Zared is the working title. I will probably change it.
< > around words denotes telepathic thought.
***I have posted a few changes to part 2. For those of you who have already read it, the added dialogue is in italics.
The usual disclaimers apply...
From Part 1...
Zared, the oldest child of Clark Kent and Lois Lane Kent, was mentally kicking himself. Stupid! He was stupid. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. Barely eighteen years old and now there was a baby on the way - his baby. Both his mom and his dad had stressed the importance of using protection if he chose to have sex. As his relationship with Jenni had grown, and his dad had seen how they acted around each other, he told Zared he *preferred* he wait til he was older and preferably until he was married. He had told his dad that he thought she was "the one". Clark had told him that may be, but they were both young and should take their relationship slowly. So now he was thinking, "Why didn't I listen to my dad?"
Part 2
At 7:15 am, Clark sat up in bed. He had tried unsuccessfully to talk Bernie and the other doctors into letting him leave, but they wouldn't hear of it. He wasn't in any shape to just get up and fly home, either. But now his oldest son was in anguish. He couldn't imagine what was wrong. He could only remember one other time seeing his son that upset.... He tried to reach out, <Zared, what's wrong? Are you okay?> He tried several times but Zared just wasn't listening. Zared wasn't really comfortable being a telepath and he sometimes tended to 'turn if off'. Clark had taught him to control the telepathy, but now much to his chagrin, Zared tended to just 'turn if off' rather than 'turning it down'. Zared had come up with those rather descriptive terms. He could usually *force* his son to 'listen', as he was the stronger telepath, but this time it just wasn't working. He sighed.
Bernie then walked in. "Good morning Cl...Kal-El. How do you feel?"
Bernie must be tired. That was the first time he had slipped. Clark just looked at him sullenly.
Bernie spoke, "Well, I see you're still in a wonderful mood. You *aren't* going home, yet! Got it?" He proceeded to pull Clark's gown up to check his dressings.
Clark just grumbled. Clark was tired of being poked and prodded and he didn't want to think about what Bernie was going to do to him now - let alone the other doctors and nurses that had been running around. As far as Clark was concerned, *some* parts of person's body just didn't need to be 'examined'. He just wanted to go home.
When Bernie was finally done with him he sighed and softly spoke, "Bernie, I need to see Zared."
Bernie just looked at him. "There are still reporters outside. Do you really want Clark's son to be seen here?" He had whispered the last statement.
"If anyone sees him, he could say his dad had asked him to come. If you open the 'special' entrance, he should be able to get in without being seen anyway."
"That important, huh?"
"Yeah. It is, Bernie."
"Well, I guess it could work. So far, it seems the reporters haven't noticed that entrance. Of course, it is rather well hidden."
Clark nodded slightly, "Give me a phone so I can call him." Bernie raised his eyebrows a bit in a questioning manner. "He's not 'listening'... again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zared had wanted to talk to his dad last night, but now he dreaded the idea - especially at S.T.A.R. Labs. Bernie would probably grab him for some kind of test. Bernie nearly *always* wanted to try some experiment or the other. But his dad had been quite insistent. He figured his dad wanted to talk to him about some kind of plan to get him home. Zared knew he would have to help with that.
So now he was here - waiting. He'd had to wait until Bernie could scoot another doctor out of dad's room.
"Hey, dad. You look better." He hugged him and smiled nervously. "You need a shave, though."
Clark mused. For some reason, he wasn't recovering as he had with previous kryptonite exposures. It was 'uneven' somehow. Bernie thought it had something to do with the severity of his injuries and then having to be re-exposed to kryptonite for surgery and some treatments. Kryptonite was allowing them to keep an IV in so he could receive medications. He thought that was kind of ironic even if it was only a little larger than a grain of sand and wouldn't have affected him at all if not for being directly on his skin. Kryptonite had put him here in the first place. Who would have thought it could ever do anything to help him? Clark then responded, "My powers aren't completely back yet, but enough of the invulnerability has returned to prevent me using a razor."
"Oh. You want me to do it for you?"
"Maybe later. Sit down."
Now he was worried. His dad had a very concerned look on his face. He thought, "Oh, no, he knows."
<Knows what?>
<Oh, crap.> That darn telepathy again.
<So what is it you think I know? I know *something's* wrong. I tried to talk to you this morning, but you weren't 'listening' - again.>
Zared spoke aloud, "I guess I'm just not so comfortable with .. that yet. Especially since..." He just shook his head. He had perceived some thoughts that were... embarrassing to say the least. He started to blush just thinking about it.
<You think that's worse than the super hearing?>
"Well, yeah. In a way."
Clark really didn't understand his son's reluctance to use telepathy at *all*, but he gave up and also began speaking aloud, albeit very softly. "Now, what's wrong.?"
"I..." he paused, "I don't want to tell you."
"Talk buster. Now!"
He grinned. That sounded like mom. "You're gonna be mad."
