Blue ✓

♠ sixteen ♠

Initially, when she had been rushed off to the A&E from her school, the immediate treatment was blurred in her mind. She still remembered the sticky liquid covering both her eyes, and the cross between burning and sharp feeling from the alkaline and pieces of glass that had managed to get stuck.

The nurses tending to her cleaned out the blood and the glass before working on removing as much of the alkaline as possible. If one were to look at her eyes now, they wouldn't see any visible scarring apart form thin white scars faint around her eyelids.

Most of the damage occurred within her eyes, the alkaline had seeped into her cornea, and removing the glass and blood first meant the treatment to control the pH of the alkaline was delayed. She remembered the first week, every hour there was always a nurse putting drops in her eyes, lathering gel atop it before wrapping up her eyes in bandages.

After that, at the initial assessment, Dr. Smith had categorized her under a grade II or III chemical burn. Reassuring her that it's certainly possible to regain her sight, even if through a surgery. He referred her for a corneal transplant.

The transplant didn't work, and after another examination, Dr. Smith discovered that the chemical burn had penetrated far deeper than noticed, and she had dropped down to a grade IV.

A grade IV chemical burn from which vision may not be regained.

And she had accepted it, no matter how hard the pill had been to swallow.

Now she found herself back in a similar setting with a sterile air. Her chin resting on an eye-scanning equipment she was intimately familiar with but had no name for, while the ophthalmologist asked her to look this way and that way.

This was her first consultation at the Highgate Eye clinic with Dr. Williams. He'd asked to assess the damage in her eyes and then after that, any treatment procedure will be discussed.

She heard the switch being turned on as the doctor rolled back to his computer on his chair and started clicking away at, she assumed, the pictures of her eyeballs on the screen.

"Alright, I'll have the results in within a week and then we can see how to go about it, okay love?"

Aiyla's nose scrunched at the endearment. She nodded.

♕

A week later found her sitting beside Ammi in Dr. Williams' office.

"Most of the damage are in her cornea. They are quite deep," he was saying followed by a series of observations Aiyla tuned out. Until she heard the term 'Corneal Transplant.'

"I had already had one at the hospital," she spoke up, interrupting the man.

"You've most likely had a DALK or PK transplant," he said. Aiyla had no idea what any of that meant. "Which is good because they treated the outer layers of your eyes. But your cornea is damaged slightly deeper than that. I would suggest a keyhole surgery for an EK transplant. It had the most rate of success, as well most likely to treat your vision."

If the specialist said so, they could only concede to his expertise. After that, Ammi and Dr. Williams began to discuss the date for the surgery, the preparation, the recovery period etc.

Aiyla was grateful that the clinic was very efficient, and they didn't need to wait long period in order to get any response or results from them.

Ammi decided on the closest date possible, which was two weeks from today. Followed by a two-week recovery period.

It all seemed too easy.

♕

"Lights off," Dr. Williams mumbled as someone turned off the switch and turned on another – she assumed it to be a dimmed bulb so the light is softer on her eyes.

Aiyla sat on the chair with a bandage wrapped around her eyes. She'd come out of the surgery – lasting about an hour – and had to lie flat for two hours.

Now they were ready to take of the bandage to see if her vision has been restored.

Today, she would either step into the light and move forward, or – she steeled herself – remain in the darkness and move forward.

The curtains were drawn, she knew as Dr. Williams said she'll need to be introduced to light slowly. Ammi sat next her with both her hands clutched around Aiyla's clasped ones.

"I'm going to take off the bandages, and then I'll put some drops in your eyes. Don't rush to open your eyes. Take your time. It might feel a bit weird and gritty since there are stiches in your eyes right now, don't worry about that." Dr. Williams muttered to her soothingly as his hands began to unwrap the bandages.

She kept her eyes closed as he titled her chin up to place the drops in the inner corner of her eyes. After that, he dabbed a tissue at her eyes.

"Okay, try to open your eyed now."

Ammi's hands tightened around her hands to the point it was painful. Aiyla began to try prying her eyelids apart. It took a few minutes before her eyes twitched and her lashes fluttered.

She opened her eyes.

Ammi gasped next to her, unclasping her hands from Aiyla's and using them to cradle her face.

The light must be very dim she thought, trying to make out her mother's familiar features. She must have her eyebrows furrowed, a deep line between them appearing whenever she was stressed.

"Sweetheart," she whispered, "Can you see..." her voice broke. "...me?"

Aiyla blinked. She smiled back at her mother, lips curling gently at the edges.

"Ammi," she placed her hands around the two callused yet soft hands cradling her face. "I think Allah decided He would be next thing I see."

😭 four more chaps to go...