Previously on Seed of Doubt...
"It's okay. I can handle it," Clark said, putting on the most convincing smile he could muster while his heart quietly broke. "Just tell me. Please."
"Well, as I said, I started to look at the structure of your DNA. It was fascinating. I've never seen anything quite like it before. Part of me has wondered if studying it further might not unlock the secrets of how your powers work and why Kryptonite affects you. But, as far as compatibility for reproductive purposes..." He gulped, taking a deep breath and studying the sidewalk before plunging on. "I'm sorry, Superman. Your DNA is just too different than that of an Earthling. I'm afraid that it's not possible for you to father a child with an Earth woman."
Clark had been expecting bad news, and had even been aware of this exact possibility. But to hear it confirmed shattered his already wounded heart. The broken shards seemed to stab at the rest of his body as his world crumbled.
"Are..." he asked, pausing to swallow back his hurt and attempt to maintain Superman's well-defined neutrality. He tried to subtly clear his throat. "Are you sure?"
"Almost certainly."
"Almost?" Clark asked, wanting to see some glimmer for hope in that one word. "What do you mean by almost? Is there some chance...?"
Dr. Klein sighed and rubbed at his temples for a few seconds. "You have to understand, this is all untested speculation. But, there were some similarities to a regular person's DNA. I ran some numbers last night, actually. Just to see if there was any way I could give you good news."
"And?"
"And, the best I could come up with was a trillion to one shot of conception occurring, even if you went high tech and used in vitro to aid you."
"A trillion to one," Clark echoed, his voice flat.
Dr. Klein nodded sadly. "I wish I had better news. I'm so sorry."
Clark shook his head, dazed. "No, don't be. It's not your fault. If anything, I'm glad that you were able to come up with any results at all. And I'm glad you gave it to me straight."
"I know it's not the news you'd hoped to hear."
"I don't think any man would," Clark said, doing his best not to show how much the results had killed him inside. "Let me ask...this trillion to one shot. How...how would that even...? He paused, uncertain how to phrase the question he wanted to ask.
"How would it happen?" the doctor supplied. He sighed again. "Truthfully, I'm not even sure. Maybe just the perfect storm of conditions between your genetic material and that of the woman you'd want to have a child with. Or maybe that trillion to one is just a false hope. I honestly don't know. I wish I did."
"What about exposure to Kryptonite?" Clark asked in a low voice, though no one was nearby.
"What about it?"
"Could it...affect things?"
"Probably not," Dr. Klein said, looking down at his own lap. "It affects your body, sure, but it doesn't alter your DNA. I tried exposing some of the sample you left to a small shard of the rock. I wanted to cover any and all theories I could come up with, or that I thought you might ask about. All it did was hasten the rate at which the sample died off."
"I see." Again, Clark felt his body deflate further with the worsening news.
"I'm so, so sorry," the doctor repeated. "I feel just awful, having to give you this news."
"I...uh...I guess I expected this, in a way," Clark confided. "After all, I'm not human. It stands to reason that I wouldn't be compatible with humans. Just like my blood is similar, but different enough that I could never donate it or receive a transfusion. It's just...one of those things." This time, he failed to stop the remorse from showing in his voice as he finished speaking.
"If there was anything I could do to change things or find...I don't know...some way to alter things so you had better odds, you know that I would. The world needs more people like you," Dr. Klein said miserably.
Clark nodded, his mind in a fog. "Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it." He stood and Dr. Klein followed suit. "Again, I appreciate your help and discretion with such a sensitive, personal issue." He extended a hand.
Dr. Klein took his hand and shook it. "Any time. I'm always happy to help, when I can. I just wish I actually could help you in this case."
"You have," Clark said. "Anyway, I should probably go. You'll be wanting to get home, at the very least. Goodnight, Doc."
"Goodnight, Superman," the doctor said.
Clark silently rose into the dark sky, trading the company of Dr. Klein for the loneliness of the upper atmosphere of the Earth, far above where any plane would dare to go. He wanted no distractions. He didn't want to have to think about avoiding skyscrapers or birds or planes. He just wanted to be alone. He barely even wanted to think.
But his thoughts wouldn't be quelled, no matter what he did.
