Big Hero 7

Chapter 2 - Blind

Chapter 2

(Akira POV)

“Hiro. Hiro Himada. What about you? I’ve never seen you here before,” the boy introduced himself. I internally smiled. He seemed nice. Unlike most people, he didn’t tease me because I was blind nor did he react harshly and immediately think I didn’t belong where I was. He seemed to keep in mind that I was blind, but still tried to treat me equally.

“It’s nice to meet you, Hiro. I’m Akira Tomoko. I’ve actually been attending school at the institute since the start of school online and coming here to the lab on rare occasion. I recently convinced the dean to let me come to school on a daily basis in person. So you’ll be seeing more of me.” I explained and then sat back down to continue my work. Suddenly, the robot spoke up.

“Ms. Akira. I have scanned you. You have a rare genetic disorder that causes your eyesight to be compromised. You are the only person in the world to have it. I will search for a cure,” Baymax stated. I frowned slightly.

“Yes, I do. There’s not a current cure for it. So don’t bother searching too hard,” I muttered. I heard Hiro shift around.

“What exactly do you have?”

“A genetic dysfunction that causes a weird phenomenon in the contact between my brain and eyes called Tochi Shadow Box Syndrome. It’s named after my doctor,” I sighed. “It’s pretty complicated.” He laughed.

“I’m 14 years old and in college. I’m at the top of my class and I graduated high school at 13. I think I can handle you explaining complicated things.” I smiled slightly.

“I might get along with you well then. Exact same here.”

“Finally! Someone of my age with my levels of intelligence!” I laughed at his excited bragging.

“Fine. Fine. You’ve proved yourself,” I teased. “I’ll tell you. I can’t give you too many scientific details because even the doctors can’t figure it out. Basically, I can see clearly for a small range in front of me. After that, I’m blind.” Hiro was silent. I suspected he didn’t quite get it. “I can see out to here clearly.” I held my hand out about 5 inches in front of my eyes. “And an inch or two up or down or to the side. Everything past that is dark. It’s like a black box that lets light and objects through it was placed over my eyes, hence the name Shadow Box. It’s something the doctor’s can’t explain either. But that why I wear my glasses, so I don’t stare at a light and hurt my eyes further. I can still see if the object is close enough though. Does that make more sense?”

“Yes. That’s… weird.” He laughed. “It’s cool that you’re able to be in the Institute with that though.” I smiled and then picked up my wrench again and continued working.  “What are you working on?” I heard a sound of a chair rolling next to me and then a body sitting down in it. I grinned.

“You’re just in time actually.” I reached into a box by the desk and pulled out a smooth, long object and placed my box inside it, then sealed the box inside with a plate of metal and some screws. “You’re about to see the world’s first hoverboard.”