Part 6
Lois touched the bandage on one of Clark's hands again. He had always been the strong one, had always been the one to support her through whatever crisis she was going through.
"Clark?" she whispered, "Can you hear me?"
She longed to see his eyes flutter open. Although they were still at odds, she felt the thread of connection between them.
He didn't give her the hot thrills of excitement that Superman gave her, nor the feeling of unease that Lex was beginning to give her; instead there was the steady feeling that she needed this man in her life, that no matter what she was going through, Clark would always have a place in her heart.
Her best friend.
"Oh, Clark," she whispered. "Can you ever forgive me for shutting you out of my life?"
He stirred at her words and his eyes fluttered open. "Lois?"
"Hey, sleepyhead..." She stroked his forehead and fingered that stray lock of hair again. "Hear ya been laid up for a bit with the flu?"
"Flu? Yeah... guess so," Clark mumbled, trying to come out of the deep sea of exhaustion that obviously plagued him. "Lois? You're here... or am I dreaming?"
"It's me..."
"Are you okay? Safe..."
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
"Luthor... watch out for Luthor..." His eyes flared intently for a moment, then drifted shut.
"Clark?"
He thrashed restlessly for a few seconds before becoming still. The blankets had snaked their way downward and Lois caught a glimpse of a muscular chest peeking through the tangled nest of blankets and arms. She looked a bit closer, feeling a bit peculiar because she wanted to see it uncovered, without restriction.
How could she have forgotten how great Clark's chest looked? The first time she had seen it had been at the Apollo hotel, and it had left her practically speechless. She swallowed uncomfortably, then reached over him to smooth out the blankets, almost giving in to the urge to pull it down further. <What a friend she was!> she thought, frowning. Clark was sick and she was ogling... no, just admiring his physique.
"Get better, farm boy; I need you," she whispered while tucking him in. A tiny smile crept over her face as Clark started snoring lightly.
She was beginning to feel fatigued also. The past few days were catching up with her; either that, or Clark's sleepiness was contagious.
A bare arm pushed the covers aside and seemed to be reaching for her, as though Clark was desperately trying to fight the exhaustion.
"Lois..." His words formed on his lips.
So that was what Martha had been talking about. He was clearly agitated in his sleep.
"It's okay..." She touched his arm, noting that almost immediately he stopped his thrashing. Laying her palm on his bicep, she was amazed how firm and well-toned it was. "Shhh... go to sleep, Clark."
Overwhelmed and feeling that it couldn't hurt anything, she moved his arm and lay down in the crook of his shoulder – just like old times. She'd fallen asleep with Clark many times with his arm wrapped around her, and what different did it make if they were laying down this time?
She pushed off her shoes with alternating feet and swung them up on the bed. She'd deal with his mother later; after all, she did say that Clark needed her. And she so desperately wanted to be held by her best friend.
To her surprise, she felt his arm close around her shoulder and his lips lightly brushed the top of her head. She snuggled closer and wiggled her head until she could hear his heart beating steadily beneath her ear. His skin was warm and slightly slick from his fever, but it didn't matter. They were here for each other once again, drawing comfort from their friendship.
His heartbeat gradually began to slow down, beating a soft tattoo against her ear. Her mind began to lose its worry and she felt the stress of the past days slip away – in Clark's arms.
*****
Lois woke to find a small blanket thrown over her body. She was still securely cradled in Clark's embrace and was happy to notice that he was no longer overly-warm to the touch.
She withdrew from his arms slowly, without disturbing him, then he took in a deep breath and rolled over. Lois patted him on the shoulder and got up.
Clark's mom was doing the dishes and some wonderful smells were beginning to come from a pot on the stove.
"Thanks for letting me visit him, Martha." Lois shifted uneasily on her feet, still feeling a bit uncomfortable seeing Clark without his shirt and falling asleep with him – with his mother in the apartment.
"You're welcome, Lois." Martha turned toward the younger woman and met her eyes. "Did you sleep well? You did look rather tired when you first came."
Lois thought for a moment, trying to clear her head of sleep. "Well... I think I slept well..." Maybe Martha wasn't going to comment on her slipping into bed with Clark. Her stomach growled loud enough for both of them to hear.
"When was the last time that you ate something?"
"Um, I think I had a sandwich out of the machine today... or was that yesterday?"
