Supercop II: The Black Knight -- Final
by Nan Smith
Previously:
Norma glanced down at herself, clad in her flannel pajamas. This was hardly how she wished to appear to her fellow officers when they arrived, but disturbing the scene of a crime wasn't something she wanted to do, either. With a mental shrug, she turned to Robert Owens. "You are under arrest," she stated. "We can probably start with breaking and entering, and assault with a deadly weapon. I'm sure we'll find other crimes to charge you with when we really get into this thing. In the meantime, you have the right to remain silent ..."
**********
And now, the final part:
Norma Randall watched through the living room window as Detective Wolfe shook hands with Henderson and got into his car. The detective drove away, to return to the station and no doubt to spend many hours with all the details of dealing with the arrest of the Midtown Rapist. Norma fingered the strip of adhesive tape that covered the scratch on her jawline given to her by Robert Owens' knife.
It had been a close thing. She had to admit that to herself. She probably could have defeated Owens, especially after the way Sue had slugged him with her mother-in-law's vase, but fortunately the Knight had shown up and saved her the necessity of doing so.
Now that it was all over, maybe she could begin to relax, she thought. She didn't feel at all sleepy, even though several hours had elapsed since the events of the morning. It was a good thing they'd given her the night off because she'd probably have been falling asleep on the job if she'd had to go in to work.
Sue Henderson smiled wanly at her from the sofa. "Well," she said, "that was certainly exciting."
"I prefer dull," Norma said. She shook her head. "What on Earth were you thinking, Sue? I told you to run. Why didn't you?"
"I was afraid he was going to kill you." Sue grimaced and put a hand on her middle. "I should have, but it never occurred to me. Now all I have to do is figure out how to replace Edna's vase, so she won't know what happened to hers."
Henderson entered the room and dropped onto the sofa beside his wife. "I called Dr. Baynor," he said. "He told me to bring you over to his office so he can check you."
"Bill, I'm fine," Sue protested.
"Yes, I know, but I'm not," Henderson said. "I want to be sure you're all right."
Sue rolled her eyes and gave in. "All right, but I warn you, the cramps are as irregular as ever. He's probably going to tell me to go home and call him when something actually happens."
"Probably," Henderson said. "Humor me."
"All right." Sue started to stand up and her husband was instantly on his feet to give her a hand. She glanced at Norma. "I hope you can manage to get a little sleep while we're gone. I wouldn't be able to, that's for sure."
Norma shook her head. "I'm too charged up. Maybe I'll carve that pumpkin for you. Besides, it's past noon. The junior trick-or-treaters will be coming around in a couple of hours. If you're not back by then, I can hand out the candy."
"We'll be back," Sue said with confidence. "Just in case they start showing up early, though, the candy's in the cupboard to the right of the refrigerator."
"Got it," Norma said. She watched as Henderson gathered up his wife's purse and helped her into her coat. "Good luck. And, sir --"
Henderson looked at her, deadpan as usual. "Yes?"
"I don't expect to see the Black Knight again very soon, but you probably will," she said. "If you do, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell him that if there's ever anything I can do for him, all he has to do is say so. I owe him my life at least once and maybe twice in two days. You can't really thank someone for something like that, but I'd like him to know how grateful I am."
Henderson smiled one of his characteristically faint smiles. "I'll tell him," he said. "I'm glad you're all right, Randall."
"Thank you, sir," Norma said.
**********
"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Sue asked as Henderson started the car and pulled out of the driveway.
"I'm taking some of my emergency time off," he told her.
Sue looked at his expression and then suddenly slid a hand over his. "I'm sorry, Bill. I should have run, like Norma told me to. I was just so scared he was going to kill her, I didn't even think. I just grabbed the first heavy thing I saw and hit him with it."
Some of the knot in his middle unwound slightly. "I know. But just the thought of losing you scares me," he said. "If I hadn't gotten there in time --"
"If you hadn't gotten there, Norma would have handled it," Sue replied seriously. "She almost did anyway."
