[Chapter 8: Essence][Metropolis - 4:56 pm (9:56 pm in Spain)]
Lois wrung her hands.
She had just gotten off the phone with Mav and was already dialing the Kents' phone number.
"Hello?" Martha answered.
"Hi, it's Lois," she greeted.
"Oh!" Martha said, and Lois could tell she immediately turned her head as she yelled the next words. "Jonathan! Jonathan! Lois is on the phone!"
She didn't have to wait long for them both to be on the line.
She glanced at the clock. Dr. Klein should be arriving in Spain soon because, according to Mav, the supersonic jet had taken off just after 2 pm and they suspected a three and a half hour flight time due to weather conditions.
"Lois?" Jonathan asked.
"I got through to the Foundation and spoke with Mav. Dr. Klein should be in Spain in about half an hour or so. A helicopter will take him directly from the airport to Kal. The hospital has a helicopter pad," Lois shared immediately. "Kal seems stable now, since they got in some sunlamps from Germany around 3 our time, but he's still unconscious."
"Sunlamps?" Martha asked.
The Foundation had given a statement soon after the news report of Superman’s collapse, briefly disclosing that a ‘medical team dispatched by the Foundation’ was on their way to Europe, but they hadn't said much about Superman's condition. They promised they would update the world when they had more information and thanked Spain, San Juan De Dios Hospital, the United Nations, the US Embassy, and the US Airforce for all of their efforts to help Superman.
Their statement was quickly followed by statements from the United Nations and the United States, along with many other countries, including Spain, wishing Superman a speedy recovery.
"The hospital spoke with Dr. Klein over the phone and he told them the lamps would help him. As for what happened, like the recent reports are saying, it involves his aura. Mav said they believe Kal tore it in his effort to protect those people fleeing the blast. I'm sorry I don't know more but I wanted to let you know I had gotten through to the Foundation," Lois said.
"Thank you, Lois. I'm glad he's under lamps now. That will certainly help," Martha said, her voice becoming a little more calm.
"Will you be heading there?" Jonathan asked.
Lois grit her teeth, immensely frustrated. "No. I've been tasked by Perry to cover things at the Foundation directly. The Planet’s European division is already outside of the hospital in Spain. Also, it would take me at least eight hours to get over there because it’s unlikely I would get a seat on a Concorde, and we don’t know what they’ll do. I know some people are already wondering if they’re going to move him back to Metropolis. I know that’s what Mav would prefer, so as much as I want to get over to Spain, I’d hate to miss him if they decide to bring him here.”
“Good point. Thank you for updating us. We’ve been . . . worried,” Jonathan said gruffly.
“I just wish we could do more. Mav said he’ll call me if anything changes. I think he suspects I know how to contact, well, you,” she admitted.
“Mav’s pretty smart, otherwise he wouldn’t have been chosen,” Martha said, trying to sound lighter than she felt.
“True,” Lois agreed. “I’ll call you if I learn anything new,” she promised.
“Thank you, honey,” Martha said.
O o O o O
[Puerto del Esperanza, Spain - 10:16 pm (5:16 pm in Metropolis)]
Nurse Francis glanced through the windows at the guards standing out in the hall. She was watching over Superman because they wanted someone present if anything happened. He still hadn't woken up, and although he had improved enough to avoid the more unorthodox treatment ideas discussed before, Francis knew she wasn’t the only one who was worried.
She shifted in her seat behind the three full-spectrum lamps that were on the right side of the bed. They were all directed at Superman’s form. He had a sheet across his waist and upper thighs, but all the rest of him was fully exposed to the lights that made the room slightly warmer than the rest of the hospital. Germany had sent the special lamps posthaste upon learning they could help Superman recover. There were a few other machines against the wall, displaying his vitals, and an IV pole with some fluids and medications hanging from it that Dr. Alcon and Dr. Klein felt would be beneficial to him. However, he didn’t have an intravenous line in, as his skin remained invulnerable, but a nasogastric tube in his nose. He also had an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.
She could hardly believe the sight, but there he was, more or less like any other critical patient.
His heart rate and blood pressure had risen, but they were still low. Fortunately, his temperature had notably improved, up from 33.9 and bobbing between 35 to 36 degrees Celsius (or 95-96.8 degrees Fahrenheit). He was now borderline hypothermic, instead of the definite moderate hypothermic he had been before. His lips were pink again, which was far better than the vibrant blue a few hours earlier.
Francis went still for a moment, feeling a brush of what they had concluded was part of his aura extending from his body like a stray ribbon rippling in the breeze.
There was definite power there, she had no doubt about that, but what she was most gripped by was the very presence that it seemed to exude. If she didn’t already believe in the existence of souls, she would now be convinced.
The strip of essence fell away, and she imagined a thin banner of cloth shifting across the room. But this was invisible and without substance, and yet it was as real as the floor beneath her feet.
The readings on the monitors hardly changed, but she glanced at them constantly.
