Grey hadn’t considered that. He hadn’t even tried to figure out how he could start rearranging little parts of his life to make them easier now. But Cort had been through this process. Knew the ins and outs. Maybe this rehabilitation wasn’t a waste of time. What if his sight didn’t return? The thought nearly sent him to his knees.
“Grey? You okay?” A hand touched his back, and Grey almost instantly calmed.
Still, he pulled away. “I’m fine. Tell me about these other gadgets of yours.”
Cort took him into the living room and rustled around in his bag. As he handed the different things to Grey, he explained how each worked. There was a color detector and a small recorder for appointment reminders and things like that. He had raised tabs for all sorts of things and also rubber bands to mark bottles and cans like shampoo versus conditioner or soup cans versus vegetable cans. Small tricks that would make things so much simpler.
“It’ll take a while for us to go over everything and to get your place situated, so I’ll come daily for a time.” Cort sat next to him, that fragrant cologne wafting past his nose. “Is there anything you’d like to start with? Or something you’re having a lot of trouble with?”
Here he sat without having even combed his hair, and this guy sounded all sorts of put together. “Clothes.” The word jumped from his lips without giving him time to even think about it. He’d always liked having nice clothes, had always cared about his appearance even if he wasn’t one for dating or socializing much.
Cort laughed. “Then let’s start there first. I’ll leave my color detector here for now, but we can make labels for your clothes that will help, too.” He went on to explain a few things as they walked into Grey’s bedroom, talking about the best ways to arrange his furniture and more. He kept talking as he made himself at home in Grey’s closet. Grey heard him draping clothes over the bed as he talked. The warm, relaxed tone of his voice was nice. Almost a balm on Grey’s wounded mind.
“Have you looked into Braille at all?” Cort asked, his voice muffled by the closet.
“No, it’s only been a little over a week.”
“I can help you start the basics for labels for your clothes, but I’ll also sort by color if you’d like. I brought dividers for your drawers, too. You’re a bit of a clothes horse, eh? This tiny closet is packed tight.”
He looked in that direction and was surprised when he got a glimpse of light. Staring hard, he tried to see it again, growing irritated when nothing happened. Had he imagined it? He looked toward where he knew the windows were and nothing. Not a damn thing. He blew out a frustrated breath and sat on the end of the bed, reaching out to feel the clothes Cort had laid in a pile.
“Anything in here you want to get rid of? Clothes you haven’t worn in a long time? I always tell my clients this is a good time to tidy up the closet.” Cort came toward him and laid something else on the bed. “Can’t see you wearing this corduroy jacket. It looks ancient.”
Grey knew just what jacket he was talking about and no, he didn’t wear it anymore, but he’d hung on to it for years because he’d finished his first book while wearing it. “Just put it in the back.”
“Got it. You okay with me going through the drawers?”
“I’ve got nothing to hide in them,” Grey drawled with a small half grin. “All the fun stuff is in the nightstand.”
“I don’t need to go through that. I got a sneaking suspicion that you know what’s in there by touch.” Cort laughed and Grey snorted at him. That was not a lie.
While Cort explained what he was doing and how he was sorting, Grey stared toward the window again. He must have imagined that flash of light. He fumbled a little with the blinds until he finally got the rod to twist them open. He visibly jumped when Cort’s hand touched his spine.
“Sorry,” Cort murmured. “Didn’t mean to startle you. I’ll be sure to make more noise next time.”
“You’re fine.”
“I know it’s hard to have someone here, going through your things. I’d like to do it with you, if you wouldn’t mind. Show you what I’m doing.”
He had a job to do and the faster Grey helped him, the faster he would leave. With a nod, Grey followed him to the drawer and listened as Cort explained about dividing up clothes according to what they were.
Again, he felt a deep appreciation for people who lived with this. He’d relied on his sight for nearly everything, and not having it left him feeling vulnerable, something he’d only felt when being chased by pestilents.
Why couldn’t he have a normal fucking life? Then he wouldn’t have been hit in the head, and he wouldn’t be sure that his new disability would hamper what the Weavers were supposed to do.
He’d be in Oregon, writing his detective novels with his sight intact.
Cort touched his arm—the man sure was touchy-feely—and leaned in close. “You want me to help you with the things in your bathroom or leave that for tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow’s fine.” They hadn’t done much, but tiredness pulled at him. “I can fumble my way around the bathroom anyway. I’m just…I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
“I gotcha. We’ve had a good start. You got some new toys to play with tonight,” Cort said enthusiastically. “Tomorrow, we’re putting in a full session. You’re gonna be sick of me.”
“Too late.” But Grey gave him the smile he was working so damn hard for. Hell, he’d put up with Grey’s cranky ass. He’d earned it.
“Good. Means I did my job. Now, how about you walk me to the door, and then you can collapse for a little while before one of your friends comes to grab you for dinner?”
Grey nodded and started to walk out of the bedroom.
“Do you have a white cane yet?” Cort asked as he wrapped strong fingers around Grey’s arm.
He shook his head. He’d not been willing to cave on that point yet, but it was clear his sight wasn’t going to return as quickly as he’d hoped. “I’ll get Dane to help me order one online.”
“Good. You’ll find it helps a lot, especially when you’re in unfamiliar surroundings. Helps you find those sneaky trees. I should have brought an extra.”
“You brought enough.” He cleared his throat and paused in the kitchen near the door. “Thank you for coming here.”
“It’s my pleasure. I’ll be back at nine a.m. tomorrow, and we’ll get more done. It was nice meeting you, Grey.”
“You, too.” There. He could be polite. He waited while Cort grabbed his bag and left. Grey stood in the silence of his apartment, listening to Cort’s footsteps retreat down the stairs. When he couldn’t even hear that anymore, Grey drew in a deep breath. Just a trace of Cort’s cologne hung in the air, and Grey was alone.
Chapter 3
Cort stepped onto the back patio and carefully closed the door behind him before letting loose a heavy sigh. Two hours. Grey Ackles wasn’t the most stubborn man he’d ever worked with, but he was fighting hard for the title.
The first session with someone was always the hardest, the most emotionally draining. His initial goal was always to assess the person and their surroundings first. Were they safe in their home? Could he leave knowing they were unlikely to come to new harm? If something were to happen, would they be able to get help readily?