Chapter 7 - Baby Steps

 

Passage of time was an easy concept to understand.

It was the process that washed away all traces of any creature, regardless if it was a monster, spirit, human, or even celestial bodies. All of them were subjected to this immemorial law of time.

Things were subjected to change or stagnation around the world, and in such a state was the Island of Picodras which didn't see any change since the two years a young man made his arrival in an unfortunate state.

If one would consider a change in the Island, it was the people, who aged two years, and such was the story for a young man with short black hair who was covered all over his body with a gypsum bandage cast to keep him protected, like the shell of a tortoise.

Currently, this young man was lying on a medical check-table, while around him an old man in his late 50s and a young adult in early 20s seemed to talk in a spirited fashion, asking the young man on the table some casual questions.

"How is it, little Vlad? Are you ready to exist in your cocoon?" asked the old man, who touched the black-haired boy on the head while the boy had his eyes closed, replying with a normal tone that didn't show much emotion.

"What can I say, quite ecstatic."

"Vlad, you'll finally be able to play with me. You must have felt bored not being able to move or play." mentioned a young boy with short brown hair that had the appearance of a young teenager of 13 years old.

"... Sure. I can't wait." responded the black-haired boy on the table with half the mouth, not showing any excitement for what the young one had to mention.

"Okay, little Arik, you can stay at the back if you want to watch your younger brother. Lagos, give me the scissors and scalpel, and prepare some warm water just in case things are stuck too hard."

"I doubt you need it, old man. The cast is rather loose. It even started itching me."

"It means your bones have healed properly. Hopefully. The last time I removed your cast last year, we checked if the bones were bound, we now check if they have been strengthened a bit to give you mobility."

"Makes sense, please begin. I've got tired of spending my time inside that bedroom.

"Heh, it's good to see you this spirited." remarked old Patrick, who watched Vlad remain silent on the operation table, yet inside the young man's mind, there was a deep discussion.

'I mean, sure, I am slightly nervous since if my bones didn't heal properly. I will be in trouble and really be a cripple. Now, please, my body, you took away my sight, at least bless me with something else.'

'This is all I can ask you right now, for everything to function with my body.'

'We'll see how I will adapt to this life in darkness since this is a magical world. There should be something to heal my vision.'

This type of motivational speech was going on in his mind as Patrick began cutting the thick gypsum cast and later used his sharp scissors to cut the bandages.

Minute by minute, the old man started taking pieces of his protective armor, revealing Vlad's tender and fragile legs at first, and starting by going up, later moving to his upper body from his torso to his chest and later his arms.

The floor was starting each minute to be filled with pieces of Vlad's gypsum cast and some parts that began cracking on their own, releasing a white powder from them, which was the calcium mineral itself.

Patrick, who worked with a careful touch on Vlad's body, watched Vlad's fragile body that only had his pair of underclothes on. He began checking his legs which had scars of the bones that pierced his skin and verified if Vlad could move his leg sole and fingers.

"Move your toes for me."

"Like this?" responded Vlad by moving his toes slowly,

Later on, he began executing the checking movements that Patrick requested of him, slow movements of his ankle, knee, and hips.

"Good, very good, they healed up nicely. Sadly, you have some scars, but I can't remove scars, only heal people. Now, can you please sit facing me? I want to check the response of your legs, the reflexes we talked about."

"Understood."

Lagos went to Vlad's back as he tried to raise up in a seated position and gave him assistance, but it was still a good sign because he showed mobility in his body, with his arms trying to raise him up.

Afterward, Vlad underwent the reflex test, and he passed them with full marks, with old Patrick not finding any errors in his reaction and mobility.

Still, the biggest challenge that Vlad had to face when his cast was removed was to get on his own feet, which was a strange debacle in itself. When he got on his legs he rapidly lost strength, fatiguing that he wanted to get back on the table.

"Lagos, teach little Arik how to help Vlad when he tries to walk. Also, tell Jervis to come and bring those crutches for little Vlad."

"Yes, father."

After Lagos explained to Arik how to hold Vlad so he wouldn't fall, he walked out of the medical room and returned back along with a young man that was larger than Arik by a lot, being a full adolescent at 17-18 years old, that Vlad knew as Jervis, one of Patrick's disciples.

"Old man, I brought the crutches you mentioned I craft in my past time, I made them from Redwood since it was for the little blind. I even decorated the crutches just in case he wants to see them."

