It happened so fast. One moment, there was no one. Then there were two blinding headlights in front of her. Glass shattered as she was flung helplessly against the steering wheel, the glass window, across the arm rest. Her car tumbled mercilessly over and over, trapping Faith inside. 

     So this is how I die.
     Her last thought before pain seared everything into an abyss of darkness that consumed her entire world.
~ … ~
     His eyes cracked open momentarily before immediately closing. A blinding light burned on the other side of his eyelids.  Refusing to open again, it was as if his eyes didn't want to face what was on the other side of the darkness.
     Suddenly, he became aware of sounds.  The sounds became voices, voices became words. One word probed through the darkness into his consciousness.
     "Jordan! Can you hear me?" The light dimmed and he opened his eyes, meeting the eyes of a worn but fatherly man.  He slowly realized it was his doctor.
     "Dr. Mason?" Jordan's voice cracked as if he had been sleeping. The aging man smiled.
     "You're very lucky," the man in white said, "You flew out of your car before it rolled into a ditch. Your injuries are minor and you'll be able to go home today. The other girl wasn't so lucky."
     Jordan suddenly lost feeling in his legs.
     "You don't mean…"
     "She's alive," the doctor realized the error in his wording.        "She's bruised and scratched up, but living."
     He could breathe again. Suddenly something clicked. She?
     "However," the doctor continued, "she received a big blow to the head so we can't know until she wakes up how much damage was caused."
"What are you saying?"
     Dr. Mason sighed sadly.
     "Sometimes the greatest damage resulting from a head injury is not damage to the organ, but the mental stability of the person afterwards. Those who suffer severe head injuries may never be the same again."
     Jordan was silent, a horrible feeling starting at his heart spread through his veins until it consumed him. He couldn't speak. 
     "Come with me," the doctor spoke as he rose with Jordan following close behind. Eventually stopping in front of a hospital room door, the doctor glanced behind him to be sure Jordan was still there, and went in. It was an average-sized room with a large window taking up most of the far wall. Huge rectangular blinds were semi-shut so that sunlight streamed through, but didn't blind anyone. It should have made the room seem less gloomy; yet, despite the creamy yellow walls, that was all Jordan could feel. To his right, nurses gathered around what he knew to be a bed but he did not want to see who lay there.
     Because of you. Guilt spoke. The painful truth he had tried to silence lashed out at him. He tried to erase it from his mind, but there it remained. He looked to the left and saw a blank television screen slanted forward towards the ceiling.
     Don't think. Jordan reasoned dumbly. Maybe if I don't think, I won't have to face this nightmare.
     He turned, despite himself, and what met his eyes cast feelings other than guilt or sorrow from him. The nurses had shifted to reveal a young woman, unconscious. Her face was pale and had two large scratches: one parallel to her right eye and another across her forehead above her left brow.  Her right arm was bandaged from the center of her upper arm to her elbow, then from a few inches below her elbow to about five inches above her wrist. Her left arm was completely covered in a cast. Despite the bandages, he saw multiple scratches and bruises. While the scratches were reduced to healing red lines surrounded by irritated skin, his imagination took flight. His mind was numb as he tried not to imagine larger scars with red trails of tears sliding down a lifeless woman's arms that lay limply over a steering wheel. He tried not to. Dr. Mason watched Jordan silently before speaking softly.
     "She will need someone to help her through this hard time." Jordan's head snapped around to see the doctor's solemn face gazing at the sleeping patient.
     "You can't mean me!" Jordan protested.
     "She just moved to this town and knows no one. Her family lives hours away and can't give the immediate support a friend could. Being new around here, she hasn't had time to make any friends." Putting a hand on Jordan's shoulder, he looked at Jordan in the eyes. "She needs you."
     "But, look what I've done to her." Jordan's voice was suddenly incapable of anything above a whisper.
     "Then try to make it up to her." Suddenly, their attentions were both drawn to a sound of  rustling sheets.
     "She's awake."
~…~
Nothing. I see nothing. No darkness, no light. What is happening?
Wait. There is something.
Voices. Two. What are they saying?
     "She's awake." an older voice spoke.
Are they talking about me? Am I awake? Why can't I see anything?
     "Miss Hill, can you hear me?" the voice spoke again. Hearing her last name, the girl knew he was speaking to her.
     "Y-yes," her voice croaked. How does this person know my name? She tried to sit up, but her right arm had something thick wrapped above and below her elbow making it difficult. She couldn't even move her left arm. Now she was starting to panic. Suddenly, pain was everywhere. Her arms, her back, but especially her head. She groaned and fell back onto the pillow with a puff. She could hear the two people come towards her.
     "Wh-who are you? What's happening to me?" her voice was small.
     "I am Dr. Mason. You came to see me earlier in the week, remember?" The now familiar voice was closer. "You were in a car accident and have endured several hits to the head, a broken arm, and several minor scratches. But don't worry, you're going to be okay."
