Chapter 2
Clark sat in silence as Lois deftly wove the Jeep through the early morning traffic. He’d slept poorly, plagued by nightmares of Mayson dying, and of her learning his secret. He wasn’t sure which he was more upset about: that she had discovered his secret identity, or the way she’d discovered it. He wanted to talk to her, apologize, and explain, while also finding out what she would do with that information. Mayson had made it crystal clear that while she wanted a deeper relationship with him, she wanted nothing to do with Superman and thought him a menace to society. Would her affection for Clark be enough to not tell the world?
As Lois pulled into the hospital parking lot, Clark felt another stab of guilt. Here he was, walking around feeling miserable and worried about himself while Mayson was seriously injured. As the Jeep came to a stop, Clark shook himself out of his musings. He couldn’t dwell on the worst until they had more information.
“We’re here,” Lois remarked, as if she knew his mind had been elsewhere.
He was grateful for her gentleness this morning. She’d arrived with coffee and hadn’t started the day pressing him for how he was doing. She’d reached out as if to give him a hug but had changed her mind, instead placing her hand on his upper arm, giving a gentle caress, before pulling her hand back.
They’d had quite the evening yesterday, before the car bomb, and they needed to talk. He knew he needed to let her know he was ok, they were ok, but he couldn’t face that conversation at the moment. He was too disgusted with himself for worrying about his secret being exposed.
“If you’d rather stay here, I can go in,” Lois’ voice interrupted his thoughts again.
“No, no. I’m fine.” He smiled briefly at her, and was rewarded with a brilliant smile in return. As they walked to the entrance Clark realized he had to work through this, not only for his sake, but for Lois’ too.
****
“What do you mean we can’t see her?” Lois angrily asked the doctor. “He was the one that saved her life,” she said, pointing at Clark.
“I thought Superman brought her in?” replied the doctor, raising an eyebrow.
“Sure, he brought her in, but he wasn’t the one risking his life to pull her out of an exploding car!”
That stabbing guilt in Clark’s chest became a gouging at Lois’ remark. He hadn’t exactly risked his life, though perhaps he’d risked his identity.
“Lois, it’s ok. We know she’s out of surgery,” he tried to placate her.
“But we got that information from the police! No one is saying anything.”
Before Lois could continue her diatribe on the doctor, both of their pagers began to beep. Clark recognized Perry’s private line, and judging by Lois’ raised eyebrows, hers displayed the same thing.
“We’ll be back,” she tried to threaten the doctor, who merely nodded and walked away. “C’mon, Clark. Maybe Perry heard from one of his sources.”
****
“Perry, this isn’t right, and you know it!”
“Lois, darlin’, my hands are tied,” Perry calmly stated. “For the moment, the police have requested we do not print anything about Mayson’s condition.”
“But it’s just a request,” Lois persisted.
“For now. The police are in the process of getting a publication ban and by the time the next edition goes to print, I expect that ban to be in place.”
“Then what do we write about?”
“Well, as I see it, there’s plenty of story here,” Perry drawled.
Clark agreed. He wanted to find out who was behind the bomb, and why.
With a disgruntled growl, Lois flounced out of the office.
“You ok, son?” Perry asked as Lois made her exit. “That was quite the rescue there. One of the news channels had images of you and Lois being looked at by paramedics, though she seemed as feisty as ever.”
“Yeah, it was just the shock,” Clark said, repeating what he’d been told by paramedics, and what Lois had stated earlier.
“But you’re ok? You and Mayson were… close,” Perry ended diplomatically.
Clark knew Perry disapproved of his perceived relationship with Mayson, while also pursuing Lois. At the time it had been easier to let everyone believe what they wanted to believe, but it was time to correct the false impression.
“Perry, Mayson was a friend. She liked me a lot more than I could ever commit to her, and I think she realized that in the worst moment of her life.”
“Now, Clark, don’t beat yourself up about it. You should have handled it better, but what’s done is done. When she pulls through she’s going to need a friend, an honest friend, ya hear!”
“Yes, Chief.”
Perry dropped his voice a few decibels, and leaned toward Clark. “Do I take it that things are going well between you and Lois?”
For the first time since the car bomb, a ghost of a smile appeared on Clark’s face.
Perry nodded, a hint of a grin on his expression. “Go help your partner find the rest of that story,” he said in dismissal.
As Clark left the quiet of Perry’s office into the noise of the newsroom, he faintly heard “Atta boy,” and grinned again.
****
“Clark, have you heard a word I’ve said?” Lois asked, snapping Clark back to reality.
“I’m sorry, Lois.”
He expected her to hit him with the sharp edge of her tongue, but instead she scooted her chair a little closer to him, gazing at him.
“You look tired,” she said.
He was, he admitted to himself. It wasn’t often he felt tired, but the lack of sleep combined with the shock of Mayson’s brush with death, and the stress of having someone find out his secret, had wiped him out.
Lois took her chair back to her desk, logged out of her computer, and grabbed her purse.
“Are you in the middle of anything?”
“Uh, no,” Clark answered honestly. He’d barely been able to focus all afternoon.