A trillion to one, his mind screamed at him. A trillion to one. Why did you even bother to entertain the idea that this baby could be yours? You knew the odds would likely be slim to none. You're an alien, you fool! What gave you the hope that you could ever father a child with Lois?
Because, some other, inner voice countered, I love her. Because I believe that our love can overcome any obstacle. Because I so desperately wanted this baby to be mine and not Luthor's, for the sake of that child and for Lois.
Idiot! the first voice sneered at him. Fool! Wanting something doesn't mean it will come true. You're hopeless, Clark.
Maybe so, the second voice shot back as Clark rocketed into that peaceful place between the stars and the Earth, but a trillion to one means that there is a remote chance that it could be mine. No matter what though, I will be that child's father.
"A trillion to one," Clark said aloud, though in the cold vacuum of space, he couldn't hear his own voice.
It was as empty and lifeless around him as the hope he was trying to cling to.
***
"Ready, honey?" Clark asked.
"As I'll ever be."
"Got your notebook?"
"Right here," she said, patting her purse affectionately. "Let's go."
"Are you sure you're okay with this? Seeing him, I mean?"
Lois nodded determinedly. "Absolutely. In fact, I can't wait to see Lex get nailed for his involvement in Intergang."
It was Day One of the trial. Luthor stood charged of crimes too numerous to recount without a written list, even for Clark's nearly flawless memory . On a personal level, Clark felt the same as Lois. He could scarcely wait for justice to be doled out, though he knew the trial was likely to last for weeks, if not longer. It would be deeply satisfying to see the man pay for his evil doings. How many people had lost their businesses and livelihoods at the hands of his thugs? How many more had lost their lives? How many more would have suffered if he hadn't been caught?
"Does this suit look okay?" Lois asked after a moment. "It's a little tight across the stomach. It doesn't scream 'pregnant,' does it?"
"It looks fine," Clark assured her. "No one will know the difference."
"I don't want Lex to know," she admitted.
"I know. But, in all honestly, I'm sure he'll barely even be aware that you and I are there. This trial is probably going to be an absolute circus with the media coverage."
"Let's stay near the back anyway," Lois said. "Just in case."
"That shouldn't be too hard. I think everyone else is going to want to be front and center for this one. Anyway, how'd you sleep last night?"
"Not too badly, all things considered," she said, shrugging. She grabbed her keys and ushered Clark out of her apartment. "It took me a while to fall asleep. I even considered calling you, just to talk."
"You could have," Clark said as they walked down the hallway together. It was true. It had been a quiet night and he hadn't needed to attend any emergencies. "I was up until about one."
"How come?" Lois reached the stairs and pulled the door open.
"I was thinking about the Espen case," he said. "I took another look over the research, hoping to find something we could use, but..." He shrugged, letting his voice trail off.
"I put in a call to Bobby Bigmouth before you came over. Hopefully he'll know something."
"Good thinking," Clark said.
Lois insisted on driving to the courthouse. As they made their way through the early morning Metropolis traffic, they both allowed themselves to lapse into other topics. Lois told Clark how Lucy's newest boyfriend had been arrested on seven counts of domestic violence, and how he was still married to the poor woman he'd beaten. Lucy had taken it all in stride, according to Lois, apparently stating that she'd been getting "bored" with him anyway. Clark nodded and pretended to know nothing. Superman had been the one to stop the man from his last attempt to beat his wife. He hadn't realized until later that the man was the one Lucy had been dating.
"She's enrolled in three summer courses at Metro U," Lois said, pride in her voice. "Maybe this time she'll actually finish her degree. I hope so."
"Me too," Clark agreed. "I know I haven't had too many meetings with your sister, but she seems like a great person. I want to see her do well and succeed as much as you do, Lois."
"Thanks, Clark. I know it means a lot to her that she's got people cheering her on."
"And your parents?"
Lois managed to roll her eyes as she swerved around a taxi. "Mom doesn't think she'll do it and Dad still hasn't returned her phone call. That was four days ago."
"Yikes," Clark said, truly saddened by the Lane family dynamics. "I'm sorry, Lois."
Lois snorted. "Don't be sorry for me."
"But, I am. No one should have parents that are that so utterly disconnected from their kids."
A soft sigh escaped her. "Yeah. Not all of us get lucky, like you. Your parents are just so amazing."
