A miracle

Of course he sometimes wished to see again.

One of the first lessons Stick taught him was that no matter how miserable Matt was after the accident, there were always people less fortunate than him. Take, for example, the old man Stick himself – he was born blind, so he didn't even know how it's like to see.

However, some could argue that losing something so vital, is actually a more cruel twist of fate than not having it since the day of birth. After all, Matt remembered how terrifying was the loss of his sight. How scared he was when he saw nothing but darkness. And how devastating was the realization that he will be blind forever.

But Murdocks were always getting up after the fall. Soon Matt got accustomed to his new situation and learned how to live without sight. Besides, he had other four senses. And when said other four senses were driving him crazy due to their increased intensiveness, there came Stick and taught him how to focus, how to fight, how to use smell, feel, hearing and taste to his advantage. Even when the old man abandoned him after some time, his lessons proved to be very useful for young Matty Murdock.

Blindness didn't stop him from getting on university, make friends and become a lawyer. It didn't stop him from becoming a vigilante.

Of course, it had some annoying aspects, especially because people were sometimes acting like he was this little fragile guy, around whom you had to be cautious about what you say or do. Matt felt awkwardness in the air, the silence falling every now and then on the people, he was hanging with. It was clear that most of them didn't know what to do with a blind person.

Frankly, it wasn't the case with everybody. It certainly wasn't the case with his roommate, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson. Foggy treated Matt's blindness as just another trait of ordinary guy named Matthew Murdock. For Foggy, Matt was a nerd, a chick magnet and a best friend. Even if Matt had been one of those losers prone to pity himself on tragedy that fell upon him (and he was long past that phase even when he was nine), he wouldn't have time for this with all the crazy stuff his roommate was pulling off.

Still, he got himself wonder once or twice how Foggy looked like. A very awkward examination of his face gave Matt some idea about that, but still, whenever he was trying to imagine his friend, the image painted in his head seemed to be… off. The same goes for imagining other people, or even objects. He could guess the shapes and textures, or even use descriptions regarding colors, but when he was putting it together it just didn't seem real. Because even the most vivid and detailed descriptions couldn't compare to actually seeing something or someone on your own eyes.

He couldn't even remember when was the last time when he was watching a movie? Even in TV? Granted, he had ears too, but the movie is a very visual medium and he couldn't rely on Foggy describing everything in details as the movie was going on.

Sometimes Matt missed being able to see. He was wishing that his sight was returned to him, even for a short moment of time. He was thinking about things he would give up for one day of not being blind. Just one day. One day to observe world with eyes – not ears, nose or hands, but with his own eyes. He would live this day to its fullest, for sure. He would try to cherish every color, shape and little detail. He would be looking at the beauty of the world which, for once, wouldn't be on fire.

However, he knew that this was impossible. He will never see again.

But big part of him was okay with it. World was cruel and tough, and you had to work with what you got. And frankly, his blindness wasn't as scary as in the beginning. In some sense, it was also his friend.

It was one of these less rough nights. Yeah, Matt got few scratches and he was fairly sure that he will have some bruises the next day, but other than that – he was fine. No broken bones, no deep wounds, nothing requiring Claire's assistance.

Now he was lying on his couch and tried to sleep. His whole body was aching of fatigue and he really just wanted to fall asleep and regain energy for the next day (and night). His eyelids were heavy and he felt the sleepiness coming…

But then he smelled a weird scent and quickly jolted into sitting position. Why his apartment was smelling like that? Did he leave the eggs on the counter and they weren't fresh anymore? Or maybe his pipes broke? Or maybe someone was here and planted some kind of homemade explosives in his flat? If the last option was in play here, Matt seriously doubted that this person knew he was Daredevil. But then again – did attorney in law, Matt Murdock pissed someone so much already?

He pulled the covers aside and was going to get up, when…

"Please, don't stand up." Said the low baritone voice.

Matt decided to not do as he was requested, and – in spite of his tiredness – stood up. He sensed that his mysterious visitor was sitting on the armchair.

"Who are you? How did you get here?"

"I understand your suspiciousness, but I assure you that I didn't come here to hurt you, mister Murdock. Actually I come to help you. Please, sit down."

There was something alarming about this guy (and it wasn't the fact that he apparently broke in to his apartment), but Matt couldn't put his finger on it. Nevertheless he sat down. It would be wiser to hear his visitor out, finding out what he wanted, before ridding out of him. Especially because Matt didn't feel like fighting right now.

"Are you aware of the current hour, mister Murdock?"

"Are you?" Matt retorted. "It must be past midnight."

"Yes, it is, mister Murdock. It's, in fact, first am." Matt heard cracking of his armchair, indicating that mysterious man leaned forward a little. "Mister Murdock, what would you say, if I've told you that I can bring back your sight, just like that?" He snapped his fingers.

Matt raised his eyebrows. For a moment he was thinking about stranger's words, before he replied:

"I would say that it's impossible and you're a snake oil salesman."

His interlocutor chuckled.

"Of course you could say that." Another sound of cracking. This time Matt was sure that the mysterious person straightened himself in the chair. "But let's just say it isn't impossible. That I can make you see, painlessly and without any burden on your budget."

Was he some kind of a bona fide doctor? Matt doubted it.

"I appreciate the offer, sir, but I don't need your services. I've got used to the lack of sight. Besides, as far as I know, my blindness can't be cured."

"I suspected that you will be skeptical, mister Murdock. That's why I will let you try out my abilities."

Matt heard and sensed how his visitor stood up and came closer to him. Soon Matt felt a hand being put on his eyes. There was an odd, warm, vibrating sensation that lasted a bit even when the stranger took his hand off. And when he did, something odd happened to lawyer's eyes. After opening them Matt didn't see the world on fire, as he suspected to see. First there were colors – mostly dark ones, but the neon outside added some warmer shades to the mix. Then the colors started to gain shapes.

Matt was staring in silence, absorbing the view in front of him. He couldn't believe… after all these years… It still seemed to be some kind of a dream or trick of the mind. Very cruel for that matter. But something in the back of his head, was telling him that it was real.

The vision in front of him got a bit misty, but with the sheer willpower he managed to not let tears be spilled. He took a deep breath and finally turned to his interlocutor.

The guy who brought back his sight was a slim man in three-piece suit and fedora. He smiled to his patient.

"The effect will last for one day. Exactly at" He looked at his watch. "1:05 am you will lose your sight again. However, if before that you decide you don't want to be blind anymore, here's where you can find me."

He extended his arm and gave Matt a card. Led by habit, the lawyer at first didn't even looked at the paper, he just ran his fingers in search of Braille's letters. Only after a moment he realized that he can now read it normally. Thankfully the neon outside provided the light not-so-long-ago blind Matt didn't need. "Harlan Oswald" said the card. There was also some address, but Matt didn't pay attention to it. He looked up at his mysterious guest, but – to his astonishment – Harlan Oswald was gone.

Matt was both excited and confused. He still thought this was all just a dream. Just in case (and maybe also because his tiredness returned with double power) he laid down on the couch and closed his eyes. He knew that when he open them again, he will find out for sure if this was just a weird dream after really long night of superheroics, or he was really cured of his blindness.

To be fair, he didn't know which option he preferred.