"Thanks, Jervis, but you know I wouldn't need something extra. Also, I don't need such support, I will walk by myself."

"Big words, little blind, you've shriveled doing nothing but sleep for two years. I really want to see you walk by yourself and not rely too much on our help."

"Mhm, that's what I want. Give me those sticks." requested Vlad, who extended his hands toward Jervis, which shocked the young man at how precise this little blind boy was in finding his location.

Patrick could only chuckle in those moments, seeing one of his disciples being taken aback by Vlad, and once the crutches were on his hands, the black-haired boy went to his feet, at first without supporting himself until he lost stamina again and instead of going back on the table, he used the crutches.

"Take it easy, little Vlad. This is only your first day since we took your bandages. You'll slowly regain your strength and no longer require those crutches."

"I know. It seems even my arms are getting tired. Hah, I got a lot of work to do."

"Indeed, I will leave Jervis and Nelson to assist you in training your body the right way, so you wouldn't be damaging any muscles."

"No need, I will handle this myself, but thank you for the support." replied Vlad in a detached voice, as he opened his black eyes and took the old man by surprise since his eyes were right on his face.

"You can see something, little Vlad?" inquired Patrick, who felt the stare slightly weird, especially when he glanced at those dark, dead eyes.

"No, I just felt like opening my eyes since having them closed too much would form a habit on my eye muscles. I might not be able to see you guys, but from what Arik told me, I got a nice pair of eyes."

"Haha, he isn't wrong. Your face isn't bad either after you recover from your bruises." remarked Jervis, who soon departed to his own activities, and then the group left Vlad to his own actions, leaving him only with Arik.

"Vlad, you have to take it slowly. Didn't you hear, mister Patrick?" mentioned Arik with a worried voice when he saw Vlad start to slowly walk toward his room since those guys didn't even bother to take him there.

He didn't reply back to Arik, and like a stubborn mule, he got to an endpoint, where he couldn't find the exit.

'Damn it, it is hard to navigate this room. Also, my body is so weak, I can't even believe this is me.'

'I should start thinking of a way to work my muscles but without forcing them too much.'

"Arik, help me a bit until I get to my room."

"See, you are an idiot. I told you to listen to me since you would just harm yourself by hitting yourself like this trying to find the exit to the medical room."

"I get it. Will you help or not?"

"Obviously. Here, let me point you to the right path."

Then the black-haired boy with crutches started to slowly walk toward another part of the mansion, moving according to the directions Arik was giving him, and as he passed past the mansion's hallway from the living room.

Old Patrick was smoking a cigarette, seeming to ponder about something.

'That boy sure is stubborn. You don't want our help, but what can you do? I can't imagine what you feel right now, being stripped of your eyesight.'

'Hmm? Look at him go. Hah, even if you can't see, I will offer you plenty of education, so you can do something in life.'

.

Reaching back to his room with Arik's support, he felt his legs tired, with his muscles already being engaged by simply walking. His upper body also tired down, lying on the bed while starting to ponder about his future steps in this new life of his.

Since he got into his room, Arik also went about his daily activities after Vlad told him he wouldn't be going anywhere.

In this lonely atmosphere, it made it easier to contemplate, from how he should train, to how much, from ways to reinforce his bones and make them far more flexible and superior, but nonetheless, his medical path didn't escape his train of thoughts.

*Step*

*Step*

"Little Vlad, I came to check on you. How are you feeling after the whole day? Do you feel any discomfort, or pains in your bones and body?"

Hearing old Patrick, who visited him before sleeping, he raised up on the bed and turned his head in the direction his voice came.

"I have no pain, but discomfort? There are plenty of them. I can feel it all over my body. Walking in itself turned into an exercise for me, which is pathetic."

"Everything at their time, slowly and surely anyone can climb Mount Galena."

"Indeed, I know my limits. It isn't in my interest to hurry and recover my strength, but instead to slowly build the things I am missing. Anyway, old Patrick, you have my whole respect and appreciation for what you've done for me."

"Don't mention it. It is really nothing for me, but two years have passed since I've picked you up from the freezing sea. Yet it feels to me that you've lost those years without enjoying the experiences a child your age would have."

"You are wrong. Those two years have not been lost on me. You've taught me a lot of interesting things, which have opened my mind.

Also, I didn't expect that becoming a doctor, one is required to know so much knowledge, and I appreciate your patience in telling me everything since I can't read as I am right now… "

"Truly a sad thing, my boy. We waited. Days passed, months, and even years, but your vision didn't return. Only your sense of smell has returned. I don't know how to help you with your vision, my boy. I never encountered a blind person in my life."

