Chapter 4 - THE SHADOWS OF THE PAST
Later that afternoon, Nathan returned to the South Side tenement building, but this time, he wasn't alone.
He was accompanied by two senior medical specialists from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, carrying portable diagnostic gear, and a trusted corporate liaison tasked with handling emergency housing relocations.
When Nathan knocked on the door of apartment 4B, it was opened immediately by Sarah Miller.
She looked significantly better. The dangerous, bluish pallor of her skin had been replaced by a faint touch of natural warmth, and though she still leaned against the doorframe for support, her eyes were clear and alert.
"Mr. Cole..." Sarah breathed, stepping back in surprise. "You... you didn't have to come back."
"I told you I would," Nathan said, stepping inside followed by the medical team. "Sarah, these are specialists from Northwestern. They’re going to evaluate your condition, transport you to a private recovery suite downtown, and ensure you receive the full course of treatment you need without interruption."
Sarah’s hands flew to her mouth, tears instantly flooding her eyes. "I... I can't pay for that. I don't have insurance, and even the rent—"
"The rent is forgiven, Sarah," Nathan interrupted gently, motioning for the doctors to set up their equipment. "In fact, the entire building is currently undergoing a complete structural overhaul under new management. No one is paying rent until every apartment is brought up to modern safety standards."
From the corner of the room, Lily emerged, holding her rag doll. She looked up at Nathan with cautious hope.
"Are we going to have to move?" Lily asked softly.
Nathan knelt down, exactly as he had the night before, and offered a warm, reassuring smile.
"Only if you want to, Lily," Nathan said. "I own a quiet, sunny apartment complex near the lake with a real garden, a big kitchen, and a school just two blocks away. Your mom can rest, you can go back to school, and you never, ever have to touch a sewing machine again unless you want to make a costume for fun."
Lily’s eyes widened. She looked at her mother, who nodded tearfully through her own weeping, and then back to Nathan.
Without warning, the little girl stepped forward and wrapped her small, fragile arms tightly around Nathan’s neck.
May you like
Nathan froze for a fraction of a second, the breath catching in his throat. The last time a child had hugged him like that, he had been sixteen years old, standing over his mother’s hospital bed, promising he would conquer the world so they would never be hungry again. He had conquered the world, but in doing so, he had forgotten what warmth felt like.
Slowly, his arms came around Lily, holding her close against his chest as the heavy, frozen armor around his heart finally dissolved into nothingness.
