Hello there! I didn't updated as soon as I wanted because I wanted to finish the 'Buried alive' story before anything else. So right now, here is a new chapter. The final diagnosis will be made (for Matt). I hope you still enjoy it :)

Have a good sunday everyone!


Chapter 14 : the right diagnosis

Christie couldn't believe what her brother had said. See in black and white?!

"So? We can begin the tests?" Dr. Riley asked, impatient to begin.

"He wants his vision back".

The doctor seemed a little puzzled, not understanding.

"He... He says that he sees partially in black and white".

"W-what? Partially in black and white?"

Matt didn't face the doctor, but tried to explain to his sister.

My right eye. I can't see colors, it's... Grey. And I think I have a worse vision than before.

"He says that his vision is worse than before and it's grey with his right eye".

"Okay, each thing at the time alright? We'll check your vision and act accordingly".

Dr. Riley showed him several boards with many colors on them.

"We'll cover your left eye".

Emily placed a gauze on his left eye and added some tape to keep it in place.

"What number do you see on the first board?"

Matt looked the first board.

I'm not sure, but it's a 12.

He's not sure, but he sees a 12 on it", Christie confirmed, not looking the boards but focussing her gaze on Matt.

"And this board?"

It was the number 29 in light red-orange in a dark green background.

29.

"Number 29".

Dr. Riley took another board. This time, the number 3 was in a light green and the background was orange but in the same tone.

"And now?"

Matt narrowed his eyes, staring the board closer before answering.

I don't see anything.

"He sees nothing".

Kelly could now see that there was really a problem but said nothing. This situation made Dr. Riley and Emily smile. Kelly didn't know what was so funny but he still said nothing. The doctor took a new board, using the same principle as the second board, but this time, the number 15 was in a light green and the background was in a dark red.

15.

"15".

He repeated the same process, sometimes with a borad with numbers, couples times it was a board with a colored line. And he did the same test, with the same board, but with with his left eye.

"So, we need to run one more test to hold the diagnosis but he seems that Matt has achromatia at the level in his right eye".

"Achromatia?"

"It means he sees in shades of grey. It's not genetic color blindness, it's his brain injury, or the trial".

"And how can you say it's not genetic?"

"If it was, he wouldn't have said he was seeing in shades of grey. He couldn't have said he was seeing in shades of grey to be exact. If it was genetic, he couldn't have named the colors. Et he sees perfectly with his left eye".

"Okay so he became color blind because of his injury".

"Okay, I explain. We see colors because of three prisms in our eyes: one is green, one is blue and the lest one is red. They are the three primary colors", Dr. Riley began to explain.

"I... I thought it was yellow, magenta and cyan?" Kelly asked a little puzzled.

"It's only in arts Kelly. The real three primary colors are green, blue and red".

Kelly was confused but let the doctor continue.

"When someone has color blindness, it means that one of the prisms doesn't work. When the red prism doesn't work, it's protanopia, when the green prism doesn't work it's deuteranopia, and finally when the blue prism is down, it's tritanopia".

"And when it's achromatia?"

"Then no prism works. That's why the patients with achromatia see in shades of grey and in black and white".

"So... So he can't be a firefighter anymore?"

"If we just talk about the color blindness, then I don't know yet. Even if these visual disabilities are seen as the weakness, it can be an advantage. Mainly, when we can't see in colors, we can see the tones of colors. The Ishihara test, the one I did with the boards, can tell us this. Matt is perceiving really well in shades".

"I can't see how we can turn this color blindness into an advantage".

"Okay".

The doctor took a deep breath and continued.

"People with achromatia can't see in colors, a low vicual acuity, high photosensibility, sometimes a nystagmus but Matt doesn't have one. Otherwise, they can make the difference between tones of colors. People with achromatia are very usefull for the militaries because they can see the ennemy camouflage, for example".

"But he can't be a firefighter anymore".

"The intensity of light emitted by flames will blind him. It's the same problem with sun. even if he wears special contact lenses, he will be blind in such cases. It's called hemeralopia. Some example: if I open the curtains and turn the light on, Matt will close his eyes because of the high luminosity".

Kelly and Christie nodded. And finally, Matt pinched his sister's hand.

I don't understand.

Your left eye is normal and you sees in color, but with your right eye you can't. You sees in shades. You understand?

No!

Christie turned again to the doctor.

"He doesn't understand".

"Matt, do you remember the test earlier? On your eyes?"

He nodded, then frowned.

