Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings

"Are you sure she will see when they take the bandages off?"

"I think she will, Alice. They say she will."

"But we don't know. I wish she'd awaken. We can take the bandage off then, can't we?"

"Yes. Dr. Weatherby will do it."

Alice tip-toed across the room and back. "She's still asleep. I wish she'd awaken. Will it have to be as dim as this in here?"

"Yes, I think so. Dimmer, maybe. They're afraid of the first light for her."

The intricate, deeply involved operation had evidently created a widespread interest throughout the city. Surgeons had come, examined Dolores, held innumerable conferences, examined Loro, whose eyes, as they had suspected, could be used with perfect satisfaction. They anticipated there would be no difficulties. This was their decision after their final conference: they were capable of giving sight to Dolores.

We had not yet been out for our audience with the king. Nothing more had been said concerning it; the operation had become all-absorbing to everyone. The city quite obviously was in an excitement over it, an excitement only surpassed by our own publicly unexplained presence.

They had taken little Dolores up to our roof-top, where, from below, a curious throng gazed up at her. And then taken Loro. I heard the wild cheering.

I had wondered why they would not take one eye only, that each might see. But they had told me that it was impossible. In this instance, a lone one transplanted could not survive. There were technical, deeply medical reasons for this. I did not pry into these.

Then they brought Dolores back. Her eyes were bandaged.

Hours passed. The healing fluid they said was very swift. When Dolores awoke we could remove the bandages. Alice and I sat together.

Dr. Weatherby entered with Jim. Behind them, lingering near the doorway, was the chief surgeon who had performed the operation. He said softly, "You can awaken her. A little less light. Then you can take the bandages off."

We awakened her gently. She sat up weakly, in bewilderment. "Oh, the bandage, yes, I remember now. They told me it was over. I was all right. And then I went to sleep."

We gathered around her. A flat gray twilight was in the room. Dolores sat in the bed. Her long, dark tresses fell forward over her white shoulders.

My breath came fast. To see the light, form, color, the world, for the first time!

Very slowly, gently, Dr. Weatherby unwound the bandages. They dropped from his trembling hands to the bed.

"Now, Dolores, open your eyes, just a little."

The dark lashes on her cheeks fluttered up, and closed instantly against the light. She could see!

Her eyes opened again, timidly, fearfully. But they stayed open, glorious dark eyes, luminous, eyes that were seeing! Eyes with light in them.