SACRIFICE / P. PARKER

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

She wakes like she's hooked up the mains. No sleepiness, no slow warming up. Within seconds of realizing she was unconscious, her eyes snap wide open. Her inky, morphine-induced, twilight-zone dreams are not just forgotten, but completely erased. She is drinking in the feedback of all her senses.

Ellie's heart rate spikes, making a rapid beeping noise on the monitor she is hooked up to. Never in a million years would she ever expect to get better, she didn't even think Tony Stark could fix her. Ellie had acted like she believed, but over the past few months, Ellie had learned quickly that hope was a facade. There was fact, and fiction, nothing in between. No reason to believe otherwise. Her failures had altered her definition of hope, where it had once been a sacred, beautiful thing put high on a pedestal. Where it would be the fuel for human existence. It had morphed into her definition of a downfall.

For now, fuck all the philosophical bullshit and metaphors, she could see!

A strangled sob bubble up in her throat, as tears streamed freely down her face. If the first thing she saw was a cluttered surgery room, full of ugly high-tech and dirty glass windows, it didn't matter. The world was a fascinating place to look at, no matter at what angle. The vibrant hue's of the sun peeking over the horizon reflected off of the glass panes, creating a rainbow of the most unbelievable colors. Colors that were not even dreamed into existence yet.

She would never have to face the darkness alone again.

A figure moving in her peripheral view caught Ellie's attention. Her hair was pure, unadulterated white cascading down her back in an intricate braid that looked like it took hours to do. Her eyes were a striking, baby blue, and shone with empathy. Her cheeks looked flushed as if she had rushed to Ellie's side.

"Hey," She breathed, eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay? Are you in any pain? Should I call Dr. Farrow?"

Ellie wipes her eyes and chuckles wearily, smiling despite herself. "No, I'm fine. In fact, I'm perfect. I couldn't think of anything to make this better, actually. I-I can see again! I'm just s-so happy!"

A sweet smile lit up the girl's face, and she outstretched her hand so Ellie could shake it.

"I'm Anastazya," She greeted, her silky voice laced with an elegant sounding Russian accent. Ellie grasped her hand and gave it a firm shake like her father had always taught her to do.

"I'm Ellie," She replied, wincing slightly when the IV's and wires tugged at her flesh, making her feel like a puppet connected to strings. Anastazya noticed her expression and frowned.

"Can I get these things off?"

"It shouldn't be a problem. If it is, then Juliet will just have to deal with me then."

Ellie decided she liked Anastazya already.

Slowly but surely, Anastazya had carefully extracted all of the painful wires from Ellie's body. She was clearly not a doctor, but she explained to Ellie that she was personally well-versed in this kind of medical technology. Ellie slid out of bed, wobbling as the sudden physical movement gave her a head rush. Anastazya rushed to her side, an attentive hand hovering over her lower back for support. Ellie waved her away, standing up straight with a giddy grin.

Anastazya withdrew her hands, awkwardly folding then behind her back. Her porcelain nose wriggled as she sniffed the sterile air, and her cheeks flushed, a smile reaching across her face.

"There should be some form of food, although possibly disgusting, in the kitchen. Are you hungry?"

Ellie's stomach growled as a response, making Ana beam a smile.