Eye Drops

" Hold still for a moment while I put these eye drops in.   Look off to the side; that's good."   A couple of drops splashed into the corner of my right eye.   " Now the other eye;  look off to the side, that will do it."   I felt a mild burning sensation as the fluid around my eyes came in contact with my eyelids.   " You really are very lucky, considering how close that bottle rocket was when it blew up in front of you.  Every year I have at least one patient who has a fire works related injury.   The damn things should be banned all together."   He turned on an ultraviolet light and had me look one way and then the other.   He had a large round magnifying glass that was suspended on a long swing arm that looked similar to something one would see at the dentist's office.  " I don't see any more fragments.   Like I said, you're very lucky. "

          " It was a freak accident."  Lucy went on to explain to Dr. Entremont how a bottle rocket had gone astray and exploded in my face, once more.    She did have a quiet way of getting things done when they needed to be done.   I hardly remember being driven to the night clinic.  I do remember the way she scolded me the entire time.   " We put a soft cloth compress on his eyes right away to keep him from moving them."   She'd done everything about as good as could be expected.

          " You did just what you were supposed to or there might have been even more damage. "   He pushed the magnifying glass aside as he reached into a cabinet that was just above the sink.   He handed Lucy a small white plastic stopper bottle.   When you get him home I want you to put a couple of drops of this into each eye.   It will help with the pain so he can get some sleep; more over, it will relieve the itching so he won't be tempted to scratch at himself.   The other drops are mostly antibiotic, these are for pain."

          " How long will the burning last? "   It was difficult to keep my eyes open with the intense stinging.    I wanted to rub my eyes but I knew better as a steady stream of tears helped to wash away the last of the gun powder that had burst into my eyes.    We had been having such a good time lighting the rockets and watching them streak wildly into the night sky.   I'm not sure exactly what happened other than the glue that held the thick part of the rocket to its stick must have given way and it just took off doing a cart wheel.  We all scattered as it danced down the street instead of going skyward.   It bounced one way and then another with no specific direction at all until it hit the base of the curb and came right at me.    I moved my hands to cover my face and it blew up at the same moment.   I remember feeling something hit the bridge of my nose and that burnt sulfur smell filled my nostrils.  My ears went numb for a while and I was afraid to open my eyes.  I knew I had something in my eyes so I had them run the water hose over my face.  It hurt so bad that I was afraid I had really messed up.   It was like someone had lifted my eyelids and poured salt inside.

          " You should plan on keeping your activities to a minimum for at least twenty four hours, forty eight if possible.   You have a corneal abrasion and some slight burns on the edges of your eye lids.   Those eye drops that I gave your wife have pain medication along with an anti-bacterial solution.   Put two drops of this . . .", showing us the brown bottle that had the antibiotic,

"  . .in each eye every four hours until its all gone.   It's just past ten o'clock now so you need to do it again at two and then again at six.    Don't let the burning bother you too much.   Keep yours eyes closed as if you were relaxing,  don't try to force them shut as that will only aggravate the situation."    I listened as he went over the instructions carefully.   At least he was honest about it; he said it would be painful and it was.  I relaxed as best I could and kept from moving my eyes around; it did seem to hurt a little less.  

          " Did he do any permanent damage? "  Lucy asked as we waited as he formed his answer.   She was worried enough for the two of us.   She knew that if I were going to be out of work for any length of time that not only would the budget get tight very quickly; but that I tended to become a bear when I had to stay around the house.   Once I had torn something in my knee and had to walk around on crutches for a few weeks.  She was ready to toss me out because of my attitude.   My attitude was fine and dandy, mild and easy to get along with; like a swarm of angry bees that have had a stick poked in the hive.

