Everything hurt. Joe felt dizzy as he woke up, and his eye opened slowly as it adjusted to the light in the room. His vision was blurry at first, but eventually the end of the bed came into focus. A soft sigh came from Joe’s right, and he needed to turn his head completely to see what it was. He saw Caracal sitting there asleep in a chair near Joe’s bed. Caracal looked fine, his right ear twitching as he snoozed.
That’s when Joe remembered the fight with Ahk. He remembered knocking the Birnstein aside only to turn and find Tra on him. Memories of her claws digging into his side and cutting across his face caused Joe to inhale suddenly. Caracal continued to rest undisturbed by Joe’s small outburst.
Joe then looked down to see bandages wrapped across his abdomen. He slowly lifted his left arm, but the pain in his side stopped him. He then lifted his right hand and brought it across his stomach. Joe ran his fingers over the bandage, and he winced at first when he started too close to the wound.
Next, Joe looked straight ahead and realized his vision wasn’t normal. He became more aware of the bandage wrapped around his head, and he raised his right hand to the side of his face. When his fingers came into contact with the bandage, he flinched. After a deep breath, he touched the bandage again and slowly moved his fingers to his eye. His eye became sore so he stopped, dropping his hand to the bed.
“Mirror,” mumbled Joe. He could barely make out his own scratchy voice through his dry throat. Joe tried to get up, bringing both of his arms to his side and trying to lift himself off the bed. He cringed as his side flared up in protest, resulting in Joe falling back onto the bed.
The door to the room opened, soon followed by a gasp. Joe looked up to see Kalli walking in.
“Joe! You’re awake,” she said as she quickly came to the left side of the bed. “Are you okay? Is the pain too much? Let me get the doctor.”
Her questions made Joe aware that he was gritting his teeth from trying to sit up straighter, which made Kalli think something was wrong. He forced himself to put on a smile to ease Kalli’s concerns, but he didn’t think he was selling it very well.
“I-I’m fine, Kalli,” said Joe.
After Joe spoke more clearly, Caracal stirred and woke up. He looked first at Kalli and then at Joe. Relief consumed the Kelker’s expression, and he then got out of his chair and came up to the edge of the bed.
“Joe!” he nearly shouted.
Joe smiled again.
“I’m fine, Caracal,” said Joe with a chuckle. “I’ll be back on my feet in no time. What about Spass?”
“She’s fine,” said Kalli. “We’ve been worried about you!”
She then grabbed Joe’s left arm and began to choke up. Kalli put her head down, trying not to let Joe or Caracal see her face. Joe reached across his body with his right hand and placed it on top of hers. She took one of her hands out from under Joe’s and placed it on top of his hand, and then she looked up at Joe.
Joe’s heart sank when he saw tears rolling down Kalli’s face. Joe knew his actions against Ahk had gotten him into this situation, and he knew that, in turn, had hurt his friends. He couldn’t lie to himself since he saw that thought reinforced by the look in Kalli’s eyes. He wasn’t audibly crying, but Joe felt tears run down his left cheek. After a moment, Kalli looked down again, patting Joe’s right hand.
A knock came from the door. Joe recognized Dr. Piero enter with Sister Gotuh close behind. Piero looked satisfied as he came in, but Sister Gotuh quickly stepped around him to come to the end of the bed. She looked pissed, but her eyes looked relieved. She wanted to say something, but she stopped herself a few times before the doctor finally broke the silence.
“How are you feeling, Joe?” he asked
“Sore,” said Joe. He tried to sit up straighter in bed, but stopped when he winced from the pain again.
“You have a long recovery ahead of you,” said Piero. “I’ve cleaned and dressed the wound on your side, and the antibiotics will help. But most importantly, you need to rest. That cut was deep and did a lot of damage. Don’t overdo it.”
“He won’t be leaving this room anytime soon,” said Sister Gotuh. “How many times have I told you not to act this way? You put yourself and the others in danger, and look where that got you. Will you ever learn that your actions have consequences?!”
The sister had found her voice, and it grew louder as she said everything she wanted to say. Joe felt horrible with every word she spoke. He couldn’t look at her, his shame kept his head down, even through the silence that followed.
