He's become a reflection of his murderous father, with lingering rage and a drinking problem that dulls his pain as well as his "shining" powers. Those powers return when he embraces sobriety and uses his gift to help the dying at a hospice. He establishes a psychic connection with a young girl who shares his extreme abilities, and who is being targeted by a group with similar abilities. They've found that their powers grow if they inhale the "steam" that comes off others with the power to shine, when they are suffering painful deaths.