"Come on Virgil, I told dad I would take you," Scott dragged Virgil out of his bed then grabbed a cereal bar for him on the way out.

After arguments on the way to the car Virgil finally gave up, he knew his older brother wouldn't drop the subject until he went.

Scott broke the silence in the car, "What's the worst that happen?"

Virgil shrugged "I might need contacts, glasses or have a cataract there is so many things that can go wrong,"

"Well, if you do. Me, Alan, Gordon, John and dad are here to support you,"

Virgil smiled, "Thanks."

"Even if you get glasses, I'll bet your have a better chance of getting a girlfriend." Virgil laughed.

"Or I can look like an absolute dork and be afraid to go out."

"I wouldn't let you get out of that shop looking like,"

The 2 brothers got out the car "Didn't see the step?"

Virgil threw his hand up and let out a sigh, "Fine, you win I need glasses, but it doesn't mean I want them,"

Scott squeezed his brother's hand "I'm serious, I'm not letting you leave without them,"

Scott opened the door for his half blind brother and with him leading the way. They both marched up to the front desk where an older man looked up at Virgil and grinned.

"Yes sir,"

Virgil stood silent staring at the man so Scott had to jump in "Virgil Tracy has an appointment at 11am."

It took the guy two minutes to try to find his name.

"Ahh yes, take a seat and the doctor will be with you in a minute." Scott and Virgil both made their way to the seating area in a separate room. Scott was sat doing a word search, and Virgil was reading a newspaper.

Scott looked over at Virgil's shoulder "Can you read that?"

Before Virgil could answer he got called in by the doctor. His Palms were all sweaty and shakey his legs were numb and he tried to talk but nothing came out.

He followed the doctor in the examinee room where he sat on the chair. The room was tiny with a big shiny light facing directly to the chair. Then the doctor introduced himself and did a range of tests like shining a light in his eyes, eye pressure and a pupil reaction examination.

"Now, I'm going to make your pupils bigger by dropping these drops in the eyes for later,"

"Does it hurt?" Scott asked for his brother, seeing him feeling uncomfortable.

"It will probably be uncomfortable at first," he said and walked over to the counter.

"Lean back and keep your eyes open, please," the doctor instructed.

"OW!"

Virgil lifted his head quickly before he could do the other one.

"I've still got to the other one yet," he nodded and did what he had been told. Virgil felt the eyes drops go into his eyes, he cringed.

Scott gave his brother two minutes of privacy in the room.

The doctor took back his seat, "Did you want your brother to hear about your results?"

Virgil nodded, and the doctor asked the front desk to bring Scott in.

"How do you feel Virgil?"

Virgil sighed rubbing his eyes, "My eyes hurt,"

The doctor laughed "Yeah that's from the eye drops, don't rub it otherwise you'll make it worse," he handed Virgil a tissue and he dabbed his eyes.

"Thanks." Virgil smiled in pain.

"Has anyone in your family had a history of glasses?" The doctor asked Scott.

"Mum did," Scott added.

"And grandma," Virgil spoke impatiently.

"That's good to hear because I can see that your dad has written that you can't see anything at all,"

"Not everything," Virgil mumbled under his breath

Scott rolled his eyes, "Virgil you tripped over a step this morning in the car park,"

"Let's see about that," He clicked on the computer screen which brought up a projector.

Virgil gulped when the doctor asked him to read the letters. To him it was just blur his eyes darted to Scott's hoping to help him.

In the back of Virgil's mind all he could hear was his brother supporting him "Come on Virg, just say something,"

The doctor waved his hand in front of his face to stop him staring into space. "Why don't we do another test instead?"

The doctor spun his chair round to face Scott, "Don't make fun of your brother,"

Virgil took the funny looking glasses from the doctor and placed them on his eyes.

"What letters can you see now?"

"Uh? T... Y.. K... and pretty sure a Q," The doctor moved onto the next screen but this time the letters were bigger.

"B..U.. T and can't tell the rest," Scott laughed silently, and he received a glare from Virgil.

He turned the projector off "You remember the eyes drops I put on early?"

"Yeah, they still itch."

He rolled his chair closer to him "I need to look inside your eye using a beam, it will let me see the structure to find out why you can't see. But I have to warn you, it hurts,"

"Okay,"

The doctor reclined Virgil's chair and Scott turned the light off.

He could tell Virgil was tense "Relax Virgil," "Your just going to feel a bit of pressure." Virgil hissed at the pain.

Scott stood next to his brother in the chair, giving him a hug from the pain he was in after the doctor had finished.

"You have glaucoma,"

Virgil gave out a sigh and a little tear run down his cheek.

"It's where the optic nerve is damaged which is connected to the brain." "I'll send you home with eye drops and extra strong glasses," the doctor explained with confidence.

"At least you won't get all the foolishness from Alan and Gordon," Scott said trying to cheer his brother up.

They both walked out of the room and into the glasses section where Virgil tried on various pairs and finally found a pair of blue square ones. They went to pay, and he walked out the shop with confidence.

Scott looked behind him at the girl who just walked past them "That girl was staring at you Virg."

Virgil grinned at his brother as they got into the car and headed home.

———

The next week Alan, Gordon and John had come home from a trip.

Alan came running in after he heard the news about his brothers new glasses "Let's see Virgil,"

He broke the hug from him, "See what?"

"The glasses." Virgil huffed, but his brothers were begging so he had no choice.

Virgil sat down on the sofa with his brothers following him like a hawk "Oh ok then. I'm the smartest one now," he bragged.

"Dad look, Virgil has new glasses,"

"Ok son, let's see them," Virgil put the glasses on and added the camera he got from a present from his dad.

Alan, Gordon and John got bored and left, which left Scott, Virgil and Jeff by themselves.

"Glad you went Virgil?" Jeff asked his son. Virgil nodded in agreement.

Scott handed him a beer "Are you going to tell dad want really is wrong with you?"

Virgil sighed, "I have glaucoma,"

"That's not surprising, it's what your mother had."

"He has to have drops once every day before bed."

Virgil got up and strolled over, "I'm going to turn in for the night,"

Jeff followed Virgil to the end of his bedroom door and picked up the drops from the cupboard. He saw Virgil slip into bed as he put a video of when his mother was alive.

Jeff smiled at the video. "Virgil, is this a better time?" There was no response, so Jeff did what any parent would do.

Jeff rolled Virgil onto his back and dropped the eyedrops into his eye while he was distracted.

Virgil gave his dad the puppy eyes "I know Virgil but they will make you better, night." Jeff put his lips to his head as he tucked him back into bed.

The end