It all happened so quickly. Tyson lifted his mask to check on the weld and the shock of the exploding acetylene tank threw him backwards in a searing flash of light and heat. Instantly concussed he would later be thankful workmates were quick on the scene, dousing the flames, removing his smouldering clothing. The paramedics at the time were amazed he'd survived with relatively little injury, treating the burn to his forehead and cheeks. That he was wearing the full safety gear, gloves included, undoubtedly saved his life.
At the hospital an hour later however the news the doctor provided wasn't so glowing and to a bandaged Tyson and his boss, quite sobering.
"O.k Tyson it's like this," the doctor explained. "The burns on your face were superficial, the concussion minor but at this point we're just not sure if the damage to your eyes will repair."
The doctor continued. "You've severely burnt the cornea. The loss of vision I would equate to directly looking at the sun for an extended period of time."
Tyson threw his head back on the pillow in an exaggerated display of despair. The morphine was affecting his reasoning and he joked with his employer. "Well Bert. Looks like I get tomorrow off! Woohoo. Long weekend for me."
Bert touched his employee on the arm out of sympathy. "Buddy you just focus on getting better. Don't even think about work right now."
A commotion could be heard from outside the room. "Where is he? This one?"
"Uh oh!" Tyson observed. "Here she comes."
The woman entered the room like a hurricane. She held her hand to her mouth when she saw her son on the bed, the bandages wrapping his eyes and forehead. "Oh my baby. What have they done to you?" She ran across the room and threw her arms around the prone man.
Bert took a step back from the bedside to give the woman room. Although under the stressful conditions he couldn't help taking a moment to admire his employees' mother. Looking like she'd come straight from the gym (although women seemed to wear their gym clothes everywhere nowadays he noted) with ridiculously tight 3/4 yoga pants and a matching tank, he half wished he was the one injured on the gurney and receiving her breasts against his chest.
"Mom, relax I'm fine." Tyson tried to assuage her.
"No you're not. Look at you!" She bluntly stated.
The doctor held out his hand to the middle aged woman. "I take it you're the mother?"
Releasing her embrace but keeping a hand on her son, she accepted the doctors welcome. "Darlene Grace, yes I'm his mother. What happened?" She looked at Bert with a scowl. "Your secretary only told me there'd been an accident."
Before Bert could offer an explanation, the doctor continued. "I'm Doctor Wesley Fuller; I was in emergency when your son arrived. As I was just explaining to him, he's received damage to the cornea of both eyes. Now he had limited to no vision when we first examined him and this hasn't changed."
Darlene raised a hand to her mouth. "Oh my god!"
"Now I understand that sounds bad but be aware the body has a way of repairing damage of its own accord. I expect to see his vision return. If it doesn't, there can also be options."
"Options?" Darlene asked.
Dr. Fuller nodded. "I'm aware there are amazing advancements with laser surgery, even corneal transplants." He noticed her looking even more shocked at this news and quickly moved to re-assure her. "But these are down the road; it may not even come to that."
"Cool I'll have lasers shooting out of my eyes. No I want those X-ray eyes like in the movies!" Tyson cheered.
There was silence in the room as they all took in Tyson's comment. "He's had a lot of morphine!" The doctor quipped. "Mrs. Grace..."
"It's Ms. I'm not married!" Darlene quickly threw in and then felt foolish.
Wesley Fuller smiled. "Ms. Grace. What Tyson needs right now is rest. As I've said we expect his sight will return." He touched Tyson on the leg. "Just stay out of the sun for a few days, avoid flashing lights and no more explosions!"
"And the bandages?" Darlene inquired.
"They can be removed when you like. They're to keep his eyes closed; an eye mask will be suffice. The nurse will give you a cream for the burns, they're superficial, more like a sunburn. Ms. Grace, he's really a lucky young man. It could've been a lot worse." He touched the middle aged woman on the upper arm in a gesture of reassurance. "Now if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to call," he smiled. "O.k. I'll leave you to it."
Excusing himself, the doctor left Bert and Darlene alone with Tyson.
