I check the digital clock on my desk. It's almost midnight and the device is not near ready.

"Faster! We don't have much time left!" I yell at the other engineers.

I've been nervous for the entire day, making them nervous too. But I don't want to lose my vision. I can't! I can't spend an entire day in pitch darkness. Besides, what can a computer engineer do without vision, without being able to see what's on the monitor? A single typo can result in major issues when it comes to programming. However, the other engineers don't seem as keen to get this done as I am. Lucky them, the test revealed they will be losing less significant senses than me - some will be losing their touch and others their touch.

I am straining my fingers to type as I possibly can, my eyes to keep up with the new code without straining or leaving a typo behind, my heart from bursting out of my chest.

But all of a sudden, everything goes black.

"I can't see! I can't see!" Being warned about it prior still couldn't save me from panicking. I try to open my eyes, but I am pretty sure they are open - the air blows against them too much, it stings and I feel a tear run down my cheek. If I knew any better, I'd say I'm actually staring. "No, no, no!"

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Relax." Someone places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. From his voice, he's the electrical engineer. "We can still do this."

I turn to the source of his voice, a poor attempt at making eye contact. "No! I am the computer engineer here and I am nowhere near done with the code!" I smack the keyboard out of frustration. "And I am pretty sure you guys are not done either."

"I can help you with the code." He offers. "True, I am no computer engineering, but they still teach you basic programming in electrical engineering."

"Basic programming is not enough." I scowl. "You can practically do nothing by simply assigning variables if you don't know what to do with them."

"Ummm... You can dictate me."

He's so chill about this it's making my blood boil! "Fine."

"Can... you... please excuse me?"

I get up from my desk chair, huffing and puffing. Something hooks in my foot, causing me to trip and fall, hitting my head hard on the cool marble floor. I start crying. From the pain. From the dark. From how incompetent everyone here is! I hate the dark! I've always hated the dark! Ever since I was a child. I like to see around. This darkness is the worst! And everyone here is so incompetent to help!

Overlapping 'Oh my God's, 'Are you okay?'s, 'Need any help's fill the room.

"I am fine!" I roll my eyes.

"You sure?" The pitty in her voice makes me wanna grit my teeth till they all fall out.

"Yes!"

"Do you need ice? For you head, I mean."

"No." I lie. But who cares? It is obviously going to bulge soon, if it hadn't already.

I just sit cross-legged on the floor, wishing this day will be over soon. I can't take more of this.

"So, Madeline, what should I type?" Asks Adam, the electrical engineer.

I grumpily start to dictate to him.

Halfway through the day, they announce they are done, and hi-fives echo around the room.

"Okay, put this on." They instruct while placing the device carefully around my head.

"So...." They all sound expectant

"You turned it on already?" Everything is still pitch dark.

"It doesn't work?"

"I don't think so." I fumble with the thing and pull it off, leave it on the ground and leave.

On my way out I bump into someone, just when I thought this day can't get any worse.

"Watch it there!" He growls.

Believe me, there is nothing that I want more right now. I head to the sitting area, with only my memory of the place as a guide. Tap-tap, okay the seat is empty. I sit down. I hope I can sleep this day till it's over, but I don't think I'll be able to find any sleep in this stressed state.

"You got blind?" A voice of a little girl screams somewhere around. "I. Got. Deaf."

Explains why she's screaming. "Yes." I nod.

"Must. Be. Pretty. Hard!"

I shrug. How can I talk to a deaf person - don't know sign language, I doubt she does either.

"Dad. Got. Me. Here. To. Keep. Me. Out. Of. Trouble."

I shrug again.

"Wanna play something? Rock, paper, scissors?"

I nod. I appreciate the distraction.