Free Interrupted Romance by Topsy Baxter

doorway.   "I'll go and listen to music for a while."

    "Thanks, Jack," Dafna and Adam said in unison.

    Adam still had his arms around Dafna and held her for a long time.   Finally, he said, "I'm a bit scared, you know, of how my eyes will be when the dressings come off.   The doctor was here this morning, early, and seemed confident enough about the future, but he did warn me that there may be some blurring that will stay with me.   We won't know for some days after the 'unveiling'."

    "Whatever happens, Adam, I feel sure you'll cope very well.   You're quiet, but I know you're strong.   How else would you have been brave enough to save me, when you could just as easily have run for your own life that day, knowing what you knew was about to happen!"

    "I'm glad you're here with me," he said into her hair.

    She tightened her grip on his waist, and, raising her head, was able to reach his lips with her own.   She clung to him.   He returned her kiss, more passionately than ever before and they swayed together until, overbalancing a bit, Adam leant against the bed for support.

    "You make me giddy," he said smiling.

    They talked, sitting close together on the edge of the bed, holding hands.   It would be some days before the dressings would be taken off and Adam would need to be protected from bright light for a time after that.   The doctor was flying out of Sydney to visit other capital cities, but a colleague would be watching Adam's progress until Dr Feldman returned in a month's time.   Adam would keep an appointment that had been made for him to see Dr Feldman a month from today.   At first, Dr Feldman thought Adam would visit him in Tel Aviv, but Adam had insisted on staying in Australia for the month, as it was important to him to see, really, physically see, Dafna.   He didn't want to leave without knowing what she looked like!   Later, when he returned to Israel, he would visit the doctor at his clinic for a check-up.

    And so the days rolled by, with Dafna coming daily to the hospital, walking with Adam along the corridors and down to the shaded courtyard, where they could sit and talk privately.   Both looked forward to the day Adam would be discharged into her care.   It seemed a long way off.

    A week after the operation, a decision was made to lift the dressings away and allow Adam a chance to open his eyes, in a darkened room, while they examined his eyes.   He was warned that he would probably see nothing yet.   This was just the first step on his way back to sight.

    It was a nervous Adam who sat, fidgeting, while the nurse removed the dressing.   She murmured words of encouragement, then stepped back to make way for the doctor.

    Adam tried to open his eyes and slowly his eyelids parted.   Everything was black.   Nothing.   The doctor said that this was expected and to be patient.   He shone a small light towards Adam's left side and his eyes turned towards it.

    "I can see a light there, doctor," he said excitedly.   "It's not bright, but it's there!"

    "Yes, that's excellent.   Let's try the other one," said the doctor.

    Again, he shone a light towards Adam, this time to the right side.   And again, Adam smiled and said he could see it, too.

    "Don't look at the light, Adam, keep looking straight ahead for me," the doctor said as he moved the light about, looking into Adam's eyes.

    Adam remained quiet, sitting patiently to hear the result of this examination.

    The doctor examined him for a further ten minute or so, then straightened up and asked the nurse to open the venetian blinds a little bit.   As the slats tilted to allow some light into the room, Adam was aware of a change in the lighting.   It was some minutes later that he became aware of blurred figures moving about the room.   He told the doctor that people were moving about and pointed to a person on his left.

    The doctor was pleased with this, but wouldn't allow Adam to strain his eyes and requested that a