Clark looked solemn. He thought one of two things had happened. "Did Jenni break up with you? Is that's what's wrong?"
"No, she didn't break up with me. That's not it." He looked really nervous and was biting his lower lip.
Clark looked at him tenderly. "She's pregnant, isn't she?"
At that point, Zared lay his head on the edge of the bed and started crying yet again. Clark ran his fingers through his hair and let him cry. He thought, "Oh, Lois... I wish you were here." Tears nearly came to his eyes, too, but he couldn't cry right now. He needed to be strong for Zared.
Zared finally said, "I'm crying like a baby. I can't believe I'm doing that. I cried half the night, too."
Clark said thoughtfully, "Sometimes, even us big, strong, manly men need to cry." Then quietly, "I love you."
"I love you, too, dad. I should have known you'd figure it out. It's hard to keep anything from you."
"What are you and Jenni going to do?"
"I don't know. We really didn't get to talk much about it." Then he relayed to him what had happened the previous night. "Get married, I guess. A child needs two parents. But I don't know if that's what Jenni wants to do."
"Is that what *you* want to do?"
He dropped his head and thought a moment, then said softly, "Yes, dad, it is. You know how I feel about Jenni. I can't imagine not spending the rest of my life with her."
"What about college? What are you gonna live on?"
"I..." He sighed loudly. A nurse walked in. She smiled at Clark.
Oh, great another poker, prodder comes calling. Zared caught his dad's thought and almost laughed out loud. Clark nodded politely, "Shari, this is Zared Kent. He's my friend Clark Kent's son. His dad in in Europe and asked him to come by."
She smiled and just shrugged her shoulders. She thought that it was none of her business. Her business was to keep her mouth shut about *everything*. She liked this job, after all. "Sorry, I didn't realize anyone was here." Then she looked at Zared and smiled, "Well, Mr. Kent, can you step out a minute?"
"No, that's okay, he can stay."
She nodded, proceeding to check Clark out. Bernie and then another doctor had just checked him over, but the nurses had to do the same, Clark supposed. She said, "Good, your IV is still working. Dr. Klein was concerned that we may have to start another one. Do you need anything for pain?" She then hung an antibiotic drip.
Clark said, "Uhmm, no. I'm okay." Clark was glad the IV was okay. He was hoping this one would be the last. Another IV would mean another nasty kryptonite exposure.
"Okay, I'll check back later."
Clark nodded, "Thank you, Shari."
She thought, "He's really something - always remembering everyone's names." She walked out of the room.
Zared made sure she had completely left the area. "You sure you don't need something for pain now? We can talk when you get home."
"No, I'm okay. I had something earlier. And we're going to talk now."
He was resigned and sighed, "Okay. I still want to go to college. I'm sure Jenni does, too. Hopefully, we can live in college housing, even though it's pretty expensive. I'm sure I can get a better part time job. And... maybe, my good old dad can help out a bit?" He looked a bit hopeful but skeptical.
Clark nodded, grinning lopsidedly, "Yeah, I suppose so." Clark had gotten into the novel writing business and was very good at it. It had made him and his family, *very* well off. His publishing editor wanted him to quit the Planet and write novels full time, but of course, Clark would never do that. "But I *still* expect you to do your part. I'm not gonna let you get off easy."
Zared nodded.
"College housing is sure a lot more expensive than when I went to college. Why don't you live at home? We have a large house, and I'm sure we can fix up something so you two could have relatively private quarters."
"You'd do that?"
"Of course! You're my son. Anyway, if I don't help, then you two getting a college education would be very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. Then where would you be?"
Zared nodded again. "Dad, you're unbelievable. Jenni's dad wouldn't be able to help at all."
Clark just smiled. "Yes, I know that. Do things feel any better after talking to me?"
"Yeah, dad, you always know what to say."
"So now, the next topic. You haven't told her yet, have you?"
He twisted his mouth around and then chewed his lower lip. "No."
"Well, you need to tell her ASAP. She needs to see Bernie. You need to tell her yesterday..."
Zared grinned and questioned, "Yesterday?"
"Yes, like before you decided to have unprotected sexual relations."
He swallowed hard. "Yeah, I know dad. I've already beat myself up over the whole thing." He looked leery. Was his dad going to give him a lecture now?
"Well, I'm not going to lecture you. You know what you have done and you will live with the consequences." He looked at his son solemnly.
Zared pursed his lips and decided to change the subject. "When is Bernie going to let you come home?"
"I don't know. He's stubborn."
He was relieved that his dad had not pursued the issue. "Well, you don't want to come home too soon, so you listen to him." He paused, hanging his head, "I wish *I* had listened to you. I'm *stupid*."
"You are *not* stupid. We all make mistakes."
Zared smiled, "I love you. You have to be the best dad in the whole world... the whole universe." Clark smiled and blushed a bit. Zared took a deep breath, "Now, about that shave...."
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Part 3 coming soon
