(22)Vanilla

She blinked. Over and over, she blinked. Her breaths started to shorten, to quicken, her jaw was shaking. She blinked again and again. She couldn't see. No matter how many times she blinked, the world remained the same black. She gripped the bars around her bed, the IV in her hand stinging as she leaned away. The infernal beeping from the machine that had woken her up moments ago, was drowned out by her heavy, panicking breaths.

She couldn't see. She was blind, and she couldn't see. She could feel the warm tears trailing down her cheeks, her jaw still trembling. She gave a shrill scream, broken by a sob, for help. The tears came faster at that point, and she tried to find a way out of the bed. The IV still stung, stuck in her hand. There were heavy steps, and then her door was opened. The smell of mahogany and vanilla filled the room. But it was a man, she knew by the breaths. He grabbed her hand, rubbing a calloused thumb over her knuckles, and gently pushed her shoulder so she was lying back in the bed. "Shush, it'll be okay. Calm down sweetheart, it'll be okay," he said, and he had a smooth voice. It was deep and smooth, and caring.

"Please, help me! I can't see. I can't see! I hurt and I can't see!" she said between sobs, staring where she thought his head was. Where she hoped his face was.

"Don't you worry yourself about that. Just calm down. You'll be okay. The nurses will be here. They'll take good care of you." He continued to rub her hands, and she hadn't realized how cold she was. She tightened her grip on his hands, and she was still so scared, but her sobs and quieted down. Whatever he was doing, it was working. "See, can you hear them coming? They'll be here in no time."

She realized she could hear them. This must have been what the people talked about, a spike in the other senses. "I don't like this. I don't want to stay in the dark," she mumbled, and more people entered the room.

"Oh dear, you poor thing, what's the matter?" one of the nurses asked. She was older, and had a slight accent. Da glanced her way. "Oh dear," she mumbled quietly, probably seeing her eyes.

"I can't see," she said again, this time with less panic. She still didn't let go of his hands, and he hadn't stopped rubbing her knuckles.

"I'll go get the doctor. Sweetie, you just stay calm alright? The doctor is a good man. He'll be here in no time." She left, the sound of her running in the hall alerting her.

"I really am sorry," the other nurse said to the man as politely as she could.

"I'm blind, not deaf," she yelled, unable to control her temper, tightening again her grip on his hand. She leaned forward, glaring in the direction of the nurse. She heard the nurse give a small 'eep'. He rubbed her back before gently guiding her to lye down again. "I'm blind," she said again, far more quietly. The tears fell down her cheeks again, but this time he wiped them away. He was so warm.

"It's okay," he whispered. "It'll be okay."

"I'm blind," she said again, whipping her head around to his direction.

"And I'm Sun Ce. Though if I remember right you said your name was Da last time I saw you," he said a little thoughtfully.

"What?" she said, leaning away from him.

"You forgot me? I'm hurt," he said, his voice faking dramatics. "I'm the fool in the flower shop, Shang Xiang's brother?" Da stared in his direction for a long moment, and then her mouth dropped.

"What?"

"Yeah. You were in a car accident. You were pulled out unconscious." He slowly got quieter as he spoke, and Da guessed he was staring down at their hands. It explained why he smelled of vanilla, working in a flower shop. Sort of. It was a nice scent in any case.

"Let's… can we not talk about that?"

"Sure," Ce said, a smile back in his voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm not allowed to visit you?" She blushed, or she was thinking she was. Things weren't as awkward when she couldn't see him. "I've wanted to see you, and there were some flowers to bring here. Some were for you. I put them on the table. I came to drop them off after closing the shop."

"I have flowers?"

"Yep. Lot's of them. Xiao and Shang Xiang almost cleaned out the shop for you. Pops convinced them not to, but they tried their best." She giggled. "Yep. Everyday, Xiao placed an order to bring you. Shang Xiang usually delivered them."

"Why do you have a flower shop?" Da asked. Even after seeing him working there, it was hard to imagine.

"It was my moms. Pops couldn't bring himself to sell it, so it's the family shop now. Mom gave me the weirdest of interests. Pops gave me normal ones, like cars, motorcycles, sports, girls. Mom gave me the weirdest." He sounding almost like he was talking to himself.

"Like what?" Da said, desperate to keep him with her. She hated the idea of being alone in the dark.

"Hm? Mom gave me things like flowers, the cello, the trumpet, dancing. Mom was a saint. Quan picked it up better though. He loves making music. Awesome at math too. Mom died too soon for Shang Xiang though. She didn't get a lot of Mom. She has the flowers though. Mom still gave her the flowers."

"That's… wonderful," Da said with a small, somewhat sad, smile.

"I thought so too," Ce said, understanding what she meant. They sat in silence for a moment, Da getting antsy with the blackness and the beeping, then the doctor walked in.

"Ms. Qiao?" he said. "It's good to see you are awake. We've called your sister. She lives in town, if I am correct."

"Yes," Da said slowly, tightening her grip on his hand again. He didn't try to pull away though, and for that she was grateful. She knew the doctor would try to make him leave. But she didn't want him too. He made her feel safe in the emptiness. He was warmth, and vanilla, and strength, and laughter. The hospital wasn't. The loss of sight wasn't. Biting her bottom lip, Da fought the tears. The doctor would make her face it. And it hurt.

You guys might not remember, but there was a story before (I think it was friend) where Ce was working in a flower shop? Yeah, this is a continuation of that one. Besides that, there is nothing really new. So, yeah. Review please.