          " I need my eyes to work."    It wasn't like a carpenter cutting off  a finger; that was sort of  a symbol of being a journeyman.   I was a locksmith and most of my work involved being able to see.   " If someone locks the keys inside a car and I can see the key then I can make a key just from seeing the key.   I've had some fun with this.   Once I looked in and the key was particularly easy to read and I didn't take but a moment looking at it.   I walked back to "clip" the door key with my hand held cutter and realized that the customer had not figured out what I was doing.   I had already made the key that would open the car; but rather than open the car, I decided to see how far I could take it.    I then took a plain key from the rack, which I showed him.  He saw me place what he thought was that same key in the key hole on his car while I  explained that it was made of a very special metal that would absorb the combination of his lock and make the key all by itself.    I went as far as to time it for two minutes; tapping the end of the key, just for effect, every once in a while to check its " progress ".   The customer's eyes widened with disbelief when the key turned to unlock his car; and yet he had actually witnessed the miracle .     What he had not seen was me palm the uncut key and replace it with the key that I had just clipped out to match his combination."   It was good for business too; magic tricks that are done well are more valuable than those that can be easily explained.   " I'll bet he told all his friends about it.  Its a sure bet that if it ever happens again, the show won't be nearly as impressive. " 

          " So,  you enjoy your work, opening cars?"  There was a puzzled look on his face." And you can make a living opening cars like this? "   I was tempted to tell him that I also make keys to banks so that I could make night withdrawals; but thought better of it.  Actually,  a very small percentage of my work involved car openings.   My specialty was to restore lost keys; the largest portion of my business came from car dealerships. 

          " I make keys for used cars dealers.  They lose keys all the time.  Most of what I do is art work, kind of like metal sculpture.  In a nut shell;  I take a plain ordinary  key blank, and by putting it in a bind within the lock, very small marks appear on the edge the key.   I file those marks until the key fits the lock.   I've over simplified the process; but its important that you understand that  I need to be able to see.  How long will I be out of work?"  

          " That's hard to say for sure.   It looks pretty good at this point.   I will want to see you back here in five days.    You must have had luck on your side this time; please stay away from playing with fire works. "    He shook his head as he turned and went to wash his hands off in the sink.   " Remember, no work for at least one full day. "  We started to head out of the office,  " Let me know how that pain medicine works.   Its a new product line that just came out."   He handed Lucy a business card with my next appointment filled in.   " My home phone number is on there too if you need anything."

          " Yes sir and thank you for being open so late. "   Lucy led me out of the office and out into the parking lot.  The drive home was very quiet.  Lucy, an aggressive driver most of the time, made it a point to drive at a snails pace and avoided the pot holes all the way.   As soon as we got in the house she had me get into bed so that she could put the pain eye drops in.   When the drops hit the corners of my eyes they felt like little ice cubes that melted across the surface of my lids.   The pain went away so quickly that I was able to drift off to sleep.

 

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          " Time for some more drops. "   I felt the corners of my eyes being opened and before I could object two drops splashed in.  

          " Damn it all, the least you could do is let me wake up before you attack me like that."   I could be abusive at times and Lucy was the target this time.

          " I suppose you would have gotten up and walked to the bathroom, have a look around, then put these drops in yourself.   You don't have to act like a two year old.   I know that this isn't any fun."    She leaned over me so that she could get the drops in my other eye and as she did her breasts hovered over me as a distraction.   I lightly stroked the thin silky fabric that covered them to let her know that I wasn't really angry with her, far from it.

          " What have we here? " , I asked playfully.

          " Not right now ", she giggled as the touching stimulated and aroused her.  The drops went in and she left me to get back to sleep.   The pain medicine had worn off and it was difficult to close my eyes.

          " I could use some of the other drops too."  I called out into the darkness as I could see the soft light that made it under the door that led to the living room.   I waited for a while and asked again.  " Could you get me some of those pain drops;    please? "

          The door opened and she sat down beside me.   " Is it bothering you that much?"   She put a couple of drops in my right eye and the chilly feeling spread across as it had before.   Then she did the same for the other eye and for a while the pain retreated.  It was like there was a thin layer of ice forming to protect the rough surface beneath it.   I went back to sleep until the morning.

 

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          " How do you feel? ", she asked as I began to stir.   I moved my eyes about prior to actually opening them.  I was surprised to find that most of the irritation was gone.   The sand paper effect was gone, almost as if there had been no injury at all.   I opened my eyes and let the light in.   Lucy looked at me closely as she put the drops in, as per the doctor's instructions.  

