If I Were Allowed To Love You

Forty-Eight

The doctor's scrubs were covered in blood. He was drained. Melissa's damage was severe, and she was instantly thrown into surgery. But it was over. The surgery was done. And now the verdict was in.

Ryan stood up and stepped over to him. "How is she?"

"She lost a lot of blood, and the optic nerves behind her eyes have been severely damaged. She'll be able to function just as before, though she will be blind."

"Is there any chance for some sort of...eyeball transfusion?" Theo questioned.

"There is a chance, though it would all have to be up to Miss Duff. There is serious risk in getting the procedure, so she would need to make sure she is comfortable with all possible outcomes."

"How is she otherwise?"

"Right now, she's resting. We had to stop the severe bleeding and clean out the infection in her eyes. You can visit, though for now I would ask for only one visitor at a time-"

"Only one?" Lucas questioned.

"She just got out of surgery and is suffering from intense head pain. She needs to rest and adjust to being blind. The more people in there can bring about more of a headache. Who's first?"

Melissa laid in the bed, her head feeling strange. It was as if she could still feel her eyes in her skull, but there was nothing there. Her eyelids closed over nothing, causing them to feel as though they'd begun to fall into her head. The bandages made her face feel itchy, and she watched to scratch at the skin around her eyes, but she couldn't touch anything until the bandages were removed. She didn't know if she wanted them removed. She would always have to keep her eyes closed. Unless she chose to wear glasses, but if anyone were to see her absent eyes by chance, she'd hate to scar them.

There was no one in the room with her. She felt lonely. Being unable to see was just the icing on the cake. She needed a hand to hold onto, someone who was going to be there to keep her grounded. She needed someone who was not going to leave her, and she knew just who would do that for her.

But did she want Ryan to hold her hand? She knew what her feelings were for him, what she was beginning to feel, but she didn't know what to make of the lying. For years, a part of her believed he was her mate. She didn't feel she could fully give herself to Lucas until she knew whether they were mates or not. It wasn't that she was in love with him then, rather curious. If they were mates and she decided to be with someone else, how bad would that turn out for Ryan?

When he didn't make any comment about being her mate when they saw each other years later, she thought she was in the clear. But when the miscommunication was cleared up, she wondered if it could be true. He had the opportunity to tell her, and he decided to keep quiet, because he thought it was what was best for her. He may have been her friend and mate, but he didn't know what she needed. What she needed was to hear the truth and know what to expect in her life. So long as she knew what to expect in the future, it would help her move on from Lucas. And while he was able to help her move on, it resulted in her worrying over getting her heart broken for a second time. She didn't deserve that.

Her hand felt cold. Lying limp by her side, she faced forward and listened to the people walking outside her room. She waited to hear the knob turn, the click of the door opening and someone stepping in. When she heard the doctor's voice call out to her softly, she lolled her head to the door and smiled softly. "I've brought someone here who would like to see you."

The moment she felt his hand slip into hers, she mumbled, "Hi, Ryan."

"A mate's touch," the doctor commented as he left the room.