"Well, I'm happy to share them."
Hopefully as your in-laws, some day.
"Thanks."
"I talked to them a little bit last night. They said they were glad that your morning sickness seems to be abating. Mom, in particular, had been worried about you."
"See? That's exactly what I mean! Your parents are so accepting and loving and considerate. Whereas mine..." She shrugged.
"So," Clark said, reaching over and briefly taking her hand, "I take it you haven't spoken to them yet."
"Yes and no."
Clark raised one eyebrow. "Okay...?"
"I talked to her two nights ago, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her about the baby."
"Why not?" he asked gently. "I mean, you were so ready, last time we talked about it. At least, you seemed ready. Or at the very least determined."
"I know. I lost my nerve."
"Honey, you can't hide it forever," Clark reminded her, brushing his hand over her arm as she continued to drive.
"I know," she repeated. "But you should have heard her on the phone that night, Clark. Before I could tell her, she just had to tell me how she ran into Michelle Knox, one of my old elementary school classmates. Turns out that she's pregnant and not married. That set my mother off on a whole rant about 'girls these days' and 'doesn't anyone get married before having children anymore' and 'of course, in my case, the marriage was a waste.'" She made quotation marks in the air as she spoke, holding the wheel with her palms, while trying to mimic Ellen's voice. "It was horrible. I felt like dirt afterwards. I mean, I'm an unwed soon-to-be mother, if I choose to keep the baby. I'm exactly what she was complaining about. And what's worse? I don't even know for sure who the father of my child is!" Her once calm and controlled demeanor dissolved into near hysterics as she brought the car to an abrupt halt outside the courthouse, in the first available spot they'd seen.
"Hey," Clark said, turning slightly to her. He reached over and lovingly stroked her cheek with his finger, brushing away a stray tear. "Hey. It's okay. You don't have to tell her until you're ready. And if you prefer, we can do it together. As far as Ellen needs to know, I am this child's father, regardless of who it was who actually...contributed his DNA. Because that's the truth. You and I are in this together. Luthor will never be this baby's father."
"Thanks, Clark. I appreciate it."
"It's the truth, Lois."
"I know." She sighed. "I'm not ready to tell her. I mean, she only needs to know if I keep it, right? She doesn't need to know, if I terminate, right?"
"That's...that's up to you, Lois," Clark said, trying hard to find the right words. Three weeks had passed since they'd been in the doctor's office and seen their child doing an entire gymnastics routine on the ultrasound machine monitor. "If you think you'd feel more comfortable keeping it a secret, I'll protect that secret with my life. And if you choose to tell her, regardless of what you do about the pregnancy, I'll be there to stand by your side and defend you if need be."
"I'm lucky to have you," Lois said, a tremulous smile on her lips.
"No. I'm the lucky one, Lois. I have you. One day, I hope you'll understand just how deeply I mean that."
****
The day dragged on far longer than Clark had thought it would. Lex never took the stand. Every effort was made to start building the case against him. Clark had silently nodded to himself as the prosecutors had set the stage, describing a monster in human form who had directly been responsible for the rise in the city's crime statistics, illegal dealings, and the deaths of untold numbers of people. Throughout it all, he'd kept his arm securely snaked around Lois' waist, hoping to impart some level of comfort and strength to her.
He knew, despite her assurances to him, that seeing Luthor couldn't be easy for her. As things stood, it wasn't easy for Clark himself to sit there and look at the man. Rage boiled inside him. Hatred burned his heart. It was rare for Clark to truly and unreservedly hate a person. But Luthor easily topped that short list.
He wondered idly how long this trial would last. As far as he was concerned, it could not be over quickly enough for his liking. He wanted to put the whole thing, and Luthor himself, behind him. He just wanted to move on with his life. His life with Lois, and possibly the child she carried.
By the end of the day, both he and Lois were mentally exhausted. For Lois, that exhaustion extended to her physical self as well. She opted for a quiet and quick burger at one of their favorite diners, then retired to her apartment for what she described as a "long soak in the tub and an early bedtime." Clark couldn't fault her for being so tired. After all, she was still growing an entire person. He brought her home, saw her safely into her apartment, then went for a long patrol around the city after kissing her goodnight.
