Wildfire

Chapter 5

They were extremely well-matched.

One was the deputy head of the ophthalmology department; the other was a prodigious cardiac surgeon. They were both outstanding people, perfectly matched in every area.

It was through Tian Yi that Tao Xiaodong had met Tang Suoyan, an upperclassman who he had always admired and worshipped in school. Tian Yi had personally brought Tao Huainan to Tang Suoyan’s office not long after the other returned from abroad, saying, Senior, this is my lil’ bro.

One of the research topics under Tang Suoyan’s wing when overseas was retinitis pigmentosa, a challenge that many around the world were tackling. As of current, there was no effective treatment for this genetic deficiency.

Tao Huainan was twelve when he was first brought to Tang Suoyan, and he was greeted with the unsettling smell unique to hospitals as well as the refreshing minty scent from the man in front of him.

Tao Xiaodong and Chi Cheng weren’t there. A little uncomfortable in this foreign environment, he leaned towards Tian Yi.

But Dr. Tang, standing in front of him, reached out to touch his head. The palm resting on the crown of his head was very gentle. It lingered on him for a time, staying there even as the man conversed with Tian Yi.

It was reminiscent of his brother’s unwitting actions when chatting with others.

Tao Huainan had been blind since the tender age of four. The only impression he had left of sight was a few fragmented still shots, and that was all the world through his eyes. As time wore on, it became harder to recall these, and even his dreams became increasingly vague. Before his eyes only dim, indistinct flashes of light remained, and their presence made no difference to his vision.

He was blind. Tao Huainan had long made his peace with that. He had long undergone the reactions and psychological readjustment that a person with an acquired disability would experience. Especially considering his young age at that time, it wasn’t a difficult hurdle to cross. He was even glad that he had been blind since young, for then his impressions of colour weren’t deep.

Tao Huainan had never cared about his eyes. After all, it couldn’t get much worse. To him, it didn’t matter whether his condition continued to deteriorate as it wouldn’t look any different to him.

Yet, on that day, Dr. Tang bent down and told him, “Don’t give up on your eyes. You must protect them. No one has given up on you; there are many, many excellent doctors and researchers in the world, all working towards a solution. Your eyes are in good condition. They are healthy, and they are also staying strong.”

Tao Huainan pursed his lips and nodded.

Tang Suoyan smiled and lightly flicked his forehead; it resounded very softly. “You don’t know how beautiful your eyes are. Take care of them. Trust those excellent doctors. Trust me. I hope that the day when I have a way to cure them comes, your eyes will still be as beautiful as they are now.”

The peppermint scent was almost imperceptible; at times, it hovered faintly at the tip of his nose, and at times, it was absent. Tao Huainan breathed in deeply, committing this peppermint scent emanating from him to memory.

That was an afternoon that Tao Huainan could recollect with startling clarity. His brother was out of the house, and Chi Cheng had left on an errand for him. Tian Yi ge had whisked him off to the hospital, later saying that he was taking him to see an exceptionally outstanding doctor.

Before, he had met countless doctors. His brother had taken him to visit many eye specialists.

But after that, Tao Huainan only had this one doctor. He really liked Tang Suoyan.