"What do you mean something important? Nothing bad happened, right?" Hisao asked taken aback by the nurse's tone. Lilly's fogged eyes sank as her hearing honed into how heavily the nurse was breathing.
"You ran all the way down to tell us something?" Lilly asked, her hands intertwined as she stared blankly to the floor. Hisao and the nurse, both off to Lilly's left, looked at the girl as she spoke. She sat atop the pink nursing table with a fresh paper covering on it. It crinkled as she fumbled around nervously. The sterile environment stung Hisao's nostrils slightly. The silence engulfing the three individuals in the room did not improve the suspense.
The nurse choked on his words, trying to find the right way to phrase the message he had called them down for. In vain attempts, the nurse sighed.
"Hisao, please escort Lilly to this chair here and pull one up for you. You're going to need to be seated for what I'm about to tell you." The nurse tried to crack a joke and a smirk, which both faded quickly.
"What's going on here?" Hisao asked with sincere intensity in his voice. That voice startled Lilly, regardless of how subtle and soft it was. The shaking, low, horrified tone was something that Lilly had never heard before.
"Why is Hisao this worried? It probably isn't bad news, just something really important…" Lilly thought to herself, dazed and curious as to why Hisao's tone was so desperate and pleading.
"I can see it on your face, man!" Hisao raised his voice. "What in the hell is going on?!"
Lilly came to senses. The nurse's face must have a melancholy look about it that worried Hisao.
"Please just… sit. Please. I have a lot of information. This is not going to be a quick session with the nurse Hisao. You both must stay until I have dispersed all of the details. Am I clear?" The nurse asked, adorning a hopeful glint in his eyes.
"S-sure." Hisao responded, confused as to why the nurse's mood suddenly changed. "Lils, I'm gonna lift you, ok? I'm just gonna place you in this chair here."
"Very well, Hisao." Lilly agreed absentmindedly. She stretched out her arms for Hisao to pick her up.
"Just what the hell is going on right now?" Lilly thought, her heart beating faster and faster as she awaited the bad news. Suddenly, she felt a lift as Hisao took her from the examination table over to one of the provided seats.
"There you go." Hisao whispered to Lilly as he gently set her down onto the chair. He gazed into her longing eyes and stroked her cheek. "Lilly, I don't care what news we receive today. I love you, so don't let this news make you think that I'll be driven away from you."
Lilly reached forward and hugged Hisao, resting her head against the back of his neck. After a five second embrace, the two separated and Hisao dragged over the remaining seat next to Lilly. After taking a seat, the nurse nodded contently and opened his filing cabinet.
"Don't worry, you two. It's not bad bad news, it's actually good. There's just some bad news that comes with the good news."
Lilly's ears perked up at the mention of good news and she breathed a sigh of relief. She nodded at Hisao with a renewed smile on her face.
"Then we cannot wait to hear it." She directed towards the nurse as he closed the filing cabinet.
"Good." The nurse responded, slapping a folder onto the floor in between the two. "That folder is not to be touched yet. Understood?"
Hisao and Lilly both nodded astutely, noting the nurse's directions. Hand in hand, the couple aimed their gazes at the nurse who slumped down onto his office seat behind his desk. Intertwining his fingers and raising them just below his chin, the nurse began to speak.
"Hisao and Lilly. I am about to reveal to you information that will possibly revoke my license as a nurse. Should the information leak that I was the one who informed you of this, I will no longer be your school nurse. Do you both solemnly swear by an oath to God that you shall not release this information until I or a higher power instructs or allows you to?" The nurse questioned, adorning his serious tone once more.
"I do." Hisao's words shot out of his mouth.
Lilly, however, hesitated longer as she contemplated the outcome of agreeing to such strict terms in exchange for information.
"I… d-do." Lilly stuttered, wondering what possibly could be so confidential that the nurse be instructed to not reveal to his students.
The nurse sighed.
"Good. And remember, I'm only telling you this information out of trust. I have no written agreement from you that you will not disclose this information. I am putting my career in your hands, you hear?"
"Yes sir." Hisao once again replied, serious as night and day. Lilly simply nodded in agreement to what Hisao sputtered.
The nurse pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly.
"Then let us begin." He exclaimed. "As you know, Hisao, Lilly Satou was born blind, never once being exposed to the world of color and never once been able to do things by herself due to her disability. After delving further into the topic, I was contacted by two hospitals. Both have decided to band together and…"
"And…?" Hisao inquired, pushing the nurse to go on further with his lecture.
