Touch - Phan

Chapter 17

Phil's POV

Dan read me the emails he's been sending with the doctor. She's agreed to meet us at the hospital. She says she'll check me over and then decided if she can go through with the operation. I nervously was waiting on the provided hospital bed for her to arrive. Dan was pacing. I could hear his steps walking one way, then back. Then one way and back again. There was a knock.

"Hello!" a mature female voice sang as Dan opened the room's door for her. "You must be Dan."

"Yeah," he said nervously. "Uh, thanks for coming."

"Oh, I'm happy to! I'm Dr. Murphy. So good to meet you! I promise," she said, "I'm very experienced with many types of eye surgery, but I'm willing to try something new. I want to be the person to make a dream a reality!" She sounded so confident. I perked up a little. "So this must be Phil," she said, gripping my hand gently.

"Yeah. Thank you for doing this."

"Thank you for helping me with my procedure! Now," she said, more seriously and letting go of my hand. The sound of papers flipped. Maybe she had a clipboard? "You suffered damage to your optic nerve when you got hit in the head during a bus, it says here."

"Yes."

"And you lost your sight just then. Okay, I see. Now, it is a costly operation, but you luckily are covered by insurance. For the remaining - since insurance doesn't seem to want to pay for everything - I'm well funded and will pay for the rest. I'm just very grateful to have you here. You're brave, you know, for doing something like this."

She talks a lot.

"Shall I begin an examination?" she offered.

"Sure."

"You sir don't have to stand around and wait for your friend," she said, probably to Dan. "You can go in the waiting lounge if you'd prefer."

"No," he said. "I'd rather be here, if that's okay."

"Of course it is, dear." She removed the shaded glasses on my face and touched around my eyes with gloves on. Her fingers were gentle and she was kind, but I wanted Dan closer. My hand nervously turned inward awkwardly. Dan appeared on the side of me and took it, rubbing his thumb over the top of my hand. I instantly calmed down.

The doctor told me about the tools she was about to use before using them, which was comforting. She used different types of lights to look into them, as well as magnifiers and other weird things that I hadn't heard of, even though I had used to go to the optician for glasses before I lost my sight.

"Well," she said, finally finished, "I am happy to say that you've got exactly what I needed. I cannot wait to work with you, and I hope I can repair your vision!"

"So you can do it?" Dan asked in a rush.

"I will do my best!"

"Thank you so much!" he said, letting go of me and stepping towards her.

"It's my pleasure," she sighed happily.

So that was it? I was going to be able to see?

"S-so when are we doing this?" I asked. I didn't want to do it right then. I wasn't sure why. I just didn't.

"Two weeks okay with you?" she offered.

"Of course," I agreed. "Perfect."

"Awesome," she said casually. "Now, how are you getting home?"

"We live together," Dan said. "I'll be helping him."

"You know Phil," she said to me, "I find it odd that you don't have a blind cane."

"I mean, I have one," I answered. "I just don't use it."

"Why not?"

"I just... I just walk with Dan."

"Would it be too much to ask if I asked you two to show me how you do that?"

"Uh, sure. Dan."

Dan let me hold around his arm and walked me to the opposite side of the room. "Like that, I guess," he told her.

"That takes trust," she said. "You two must be very close."

"We are," I said, not really thinking.

"Well," she breathed, "thanks to you both. I will see you again in two weeks from today for your surgery, Phil."

"Alright."

Dan's POV

Phil seemed a bit anxious on the train ride back home, but he also seemed pleasantly amused.

"I hope it works," he said. It was the only thing he said before we arrived home.

I kissed Phil as we walked inside and helped him sit on the sofa. I wrapped my hands around the nape of his neck.

"I love you," I said between breaths. "I'm so proud of you. No matter what happens."

"All I want is to see your beautiful face," he said. "You're so amazing. I love you. Thank you for being there for me. I just don't... I don't know. I don't know how to explain it. I want to tell you that you're the greatest person in my life for so many reasons, but that's not enough to describe it."

"Phil -"

"No," he stopped me, his fingers now laced with mine. "Since I've known you, all you've done for me is try to help me or make me happy. Since I've lost my sight, you've been there constantly for me and I don't get why. You haven't left my side and I just... I just want to thank you, but I don't know how. I just want to love you more than I do, but that's impossible. I love you more than anyone can love someone."

I had been strong before, but tonight, I fell apart. I teared up and, as I leaned in to kiss him again, my tears fell down his neck. He touched the wet spots on his skin.

"Dan, are you crying?"

"No," I said quick. "No. Please, just kiss me."

He did, lovingly gripping under my chin, and dragging his hands down my shoulders to my waist. I pulled his hips close to mine, slowly pulling up on his shirt.

"Wait," he sighed. "I..."

I pulled his shirt down. "I wont if you don't want to."

"No, it's just... I want to see you."

We were thinking the same thing then. What if the surgery doesn't work?

"If it works," he added. "If not, at least we tried. Then it will be worth it."

"Okay," I smiled.

"I still love you."

"I know that. I do too."

We did, however, continue to kiss. He felt so good and warm, and so happy. He didn't shake anymore or feared being alone. He knew I was there. I would always be there.