Nancy, I sem to have almost no time at all - as usual these days - but I so owe you soe feedback, don't I?
I really, really liked many things about this chapter, but I found it mystifying, too.
Clark closed his eyes tightly and thought about the meaning of his surroundings. Lying on a hospital gurney, the pale gray curtains, his son covered in a blue hospital blanket, and Jon's blue cape had been described to him many times. For a long time he had not understood why it was so important that he know what was coming. Now, as he had for several years, he was painfully aware of why he had to know. It didn't make it any easier.
He knew what was coming, but it didn't make it any easier.... This is as intriguing as it is confusing!
Dr. Dawson said, "It looks like Steel... what was it... Lightning is all tuckered out. He's a friend, right? I've wondered why there's never been anyone else like you. I guess there is now." He palpated Clark's abdomen. "Does that hurt?"
"Mmmph..." Clark put his hands to his abdomen.
"I guess that's a yes." Although he didn't really expect an answer, Dr. Dawson asked, "How did you get this bruise? It looks like somebody hit you with a baseball bat." He noticed the sad look on Superman's face, and he was very worried about him.
I like this.... Steel, uh, Lightning is all tuckered out. What a sweet expression that is in English, all tuckered out. But Superman looks so sad, and the doctor is worried about him.
Clark crossed his arms and looked at him with a pout. The next thing one of you two is going to tell me is that I have to have a catheter."
"No catheter - unless things change."
Caitlyn stood behind John Dawson and looked at Clark through narrowed eyelids and crossed her arms as if to say that he was being surly. Very softly, she said, "Kal-El."
"Sorry I'm grouchy. I'm just tired of being sick. You know?"
You missed a - what do you call them? A quote mark? One of these: ", as in "The next thing one of youis going to tell me....".
Anyway, I like seeing Clark surly and grouchy. I most certainly don't blame him for feeling bad and low. Seeing him react like that makes him human. Many bad things have happened to him, and he has been so weak lately.
Dr. Dawson said, "Yes, I can understand that. You *have* been through a lot. Have you seen a mental health practitioner, by the way?" Dr. Dawson was more worried about the sadness he could see on Kal-El's face than he was about any surliness.
"No."
Hmmm. The doctor is worried about Clark's mental health.
"Besides, you have a wedd... an event to attend this evening." She leaned forward and whispered. "They did manage to keep that pretty quiet, didn't they?"
Ahh!! Zared and Jenni are getting married! How nice!
Caitlyn left and Clark looked over to his still sleeping son. He bit back another sob. It would happen soon. Why did it have to be this way? Yes, yes, he'd been given some long explanation, but he didn't like it, no, not at all. It just didn't seem fair. He took a deep breath and collected himself. He absolutely could not break down.
Hmmm. Clark knows that something bad is about to happen, and it makes him so sad.
It was then that she slipped behind the curtain. Ah, she was so beautiful. He dropped his head and pretended to take great interest in the sheet that was pulled to his waist.
Okay... I can guess who this is... and I'm glad to see her, believe me. But why is she here? Now? How did Clark know she would come? Is this some sort of anniversary of theirs? The anniversary of their wedding? The anniversary of her death?
"You know this is crazy. It just seems suspiciously stupid to me. This just seems the long circuitous way of doing th..."
I have no idea what she's talking about!
She put one hand on her hip. "Oh. Let me guess. I told you to tell me that, huh? Ouch. Nasty bruise." She smiled. "How did you..."
He couldn't help but smile, too as he interrupted and said in a joking, chastising way, "You know the rules. I can't tell you. You can't tell me. Otherwise, I would have known about the bruise. And, dang, if I wouldn't have liked to know. It hurts." He dropped his head again and bit his lip. "But you can't tell me."
Lois knows his future? She knows it but can't tell him? And what is it that he can't tell her?
"Umm... Yeah, I know." She said brightly, "Okay. I hate these things. You know what I've told you, and I haven't told you yet. Is that..." She took a deep breath and said a silent, "Oh." She leaned down to get a better look at Jon's face. "Jon." She whispered, "That's Jon. Oh, he's so handsome. Just like his father." She giggled a little then raised an eyebrow, sighed, and said, "Who was that lady in here? She seemed a little too friendly for a doctor. I saw how she was acting. Not very professional."
And Lois gets to see her son. How adorable! But does that mean that she hasn't seen him for a long time? He has changed a lot since she saw him last?
"I was hiding two beds over. There's no patient there. I used a mirror to see what was going on." She shrugged her shoulders as if to say that he should know she would do something like that. "I had to make sure you were alone. Except for Jon, of course... umm... since he's asleep. So, who is she?"