          " Well, how do they look? "   I asked as I winked at her with my eyebrows.

          " They look different;  I don't know, just different somehow. "  She got the small magnifying glass from my desk and turned the lamp on that was next to me.   " It looks like you have some kind of thin film covering your whole eye; like a big contact lens or something.   Can you feel it ? " 

          " I don't feel the pain and that's what counts for now.", as I blinked a few times to see if I could discern the layer of film that she had seen.  " No, I don't feel it. "  It did not seem to affect my vision.    " Its probably just some mucous produced as a natural healing product."   I looked in the mirror and there definitely was a thin film or something covering both of my eyes. 

 

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          " I think you should call the doctor and tell him about this.   Its been four days now and that film is getting thicker each day."  Lucy put the drops in and studied the layer that now was quiet noticeable.   " I don't like this at all; it scares me."   

          " I have an appointment for tomorrow, it can wait 'till then."   I blinked to let the drops disperse and to enjoy the coolness that they brought.   " Anyway, I think my vision has improved.   I was able to read the newspaper without my glasses yesterday.    I haven't been able to do that in years.  Maybe this coating is like a natural contact lens; like when  they do RK to surgically correct vision or something."   I held the magnifying glass to look as closely as I could into the mirror.   " I can live with it."

          " Well I still think you should ask him about it."  She shook the bottle, " These are about used up.   I wish your appointment was for today.   Are you sure you feel okay? "  The soft tone in her voice was that of anxious love.

          " I'll call him right now,  dear."    I had learned that it was better to lose some times rather than think you could win.  " Did you notice how they acted like sunglasses when I went out to get the paper?   I can ask him about that too."

          " What was that about sunglasses?   I thought you just bought some nice ones a couple of months ago.   You might have left them in my car from the other day. "   Lucy had not heard a word I had said as she kept loading dishes into the cupboard from the dish washer.

          " Never mind,  it wasn't important."    I went over to the mirror and watched as the large lens type growth that had attached itself to me began to turn clear now that I was away from the sunlight.  It didn't hurt; but it did bother me as I wondered about it.   I would have some answers tomorrow; until then I wasn't going to put any more of those drops into my eyes.

 

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          " This is interesting.   You say that it doesn't hurt, not even a little? "  He looked at my eyes from all sorts of different angles in an attempt to understand the abnormal film that had attached itself to my eyes. 

          " No sir, and it seems to have improved my normal vision too.   Is that possible or am I just imagining that? "  I could tell that Dr. Entremont was at a loss to explain what had happened.   " Oh, I almost forgot, when I went outside to get the paper it was like I had put on my sunglasses.   I went inside and that lens thing cleared right up." 

          " I can't explain it; but there is a marked improvement in all levels of your vision."   He reviewed my last eye test and put it next to the one I had just taken.   " And your injury is healed as if it had never happened."    I want to have Dr. Ormandy, a specialist, have a look at you.    His office is on the fourth floor and it won't cost you a penny.   Is that okay with you? "    He was dialing the number before I could respond.  " Jack,  we'll be there in a few minutes, thank you."  As we walked down the hall to the elevators I did notice something different, it was similar to the photochromic response I'd had to the sunlight; except this was more disconcerting.   I noticed that some of the fabric on Dr. Entremont's  lab jacket appeared to blink out; no, more like drop out.    The fibers seemed to have changed from being solid to a blend of translucent and solid.  I took hold of the edge of his coat and drew it up closer to where I could study it.  

          " I suppose this would qualify as different. "   I let go of his lab coat and let it fall.

          " Just what did you see? ", he asked as he felt the fabric with his own hands, and looked for a mustard stain or some other reason for my reaction.

          " Oh, nothing much, unless you can explain why I can see right through your lab coat, that is, most of it.   Some of the fiber looks perfectly normal, but some of it isn't.  That doesn't sound very intelligent does it? "    I thought for a moment, " Its like you had hollow fibers mixed with regular fibers; oh hell, I guess that's what I mean."  We stepped onto the elevator and the door closed.   He looked at me and there was a definite reaction on his face when he looked at me.  

