36 Training (1)

August 11, 12040

With his blinds open, the sun greeted him early in the morning as it found its way into his bedroom. Darren barely had any trouble waking as he had been sleeping since he arrived in Salt Lake City in the early afternoon. Just as Nathan said, he felt much more tired lately, and his anxiety was not affecting his sleep.

At first, he thought the powers were kind of cool, but they sapped his energy. The moment he arrived at the lab in the late afternoon, he went straight to sleep. His body ached as exhaustion came suddenly that he was not able to participate in the tour of the facilities.

In addition to the exhaustion, he was hungry all the time, and his enhanced senses were making his anxiety worse. The plane engine and the Aercar motors were thunder in his ears. Small sounds demanded his attention, from the birds in the sky to the cars in the streets below them.

When they arrived at the mountain laboratory, he breathed a sigh of relief. They left the boisterous city behind for the peaceful mountain retreat. The only sounds he heard were the leaves in the wind and the critters from the forest around them. They sang in his ears, lulling him to sleep.

After a good night's rest, Darren's mind cleared, and his body was light as a feather. He did not need enhanced senses to pick up the scent of eggs and french toast that wafted into his room. He smiled as he got out of bed for the bathroom to quickly wash his face.

The only two people in the kitchen were Tora and Matt, who were cooking breakfast. Tora cut the last of the sausages before passing them to Matt, who was frying the eggs in the pan. Once she finished, she moved on to cutting some baby tomatoes and herbs.

Darren sat at the counter that looked more like a banquet table with every breakfast food imaginable. A colorful fruit salad and a leafy green salad were on opposite ends of the bench. Tora placed two plates in front of him, one with six eggs and sausage pieces and the other with four loaves of french toast drowned in syrup.

"That looks good. Thanks." He looked up at Tora. "Can I eat from any bowl on the table?"

"Yeah. Most of this food is for you since you have a bigger appetite than usual."

Darren picked up his spoon and began to wolf down everything he saw in front of him. Once he finished the first plate, he moved on to another dish, while at the same time, taking sips from the smoothie Tora placed in front of him. He served himself from the fruit salad and the green salad just before a plate of freshly baked bread and a bowl of hot oatmeal.

As he ate, Miriam and Nathan came to the table. After Matt and Tora served the last set of plates, they all sat down together to finish their breakfasts. To cap off the meal, they snacked on some peanuts. They all sat together at the counter, with the plates piled up in front of them before they released a content sigh after their hearty meal.

As Tora and Matt cleaned up, Miriam asked, "How many calories was that?"

"Twelve hundred calories, approximately," Matt answered. "And we tried to keep fatty foods out. Most of what he ate was healthy, high in calories, but low in saturated fats."

"He ate four times more than a regular person," Tora added.

"None of my subjects have ever eaten so much," Nathan told Darren. "Do you feel sluggish or bloated in any way?"

Darren thought for a moment before replying, "No."

"It seems that your large intake of food is your new normal. Like an athlete, you have more muscle density, and now your body is trying to compensate. If this continues, you'll have to eat about six to eight thousand calories a day, depending on what you're eating."

Miriam turned to Tora and Matt. "It may be better to increase the amount of animal fat and proteins in his diet. He'll store fats more readily but also burn them faster. He'll need the excess energy they'll have. Proteins will help him build more muscles and restore his nucleic acids for proteins. It will be better to cook with butter instead of vegetable oil."

Tora nodded in agreement. "Okay. We'll do that."

Darren nodded. He did not feel as if he overate; he felt like he ate an average amount. But, then again, his new average was different from everyone else. The food in front of him was so pleasing to his eyes that he could not help himself. Although he ate so much, he only kept eating until he felt full, and his palate was satisfied. This was the start of his new normal.

"Darren, you asked us to help you learn about your powers, but we have to know what's happening inside your body before we start," Nathan said. He looked at Darren with his eyebrows raised. "Is that okay?"

Darren nodded. "You guys are the experts. Do whatever you need to do."

"I'd like to start by giving you a physical exam," Miriam chimed in. "I have all your medical reports and previous physical from January. Checking your new physical condition will allow us to see how much has changed in your body."

Once again, Darren nodded. He passed his high school biology classes with straight As and had electives in college. He understood that the human body was not supposed to change suddenly without causing major health issues. He also wanted to understand more about his new body so he could adjust accordingly. He would not have the capabilities to do so by himself, so he was grateful to Miriam and Nathan. As physicians and biologists, they would understand his body than he would.

"That's fine. Anything else?"

Tora turned around, wiping a plate with a towel. "You realize the physical will mean a blood test, right?" she said with a teasing smirk.

Darren's eyes widened. Cold sweat formed on his brow as the hair on his body stood on ends. He gulped. "Oh." Damn, he really hated needles. He always dreaded the blood test every time he went to the hospital. Whether it was taking blood or getting vaccinations, he hated all of it. Tora knew that well, which was why she was smiling as she warned him about the blood test.

Darren sighed inwardly. There was no escape for him. "It's... o-okay. I can deal with it."

He could deal with it. He repeated the sentence in his mind to keep himself calm.

"Just a warning," Miriam said. "I'll be taking more blood than usual to test for almost everything. From checking your white blood cell count to your vitamin D levels."

Darren winced and his color visibly paled at the thought. His mind ran, imagining the number of vials of his blood she would take, and the sight of the needle that would stay in his arms for God knows how long. He released a short breath.

He had to remain calm. "It's okay. It's fine," he said, more to himself than to Miriam.

He did not fail to see the smug look on Tora's face, as if she was enjoying his mental suffering. He shook his head at her. "It's not fu-fun... funny." He swallowed to stop his stuttering. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Do you like seeing me suffer?"

"Pfft," she laughed. "I'm not laughing at you. I just can't believe you're still afraid of needles."

Darren huffed before leaving his seat at the counter. "Let's just get started."

Tora laughed out loud once Darren, Miriam, and Nathan left. She turned to Matt and said, "Should we also start on lunch."

"Baked lemon chicken and mashed potatoes. I think we can use the leftover green salad and fruit salad as to not let it go to waste," Matt said.

"We can add some herbed couscous for grains and roasted pumpkin. We can make carrot juice to drink."

"And for dinner?"

"I don't want to spend the entire day in the kitchen. Let's order takeout. How about hot pot?"

"Mmm, I love hot pot."

"Aida," Tora called. "Can you please order five servings of hot pot for dinner?"

"Yes. I'll send the Aercar to pick it up," said the voice as it boomed through the room. "Should I also order more food? I think the fridge is empty."

"Yes, please, and thank you. Also, order five times of everything. I hope we'll have enough space for them."

"That will not be a problem. This facility was made to house multiple people, so there are enough refrigerators to store food for twenty people for several weeks," Aida replied.

"Thanks again, Aida."

"You're welcome."

"Hey, who's paying for all this?" Matt asked.

"Alesia. She told us to use whatever we needed in the facility. Anything we need to buy out, Aida would order." Tora suddenly remembered something as she talked to Matt. "Aida, add fish to the order. I want groupers. If they can't be found in the city, we can order it from someplace else. I don't need it immediately. Also, add herbs and spices to the orders. Buy some vanilla extract as well."