"She's a good cop," Henderson said. He lifted his hand from the gearshift and turned it over, engulfing her small hand in his larger one. "I'm sorry to get all overprotective, honey but I waited forty years to find the right woman. I can't help it."
"I don't mind," she replied. "Anyway, it's not likely to happen again. If it does, I promise to call for help instead of smashing your mother's vase. I'm sorry about that, Bill. I wish I'd grabbed that ugly floor vase my Aunt Gertrude gave us."
"Don't worry about it," he told her. "It's gone in a good cause, and I think my mother will understand."
"I hope so," she said. She grimaced slightly and took a deep breath. "You know, these things are getting a little harder. Maybe something actually is happening." She glanced sharply at him and added, "If it is, it's going to take a while. Don't you dare stick that light on the roof and turn on the siren! I'd die of embarrassment!"
He found himself grinning a little. "As far as I know, no one's ever really died from embarrassment."
"No, but I'll bet they wished they had!" she said tartly.
"Your wish is my command," he said meekly. "We'll be at the doctor's office in fifteen minutes anyway."
Fifteen minutes and two contractions later, they pulled up at the medical offices of the Bayside Medical Group, of which Sue's doctor was a member. Henderson parked the car and went around to the passenger side to help his wife out.
"Just a minute. It's almost over." Sue had closed her eyes and was breathing deeply. Henderson counted silently, noting that the contraction lasted a good twelve seconds. When it was over, he helped her out of the car.
"I don't think this is a false alarm," he told her. "Can you make it all right?"
"If it takes another seven minutes until the next one, I'll be fine," she said, determinedly.
"Okay then, let's not waste any time." After locking the door, he escorted his wife quickly into the nearly empty lobby. The medical offices weren't usually busy on weekends. The doctors took turns covering for each other in case of emergencies. The weekend receptionist looked up as they came through the doors. "Mr. and Mrs. Henderson?"
Henderson nodded. "That's us. I think we should have headed over to the medical center instead."
"Oh?" The woman looked sharply at Sue.
"They're getting more regular," Sue admitted, "and harder."
"Well, let's see what Dr. Baynor says." The receptionist pressed a button on her board. "Dr. Baynor, the Hendersons are here."
Twenty minutes later, they were getting back into their car. Henderson had to restrain the urge to peel out of the lot at reckless speed. Sue lay back in the seat, breathing deeply. "Take it easy, Bill. Dr. Baynor says its going to be hours. We have plenty of time to get there."
"What does *he* know?" Henderson muttered.
"Oh, right," Sue answered. "He's only been an obstetrician for twenty-five years." She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Henderson gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to turn on his siren. Sue was right. They had plenty of time -- but all of a sudden Metro General seemed miles away instead of only a few blocks.
The traffic ahead of them came suddenly to a stop and he stared in dismay at the accident on the side of the road some distance ahead of them. It was just a fender-bender but of course every rubber-necker in the city of Metropolis had to slow down to get a good look. Making up his mind, he pulled out his cell phone and punched in Clark Kent's number. Within seconds, Clark's voice emerged from the speaker. "Kent."
"Clark," Henderson said, "I wonder if you could get hold of Superman for me. We're a few blocks from the hospital. Sue's in labor and we've got a traffic jam ahead of us. It's not an emergency, but --"
"Say no more," Clark's cheerful voice said. "He'll be right there."
**********
"I told you it was going to be a girl." William Henderson was seated in a chair next to Sue's bed at Metro General, watching the tiny dark-haired baby girl sleeping soundly in the clear plastic bassinet.
Sue smiled at him. She looked tired, he thought, but happy. "Well, you were right. You're sure you're not disappointed that she wasn't a boy?"
"Not a bit," Henderson said firmly. "She's a healthy, beautiful girl -- almost as beautiful as you are."
"I guess you learned early that flattery will get you everywhere, Chief Inspector Henderson," she said. "I'm pretty glad to be able to see my toes again, too." She flexed them under the sheet. Henderson chuckled softly and tweaked one of the toes through the cloth.
