The next day, Cedric found Cyril in his office, talking on the phone to someone. He stopped and looked in.
"What should it matter that I can't see, Mr. Wallace?" Cyril asked. "I've managed to carry the business on without it before the dinner party at Lady Baden Baden's. I did it then, and I can do it now."
There was a slight pause. Cyril kept nodding. Finally, he stood up.
"Good," he said. "We'll discuss the merger at a later time."
And with that, Cyril hung up the phone, and started out of his office, but not before he ran into Cedric.
"Hi, Pop," Cedric said. "What are you doing?"
"Just tying up some loose business ends, Cedric," Cyril said. "I've decided if I carried on the business before the dinner party, then I can do it now."
And with that, Cyril started to go into the kitchen. Cedric followed him. Sophia and Forest were already in the kitchen. Forest was throwing his Cheerios on the floor, and Snag was eating them up, as usual. When Cyril walked in, he felt like he was walking on dry cereal, and it was crunching under his feet. He sighed.
"Forest throwing his food again?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Sneer, I don't know why he does it," Sophia said.
"I think he thinks he's feeding the dog," Cedric said with a shrug.
"Probably," Cyril replied. "Well, I've got work to do, so if you'll excuse me . . . ."
With that, Cyril walked out of the kitchen. He bumped into the wall on the way out, but took it in stride this time. He had a feeling he was still probably going to be hitting the walls for quite some time.
A few days went by. Cyril's business was doing a little better than it had been, due to Cyril's new found confidence. The Pigs were still trying to weasel money out of their employer without him knowing it, and they were pretty successful in doing so. They just never told Cyril what it was that he was signing.
One night, Cyril, Cedric, and Sophia were all gathered in the den, not really doing much of anything. Cedric and Sophia were reading, and Cyril was listening to the TV, with Forest sitting in his lap. He didn't even notice that the lights were flickering, but Cedric and Sophia did.
"Why are the lights flickering?" Sophia asked.
"My guess is that the Pigs are overloading the circuits again," Cyril said. "Come on, Cedric. I need to go give them a talking to, again, and you need to make sure I don't kill myself on the way downstairs."
"Sure, Pop," Cedric said.
Sophia took the baby, as Cyril and Cedric got up and walked over to the basement door. With Cedric's help, Cyril managed to make it downstairs without tripping and falling. He heard the hum of the Pigs' many electrical appliances coming from their quarters.
"I oughta turn 'em into bacon bits," he grumbled. "They're always using up my electricity for their junk! Well I'll show them. I'll turn the electricity off, and then we'll see what happens! You stay here, Cedric!"
"Are you sure, Pop?" Cedric asked.
"I know where the power switch is already, Cedric! I don't need any help now."
"Okay, if you insist."
Cyril walked along the hallway until he reached the power switch. Or so he thought. He grabbed the switch, snickered, and then gave it a good yank. The power went out, all right, but not before sending a few volts of electricity through Cyril. He let out a deafening scream.
"Pop!" Cedric shouted.
"What's happening?" Lloyd asked, as he and his brothers ran out of their quarters.
Finally, all the lights went out, and Cyril fell to the floor, unconscious. Sophia raced down the stairs, wondering what happened.
"I heard a scream and then all the lights went out!" she shouted. "What's going on?"
"Pop's been electrocuted!" Cedric shouted. "Somebody go call an ambulance!"
The Pigs ran off to find a phone. It didn't take long for the ambulance to come, but to Cedric, it seemed to take a lifetime. It also seemed like a long wait in the hospital's waiting room. At one point, Bert, Ralph, and Melissa ran in.
"Cedric!" Melissa shouted. "Sophia told us what happened. Is your father all right?"
"I don't know yet," Cedric said, nervously.
"All I want to know is what in the world was he thinking!" Bert shouted.
"He was trying to turn off the electricity, and I think he pulled the wrong switch," Cedric said. "He couldn't see which one it was."
After five more minutes (though the wait seemed longer), Dr. Canard came out of the examining room.
"I have good news," he said. "Your father's going to be just fine, Cedric. He just got himself a good shock to the system."
"What a relief," Ralph said.
"Can I go see him, doctor?" Cedric asked.
"Not tonight," Dr. Canard said. "Cyril's been through a lot, and I'd like him to get some rest now."
Cedric understood. He and the Raccoons left the hospital then. The next morning, the group dropped by the hospital to see how Cyril was doing. He was still asleep when they walked in, so they just stood around, waiting. After a few minutes, Cyril began to stir. He groaned, and slowly opened his eyes, although everything was a little blurry.