     "Where are you?" she tried moving her arms, but her left arm refused and her right was in too much pain. There was silence, then…
     "You can't see?"
     This was a new voice. A young voice, not much older than hers. His voice held a fearful tone that she couldn't help catch.
     "N-no. Where are you?" she could hear herself getting louder. She managed to raise her right arm and was surprised when she felt something solid. Suddenly losing its strength , her arm collapsed again, unable to move.
     "We're here on either side of you," Dr. Mason's voice comforted. When he spoke again, it was softer, as if it was being directed somewhere else. "Touch her arm so she knows where you are."
     Suddenly, she felt something on the side of her left elbow. It was small, but definitely there. Shortly afterwards, she felt an equally soft touch on her right shoulder. It calmed her somewhat.
Why is this happening to me? She thought.
     "Why can't I see?"
     "The injuries your brain suffered are greater than I thought. There must be nerve damage in the visual cortex of your brain, which affects your ability to see."
     "Is it permanent?" the other voice spoke up.
     "I can't be sure until I run some tests, with your permission of course." She managed a nod, knowing the last half of his answer directed to her. "Good girl. I'll be back shortly."
     "Wait, doctor!" The second voice called out. There was a sound of a door closing and then silence. Faith was as stiff as a statue, fighting away the panic that was becoming harder to ignore. After what seemed like an eternity, she heard the door open again.
     "Hello?" she called out.
     "It's just me."
The stranger had returned.
     "I thought I'd stay awhile and keep you company."
     "Thank you," she said gratefully, feeling a sudden fear of solitude. "I'm Faith."
     "Jordan."
     "Thank you, Jordan."
     "It's the least I can do."
~…~
     The days passed and Faith grew accustomed to seeing nothing. She was far from care-free, but she took one day at a time with the challenges they brought. However, she could never have done it alone.
Knock, knock.
     "Hello," Faith acknowledged while giving the visitor permission to enter. The door squeaked slowly, as if someone was peeking carefully before entering. Already having identified the visitor by his light knocking, Faith grinned.
    "Jordan."
     "How did you guess?" Jordan never ceased to be amazed by Faith's quick adjustment to being blind. She was always able to identify someone if they had met at least once.
     "Only you knock like that, " Faith decided not to mention the hesitant sound, "and only you peek through the door before entering."
     "What makes you think I was peeking?" Jordan protested half-heartedly.
     "I heard the door creak slowly before a pause, then footsteps of someone entering," Faith responded easily.
     "Alright, alright! Can we go to the park already?"
Faith laughed at the sound of Jordan's overly impatient/whiny/child-like voice instead of an adult. I won and he knows it.
     "Okay. Let's go already!" Faith lifted her right arm and Jordan linked his left arm with her. They had discovered it was easier to lead the blind girl this way, and it became a natural position for the both of them. Faith let herself be led outside, smiling when she felt a breeze lift her short choppy hair off her neck. After being in the frigid hospital for so long, the cool breeze felt warm to her and she soaked up every moment.
The park was just across the street, and Jordan was having a hard time feeling cheerful.
     "How can you when you're the cause of all her problems?" Jordan thought.
     At first, Jordan visited Faith because of Guilt. It dragged him to her door and it kept him from telling her the truth. Eventually, after an emotional conversation about Faith's fear of being alone and confusion as to why this was happening to her, they soon became inseparable. There was no romance, but they both needed a friend. Now, feeling the trust she had in him, he couldn't keep his secret anymore.
     Yet, he was afraid. He really treasured her friendship and he didn't want to lose it. But how could he let her go on not knowing who he really is? What he's done?
     He had to tell her.
     Soon, children’s laughter pulled Jordan from his thoughts. Looking around, he found an empty bench and led Faith to it. They both sat down.
     "Jordan, are you okay? You've been pretty quiet."
     "There's something about me you should know," he began abruptly and she turned her head.
     "I never told you this, but…it was me. I'm the reason you can't see."
     There was a silence for a good five seconds.
     "What?" Faith asked, shocked.
     "I was driving home from a friend's house. I was upset because they had betrayed me. I-I wasn't paying attention…I didn't realize I had crossed … I didn't see the line! Then…the hill…y-your car-"
     "You didn't see my car and we crashed at the top of the hill," Faith summarized gently. Jordan took a shaky breath.
     "So… you became my friend, because you pitied me?" Faith sounded hurt.
     "At first, yes. Guilt kept me coming back…" Faith lowered her head. "...but then I got to know you. I can't place value on what we have. You trust me more than any other 'friend' I've known, which is why I couldn't hide this from you anymore. I had to tell you... I'm sorry." He let his face collapse into his hands as he waited for the yelling and the anger.
     It never came.
     Two arms wrapped around his shoulders and before he knew it, they were both a crying heap. It was quite a sight: two young adults on a park bench sobbing their hearts out. One because she finally knew why.
     The second because his secret was out and he wasn't alone.