My heart ached. He had been the moonlight I'd chased in my youth. I never imagined he'd end up like this.
I helped him inside, grabbed a clean towel, and handed it to him. "Go take a hot shower before you catch a cold!"
Russ nodded silently, eyes lowered, and started undoing the buttons on his shirt.
I quickly turned around. "You go ahead. I'll get you a change of clothes."
I hurried to the closet and grabbed a set of Job's pajamas, only to come back and find Russ still standing outside the bathroom door, his fingers fumbling clumsily with the buttons.
When he caught my confused look, he lowered his head, embarrassed. "After I... after I lost my sight, my body stopped cooperating. The doctor said it's a sensory processing disorder."
As he spoke, a violent shiver ran through him. The color drained from his lips until they were white.
All rational thought left me. I set the clothes down and rushed over. "It's fine, let me help!"
Russ stood perfectly still, watching me undo his buttons one by one.
My fingers accidentally brushed against his ice-cold skin. He flinched, and the tips of his ears flushed bright red.
He grabbed my hand. "I-I can do it myself..."