Curse of Remorse

by Waggoner, Robert C.

  “Yes, and soon you’ll be able to see what is around you again.” Hank answered the doctor’s questions and told them to come into the examination room. Hank and Tommy followed him into the vacated room where the examination table was still warm from Ann laying on it.

  Ten minutes later Dr. Choi, with a perplexed look on his face, said to Hank, “This appears to be like the young girl who was just here. I understand you woke up with this problem young man?”

  Tommy told him that he was fine when he went to bed and looked forward to the morning because he and his friends were going to the park to play some baseball and then to the pizza parlor for his birthday. Dr. Choi then asked him how old he was and thought it very strange that both kids were the same age and having their birthday today. Was there a connection at school where maybe some virus that was unknown existed or maybe there was some other reason for the problem? Dr. Choi then asked about their parents, and who would sign a permission form for an operation, if it was necessary. Hank told him about his parents and that his father was at home sleeping.

  Dr. Choi made a mental note to check the administration records and have someone contact the father. He told Hank and Tommy to wait outside where they were before and he would be back soon to attend to Tommy once his father was available to talk with.

  Dr. Choi stopped by the desk and asked the nurse to contact Tommy’s father and then hurried to the elevator to catch up with Ann’s situation.

  ****

  It appeared to Ann that no one was asking her how she felt or telling her why she couldn’t see. She remembered walking out the front door with her mother’s arm around her. There were gasps from in front of her, where it felt like the whole neighborhood was there, as questions were flying through the air making her feel like a freak. She could see the light of the day through her eyelids, but that was all. What she could do is smell many things around her. The smell of cut grass, someone smoking a cigarette, and many smells of old people assailed her nose.

  Once in the car she noticed it didn’t smell like their car and she guessed it was the doctor’s car they were riding in. By now she had recovered somewhat and believed that this was temporary and soon this nightmare would be over. Little did she know this was just the beginning of a long and dreadful spell, put on by an ancient witch from the days of old Salem.

  Ann sat quietly in a very nice chair while the doctor did his examination of her with something that was attached to her head holding it in one place. She heard Dr. Choi come in and tell Dr. Sweet about another patient with the same problem. It wasn’t until later Ann found out his name and knew it was his birthday too.

  After the sit-down test they moved her to do a cat scan. When the tests were finished they would then decide what to do with her strange phenomena.

  Tommy and Hank, meanwhile, sat patiently waiting for the doctor to return. As long as he didn’t have to walk or go somewhere Tommy felt relatively safe sitting next to his brother. It wasn’t long before the doctor came back striding with big steps, looking like he was worn out, with all the running around he was doing. He stopped at the desk for a moment and then walked over to where the two brothers sat. The doctor said, “We couldn’t make a connection with your father, but we will send a police car over to your house as we may need his permission for an operation if it becomes necessary.”

  Tommy swallowed hard and as this was his first time in a hospital; he didn’t understand what an operation really was except what he’d seen on TV. A cold chill ran up and down his back thinking that someone would take a knife and slice his eyelids so they would open. What if the knife hit my eye, he thought. He never in his life thought he needed his brother, but now he really felt close to him and he could feel his brother looking out for his well being. This is father’s job, he thought. Or mother’s job, but she had left a long time ago and wondered sometimes what other kids did without a close family?

  He really wasn’t listening as the doctor was talking more to Hank than to him. His thoughts drifted off thinking about Ann and how she was coping with this malady. Why is nothing ever easy he thought as they walked down the hall stopping, he guessed he was in front of the elevator because he heard a ding-ding sound. Tommy had always thought the good guys would win in the end and now he wondered if real life was like the movies he saw.

  Chapter 3

  Ed, aka the Nose, Schmitt smiled to no one as he downloaded his pictures onto his computer. If he hurried he could spit out a special edition and reap some good bucks with this story. His nose told him that this could be the one that won him a Pulitzer if he played his cards right.

  While the pictures were being downloaded he thought about the day’s activities and where he would go with the breaking news. There sure are many questions to be answered. Why would two kids come down at the same time with a problem with their eyes or eyelids? Did their ages tell us something we needed to know? What about having a birthday today, is that important or is that maybe the catalysis that set it off? He mulled it over and then glanced at his calendar and the date. It was Saturday January 13, and the year was 2013. He thought the number 13 sure came up a lot with these phenomena and wondered how or if there was a connection? He knew this would not be a big deduction on his part, but, as a big smile crossed his thin lips, I could make a story that would grab the readers by the you know what and let’s see where this goes. He’d already been making a plan for the next edition as his fingers flew across the keyboard.

  * * *

  Ann still thought maybe she was dreaming and that she knew was just wishful thinking. She had been keenly listening and it sounded to her like this was more of major problem than just some stuck eyelids. The doctors were chatting back and forth and cell phones were ringing while all the while she sat in a chair with her head locked into place, while some other technician, who smelled bad, like he’d been drinking the night before, kept telling her to stay still. Her thoughts went back to the day before at school when all of her friends were so excited about coming to her party. The colors flashed through her head as she remembered she wore yellow yesterday, her favorite color. Even her down coat, which was a pale yellow and a green pony tail holder kept her from being too yellow. How come I never noticed the colors around me, she thought. Even though it was January and it usually snowed a lot in January, she remembered a nice clear day with a promise of not being so cold out. Her thoughts were interrupted when her mother’s voice called out her name.

