Architect of paradise (PART I: Out of the Ruins)

2. "Damn"

     Her hands were together like praying. She was sitting in front of the bed of the hospital's room and was looking with pain the young man who was lying in it. He was dressed with bandages all over his chest, his head and his arms. His face was blue from the bruises. There were tubes and cables all over his hands and face. 

    Her eyes were wet from the tears. Her son was like this. Her heart was in pain. She didn't know what had happened. She had lost contact with him five years ago. Only some phone calls were their only contact. Her world came to rumbles when she received a phone call the day before and they told her about his condition. Right now he was still unconscious and she couldn't stand it.

      Finally, he opened his eyes but his vision was blurred. He could discern a figure and after a few moments, he could see his mother. He could see her pain and agony in the wet eyes. He turned his sight elsewhere. She touched his hand. Hers were warm.

-"How are you feeling, my son?" Her voice was trembling. He couldn't talk, but even if he could, he had nothing to say.

     The doctor came after a while. He had to inform her about the condition of the young man. He had broken four of his side bones. He had internal bleeding which subsided with the medical treatment. He had a serious trauma on his spleen and external wounds to all of his body. 

    Mrs. Parker's eyes were ready to tear again. The doctor tried to calm her down. If the trauma of the spleen was to subside, then the young man would be okay. He had to stay to the hospital for a while.

    The same afternoon, two men visited him. One of the men was his superior, Mac Dull. Daniel Parker was a police officer. He worked as a policeman for five years but...

-"Are you all right, Danny boy?" Mr. Mac Dull asked.

-"What do you think?" Daniel answered.

-"Well, you are strong. You will be well." The man showed a forced smile. He had to introduce the man next to him.

-"This is Mr. Powell. He is from the Disciple Committee."

The other man looked the wounded young police officer.

-"I want to wish you to be well, Mr. Parker. However, I am here for another reason. This episode was too violent and put in danger the lives of the civilians. Your coworkers accuse you for corruption. The Committee investigated and I can tell that your file has a lot of reports about episodes of violence and abuse of power. The episode this time was the top of the iceberg, Mr. Parker." The elegant but cool man said.

-"What do you mean?" Daniel questioned.

-"Well, it is unpleasant for me to announce this news but I must inform you, Mr. Parker, that you are fired. You are no longer a police officer."

    There was silence for a moment. Mrs. Parker sealed her mouth with her hands to stop her sobbing, while her eyes were wet. Daniel tightened his fists. His deep crystal eyes were dark like the bottomless ocean.

-"I am sorry, kid. That's it. I warned you many times," Mr. Mac Dull said. Mr. Powell gave him the formal document of his dismissal. The two men left letting him alone with his mother.

-"Daniel, my dear..." she tried to say, but he was not in the mood to explain. Well, he had nothing to explain.

     When he finished high school, he left Green Hill and went to Washington for a better life. But nothing was easy. He couldn't find a job without a certificate, but he had to survive. Finally, he found a job as barman in a club with exotic dancers. There, he met a lot of people of the underworld. In no time, he was a member of a gang.