"Why are you stressing yourself in my place? Still, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but if this is what God wants from me, I will not be cowardly and defeated by the circumstances in front of me. I can't see? Okay, I understand that, but I am still alive.

Because of this, I don't have a reason to be angry, or to lament my situation. So don't feel sorry for me. This is my life, and I will face this on my own." mentioned Vlad with a clear voice that was of a calm never encountered by Patrick in young people, especially kids who suffered from traumas, those being the weakest he knew, most of them giving up on the fight with life.

"Still, my boy, there is hope. Do you remember when I told you about Miss Kureha? I've thought many nights about how to help you with your eyes, but I don't have such knowledge to treat eyes, which are one of the most fragile organs.

We can try journeying to the Grand Line to find Drum Island and pray we can receive the Master's assistance."

When hearing this information, Vlad went quiet, pondering about this choice for an extended interval, and shook his head.

"Why not, boy? This might be our last chance to recover your sight."

"It is too dangerous. You've told me that the path toward the Grand Line is infested with monsters, hazardous weather, and calamities. The success rate for this type of journey is minuscule to none.

I'd rather not attempt to make such a journey and risk your life and even mine. I don't know about you, old Patrick, but right now, I've decided to value my life a lot more than I did when younger."

Patrick's face turned a bit bitter with Vlad's rejection of his plan, but once he listened to the whole comment, it made him laugh a bit and pat his head in a teasing way.

"I don't know what I will do with you, little boy. Your personality is messed up. You don't want to interact with kids your age. Instead, only talk with Arik, probably because he helped you out on that day.

I wish you were like them, joyful, full of life, messing around, pulling pranks."

"Sigh, sorry old man, but after what I experienced, you can't call me a normal child anymore. Besides, who would play around with a blind boy? We have to be realistic right now.

Also, I found more joy in learning from you than "messing" around. I doubt you'll see me running around naked anytime soon."

"Haha, at least I can take the good side of your personality. You'll be my little assistant from now on."

"I will be in your care, old Patrick."

"You better be ready. After you start regaining your mobility, I will make you work tirelessly for me. Soon, those medical concoctions of mine will be under your jurisdiction, so if you mess something up and you poison one of my clients, you are screwed."

"Hehe, I can't wait." laughed Vlad, which for Patrick was a unique thing, hearing this stoic boy that had quite dark tendencies to laugh like a young lad, happy for what was thrown in front.

"Good, then I will leave you to sleep. Don't forget, sleep is important for the recovery of the body, sleep, and food."

"Yes, you told me this two years ago."

"Well, I am an old man. What would you expect of me, to have a young lad's memory?"

.

.

Moving forward, he continued on with his life, slowly training his body to regain his strength and stamina, an arduous process that one could pass only with patience and sheer will.

Aside from his physical therapy, where he used all his knowledge to train his body as if he was the Janissary Officer that was overwatching the new recruits, he also took his time to learn the art of medicine from Patrick, which filled his entire schedule to the brim.

Yet, there was also a thing that he was forced to do by the old man, integrate into society, where he took him to different locations of Picodras City, telling him about the different sceneries noteworthy that he should try to visualize in his mind.

"My boy, if we can't see. We should train our imagination and visualization abilities.

You were not born blind, so you know how the outside looks. Even though you are still fragile in your formative years, I will do my best to paint in your mind how those objects, sceneries, and people look. You just have to trust my words and use your mind to view those people."

"Fine, I'll try this since you'll force me anyway. Who knows, it might help me out with something else."

"Exactly, if nature is so cruel to take away your vision, she would make sure to balance things out and bless you with other qualities." mentioned the old man who was holding Vlad's hand, walking with him toward the shore of the Island, relatively close to the city.

He explained to Vlad all sorts of things, the young man could simply nod, agreeing with his view of things.

"Hopefully."

This was a new way of life for Vlad, who learned once again to behave like a commoner and not view things from the perspective of a monarch because his new circumstances and the world didn't allow for such arrogance, especially in the community of the Picodras Island, who viewed the outsiders with skepticism.

Yet, they still continue on trading their goods with the Kaysang Kingdom, the main source of luxury goods they lacked.

.

.

A/N: Indeed, young man, Nature is cruel, but she would always find ways to balance everything.