Page 88 of A Raven Repents

Christina held his hand all the way down the hall, and didn’t let go when they were seated in a room to wait for the doctor.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Henderson. Mrs. Henderson.” He shook both of their hands. “I’m Dr. Schwartz.” His German accent was obvious, but he wasn’t difficult to understand. “You were referred to me by Dr. Goodluck. Is that correct?”

"Yes,” Giles’ voice cracked on the word, so he cleared his throat and repeated it.

“Have a seat up here, so I can take a look.” He pointed to the examination table.

Giles swallowed nervously, and Christina gave his hand a squeeze before letting him go.

When the doctor reached for his patch, he panicked and looked back at her.

“I’ve already seen it, Giles.”

“You have?”

“While you were sedated. They tried to make me leave when the doctor changed your bandages, but I told Ash he’d have to carry me out.” She shrugged. “And he didn’t.” It shouldn’t surprise him.

After a moment, he gave a nod and the doctor removed the patch. It was awkward having someone stare so intently at something he knew to be grotesque. Although, presumably, Dr. Schwartz had seen similar things before.

“He did good work,” he said with a nod of approval. “At least on the outside. The scars on your face will hardly be visible in a year or two. We won’t know how well he did on the inside until later. But so far everything appears to be healing very well.” He moved his gaze to the uninjured eye, and assessed it as well. “I work with an exceptional artist. He’ll be able to match your eye perfectly.”

“Will you tell me about the procedure, and how it all works?”

“In the operating theater, under sedation, I will—” He stopped and looked at Christina. “Are you sure you wouldn’t be more comfortable in the waiting area, Mrs. Henderson?”

She shook her head. “I want to be by his side.”

Giles was glad to see admiration on Dr. Schwartz’s face rather than disdain. “Good. He’ll need you there.” He turned back to Giles and continued with his explanation. “Under sedation, I will put an implant into the socket. A glass reform will be made to match your other eye. That piece will be removable. You’ll take it out when it needs to be cleaned, and it will be held in place by your eyelids.”

“Are they uncomfortable?” Christina asked.

“There is an adjustment period, and they can sometimes cause discomfort, even after that. However, most people find that their confidence is much greater with the prosthesis, so are willing to tolerate it.”

She left her chair and came to stand beside him. “Other than cosmetic, does it serve a purpose?”

Dr. Schwartz smiled a bit and pushed his stool back to be better able to see them both at once. “It can protect the eye socket, but not necessarily more than a sturdy, well-made patch. However, I hate to think of it as purely cosmetic. There are other things to consider. Having only one eye can have a detrimental effect on a person’s psychological health, that is very real.”

“What other risks are there with the surgery?”

Giles was glad she’d come with him. He wouldn’t have known what to ask.

“With any procedure, there is always a risk of infection. And with the prosthetic eye, there is also increased risk of irritation which can lead to infection.”

“I don’t think you should do it, Giles.”

“Why don’t I leave the two of you alone for a few minutes to discuss it?”

When the doctor closed the door, Giles took Christina’s hand and pulled her in front of him. “Don’t you think it would be easier if I had two eyes?”

“Yes. But you don’t. And you still won’t with a piece of glass in there. That being said, if you think you’ll be happier that way, I will support your decision. But don’t do it because you think it will make me happier.”

He nodded. “I’m not sure I will be happier. I’ll always know it’s not my real eye. And so will you, I suppose.” He realized he hadn’t put his patch back on and reached for it, but she stilled his hands and shook her head.

“You don’t need to cover it for me, Giles.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “How are you so accepting of something so ugly?”

“It’s not ugly. It’s just part of who you are now.” She shrugged. “Perhaps it’s the same with my birthmark. Would you want me to remove it if I could?”