He thought about going home for a while, back to Kansas to be with his parents for part of the night, but he didn't want to face them. He hadn't yet told them about Dr. Klein's findings - that there was no possible way he could be the father of Lois' baby. He wasn't embarrassed by the findings, but he was deeply, immeasurably saddened over them. He wanted, more than anything, to have a family of his own - children born of his own blood, who he could see parts of himself in, along with the best parts of Lois.
Now that hope was gone - ripped away to leave his heart battered and bleeding. Doubts had begun to creep in, where they had never existed before. Was he good enough for Lois? Would she reject him, if he couldn't give her children, once he told her the truth? And he knew that he would, eventually, have to tell her the truth. She deserved to know everything before he could ask her to spend her life with him as husband and wife.
In order to keep his mind otherwise occupied, he widened his patrol to the rest of New Troy. He found a few minor car accidents to attend to, a gas station robbery, and would-be jumper on a small bridge over a deep ravine on a lonely stretch of country road. He easily dealt with all of them, spending the most time with the jumper - a distraught young woman who'd lost her entire family to a house fire a few months before. He sat with her for a long while, listening when she seemed in a mood to talk, and offering condolences and advice when she appeared to be looking for him to say something. At long last, he convinced her to have herself checked out at the nearest hospital so that she could get the help she truly needed. He personally brought her there, promising to drop her car off in the parking lot of the hospital afterwards, seeing that she was in no shape to drive herself anywhere.
Once he was done, he headed back to his apartment. While he was grateful for the hours that had passed by unnoticed as he'd lent his aid to those in need, he was getting tired. He was looking forward to a hot shower and his bed. When he finally reached his bed, he crawled under the covers and was asleep in minutes.
***
"You're a lifesaver," Lois said with a smile as she dug a plastic spoon into the cookie dough ice cream Clark had brought her.
"Maybe," Clark grinned at her. "But cookie dough? Since when does the great Lois Lane ever pass up on whatever chocolate overload she can get?"
"I know," she replied with a carefree shrug. "Weird, huh?"
"So weird that I'm questioning whether or not you're the real Lois," Clark joked. He pulled a cream soda out of the same brown paper bag the ice cream had been in. "To wash it down," he explained.
"Ice cream?" Cat observed as she sauntered by. Clark averted his gaze and retreated to his own desk. The woman's top barely existed - just a few strategically placed bands and straps of fabric to maintain any modicum of modesty. "At eleven in the morning?"
"So?" Lois shot back. "What's your point?"
Cat shrugged. "Do what you like. But, between us, you should probably be watching what you eat. I mean, you have put a little weight on."
Lois pulled the spoon from her mouth. "Is that so?" she asked coldly.
"Well, it's not totally noticeable," Cat shrugged, "but yeah, I see it. All on your waist too."
"Uh huh," Lois said in a flat, deadly voice as she forcefully slammed the spoon onto the top of her desk. "But, there's something you're forgetting, Cat."
"Oh?"
Clark tried to hide it as he cringed. Lois and Cat had a long, rich history of traded insults and open hostility. Still, he could hardly believe that Cat had had the gall to comment on Lois' weight. He ducked his head as though he was concentrating hard on the research materials on his desk. He did wonder if he should come to Lois' aid, but thought better of it. He knew she liked to fight her own battles with Cat.
Lois nodded. "I can always lose weight. You, however, will always have an ugly personality."
"Ouch," Cat said, feigning hurt. "The burn. It stings. But seriously, you can't expect a man like Clark to not consider chasing someone who does care about her figure."
"Still bitter that he chose me over you, huh?" Lois shot back, eyebrow arched. "Didn't you know that Clark doesn't date old women?"
"Experience doesn't make me old," Cat said, crossing her arms.
"No, but your birth year does."
By this point, Clark had heard enough. He decided to intervene. He picked up a file and brought it to Lois' desk, doing his best to make it look like a normal, casual movement. He sat on the edge of Lois' desk.
"Hey," he said. "Sorry to interrupt. Lois? Can we go over our research on the rash of car break-ins?"
Cat snorted in displeasure, but she took the hint and left, heading toward the coffeemaker. Lois looked at Clark, her face plainly displaying her relief that he'd chosen to swoop in to save her from that conversation. It was also obvious that she knew he didn't actually want to discuss the file in his hand.