  “Ann honey, we are all going down stairs and wait in Dr. Choi’s office. The doctors need to discuss among themselves about what to do with you and your eye problem.”

  “Mom, can I call some of my friends and tell them we can still have a party?

  “I don’t see why not,” as she looked at her husband and he shrugged his shoulders leaving it up to her. She thought it might be good not isolate her and let her friends share some time with her.

  Meanwhile downstairs Tommy and Hank continued to sit there waiting for some word from the doctor. Tommy asked Hank, “Do you think dad will come and see us?”

  “I don’t know, but I doubt it. If he does it will be on his terms and not ours. We don’t need him anyways. It’s probably time we looked for another place to live and what if this eye problem doesn’t go away Tommy?”

  “I don’t want to think about it. Being blind is not something I want to be. Man I can tell you that I can see light, but nothing else. There are these red strips of wiggly lines is all I can see. But now I can really hear things I never heard before. Steps on the floor where some are big steps and some are little so I am thinking maybe men taking long steps and women taking short steps. I hear the swish - swish of maybe something rubbing together and I have no idea what that is. And my nose feels really weird. Every time I breathe in a bunch of crazy smells attack me. I’ll never forget this hospital smell though.”

  Hank poked Tommy in the ribs and said, “Here are the doctor and your classmate’s parents. They are going into the office and now the do
ctor is looking at us walking quickly.”

  “Sorry boys this took so long, but this is all new territory for us and would you please come with me into my office?” After all had sat down, Dr. Choi gave off a big sigh and reached up to take his glasses off. Hank noticed the man looked Chinese but in truth Dr. Choi was a Korean American. He had immigrated to America back in the late nineties. Hank thought his English was good and in fact Dr. Choi had spent many hours studying a difficult to learn language. Hank noticed, with his glasses off, his eyes were dark and narrow as most Asian eyes are of the slanted variety. Nevertheless, he seemed a nice guy and his demeanor was clearly for the concern of the patient. He rubbed his eyes and replaced the glasses on a nose so short to Hank that the glasses had a hard time staying put on his nose. Dr. Choi said, “We have no idea about the eye problem you have Tommy.” However, as Tommy could not see him, his eyes moved over to Hank and continued saying, “We always have hope and as the parents of Ann have agreed, we will perform surgery and see what the results are.”

  Hank asked the question that he really knew the answer to and said, “Did you get a hold of our father?”

  Dr. Choi, eyes down pretending to shuffle some papers said, “Yes, we did. But he told us that to do whatever we wanted to do and that he really didn’t care about coming to the hospital. I am sorry boys.”

  “We are used to it and expected as much. As I am over eighteen, can I sign for Tommy’s operation?”

  “Well, you are not his legal guardian, but let me see what we can do. Meanwhile, why don’t you guys go home and let’s see the results of Ann’s operation.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Choi and we will wait for your call to tell us what next to do.” And Hank took his brother arm and led him out the door to return home.

  Chapter 4

  Back at home, Ann’s brother Glen, what was is commonly known as a computer geek sat doing some research on eye afflictions throughout history. Even though he had just turned twelve, his brain far exceeded those of many more birthdays ahead of him. His grandfather, who was basically computer illiterate, had the foresight to tell his grandson, knowledge was power and to absorb everything his eyes could see. He said there is an answer for every question. It’s not a matter of speculation, but of knowing where to look for the answer. He also told him that folk tales and myths and magic all had some basis of truth lurking somewhere buried in the stories.

  Glen always kept a picture of his grandfather on his wall just above his computer screen. All he had to do was look up into his grandfather’s steely grey eyes telling him to think and you shall know what you are looking for. Now Glen looked up at his grandfather and silently asked him for some guidance in his search for his sister’s eye problem. His research had produced nothing unusual and he couldn’t find anything but the usual conjunctivitis that was a bacterial problem rather than phenomena without medical history.

  Glen’s bedroom was at the back of the house and all he had to do was turn his chair and look out the window into the back yard. His mother loved flowers, but as winter was in full swing, nothing but sticks poked about the flower garden. In one corner of the yard, a large oak tree, leafless, braved the cold winters of New England. Glen thought about what his grandfather might say at this time and while looking at the old oak tree that had withstood many years of abuse sat forlorn and solemn, like it felt the years of history, deep down in its roots, so felt Glen.

  Where earlier the sun had been shinning, now the clouds had moved in from the east, northeast, bringing some cold Arctic air with it. Glen knew it would snow soon and then the old oak tree would turn white where all of the limbs caught the snowflakes making crooked lines in the sky beyond the tree. Glen had never liked that old tree and thought it looked kind of sinister. It was huge at the bottom and had been topped and trimmed many times to give it a squat powerful scary look.

