Page 94 of No Fear

“Dr. Summers mentioned you got some pain behind the eyes on your way here in the sun without glasses. This would be a normal reaction to looking at bright sunlight, when your eyes have been exposed to trauma, like the concussion you had.”

“So, what does this mean?” Donnie asked.

“It means your eyes reacted. They noticed the change. However—” The doctor paused, and Donnie’s stomach plummeted. Here it was. “I can't tell you if your sight will return in full. Or how long it will take. While we cannot see any visible damage, sometimes the eyes never recover completely.”

“But he will get some sight back?” Charlie asked hopefully.

"Yes. In my experience, with cases like this, some sight always returns. We’re just not sure how good it will be.”

“Will it be good enough for me to continue to operate?” That was all that mattered. If he couldn't rejoin his team, then he might as well be blind.

“I wish I could tell you, but only time will tell. You might get it back in full. You might get partial. It’s too soon to say.”

Donnie swallowed. Once again, he had to wait, not knowing if he would ever be able to rejoin his team.

Dr. Swanson spoke for a little longer, but he barely heard any of it. When Swanson left the room, Sophie spoke.

“Donnie?” Her voice was soft.

“Even if my sight returns, I might be off the team.”

“We don’t know that yet. You could be as good as new. If your sight doesn't meet operating requirements, there might be other options. Contact lenses, laser correction. We will deal with that if it happens. One step at a time.”

“I’m a sniper, Sophie. I need perfect sight.”

“And you may have it.”

“How long? Typically. Give me a ballpark. This waiting is killing me.”

He heard her sigh. “After trauma like this, it can be anywhere between a few days and a few weeks. Sometimes longer. Eyes, just like the rest of the body, take time to heal.”

Great. He could have months ahead of him being blind.

“Try to relax. I know that’s hard, but stress and tension will not help them heal. I’ll give you eye drops, too. It might not seem like it was good news today, but it was. There’s no visible damage to your eyes. This complete blindness isn't permanent.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Charlie said.

“Call me Sophie, please. A friend of Donnie’s is a friend of mine. Are you planning to stay here for a while?”

“Not sure how long. A few days at least. Depends on if this one gets fed up with me.”

Donnie stayed quiet. He wanted Charlie to stay, but that was selfish. She should go and move on with her life.

“Thanks, Sophie, for all that you’re doing. I know you could have handed me off to Dr. Swanson.” Donnie felt genuine gratitude.

“You’re family, Donnie. Like I’d let anyone else take care of you.” The love in her voice was evident. “Now, I do need to leave you as I need to get back to the ER. Call me if you have any questions or concerns. You, too, Charlie. Donnie has my number. Let's follow up again in a few days and see how things are.”

A few minutes later, back in his Bronco, Charlie started the engine.

“It was a little bit of good news, right?” she said.

“Yeah,” he replied, not wanting to talk about it. If he couldn’t operate, life as he knew it was over.

Chapter Sixteen

“Oh my God. I can’t even imagine.” Maddie’s voice was filled with shock and concern in Charlie’s ear. Donnie had been quiet on the ride back from the hospital and then promptly gone to lie down, saying his headache had returned. Not knowing what to do, she'd called Maddie and told her everything.

“I know. It’s horrible and I don’t know what to do to help him. The last time I saw him like this was, well, when Nate died,” Charlie said. She was sitting out on the balcony, not wanting to disturb Donnie.