Broken (sequel to Caught)

Blindness

"Legolas," said Thranduil, seeing his son stir, he and Lady Anomeda, who he had been talking to, stood, standing at the bedside.

Legolas stayed with his eyes closed for a few more moments, and he assumed he was mustering the energy to open them.

Legolas was, in reality, pulling himself together and putting his emotions to a hidden, desolate section of his mind so that he could appear strong and happy like he had before all of this had happened. It would be best to pretend he didn't imagine every moment of the last time he woke up. It would stop his father from questioning him.

"Ada?" he said, hating the weakness in his voice as he opened his eyes, looking upwards and waiting for them to adjust. But they did not. Everything remained a blur.

"What...what happened?" Legolas asked. "I'm...I'm not dead..."

Thranduil laughed, and another, higher laugh joined him. Legolas turned his head, fire exploding within his skull at the movement, and looked in the direction it had come. Dark hair was tickling his face. He brought a hand up slowly to brush it away, trying to ignore the pain that came with any movement at all. He couldn't see her face clearly, but he could see a blur of green where her eyes should be, and the dark hair told him who it was.

"Lady Anomeda," he croaked, looking up at her and forced a small smile, trying to keep some rendition of his former princely reputation.

"My prince," she gushed, tucking her hair behind her ear as it threatened to fall on his face again. "You're awake!"

There was a pause.

"I...when...what?" he mumbled, trying to sound like he could not remember what had happened. "I...the spider! Is it...dead?"

"Yes, ion-nin. You did very well. The spiders are dead, but when you were stabbing the eyes of the spider, more of its poison got into you from its blood, so it will take longer to heal. Although, I do believe the worst is behind us."

He looked at Legolas, and he knew what his father meant but tried to make it look like he didn't. He put a confused expression on his face and looked with what he hoped to be puzzled eyes at his father. He also closed his mind to Thranduil, so he could not see his intentions.

Thranduil sighed. "Do you remember anything of what has happened since the fight, Legolas?"

Legolas shook his head slowly, looking as if he were trying to recall the events.

"I was not unconscious the whole time?"

"No. But it does not matter," Thranduil said, closing the conversation and looking away.

Legolas gave a small shrug and looked away as well, trying to focus his uncooperative eyes on Lady Anomdea's face. He blinked, but her face remained a blur.

"I...I can't see properly," he said, blinking again, but that only seemed to make it worse. He couldn't help but do it again, and then his sight was completely gone, and all he could see was blackness. He began to panic a little. "Ada, I can't see!"

"Shhh, Legolas, it's okay," Thranduil said, putting a hand on his son's cheek, seeing that his eyes were wide but glazed and unseeing.

"It is just a side effect of the poison. Your sight will return within the month."

"Month? Ada, I have work to do, and training! How am I supposed to sign papers, never mind shoot arrows, when I can't see a thing?"

His voice was wavering, and he paused, and then it came to him.

"And Estel, Ada! He's going to be in Rivendell in a month! I can't travel blind!"

"We will figure it out. Maybe your sight will return by then."

"Yes, do not despair, my prince. You'll be alright," said Lady Anomeda, and Legolas felt a cool hand on his cheek. He held back his tears at the thought of blindness and forced another smile, but he could not help the yawn that escaped him.

Thranduil smiled fondly at his son and he spoke quietly.

"Go to sleep, Legolas. We'll be here when you wake up."

As Legolas drifted into the world of dreams, he wondered at his father's use of the world 'we'.

O:o:O

A few hours later, Herethin came into the room, opening the door slowly and coming in quietly so as not to wake the prince. He went to

Thranduil, who was the only other person in the room.

"Has he woken?"

"Yes. A few hours ago he woke up for a few minutes. He has been asleep since then."

"Good," Herethin said approvingly. "He needs as much rest as he can get. I assume the blindness has set in?"

"Yes. He is frightened, but he'll be alright. I just don't know how we'll keep him occupied for a month without training and paperwork.'

"Maybe, my lord," said Herethin, putting a hand on his chin in thought. "It would be a good idea to not let any people other than you, myself, and Legolas know about this. I don't think he would appreciate pity from anyone."

"And Lady Anomeda," said Thranduil. "She was in the room when he said that he could not see."

Herethin looked a little confused, but the king offered no explanation, so he just shrugged.

"And Lady Anomeda, then. Do you think it is a good idea to keep it a secret?"

Thranduil nodded slowly. "We'll have to ask Legolas when he wakes up."

"Ask me what?"

Legolas's raspy voice filled the room, and Herethin rushed to his side.

"My prince! How are you feeling?"

"H-Herethin...?" Legolas said, reaching upward to touch Herethin's cheek and identify that it was him. He sighed in relief when he determined it was just the healer. "I'm alright."

"I'm going to check on your wound," Herethin declared, and he unbuttoned the simple sleeping tunic that Legolas was wearing and placing it on a chair, so that he was dressed only in loose leggings. Herethin unwrapped the bandages that ran all the way up his torso and began to touch the wound lightly, making sure there was no infection or other complications.

"So, Herethin and I were going to ask you if you want to keep your...blindness...a secret," Thranduil said as Herethin looked over the wound. He had to grind out the word 'blindness' because he knew how much the inability to see hurt his son. Legolas appeared to think for a moment, and then he gave a small nod.

"Yes. Definitely."

"Alright," said Thranduil, and he touched his son's shoulder lightly. "I will go tell Lady Anomeda."

And then he left.