          " Your eyes!  They are all blue, all blue! "

          " Always have been, blue that is."   The whole wall on the back of the elevator was one big mirror with the exception of the hand rail.   I turned and looked for myself to see what had bothered him so much.  " Damn!  What the hell is that? "   The film that had coated my eyes was almost a gun steel blue which took up the entire surface, completely blocking out the white portion.  The elevator door opened onto the fourth floor and we walked with a little more haste to see his friend the specialist.   When the door to his office opened I took a seat and went over in my mind what I had just experienced.    It was a very comfortable waiting area with above average furniture.    I looked at the lab coat and it had somehow returned to looking like a solid fabric.   I could not help but blink a couple of times as I did a double take.  

          " Are you all right? ",  he asked as he noticed my mannerism.

          " Its gone back to normal. "

          " So have your eyes. "   He walked back across the room and stooped over as he examined them up close.  " They are changed back."   He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head to sum up his understanding of what he had just observed.   About that time the door that led back to the inner office area opened and a very attractive young woman presented herself and gestured to us.  The stark white uniform she wore was almost blinding in contrast to the rest of the background.  

          " Why don't you all come back here. "   Dr. Entremont had me go before him as he held out my file folder to hand to her.

          " Tell him what just happened on the elevator;  go on , tell him."   I folded my arms as a reaction to the feeling I was getting from this " specialist ".    I had been in his waiting area, which gave me the impression that a great deal of money had been spent to give off a certain lavish look.   I had been to an attorney's office once a long time ago and his office was similar.    When I got the bill for my half hour visit I understood how he could afford all those nice furnishings.   I suppose it showed a lack of respect for his professional achievement; all the same it bothered me.   He took the folder from the young woman and she took a few steps back from his desk and waited like a trained seal for his next command.   He read over the cover sheet and raised his brow as he got through some of the comments that had been penned by Dr. Entremont. 

          " Come take a look at the Sclera, the way it has been blotted out by what appears to be a second Cornea. ", pointing to the visible layer of film that had grown.  " There on the edges; do you see those blood vessels?  I tell you they were not there when I examined him four days ago."   He was becoming more excited with each moment.

          " There surely must be a good explanation for all of this.", as he studied my eyes through one of those funny looking mirrors with the hole in the center.   " Any history of eye problems in your family; cataract, glaucoma or anything that might . . ."

          " No, no , and no."   I interrupted his question as it was leading down the wrong road.    " Its like I told Dr. Entremont;  I think this has something to do with those eye drops."     

          " What kind of drops? "

          " Napier III, that new stuff out of Lilly."   Dr. Entremont said.  I picked up on his tonal change; like he had something he was ashamed of.

          " Hummm. "   Not much of an answer as I studied the look that Dr. Ormandy returned to Dr. Entremont."

          " I know, it hasn't been fully tested; but it seemed like it would be just the thing for his type of injury."  It appeared that Dr. Entremont had used me as a guinea pig to try out a new drug.  

          " You say it sped up the healing time by seventy five percent, hmmm."   He was checking the results of the eye test that were in the folder.  " What's this about something happening on the way up here on the elevator?" 

          " We left my office and in just a few moments the lens changed color to a deep blue that covered the whole of his eye.    He claims that during this time he was unable to see certain pigmentation.   When we got here it was gone; as if it never happened."   He continued to examine me as if he questioned his own observation skills.  " Maybe it was the kind of lighting in the elevator.   That might explain it; what do you think?"

          " The lights in the elevator?    No, I don't see how.   There are no special lights in there, just plain fluorescent lights.   I know because I've complained to the management that they make everyone look pale and sickly.   I hate fluorescent lighting; you won't find any in my offices."

          " Then lets go back to the elevator and try looking at them under florescent lighting to see what happens."  I suggested in a matter of fact way.

