Part 3 - O'Neal and Schmitt
Superman was about to go home, but as he came closer to the ambulance house which was on the way, he spotted the old paramedic. He hovered in the air for a time, trying to decide if he should talk to him or not. Finally he chose to go down, deciding he would try to get some of the answers he and Lois would look for the next day.
He landed softly, far behind the elder paramedic who was just about done cleaning the ambulance. He was putting clean red 'hazard' bags and new emergency materials within. There were two others with him, one who was currently checking the tires and the other in the ambulance, helping the veteran.
He waited until they were done before he stepped forward, entering the building through the wide open garage.
It only took a moment for them to notice him.
"Uh, we'll finish up inside, Boss…" one said, awed by their visitor while knowing his boss would probably want to talk to him alone. His boss gave them a nod before walking toward Superman.
Superman didn't have his arms crossed, instead just had them at his sides.
The aged paramedic came to a stop a few feet from him, unsure of what he should expect. Was Superman angry? Sad? What?
"Superman, I…I should have just told you," he began before Superman shook his head and lifted up his hand.
"No, I'm glad you didn't tell me. I wouldn't have believed you," he countered as he looked at the man's name tag: 'O'Neal'.
"Because you were certain that he wasn't?"
Superman nodded.
"But I didn't come here to go over what had happened after I arrived, O'Neal."
"You want to know about the fire?"
"Yes. I am pretty certain that it was a gas heater and that it was probably an accident, but I want to know if David had been alone and where you had found him."
"David? Oh… sorry, I didn't know that that was his name. They haven't released much information to us. The firemen found him along with a young woman on the eleventh floor in her apartment. She was babysitting him."
"Is she alright?"
"Well, I'm not sure. She was leaving the scene just as you landed. They had found her attempting to get into the burning area to get David, but soon after they got there she collapsed. If she hadn't been trying so hard, we might not have known he was in there and-," he didn't bother finishing the sentence, but went on. "Anyways, she was on her way to Andrews when you arrived."
"So it was the gas heater?"
"Yes, the heater system was old, and one of the pipes had severe corrosion making the gas leak enough to cause today's catastrophe. One of my firemen friends told me what they had recovered. Apparently the corroded part of the pipe was just far enough into the wall that an inspector would not have discovered it. Some other pipes ran slightly above it and gathered just enough condensation to allow moisture to gather and drip onto the gas pipe occasionally. Slowly corroding it."
"Until the gas it held was released," Superman said, exhaling slightly.
"Superman, even if you were there when the spark occurred, the people who had been most hurt, and David, would still have been. Gas explosions are monsters, all anyone can do is help the people get out after it ignites, for the damage is done."
Superman nodded solemnly, his eyes still focused on O'Neal.
"Superman, if I'm prying just don't answer…but why would you not have believed me if I had told you?"
Superman looked at this man who had seen so much in his work, who had possibly saved more lives than even he himself. He took a breath and exhaled before finally speaking.
"I trust you will keep this to yourself?" he asked, already knowing the answer by the look on the man's weathered face. O'Neal nodded. "He had spoken to me. Don't ask me how or why, but he did. Nothing like this has ever happened, and I seriously doubt it will ever again."
"So you were answering him," O'Neal states.
"Yes."
Silence passed between them for a time, both of them thinking.
"I have seen and experienced a great deal of things that should have been impossible, even things that made me question my sanity, but they all happened and all have one thing in common."
"And what is that?" Superman asked, quite relieved to see this man actually believed him and wasn't giving him a look of 'oh-my-gosh-superman-has-lost-it!'.
"They later brought about something good," he replied simply before continuing. "Superman, most of us can only imagine what you must see everyday, and I doubt anyone can contemplate or comprehend it all, including you. We are both in the occupation of rescue, and I am sure we both need to vent, so to speak. So, if you need any help or want to talk or anything, just ask."
"I just might take you up on that offer," Superman replied, extending his hand for a shake, knowing it was time for them both to be going their separate ways.
"You know where to find me," O'Neal said, taking his hand. "And it's Jim."
"Thanks, Jim."
With that, Superman took to the skies.
O o O
Lois and Clark went to work the next day, Clark telling her that Superman had told him what had transpired the night before and that he would wait for them to get back to him before he went to speak to Dr. Johnson.
"How was he, Clark?" Lois asked after they had both started their work. She was looking over the magazine articles for more information on Dr. Johnson.
"Who?" Clark asked.
Lois looked around to make sure no one was in ear shot. "Superman. How was he?"
"Oh, umm."
How should he describe himself?
"I suppose he was quieter than normal…"
That wasn't exactly a lie…
"I hope he's doing better today. I don't think many people realize how much he goes through…his body might be invincible but his heart definitely isn't."
Clark looked at her, not knowing what to say. Lois looked up at him, sort of startled to find him staring at her.