"I showed you the same boards for both of your eyes, in the same order".

Impossible.

But it's true Matt. He showed you the same boards.

"Look", the doctor insisted, taking a board. "with your left eye, which number do you see?"

He closed his right eye and looked at the board. It was the second board the doctor had shown him. The one with the number 29 in light orange and the backboard in dark green.

29.

"29".

"And with your right eye?"

Matt opened his eye and closed the other.

The same number. But without colors, just... Oh...

What? What is it? There is a problem? Talk to me!

I think I understand. I saw the number 29 because the number was lighter than the background.

"He sees the same number. He thinks he understands. Can you show him a board with different colors but the same tone?"

The doctor nodded and took anither board. It was the third board, the one with the number 3 in green and the background in red, but the same light tone. Matt closed his right eye.

I see the number 3.

Then he reopened it and closed the other.

But now, I can't see any number. When the colors are the same tone, I don't see anything. But when the tones are different, I can see it.

"He understands".

"Alright! Now we can continue?"

Matt nodded again.

"Okay, I will ask you to let me do my job, and if something is wrong, if you're hurt or if you have some weird sensations, squeeze you sister's hand okay?"

He nodded again. The doctor began to palpate his body, beginning with his arms, being careful with his broken right arm. Then he lowered on his chest. This time, he pinched his sister's hand.

"Stop!"

The doctor stopped, turning his head to Christie, and she turned her head to her brother.

It really hurts. When he passed his hend on my left.

"It hurt him when you passed your hand on his left side".

"Here?"

The doctor pressed again on the sensible area, making Matt wince, and he nodded.

"It's pretty normal, you have a scar incision here. It's still sensible, it's normal. And you hace some broken ribs it's also a pain factor".

He continued to palpate, passing his hand on his stomach. He saw that Matt tensed a little when he passed it, and he looked at Christie.

"He didn't pinch".

"Matt, it hurts when I press it?"

Riley pressed on his stomach.

A little but not... Not it really hurts.

"Just a little".

Riley shook his head and continued. He came then on his basin. This time, he shook her sister's hand so hard, she cried of pain. Matt closed his eyes, began to cry while making a fist with his left hand and punching the bed.

"I'm sorry Matt, but I had to do it. I will rise from your toes to your pelvis okay?"

Slowly and slightly, he passed his hands over his feet, over his legs while Matt was holding his urge to crush his sister's hand, biting his lower lip until blood and closing his eyes.

"Stop it, you really hurt him doctor...", Christie finally said, crying because of the pain that Matt was feeling.

"It's done. It's done...", the doctor assured. "I just checked if he was feeling every part of his body".

"And there weren't any other painless ways?!" Kelly cried before Christie could talk.

"It was the best way to have the right diagnosis. It's painful I know, but I had no choice".

They could hear Matt sigh despite the ventilator. He had his eyes closed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

I'm really tired. And in pain.

Try to get some sleep. The other tests don't require you to be awake. I think.

Christie turned her head.

"It's necessary for the other tests to be awake?" she asked the doctor.

"No. Why?"

"He's really tired. And knowing my brother, he's also in pain".

Really, really hurt? She asked her brother.

I... I never felt this so much pain.

Then rest. The pain should will give you something.

"Matt? Emily will give you something for the pain. You will sleep a few hours okay?"

Matt nodded with his eyes closed.

If I didn't have this ventilator...

What? What is it Matt?

I think I will puke of pain...

You're nauseous? Because of the pain? Tell me the truth.

Nauseous... And I think I will be sick if the pain is still high like this.

"Doctor? There's nothing you can do against nausea? The pain makes him nauseous and he wants to vomit now".

"We can do something", Dr. Riley said with a slight smile on his lips.

Emily shook her head and injected a extra dose of morphine and an anti-emetic to calm his nausea. Slowly, Matt's eyes closed and he plunged into a deep sleep soon after. The ventilator made a huge noise and passed into a controled breathing. It was the first time for Dr. Riley. He could see now with his eyes this phenomenon, but he didn't really know what was happening.

"As I told you, when he's unconscious, he's not breathing on his own. The breathing machine breathes for him until his awakening".

"I see. If we stop the diagnosis right now, Matt has four big damage: he lost his last nine years of memory, he has achromatia, he has difficulties to understand long and/or complex sentences and his breathing is not spontaneous when he's sleeping".

Kelly sat next to Christie, completely despondent. Matt wasn't the little brother he had known anymore.