Snatched by Probability

Chapter ~ One

I hear low murmurs, I feel something hanging off my arm, I can smell that unique and utterly creepy hospital stench, but I can’t see. I can smell the cleaner that drenches the floor, I can hear the machines beeping, and I can feel the scratchy wool of a blanket draped casually over me. But I cannot see. I freak out for a few minutes, bring my hands up to my eyes, why can’t I see? There’s no fabric over them, I have the sensation of me crying. I feel the familiar chest heave associated with crying, but no tears streaming. I assume I’m in a hospital. My working senses confirm that, but who is there?

“Hello?” I call out tentatively, I can barely hear myself. I clear my throat, and I feel someone grab a hold of my hand that’s lying limp on my lap, I flinch and try to pull away quickly.

“Taryn . . . I am so sorry. This is my entire fault. I’m just . . .” Haley’s voice breaks off, she holds a tighter grip on my hand like I’ll float away, which makes me try to pull away harder. It’s like she has no idea that I just want her to let go. “Glad you made it. I can’t even imagine what if you didn’t? It would forever be my fault! Not to say I’m still to blame.”

I can’t tell if my eyes are opened or closed, and I don’t really care about her apologies right now. “Why can’t I see? What happened to me?”

“You got a mild case of methanol poisoning. . .”

Mild case, I decide to myself that is not bad at all. I try to open my eyes again, try waving my hand in front of my face, nothing. “Will the blindness wear off?” I didn’t hear anything for a long time; I almost thought she left the room. “Hello? Haley? Are you still there?”

“Blind? Well, of all the awful things that could happen.” I’m not really concerned with anything else. Like where my parents are, or when I’ll be getting out of here.

“I’m just glad you’re okay. You’ve been missing for four and a half months; we only have half of a month of summer left.” She grabs my hand and holds it in between hers, her hand twitches a little bit, like I’m making her uncomfortable or she’s trying to check something. I remember now, we were leaving for spring break. Had it really been that long? I just wanted to be alone, but she tries to wrap her arms around me.

“Can you just go get a nurse or something?” My skin is burning, and I just want her to back off. I know I have to be nice, or else she might get offended or something. But I can’t deal with her right now. My memories don’t make sense. I remember being beaten, remember thinking this is it. So what happened? I decided I should have kept Haley here so I could ask her.  I fidget with the hem of the scratchy hospital blanket. Would I have to go to a special school for blind people since I’m blind now? Did I technically graduate? I scoff, my parents probably paid for my diploma. 

“Taryn? My name is Rebecca, I’m your nurse. Is there anything I can get for you?” I can feel her touching the tube that is in the crease of my elbow, and I try not to flinch. I wonder if my eyes are opened, trying to stare at her but coming up with an empty look, or if they are closed. Maybe they are glued to the floor. I imagine that she is staring at my face, maybe doing something weird because she knows I can’t see her.

“Hi, no thank you. When can I get out of here?” I was still moving my hands around, trying to decide where to put them. I felt so awkward and out of place, and I wish for a tiny second that I would’ve just died. It’s not the positive thing to say, especially since I’m so lucky to have made it out alive, barely; of course.

It’s a while before she answers, and I don’t know what to think about that. “I’ll have to go tell the doctor you’re awake. He will decide that.” I hear her squeaky shoes on the floor as she exits the hospital room. Since nobody was in here, I decided it was my time to break down and cry now. I couldn’t handle this. I couldn’t be blind. Why did I have such bad luck? Why did it have to be methanol? Was he planning on burning me?