What would the world do if he didn’t get better?
The heart monitor caught her eye, his pulse suddenly changing.
Was he waking up?
The ribbon was back, draping across her form like a blanket, but this time, it was different.
Instead of merely containing power and presence, there was
emotion.
She gasped and felt the emotion solidify into something she could recognize.
Fear.
She stood up and felt the ribbon tremble, as if startled.
“<Superman?>” she asked, hoping he could hear her. Hoping he was awake.
Fear receded just enough for her to sense . . . uncertainty?
“<Superman, you’re in San Juan De Dios Hospital. We have you in a private room under full spectrum lamps. Your doctor, Dr. Klein, should be here soon,>” she explained.
Relief surged through the invisible strip in the air and against her shoulder as she went around and approached the foot of his bed, ignoring the glare from the lamps.
She looked down at him and he looked the same as he had ten minutes before.
“<Are you awake?>” she asked.
There was silence for a long moment, and she wondered if she had somehow imagined the last minute, but then he answered.
/<I think I am, but I can’t move.>/
The voice made her jump, for the words hadn't been spoken, at least not verbally.
She quickly pushed the call button.
"<Dr. Alcon is on her way, I'll be back soon.>"
O o O o O
[Puerto del Esperanza, Spain - 10:27 pm (5:27 pm in Metropolis)]
Kal-El heard the nurse leave the room as he desperately tried to open his eyes, but they remained stubbornly shut.
He could feel the heat of sunlamps nearby and could see their glow from behind his eyelids, which he supposed was better than seeing nothing. However, he was much more concerned about why he couldn’t move, how long he had been out, and the insistent prickling sensation all over his skin that felt like thousands of fire ants marching to-and-fro.
Of course, he knew nothing was actually crawling on his skin because he felt it just as strongly on his back and such, but it was still very disconcerting. Granted, this was far better than the agonizing pain he had been in before. However, there were also other bizarre sensations. There was a distant pressure he couldn't quite locate that was more like the mental nudge he got when he was forgetting something, but he somehow knew this was very different. The other odd feeling was much more tangible, however. What on earth was on his face and . . . up his nose?!
Suddenly, his hearing mercifully distracted him.
"<What do you mean he 'thought' to you?>" Dr. Alcon asked.
"<Just what I said. He spoke in my head after I asked him if he was awake. He said he thought so but couldn't move. After that, I pushed the call button and came out here to wait for you,>" Francis said.
Dr. Alcon quickly translated what was said into English.
"That happened once before, when his aura had been warped by the sound weapon," a male voice said. Kal instantly identified the voice as Dr. Klein's. "After his aura recovered, he couldn't repeat what had happened."
"I see. Alright. Ready?” she asked.
"Yes, but I'll enter slowly and see if his aura responds at all," he said.
"I think that's a good idea. For myself and Francis, he hasn't reacted again, but considering we were there originally, maybe that'll affect things," she said.
With that, they opened the door and quietly entered.
"Superman, it's Dr. Alcon. Nurse Francis and Dr. Klein are with me. I understand you can't move, but if you can communicate the way you had with Francis, please do so,” she said, speaking English for Klein’s sake as they approached the foot of his bed.
Kal would have complied if he didn't experience a sudden wave of what could only be described as discombobulation.
He felt the pull he quickly identified as his aura shifting, but it was less abrupt and less urgent - more testing than insistent. His heart rate elevated as he tried to comprehend what he was feeling exactly, but all he could really do was bask in the evolving tactile mesh and try not to be overloaded by it. He felt as if he had discovered another sense, and maybe he had.
He collected himself to attempt thought.
/Hey, Bernie,/ he managed, causing Dr. Klein to jump.
“Kal-El?” Dr. Klein asked, beside himself with excited curiosity. “Amazing! Telepathy! Dr. Alcon, Francis, did you hear him too?”
Dr. Alcon nodded, her eyes wide.
“Kal, how do you feel?" Klein asked. “Can you tell me how your aura is doing?”
Kal wished he could understand what he was feeling. Identify what the sensations meant, but it was all so jumbled and constantly moving. He was beginning to suspect his aura had been torn into several sections that were behaving like wide, weightless strips floating out from him. He had felt his aura moving since he had woken, but this was so much more noticeable that he couldn’t not focus on it now. Almost like a tone in the background that one can ignore with ease before something changes about it that makes it an incessant noise that demands attention.
/Torn. Like a flag ripped in several places./
“Are you in pain?” he asked.
/It's much better than it was./
"If you were to rate the pain?" Klein pressed.
/A four. It had been a two before you all walked in, but it had been a ten last night./
“<I’ll leave, maybe less people in the room will help,>” Francis offered, understanding enough English to come to that conclusion.
Dr. Alcon nodded appreciatively at her. “<Please update the Administrator. He’ll be happy to hear Superman’s awake, well . . . aware.>”
Francis left and they waited for Kal's response.