          " That does seem to be a logical suggestion,  and it would only take a few minutes. to do."   I was no fan of that kind of lighting either,  it made it look like they were blinking all the time;  gave me a head ache.   I much preferred incandescent lighting.    As soon as the light from behind the large panels landed on my eyes I could feel a surge that started in the corners of my eyes; almost like a tightening of a band of muscles that worked its way all the way around until both of my eyes had adjusted to the flickering pale white light.  

          " There, see how those blood vessels have swollen and that disk has taken over the whole Sclera."    He pointed out his observation of the obvious. 

          " I can see, I can see.  You say this has all come about in the last few days? ", looking back for the positive nod from both of us.  We got back out of the elevator and walked back towards Dr. Ormandy's office.   The effect lasted much longer this time.   We stood at the entrance to his office, the young assistant stood just inside the office;  her head tilted a degree off from center, as she tried to figure out what her next assignment would be.

          " Try to explain this; I see that you have a scar on your chest right there", pointing to and touching it simultaneously.   " Most people couldn't see it because you have a shirt that covers it; but I can see it plainly through your shirt."   I wondered out loud, " That's funny; I can see through your shirt but I can't see through yours.   What kind of fabric are they made out of? "

          " Mine are one hundred percent cotton.  What are yours?" 

          " Hell, I don't know; let me look at the label."   Dr. Ormandy took off his shirt and sure enough there was a scar on his chest.   It was exactly the same as the one I had.

          " Did you have a collapsed lung at one time too? "   I pointed back to his scar and at the same time pulled the top of my shirt just enough to expose my own scar.  It was only about an inch wide and mostly hidden by the dark outcropping of hair that had covered my forty five year old chest.   He nodded that he had as he looked at me; only this time his level of arrogance had dropped off to a more tolerable level.

          " Hurt like the Dickens; didn't it? "   His words laughed and yet reflected his own knowledge of that specific kind of pain.   I nodded back with a sober expression as I momentarily remembered those terrible minutes of my life that had been hidden  by the years; being nearly forgotten.

          " Yes, it did. "  I let the material of my shirt return to its natural hang.  

          " Polyester and Cotton, its sixty five percent Polyester and thirty five percent Cotton. ", as he put his shirt back on.

          " I figure that's about right.   I can see through most of your shirt with a few lines of real material scattered across like a fish net.   Yea, like a fish net; no, more like a very loose weave.   That about covers the way I see it."  I looked back and noticed that the technical assistant was standing there naked with the exception of her lab coat.   I hadn't expected to see so much at one time as I covered my eyes and blushed.   I looked away and tried to look at the ceiling.

          " Is there something wrong with my assistant?"   He looked back towards the young technician.   She had been listening to the strange conversation.  She began to feel a little uncertain of herself as a smile crept across my face.

          " Let me guess;  one hundred percent polyester?  It was like she was wearing a dress made up of clear cellophane threads that had been woven together and yet let the original landscape show through, as it were.  I had seen jelly fish that you could see clear through as they bobbed about on the other side of a massive wall of retaining glass at the Chicago Aquarium.  It was a little like that as I glimpsed another look just before she left the room rather hurriedly.     

          " I don't think we need to test your eye sight, at least not on Miss O'Connor.   Can we get back to a more scientific examination;  if you please? "

          " That's okay with me;  tell her she has nothing to be ashamed, nothin' at all."  I had to laugh just a little as the thought lingered.

          " If you please? " 

          " So any first guesses as to what's going on here? "

          " With what little I know about fluorescent lights, I would guess that it has something to do with a generated field of electricity that has a signature or a specific frequency that matches that of the fibers.   I know that there is a practical working model of a coated pane of glass that becomes transparent or totally opaque depending on the current of electricity that is either switched on or off.   Maybe this is something similar; except that this is an organic filter / counter filter."

          " Where do you get this stuff, comic books? "

          " Actually I read a lot and watch the Discovery Channel instead of Wheel of Fortune.  I used to get a publication from the Academy of Sciences when I was a kid.  I knew all about ridged sailed multiple hulled ships long before they became available to the regular public.   If it weren't for the high price of fuel oil I suppose these technological advances would never see the light of day."

          " So what would happen if we altered the frequency?   Would his ability to see improve or diminish? "   This was all beginning to sound a little too weird for me.