“Just make sure he gets plenty of rest, Sister Gotuh,” said Piero. “It’ll be a few weeks before Joe is up and about. I’ll be back then, but call me if anything changes.”
“Wait!” said Joe, a bit louder than he wanted as he looked up. Piero hadn’t moved, but Joe thought he’d been heading out. Joe dreaded asking his next question, but he needed to ask it. “What about my eye?”
Both Kalli and Caracal looked at Piero, but Joe saw Sister Gotuh look away. Piero took a deep breath and took a step closer to the bed.
“The Birnstein’s claw cut through your eye, and there was nothing I could do to save it. I had to remove what was left, and like your side, it will take time for the tissue to heal. Keep it covered and cleaned until my next visit. I’ve already given Sister Gotuh directions. We can look at a potential prosthesis once it’s healed.”
***
A few weeks had passed, and Joe woke early this day since he would finally be allowed to get out of bed. He opened his eye and saw that the sun hadn’t risen yet, but the morning twilight could be seen on the edge of the blinds. He sat up and listened for any movement in the hall but heard none. He then threw the blankets back, giving a brief look at the scars on his side, and made his way to the door.
The hallway was dark and all the other doors were shut. Joe looked to his right toward the stairs and could see light from the kitchen downstairs where Sister Gotuh and the other sisters were starting their day. With no one around, Joe quietly walked the other way down the hall to the restroom, tiptoeing so he wouldn’t disturb anyone else.
Once the door was closed and the light turned on, Joe went to the sink and stared at the mirror. His excitement for the day was reflected on his face, but it disappeared when he saw the eye patch over his right eye. Joe licked his lips and took a deep breath before reaching up and pushing the eye patch up. His eye was gone, as he knew, and the empty socket had healed. However, looking at it too long made him queasy, and he knew it would take some time to get used to it.
After returning the eye patch over his eye, Joe stared at himself. His emotions were all over the place, but he remained calm and showed none of the conflict he felt inside in his expression.
A knock came from the door, and Joe turned his head to the right to look at it. He ended up turning his whole body around to see the door, and Joe cursed at himself. It would take time to get used to this, too.
“Hello?” whispered Spass from the otherside of the door.
“Just a minute,” said Joe. He turned on the faucet and splashed water on his face.
“No hurry, Joe.”
“There you go,” said Joe as he opened the door and stepped out of the restroom.
Spass looked up at Joe with a small smile. She seemed to catch herself looking at Joe’s eye patch as she quickly looked away and scurried into the restroom.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she closed the door.
Joe stood there thinking for a moment, knowing all kinds of challenges like this would greet him this day. But he could easily overcome his next one of getting dressed.
***
Joe walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Sister Gotuh and Sister Dtminee were working on breakfast. The table was set with several plates, bowls, cups, and utensils, and Sister Dtminee--who taught many kids in the area around the mission--always had a fresh bouquet of flowers in the center of the table.
“Good morning, Joe,” said Sister Gotuh who’d turned toward the doorway when Joe walked in. “Isn’t it a little early to see you up and about?”
“I’ve slept in enough,” said Joe. “Thank you,” he added quietly before he made his way to the table.
Joe turned his chair at an angle before he sat down. He looked between the sisters as he did, and Sister Dtminee gave a sympathetic nod before bowing her head and leaving the room. Sister Gotuh walked over and grabbed Joe’s plate, and she seemed to avoid looking at him. Joe tried to ignore the uncomfortable behaviors. Just as Joe had to get used to his new circumstances, so did everyone else. He tried not to think too much about it.
After filling the plate with chilashion, a Laurelian breakfast dish made from grains and spices the sisters grew out behind the mission, Sister Gotuh set the plate down in front of Joe and filled his cup with water from the pitcher on the table.
“Good morning,” said Spass when she entered the room.
“Good morning,” said Sister Gotuh as she reached for a plate next to Joe. “Let me fill your plate, dear.”
Spass lit up. “Thank you!”
Spass came to sit by Joe, and she smiled at him as she sat down. Joe gave a weak smile back.