"Umm..." He swallowed hard, and he felt uneasy. "Friend. Works at S.T.A.R. Labs."
She questioned, "Oh. Something happen to Bernie?" He sighed exasperatingly. "Oh, right. I can't ask that. It's just hard not to be nosy. That's just part of my nature."
I loved this! Lois couldn't help spying on Clark, and she was two beds away, since there were no patients there. She is not allowed to really ask him anything, but of course it is part of her nature to be nosy. <hugs Lois> (((((Lois)))))
"Yes, I know. That's one of the things I.. uh... Umm... Don't you have something for me?"
"Oh, yes. The thingy. Here's it is. You aren't going to lose it, are you? It's too important for that." She decided to tease him a little. "Hmmm.... You appear to be naked. Ooohhh... Maybe I can take a peek under there."
She is bringing him something?????
And he is naked under there. Oh, Clark, surely she can take a peek?
His look was pained. No! He just couldn't take any teasing. His answer was close to a snap. "Stop that! This is hard enough..."
"My point exactly, Clark." She grinned wickedly.
I love Lois!!! ((((((Lois))))))
He sighed and shook his head. "I'm not going to misplace it. I'll put in hyperspace. See." His hand, along with the 'thingy' disappeared into hyperspace. When his hand re-appeared, it was empty. "There."
Hyperspace! I love it! Did you get the idea from our round robin, Nancy?
Why are you so upset? You knew I was coming."
"Pain, I guess." He was definitely in pain and in more ways than she could possibly realize.
"Hmmm.... I suppose. I've probably already been here too long." She sighed, "Well, as much fun as this is, I guess I have to go now.
I
love that Lois is here, but her visit is completely mysterious to me!
Caitlyn poked her head in. "Excuse me. How did you get in here?" She pointed at Clark. "You, Kal-El, are not supposed to have visitors."
Oh-oh!!! Caitlyn comes in and sees Lois!
"I'll leave in a minute. He says you work at S.T.A.R. Labs. Well, you better take good care of him." She cocked her head and looked at Caitlyn then back at Clark. She hadn't failed to notice the look on Clark's face when Caitlyn entered the area. He was surprised but there was something else there - a tenderness... and love. She also was very aware of how Caitlyn was looking at him, and how she had been acting earlier. Oh, most people wouldn't have noticed a thing, but she was very perceptive. "Oh, I see. Oh. Oh. Oh. I know you wouldn't... You'd never... That means..." She took a deep breath and sighed. "Be happy, Clark. Be happy. Do you understand me? It's okay to be happy. I expect nothing less. Do you hear me?" Tears were threatening to spill when she turned to Caitlyn. "You don't seem surprised by what I called him, but.... I'm fairly sure I understand why. I called him that on purpose to gage your reaction. You better take care of him. And I don't mean professionally. I can see there is much more. Love him. He's a good man. The best. Please don't hurt him." She quickly turned and left. "I have to go now."
And this... I want to cry, because I love Lois so much, and this Lois is just absolutely, totally adorable. And she is dead, and she has to leave, but first she gives Clark and Caitlyn her blessing.... <sniffle>
When she had left, Caitlyn bent down to him and whispered, "Kal, who was that? Why did she call you...?"
He didn't answer right away. As he watched her, pondering over whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that part of his special vision skills had returned, she entered a housekeeping closet and vanished.
I love the idea that Lois is coming and going through a housekeeping closet. However, you should probably write, '
Lois entered a housekeeping closet' instead of, '
she entered a housekeeping closet'.
And Clark tells Jon that he wasn't supposed to know about this, and it would have been harder for Jon than for him to see Lois. Okay, colour me intrigued! What's going on here?
As they were flying home, Jon was very quiet but expectation hung in the air. Clark said, "Jon, I need some time. Okay? Then I'll explain. In the mean time you can't tell anyone. No one! If you do, you can jeopardize Zared's very existence here and possibly anywhere. Do you understand?"
Jeepers!!! If Jon tells anyone about Lois he may jeopardize Zared's very existence here! You sure have things to explain to us!!!
"I'd ask Bruce if I were you. There's not anything major that goes on in or under Wayne Manor that he doesn't know about. He thinks it's especially interesting that you and Hannah like to skinny-dip in one of the indoor pools - the one Bruce calls the 'little' pool. Besides, he knew you would keep the secret."
When his dad mentioned the skinny-dipping, Jon was rattled and lost a few feet in altitude. When his dad cleared his throat, he rose again. "Sorry. I'm surprised he never said anything. Most parents would."
