Oh, yes, you will, the surgeon told him. We've had regular inquiries on
your progress from a number of people. Isn't that correct, sister?
'That's right, doctor. You can let them know that he is allowed
visitors now. The consultant and his group began to move on.
Doctor, David called him back. I want a look at a mirror, and they were
all silent, immediately embarrassed. This request of his had been
denied many times over the last months.
Damn it, David became angry. You can't protect me from it for ever. The
consultant gestured for the others to leave and they filed out of the
ward, while he came back to David's bed.
All right, David, he agreed gently. We'll find you a mirror, though we
don't have much use for them around here! For the first time in the
many months he had known him, David glimpsed the depths of his
compassion, and he wondered at it. That a man who lived constantly
amongst great pain and terrible disfigurement could still be moved by
it.
You must understand that how you are now is not how you will always be.
All I have been able to do, so far, is heal your exposed flesh and make
you functional again. You are once more a viable human being. You have
not experienced the loss of any of your faculties but I will not pretend
that you are beautiful. However, there remains much that I can still do
to change that.
Your ears, for example, can be reconstructed with the material I have
reserved for that purpose, He indicated the stump of the pedicel that
still hung from David's forearm - There is much fine work stiH to be
done about the nose and mouth and eyes. He paced slowly the length of
the ward and looked out into the sunlight for a moment before turning
back again and coming forward to face David.
But let me be truthful with you. There are limitations to what I can
do. The muscles of expression, those delicate little muscles around the
eyes and mouth have been destroyed. I cannot replace those. The hair
follicles of your lashes and brows and scalp have been burned away.
You will be able to wear a wig, but David turned to his bedside locker
and took from the drawer his wallet. He opened it and drew out a
photograph. it was the one which Hannah had taken so long ago of Debra
and David sitting at the rock-pool in the oasis of Em Gedi and smiling
at each other. He handed it to the surgeon.
Is that what you looked like, David? I never knew. The regret showed
like a quick shadow in his eyes. Can you make me look like that again?
The surgeon studied the photograph a moment longer, the young god's face
with the dark mop of hair and the clean pure lines of the profile. No,
he said. I could not even come close That's all I wanted to know. David
took the photograph back from him.
You say I'm functional now. Let's leave it at that, shall we? You
don't want further cosmetic surgery?
We can still do a lot Doctor, I've lived under the knife for nine
months.
I've had the taste of antibiotics and anaesthetic in my mouth, and the
stink of it in my nostrils for all that time. Now all I want is a
little escape from pain, a little peace and the taste of clean air.
