Truly Blind | p. parker

xxiii • taken

You awoke to what sounded like thunder.

Peter was already up; you were alone in his bed, wrapped tightly in the blue and black quilt.

You sat up and slid off the mattress, finding Peter's Ironman slippers with your feet and scooting into them. They were a few sizes too large but you didn't care.

You found May and Peter bustling around in the living room, tossing pillows to each other, checking locks on windows, and pulling the cushions off the couch.

"Um, what's up?"

Peter turned in your direction while pushing the bathroom door open beside him. "Oh, good, you're awake." He tossed the pillows to the bathroom floor.

"I think I have bike helmets in my closet." May called while moving quickly towards the kitchen.

Peter approached you and took you swiftly in his arms.

"What— what's going on?" You stammered.

Another rumble of presumed thunder rolled outside.

"Bombs." Peter said quietly.

You gaped at him. "Bombs?"

"Get in the bathroom!" May's voice came from her room.

Peter took your hand tightly, pulling you forward. "Come on."

You followed him to the dry bathtub, where a blanket had been thrown for you to sit on. "Peter— what's going on?"

"Shh," Peter put an arm around you as May walked past the door, her phone in between her cheek and shoulder. "They started going off about fifteen minutes ago. May tried to get to the basement but all the doors have been locked electronically. We're stuck on this floor."

You opened your mouth again to speak but—

"And I've already thought about the fire escape."

You closed your mouth.

"There are people in black bodysuits pacing the streets with guns. We're not going to risk being shot. Plus, where would we even go once we got out?"

You heard May's agitated voice from the kitchen. "I don't care if he's busy, Susan. My son is handicapped, I need to speak to the landlord!"

"May's grabbing food from the pantry." Peter said when a crash from the kitchen sounded. "Since we can't leave, the bathroom is the safest place for now. If the doors don't unlock soon I'm gonna have to knock them down." Peter said with a half smile.

"You can do that?" You said turning to him.

He looked away.

"That reminds me, did you take the first dose yet?"

Peter shook his head. "The serum is a one-time-thing. If I mess up the doses or timing is wrong, it'll go horribly bad. I don't wanna start until this crazy attack is over."

"So the only way you'll be able to see is if you take it at the same time each week for seven weeks?"

Peter lifted an eyebrow as if considering something. "Well, yes, that's how it's intended to be used."

You looked at him. "But..."

"But," He said. "Theoretically, if I took all of it in one go, I would be able to see for a few hours, but the effects of something so powerful all at once would fry anyone's retinas. It would destroy any possibility of recovering sight in the future."

You turned this over in your mind, feeling as though there was something he wasn't saying. Then you realized what it was.

"You're not just anybody though." You pointed out. "You think your stuper healing might contradict the effects?"