Maybe Someday

The Procedure

I lay on the cot in an uncomfortable hospital gown. My breathing is shaky and Pietro is trying to calm me down. "Shh. Calmează-te Belle. Vei fi bine." He rubs my hand and I grip it back.

"I hope you realize that I have no idea what you just said. I don't speak that that language," I whisper.

"It's Romanian. Maybe I'll teach you someday. After I teach you to read and write that is. You need to stay calm. You will be fine and you will be able to see," Pietro says.

"What if it doesn't work?" I ask him. I feel a few tears coming to my eyes. "What if something happens to me?"

"Nothing is going to happen to you. I'll be with you as long as I can and be back as soon as you're out. Wanda and I will be there when you wake up, alright. Don't cry."

I nod and he dries my cheeks. "Promise?" I ask. I feel like I'm ten again.

"I promise."

As he agrees, the door creaks open. "Annabelle. We will be beginning in a moment. If you'd like, I can explain what's going to happen." I nod and Pietro holds me. "We will put you to sleep with an anesthetic and begin the laser eye surgery. If all goes well, you'll be out of surgery in a few hours. You'll have a bandage over your eyes for the next week and will be required to stay in bed for a few days. When we remove the bandage you'll need to take it slow but you should be able to see." I take a deep breath and nod. Another person comes in. "We are ready to begin. If you two will please step out."

Pietro squeezes my hand one last time before letting go. "Wait," I say. "Can he stay? Just 'til I'm out?"

"Alright." I feel a needle go into my arm and someone put a mask over my face. Pietro takes my hand again. "I want you to hold Pietro's wrist and count up from one, do you understand?"

I nod and take hold of Pietro's wrist. His other hand is stroking my hair. I hear air rushing past and start to cover my nose and mouth. "One, two, three, four, five." I start to feel dizzy and my words slur. "Six, seven, eight." My eyes close and I can't hold onto Pietro's wrist. "Nine." I can't hear anymore and my arms and legs are numb. I smile as I fall asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❸~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pietro keeps petting Annabelle's hair. "Six, seven." The words are becoming less enunciated and coming slower. "Eight." Her eyes flutter closed and she stops gripping his wrist. "Nine." Nothing more comes. She's fast asleep. They remove the mask and Pietro places a light kiss on her forehead.

He walks out of the room and Wanda is waiting. "She's out. Won't even consider waking for a few hours." Pietro takes a shaky breath before breathing out heavily. "I'm worried about her."
"What about all you were saying in there too her?" Wanda asks. "She's going to be fine."

"I just said that to calm her. I'm freaking out on the inside. I'm scared, terrified even. What if something happens? I can't bear to lose her."

"She will be fine. I looked up information about this procedure. It is a regular procedure. She'll be fine. Come, let's go. You need a break." Wanda leads Pietro to their room where Pietro lies down. "You really love her, don't you?"

"I've never felt this way about anyone. I love her."

"Why don't you find some of her stuff? The items she's used to being around so that she is comfortable when she's stuck in that bed."

Pietro nods and gets up, leaving the room. He finds a few things and brings them back before lying down for a quick rest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When I wake up, I feel dizzy. Someone is holding my hand. I roll my head towards the side where my hand is covered and hear a chuckle. "I told you that you'd be fine," Pietro says softly.

"I guess I was worried for nothing," I squirm around and turn towards him. "What's happened?"

"The surgery went off without a hitch. You'll be fine. You just need to get some rest," Pietro says. I start to feel a slight burning sensation over my eyes. I start to rub at them. "What's wrong?"

"My eyes feel weird and kind of hurt. Like they're burning."

Pietro grabs my hands and hold them down, away from my face. "Don't put pressure on your eyes. You could damage them." He moves them to one hand and I hear a button being pressed. The pain gets worse and I struggle to get out of Pietro's hands. The door opens and people rush in. "Help! She's feeling pain around her eyes. She's trying to get to them and rub them."

"Let go!" I scream. The pain gets worse and I can't bear it. "Let go of me! It hurts! It hurts so much! Get off!" Pietro grips my wrists tighter and I try to get him off of me. "I hate you! Let go!"

I feel him freeze for a moment. He lets my wrists go one at a time into another person's hands. They're tied down and someone puts a needle in my upper arm. I fall asleep, the pain fading away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❸~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pietro zips into Wanda's room, causing her hair to go flying. Wanda sighs and closes her book. "Pietro, what are you doing here?" Wanda turns to him and gasps. "What's wrong?"

"She said she hates me, Wanda. She hates me," Pietro says. Wanda goes over and wraps him in a tight hug.

"What happened?"

"She woke up and she started rubbing her eyes. Soon enough, she was screaming in pain and I was holding her down. She was trying to get free and said that she hates me."

Wanda sighs and makes me look into her eyes. "Listen to me. She was in pain and she wasn't thinking straight. Pain does wicked things to someone's minds. In her mind, she knew how much pain she was in and that you were holding her down so she couldn't rub and scratch at it to try and make it better. She wasn't thinking about how it would help her, just that she was I pain."

"But what if it was true? What if she really hates me?"

Wanda sighs and looks away. "I can check, if you really want me too. I'll read her mind and check." Pietro nods and sees the red wisps surround Wanda's hands. She closes her eyes and chuckles. "She's dreaming about you. You're watching movies and she's curling up in your arms." The wisps disappear and she opens her eyes. "She still loves you, just as you do her."

Pietro sighs and hugs Wanda. "Thank you."

"Go to her. She'll need you when she wakes up." Wanda stands Pietro up and shoves him out of the room.