"Pop?" Cedric asked. "Are you all right?"
"Cedric?" Cyril asked. "Is that you? You look kind of fuzzy."
"How are you feeling, Cyril?" Melissa asked.
"Fine, fine," Cyril said, squinting. "Although everything's just one huge blur."
Cyril blinked his eyes a couple of times, and then, his eyes began to adjust a bit. Things were still a little blurry, but he could make out Cedric, Sophia, and the Raccoons a little easier now.
"Ahh, that's better," he said. "Everything's not as blurry."
"Well, that's good," Cedric said, then he realized something. "Pop? Did you say everything looked blurry?"
"Yeah, why?" Cyril asked, but then he realized that Cedric didn't need to answer that question. The others realized something, too.
"Cyril, you've got your sight back!" Ralph shouted. "How did it happen?"
"Something must have triggered when Pop got electrocuted," Cedric said.
"I don't care how it happened," Cyril said. "I'm just glad it happened! Now maybe everything can get back to normal around here!"
A few days later, Cyril was released from the hospital, and he found out what the Pigs had been making him sign during the time he was sightless. And he wasn't at all happy with them.
"WHY YOU MISERABLE, OVERGROWN PORK RINDS!" he screamed at the top of his voice. "WAIT'LL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! I'M GONNA TURN YOU INTO PORK CHOPS!"
"I think now's a good time to go visit Mom!" Lloyd shouted.
"Good idea!" Floyd shouted.
"Let's get out of here!" Boyd yelled, and the three Pigs raced out of the mansion as fast as they possibly could.
Cyril watched them leave, seething. He finally calmed down, and went to go cancel those checks he had written to the Pigs. He was glad that they hadn't had a chance to cash them in yet. Once he was done with that, he walked off. He passed the living room, and saw Cedric and Sophia still trying to get Forest to walk. The Raccoons were there as well, watching. Bert was taking pictures, but with a different camera. After what happened, Melissa made him return it to the store. Ralph had a video camera, and he was recording.
"Confident that today's the day he's gonna take his first steps, huh?" Cyril asked.
"You never know," Bert said. "Okay, little buddy, we're all rooting for ya!"
Sophia let go of Forest's hands, and he took a step. Then, as usual, he crashed right to the floor. Everyone groaned.
"I give up," Cedric said. "He's just not ready."
Cyril shrugged, and started to walk away. Forest didn't want him to go yet, so he pulled himself up to his feet, and then took one step forward. Then he took another, and another, and another.
"Hey," Bert said. "Hey, Cedric! Sophia! Look at this!"
Cedric, Sophia, Ralph, and Melissa turned to look, and saw what Bert was talking about. Forest was walking! He was actually walking!
"I don't believe it!" Cedric shouted. "Hey Pop! Look!"
"What?" Cyril asked, as he turned around. Then he saw Forest, toddling towards him, arms held up to him.
Ralph held up his video camera and began recording the whole thing for posterity. Bert kept snapping pictures right and left. Cyril bent down, and scooped up Forest the minute he walked over.
"Atta boy, Forest!" he shouted.
"You did it, Forest, you did it!" Sophia shouted.
Everyone began to praise Forest just then. The baby giggled, and clapped his hands. Then he snuggled into Cyril's shoulder, and gave him a hug.
"Gampa," he said.
Everyone stared at Forest wide eyed, like they couldn't believe what just came out of his mouth.
"Did you get that on tape?" Cedric asked Ralph.
"I sure did," Ralph said. "How do you like that? Two major milestones for Forest in one day! His first steps, and his first word!"
Sophia ran off to get the baby book so she could write down what just happened. The others began to crowd around Cyril and the baby, congratulating Forest.
"See that?" Cyril said. "You're quite the celebrity today, Forest, my boy!"
Forest yawned, and stuck his thumb in his mouth. He leaned against Cyril's shoulder again, sleepily.
"Okay, even celebrities need their sleep," Cyril said. "Nap time for you."
And with that, Cyril carried Forest up the stairs and into the nursery. He put the baby in his crib, tucked him in, and turned on his mobile.
"Thanks for waiting until I got my sight back before you started walking," he said, patting Forest on the head. "You know, you're quite a kid. Goodnight, Forest."
Cyril closed the blinds, and then left the room. He didn't think his life could get any better than this.
The End