  Glen was aware of some of the history of the Salem area and the witch’s persecution back in the late 1690’s. Glen wondered if that old tree had any connection to the stories of old, that told of witches or assumed witches being hanged or burned by some crazed, power hungry people. Glen thought, could this phenomenon have anything to do with a curse or some such witch craft? He heard his grandfather say, “Glen, my boy, never discount anything until it is proven that it had no affect on the problem you are trying to solve” Then with a twinkle in his old eyes, he would sit back and put fire to his old pipe blowing clouds of pungent smelling tobacco to the ceiling. That was just two years ago, a previous very healthy man, took sick and passed on leaving Glen standing at the grave, bewildered and wondering, where he would find another old man to talk to, that had the wisdom of his dead grandfather.

  The phone broke his concentration and he listened without any comment as his mother told him about his sister. When the conversation ended Glen gently sat down the portable phone and went back to his research with echoes of his grandfather’s words bouncing off his brain electrodes.

  * * *

  What should have been a routine operation, the results were astounding and baffling to the two surgeons. Nothing unusual happened, as Dr. Choice using a special instrument, expertly cut the top eyelid from the bottom one while Ann slept comfortably under anesthesia. The other doctor assisting him held the upper eyelid in a special tool to make sure the cut was as close to original as before and didn’t damage the eyeball. Very little blood was seen and when they transferred to the other eye, leaving the separated eye by itself, they performed the same technique with the other eye. That accomplished, to both of their satisfaction, they looked at each other with a smile in their eyes as masks covered the smile of the mouth.

  One of the nurses with a puzzled look in her wrinkled eyes and forehead, said, “Dr. Sweet, you had better take a look at this.” Both doctors moved back to the operating table and looked down at Ann’s eyes

  “What you want me to look at nurse,” he asked rather grumpily.

  The nurse with still gloved hands showed the doctors that when she tried to raise the top eyelid it appeared to be stuck and grown back together. She tried the other eye and it was the same, but now a red line from one side to the other was evident on both eyes.

  Both doctors were speechless and certainly baffled by the rapidity of the eyelids growing, seemingly, back together. Dr. Choi spoke first saying, “This can’t be and I am almost in doubt of what I see in front of me.” Dr. Sweet, on the other hand remained frozen in place without saying a word. Dr. Choi continued looking after moving back a step or two thinking if he was to step away, maybe a revelation of sorts would surface and that would explain this unusual problem.

  Dr. Sweet must have felt that being left alone looking at Ann’s eyelids, stepped back next to Dr. Choi and said, with a voice hardly loud enough to be heard, “Pardon me Dr. Choi, but this is the strangest thing I have every witnessed or heard about in my life.”

  “I can’t disagree with you on that note Dr. Sweet, but the question is now, what do we do and how do we explain this to the parents?” Meanwhile, both doctors watched the nurses wheeling Ann to a recovery room and both doctors kind of breathed a sigh of relief seeing the major problem moved out of sight for the time being.

  “What’s taking them so long, I wonder,” said Ann’s mother to her husband.

  “That’s a good question,” he replied, while staring at a soundless TV that had some game show on he never heard of. The faded orange sofa they sat on had seen better days and Roy kept moving his behind to find a more comfortable place to sit. His feet were up on the old wooden coffee table laden with magazines so far outdated they were turning a bit yellowish. The rest of the waiting room pretty much went unnoticed by most who sat here, waiting for some good news, or expecting the worse, from a gown clad somber or happily smiling doctor, bringing the news. The walls were an off ocher and an indoor – outdoor green carpet smelled a bit musty to say the least was laid wall to wall. Lastly the windowless room held a closed in feeling and when someone entered a breath of antiseptic
air filtered the stale smell of the waiting room.

  If the truth be known, Joan was at her wits end. She had, what she thought, exhibited profound patience throughout this morning's ordeal. A growing knot of frustration was making her sick to her stomach. She noticed deep red marks down both of her underarms where she had subconsciously scratched until faint lines of blood were evident. Could it be I have lost it, she thought. My girl is somewhere laying unconscious without me there to comfort her when she wakes up. With a will she didn’t know she had, she stood up and without a word to her husband, marched out the door to find out what the condition of her daughter was.

  Walking rapidly down the hall, her shoes making loud sounds that echoed off the walls, she pushed on by the nurse’s station without a glance, and continued to the operating area. A nurse, with years of experience, picked up the phone and made a call to the recovery room to warn the nurse on duty to be on the lookout for a concerned mother with a head of steam moving her way.

  Roy felt the need to remain where he was and not get involved. Contrary to his wife, Roy was a man that didn’t get too excited about anything. He realized the doctors were doing their best under some very mysterious circumstances. The answer to his daughter’s aliment was not evident. That answer would require some deep and further consultations, from many experts, out there in hi tech science land. However, he felt like stretching his legs and stood up to go when Dr. Choi, with a long look on his face and eyes cast down opened the door to the waiting room. He took a deep breath and looked Roy in the eye and said, “We just don’t’ know what the situation is with your daughter. We performed the operation to our satisfaction and when the eyelids closed, somehow and very mysteriously, they rapidly grew back together again.”