Chapter Six
Age nine.
Ty was lying on his bed when he noticed something. He could see his room with his eyes closed. He didn't understand how he could until he clicked. He made a short click in the back of his throat that vibrated and bounced off the objects in his room, creating for him a picture behind his eyelids.
"Ma!" he cried out. "Come here quick!"
He sent out more clicks as he waited for his mother. The picture was sharper and clearer with the more clicks he sent out.
"What's wrong, Ty?" his Ma asked as she stepped into the room.
"I can see my room with my eyes closed." He proved his point by saying everything he saw with his eyes. Where Ma was standing, where the dresser was, desk was, books for home schooling, and anything else he could see.
When he opened his eyes, smiling, Ma's face was white. She rushed to his side and laid a cooling hand on his forehead, feeling for a fever. "You stay in bed for now, okay?" Ma rose and walked towards the door. "I'm going to talk to your father for a minute so just stay in bed for now."
Ty lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes again. What was Ma so worried about? This was a momentous day! He could see with his eyes closed!
Sending out more clicks, he enjoyed the time he could see his room. He should try this when he has to go out and do his chores. He wouldn't even have to use his crown lights ever again!
Late in the morning, Ty knew something was wrong. Pa loaded up the Slicky for what seemed like a long trip. Pa never did that. He never went away from long trips. The farm needed him.
Ma held three year old Zoe in her arms as she clutched the toy shark in her meaty toddler hands. No one was wearing dive skins. Ma put on her best dress, the kind she wears when she has to go Topside for something. Ty was wearing regular clothes as well, just like he was told to put on. Seated in the Slicky, Pa started the sub and took it out of the moon pool. It wouldn't take that long to reach Topside the speed Pa was zooming by at.
"Ma," he asked, "where are we going?"
"We have to go to the Topside for a while, sweety," she answered and smiled. "There's nothing to worry about."
Obviously there was something to worry about since Ma didn't really answer his question. Oh well, it's an excuse to get out of chores.
Pa docked the Slicky and took Ty's hand. They walked past the market stalls with everyone haggling for the best price of fish. Market days were always packed with people. Ty kept a firm grip on Pa's hand, knowing that if he were to let go, he'd become lost in the crowds of the market. Ma kept pace with Pa the whole time while carrying Zoe.
They walked to the hospital from there. It was a long walk and a lot of people were walking, all covered in various colours of zinc paste. The buildings were tall and box like with hundreds of windows with darkened glass to keep out the harmful UV rays. The hospital was built the same way. Big and box like. No imagination in Topside buildings, not like the buildings Pa and Ma designed.
Pa walked up to the front desk and talked to the nurse who was sorting paper work behind it. He spoke briefly and in a serious tone. The nurse eyed Ty up and down. She spoke to Pa, but Pa kept saying that the matter was urgent. Then the nurse said she would see what could do. She left.
Pa sat Ty down on a chair and waited. Ma kept Zoe entertained with a children's book on a nearby table. They waited for a very long time. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, a half hour? What was so important that Pa would wait half an hour for a doctor? Didn't they have to harvest kelp today?
"The doctor will see you know," the nurse said and smiled. Pa stood up and gripped Ty's hand. They followed the nurse to a small examination room.
The doctor shook Pa's hand and asked him a series of questions. Pa did his best to answer all of them. The doctor asked him to wait outside. There was only enough room for Ty and the doctor.
Ty jumped up onto the examination table that had paper on it. It crinkled beneath him. First the doctor preformed simple tests on him, checking his reflexes, shining a light in his eyes and ears, listening to his breathing and heart, and lastly checking his throat.
"Now, say 'ahhhhh'," the doctor asked as he pressed a wooden stick against his tongue and looked into the back of his throat with a flash light.
"Ahhhhhhhhh."
"Hmm. There seems to be nothing wrong back there." The doctor threw the stick into the garbage can and turned off the flashlight. "Can you explain to me what you did this morning?"
Ty nodded enthusiastically. "I was lying in bed with my eyes closed and then I made a click in the back of my throat. Then I could see my room."
