Glowing in the Sun 4

Darren knocked on the door and entered after receiving permission. He rolled the wheelchair on the carpeted floor to the office where Miriam sat in front of her desktop. She glanced at the tablet in front of her, then typed on the keyboard on her desk. She looked at Darren and lowered the tablet.

"I could have had a nurse bring you up if you called me," Miriam said. She pushed her chair out and walked around the desk toward Darren.

"Thank you, but I'm alright. I needed to stretch my legs anyway," he replied. Miriam smiled while Darren laughed at the irony.

"Well, if you can make that joke, I suppose you're fine." She placed her hand on his shoulder, looking at him tenderly. "I'm glad you're okay. Tora wasn't the only one worried, you know."

"Thank you for all your help, Miriam."

"Thanks aside, I'm sure it's not the only reason you came up here." Miriam stood behind him and pushed the chair toward the balcony at the end of the room. "Let's talk outside, and then you can tell me what's bothering you."

Miriam folded the side of the glass doors, allowing Darren to roll his wheelchair onto the balcony. She followed past him to stand in front of the railing.

"You know I love this view. Whenever I'm tired and need a break or whenever I'm worried about something, I always come here. The wind helps me clear my head before I need to return to my responsibilities." She looked out over the city then back at Darren. "I came here a lot over the past six months. I said a lot of prayers for you."

"I'm sorry, Miriam."

Her brows furrowed as she looked at Darren, who spoke with his head lowered. "You know it's rude to say that when someone says they're worried about you," said Miriam. "We have the right to worry because we care for you. It's nothing to be ashamed of or apologize for."

It was not the first time she said those words to him.

Darren was used to taking care of himself, so he never liked it when people were worried about him. He preferred to be the one worrying about others. He never wanted to be a burden, so he never said or did anything that would make others worry. He never complained when he was bullied or when he starved for several days.

Adults found complaining children burdensome. Many times Darren had heard his foster parents speak of how ungrateful the children were when they complained. Orphans did not understand the sacrifices they had to make to care for them, they said as they accepted the monthly check. Darren never complained; he simply watched and learned.

There was always a physical pain response when he felt like a burden to others. Maybe it was from his father's abandonment that made him feel like that when people worried about him. People tended to throw away their burdens and worries. If Darren were not a burden, maybe his father would not have thrown him away. If he does not become burdensome, then Tora will surely remain by his side.

Darren shook his head as his mind began to drift down the abyss.

"Thank you," he said, forcing a smile.

Miriam sighed. She decided not to push the topic if he did not wish to discuss it. The boy never wanted to talk about his feelings and preferred to keep them suppressed rather than rely on others. Many times she tried, and many times she failed when she tried to get Darren to open up to her. Many times she found herself confiding in him during the difficult times in her life.

Miriam sat on the patio chair. "So, what is it? It's about Tora, isn't it?"

Darren looked up at Miriam. "She's digging into Rouen. She'll find something, and when she does, she'll do something impulsive. She may send it to the police or the press, but if the evidence is collected through non-legal means, it won't help anything. She's only putting herself in danger by making herself a target for Rouen. You have to st-"

"I can't stop her," Miriam said before Darren could finish. "If Tora finds something, I will help her. I will make sure that whatever she finds ends up in the hands of the FBI and the Attorney General."

Darren furrowed his brows confused. He came to Miriam because he was certain Miriam would not want to see Tora putting herself in harm's way. If Miriam talked to her, then Tora would surely listen. "But why? Rouen does nefarious things. They pay people to stay quiet. Those who don't take the money have no evidence against their misdeeds and are sometimes harassed by their supers. Some are forced to leave their home state or even the country because they're afraid for their lives. Rouen will do whatever it takes to protect their secrets." Darren lowered his voice. "They will hurt her."

"Since you know that, why do you want her to stop?" Miriam asked him. "Of course, Tora was on a warpath when you were injured because they hurt someone she loves. She did the same thing when her father was stranded in East Africa. She didn't just disobey her superiors, she made a meticulous plan before she went charging in. If Tora is challenging Rouen, she has a plan." Miriam paused for a moment, remembering those days she waited anxiously for her husband and daughter to return home.

"A few weeks after your accident, she calmed down. Maybe it was the Kung Fu meditation, but she'd become more careful in her investigation. She became less impulsive in her "down-with-Rouen" declaration. She even stopped the inquiry for a while." Miriam's gaze pierced Darren's eyes.

"You weren't the only person affected. A month after you went into a coma, that little girl, Abby's mother, came to Tora. She and Abby were invited to a talk show about her daughter's accident with Electro. People from Rouen came and told her not to talk about the incident. Later, she saw strange men watching her house and hanging around Abby's school. The poor woman was terrified. Tora gave her five million dollars and helped her get new identities to leave the country. That's when Tora restarted her investigation into Rouen. She never told me anything after that."

Miriam turned her eyes back to the city view below. Her eyes landed on a church, and she closed her eyes for a few moments. "A week ago, she got into a car accident and escaped with minor bruises, but it seems her car was tampered with. The night before you woke up, she was attacked by some street thugs. She fought them off, but she was injured on her forearm. I'm sure you saw the bandage."

Darren thought back to their meal together. He searched his memories like rewinding a video. He had not seen the bandage. Her left arm was covered under a long sleeve due to the style of her blouse. Her right arm was naked, but there was no injury, so he assumed the bandage was under her left sleeve.

"Damn it," Darren swore as he slammed his fist on the arm of the chair.