"And… develop a cure for blindness. They contacted me in hopes that I could use my connections to provide an… an… I'm sorry to use this term you two… experimental subject. Their research, they believe, has gotten to the point where they are requesting that a young person, male or female, be a test subject to see if their research has proven to be… correct," the nurse closed his eyes for what he was about to say, "and I told them about Lilly."
"You… YOU DID WHAT?!" Hisao screamed as he leapt from his sitting position to raging anger.
"Please calm down, Hisao. Calm down and look to your left." The nurse motioned towards Lilly. Upon seeing her face, Hisao's fists weakened and uncurled.
Lilly stared into oblivion with tears rolling down her cheeks and shaking hands inches away to stop the flow. She gazed down to the floor in disbelief as her hands finally met her tear-streaked cheeks. Her loss for words and stuttering on sweet nothing sent shivers down Hisao's spine.
"A- a cure?" Lilly choked as she attempted to calm her breathing.
"Yes. They have researched for years and have recently attempted to gain subjects to no avail." The nurse replied, almost holding his breath.
Lilly removed her hands from hiding her face, lowering them inch by inch as her face turned to face Hisao.
"No… no, Lilly…" Hisao pleaded, reaching out towards Lilly.
"H-Hisao. A- cure!" Her face lit up and a smile breached her features as tears poured out of her eyes.
"P-please tell me the details and how to volunteer!"
"HOLD THE FUCK UP!" Hisao screamed as the nurse opened his mouth to disclose more details, yet opened wider at Hisao's outburst.
"Lilly, this is EXPERIMENTAL. EX-PER-I-MEN-TAL! We don't even know if it will work, and you might get very hurt in the process. Lils, I love you, but I cannot willingly subjugate you to get hurt emotionally if the surgery isn't successful." Hisao exclaimed.
Lilly's eyes met Hisao's as more tears streamed down her face.
"Hisao, I don't care about that. I don't expect the surgery to work, but if it does, Hisao we'd be saving so many children from enduring the pain I did! Please, Hisao, please, this is my decision. I want to do this and I know full well the risks. I want to help people and kids so that they can be born into a world of color unlike I was. You wouldn't possibly understand the pain and emotional toll it takes on a person, having to ask for help for every little thing. Tying shoes, shopping, dressing, it's embarrassing to ask for everything. I thought I could fight against my illness as a child; that if I somehow could believe hard enough that my sight would return. But no. Hisao, although I don't expect this to work, there's still a small chance that it could. If you truly love me, then you will allow me to go through with this. Right now, it is all my heart desires apart from you."
Hisao's face turned into a sorry excuse for an attempt to hold back tears. His nose scrunched up and his damn broke. Stroking Lilly's face, Hisao conceded and agreed.
"Lilly, if the surgery goes well and you are able to see, I am all for it. If this is truly what you wish to do, and are ok with the possible consequences, then I will do all in my power to make your wish come true as you have mine."
Lilly nodded thankfully and Hisao's breathing steadied. Hisao took his seat once more, and the nurse adorned a smile across his face.
"I don't know why I worried about telling you two about this. You have such good chemistry." The nurse said, content that Lilly agreed to the surgery.
"Alright, now that we have the bad news out of the way, what else is there to discuss?" Hisao inquired from the nurse.
"'Now that the bad news is out of the way'?" The nurse tilted his head, "that wasn't the bad news. In fact, that was the good news."
"What?" Hisao asked dumbfounded. "You mean the bad news wasn't the fact that my girlfriend would be a lab rat?"
"Sadly, no. I wish that were the only bad news, however the bad news to come is for you, Hisao."
"Spill it then." Lilly interrupted, waiting to overcome the bad news Hisao had to endure.
"R-right. Hisao, please open that folder at your feet. Inside you will see many documents. Please just look at the first one and read it thoroughly."
Hisao obeyed, reaching down to grab the folder as instructed. Bringing it back up so that he could read it, Hisao inspected the cover of the folder.
"PBC – Possible Blindness Cure", Hisao thought to himself, "ok then, let's take a look:
To Whom It May Concern:
Enclosed in this folder are the documents required to complete and verify the volunteer's will to participate in a highly experimental surgical process involving research believed to be able to cure blindness from birth. Please read the following instructions and details carefully, then sign your legal and full name at the bottom to represent that you acknowledge and accept the terms provided above.
