Empty Seat » Evanstan

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"Watch where you're going."

That comment pissed me off. I was five seconds away from saying something, but I caught myself.

Mom helps me walk into the room I'll be in today. Well, I think it is a room.

"Now be good for the doctor."

"Mom I'm not five."

"Hello Sebastian," I hear a ladies voice. It's Lucy. I know because of her southern accent.

"Hey, Lucy."

My mother is quiet for a second. Then she leans over and kisses my forehead.

"Oh, Mrs. Stan, the doctor has requested you to stay."

"Okay...?"

I hear a pair of shoes leave the room.

"Is she gone," I ask.

"Da."

A new clicking noise comes into the room. Dr. Andrew.

"Well Sebastian, I have some news for you."

"Good or bad? I'm not losing my hearing either am I?!"

"No," he chuckles, "it's good news."

Relief washes over me.

"Okay, good. What is it?"

"Since you're one of four of our completely blind patients, and you've been of loss longer, I've been given news that there will be a trial going on that could get your eyesight back."

"Bullshit," I say.

"Sebastian," my mother gasps.

I feel anger wash over me. Doctors have said I'd get my vision back when I was eight, then at fourteen, again at sixteen, at twenty-five, and now again. I'm thirty-three almost thirty-four. All those times they've said that I'd get it back was a lie. And this time I'm through.

"That hasn't happened yet. It has been thirty years without it and twenty-five years of being lied to my face! I've been to labs before an-"

"Sebastian, I need you to calm down and listen fully...This trial is different. They're going to be using optogenetics. Now optogenetics is supposed to, as they're saying it, restore vision loss. I will have more info if you say you'll be one of the first fifteen people to be tested on with this procedure. Do you want to try it?"

I sit there. It's new. But it'll probably not work. You know mom would like you to try it. But we've done everything, and none of it worked. At least try one more time. I sigh.

"When do you need an answer?"