Learning to Trust

Chapter 55 - Temporary?

Chapter 55 - Temporary?

Tobias

"Tris." I bend right down to her level on the ground when I enter the room, taking one of her small hands in mine. "Oh my gosh you're freezing!"

I rub her hair back with my one hand, stroking her bony cheek with my thumb. She blinks slowly, looking right past my face.

I know it's selfish and irreverent to think, but I wish she would look me in the eyes again.

She may never, ever look me directly in the eyes ever again.

Actually, she won't every look me in the eyes again.

Blindness isn't normally temporary.

I'm snapped from my thoughts when I remember the blankets I brought from Mom's.

"Here, Tris. Mom, you remember Evelyn, gave me some blankets to give you since Dr. Norton said it was okay for you to have some." I hand her one of the blankets.

She sits for a second, emotionless. She then suddenly pushes the blanket away from her; almost seeming disgusted by it.

I'm taken aback, for it was probably the softest blanket Mom gave me, and the nicest one too.

She's probably not going to like the other ones if she didn't like that one.

She reacts the same to the second blanket; pushing it away from herself as if it was almost hurting her.

The third blanket is very think and warm, but it also has a somewhat rough texture to it. It reminds me of the winter Abnegation blankets that would go on my childhood bed during the colder months.

I unfold the blanket, draping it over her legs. She reacts as if I wasn't in the room; wrapping herself in the blanket and laying down, inhaling into the blanket and seeming relaxed for the first time since she's been home.

I smile, glad to see that she's relaxed and calm. Lightly, I rub my hand over her frail, blonde hair. She shivers lightly, curling into the very huge blanket that looks even bigger on her small frame.

She fell asleep within the hour, and part of me didn't want to leave her.

Every time she falls asleep, she always seems to wake up screaming. I didn't want to leave her side, fearing that it was just a cat nap and the relaxation of the blanket would ware off and she would wake up paranoid.

I decide to go to Dr. Norton's office and see if he's around, and then I'll come back and visit Tris or go home if she's still asleep.

My brain knows the way to his office, and I really don't put any thought into finding my way.

I knock on the door, and Dr. Scott answers it.

"Hello!" She says cheerfully.

"Hi..?" I say, kind of confused. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

She laughs and lets me pass into the room. I sit next to her across from the desk where Ken sits on the opposite side from us.

No one says anything, and Marie begins to talk, being the "cut to the chase" kind of woman she is.

"She's blind. Next step from here? Get her use to it. She's been able to see her whole life, and isn't use to not being able to. I say for the moment, you put her on the blind track here in the MIU, and hope that maybe the anti-blind medication I've been experimenting on ends up working."

"Anti-blind medication?" I question.

"Yeah. I started a project a few years ago that are eye drops that can make the blind see again. If used properly, it rebuilds the parts inside the eye, that I won't bother listing, that cause the blindness and give the person the ability to see again. It leaves the exception right now that some reds and shades of colors don't fully come back, but it's different for each person. Right now, it's in its late middle stages of being created. I've been experimenting, and I've just gotten to the point where the person can see everything in black and white, with the exception of a few darker and lighter blues, and strangely just the color green but not yellow or red or shades like them in the warmer color end of the color wheel. If I get the concoction right during experimenting soon, then I will be able to use it on her, and she may be able to see again at one point in her life, which would be pretty amazing."

I'm taken aback, not really knowing how to reply.

"It's a long process though; getting the experimental stage complete, then getting it tested for safety, and then getting it scaled for safety precautions while using it, and just getting it passed by the heads of the medical department of the city themselves. The process could take years for all we know." Ken says.

"Oh get your head out of your ass and stop being so negative." Marie comes back. "At least it would be later and not never. She will be able to see again one day; I can almost guarantee that."

Ken says nothing, and neither do I.

"I brought Tris blankets today. She curled right up into the one and fell asleep. I haven't seen her so relaxed and, well, humane, since she's been back home."

Marie smiles, and Ken really doesn't seem to care. I stand, not really interested in what he has to roll his eyes at anymore.

"I'm going to sit with her for a little while longer, and then go home. I'll be back tomorrow. Goodbye, Marie." I say, not acknowledging Ken's presence.

It's not like he did anything to help me, so why bother saying bye.

I go back to her room, where she sleeps soundly. Her breathing hasn't been so even since I've seen her recently. She shifts lightly in her sleep; pulling the blanket closer to her mouth as she simply is in a state of relaxation.

I see that it's almost eight o'clock, and I should go back home to be with Indy and my mother.

I lightly kiss Tris on the head and leave the room, closing the door quietly, hoping I don't wake her.

I just make the train that comes at eight fifteen; running to the platform just as the train started to charge by.

My nearly dead phone buzzes in my pocket.

Must be Mom, wondering when I'll be home and if she should feed Indy.

-Peter Hayes-

I answer it, my brain trying to figure out what the hell he would want with me.

"Hello?"

At first, there's just breathing at the other end of the line.

"Meet me at the hallway to the left of the Control Room at seven thirty tomorrow morning if you want some ties in to getting inside of West's head."

And the line goes dead.