Open Heart: Second Year {On Halt}

Chapter 15- Kyra

Evelyn touched my hand, looking blankly into the space near me.

"Thank you, Doctor Turner. I owe you a portrait when I get better." She said.

I was momentarily left confounded—a vacuity which rose when I saw her staring into the void. What was the world without sight, when every moment you sought without being able to see what's being seen and just hear what you wanted to see? Worse of all, you remembered what you saw before but could no longer.

"I—I never had anyone paint for me, before." I replied, striding close to her bed. I dropped the chart near the table and placed myself in the seat. Evelyn was my priority, as Ethan had informed in the morning. June had managed to sum up a brief report about the patient's life before. In that way...June really earned my respect. She worked like hell.

Evelyn blinked, "Really? How so? You have such a beautiful face."

"How do you know I have a beautiful face?" I asked.

She laughed, "How do I, indeed? You see...what everyone sees is what they think. They see and they reflect but for someone like me, I paint. I see everything in everyone—or at least try to and hence if my brushes and the empty canvas have taught me anything profound, then it's the fact that we should always see with our heart and then paint the colors."

"I would love to have a portrait. It's gonna be priceless for me." I softly said, touched.

The morning was usual busy but I managed to escape the community clinic today. Ethan wrote an official letter that I won't be available for the five-hour shift and someone else—unfortunate enough was transposed in my place. My sole focus was with Evelyn whose case was as blinding as her syndrome—no offense to her of course, but true. The tests we had ordered came negative which made me wonder if there was something else we were missing. What if we were looking in the wrong angle?

Yesterday was going to leave a significant memory for me. I would write in down some years later, the day I decided to take a step forward and confront my father. For now, the results didn't matter but the step taken did.

"Evelyn, do you feel any pain in your sinuses?" I touched her brows to show the region.

She shook in denial, "No. No pains whatsoever. Sometimes I did when I had colds, but that's that."

"Colds, huh? Sinusitis, very common form of infection. But it's not what's causing you to lose your vision."

It wasn't diabetic retinopathy either. Evelyn was fairly a very healthy woman whose lifestyle should serve as an inspiration for everyone. Not only she preferred pure organic food, but she refused to heed towards the pseudo-salve of processed matter. It was stated that she feared her gut microbiota would be disturbed if synthesized junk was put upon it and it was hundred percent medically true. Her words gave me an inspiration to work on a paper such which could be used for my PhD later after I completed my residency.

Mia had suggested me to start a fellowship for the PhD in this year itself because it would meet my rigorous rocketed academic career, which was right of course. I had stalled only one year when I refused to budge from earning that Oceanology degree. It was something I wanted, something for me and even though it's just lying in the back of my cabinet—uncertain to ever used, I was happy that I did it. Ocean and the world under— it fascinated me...and had nerved Sylvan as well.

It was for him and for me. Screw everyone else.

"Alright. It looks like we would be running more tests!" I declared, "Not the favorite part of being a patient here of course, but don't worry. You will be infused in the company of me!"