Losing the Light [h.s.]

15

Harry wakes up to blurry cracks of sunlight through the black-out blinds thrown across the ceiling in various patterns. He blinks a few times, but the color and light doesn't go away. Harry rubs his eyes, disoriented. Why is he seeing things?

He brings his hand in front of his face, flexing it, turning it around, bringing it up close and far away. Just looking at it.

Harry's eyes widen. Looking at it. Harry closes his eyes again, not believing it. He settles back down into the pillows, trying to go back to sleep.

It's just a dream, and when I wake up again there won't be anything to see, he promises himself.

-

Harry was wrong. After he wakes up again, there's more light in his room and the blinds are open. Harry props himself up on his elbow, looking around the room. There's a television on a high shelf in the corner, a rolling table next to his bed, and a seat under the window for visitors.

Everything in the room is white and sterile-looking. The tile flooring is a dull gray-blue though, and except for Harry's skin it's the only colorful thing in the room. The bright white hurts his eyes, and when he sits back and closes his eyes, the door opens with a loud creak.

"Hello, Harry," a wispy blonde nurse says. "As you can probably tell, your surgery was a success." She smiles at him. "How's everything looking?"

"Fine," Harry says slowly. "Thank you."

She nods, adjusting the IV in his arm. "Is there anything that I can bring you?"

Harry shakes his head, no. The nurse checks something behind him that he can't see, then walks toward the door, her heels clicking on the tile. "I'm Sierra, if you need anything," she smiles, slipping out into the hallway.

She could've brought his family in. She could have brought Marlee to him.

Harry looks around for his cell phone before leaning back into the scratchy hospital blankets. He waits for a few hours, just looking around the room some more, when someone other than the nurse comes through the door.

Gemma is first into the room, followed by the rest of his family. They give him small waves, and he smiles back. They stand around his bed, telling him "good morning" even though it was two in the afternoon. They tell Harry how grateful they are that the surgery went well, and how glad they are that he's safe and healthy.

Harry listens to what they say, but more than a few times, he gets distracted by something eye-catching in the room. When he misses a question from them, he nods along like he understood.

-

When Harry checks out of this hospital, he and Marlee go out for a Starbucks run, getting everyone what they want. As they're walking back to the hotel, Harry says, "Thank you for being here, Mars. It really means a lot to me."

"You're welcome," she smiles. "It's not like I could just leave you, though."

Harry watches the ground intently. "I thought that's what you were going to do, though. I thought you were going to just up and leave once things got crazy."

"Sometimes that's what I wanted to do," she confesses. "But you know I'd never do that. We're best friends, and you should know better than anyone, I'm not a deserter. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had just--"

Harry takes her arm, spinning her around to face him. He takes his opportunity, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. When he pulls away Marlee has a crazed look in her eye.

"I love you, okay?" Harry says. When she doesn't respond, Harry chuckles awkwardly, "Whew, I didn't know how long I was gonna be able to keep that one inside."