"Come, dear, and sit down. I've made some chicken soup for Clark, but it seems like you could use a good meal too."
Lois allowed Martha to escort her to the table and waited in silence while Martha prepared her food. Her thoughts were being drawn to Superman again, wondering if any more news had been reported about the missing superhero.
"Just how are you doing, dear?" Martha asked as she placed the bowl of soup, along with some crackers, in front of her.
Tears immediately sprang to Lois' eyes. "I don't know... Things are falling apart. I've been so confused lately. The Daily Planet blowing up; Perry, Clark and Jimmy scattering to all ends of the city; Lex's proposal, and now..."
Martha immediately placed her arms around the younger woman. "Clark told me about the proposal... I guess you're worried about Superman, also," she said quietly after sitting in a chair next to Lois.
"Oh, Martha! He's got to be all right! I wish I could help him! Or help find him. I refuse to believe that he's gone."
"Superman is much more resilient than the press is reporting. You just keep believing that wherever he is, he is with people who love him."
"People who love him... Do you think he has a family or people that care for him somewhere?"
"With a heart like his, do you think that he wouldn't?"
Lois immediately thought of the time that Superman had commented about his mother making his suit. "He did say once, a long time ago, that his mother made his suit for him. But what if he's hurt somewhere, where no one can find him, or worse? I wish I knew what's happened to him."
"I'm sure something will turn up soon – just keep him in your prayers... Believe in Superman, Lois, but don't forget the other people who need you." She looked towards the bedroom with a quick glance.
"You're talking about Clark?"
Martha sighed, then smiled at Lois. "I've been here for two days and this is the longest he's slept without calling out. Thank you for being here for him."
"He's been my best friend for almost a year. I've missed him."
"It's obvious he misses you. Must not be too big of a problem between you two if he still wants you around."
"We'll see about that when he able to stay awake for more than thirty seconds. That medication must be some strong stuff." She frowned, hoping Clark would be awake soon so she could ask him about Superman. Just as equally important, she was curious to know what kind of ground she was on with him – shaky or sturdy.
The telephone rang and Martha rose from her chair to answer it. It was Clark's father asking for a progress report.
"Oh, he's fine, dear. Just sleeping quite a bit..." Lois overheard along with other snippets of conversation. "Sure wish that Betsy hadn't decided to calve on our way out the door to the airport."
She'd finished her soup by the time that Martha was done with her phone call and was placing her dishes in the sink.
"I'd better be going; I think I'm heading to the news station to see if there's any more news on Superman. Thanks for the soup and the encouragement."
"You're welcome, Lois. Stay in touch." Martha saw Lois to the door and hugged her good-bye. "Come back soon!"
As soon as the door closed, Lois began scanning the skies...
******
"Confirmed... It was indeed Superman's blood on the cape found in the bay... the molecular structure of the blood was out of this world, forensic experts stated in a preliminary report today..." a voice from a television monitor at LNN reported.
'NO!!' Lois' mind screamed at her. There hasn't been a body... Superman is just laying low somewhere. He's hurt from something and is just biding his time until he can sort things out.
She was going crazy. Not knowing what had happened to the love of her life was distracting her from everything else in her life. Lex's marriage proposal, the Daily Planet... Clark being sick... He had crossed her mind several times in the last couple of days, but hadn't been back to see him. She had given Martha a few calls to see if Clark was up to talking, but he was apparently still pretty out of it, though sleeping more peacefully than before her visit.
This couldn't be happening!
"Lois?"
Her name came from somewhere above her head and she looked up. "Lex?"
His hands came down on her shoulders and his face nuzzled her hair. "All of Metropolis is worried about him too."
Her head turned to the side to look up at him but she felt his lips on her cheek.
"Come, my dear! I have something that might help."
He pulled her chair out and held out his hand for her to grasp. She allowed herself to be led away, tired of facing this nightmare alone. Lex guided her into a vacant office and sat her down on a small sofa. He closed the door and blinds, then sat next to her.
"An outlet for your frustration and worry. Whatever the outcome is for Superman, I have something that will be started in his honor. I know you have a rapport with the Man in Blue and just know that you'll be the perfect one to execute this properly."
"What, Lex?"
"A Superman Foundation. In his memory, um... honor! You will have the privilege of heading up this new adventure. Totally non-profit, but it is yours, if you want it..."
