Blind. Blind. The word kept repeating itself over and over inside his brain. His damaged brain. Blind.
He knew his parents were crying. He could hear it, but it seemed so far away. Everything felt so distant at that moment.
Blind.
He couldn’t even think of the implications. No, his mind was already flooded. So many emotions, so many reactions, he couldn’t pick a single one out. The first thing to finally surface was regret. He should have cherished his sight more. Seen as much as he could, let the images soak in, relish every hue. He regretted every moment he shut his eyes, every moment he let himself stare off into space. Now he would never get the chance to see again.
JC didn’t sleep at all that night. His mind was still running a thousand miles an hour. It was all just a blur, even he wasn’t sure what he was thinking.
His parents had left him early in tears. He had the feeling that he should be reacting the same way, but he couldn’t find it in himself to cry. He was too overwhelmed to cry.
As morning came, though he could hardly tell the difference, his thoughts began to compose. Suddenly the element of fear struck. Would he ever lead a normal life again? How was he going to get around? How was he going to be able to live by himself? What about his career? His career was over….
It wasn’t long before JC was released from the hospital. Most of his wounds had healed and he seemed to be doing rather well in the phsyical therapy sessions that got him moving again. JC however, wasn’t ready to leave. Here at the hospital he was provided for and kept safe. He wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to adjust back to life outside. Only if he could have his eyesight with it.
His parents packed up his things and helped him out to the car. He’d been escorted many places before, being driven somewhere was nothing new. For JC, the drive seemed much longer than he’d expected. With no way of telling how close he was, the ride seemed to go on forever.
Normally home felt quite inviting. It was his haven of peace after long and stressful tours, where there were no fans begging for autographs, and no press pestering him about this or that. Today was different. Today home felt like a dark abyss.
“Mom, can you help me to the couch?” JC whimpered. All he wanted to do was lie down and forget about things for a while.
“Honey, we should probably lead you around the house so you know where you’re going,” his mom replied.
“Mom, please, not now,” he begged.
Hearing the pain in her son’s voice, JC’s mom led him to his living room couch, letting him set himself down. JC immediately curled up, making himself comfortable for a nice long nap. Maybe this time he would actually wake up from his nightmare.
