Pandora: Liminal Space Book 2

Chapter Thirty-Five

Something was going on. Something was disturbing the darkness that he was surrounded by, that he slept in. It was waking him up, and he didn't want to be awake.

"Garrett? Can you hear me?" The sounds were strange, a little echoey, and he felt like he should understand what the words meant, but he really didn't.

"He's definitely coming to, just keep talking to him," another voice said.

"Come on," the first voice said, a little clearer now. "Come on, it's time to wake up."

"There, his fingers twitched. He's almost there. Would you like me to stay and explain the situation to him?"

"No, I think that's better coming from me. If he needs clarification on anything I'll call for you." There was a sliding sound, and then for one beautiful moment, stillness, before the voice started in again.

"Garrett?" Cool fingers stroked soothingly over his shoulder, and a low, feminine voice murmured close to his ear. "I know it's hard to come up, but you have to now. You've got some decisions to make."

"Sleeping," Garrett mumbled almost incoherently. God, his head felt like it was filled with sand, ears to eye sockets, and his throat was terribly sore. A moment later a straw pressed against his lips, and he sipped briefly, then opened his eyes.

At least, he tried to open his eyes. After a few seconds of straining he realized he couldn't, because there was nothing to open. No eyes, and perhaps no eyelids either. It didn't hurt, nothing hurt, actually, but he had good enough proprioception to know that he hadn't just had the optic nerves blocked. His eyes were gone. "The fuck?" He tried to sit up and hissed with sudden pain as the movement jarred IV lines that were attached to his neck and wrist. "What the hell is going on?"

"Garrett," the feminine voice said again, and now he could tell that it was Jezria, from the sound of her voice and the firm pressure of her fingers. "You were in an accident. Do you remember that?"

"Yes..." he said hesitantly. "Some." Sparks cascading through the lab, hot and blinding. Blinding...something blew up right in front of him. Them. "Shit, Martina?"

"Fully recovered. She's currently on administrative leave pending your statement. When you're recovered enough to—"

"Why am I in the infirmary?" Garrett demanded.

"Because," Jezria said very clearly and carefully, "You were badly injured. You lost your sight. Your face and upper torso were covered in second and third degree burns."

"Then why am I waking up blind?" Garrett moved his free hand over his face. The skin felt the same as normal, maybe a little smoother. "You've got my medical power of attorney that authorizes all grafts and transplants, I should be waking up with new eyes. Shouldn't I?"

"Yes, you should." Jezria's voice didn't change, even as Garrett's sharpened with accusation. "You would be if the transplant templates had survived the fire. As it was, those slides were all destroyed." She gripped his hand a little harder, obviously reacting to some expression of his that he couldn't see, that he could barely imagine. "Your will get new eyes, of course, Garrett. The doctors just have to do it the old-fashioned way, and that means giving the tissue the time to grow. In ten to fourteen days, they should be ready for transplant. Apart from that, you're fine. All the skin damage was successfully repaired."

Holy. Shit. It wasn't the first time Garrett had been in an infirmary, far from it. It wasn't even the first time he'd been in an infirmary due to a severe injury. It was, however, the first time he'd entirely lost one of his senses. And his sight...how the hell would he take care of himself for ten to fourteen days?

He zoned back in to what Jezria was saying when he heard, "—course, now that you're awake we can arrange to contact your father, and—"

"No."

He heard Jezria shift in her chair, the only sign he could discern of discomfort. "Garrett, you should tell your family."

"I don't want them to know."

"Why not?"

"What would it accomplish?" he parried, ignoring the curling, churning acidity starting to flare in his gut. "Miles is a busy man. It's not as if he or Claudia could get here in time to sit and pat my hand before the transplant. He's got enough to worry about on Paradise right now without distracting him with my latest fiasco."

"Miles is your father," Jezria said softly. "Of course he'd worry, but he'd still want to know. Claudia too."

"Claudia's getting ready to have a baby, she doesn't need to be fretting about this either. They can't help me, Jezria, they can't change anything. But I can help them."

"By lying to them?"

"I don't plan on mentioning it at all, actually."

"Lying by omission is still lying."

"Don't tell them, Jezria." His fingers found her wrist and he grabbed her, as hard as he could, which wasn't very hard given the drugs and the fact that he'd just woken up. "Don't."

She didn't say anything for a long moment, and when she did speak, her tone was acrid. "Fine. But I think you're making a mistake. Your family loves you and deserves to know when you're injured badly enough to be hospitalized."

"I'm not arguing with you about this," he told her.

"Well then. Enjoy spending the next two weeks on your back in the infirmary."

Garrett frowned. It felt strange to furrow eyebrows that were no longer there. "What do you mean by that?"

"Since you live alone, you'll be spending your convalescence right here. It isn't safe to let you try to care for yourself in your apartment, and you're not authorized to get sight implants."

"Why not?" he demanded. "I was authorized for them on Paradise."

"Paradise had ready access to significantly more advanced medical facilities than Pandora. You know how implants, particularly brain implants, can have a negative effect on someone's mental and emotional equilibrium. We're simply not equipped to handle the possible health ramifications of that right now."

"You think I'll go off the deep end." His voice was flat and cold.

"It's a possibility we have to take into account, especially given your history," Jezria replied. She reached out and touched his shoulder again. "I'm so sorry, Garrett. I know this must feel like some sort of punishment, but I swear I don't mean for it to be. I'm concerned for your wellbeing, and even if you had consented to inform your family, I would have asked that you remain in the infirmary while you wait for the transplants. I would invite you to stay with me, but people are always coming in and out of my apartments, and I know how much you value your privacy. Here you can get help without making things awkward."

"Great."

"Garrett..." Jezria blew out a sigh, then changed the subject. "How do you feel about some visitors?"