Darren remained unconscious as his body floated back down to the bed. The light around him flickered then faded the moment Darren's body touched the sheets.

Miriam immediately went to Darren's bedside. Fishing a flashlight from her breast pocket, she shone the light in each of Darren's eyes. His pupils showed no reaction to the bright light shining in his eyes.

Miriam pulled the cart close to her and went through a vital check. His heart rate had dropped compared to the day before and his blood pressure. His oxygen saturation also increases slightly but not to the level where she could take him off the ventilator. There were no significant changes from the night before, except for the light coming from his body.

Tora walked to the other side of the bed, her eyes widening when she the skin on his back. "Mom, look at his back." 

Miriam stood in shock as she saw skin forming in front of her. Although it was only a little, she saw the burnt skin for a scab, which quickly fell off, revealing the newly formed dermal tissues below. 

"My God..." Miriam glanced back at Tora. "Did Darren have any enhanced abilities?"

Tora shook her head. "Not that I am aware of."

Miriam pulled a few blood collection tubes and a needle from the cart to take Darren's blood. "I'll move Darren to a private room on the upper floors. I'll personally oversee his care." She raised the vials of Darren's blood. "I'll run some tests on these in the lab." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "I'll also test to see if Darren shows signs of an active Vetus gene. I'll take care of this personally, and it won't go in his medical record, so try not to worry." 

Miriam took one last look at Tora and Darren before she left the room.

A sense of unease washed over Tora when she saw the look of worry and confusion that marred her mother's face. The floating and the colorful light were unusual for Darren. She would be an idiot if she could not make the obvious inference that Darren just showcased some superhuman abilities while unconscious.

From what she knew, superhuman abilities, also known as Vetri Power Manifestations, or just Vetri Powers, often manifest during puberty. Individuals with the Vetus Gene were more likely to activate their powers during their teenage years up to their early 20s.

Although rare, there were some cases in which the Vetus Gene would manifest outside the average window, during childhood or in adulthood. 

As far as she knew, Darren has never shown any signs of having any enhanced abilities since they were children or teenagers. Although unlikely, he could have developed his new superpowers when they became estranged after she joined the Air Force.

No. It was not possible that Darren awakened superhuman powers and neglected to tell her. No matter what happened between them or how wide the gap, they could always close it. Tora shook her head. No matter what, he would never keep such a secret from her.

Not to mention, he is Darren. He always dreamed of having superpowers as a child and rescuing people. He wanted to be a superhero. If he had powers, the first thing he would do with them is saving someone from a burning building. If Darren had powers, that night, he would have used them to protect Abby.

Her eyes widened as a revelation came to her. Darren could have awakened his powers when Electro's lightning struck him.

Some geneticists believe that the reason that Vetus powers often manifest in the years around puberty is due to the hormonal changes happening in the body. Research says that changes in the brain caused by growth hormones cause the Vetus gene to become active in specific individuals. Other times, the gene can be activated in times of high emotional and physical distress, when the brain is flooded with adrenaline.

Tora let out a small chuckle as she realized that his powers must have manifested to protect him. When he was running in the middle of that lightning storm with the little girl, the adrenaline levels in his blood would probably be at their peak. When the lightning hit his back, the immense pain would have been unbearable. Although the powers did not manifest immediately, it seems like they were presenting now.

Tora held Darren's hand in hers before she took a seat at the edge of the bed. She moved his hair away from his face. She prayed his powers were regenerative. Then, maybe, they could heal whatever damage the lightning did to his internal systems so he could wake up. She just wished he would wake up.

"What's happening to you?" she asked as she rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. She bent down, placing her head on the bed as she breathed a heavy sigh.