Sound

Chapter Three

  "What did you say?" Jack asks

"I said you'd look good in grey." Luke is sketching something on a notebook.

"What's the matter?" Lindsey asks, noticing the odd look on Jack's face.

"Nothing," he lies.

Sebastian is frowning in his direction, which doesn't mean much since he's blind.

"So, you were deaf?" he asks.

Jack nods and then realizes Sebastian can't see him.

"Yes."

"But now you aren't."

"No, I'm not."

"How?"

"I'm not sure."

"I have homework," Sebastian says and leaves the room.

Lindsey looks like she wants to go after him, but she doesn't.

"Sorry. He's just moody," she says.

"I get it," Jack says. "I'm a highschool teacher."

"What school do you teach at? I've been homeschooling him ever since...he went blind. I think being around people his own age would be a good thing."

"Oak Hills high. It's a great school."

Luke suddenly throws his notebook onto the desk.

"You guys are boring. Can we get to the fun part now?"

"What's the fun part?" Jack asked.

Luke grinned and stood up from his chair.

"Training you."

Soon they're pushing him into a soundproof room with speakers and a one-way mirror on the wall. They shut the door and take a seat on the other side of the mirror. Jack only sees himself.

"Okay can you hear us?" Lindsey speaks into a microphone, her voice coming out of the speakers on the wall.

Jack looks up at them.

"Yes. Um, what exactly am I being trained for?"

"Well...Have you heard of The Replica?" asks Lindsey.

"Hasn't everyone?"

Luke laughs.

"I like him," he says.

"Luke's The Replica." says Lindsey.

"No way," Jack says. "Seriously?"

"Don't sound so surprised." Luke sounds offended.

"Sorry. Can you really turn into whatever you want? Did you really save all those people like the news said?"

"Yes and yes. Just let me know if you want an autograph."

"Can you boost his self esteem later?" asks Lindsey. "We have things to do. Jack, take your earplugs out."

"Why?"

"I just want to make sure you hear me clearly."

Jack shrugs and does as he's told. Immediately, loud noises start coming from the speakers. Jack feels like he did when he woke up in the hospital. It's like he can hear everything in the whole world, all at once. Suddenly, he feels his knees on the ground and his hands on his ears.

"What the hell, Lindsey?" Jack yells, trying to be heard over the noise.

"Just focus on my voice." Lindsey speaks over the sounds. "Ignore everything else."

"I can't," he says, his voice filled with pain.

"Yes you can. Focus. Just listen to me. I want you to take your hands off of your head and stand up."

He listens to her voice closely, as if he's deaf to everything but her. He remembers what it's like to not be able to hear and he focuses on not hearing the background noise. Slowly, he removes his hands from his head, and stands up shakily. He takes a deep breath, struggling to hang on to her voice.

"Okay," he says. "I did it."

The noise stops.

He lets out a relieved sigh, wiping blood from the side of his neck.

"Are you okay?" Lindsey's voice sounds over the speakers again.

"Let me out."

The door unlocks and Lindsey opens it. Jack walks right past her, grabbing his phone and jacket off of the table.

"Wait. Where are you going?" she asks.

Luke is sitting in front of the microphone with his feet on the desk, looking at his phone.

"I'm leaving," Jack says, not stopping to look at her.

"Okay, well, will you be back tomorrow?"

He stops and turns to look at her.

"No, Lindsey. I'm not coming back."

"Why? Did we do something wrong?"

"Are you serious? You made my ears bleed. I just got my hearing back. What if you had seriously damaged it again?"

"I wouldn't have. I knew what I was doing."

"I have to go," Jack says, and leaves before she can say anything else.

He gets in the car and shuts the door, locking them. He checks his phone to see a missed call from Peyton. He calls her back and after three rings, she answers.

"Hello?"

"Hey," he greets, making his voice sound cheerful.

"How did your appointment go?"

"Great," he lies. "The doctor says I'm a living miracle. My hearing is perfect."

He can almost hear her smile over the line.

"That's great! I'm making dinner. Are you coming home now?"

"Yeah, I'll be there soon."

"Okay. See you soon. I love you."

"Love you too." he says and hangs up his phone, tossing it into the passenger seat.

He sees Sebastian through the glass doors, standing in front of them as his car leaves the parking lot.