Chapter 12 Little Girl Called Hannah

After Robert left with Hannah.

Michael turned to the couple to see that they already had an idea about Robert's identity. That is why they were both so trusting. They sat down and began their discussion.

Meanwhile-

After a few minutes, when I was conversing with Laura, Robert came with a little girl; her name was Hannah.

" Uncle, Is that big brother that you told me about. He looks very different, he has white hair, Gradpa also have white hairs. Are you sure he is not Gradpa?" Hannah asked curiously.

" Haha, yes, he is the same as your sister. He is not a gradpa." Robert said.

" I am not a Gradpa, Hannah. I was afraid of darkness one time, when a magician came and took all the darkness away from me, which made me all white. After that I was never afraid of darkness. " I explained.

"Ooh, Big Brother; I am also afraid of the dark. Can the magician also help me? I promise I will be a good girl, Please? " Hannah requested.

" Don't worry. Come here, I will show you something, " I said, stretching my arms. "I am here, you don't need a magician. Just close your eyes and feel my warm hands. Now I will transfer some of my magic to you. Whenever you feel afraid, remember your sister's smiling face. It will go away. If it doesn't help, I will come and protect you. Okay? "

" Hmm, Big brother. I will listen to you." Hannah said cheerfully.

I have always struggled with darkness. An elder sister would use this method to calm me down when I was very little. I still remember her warm hands; she would hold me for long time whenever I got afraid. I was grateful I could pass it on to someone else.

Hannah crawled beside me, holding my hand, and soon fell asleep. I could feel her breath on my wrist. I could feel that she was very distressed about the ordeal, which only made her tired. I secretly made a promise that I would take care of her in place of her late sister, Elise.

" Miss Laura, Mr Robert, I would like to take care of her. I feel blessed for the situation, but I would like to be her big brother, who will be there for her whenever she misses her sister. It is only right for me, after all, Elise will be a part of me, literally. I hope you would consent to it. It's the least i can do for them. " I said.

Both of them agreed readily; they could feel I no longer hesitated about adoption.

" Sami, just call me, mother from now on. If you feel like it. I wont pressure you into these things." Laura added.

" Yes, Samuel, same for me. You can call Father, if you are comfortable." Robert added.

" Father, Mother. Please take care of me from now on." I said.

We had a long conversation after that. It was evening when Hannah got up and wanted to go back to her parent. Ben leads her outside after they bid us farewell. I promised I would talk to her again later. I wanted to explain my circumstances about my eyes, but I just made up a story to comfort her temporarily.

Micheal visit later afternoon to inform that all the prep work is done and we can begin the surgery in the morning. The news delighted everyone as we began to do the final preparation.

The next morning, before the surgery, Laura and Robert were sitting beside my bed. They were constantly assuring me, explaining different facet of procedure and chances of success. I quietly listen to them while having a light breakfast.

" Its alright mother. I will finally be able to see your faces. I am not worried about success or failure; it will be my next step to finally be independent and to not rely on you guys too much. " I stated.

" Its okay sami, either way you will be our son regardless of the outcome. You don't have to think too much about it. We have specialist doctors here. They know their craft; I am sure it will be a success. " Mother added.

" Yes dont worry about it, son." Father assured me.

Soon, I was in the surgery room, and they administered anesthesia, which knocked me out.

----------------------------------------------------

A few days passed since then; surgery was a success. I was with my foster parents when Michael along with a few other doctors, started explaining the results.

" It's important to take good care of your eyes after the transplant to help ensure a good recovery and reduce the risk of complications. It is a cruicial period. " Michael paused and continued--

"Most people have to stay in hospital for a night after a full-thickness cornea transplant

You may be able to go home the same day if you have a partial-thickness transplant, but yours is a full-thickness cornea transplant; also your eyes will be covered with an eye pad or plastic shield, which will be removed the after few days.

When it's taken away, you may find that your sight is blurred. This is normal.

There should not be serious pain after the operation, but there might be some swelling and discomfort.

You had an endothelial keratoplasty – a type of partial-thickness transplant that uses an air bubble to hold the donated cornea in place – so it is advised to lie on your back as much as possible in the first few days after surgery.

This can help hold the transplant in the correct place. The air bubble will be absorbed after a few days.

Once you return home after the procedure, you'll need to take good care of your eyes."

He listed some things to avoid like not rubbing my eyes and avoiding heavy toll jobs in the coming weeks. I have to avoid smoky or dusty places as this could irritate my eyes and bunch of other things. I memorized it by heart and made a mental note of everything.

He also added that the time it takes for vision to return after a cornea transplant can range from as little as a few weeks up to a year or more.

I rested a few more days in the hospital and it was finally time to take off the eye-pads. I was honestly very excited. What will it be like to finally see? How do I look ? what about my foster parents? Will I be able to recognize Hannah at first sight? What does the world look like ?