I, _(volunteer), hereby do agree to participate in a highly experimental surgery involving research believed to cure blindness from birth. By signing my name at the bottom of the page, I acknowledge and accept that personal information will be required if I wish to continue the process, and furthermore am clarifying and disclosing that I am, in fact, blind, and have been from birth.
I, _(legal guardian) hereby do agree that by signing this form both on the line provided and at the bottom of the page, I have read and acknowledged that _(volunteer) is allowed to participate in the surgery previously mentioned…" Hisao stopped reading.
"Nurse, this is just legal stuff. I don't see any bad news anywhere." Hisao informed the man.
"That's because it is more towards the bottom." The nurse replied. Hisao nodded, acknowledging the nurse's input.
He continued to read the document.
"And finally, by signing this document, I agree to pay the fee required for the experimental surgery. The total of…" Hisao's eyes sank like his heart.
"You have to be fucking kidding me." Hisao sighed under his breath in disbelief.
"Hisao? What is it?" Lilly asked, tugging lightly at his sleeve.
"T-the cost of the s-surgery…" Hisao blurted out.
"Hisao, look me in the eyes and tell me exactly the amount it says on that paper."
Hisao hesitated.
"The amount that I have to pay…" Hisao stopped until Lilly punched him in the shoulder.
Her eyes turned serious and bleak.
"You. Will. Tell. Me." She said with an empty voice as dark as death.
"R-right." Hisao snapped back into focus. "Yeah, I should tell you. You are my girlfriend after all and the one getting the surgery done one. Alright, the total amount is one million, four hundred and fifty thousand, seven hundred and seventy five ($1,450,775) dollars."
The nurse sank into his chair as Lilly stared at Hisao in disbelief.
"Then I'm fine with not volunteering. No way am I going to make you pay that much!" Lilly crossed her legs and arms to prove her point.
Hisao felt a whole new emotion. He just witnessed his girlfriend willing to throw away her dream to keep him financially stable. She threw away everything that she wanted from birth just to aid in Hisao's minor problem of financial income. Hisao felt… angry and sad.
"Lilly, I said that I'd support you in anyway possible in order to make this surgery happen, and I am not about to say 'fuck all' to that. I will somehow find enough money to pay them with, sooner or later. I can't sit here and watch you throw out your dream after I've seen those tears roll down your cheeks. I can get a job or something! After all, the surgery date isn't until…"
"June 20th." The nurse intervened sadly, almost depressed, in order to inform Hisao.
Hisao's face shrunk.
"Until… four months…"
"How the hell am I going to allocate that much money in four months?!" Hisao cursed to himself. His breathing started up again. His heartbeat sounded louder and more rapidly. "If it were a year away, maybe I'd get somewhere around 15,000 bucks, but four months…"
Hisao sat straight, closed his eyes, and sighed. He felt his heart start to regress back to its dependable state.
"Alright. So let's suppose I can allocate that much money in that timespan," Hisao theorized, "what would be the next step? I mean, we'd have the paperwork, hopefully the money, so what else would we need?" Hisao asked.
"Well for one, we need to have the right people sign the paper. The issue lies in the fact that family may be against the surgery." The nurse thought, stroking his chin.
"What do you mean by 'right' people?" Hisao asked.
"Reread the top of the first paper." The nurse suggested. Hisao nodded and brought the folder up to meet his eyes once more.
"I, _(legal guardian) hereby do agree that by signing this form both on the line provided and at the bottom of the page, I have read and acknowledged that _(volunteer) is allowed to participate in the surgery previously mentioned…" Hisao stopped reading. His head turned to meet Lilly's confused gaze.
"But wait. I'm not her legal guardian." Hisao stated to remind Lilly and the nurse hat he did not have the authority to legitimize the surgery.
"That's why I have called Akira to visit us here at the school. She should drop by tomorrow if she isn't too busy to sign all of the required paperwork. I called her over the phone and she said that she's ok with it if Lilly insisted she wishes to pursue this surgery, which she evidently is. Akira will sign that paperwork for you, Lilly, so don't worry." The nurse stated, easing Lilly more with each reassuring word. A shaky sigh escaped Lilly as her eyes rose to meet Hisao's gaze.
"But… the money…" Lilly started until she felt a finger on her lips, silencing her.
"Don't worry about that. It's my obstacle to overcome. All you must do is speak with Akira and convince her that this is what you really want to do. She'll be here tomorrow, so I'll have a chat with her pertaining to how to obtain a stupid amount of money in four months." Hisao said gently as Lilly's eyes closed.