Lex smiled to himself as he watched Lois ponder over the idea. There was nothing like using his money and his enemy to get what he wanted.
After discovering the tied-up, torn cape in the cellar on the video, he determined that it was a great find to be used to his advantage. He had it planted in the bay, carefully insuring that the fabric with a bit of blood had been caught around a buoy. He hoped it would tarnish his enemy's credibility. If indeed, the superhero was still alive, then his millions of followers would be enraged that he had let them think he was dead. If he were indeed dead, then his memory would fade into oblivion. Even if the adoring sheep forgave him for disappearing, they would know that he had a weak side and that he was able to be brought down to their level.
With both a newspaper and a television station, it would be easy to sway the minds of the public. But openly, he needed to be Superman's greatest benefactor and the Superman Foundation would serve two purposes – it would give Lois an avenue to get Superman out of her system and would cause both her and the public's eye to look favorably upon him.
"Lex, this is wonderful, but we can't give up on Superman yet. There has to be an explanation for all of this."
"I'm sure there is, my dear, but think of this: whether Superman is dead or alive, this foundation is designed to honor his work in the same spirit as Superman. It will help many people and causes, just as he does. So we are not giving up on Metropolis' hero, we're paving the way for his return."
"When you put it that way..." She sighed and looked up at him. He smiled at her and dropped a quick kiss on her lips.
Lex sat down next to her and took her hand.
"This is my way of apologizing to you for the other day."
"Apologizing? Lex, there's no reason for you to apologize."
"Yes, there is. The other day when we were kissing, you... shall I say, mentioned Superman's name in the throes of our passion. My love, I was a bit surprised and left you alone, rather hastily, at the Daily Planet."
"I did what?" she cried, her hand clamping over her mouth.
"That is behind us," Lex said smoothly. "In the past few days in which he seemed to have disappeared, I have grown to understand what the Man in Blue has meant to you. This is simply my way of showing you there are no hard feelings."
"You understand?" she asked, puzzled.
"Of course, I do," Lex answered. "You have hero-worshipped Superman since he first flew into town. It's no secret, dear. We all have our fantasies, but what counts is who is there to make your dreams come true. I want to be that man for you."
Lois was befuddled. Lex was being so understanding! He had known that she had been fantasizing about Superman, yet wanted to do something wonderful in his honor. Lex was so full of surprises; maybe she was a bit hasty in dismissing his gifts as nothing but a ploy.
Just look at all the philanthropy he had done for the city of Metropolis. He had an honorable name about the city, and just maybe Superman and Clark had been only seeing what they wanted to see.
She leaned over and kissed him firmly on the lips. "Thanks for understanding, Lex."
"My pleasure, my dear."
She gulped hard, and then made a decision...
******
Clark sat by his window and felt the sun beating down on his face. He was able to stay awake for longer periods of time the past couple of days. His mother thought it was a good idea if he tried to absorb as much sun as possible in hopes of regaining his powers.
He felt different somehow. It was hard to put his finger on it exactly, but his limbs felt heavier. It seemed to require more energy to move, stay awake; even thinking for a few minutes left him so tired.
Time had slipped by and he wasn't aware of how many days it had been since Luthor had first captured him in the cage. Two or three days ago... maybe. He just couldn't get his brain wrapped around the concept of time since then.
Time that had slipped away... was slipping away. He vaguely remembered Lois coming to visit or dreamed that she had been here. How he wished that he was able to recall what had transpired between them if she actually had been here. Though he thought he'd dreamed of having Lois in his arms, he was sure that it had been a dream. At least he could hope that she was still okay physically, still able to roam about and not totally under the influence of Luthor.
He wished the sun would do its magic. Even its healing rays didn't quite feel the same. In fact, his face was getting rather heated.
As if on cue, his mom appeared with a shirt. "Clark, you're getting red, honey. Time to come in from the sun."
Clark frowned. "Just a few more minutes, Mom," he answered. "Can't give up this soon. My powers should be coming back anytime..."
"Son, you're getting burned. Let's try again tomorrow. And besides, you need to get some more rest."
Feeling a bit defeated, he allowed his mother to help him up. The dizziness was back and he was feeling exhausted again.
He'd figure this out tomorrow – somehow.
******