          " Excuse me; but could I get you to back up at least one giant step.   Is this doing any damage to my eyes and can you reverse the situation? "   It seemed like a proper request from two doctors who were supposed to be treating my medical condition.   I was mistaken, these two had never been given a chemistry set when they were kids; now they had a real toy to play with.    They could do any number of things that might bring them notoriety.    They could write papers and obtain grants to continue their studies as long as I had this condition.   If I ever got over it; well, that would ruin everything.  

 

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          " Bring me that box of tuning forks; yes, that box over there."    Dr. Ormandy was getting tired of trying things that didn't work.   He had tried to alter the effect by multiplying the number of fluorescent lights, my proximity to them did seem to increase my ability to over come Dacron and Nylon.   He tried having me stand at right angles, about face, even standing on my head to see if it made a difference.   About the only thing he found out there was that I was getting too old to stand on my head without a great deal of assistance.

          " Try this one. ", as he taped the end of the tuning fork with the small mallet.  It began to hum.  He placed it closer to my face and there was no change other than I could feel my teeth vibrate.   " How about this one? ", Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.   " Now try this one. "   He had a nice collection of them and we tried all of them until by accident he hit two of them at the same time.

          " Hold the phone I think we have a winner. "

          " Speak English so that we all might enjoy your thoughts; please."  Dr. Ormandy said sarcastically.

          " What I mean is that I can see a little more than I did just a moment ago. "   I had been bored for so many hours by their failures that it never occurred to me that they might succeed.   I found myself looking through a metal door which had momentarily become as clear as a window.    I looked inside the hollow of the door and could see the workings of the lock as it hung there; suspended in mid air.   The frequency of that particular tuning fork together with the other one must have matched the reflective resonance of the steel.  

          " Enough of this, just tell us what you saw."

          " I will; but first you're going to have to sew the letter S on my under shirt.    I just looked through that metal door like it wasn't even there.   Try thumping those two so I can see if it happens again."   They wanted to believe me, and yet this was more than they thought was possible.   " Come on now, set them to humming. "   I wanted to try it again; it was hard for me to believe too.   When the two forks started off they noticed another change; the color of the Sclera was no longer a gun metal blue.  It was almost the same color as Lucy's car, a deep saffire blue, similar to the color of the sky just as the sun goes down for the night.   When the tuning forks stopped vibrating the color began to fade back to the other color.   They took me outside of the room with all the fluorescent lighting and my eyes went back to looking almost normal; with the exception that there was still a glossy coating, like a big contact lens covering the whole eye.

          " Maybe we should give it a rest.   After all, we really have no idea what were doing here; do we? "   Doctor Entremont was right; we hadn't a clue.

          " Okay, we gave it a rest.  Now try some other combinations and let's see what happens."   I was charged up and wanted to find out what I could do.   We did take the time to write down the different combinations as we went along.   With tuning forks three and six I could look through steel doors, with two and four I could see the Dr. Pepper inside of the aluminum can, with three and nine I was able to read the tumblers inside the brass lock on the door.    This was almost intoxicating,   I could improve my ability as a locksmith considerably with the right combination of tuning forks.    Of course it might scare the bejebers out of my customers if my eyes glowed like burning lumps of coal.  I suppose they would pay what ever I asked at that point.    I think that we must have been at it for several hours when I began to get very tired.  I felt myself getting light headed and we had to quit for the day.   Lucy had been waiting for me in Doctor Ormandy's office the whole time and was at the end of her rope with worry.   It had not occurred to me that she would be angry.   The only thing that saved me was that I was flat out exhausted from all the testing and she could see that I wasn't up to any further scolding.  

          " Well what did the doctors say?   Are you going to be okay?   Tell me something will you? "

          " They want to run some more test tomorrow and they don't have a clue on what to do next. "    I was so tired that I just wanted to go to sleep.   " Could we go home now; I am very tired and I have to get some sleep. "    It was time to sleep, to dream about what I could do with my strange abilities.   " Oh, and by the way; I think you should wear only one hundred percent cotton underwear when we're in public."

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