"Thanks," she said in a low, confidential voice.
"I'm so sorry," he replied, gazing for a moment, in the direction Cat had wandered.
"Is it really that obvious?" Lois wondered in a quiet, distracted voice.
"No," Clark said in a matching tone, shaking his head slightly. "You still look perfect to me."
"She...she isn't right, is she? About us? About you?"
"That stuff about me chasing other women?" Clark shook his head as a near-snort emerged. "Not a chance." He gave her his best smile.
"But....I am starting to change, aren't I?"
"Your eating habits, maybe," Clark conceded, "but you don't look any different to me."
It was true. He didn't see much difference in how Lois looked, and he wondered how Cat had picked up on it. Unless, of course, she'd been bluffing. He couldn't discount that as a possibility.
"So, did you want to go out tomorrow?" he asked. "I was thinking we could hit up the New Troy Spring Renaissance Faire."
"That's right," Lois mused. "They're trying out a spring one for the first time, in addition to the fall."
Clark nodded. "Interested?"
"Actually, I have a few things I need to do tomorrow. Maybe next..." She checked her desk calendar, to see when they were both off next. "Saturday?"
"Sounds good. Can you at least do dinner with me?" He gave her a false pout. "I'll miss you too much otherwise."
Lois smiled tenderly and caressed his cheek. "I'll try to."
Clark brightened. "In that case, let me make some reservations. I can always cancel if need be."
Lois touched his hand and shook her head. "No. I think I'll probably just want a quiet dinner at home."
Clark nodded. "Whatever you want is fine by me."
***
"Clark?" Lois asked, the tone of her voice instantly concerning him. "Clark, open up! I know you're home! Please, be home."
Clark shut the book he was reading and dashed to the door, making sure to grab his glasses in the process. He cleared the steps to the landing in a single bound and unlocked the door before opening it. Lois was behind the door, her fist raised to knock again. She looked surprised to see Clark already at the door.
"Lois? What's wrong?" he asked.
The redness in her eyes gave away the fact that she'd been crying. She dropped her hand and used it to wrap herself into a hug. It was cool out that night to be sure, but far from cold. Still, the way she held herself told Clark that she wasn't protecting herself from the howling wind.
"Come in," he added, putting his arm around her and ushering her inside, before shutting the night air out.
He took her jacket from her as she moved into his apartment and took her accustomed seat on the couch. She pulled her knees up to her chest as best she could and wrapped her arms around them. Clark could see her rocking her body ever so gently back and forth.
"Lois, what's going on? You're scaring me," he admitted.
"I couldn't do it," she said numbly, staring straight ahead, as if nothing else existed.
"Do it? Do what?"
"I'm sorry, Clark."
"For what?"
"I never wanted this...Oh, God, what have I done?"
"Lois, honey, slow down. I can't follow a word you're saying." He knelt down before her, cupping her chin in his palm, and forcing her to make eye contact with him. "Lois?"
Lois closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. Clark used his thumb to wipe away her tears, which had begun to flow once more. He kissed her forehead gently.
"You can tell me anything," he reminded her. "Tell me what's going on. I want to help you, if I can. Please?"
Lois nodded and took another deep, steadying breath. "Remember when you asked me to go to the Renaissance Faire, yesterday?"
"Of course," Clark said, gently easing himself into a partial stand to sit on the coffee table before Lois, instead of being on the floor. "You said you had some things to do."
"I did. Kind of. That is, well, I tried to do it."
"Honey, you keep saying that. What did you try to do?" he pressed in a soft, concerned tone.
"I made an appointment. I was going to...put an end to things. This pregnancy...it's been nothing but a source of...of fear and lost sleep for me. And not just how often I get up to use the bathroom. I've been thinking about it non-stop. How I'm not sure I can be a good mother. How I'm not sure I can stand the thought of raising this baby if it turns out to be Luthor's." She fidgeted on the couch and hugged her own body tighter. "How I don't think I can be strong enough to carry this baby to term and then hand it over to some stranger."
Clark silently relocated to the couch, next to her, before speaking. He drew her into his sheltering embrace and gently brought her head to his chest.
