Hear me now

Part 7

Luthfe awakens, groggy with a bitter sensation in his mouth. Clicks his mouth only to feel numbness on his tongue. He reaches for a glass of water and takes a sip.

He sat on the bed. He feels the back of ear. Ridges with criss-cross stitching apparent on touch. He gently taps on it; he feels an impression of the device.

Clicking of doctors making their rounds in the ward. Luthfe watches as they make their way to each bed, scanning the clipboard and discussing with each other. Surprisingly, they skip him. They shuffle away and Dr. Erka and Indra come to attend him.

In sign language

Indra smiles "Welcome back." Luthfe smiles.

Luthfe focuses his hearing. He hears nothing and turn to Indra. "I still can't hear"

"We haven't activated the device in your ear yet." Patting his shoulder, Indra says "What we put in you is a state-of-the-art implant and it will take some time before it works." He looks at him

Dr. Erka talks to Indra, he relays the information. "We need to check for your health first, to make sure it's not rejecting you. We're also going to monitor you for three days and after that we will release you." Indra smiles.

Luthfe nods and they leave.

Few days has passes, Luthfe is packing his belongings, there aren't many things just the essentials a couple of t-shirts, pants, and toiletries. Indra is there to send him off.

In sign language

"The test came back fine. The device should activate when it's in sync with your vitals. It should be fine but do call me if there's anything wrong. He waves at him, his eyes smiles, his heart hoping for nothing but good news from him.

Luthfe resumes his daily routine. He would often drive his car as a gig driver. He used to make good money by being a session musician but since then, he couldn't do his job well enough now to consider doing it seriously. He participated in the gig-economy when it was introduced, it earns him enough money to live on along with a government stipend checks every month, he doesn't have to worry about starving.

He patiently waits for his implant to activate. Every time he wakes up, he hopes that today will be the day. Tomorrow comes but it's still the same, silence from his ear. He starts to get his stinging headache, concentrated on the side of his head. He think nothing of it, assumes it's still recovering. His hope waned.

A week passes since he got discharged. He meets with Indra at his office.

In sign language

"I still hear nothing" Luthfe states

Indra eyebrows lift "Alright, let's do some check-up"

Indra prepares tools and devices that are foreign to Luthfe; one device appears to be a multi-meter but not equip with a claw for the positive and negative attachment.

Indra investigates Luthfe ear canal, uses the tool by attaching it to his implant beneath the skin. It magnetically attaches to it. The screen shows a readout with graphs and numbers all of which are strange to him. It prints out a sheet of paper.

Indra examines it "It looks fine on my end...but let's go to Dr. Erka."

Dr. Erka also said the same thing that he's fine, the device is working but dormant. This perplexes them. Luthfe looks defeated, Indra consoles him. There's nothing to say that could make it better.

Part of Indra blames himself; he could have done better, he should triple check the device, review the code to make sure it could be deployed without a hitch. The other two participants manage to get their hearing back in a matter of days. When they came to see him, their eyes lit up, walking with a spring in their step.

What is he missing? Is there something that he overlooked?

He's been going through Luthfe documents for days, looking at the data, retracing his steps assembling the device, even looking at the possibility of removing the implant. He's dumbfounded.

_______

Weeks gone by; nothing changes. His device is still dormant. Surrounded by the void of silence he has since, make peace with. Everyday he walks past his instrument after the surgery hoping that one of these days, he will pick them up and play them. Relieving his longing to hear its sounds. Hope, languish him in this predicament.

Crank, he engages the parking brake, He slumps into his seat. Bright light from surrounding shops illuminates the inside of the car. He sighs. This is a familiar view to him, home away from home, the entertainment district. His eyes peers through the window, shops beaming with neon lights, bars full of patrons, groups gallivanting around. Oh, how he could still be playing in one of these shops, jazzing it up at one of those bars and gallivanting with his buddies.

He notices a familiar strut passing, it's his bandmates or was his bandmates. He watches them walking across carrying their equipment.

They must be playing tonight.

His body instinctively reaches the door handle, he stops himself. He hasn't met them in such a long time, he starts withdrawing away from them after he lost his hearing. Luthfe self-worth are his musicianship and his perfect pitch, with only one of it, he's incomplete and worthless. That is his perception.

It is late, the atmosphere winds down, shops are starting to partly close their roll up doors and patrons shuffles away to end the night. Luthfe still in his car watching. He spots his bandmates, one of them spotted and turn to look at him. He steers away his gaze, starts the car, and drives away.

Why did he do that? He's feels half embarrassed and half stupid.