He caught sight of pictures on the wall, outlining the results of an outreach program on the west coast of India. His lips curvedautomatically when his eyes landed on a photo of Aditi in her doctor’s coat, sitting with a group of local village women, teaching them something from a chart. Their faces were rapt with attention, some watching her with the same awe he often felt himself.
He moved back, sighting yet another photo of her, her face dusty and serious as she spoke with a heavily pregnant woman, a hand of assurance draped over her patient.
This side of her never failed to leave him impressed. As carefree, silly, and vivacious she could be in her personal life, this truly was the part of her that people gravitated to. The part that showed care to another human, exuding confidence and humanity in equal measure. It made them want to rely on her for help and comfort. The longer he stayed with Aditi, the more it made sense why she had chosen this profession.
She was capable of empathy and kindness in a way that left him spellbound. Her intelligence and her drive to help people made her a good doctor but more importantly, a darn good human.
Eager to learn more of her, he stepped to the side and back, searching every corner of the massive board. He grinned when he spotted a picture of Aditi on her bike, in a place he recognized as Velas. From meeting her there to having her live in his home, he couldn’t believe how far life had brought him. He recalled chastising her because of her honesty at their first meeting, wishing that he’d never cross paths with her again.
He was beyond thankful that this particular wish had not been fulfilled.
“Why won’t you listen? You stupid moron.”
Brows knit, Rian turned, his gaze falling immediately upon a man in a brown linen shirt struggling with a young boy. The child could not have been more than five, but was putting up a fight, unwilling to get up.
“We have to go, idiot!” the man yelled. The little child reached for some crayons on the table near him again, clearly not wanting toleave his colouring behind. “Listen to me! Leave that stupid paper alone, you good for nothing fool!” He yanked him by the arm, getting worked up by the boy’s defiance.
The child made gurgling sounds, trying to get loose even as the man, presumably his father, shook his tiny body. He twisted with a wail, his small eyes meeting Rian’s and it became clear. The child had Down syndrome.
The older man ripped the crayon from the boy’s unwilling fingers with a force that made the other parents in the room wince. No one said a word however, unwilling to interact with someone who was so aggressive.
Rian broke out in a cold sweat, his peripheral vision dimming until all he could see was the child’s distressed face. Suddenly, it was him there. No one to tend to his wounds. Huddling in the cold. Feeling disgraced and unwanted.
“Leave him alone,” Rian called out, unable to stop himself. The father looked up, bristling at the unwelcome order.
“Whoever you are, stay out of this,” he snarled, throwing a look of disgust at his son. “My bad luck that I have a stupid child to deal with.”
“Don’t insult him like that,” Rian warned, taking a step towards them both.
“What’s it to you? Shut up and mind your business. When you have a mentally retarded son yourself, give me your advice then.” His grip visibly tightened over bony arms when the little guy tried to wiggle away, his one pointed attention still upon the art supplies he was being forced to desert.
With an impatient curse, the man unceremoniously smacked the back of the boy’s head. A thump resounded across the waiting room. Rian’s stomach lurched at the child’s cry when he fell, huddling into himself, expecting another blow.
The defensive stance was enough for Rian to guess that this boy had known abuse before. He couldn’t recollect when he’d movedtowards them but within the next few seconds, he’d thrown a sideways punch at the father, knocking him into the row of chairs behind.
The commotion around them grew; children crying, someone screeching in fear of the impending fight. The blood rushing through his veins pounded in his ears, drowning out every other sound except the pitiful whimpers of the little child beside him. Furious, Rian grabbed the man and hurled him against the wall before he could escape.
Collar held in large firsts, Rian pulled him up, higher and higher until the man’s toes barely grazed the floor, pinning him in place like a wayward pup.
“Did you feel powerful using your strength against a kid?” he snarled, his eyes red, the rage in his belly screaming for justice. “Do you like being held by the cuff of your neck and thrown about like the worthless pig you are?”
His opponent’s eyes bulged, fear evident in them. Desperate nails dug into Rian’s wrist, clawing for release, but he barely felt the scratch.
He could count on one hand how many times in his adult life he’d been driven to physical violence. His size had always made him extra cautious of using it as an advantage against others. This worm deserved no such consideration.
“Why are you doing this?” said worm croaked, the bruise on his cheek turning a dull shade of purple.
Rian’s grip tightened, his knuckles pushing into the man’s throat where his pulse throbbed rapidly, making it harder for him to breath.
“Because you are a piece of shit who deserves to have his fingers cut off for hitting a defenceless child.”
He leaned in, maintaining eye contact when he dropped his voice so that only the two of them would hear it.
“Listen to me and listen well. I’ve seen your face. Someone related to you must be a patient here. Finding out your identity and whereyou live will not be a problem for me. If you think I will not be sending the police to check on your family regularly after this, you are wrong. And if I ever find that you have raised your hand to this child, you will not be left in a capacity to raise your body off the hospital bed. Do you understand me?”
The man’s nostrils flared, torn between false ego and pride.
“I asked, do you understand me?!” Rian thundered, shaking him hard enough that his skull connected with the wall.