"You said you were 'going to' do this," he whispered into her hair. "What happened?"
"I couldn't go through with it," she replied with a sniffle. "I was there, in the waiting room. I knew all about what was coming - the doctor had briefed me on the procedure and I've been reading up on what, exactly, happens during it. It's disturbing in a way, but I was okay with doing what I needed to do."
"So, what happened?" Clark asked when she paused, knowing that she was giving him a chance to absorb everything she was saying. He kissed the top of her head to show her that he was there to support her, not judge her.
"As I was sitting there, I started to think. I knew what was going to happen. I knew all about how the baby would be...removed. And I started to think. I couldn't help but remember those women, and even the men, who'd been at the opening of the fertility clinic. How they were willing to sell everything they owned and take out a second mortgage on their homes for the chance to have a baby - the very thing I was throwing away. That was when I started to cry. How could I be so selfish? How could I end the life within me, when so many others would kill for the chance to be pregnant?"
"Lois, your...our situation isn't the same. It has no bearing on those other couples," he reminded her in a gentle voice.
"I know." She nodded slightly against his chest, but did not break contact with him. "But I couldn't stop thinking about it. And then, I got this flashback to the last ultrasound. How it was clearly a little person bouncing around in there. I tried, that day, to...well...harden myself. I didn't want to love that baby, because I knew the chance of me deciding to keep it was slim to none. But..." Her voice trailed off and Clark felt her tears soaking through his old Property of Smallville Athletics t-shirt.
"But you couldn't help it," he supplied. It was not a question.
"I tried. But seeing that baby moving around...suddenly, I wasn't sure if it matters, who the biological father is. That baby is half of me. And you are the father, no matter what genetics say. I love this baby, Clark. And I love you. I hope...I hope you aren't upset. Are you?"
"Upset?" Clark asked, sounding like a man coming out of a daze. "Why in the world would I be upset?"
Lois lifted her head to peer up at him. "This baby...it kind of throws a wrench into everything."
Clark smiled down at her. "Maybe. I mean, sure, we didn't plan on raising a family right now. But, the truth is, Lois, part of me...a big part of me, has been hoping that you'd choose to keep this child. Now, I know I said I would back you up one hundred percent, no matter what you chose to do," he said quickly, seeing the way her brow scrunched up before she could point out his promise. "And I would have. But, well, the idea of raising a child with you...it's what I've always dreamed of."
"So, you're really, truthfully happy about this?" she asked in a small, still worried, voice.
"I am," he confirmed with a nod and a smile.
Lois twisted in his arms and kissed him hard and deeply. Clark melted into the kiss, any thoughts he had scattering as her lips caressed his. He wrapped her in his arms, his fingers running through her dark, silky hair. After a moment, he felt her fingertips running up and down his back, tracing random patterns over the thin cotton shirt he was wearing. In that moment, Clark's world was perfect.
"We have a lot to figure out still," Lois reminded him after their kiss ended.
"I know. But we also have a lot of time to figure out all of the details."
"Not that much time," she argued. "But there are some things that need to be discussed before others. Like when we're going to tell people."
Clark grinned. "My parents are going to be so happy."
Lois laughed. "Mine might have a stroke when I tell them."
"We'll do that together," Clark promised with a chuckle. He kissed the top of Lois' head. "I can't believe it. We're going to be parents."
***
Help!
Clark groaned and rolled to one side, burrowing his head into the pillow. He didn't want to get up. He wanted to stay in bed, Lois laying sprawled alongside of him.
She had stayed late as the two of them had begun serious discussions about the baby. Lois wasn't yet ready to announce to the bullpen, especially since she hadn't told her own parents yet. There was a lot to consider, the announcement being the least of it. Living arrangements, naming the baby, even if they wanted to run a pre-birth DNA test. Clark has his reasons for not wanting it done - namely, the slight risk of miscarriage, and the possibility that, if the baby miraculously was his, the DNA might out him as being something other than a human Earthling. He spoke only of his concern of miscarriage though. He wasn't yet ready to tell Lois his secret. Lois too was afraid of that small, but real, risk and had agreed with Clark.
Help me, please!