Clark teased. "Well, if it had progressed to something more than skinny-dipping, then he may have said something. He says it's all been in fun, though. No hanky-panky."
Gaah! Poor Jon, being told that Bruce knows about everything that ever happened between him and Hannah!
Jon said thoughtfully, "Maybe that's one of the reasons Hannah is so ready to have sex. We've seen each other naked, so I guess..she..."
"Well, I can imagine it might seem to be a little easier to have sex if you have already gotten past that." They touched down on his dad's balcony. Clark put his hands on Jon's shoulders. He looked at his son compassionately. "Jon, you have always been more mature than your brother. You know that, right?"
Jon nodded. "Zared might disagree, but yeah, I know."
This is adorable. What a lovely father-son talk.
Clark pulled him into a hug. "Jon, you are very young - you are only seventeen, but if you think that I will be mad if you... 'go all the way' so to say, then I won't be. Now I'm not telling you whether you should or you shouldn't. That has to be your decision, but I just wanted you to know I won't be mad." Clark dropped his arms and said, "Come on in and sit a minute." When Jon had sat down, his dad started changing clothes. Clark said, "If you do decide to have sexual relations, just be responsible. Talk about it. Don't just jump into things. And it might be a good idea for Hannah to see Bernie or Caitlyn first. I doubt she has ever seen a doctor familiar with her somewhat unique physiology. I doubt she has ever had a pelvic exam, either. I imagine Bernie and Caitlyn would both think that's a good idea. It probably wouldn't hurt for you to get an exam, either. You did have a few kidney problems when you were younger. I don't think you've been to the Lab for a check-up in a quite a while, have you?"
And this.... Oh, Clark, what a wonderful father you are. Let me hug you. (((((Clark)))))
"Well, yeah. I mean, you know.....Your first time only occurs once."
Clark smiled and nodded. "Yes, it does. Better that it not be in a barn with someone you barely know."
"How did you... Zared would absolutely die if he knew you knew."
"Who says I was talking about Zared?" Clark teased.
"Dad, I know your first time was with mom. You told me so."
And I completely love this, too. Clark's first time was with Lois, but he knows that Zared's first time was with someone he barely knew in the Kents' farm. But he isn't mad at Zared.
Well, time flies, I just have time to quote a little more. Okay, Caitlyn and Clark talk about Lois's visit:
Clark nodded and moved to the bed. "Come hold me." His breath came out in a sob. "Okay?"
She lay down beside him and held him as he cried. He told her how much Lois had meant to him and how much he missed her. He told her how hard it had been to know she would be coming to see him. He told her how sad he had become as he lay in the emergency room and realized *when* she was coming. He shared with her his feelings over almost dying. He told her how sorry he was about what he had done to Mayson, and that he should have known better. Finally, he told Caitlyn how much he loved her. She listened quietly and held him tightly. Eventually he fell into a deep, sound sleep.
Caitlyn lay awake and thought about these things. She wondered if he had understood that Lois knew well before her death that she was going to die.
How extremely sad, and how beautiful at the same time.
Jon was exhausted. He was so tired. But he wanted to see Hannah. His dad made him realize something that he guessed he had known subconsciously for a very long time. He loved Hannah more than life itself. He still wasn't ready to to do 'everything' with Hannah, but he had the sudden need to tell her how he felt. She was in the makeshift guest room of the den. He walked in and closed the door, locking it behind him. He didn't want Marilyn or Bruce to find him here. The secret room could be accessed from here, too, though not easily, so if they did come by, he could disappear. He had been hoping Hannah might be awake, but she wasn't. She was sleeping peacefully. She looked so beautiful. He decided it would be enough to be with her right now. He smiled and sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs. He pulled his legs up underneath of him. He sat there and watched Hannah for a while then eventually started to become sleepy.
I love this - Jon's sweet love for Hannah....
He looked up. "Hannah." He smiled.
She patted the daybed she was in. "Come on, I'll make room."
He didn't hesitate. He got up, lay down beside her on the small twin sized bed, and then snuggled up against her. "Hannah, I love you. I love you so much."
She smiled. Jon was her best friend, and he had told her he loved her many times. He had never said it like this. She put her arms around him and pulled him to her. "I love you, too, Jon Kent."
Jon looked up at her with love in his eyes. He smiled and kissed her lips. Then he fell asleep in her arms.
And this is absolutely adorable.
I have no time to quote more, but I loved Clark's talk with Brook, too.
Wonderful, intriguing, poignant, mystifying chapter, Nancy!
Ann