"Ah, obviously the company will be paying all of the medical Darlene. It's the least we can do under the circumstances." Bert offered.
Darlene Grace had relaxed somewhat with the encouraging news from the doctor. "Thank you Bert, I'm sorry if I was a little abrupt when I arrived."
"No that's fine." He had the opportunity now to appreciate the woman from the front and wasn't disappointed. Her nipples pronounced, a strip of tanned skin at the midriff and a wonderful bulge of pussy. This he was careful to not be caught staring at but his cock was responding favorably. "I'd be the same if it was my boy!"
"So can I get out of here now or what?" Tyson asked.
Darlene looked to Bert for help. "You know what, I'll leave you two alone and I'll go find out." Bert responded and went to seek some assistance.
Darlene lifted her son's hand and kissed his knuckles. "Don't you ever scare me like this again, you hear."
"Hey I didn't mean it to happen. Although it was worth it for these drugs. Trust me those doctors don't know what they're talking about. My vision's fine. I can see a unicorn and all these little fairies. Oh look, there's a rabbit!"
"Ooh Kaay! I think we'll be following the doctor's advice though honey, you just have to rest. I'll make sure of it." Darlene assured him.
Bert returned with a nurse and medication. He could be released straight away and Darlene was given instructions as to the application of eye drops and lotion for the burns. While awaiting an orderly Bert took care of any payments and met up with them as Tyson was being pushed to the exit on a wheelchair. "I really don't need to be in this thing. I'm telling you, I can fly." Tyson proclaimed. He looked around blindly, feebly flapping his arms. "Mom, tell them."
The orderly looked at Darlene. "Drugs?"
"Ooh yeah!" She smiled.
At the car Darlene waited for a women wearing a satin robe with bound wrists to be loaded into the passenger seat in the car beside hers by a younger man, probably her son she thought. When they'd departed Bert helped Tyson into the car and again assured Darlene of any assistance she needed, financially or otherwise.
"You just get some rest Buddy, you hear," Bert told him, patting his employee on the shoulder. "And do what your mother tells you."
* * * * *
At twenty three, Tyson had been searching for a place of his own. Most of his friends were renting but he considered it throwing away money. Why pay for someone else's mortgage when I can pay my own, he reasoned. Therefore since obtaining a full time job he'd been living at home with his mother until he saved enough for a deposit and repayments. Darlene was now thankful he hadn't already found something. She could look after him herself for however long it took while still continuing her work from home gift basket business.
By 3pm that afternoon the drugs were starting to wear off and although Tyson assured her he wasn't in physical pain, the emotional pain had started.
"What if I don't ever see again Mom?" Tyson asked.
Darlene had made him comfortable, helping him into a t-shirt and track pants and setting him up in the darkened living room. "Well we can't think like that yet. The doctor said they have high hopes you'll recover. We just have to take it slow." She looked him over and couldn't help but feel sympathy. His shoulders slumped and his head in bandages, she herself had thought the same thing. I just have to be positive for him, she told herself.
"Did Bert give you my phone?" He asked as she made her way back to the kitchen.
"Oh yeah." Darlene opened her handbag and removed his phone and wallet. She walked back into the living room and sat down on the arm chair beside her son. About to hand him his phone she realized there wasn't much he could do with it without his sight. "Do you want me to unlock this for you?"
"Yeah if you could, just to check for messages." He paused and Darlene waited for him to give the code. Tyson was stalling. He was attempting to recall if he had anything that wouldn't be fit for his mother to see on his phone and it didn't look good. That very morning he'd been watching porn. Had he closed the screen? What if she opened the media folder? There he knew for certain were countless pictures of naked women. Fuck, he thought. Even his wallpaper was porn.
"Tyson? What's the p.i.n?" She asked.
"Um actually Mom, it's not important right now. I'll worry about all that later. As you said, I should be resting." He reached out, his palm upwards to take the phone from her and misjudged her distance from him. In his mind's eye he held his hand between them. In reality he perfectly cupped her right breast.
"Ooh!" Darlene recoiled instantly as Tyson himself realized what he'd felt and withdrew his hand.
