coming home last night," she mumbled to herself. Then suddenly it hit her. I didn't go home last night. Her expression suddenly became distressed and her head shot up, staring in front of her. Her eyes were wide and full of confusion. It's dark… I can't see anything… Where am I? What's going on? Then her face became engulfed in fear and uncertainty.

Crrrrreeeeekkkkkkk…

At that moment the familiar sound of a door opening was heard across the room. Riza didn't move. Her eyes were still wide with shock as her mind raced though what happened to her the night before. The expression on her face didn't change from its frantic and frightened state. As she sat there pondering a bead of sweat formed on her forehead and ran down the side of her face. It clung to her chin for several moments, then lost its grip and fell, landing on the white blanket. There it began being absorbed by the white fabric in-between Riza's arms.

A man stood in the doorway, observing Riza, tracing her with his dark eyes. Her hair was let down and resting on her shoulders. She was dressed in the white gown patients wore, and her eyes, the look in her eyes really got to him. He wanted to say, or do something to help her, but he knew it would be better for her if he kept calm and acted like he always did.

He stayed quiet until his eyes traveled down to where the bead of sweat had fallen. He saw her hands, clenching the blanket furiously. Then his face was overcome with concern and curiosity. He had never seen Riza like this before. She was always so calm and collected. Seeing her with this terrified and lost look on her face worried him to no end.

"Lieutenant?" he asked calmly.

Just then Riza's eyes widened even more. "Colonel?" she asked as her face turned in the direction she heard his voice coming from. She could hear his voice, but she couldn't see his face. It went silent for another moment. All she heard was the sound of his footsteps on the tile floor.

The sound of his boots got louder, telling her he was coming toward her. Then his feet stopped and she heard the scratching sound of a chair being dragged on the hard floor.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he sat on a stool next to her bed. His eyes studied her face carefully. Their bodies stood out vividly against the white paint on the walls behind and around them. To the side of Riza sat a window. The sunlight poured in through the glass and warmed her face.

The sound of his calm voice made her feel a bit better, and she relaxed a little for the moment. Then a sharp pain shot through her head again, bringing the image of that strange light and the mind numbing pain back to the surface.

"Hawkeye?" Roy asked again when he saw the worried look return to her face.

Riza's eyes went back to the bed. She wanted so badly to see where she was and the look on Roy's face. "Colonel, what happened to me last night?" she asked.

The sound of Riza's voice cut through Roy violently. It wasn't that of Riza Hawkeye. It was lost, hopeless, and heartbreaking. "You don't remember anything?" he asked, trying not to show Riza the concern he felt.

"Sir?" she asked a bit confused as her face turned to him once more, but she still counted see him.

"Havoc and I found you in an alley last night. You were unconscious. We called for an ambulance, and they brought you here."

"Where is here?"

"The medical unit in Central," Roy replied. "Lieutenant?" he asked as he stared at her. Riza could sense a bit of worry in his voice. "What happened to you last night?"

"Sir…" Riza began to reply. Her face and eyes became full of hopelessness once again, and her voice was so confused and lost, it tore at Roy to see her like this. She wasn't the same Riza anymore.

"Yes?"

"I can't see anymore…"

Roy's eyes became wide. "What?"

"I can't see… anything," she replied.

Roy sat in shock. What was he supposed to say in reply to this? At that moment they heard the sound of the door opening again.

The Flame Alchemist looked over and saw an older man in a white lab coat. He was somewhat heavy set, and his lab coat seemed a little tight around his frame. His hair was grey and his eyes were brown, hidden behind a pair of glasses. His face held some of the lines of ageing. Wrinkles that became thicker as his lips curved into a pleased smile.

"So you're up," he said as he looked over Riza. Her chart in sat his hands. Riza didn't show any sings of reply. She didn't turn to face him, or speak to him. Her face remained still, staring at the blanket. "How are you feeling today, Hawkeye?" he asked as he walked over to the desk in the corner of the room. He sat down in the comfy chair and turned to face her.

Roy stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"Hawkeye?" the doctor asked again.

"I can't see anymore…" Riza said again.

"Hm?" he asked as his eyes went from her chart to her sad face. "Come again?" he asked with a confused expression.

"I can't see," Riza repeated. Every time she said it the truth sunk in even more. Her face became worn and tired as her mind tried harder and harder to remember what all had happened to her, and the pain in her head increased as she strained her eyes. It was a desperate attempt to make them focus and work again, but she was failing miserably.

"Really?" the doctor replied with an intrigued expression. The sound of loose leaf paper filled Riza's ears as the doctor flipped through her chart.

"Doctor?" Roy asked as he watched the old man. His brown eyes moved back and forth at a rapid pace as he read through the notes.

"I can't find anything in here," he said as he put the chart on the surface of his desk. "Miss Hawkeye, we need to do an examination."

"What kind of an examination?" Roy asked as he watched the old man turn around and grab something off his desk.

"Just a little test," the grey haired man replied as he wheeled his chair over to Riza.

"Now look at me," he said as he held a small stick like thing in his hand.

"Uh?" Riza began, but lifted her face to him as she was told. Her face now held a confused expression, but the sorrowful look she had just moments ago still held its dominance. She felt the warmth of the doctor's hand on the side of her face. His thumb was not too far from her eye. She could feel him pull down with it every so often, in an attempted to see the pink below the whites of her eyes.

"Now look into the light," he said as he turned on his stick like instrument.

It's just a flashlight. Roy thought to himself as he watched the doctor shine the light in Riza's amber eyes.

"Look into the light please, Hawkeye," the doctor said as he moved his light around Riza's dark pupil.

"I can't see a light," Riza replied as her eyes moved around the small black stick.

"Well then just look toward my voice," he replied.

Riza could do this. She looked right in front of her and didn't move at all. She had no clue what was going on. She could feel the man's hand holding the side of her face, but that's all she was aware of.

"I see," he said after a few seconds.

"Well?" Roy asked as the man wheeled himself back to his desk.

"Her eyes appear fine to me. They are constricting in the light and relaxing when the light fades as they should. All the veins and retna appear fine as well. I see no hints of damage."

"Then why can't she see?" Roy asked. His voice became somewhat flustered.

"I don't have an answer for that. It could be a result of what ever happened to her last night, and go away over time."

"And what if it doesn't?" Roy snapped.

"Then I can't help you," he replied.

"What?" Roy asked. Riza sat quietly. There was too much going on in her head for her to pay much attention to them.

"There are no wounds, no apparent cause. I can't cue something that's not there," he said as he looked at Roy.

"Cure some that's not there? So you think she's faking it?" Roy asked outraged.

"I never said that, Colonel Mustang," he replied. His voice remained calm, but his eyes told Roy that he was beginning to get annoyed. "The only advice I can give is to take her home and let her rest. Maybe she's over stressed or over tried? Whatever it is, it should clear up in a few days."

"Right…" Roy replied with an ornery tone in his voice as he glanced back at Riza.

A/N: So what'd ya think? Thanks a lot for the reviews, and sorry to took so long for me to get the second chapter up. I'll try to update every few days, or once a week, but school starts on Tuesday, and I have a job. So I might be a little tight on time between school, work, and homework. Sorry!