"If it becomes too stressful, don't do anything stupid. If it doesn't happen, then it doesn't happen. I'm fine with it not happening if we both have tried our best." Lilly smiled lightly as her eyes opened. Her fingers glided across Hisao's face, which he gripped lightly and pressed onto his cheek with his free hand. Lilly noticed how warm Hisao's face was, and noticed his breathing and heart rate. She knew he was serious about helping her achieve her goal, regardless of how uncomfortable it made him.
"Thank you." Lilly whispered as she rested her head against his shoulder. Hugging his shirt, she too had to calm her breathing; there were other details to discuss.
"Ahem." The nurse interrupted. "I do believe that there are other papers that we must take into consideration."
Hisao's head rose and pinpointed itself to be looking eye-to-eye with the nurse.
"Then let us continue." He responded boldly as he found the next page riddled with legal agreements and blank lines.
"I doubt that I must tell you this, but Lilly must have an up-to-date physical filed with me in order for her to proceed with the surgery. I recommend doing that physical soon; if you cannot allocate enough money to pay for the surgery, at least there will be a crucial file with me that the school required regardless. Therefore, if you do the physical first, then you would theoretically be killing two birds with one stone."
Hisao looked back at Lilly, who was astutely paying attention and taking mental notes, and grinned. Returning his gaze back to the nurse, Hisao said simply:
"We'll get her physical done this weekend."
The nurse simply nodded contently.
"If I may ask," Lilly interrupted clueless, "is the hospital not to pay me for participating? Usually, by taking experiment subjects, the subjects are the ones getting paid. So why need we pay if this is such a highly experimental process?"
The nurse and Hisao both put stroked their chins. Lilly had made a valid argument on her behalf, one which completely baffled the nurse.
"I'm going to bring that up with the hospital staff. Please give me a moment." The nurse stuck up his index finger and wheeled off to his phone. Rapidly tapping numbers in, Hisao finally saw the genius behind this man. Hisao could see it; the nurse was mapping out an elaborate argument.
*Muffled voices from phone*
"Yes, it's me."
*More muffled voices*
"I need to speak with the project director."
*Momentary pause. Hold music plays.*
"H-hello?"
*Cheerful muffled voice*
"Good to hear from you too, my friend. Listen, I have the subject and her boyfriend here with me…"
*Excited muffled voice*
"Y-yes, she is willing to participate."
Hisao thought he heard a grown man on the other end of the line screech a "WOOOOOHOOOOO", but it could have been his imagination for all he knew.
"Mhmm. But I have one question though."
*Muffled voice invites the nurse to ask*
"That fee that they have to pay… aren't the test subjects usually the ones getting paid to do such highly experimental surgeries?"
*Unfamiliar voice pauses*
*Voice stumbles over words*
"Y-you do?" The nurse sighed, "Lilly, he would like to speak with Hisao. Is that alright?"
Lilly nodded curtly as the nurse passed the phone over to Hisao.
"Yes?" Hisao asked cautiously.
"Hello, my boy!" The cheerful man exclaimed. "I am Doctor Losroth von Tothen. I am the director for the program that will hopefully give sight to your fiancée."
Hisao blushed slightly, looking over to Lilly, hoping she hadn't caught that. Seeing the look on her face, Hisao knew that she heard the man.
"W-well, she isn't strictly my fiancée. She's more a serious girlfriend than anything." Hisao responded, as careful as a soldier army crawling through a minefield.
"I see. My apologies then." The man on the other end let slip a gut laugh that sounded like the perfect grandfather would have. "Regardless, I have a few questions to ask you and some information you probably did not receive."
"Information we didn't receive…?" Hisao grew suspicious.
"Oh, nothing bad, boy! Nothing bad! No no, in fact, it is quite the opposite. This will only make you and your girlfriend smile!" The man once more laughed at Hisao's suspicion.
"Alright then, sir. Please enlighten me on the details." Hisao began.
"Of course, my dear boy! You see…"
Author's Note: Back to it, lads! I have my stressful exam tomorrow, but I banged this out to hold y'all over. I have a really bad fever and sore throat, so please excuse the writing. It may not be the best, but I still enjoy writing this story and am honored that I have people who like it enough to follow it! I should upload more constantly after June 20th, but I'll be releasing chapter 6 before then, hopefully.