“Grab your coat. We’ll call it a day. Perry won’t be expecting anything from us today, not with that publication ban, and I didn’t get much from my phone call with Inspector Sawyer. I’ll buy you a coffee and fill you in on the call.”
****
It was dark when the Jeep pulled into the hospital parking lot for the second time that day. He and Lois had spent the afternoon away from the newsroom, trying to track down the cases Mayson was working on, or had recently worked on, in an attempt to find out who would target her. They’d called it a night and Lois had been dropping him off when her pager went off. Using his phone, she’d called the number and then excitedly announced Mayson was awake and was granting one interview.
Once in the private hospital room, Clark let Lois do all the talking. She had been the one to obtain permission to see Mayson, and he couldn’t trust his voice, or his words, at the moment. What would she say? Did she remember seeing the Suit? Clark tried to appear neutral, even though his entire body felt as though it was shaking with worry.
“Lois, Clark,” Mayson said thickly.
“Hi, Mayson,” said Lois when Clark hesitated too long. “How are you doing?”
Clark felt sick with guilt as he looked at Mayson. She was hooked up to IV fluids, her face and arms covered in cuts and bruises, the shadow around her eyes looking suspiciously like the beginnings of black eyes. He missed Mayson’s response to Lois while he forced himself to focus on Mayson, and not on his own worries.
“Do you have any idea who -”
“Look, I didn’t ask you here to be interviewed,” Mayson interrupted Lois. “I wanted to say thanks. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”
Clark was unnerved as Mayson stared directly at him before he broke eye contact with her. Staring at the floor, he listened as Lois insisted it had been nothing, and tried to ask a few more questions. If he hadn’t been so guilt ridden about being more concerned for his secret than for Mayson’s wellbeing, Clark thought he might have smirked at Lois’ persistence.
“But on the phone…” objected Lois.
“I had to tell them something,” Mayson admitted. “They wouldn’t let you up here otherwise. Besides, I’m sure they told you about the publication ban.”
“Yes, what’s with that?”
“It’s complicated,” Mayson said with a sigh. “I can’t say anymore now, but when I can, you’ll be the first I call.”
“Deal,” Lois gleefully agreed. “Can you tell us anything now? Give us somewhere to start?”
Clark couldn’t help but smirk for a moment at Lois’ tenacity but also noticed Mayson’s weary expression. “Lois, I think it’s time we give Mayson a break for the day,” he suggested.
“Oh, right. Well, we’ll wait for that phone call.” Lois adjusted her bag hanging from her shoulder and began to walk towards the door. “I hope you’ll feel better soon.”
As Lois turned her back briefly, Clark met Mayson’s gaze and felt like squirming. He found himself running his fingers over his chest where his shirt buttoned up, where the tear had been exposing his secret the last time they’d seen each other. She didn’t say anything, just nodded at him while he tried to smile weakly back before following Lois out of the room.
****
After another restless night, Clark gave up trying to sleep in the early hours of the morning, opting to do a patrol around the city in an urge to feel useful. When the sun came up and Clark hadn’t found anything in Metropolis or the surrounding states that required his assistance, he ended up drifting toward the city hospital.
Changing in an alley and stopping to buy a bunch of flowers, he retraced his steps from the previous evening toward Mayson’s hospital room. He was challenged by the officer guarding her door and was debating returning as Superman when Inspector Sawyer exited Mayson’s room. A brief conversation, including the reminder that nothing could be printed, Clark was granted a visit.
“I wasn’t expecting visitors, especially not you,” Mayson remarked dryly as Clark closed the door gently behind him.
“I, uh… you’re looking better,” Clark fumbled to say as he tried not to clench the flowers in his fist.
Mayson smirked. “From when? When you were in here last night with Lois, or when you pulled me out of the car?”
“Well…”
“Clark… Do I call you Clark?”
Clark felt his stomach drop to his shoes.
“What you did, I mean, you saved my life, and I’m grateful for that, but I feel like I don’t know who you are. I mean…” Mayson traced an ‘S’ on her chest.
“I’m still Clark. I’ve always been Clark.”
“But what about
him?”
“Superman,” Clark mouthed before continuing in a normal voice. “That’s what I can do. It’s a way to help, and have a normal life- ”
“You lied. You lied about who you are. You let me believe…” Mayson broke off, choking back what sounded like a sob.
While she took a few seconds to compose herself, Clark took a few steps towards her bed. “Mayson…”
“No, Clark,” she said, clearly upset. “I think it’s best that you leave.”
Clark wasn’t going to argue with her request. Instead, he gently placed the flowers he was still holding onto the vacant chair before exiting the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
****
“Clark? Are you listening to me?”
Clark snapped his attention back to his irritated partner. “I’m sorry, Lois. I was distracted.”
“I can see that. You’ve got mustard dripping down your hand.”
He set the sandwich he’d been holding for too long down on the plate, grabbing a napkin to wipe up the mess, checking his shirt sleeve wasn’t now a bright yellow, or had dripped onto the Suit underneath. Since the tear in his shirt two days ago, he found himself constantly checking his clothing whenever he had the Suit on under his clothes, just in case.
“Did you hear anything I said?”