Again, Clark groaned, this time opening his eyes. He glanced at the clock. Four am. He forced himself to slide out of bed, careful not to wake Lois. Silently, he walked to the living room, grabbed a Superman uniform from his hidden closet, and changed at top speed into the hero. He left via the front door, to afraid to risk being seen if he flew off from the terrace. He'd have to sneak through his bedroom to do that. At least it was the dead of night. He had almost no chance of being seen exiting his front door. Only one neighbor worked early, but even he still wouldn't be up at this hour. Another neighbor was a self-confessed insomniac, but, as Clark listened carefully, her apartment was blissfully silent.
At top speed, Clark flew off, stopping only when he punched through the cloud coverage. He paused for a moment, listening intently, but the world below still slumbered on. His departure from his apartment had gone unnoticed. With a sigh of relief, he sank back down below the clouds, trying to pin point the direction of the cry for help. In the span of two heartbeats, he had it, and rocketed off through the night, heading toward the interstate.
What he found when he arrived broke his heart. Four badly smashed cars were pointing in random directions all over the five lanes of road. And one large tractor trailer had jackknifed, causing what little traffic had been on the road at that small hour to come to a complete halt. Police and ambulances were beginning to arrive on the scene, but Clark could tell, even as he started into a landing, that there was no way everyone had made it out of the accident alive. The small red Chevy was too badly destroyed, and there were no signs of life as he scanned with his powerful senses.
He landed lightly next to the Chevy and immediately pulled the door off the vehicle. Blood greeted him as he pushed the airbag away and extracted the unmoving body from within. He felt for a pulse, listened for a heartbeat, and checked for breath, only to find none. Clark handed the woman over to the first paramedic to reach his side. He went to the next car while the EMTs began to attempt to revive the woman, though Clark wasn't hopeful they could save her. Her entire body condition was extremely bad.
In all, two other people had died, both in an aging Oldsmobile, and the rest sported varying degrees of injuries. Most were minor, one was critically serious. Clark hoped the man would make it, but he wasn't overly confident about it. Only one person involved had escaped unscathed - a sleeping three month old boy, snuggled in his car seat while his parents got an early start on their cross-country drive to visit family.
The driver of the tractor trailer couldn't stop shaking and weeping. "I tried to stop," he kept repeating, as if that was the only thought circulating around in his mind. Clark wondered if perhaps it was. He clasped the man on his shoulder and assured him that he believed him when the man said that he'd tried everything to avoid colliding with the Chevy.
After about an hour and a half, Clark and the officers had gotten help for everyone involved, cleared the roadway, and pieced together what had happened. The driver of the Chevy had been flying down the middle lane going in the wrong direction, presumably after getting onto the Interstate from one of the exit ramps. The Chevy had hit the Oldsmobile first, then ricocheted off into the other vehicles before hitting the tractor trailer last. The driver had tried to switch lanes when he realized that the car was coming straight at him. He'd panicked and lost control, and the car had slammed into him anyway. He'd walked away with minor cuts to his face from hitting the windshield.
One of the officers on the scene had known the woman driving the Chevy - they'd been casual, but not close, friends in high school. She admitted to knowing that the woman had been suffering from a lot of depression and financial stress - her company had downsized and laid off more than half of their staff without warning. The driver, Lauren, had been one of those who'd lost their job. She'd been trying for eight months to land something else, but had remained unsuccessful. With mounting debts and creditors constantly calling her, she'd had to move back in with her parents at the age of thirty. But, in the last month, she'd finally gotten another job, even if it was low paying and physically demanding. The last time the officer had spoken with her, Lauren had seemed happy enough. Suicide had been the last thing the cop had ever anticipated.
When Clark finally began his slow flight home, sadness weighed heavily in his mind. He hadn't known the driver of the Chevy, nor would he ever. She'd been pronounced dead at the scene after the paramedics failed to revive her. But he couldn't imagine things being so bad that a person saw death as the only way out. And his heart broke for the family she'd left behind.
He finally arrived at his apartment. Carefully, painstakingly, he checked the area before deeming it safe to land. He slipped in through the front door without a sound, then slipped back into his sleep clothes before hiding away his suit in the secret closet behind his wine rack. He was about to tiptoe his way back into the bedroom when he heard the toilet flush. Lois emerged out into the hallway, her face the very picture of rage.
To Be Continued...