Feeling his stomach longing for food, Joe looked down at his plate and found it very inviting. He turned his head to find a fork. It took him three tries to get his hand on it, but he dove in quickly after that.
As Joe ate, Caracal and a few of the younger orphans came in and sat around the table. Caracal sat near Joe, and Joe tried not to look up since he felt all of their eyes on him. Kalli entered a few minutes later and took a seat next to Spass.
“What’s the plan today?” asked Kalli as she started to eat her breakfast.
“No plans,” said Joe.
Caracal grunted, and Kalli looked at him.
“He said ‘no plans’,” she said. Caracal then nodded his head.
“Take it easy today, Joe,” said Sister Gotuh. “I don’t want you to have a setback.”
“I’ll be fine,” said Joe before adding with a smile, “I always take it easy.”
Sister Gotuh snorted softly and went back to the counter.
Joe set his fork down and slowly reached for his cup. He drank it all down and then returned it to the table, bumping his plate slightly as he did so. He looked up to see most of the others at the table watching his every move, and Joe couldn’t take it anymore.
“I need to get some air,” he said, and he got up from the table and made his way out of the room.
As he got halfway through the living room, Joe heard Sister Gotuh saying something to the others in the kitchen, but Joe didn’t bother trying to hear what she said. He instead told himself over and over again as he walked, “I have to get better!”
***
Over the next couple weeks, Joe focused on chores. He’d hated doing them since the dawn of time, but he realized doing the tedious work helped him get used to living with one eye. He would clean each room in the mission, help in the garden, and run short errands for the sisters as often as he could.
Today, Sister Gotuh had asked Joe to run to the market and pick up a few things. It was a short list, but Kalli and Caracal insisted on coming with him. Joe didn’t fight back about it.
Lots of people were out and about in the streets of Aitupo. The end of the regular work week was coming, but Joe thought there was too much traffic for those trying to get a head start on the weekend.
“Watch out,” said Kalli, who gently pulled on Joe’s left sleeve.
Joe went with the motion and Kalli ended up bumping into Caracal as the three got out of the way of a large Naptela. The tree-like being was distracted by a Szeckxs that hissed through his snake-like lips as the two beings walked by. The rudeness irritated Joe, but he just glared at the two as they walked away. Kalli’s voice brought him back to them.
“Sorry about that, Caracal,” she said.
Caracal looked confused and then turned his head to the right.
“I said sorry about that,” repeated Kalli.
“You okay?” asked Joe, looking at Caracal.
As Joe spoke, Caracal turned his head more to the right to look at Joe more head on, apparently to hear him. Caracal’s cat-like right ear twitched back and forth while his left ear turned and stayed pointing at Joe and Kalli. Caracal then nodded his head, unconvincingly telling Joe he was fine.
“You know, your ear does that twitching a lot,” continued Joe. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” said Caracal. “I was looking at the shop when she bumped me. I’m fine.”
Caracal moved past Joe and Kalli. Joe looked at Kalli, but she just shrugged without knowing what to say. Caracal then stopped after several steps, waiting for Joe and Kalli to catch up. They started after him.
After walking a couple more blocks, Joe and the others arrived at Market Street. It was a busy place, with so many different beings of all lifestyles walking around. Many conversed as they went, and Joe picked up some bits of their conversations in a wide variety of different languages.
“It’ll work out.”
“I can’t believe what he said to her!”
“Tonight’s not a good night, but my schedule opens up next week.”
“Filthy birds….”
“I wonder what the talks will bring this time?”
“She hit me!”
“Don’t hit your brother!”
“They do it all the time. Nothing changes.”
“It’s tonight if the weather holds up”
“Here we go,” said Kalli.
The three had arrived at Jace’s. The sign above the doors said “Hurli-mart”, which had been a large retail chain on Pturllel, but after the invasion, trade had nearly ceased between the three governed areas. Soon, the business went under, and Jace acquired the building to turn it into a large market. For a fee, anyone could come in and sell their goods from all over the Birnstein controlled area, and it had become a popular shopping center on Market Street.
