“Rebirth” is episode nine of season two of The 4400.
Tom knocks on Kyle’s door, waking him. Kyle remembers he has a message from Alana. After Tom has gone, Kyle looks at the sketch of himself in the paper; it’s not clear enough to identify him.
At The 4400 Centre, Richard greets an elderly man he recognises. The last time they saw each other was May 11th 1951. The day Richard disappeared in “Pilot” and the day Lee hit him. Richard is asked if he remembers Milton, his old wingman. Yes; Milton was the first person to invite him to sit at a table in the officer’s mess. He’s told that Milton has passed on. Parkinson’s. And he’d want Richard to be at his funeral. Richard asks if Lee will be there, to be told the other hasn’t spoken to Lee in years. Richard will be there, out of respect for Milton.
A couple in a hospital are waiting nervously as a nurse brings their baby boy, to be told he’s perfectly normal. The nurse, Edwin Mayuya, disappeared in 1996. Afterwards, a doctor wants to speak to him. She wants to know what he did to the baby. The baby was going to have severe problems, yet this is the fourth time in six months a baby like that has been born fine. In each case, Edwin was attending and he’s a 44400. The doctor mentions Shawn being a healer and believes Edwin is too. Edwin says it only works in utero. He can feel the damage to the chromosomes and is somehow able to repair them. Edwin prefers to work anonymously, but the doctor doesn’t think he’ll have that option. People are already talking.
Kyle is standing outside the building he used to shoot Jordan Collier in “As Fate Would Have It” and he’s remembering it. He leaves when the janitor who saw him knocks on the glass.
Diana and Tom are working on the assassination and not accomplishing anything when Jarvis pulls them off to look at Edwin’s case.
Shawn is being briefed by Ross on Edwin too. Ross wants Shawn to do something for the next phase in his development as a leader. No, not read The Art of War. Call his mother. For one thing, news desks will spin it to make it look as if everyone else has to be distanced from their families.
Richard speaks to the rest of his squadron after the funeral. Some thought he’d been killed or captured. There was talk Richard had gone AWOL, but they didn’t believe it. Richard assumes none of them thought he disappeared in a beam of light. They’re going to have a private wake for Milton. Richard should come; they can talk about old times. Richard tells them those old times are barely more than a year ago for him. He’s told he can help fill in the blanks then.
Tom and Diana have gone to see Edwin. They’d like him to come in to NTAC so they can try to figure out how his ability works so more can he helped. Edwin agrees, but wants it to be kept private. Tom agrees with that. Edwin has seen the kind of behaviour irrational fears can provoke. Diana comments he left Rwanda in 1994, at the beginning of the Tutsi genocide. Edwin says he saw his share of horrors; if he hadn’t been granted asylum, he’d be dead.
Diana is talking to April; April is admitting using Maia for gambling in the previous episode, “Carrier”. Diana is not happy. Then she finds out April pawned their mother’s engagement ring and lost it. Now Diana wants April out.
Ross speaks to Lucy; she’s left an anonymous tip with the media about Edwin. Though it felt wrong. Ross admits this isn’t usual business, but they can control the story this way. Lucy asks about Shawn. He’s out on personal business. Knocking on his mother’s door. She’s pleased to see him.
A woman is watching the story about Edwin. She recognises him and calls him a murderer. Her granddaughter comes in and the woman tells her that Edwin is the one who killed her parents. So much for Ross controlling the story.
Edwin explains to Tom and Diana that yes, he’s a Hutu. He was a doctor with a clinic. Many of his patients were Tutsi, as were many of his friends. The military broadcast that his clinic was a safe house, and people came. Then the soldiers came back with the militia and killed everyone. And Edwin let it take place. Edwin considers himself to be just as guilty and even if he healed an infant for every day of his life, he would still deserve the nightmares.
Tom doesn’t think Edwin deserves help. Diana points out that Edwin just stood aside whilst the genocide happened. Just like the rest of the world did. Maia is unhappy to see April go, and once again Diana ends up calling her more of an adult than Diana. Richard, despite being advised not to, decides to head to see Lee.