/That helped some. Pain's a three now./
"That's good. Can you describe more on what you're feeling?" Alcon asked.
How can colors be described to one who has never seen? Music to one who has never heard?
Kal mentally frowned as he tried to still the ever wavering ribbons extending from his form, slow the rippling strips of sense curving through the air and brushing against the two bodies near his bed. He couldn’t see them, but instinctively knew they were feeling varying degrees of concern, nervousness and amazement.
And then the pressure shifted and he could feel . . . defects - imperfections in the field he was contacting. These weren't emotions, but physical borders and conditions.
Maybe it was a good thing he couldn't move and open his eyes. Having to deal with sight on top of this new sense would be too much. And actually, it already was.
"Kal-El?" Dr. Klein asked, concern clear in his voice.
Kal felt the mesh conform around Dr. Klein, and before he could attempt to stop it, he once again experienced the pull at his center.
His body stiffened as he endured what he could only call an onslaught for a split second before he felt Dr. Klein's hand abruptly take hold of his forearm. Warmth bled back into him, and while the surge was still intense, he wasn't wishing for the release of unconsciousness before it ended.
"Was that like the seizure your team had witnessed before?" Dr. Klein asked, breathing heavily as he slid his hand to Kal's wrist to feel his pulse.
"Similar, but this one wasn't as severe. Maybe the sunlamps helped, though I think since his aura only extended into you this time instead of eight or so people. . . . But he did ease back down after you made contact with him during it. Why did you think to do that?" Dr. Alcon asked.
"I think the further the distance his aura has to travel during a . . . pulse, the more it takes out of him," Klein theorized while struggling with what terms to use. "Also, I'm hoping by touching him some of the essence he put in me went back to him," Klein said as Kal stirred. "Kal?"
/I think you're right,/ he thought out before opening his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. "It wasn't as bad as before," he whispered, his body slowly obeying him once again.
"Can you move?” Dr. Klein asked.
Kal tentatively raised his arm and closed and opened his hand before frowning.
“Everything is tingling a lot more, and. . . .” He closed his eyes, looking a little nauseous. “It almost feels like I’m moving, even though I know I’m not.”
“Can you sense what your aura is doing right now?” Klein asked.
“I think part of it is touching those walls,” he said, weakly pointing to the far left side of the room. “And I know part of it is touching you, but it’s . . . I don’t know, a lot to process.” He closed his eyes with a grimace.
“I wonder if you’re experiencing a sensory overload. It certainly sounds like you could be,” Klein suggested.
“Do you think you can control it at all?" Dr. Alcon asked.
Exhaling slowly, he tried to pull it back toward himself, but it was hard because he didn't really know
how to pull.
His aura seemed to spasm slightly before he stopped with a moan.
"Don't force it," Dr. Klein interjected quickly.
"Unless I imagined it, I think I did feel it move," Dr. Alcon commented, thinking.
"I think I'll have to learn . . . just like with my other abilities," he said, forcing himself to calm his breathing.
"Were your other abilities difficult to learn to control?" Alcon asked curiously.
"Some were, others were instinctive. Hearing was the hardest."
"Unfortunately, my guess is that this won't be like training your other abilities. Those were innate and natural to your biology. This is not. It's a result of an injury, so please go about it carefully," she said. "There's also the fact that your body is used to having this aura close against you, and now it's not."
"She's right. Your body is also constantly providing energy to extend it out, so be mindful of that. The last thing you need is for you to injure yourself further as you try to draw it back together,” Klein advised.
“I need to leave then. It’s too distracting here,” Kal admitted, slowly shifting himself and sitting up, even as Klein and Alcon moved forward in preparation to help. “Even now there’s . . . too much.”
He closed his eyes. /I need to go home. Mom and Dad will know what to do./
He grimaced and looked up at them, immediately concluding he had broadcast that thought by accident.
"Whoa, I think it would be best to wait until the sun rises at least before doing anything," Dr. Klein said, cajolingly. "I'm glad to see you seem to already be improving soon after expelling some energy into me, but let's not be hasty."
"I agree. You had been in shock less than six hours ago and you've only just recently woken up. Superman or not, I'd prefer we take things slowly," Dr. Alcon proposed.
Superman grudgingly nodded. "Okay. I'll admit staying under the lights until the sun comes up doesn't sound like a bad idea."
"Good. In the meantime, let me check you over properly," Dr. Klein said, adjusting his stethoscope.
Kal obliged and breathed deeply when prompted as Klein listened to his heart and lungs.
“I assume the Foundation is handling everything?” Kal asked.
“Yes, Mav and Julie have everything under control, although I should call them soon to give them an update. Unless you wish to call instead?” Klein asked, lowering the stethoscope.
“Either way is fine,” he said.
“Alright. I think you should rest. I’ll call,” Klein decided.
Kal eased himself back on the bed’s incline and smiled softly. “Very well.”
O o O o O
A/N: Just one more chapter for this half of Act 3
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