Birnstein soldiers stood guard outside of Jace’s with patrols lazily walking the street. Inside, the soldiers monitored transactions. The Birnsteins cared little for the populations in the area, even the Birnsteins who’d lived on Pturllel before the invasion, but if there was a way to profit off the populace, the Birnsteins made sure they got a share.
Looking at all the different things for sale made Joe less aware of the Birnstein soldiers. Lots of stores sold crafts made from whatever could be found in Aitupo. Others sold their harvests grown in what fertile fields still existed around the city. Joe looked between all of them, always amazed by the wide variety of goods. He had to take it slower eventually as his neck grew stiff from always shifting his head from side to side.
Joe led Kalli and Caracal as they made their way to the east side of Jace’s. A favorite business of the sisters was Merrill Suppliers. It was a larger establishment in Jace’s with walls erected around several aisles. Inside, Joe quickly went around and grabbed the items Sister Gotuh needed, and Joe was glad that Kalli and Caracal had come along to help carry the bags after they checked out.
Market Street remained as congested as ever, and Joe and the others navigated it once more. They walked slower due to their bags, and Joe did his best to avoid bumping into anyone. Joe also fell back next to Kalli who could help him keep an eye on anyone coming up on their right side. If Kalli noticed what Joe did, she didn’t say anything.
They were just about to exit the street when Joe saw Ahk. Ahk was walking away from Joe and the others with Hyr visibly laughing about something. A chill ran through Joe, and he quickly looked around for Tra. He didn’t see her, but Joe wanted to be sure Ahk didn’t see him.
“Let’s go around the back,” said Joe, motioning to his left with a bag and then starting in that direction.
“You sure?” asked Kalli who took a few quick steps to catch up to him.
“Yeah. I can get more exercise this way.”
They exited Market Street and took some back streets to return to the mission. Joe looked around as they went and didn’t see Ahk and Hyr again.
As they got closer to the mission, Joe’s thoughts continued to drift back to how he’d reacted after seeing Ahk. Was he scared? Had he panicked? He wasn’t sure. But he couldn’t be scared of Ahk. Ahk was a coward. Was it the thought of Tra? Joe felt a twinge of fear as his side and empty eye socket seemed to burn at the memories of the fight and waking up in bed. Joe tried to dismiss the thoughts. He had to get the goods they’d purchased back to the sisters.
Once back, Joe and the others passed through the living room to get to the kitchen. Sister Gotuh was washing some dishes but stopped and dried off her hands as Joe placed his bags on the table. Caracal and Kalli did the same.
“Thanks for doing that,” said the sister as she started opening one of the bags. She hesitated and then spoke as she removed items from inside. “You know, Joe, I have an appointment set up for you with Dr. Piero tomorrow to look at your eye. He wants to get you fitted with a prosthesis.”
Joe was shaking his head as soon as Sister Gotuh mentioned the doctor.
“I don’t need it,” he said.
“Why not?” asked the sister.
Joe looked up, and saw Caracal and Kalli trying not to look like they were listening intently as they put items away in the kitchen.
“I don’t need it,” repeated Joe. “I’ll be fine.”
With that, Joe grabbed some soap from the bags and started out of the kitchen. Joe was glad Sister Gotuh didn’t say anything as he left the room and started upstairs for the restroom.
The idea of a prosthetic bothered Joe. He repeatedly told himself that the mission couldn’t afford to get him one, and he knew he’d already cost them enough with his recovery up to this point. After Joe placed the soap under the sink, he looked at his eye patch in the mirror. It would be a reminder of that fight each time he saw it, and it would let Joe know how he’d failed the others. He couldn’t ever put them in a situation like that again.
Joe started back downstairs a few moments later, and then heard Sister Dtminee rush into the mission with a couple of the children. They hurried to the living room, and Joe heard the other children in there let out disappointing whines as the monitor’s channel was changed.
“Quiet! This is important!” she said before shouting, “Sister Gotuh, get in here!”
After jumping down the last couple of steps, Joe went into the living room as Sister Gotuh entered from the kitchen. Sister Dtminee stood in front of the monitor with a hand over her mouth. Joe saw she’d switched to the news and the ticker simply said: Dispossession Coming.