"What can’t be real, Nick?" I demanded with concern. "For God’s
sake, Nick, what’s wrong?"
Nick looked at me. "Nothing!" he laughed in happiness, "Nothing’s
wrong!"
This just got me even more confused. Something had
to be wrong if he was so happy when he had just discovered that he was blind.
"Nick, what are you goin’ on about?"
AJ asked. I could see he was just as confused as I was.
"I can see!" he exclaimed.
"What?" I blurted out in surprise.
"I’m not blind! I can see again!" he
told me.
I turned to AJ, who looked shocked, but didn’t
believe Nick.
"If this is some premature April-fools,
Nick, it’s not funny!" AJ stated, folding his arms.
"You mean you don’t believe me?" Nick
asked, sounding a little hurt.
"Well, Nick, you have an irreversible
condition. You’re not blind when I grow wings!" AJ declared, convinced it
was a joke.
Nick suddenly grabbed AJ’s collar and dragged
him stumbling forward, "THIS ISN’T A JOKE, YOU
IDIOT!!"
I stepped forward to break up the disagreement
that was about to turn physical at any moment.
"Woah! Hold it guys!" I shouted
pushing both of them apart. I had to make sure I supported both sides to avoid
showing favouritism.
"You do have a point, AJ, but even though
this is impossible, I have to believe Nick on this one," I explained.
AJ stood silent but his expression suggested he
still wasn’t completely convinced.
"Look, just get a doctor," I
instructed.
He walked away, obviously feeling like logic
had lost all of it’s meaning in the space of half a minute.
"I think you should tell the others,"
Nick stated.
"Yeah, definitely. Keep an eye out for AJ
with that doctor," I told him.
He nodded and I went to get the others.
AJ’s point of view
I had found the doctor and was trying to explain what was going on to him as we
went back to the ward.
"Look, I’m tellin’ you! Nick says he can
see again!" I stated throwing my arms wide.
"Mr. McLean, your friend has an
IRREVERSIBLE condition. That’s not possible. It must just be a figment of his
imagination. His mind might just be trying to make up for lost senses by
showing him something that isn’t really there!" the doctor persisted. Man,
this guy was arrogant!
"OK," I said folding my arms. "Don’t
take my word for it. Ask him yourself!"
"OK, I will!" he replied firmly.
When we had entered Nick’s ward, we saw Brian
coming in the other direction with all the others. The doctor checked Nick over
as we all gathered around Nick’s bed.
Brian’s point of view
After about 2 or 3 minutes, the doctor scratched his head and went to examine
his results aside from us.
"Mr. Richardson, Mr. Littrell. A word,
please," he asked, motioning for us to go over to him. I shrugged at Kevin
and we both complied.
"Well, I’m… a little confused! Your friend
has his vision back," he told us.
"And how is that possible?" Kevin
queried.
"I don’t know!" he claimed. "I
must have made a mistake in my diagnosis. This case mustn’t be irreversible.
But I don’t know how this could have happened!"
"Well, as long as he’s OK, I don’t hold it
against you," Kevin sighed in relief.
"How do you know it must have been a
mistake?" I questioned.
The doctor scratched him head again, "Well
there were three possibilities; either your friend was telling the truth, lying
or is very ill. He isn’t ill, since I checked him out and seems fine."
"And I know Nick would never lie about
something as serious as this," Kevin added. "Even though he can be a
prankster."
"So he must have been telling the
truth!" I concluded.
"Exactly!" the doctor said.
"Well that’s a big relief!" Kevin
stated looking to Nick, who was expressing his happiness to the others.
We went to join them at the foot of Nick’s bed.
Nick’s point of view
I saw Kevin, Brian and the doctor come back
from talking.
"So, what exactly is goin’ on?" I
asked.
"I must have made a mistake in my
diagnosis," the doctor explained solemnly and apologetically.
"Oh," I replied in understanding.
"Does that mean I can leave?"
"Not yet. We have to keep you here for
another day for observation," he informed me.
"Aw, man!" I moaned. "This place
is drivin’ me nuts!"
"Just bear with it, Mr. Carter. It’s for
your own good," he explained before leaving to see other patients.
"Relax, Nick. We’ll be here for you,"
Brian reassured. "You wanna coffee?"
"Yeah, thanks man," I thanked.
"No problem!" Brian stated before
wandering off.
As the others left, I lay and thought about the
whole event. But then it hit me; the previous night someone was in my room who
claimed they could help! I was too tired to think for any length of time, so
just shrugged it off as a doctor who had some new cure or treatment. What
mattered now was getting better… and maybe getting Brian to get me some
breakfast.