Chapter
3
Nick’s point of view
I was awoken when the door to my ward creaked open. I could only make out
complete darkness, so it must have been night. Footsteps issued from the
doorway, where the person was walking. Just a night-nurse, I guessed. I tried
to get back to sleep, but the footsteps stopped when they were right next to
me.
"Psst…wake up!" a female voice whispered in my ear.
I groaned and pointlessly opened my eyes, "What time is
it?"
"Erm…sometime past 1am," she answered. "Look, I
heard you had an accident."
"Yep, but so have half the people in here," I replied.
"What makes me so special?"
"Everyone knows about it. I came in here to help you,"
she claimed.
I sighed, "I don’t need a doctor. I need a miracle!"
"What’s wrong with you?" the girl inquired, concerned.
"I’m blind for life, that’s what! Now, if you don’t mind, I’d
like to get some sleep!" I told her irritably. I was getting very edgy
lately.
"Blind? Geez, that serious?" she exclaimed quietly.
"Yes, now go away!" I ordered.
"I can still help," she claimed.
"Look, are you gonna leave or do I have to call somebody in
here?" I threatened.
"I promise, I can help you!" she insisted.
I frowned in the direction of her voice. How could she help me out
at all? I was told this was irreversible.
"Who are you, anyway?"
"That’s not important, just lie still."
I did as she told me, and she put her hand over my eyes, "OK,
now this might hurt a bit, but don’t worry," the stranger reassured.
Suddenly, I felt a cold chill go right through me, but I felt
relaxed under this girl’s influence. Like the stranger had said, there was a
sudden, numbing pain at the back of my eyes. Yet as suddenly as the pain had
arrived, it disappeared, and the stranger removed her hand.
"There. I have to go now," she stated moving away from
me.
"Wait! What did you just do?" I asked, sitting up.
"You’ll understand in the morning," she told me.
She continued to walk, but her footsteps were not alone. There
sounded like another set had joined her.
"Is there someone else there with you?" I questioned.
"Well, sort of. He’s not a person," she informed.
"You mean he’s your pet?" I asked, surprised.
"You’re not allowed animals in here!"
"I wouldn’t call him my pet, but you’ve got nothing to fear
from young Tohja, here!" she reassured.
"Strange name," I commented.
There was no reply, but more footsteps, and the new footsteps
sounded like a dog’s footsteps.
"Hey, what’s your name?" I demanded, "Who are
you?"
"One of your fans!" she whispered, before closing the
door and leaving me in silence. Slightly shaken, I lay down and drifted back to
sleep.
The next day
Brian’s point of view
I sat nursing my broken arm in the waiting room, wondering if Nick was any
grumpier than he was yesterday. It was about 7:00am, and AJ, Howie and Kevin
were still fast asleep. Leighanne had woken me up at about 6:45 when she went
to get some coffee, and Kristin had gone with her.
AJ, who had managed to sprawl himself across three seats, turned
over dreamily. Still asleep, he wasn’t aware that the seats ended where he was
turning. Falling off his makeshift bed, he woke himself up, as well as
startling Howie and Kevin into wakefulness. I managed to laugh lightly at their
bewildered expressions.
"I wish I had a camera right now," I stated, grinning.
Kevin rubbed his head and then started to look around him.
"What you lost, Kev?" Howie inquired, while proceeding
to hit AJ with a cushion.
"Kristin. She was right here!" he claimed, pointing to
the empty seat beside him.
"Relax, Kev. She went with Leighanne to get some
coffee," I told him.
Kevin relaxed and sunk back into his chair. AJ stood up and dusted
himself off, "Have you been to see Nick?"
"Not yet. You wanna come?" I offered.
"Yeah, might as well. Save me from getting killed for waking
these two up early," AJ agreed, gesturing to Kevin and Howie.
AJ’s point of view
Brian and me walked down the corridor to Nick’s ward. We both expected him to
tell us to take a hike. Still, we had to see him to make sure he was all right.
We entered the ward to find Nick just
sitting up in his bed, and it looked like he was in shock.
Brian ran up to Nick’s bed, and I followed. A nurse was seeing to Nick, trying
to get some reaction from him.
"Mr. Carter, are you
alright?" she asked, "Is something wrong, Nick?"
"Yo Nick!" I attempted,
"Say something!"
He just sat there but then turned and looked
at both of us in turn, "This can’t be real."
Brian didn’t know what to say in reply to this. I didn’t either, but I noticed
with amazement that Nick’s eyes didn’t have the blank, sightless sense about
them anymore…
***