The doctor stroked his chin then placed his hands on Ty's throat. "Can you perform the clicking sound for me?" Ty complied. He sent out many clicks and closed his eyes to enjoy the situation even more. "Okay, that's enough." Ty stopped clicking and opened his eyes. The doctor stuffed his hands in the pockets of his white coat. "Now, you stay here while I talk to your parents." He left the small room and closed the door behind him.
Ty occupied himself by looking at the pictures and diagrams on the walls. There were words about how to protect yourself from germs and diseases and all that happy stuff.
When the doctor returned, he wasn't alone. A team of assistants was with him.
"Alright, everybody, this is Ty and he is nine so be careful," the doctor explained and held out a hand encased in a rubber glove. "Come with me, Ty, we have some tests to perform." Ty jumped off the bed, but didn't take the doctor's hand. Why should he?
The led him into a larger room with a gurney. He sat on it like they asked him to. One of the assistants removed his socks and shoes and another removed his shirt. They started preforming their tests. Same as the ones before but everything was written down on clipboards. Then he was asked to lie flat on his back. He did.
"Pull the straps on," the doctor directed. Two straps were buckled over Ty to hold him down, one over his chest and the other over his legs. That was when he started to panic. He thrashed about on the bed, asking them to let him go. They tried to quiet him down, but to no avail. The gurney started moving. He couldn't see where he was going.
"Where are you taking him?" he heard Pa demand. "He's my son! Let him go!"
"We are simply preforming more tests, sir. This is all to help your son," the doctor explained.
"Pa!" Ty screamed out and struggled against the straps. "Pa, help me!" The gurney kept wheeling down the corridor.
"What are you doing to my son?" Ma cried out.
"This is for his own good," the doctor said.
"Ma!" he cried out. "Ma!" He was wheeled into another room and the pleas of his parents were silenced.
A gas masked hovered, a sight that would haunt him for years to come. He tried to turn away from it but it was all futile. The gas mask covered his mouth and nose. Foul gas pierced his lungs as hot tears dripped down the sides of his face. He closed his eyes.
There was something wrong. Ty woke up shivering and not from nightmares. He shook violently as he curled up into a ball to conserve body heat. Something was wrong. He could barely move. His stomach twisted into knots as he felt the bile rise in his throat.
Crawling to the bathroom, he gripped the sides of the toilet and heaved the contents of his stomach into the bowl. He flushed the toilet and collapsed on the cold metal floor with the rope tugging his wrist. He had no strength left to move. He stayed there where the outlaws found him the next morning.
"What's he doing?" Kale, the outlaw with the scar on his cheek, asked.
"Hey, Guppy," Eel said and prodded him with his foot. "Get up."
Ty's eyes fluttered open. He coughed and couldn't stop.
"Get Shade," Eel said.
"Shade!" Kale yelled from afar. "Come quick! It's Guppy!"
Ty looked around. Where was he? This wasn't home. What was going on?
A cool hand pressed against his forehead, cool and soothing like Ma's. He coughed some more.
"Get him out of there," Shade said. "Untie him, too."
Ty was lifted off the ground and rope was removed from his hand. He was wrapped up in his blanket and set down on a padded bench.
"What's wrong with him?" Eel asked.
Shade kneeled beside him. Ty felt the t-shirt pulled down to expose his injured shoulder. The bandages were untied and pulled away, revealing a swollen and infected patch of skin. He whimpered when he saw it. That did not look normal.
Shade swore. "It's infected badly." He lightly touched the wound. Ty pulled away and groaned.
"What should we do?"
"Does it look like I'm a doctor?" Shade barked. "Put him in my berth for now and keep him warm. He has a fever."
He was lifted once again from the padded bench. They tried not to jostle him that much as they lifted him up into the sleeping quarters. He was set down in a berth compartment and covered in blankets all the while he continued to shiver. The fever consumed him, burning him on the inside and making him cold on the outside. There was nothing he could do but sleep.