Read Nano Contestant - Episode 1: Whatever It Takes for Free Online

out. You got this.”
    Then Roland felt a searing pain as the needle began to press against his cornea. He groaned, but he didn’t move. The sound of his own heartbeat banged loudly in his head.
    Skylar could see the slight indention that the needle was making against the cornea. Her stomach churned, and she swallowed hard. She had to be strong for Roland. “Exhale slowly, Roland. You’re doing good.” She looked at Roland’s hands. His knuckles were white as he gripped the wooden blocks.
    Ivan rotated his ball slightly left and then right. Then he rolled it forward with a jerk.
    Roland felt the needle breach his cornea. He felt like every nerve in his body was in white hot pain. He kept trying to look at Skylar with his left eye. It was hard to see anything. Her words sounded like they were a long way off. He focused on them and then he was able to hear her. She was saying to breathe in. He took a deep breath in.  
    Ivan stopped rolling the ball. “Needle is in. Maybe the rest not hurt so bad. Try to relax, da? If you start seeing black, you tell us. We not want you pass out, because then we have to start over, da?”
    Roland grunted. He decided right there that starting over was not an option. Don’t pass out! he commanded himself. He heard Skylar again. Deep breath and exhale.
    Ivan began rolling the ball again. “Ok, we are coming up on pupil.” He kept rolling.
    Roland could feel the needle as it darted through his pupil. More pain? Ok, stack it on top of the rest. Let’s go , he thought. The movement stung though. He held out one finger again.
    Skylar turned her head towards Ivan. “He’s at pain level one again.” She turned back towards Roland. “Good. Now breathe in. Relax.”
    Ivan stopped the ball. “We are through the pupil and into the vitreous gel now. This part like jelly on toast.” Then he turned his head to look at the giant wall screen. “Hmm.” Ivan rotated the ball slightly to the left.
    Skylar looked at the wall screen also. “What is it, Ivan?”
    “Dis not good.”
    “What isn’t good? What’s wrong?”
    Roland grunted and forcefully regulated his breathing.
    “Optic nerve should be straight back from pupil, but Roland’s is raised up.”
    “What does that mean, Ivan?”
    Ivan got back in position. “Means Ivan have to bend needle. Needle have to curve from current position to hit target. Roland, Ivan tell you about three pain levels, da?”
    Roland grunted.
    “To curve the needle inside the eyeball jelly, you are going to level four.”
    Skylar whipped around towards Ivan. “What? Can he even survive that? Has anybody ever been to level four?”
    Ivan’s fingers danced over the ball as he input the new coordinates and course corrections. “Only one, Pretty Girl. Me. I do it with no pain meds and no vodka. I remove tumor in my eyeball by myself.”
    Roland groaned.
    “Roland can do it. He very strong. You help him. Help him breathe deep and slow.”
    Skylar steadied her voice. She knew Roland needed to hear strength and be reminded why he was doing this. She turned back to him. “Roland. Listen to me. You can do this. You are strong. I will help you. You said you were willing to do whatever it takes. Well, this is what it takes.”
    Roland took in some deep breaths. He cleared his mind briefly of all the pain and focused on his dad.
    Skylar wanted to give as much strength as she could to Roland. “Deep breath in now.”
    Roland filled his lungs.
    Ivan began rolling the ball sideways. The wall screen showed the needle actually bending up towards the optic nerve.
    “Breathe out now, slowly.”
    Roland began to slowly exhale. His nerves were already raw from the earlier pain. Waves of pain jackhammered through his skull, radiating outwards from his eye sockets down to his toes.
    “Don’t think about the pain, Roland. Just listen to my voice. Remember why you are here!”
    Still exhaling slowly, Roland extended two of his fingers.
    “Ivan, he’s at pain level