As the darkness of the night slowly passed away, the newborn stirred again, a soft whimpering sigh that drew Eva awake from her short rest.
The tiny face, still flushed and wrinkled, scrunched as the baby let out a thin cry.
"Waaaah—nnnhh."
As she positioned herself in her bed, Eva adjusted her hold, rocking gently. The hospital blanket shifted as she tucked it around the baby's shoulders.
"Shhh, little one… you're safe now."
Her voice cracked, raw from hours of screaming, yet the softness in it was unlike anything she had ever spoken before.
"You still haven't said his name,"
Listening to her words as she stood at the entrance of the room, the doctor smiled at the beautiful scene transpiring before her and then spoke as she entered the room.
Hearing her words, Eva looked at her son, her eyes glassy with exhaustion and tears. For a moment, she simply breathed—inhale, exhale—as if tasting the weight of the question, and then with a trembling smile, she spoke.
"I want to name him… Nathaniel Vincent Clarke!"
As she spoke out his name, Eva's voice lingered on as though shaping the very sound gave it life and just as the name registered in the clueless mind of the baby, intelligence suddenly flashed in the eyes of the infant as all his previous memories suddenly started resurfacing.
Memories of his time in the orphanage where he grew up, a place where, although life was not good, it was the only place that he had ever known since he was just an infant. However, everything changed after ten good years of being in the orphanage.
After ten years of surviving in the poor conditions of the orphanage where even getting the bare minimum of food to survive the next day was a struggle, the stingy orphanage director and caretaker who prioritized the weight of their own pockets over the safety of the kids under their care discovered the most valuable thing about Nathan, his intelligence which clearly surpassed all of the other kids with an IQ test score of 350 and this brought the directors great delight as nurturing him to achieve something great in the near future would change not only their lives but also that of the kids.
With these thoughts swarming in the minds, the orphanage directors made the decision to nurture Nathan's newfound talents by providing him with the highest level of education that they could offer to cultivate his intelligence and with Nathan's hard working nature, he fully embraced the hardships that he stumbled upon as he went through his studies and after eight years of diligence and hard work, he was offer a full scholarship to one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, renowned for its leadership in science, engineering, and technology, and known for innovation in fields like AI and quantum computing.
Achieving this scholarship through his hard work cemented Nathan's future growth; however, before he could embark on his journey to his success within the grand halls of MIT, he was caught in a bank robbery and had to sacrifice himself to save a group of kids being held hostage.
Remembering everything that he experienced in his other life, Nathan's small infant fist subconsciously clenched, which caused Eva to look upon him and see the overflowing love in her eyes, a sudden warmth that he had never felt before spread through Nathan's body.
'... It may have been a misfortune for my early death, however, this is a new opportunity to achieve what I couldn't and I will focus on the future instead of the past.'
Looking up at his overly affectionate mother rubbing his head, Nathan thought to himself as he nestled into her arms and closed his beautiful gem-like blue eyes to sleep.
######################
[November 8th, 1981]
The days following Nathan's rebirth into the world as the son of Eva Clarke, a former physics assistant professor at Harvard University, and within the blink of an eye, a whole week passed by.
The hospital corridor echoed faintly with the squeak-squeak of rubber wheels as a nurse guided the wheelchair forward. Eva sat in a wheelchair, cradling Nathan close, wrapped in a soft blanket, with only his tiny face barely visible.
Walking alongside Eva was a man who appeared to be in his early thirties, standing at an above-average height of 185 cm with slicked-back black hair, light blue eyes, and glasses. The man wore over his slightly above-average physique a casual-looking long-sleeved white shirt with blue lines across, black pants, and matching black leather shoes.
This is Anthony Clarke, a former professor of Harvard University with 7 PhDs, in Nuclear physics, Biochemistry, Radiophysics, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer science, and Mathematics, and now a high-paying employee of Stark Industries, and he is the husband of Eva.
As he walked alongside his wife and child, Anthony had one hand on the wheelchair, the other clutching the small hospital bag that now felt absurdly light compared to the weight of responsibility in his chest.
WHOOSH!...
As the family approached the door, the automatic doors slid open with a mechanical [whoosh], and a rush of fresh air swept in — warm, carrying the scents of earth, asphalt, and something far less sterile than antiseptic.
"waaahh!..."
The sudden brightness from the outside world made Nathan squirm, letting out a soft cry. However, Anthony leaned over quickly, shading him from the light with his body, and this brought a smile to Nathan's face as he looked at his father.
The family stepped outside the hospital after Nathan's eyes had adjusted to the radiance of the sun and the world felt both startlingly normal and impossibly new. Cars passed in the distance with a low hum, leaves rustled in the breeze, birds trilled overhead — everyday sounds, yet sharpened now, as though the universe was announcing itself to Nathan's rebirth.
Making their way into the parking lot, the nurse stopped the wheelchair as they reached the Clarke's car where Anthony pulled the car seat from the back, fumbling only slightly as he fastened the straps.
"Mmmhh—ehhh—nnnhh."
Nathan's soft voice filled the air as he was secured into his seat and his blanket was tucked around him safely.
"There you go, honey! All set!"
Securing Nathan in his seat, Eva leaned forward as she whispered and gently placed a kiss on his forehead before pulling back and looking at the nurse.
"Thank you very, much!"
"Hmm! Congratulations again."
The nurse gave a nod as she responded to Eva's thanks and then congratulated her once again before pulling the wheelchair backward, giving Anthony the chance to close the door.
THUNK!...
With the wheelchair out of the way, Anthony shut the car door with a solid [thunk] and slid into the driver's seat. Eva then turned in her chair, watching as Nathan's tiny chest rose and fell in rhythm, his lips twitching as though he were dreaming already.
VRMM!...
With everything done, the car engine rumbled to life, the sound seemed louder than usual, jarring in contrast to the baby's fragile breathing. Anthony glanced nervously at the rearview mirror, checking the car seat three times before easing out of the parking space.
They drove in silence at first, the city rolling past in flashes of light and shadow. Eva's eyes never left Nathan, her hand resting lightly over his chest as though to reassure herself he was real. Anthony gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, his knuckles pale, each turn and stop taken with painstaking care.
"Feels different, doesn't it, honey?"
"Everything's different now."
-------
As the car rolled toward home, the world outside bustled as always: horns honking, children shouting, footsteps on sidewalks. Yet for the two new parents, and the child who bore his first name, the universe had narrowed to a single truth: this was the beginning of everything after the end.