There was a light knock on the doorframe and Clark Kent's voice said, "May we come in?"
"Sure." Henderson pushed the bed curtain aside with one hand. Clark, accompanied by Lois, entered the curtained cubicle. He set a bouquet of pink carnations on the nightstand.
"How are you, Sue?" Lois asked.
"I'm fine," Sue answered. "I had a really easy time."
Clark extended a hand and shook Henderson's. "Congratulations, Bill. I remember you saying you kind of hoped it was a girl. What's her name?"
There was another knock on the door and Henderson turned to see Norma Randall and her husband, Neil, standing there. Norma was holding a teddy bear that was larger than the baby.
"May we come in?" she asked.
"Sure," Henderson said.
Norma and Neil entered and Norma set the teddy bear down on the foot of Sue's bed. "Congratulations," she said, looking at the baby. "What's her name?"
"Valerie, after my mother," Sue answered. "And Dawn, just because Bill likes the name."
"That's beautiful," Norma said. She glanced at Neil, who chuckled.
"You know," Neil said, "you're setting a bad example, Inspector. I have a feeling the pressure I'm getting is going to increase after this."
Henderson snorted. "Just give in gracefully," he advised. "You're going to lose anyway. You might as well earn a few brownie points in the process."
Norma laughed and elbowed her husband in the side. "Inspector Henderson is a smart guy, honey," she said. "You should listen to him."
Clark had bent over the sleeping baby. "She looks like you," he said to Sue.
"How can you tell?" Sue asked. "Of course she's the most beautiful baby in the nursery, but she looks like a baby."
"She has your nose and your face shape," Clark said. He straightened up and Henderson saw him look at Lois, For a moment he felt a pang of regret for his friend. Clark wanted children and, given his extra-Terrestrial origin, it was highly unlikely that he and his wife would ever be able to have any.
A soft chime sounded over the intercom and a voice announced the end of visiting hours in ten minutes. Clark gave a last wistful look at the baby and turned to Henderson. "I guess we'd better go before they throw us out," he said. "We wanted to stop in and see you, though, even if it was just for a few minutes. Congratulations again, to both of you. We'll try to drop by your place after you've had a chance to get this pretty little thing settled in."
"Fine with me," Henderson said, dryly. "Don't expect anything fancy when you do, though. I expect to be sleep-deprived for at least three or four months."
He heard Norma laugh softly.
The visitors lingered until the buzzer sounded, announcing the end of visiting hours for the night. Henderson bade them goodbye and then sank down in the chair again beside his wife. Sue yawned and reached out to press the button that lowered the head of her bed. "I'm ready to get some sleep."
Henderson stood up and reached over to lower the level of the light shining on them. "How's that?"
"Good," his wife said. She hid a small yawn behind her hand. "I love you, Bill."
Valerie began to stir and whimper, as if on cue, and Sue gave a faint sigh. "Hand her to me, would you?"
"Sure." Henderson got to his feet. Cautiously, he slipped his large hands under his tiny daughter and lifted her gingerly.
Sue laughed softly. "She's not going to break. Just give her to me."
Henderson gently transferred his daughter into his wife's arms. Sue checked and sighed again. "She's wet. Hand me one of the diapers and the wipes, would you? I need to change her before I feed her."
Henderson obeyed and watched as Sue efficiently changed the infant's diaper and then lifted her into her arms, beginning to pull at the top of her gown. A few seconds of rooting and fussing gave way to the sounds of a suckling baby. Henderson smiled, leaning back in his chair. He would have to go home soon and catch a few hours of sleep, but for now he was content to sit here watching his wife and daughter.
The hospital window showed a night sky alight with the glow from the mega-city below. The moon wasn't visible -- probably they were on the wrong side of the hospital to see it, he thought absently. But here in this room was everything Inspector Henderson of the Metropolis Police Department had ever wanted. It was something that he would spend his life protecting and making safe, both in his capacity as a police officer and in his other identity of the Black Knight.
Life was good.
The End
