[ WP ] A gifted eye surgeon is contacted by a 6 year old former patient . After 6 months , he wishes to be blind again .

Nicky ’ s hand knew the buttons on the phone by heart, but to his eyes, they were unfamiliar. They had dark markings on them which were hard to make out, but according to his mother, those were the numbers. He couldn ’ t quite accept the notion that numbers were drawings, though. To him, numbers were finger-shapes and mouth-feels, and combinable quantities like one apple and two apples making three apples. Numbers were secret codes that summoned other people to speak to him, even if they were far away. 
 
 Right now, for example, Nicky needed to talk to Dr. Edwards, and his fingers knew which buttons to press. He preferred to close his eyes while he dialed. 
 
 A querulous ringing sounded, and then the lady in the doctor ’ s office picked up. Her voice was busy and rough around the edges. “ Edwards Ophthalmology, ” she announced. “ How can I help you? ” 
 
 “ I need to talk to Dr. Edwards, ” Nicky said. 
 
 “ Is this Nicky? ” 
 
 “ Yeah. ” 
 
 “ Dr. Edwards is in his office, but he ’ s very busy right now. Should I tell him it ’ s an emergency? ” 
 
 “ Yes, ” implored the boy. “ It is. ” 
 
 “ Okay, hold on just a minute. I ’ ll get him. ” 
 
 The wait after that was torturous. Nicky pressed the phone against his face and felt the slight heat that radiated from the plastic casing. His family ’ s kitchen was teeming with smells: leftover roast lingering on the crockpot; cut grass wafting in from the open window. Looking around for them diminished them somehow, and he hated that. 
 
 The phone crackled to life, and Dr. Edwards ’ s deep, warm voice said “ Hello. ” 
 
 “ Hi, ” Nicky answered. 
 
 “ Nicky? You need to talk to me? ” 
 
 “ Yeah... ” 
 
 “ Is everything okay? Do your eyes hurt? ” 
 
 “ No... ” 
 
 “ Have you been doing the exercises I have you? ” 
 
 “ No... ” 
 
 “ You need to do those every day, ” the doctor urged, “ to train your vision. ” 
 
 “ I don ’ t want to, ” Nicky mumbled. 
 
 “ But you want to see, don ’ t you? ” 
 
 “ No, ” he sobbed. “ I hate the things I see. I see the way my mommy looks at my daddy, and the way my daddy looks at my nanny. I see how Marissa rolls her eyes every time she talks to me. I don ’ t think she was ever going to marry me like she promised. And Miss Jensen doesn ’ t bring her chair to my desk and read to me anymore. She says I have to learn to read by myself. I don ’ t want to see anymore. ” 
 
 “ Nicky, ” Dr. Edwards said, “ I want you to talk to one of the other doctors here, Dr. Gibbs. Just talk, that ’ s all. She ’ s very nice and I think she can help you. ” 
 
 “ No, ” wailed the boy, “ I want *your* help. I want you to undo the surgery! ” 
 
 “ You know I can ’ t do that, buddy. It ’ s not going to help you live a better life. As your doctor, I can only help you, never hurt you. ” 
 
 “ It *will* help me. Please! You have to. ” 
 
 “ Why don ’ t you put your mom on the phone, okay? We ’ ll make you an appointment with Dr. Gibbs. ” 
 
 Nicky put the phone down and opened the drawer next to the refrigerator. It was full of shiny silver sticks that felt cool to the touch. He picked out a pointy one and lifted the phone again. 
 
 “ Is your mom there? ” the doctor asked. 
 
 “ No... ” 
 
 “ It ’ s okay, little guy. I ’ ll call her later. ” 
 
 “ It ’ s not okay, ” Nicky whimpered. “ It ’ s going to hurt. ” 
 
 “ What is? What ’ s going to hurt? ” 
 
 Nicky said nothing. Tears blurred his vision until the world was merely a mess of colors. It was almost like being blind again. 
 
 He clutched the knife in his fist and opened his eyes wide. 

