(Location: New York City, Intercity hospital)
Days passed since Ethan fall conscious and a week would go by before he finally awakened to discover that he was in a hospital bed.
Both his arms, his forehead and upper chest heavily wrapped in bandages with small stains of blood bleeding through, and one leg in a caste.
Shorty after waking up he'd be made aware of the recent events that have occurred.
As he laid there still and unmoving in a hospital bed facing up at a burred image that he could only guess was some ceiling, he listened to a man who entered the room earlier and claimed to be his doctor, who had been treating him while he was asleep.
He quietly looked over Ethan's wrapped bandages to see if any of the wounds had reopened. Redoing the ones that appeared to be heavily saturated with blood. And reapplying ointment to areas that needed it
Once finished the doctor pulled over a nearby stool and sat down on it to spoke Ethan. He went in detail on how he survived a large explosion likely caused by a gas leak. Mostly caused by a ruptured gas line in the orphanages basement boiler room.
He grimly told of how the entire orphanage was destroyed by the massive fire that broke out soon afterwards.
As the doctor gave his explanation of the disastrous event a depressing aura fell over the room. Ethan tightly griped his blank that draped his lower body, at the realization that the place that served as his home for the past 17 years, was now gone.
While the orphanage couldn't be said to have been held a special place in Ethan's heart, it was the only home Ethan has ever known.
After stewing in his painful thoughts for a while as the doctor continued talking, A dreadful question popped into Ethan's head. One that all but forced him to finally speak, inorder to get an answer to it.
....
"D.... did no one else make it .... did Ms. Leanna...make it?"
In a strain tone and with much effort he spat out his question, unable to hide the fear in his voice.
Hearing this question a lump formed in the doctor's throat as he forces himself to answer, with a clear grimace expression on his face.
"I'm so sorry....young man.....from what the reports of the police forensic officers and firemen at the scene of the explosion could tell us you....you were the only survivor"
!!!!!!!!!
Hearing these words Ethan's mind instantly went blank. His hearing turned muffled, as if the whole world had gone deaf. Time itself felt as if it was frozen.
And a deep sinking feeling stuck him in the center of his gut as he tried to process this new information.
'H ..... How did this happen. W....why did this happen?'
Ethan could only repeat asking himself this question in his mind, as he could not yet process his current reality. And there was no one to answer.
'Ms. Leanna ... Mom...please, please don't leave me'
Without making a single sob or cry, tears began flowing down Ethan's cheeks like small streams. During which he started recounting the memories of his adopted mother raced throw his mind.
Noticing this the doctor grimaced even harder. For a one mintue he said and did nothing so as to allow everything to sink into his patient. He than resumed speaking.
"Mr. Ethan, I fear that there is more, that I need to tell you. When we finished stabilizing you after the accident. We took some x-rays and found some .... destressing signs regarding your lungs"
******
From the doctor's explanation Ethan learned that after the gas explosion knocked him out, a fierce fire broke out throughout the orphanage. And while the flames never made it to Ethan, help didn't arrived in time to save him from the thick smoke from the fire, that filled his room where he laid knocked out.
As a result, while he was passed out he constantly inhaled the harmful smoke causing significant damage to his lung tissue.
It was foreseen by the staff of the hospital that even now as Ethan breathed and flex the muscles in his lungs with each breath, the damaged tissue continued to tear deeper and spread.
He was estimated to have about five more years left before his lungs degradation reach a point were them failing would be all but inevitable.
The conversation then moved on to the doctor giving list treatment plans and medication they were going to give him, In hope that they would extend his life. But in truth at most these things will just act as pain relivers.
After this, having provided Ethan with the information regarding his care, he exiting the room, with Ethan still in a disillusioned state. In the hallway just out side the door two older gentlemen in business suits approached doctor that had just spoken to Ethan.
Upon the doctor leaving Ethan's room, men claiming to be social workers from child services would enter and told him that they were there to discuss with him what was to happen next.
*****
Weeks passed by as Ethan received treatment for his external wounds, which heal up well with no issues. As for his internal ones however, it seems whatever care or therapy was given, they at best merely slowed the progression of the damage down, but not cure it.
Eventually Ethan was placed in another orphanage and his life continued on.
Over the next year Ethan would be frequent be moved between many orphanages and foster homes, due to none of them being to have to deal with his raising medical bills, that raised from his lungs.
All the while his health continued to deteriorate from his lung injuries.
Ethan in the end was not even able to finish his online degree, due to the frequent resting he needed, in order to coop with his condition.
As he was passed from home to home the great fear that his adopted mom Leanna once had would come to be.
Ethan like so many before him and so many that will probably come after, fell through the cracks of the foster care system and would be kicked out and left abandoned on the streets after turning 18 years old.
(End of Flashback - back to present)
Back in the alley rain continued to fall relentless on Ethan. He could feel an intense sharp pain suddenly erupt from his chest.
He clutched at it as if his lungs were in a vice. He wanted to scream in pain but no words would escape his mouth.
His faced twisting and teeth clinched from the unspeakable pain. As a continuous mixture of saliva and blood drizzled down his mouth, he tried to stand up with what little strength he could muster. In a vain attempt to seek help, only to take a single step forward before falling to his knees and face planting into a small puddle of rain water and rancid dumpster garbage juice.
'Th...this is the end, seems my lungs cant take any more, the damage has finally caught up to me'
'Damn it ..... Damn it! why did my life have to be this way! What did I ever do to deserve this! Why was I even born if I was just going to dead like this! What was the point of any of it!'
As he laid there slowly a cold darkness began to cover his mind, warmth rapidly left his body, and his heart and breathing began slowing down to a stop.
Ethan's final moments were filled with his last thoughts.
Lamenting the fate that had robbed him on not only his sight, but made him a orphan as well. A fate that monstrously fooled him into believing he may get a real chance at happiness from meeting Leanna, only to have that taken.
And lastly a fate that culminated in him simply dying alone, cold, wet, and among garbage in the gutter.
With one final breath his being would come to know silence.
******
Location: The Void
Within a vast deep dark expanse, where the concepts of time, direction and space held no authority, floated a lone robed and hooded figure. A being made of pure white with an androgens form and faceless features.
This entity was the sole being within the void that one could be said to exist.
(image of the entity)
That is until the white figure noticed a single ball of light flying across the vast void.
Intrigued by the light the figure extended its arm and as if reacting to this action, the ball of light quickly flew into the figures palm.
The entity gently cup the small light with both hands and slowly raise it to its face. Placing the light on to its forehead, it begin peering into the small lights essence to see that which can be seen.
In an instant the entity saw the entire life of a young blind human. Beginning from where he was born into his world alone, to him gain some happiness as a teen for a brief moment, all the way through how he ultimately died alone as well.
Having finished watching, the entity lowered the small light and begin to slowly and gently stroke it. Whether it was out of pity or genuine care, was unknown.
The entity would then speak one sentence.
"May you live differently in your new beginning"
And with this simple phrase the entity released the small light and enveloped it in a mysterious aura before propelling the small light into a new direction within the void.
Its destination known only to entity.
After watching the small lights figure slowly fade away as it traveled further and further from the entity, the white figure would than turn its back, and resume its unending voyage across the empty black void.