Blind Love

Part 9

North POV

Music sounded in my ears. The song "Feel Invincible" by Skillet was currently playing in my playlist. When I came over to the U.S. and met my brother for the first time, I was hesitant to talk to him. It wasn't until a few months later that we bonded over music. Through that experience, I was finally able to have a deeper relationship with my brother despite him not being blood related to me.

I sighed, scratching at the edge of the bandage around my eyes. I won't deny that I was scared of not getting my sight back. I don't want to live in the darkness again. I lived in the depressing and quiet darkness before my Academy family, and I knew that although this was different I was afraid of the future.

Denying that I was scared doesn't mean that I lose any of my masculinity. I might not seem like the type to be scared, but I am. I just don't show it like my brothers.

"привет, слепые собаки (privet, slepyye sobaki)," a voice rang out as the door banged against the wall. I frowned at the sound of the language. There was only one Russian that I knew and gnawed on my nerves like a dog. (Hello, blind dogs.)

Kota groaned slightly. He was suffering from a headache, and this stupid Russian seemed to make it worse. "What are you doing here, parrot?"

Raven, the bane of my existence, chuckled as he thumped over to my bed before throwing himself on my bed. I grabbed the railing as the bed rattled and settled to the new weight. "I came to see mini-me. I remembered you were here and decided to shine myself."

"Shine?" Luke whined as he came out from his nap.

A panting sound entered the room, and a winded voice spoke. "Sorry. I lost Raven a few floors down."

Sean, being the ever-pleasant doctor, spoke in a cheery tone. "Ah, Corey?"

The man chuckled. "Yep. Brandon and the others will be here soon."

"Raven said something about meeting his mini-me. What's that about?" Nathan asked.

Corey laughed. "There's an Academy agent who is above par with Raven but happens to be shorter than him. Raven likes to call him mini-me as a height joke."

I cringed, thinking about another Raven in Charleston. No, in the Academy. But why was he annoying us now? Our two teams don't know each other that much especially after that time I shot him in the foot. We didn't start on the right foot. "We only need one Raven, and right now I prefer the other one."

Apparently Raven was sensitive about his miniature double. "Well, you can't have mini-me. You're bad for mini-me and can't do things."

Anger bloomed inside of me. How stupid was he to say that when my team and I are in this condition. My nails bit into the palm of my skin as I fisted my palms. I gritted my teeth as the room seemed to be silent. "What did you say?"

Raven sounded smug. "Well you can't do the things I can do."

Corey whispered. "Raven, that's not-"

"Is that what you think?" I yelled. "My team and I are stuck in these beds blind, and you're gloating how you can do things that I can't! Get the fuck out, you stupid Russian."

Raven jumped from my bed, enraged and speaking in Russian. I yelled back at him in German. I doubt that we knew what each other was saying, but our tempers were colliding with each other that it was making a mess out of everything.

"Stop it!" A voice screamed out above our yelling. It shocked me because it wasn't the voice of any males but of a female. A female that sounded like Wren. She puffed as Raven and I fell quiet. "Both of you guys need to calm down. Now someone tell me what you two are fighting about."

Raven started to mutter in Russian. Surprise filled me as Wren replied in the same language. They spoke for a few moments before a soft hand wrapped around my fisted hand. Her fingers pulled my fingers from my fist as her other hand rubbed calming and soothing circles on my arm. "Raven told me his side. Now I want to hear yours."

I sighed. I wasn't angry anymore but was feeling hurt. Although Raven and I didn't have a great relationship, we still had a frenemy friendship. What he said hurt me. "It seems so immature but when he said that I can't do the things that he could do, I felt so angry. We still don't know if we can fully regain our sight. I still don't know if the treatment will have an allergic reaction to one of us or what. My future is so uncertain, and what he said seemed to restate my uncertainty."

Wren sighed. "I understand why those words Raven said hurt you, but I know that he didn't say them out of anger or meanness. Just listen to Raven, okay?"

I nodded, and Wren squeezed my hand.

Raven spoke. "I did not mean to hurt you, my друг (drug- friend). What I mean is that I know how to do somethings that you do not know how. Like how to assemble and disassemble an AK-74 in seconds. I did not mean to add more pain."

Wren clapped. "Now that that is taken care of, I need to borrow Raven for a moment. Raven, go outside and wait for me."

Raven grumbled as he and Corey walked out of the room. Wren sighed. "I'm sorry about what just happened."

Silas spoke. "It's not your fault, Agelle Mou."

She giggled, making me feel happy that she doesn't sound sad anymore. "I know it isn't, but I feel like I just needed to say it."

I tugged on her hand, and when I was sure that her attention was on me, I smiled. "It's fine, Wren. Silas and I know how hard it is to speak English when we came from another country. I should have known that what Raven said didn't mean what I thought it was."

"You're from a different country?" Wren said, changing the subject.

I nodded. "Silas and I are from Greece. I'm originally from the states but my mom moved overseas when I was young. I came back in my early teens, but Silas had it harder because he didn't know much English before he came to Charleston."

"Greece?" She mused. "That's quite a move, but I'm glad that you're here with the Blackbourne team."

"Even for us, peanut?" Nathan said with humor.

Wren giggled again. "For all nine of you. I better go. I have a previous engagement."

"Bye, Baby," I said as her hand slipped from mine. "Be safe."

She laughed which seemed to light up my world. "I will be, North Star. You know that I feel like that you're the type to put me in a plastic ball if I get injured. So I'll be extra careful."

"Promise?"

She was silent before speaking softly. "I promise. Bye, guys."

"Bye!" Eight voices rang out. We heard her walk out the door and the door close.

But before we could take a breath, the door burst open once again with a panic-struck Dr. Roberts. "Where's the Russian?!"