Thankfully, he had. “I think it’s a good idea,” he responded, hoping that would be enough to placate Lois.
“This publication ban is ridiculous. How long do they need?”
“It’s not a total ban though,” Clark reminded her. “We can’t report on her condition in the event someone tries to finish the job at the hospital, that’s all. Besides, it’s the weekend; not much will be revealed on the criminal investigation until Monday.”
“You’re right,” Lois agreed while finishing up the last of her soda. “We should get back to the newsroom, tie up a few loose ends and call it a week.”
Clark popped the last of his sandwich in his mouth before pulling out his wallet. He added his share of the check to the bills Lois had already placed down, wiped his fingers on the napkin and followed Lois out of the restaurant.
“Do you have plans tonight?” Lois asked as they walked towards the Planet.
Clark paused as he did some time zone calculations. “Sorry, Lois.” He had a charity brunch to attend in Australia that evening.
“Ok, another time.”
Clark didn’t miss the flash of disappointment that Lois covered quickly. “What about Sunday?”
Brightening, Lois nodded in agreement. “How does pizza and a movie sound? I’ll bring both to your place, at seven?”
“That sounds good.”
He grinned as Lois linked her arm through his for the rest of the walk back to the newsroom.
****
Clark flew into his apartment with a few minutes to spare before Lois arrived. It had been a long day. He’d not made it back to Metropolis after the charity event in Australia until the early hours of the morning, and then managed a brief snooze before flying down to the farm for breakfast. His parents had been busy helping a neighbouring family after their barn had burned down overnight, damaging the house in the process. He’d arrived to find the family in his parent’s house being served breakfast by his mother. He’d flown over to help his Dad and several other neighbours ensure the fire was out and help with the clean up and repairs. No one questioned why Superman was in the area. Everyone was too grateful for the help he offered.
Internally, he was trying not to drown in guilt. Here was yet another connection to Clark that he hadn’t been able to help. The silver lining he kept trying to focus on was that no one had been hurt. If any of the family had been injured, he didn’t think he’d be holding himself together as well.
Now, freshly out of the shower, the smoky smelling suit soaking in the bathroom sink, he rushed around the apartment tidying up, before rinsing the Suit in the shower and wringing it out. He was closing the secret compartment of the closet when he heard the knock on the door.
“It’s open,” he called, exiting the bedroom.
“Hi, Clark. I got pepperoni and… Clark! You look terrible!”
“Thanks, Lois,” Clark remarked dryly.
Lois placed the pizza and VHS tape on the table, shrugged out of her coat, and approached Clark. “Have you slept?”
“Not much,” he admitted.
“Nightmares?”
He glanced down, unwilling to admit what was haunting him.
“Clark, it’s ok. Some of the stuff we’ve seen… nightmares are inevitable.” Lois reached toward him and grasped his hand. “And Mayson was a… friend.”
Clark dropped his head at Lois’ hesitation. Here was yet another example of his failure as he hadn’t told Lois that his relationship with Mayson had been one-sided. As he opened his mouth to explain, Lois spoke.
“Look at me, Clark. You saved her life. You pulled her out of her burning car, and called for help. If you hadn’t been there, she would have died. What else could you have done?”
Her thumb had been caressing his hand the whole time she spoke, a quiet reassurance to him that she was still there, that he hadn’t screwed everything up. He was grateful for her ability to assess fairly closely what his thoughts had been – that he hadn’t done enough – and comfort him. He reached up with his free hand and gently tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, his thumb gently sliding down her jawline as he pulled his hand back. He heard her breath catch as she closed her eyes, her face turning up toward him in expectation. Lowering his head slightly, he captured her lips with his, his hand returning to caress her face.
The kiss was interrupted as Lois’ stomach gurgled and she giggled. Clark wrapped his arms around her while she laughed into his chest, relieved for the first time in days that everything was well with himself and Lois.
“I’ll heat the pizza up,” he said, reluctantly releasing the hug and reaching for the pizza box. While he headed into the kitchen and opened the oven door, Lois grabbed the tape and started setting up the movie. The oven heating, the pizza on the rack, Clark chanced a burst of heat vision to get the cheese bubbling quicker.
“Movie’s ready,” announced Lois as she paused the tape just after the trailers.
“Great. Soda?” He handed a couple of sodas to Lois along with napkins which she set on the coffee table. While her back was turned, he pulled the pizza out of the oven, and slid it back in the box.
“The pizza’s hot already? That was fast.”
“Uh, yeah. Gas oven, and the pizza was still warm,” Clark mumbled as he joined her on the couch. “What do we have tonight?” He asked, gesturing at the television.
“It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World,” she answered, grinning. “You’ll like it.”
Clark smiled back, hoping that it wouldn’t be a movie that was Lois’ usual movie of choice, either an action or a romance. As the opening credits rolled, he sat back on the couch, one hand holding a slice of pizza, the other arm resting on the top of the couch. After Lois ate, she sat back, resting against him, and before long, she was sleeping, her head on his chest, her arm around his waist. Despite enjoying the comedic movie, he found his eyes closing, being lulled to sleep by the steady beat of her heart.
****
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