Breathe in one, two

Breathe out one, two, three

Repeat

Breathe in one, two

Breathe out one two three

Repeat

Check to make sure that no bones are broken.

Check to make sure that I can still move.

Nothing broken

Everything seems operational.

Tao opened his eyes but only darkness welcomed him back into the world. In the background he could hear the faint playing of orchestral music.

The 10th Enigma variation to be exact, Nimrod, by Edward Elgar.

Tao leaned his head back on the soft pillow behind him and closed his eyes letting the first note of the music take him away.

He remembers the sound of his father playing his cello in the living room ever since he was a kid. His mother would say that when he was a baby his father’s music was the one and only thing that would help Tao sleep at night.

He remembered his father stressing out over playing a piece perfectly every time, for every concert. He always asked his father if it was ok to touch his instrument and in seeing his son’s curiosity, he let him, and even asked members of his orchestra to do the same.

He remembered there was another woman in his father’s orchestra that used to even teach Tao about how to play the cello, her instrument as well, Tao could almost hear his own mother’s smile when he learned how to hold it properly.

He also remembered one day said woman never came back to rehearsal. When Tao asked his father he simply replied “quit” but Tao could hear his voice cracking every time he brought up the subject, so eventually, he stopped asking.

He also remembers when his father went blind, it happened when he was practicing the Enigma Variations for a concert, he was lead cello, at first Tao’s father blamed it on the rehearsal lights; however after a few days they realized that it couldn’t be cured.

And his father went insane

Tao used to leave the house for long periods of time.

His mom sent him over to another boy’s house. She said it was the one where his mother left the orchestra. Tao was happy and excited to be able to hear her again but when he asked the tall boy where she was the only thing he could hear was the tall boy crying, all Tao could do was sit in his own darkness and hold the tall boy until he stopped sobbing.

When his father died, Tao never left the house after that, until he convinced his mother to let him play the cello and continue his father's legacy.

-

Tao opened his eyes and gently ran a hand through his hair he was surprised to feel a sharp pain in the pit of his elbow. There was a knock on the door frame and Tao could hear footsteps coming into the room

“Sorry about that,” a woman said

“When you were admitted yesterday, on top of your injuries you were also dehydrated, that’s why there’s a needle in your arm,”

Tao relaxed into the fluffy pillow behind his head

“I’m going to check your vitals,” 

Tao nodded and felt the woman take his arm and begin her work. Tao could hear another woman’s heels click across the newly polished floor, over to Tao’s bedside,

“Leave us,” she demanded. Tao tensed and seized the nurse’s wrist

“No,” he said “please don’t,”

“Tao...” the woman warned “Let go we need to talk,”

“No!” he yelled “You just want to steal me away from the world, and keep me locked up and tell people I can see when I’m blind!”

Tao could hear his mother gasp and that’s when he knew he hit a soft spot.

“Tao” the woman urged “Let go of her arm or you will never get your sight back,”

Tao clamped his mouth shut.

“What does she mean?” he asked the nurse “Is this curable?”

He was trying not to cry, but he could feel the hot tears b in his eyes from a new-found hope he had. He thought about seeing colors, about seeing how words were formed and written; he thought about finally seeing his new friend,

“Kris?” he said forgetting momentarily about his eyes “Where is he?”

Tao began to panic, he could feel his whole body tense up and slowly he began to shiver.

“Is he ok?” he could feel the nurse trying to calm him down to no avail, and he could hear his mother crying as she was dragged against her will out of the room. Tao’s shaking became more violent as his eyes rolled back into his head before he heard silence.

-

Tao awoke the second time to hear someone writing on a piece of paper in the left corner of the room near the window; he presumed because there was an unmistakable, but yet calming  source of heat on the left side of his face, hesitantly he spoke.

“Who are you?”

He could hear the person as they stopped writing. They slowly stood from their chair and walked over to Tao

“My name is Zhang Yixing,” the man said “I am your doctor and,” he paused, swallowing. “I’m here to give you some information. I don’t know how you will take it but promise me something. Do not attempt to get out of that bed until I am finished,”   

Tao gulped, but nodded

“The young man you came in with, Kris I believe, has coronary artery disease, it’s incurable but somewhat manageable, but, only if he keeps taking his medication otherwise, at this stage, his heart will deprived of oxygen and he will die. I know his doctor gave him his medication, but, he seems to missing it. The new medication won’t be ready for several weeks, which if he doesn’t have it before then, he will die so, I was wondering if you might have known where it might have gone?”

Tao shook his head.

“Alright thank you I’ll take my leave now,” he stood from his chair, clipboard in hand and slowly walked toward the door. Yixing had his hand on the doorknob when he heard

“Wait,” Tao said “may I visit him, please?”

There was a silent pause as Yixing walked closer to Tao’s bed.

“Sure”

Silently Yixing helped Tao to his feet and he pushed the IV pole around to Tao’s side

“Hold on to this, it will help with your balance.”

Tao gripped onto the icy, metal pole as if his life depended on it. Yixing placed his hand on the top of Tao’s shoulder and silently lead him out of the room.

As soon as they stepped out of the room and into the hallway Tao was blasted in the face with the air conditioner, he could also feel the stares, and whispers of the people in the hallway.

“Did you hear his mother was chased out of the hospital?”

“I heard he’s blind,”

“Didn’t he come in with that other kid?”

Tao did his best to ignore them as Yixing lead them down another hallway they slowed and came to a stop in front of a forest green door.

“This is his room. I’m not allowed in I’m afraid, but there should be a chair to your left once you walk in.”

Tao nodded and gently reached out to feel for the doorknob when he felt Yixing lean over him and push it open. Tao mumbled a quiet thanks and shuffled inside; closing the door behind him. He found the chair and sat uncomfortably at the front of it, waiting for something to happen. Tao heard something move, in front of him, a rustling of blankets and a groan.

“If you keep moving it’s going to hurt more.”

Kris shuffled around and groaned again “Tao?” his voice was sore and dry from his most recent attack.

“Are you ok? You don’t sound like it”

Tao heard the sound of dry laughter followed by a cough, and a groan.

“I’ve been better, that’s for sure, how are you?”

“Same”

Silence fell over the room, and all Tao could hear was the constant whirr of the air conditioning unit to his left.

“So,” Tao started

Kris hummed urging Tao on

“I heard about what’s happening to you and that if you don’t find your medication you might...” his voice trailed off.

Kris sat up on the bed gripping at his chest, and letting out a small whimper, thinking he got away without Tao hearing him

“Don’t you worry about me Taozi, I’ll be fine, I’ll live to see another day,”

“Please don’t call me that,”

“Why?”

“You make me feel like a peach, and I am not the world’s biggest fan of peaches, they make me sick.”

Kris couldn’t help but let out a huge laugh, he then immediately regretted it.

“When did they say they were going to let you out of here?”

“Tomorrow, there’s nothing much they can do for me, so they figured it would be best if I had my last days going into the world, don’t worry, I’ll still be there on Thursday for rehearsal.”

“Promise?” Tao questioned, holding out his pinky finger towards what he thought was Kris’ voice.

“Promise” Kris leaned forward and carefully hooked his finger around Tao’s

A/N;

And finally after ten thousand years I have returned!!! 

I hope you all enjoyed this !! 

I hope to have the nxt chapter up soon, school started ((yay college kid now)) so idk how soon but hopefully sooner than last time 

but this story is almost over (cries) but its ok 

thank you all for subscribing I love you all !!!

~Ring-Ding-Dong

p.s. Feel free to leave comments ! They make me happy and help keep me motivated to keep writing ! (and I will probably do a happy dance just for you )