"What Clark?"
"Nothing," he replied, smiling before looking back to his computer screen.
Lois couldn't help but give him an odd look, wondering what that had been about before she too went back to reading.
"Clark, I don't think we will get anything else from reading, I think we need to go to some different sources."
"Like who?"
"How about the one who was babysitting. You said she was sent to Andrew's right?"
"Yeah, but I don't think…"
"We can just see how she's doing, we don't need to ask her questions. I'm sure someone there will know something that can help us, after all, we are doing this first and foremost to help Superman, right?"
"Yeah, but what else do we need to look into?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure any information we find out will help Superman when he actually goes to Dr. Johnson."
"Alright."
O o O
Saint Andrew's Hospital
"Mr. Kent, Ms. Lane, you are not family," the nurse started, standing in front of them, hands on her hips.
"Yes, but -"
"You are not going to do any interviews, she has just gone through a lot. Losing her home and having lost so much more. That boy was like a brother to her you know, so I think she would appreciate being-left-alone," she snapped, using every fifty-six inches of her being to intimidate.
"Nurse Schmitt," Clark said, taking a soft step toward her, making her need to look up even more, her eyes still narrowed. "Can we talk somewhere?"
He had asked so gently and his eyes had been so pleading that the anger in Nurse Schmitt lifted slightly.
"Fine," she answered. She was not a fan of the press.
Clark could not imagine his luck. He had spoken to this same woman a few weeks ago after dropping off some people from that mall fire. Though he had spoken to her as Superman, he knew she had a heart of gold despite her hard exterior that possibly rivaled his invulnerability.
She was the first hospital worker that he had ever really come in contact with while in his suit, and he was surprised at how relaxed she was around him. He internally smiled at the memory of her remarkable authority, not even blinking an eye when she told him, told him, where to place the people he had just flown in.
Her coworkers gaped at her, then gaped even more when Superman actually did as she said, and then many more stared in near shock when he said, "Thanks, Nurse Schmitt, I'm glad you're here directing me."
That statement had gotten him a heart filled smile as well as a blush from the short drill sergeant-like nurse.
"Make this quick, Mr. Kent. Don't make me call security," she said, closing the door of the small empty patient room behind her once the three of them had entered.
"Yes. Well, we aren't here for a story," Clark stated.
Schmitt's eyes grew wide in skeptical disbelief before looking to Lois for confirmation.
"He's right, we're not here for a story."
With a raised eyebrow, Schmitt asked the first logical question that came to mind.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"Nurse Schmitt, we are here to gather information for a friend, a friend who you had met a few weeks ago."
Lois gave a sideways glance at Clark, curious to see where he was taking this.
"And what 'friend' may that be?" Schmitt asked while bordering annoyance. She was not the type to be tricked or swindled in anyway.
"I believe he told me you had helped him in delivering patients to the correct areas here. He told me himself that he was relieved to have someone, what was the word? Oh, to 'direct' him," Clark said with a smile.
Her suspicious and hard look evaporated almost instantly, and if Lois hadn't seen it herself she would not have believed such a stern woman could transform in such a way. She looked as if she was about to go bake cookies for them.
"Oh! Well. Mr. Kent, my apologies. What do you wish to know?" she asked, instantly knowing the 'friend' he was referring to was none other than Superman.
"Well, our mutual friend wants to have any information concerning David," Clark went on, becoming serious. "He feels that it will be beneficial to him for he wishes to talk to the boy's mother," he told her softly.
She nodded knowingly and, upon seeing Clark's questioning look, she decided she needed to come clean. "One of the paramedics who is my friend seemed to think that Superman might want to do that. He had been at the scene."
"Oh."
"He only confided in me since he knew I was one of the few people he knew of who had had a conversation with Superman that was longer than, 'thanks'."
Clark smiled at that as Schmitt went to one of the chairs and sat down.
"Am I right to assume that what I'm about to say will stay between us?"
"Yes Ma'am," Lois agreed, pulling the stool that was in the corner out to sit on. Clark continued to stand.
"Am I also right to assume you know about May Johnson's husband and daughter?" she looked to Clark who sadly nodded his head. "Okay. That had happened two years ago mind you, just to be clear." She sighed, sliding herself to the edge of her chair before she continued. "I don't know Dr. Johnson personally, but I know many who do, and I know many who knew her son, David. Not because of her being a doctor, but because of her son."
"What do you mean, 'because of her son'?" Lois asked.
"Her son was a patient. He had cancer."
Lois and Clark glanced at each other, bombarded by an incomprehensible sensation that they were on to something bigger than themselves. There was no question about it now. There was something extraordinary at work here.
"He had been diagnosed a month ago and had started his treatment soon after. Some of his treatment was here, while the rest was at Saint General. That was why Ms. Megan began babysitting him, or rather, home schooling him. School was obviously out of the question and so Megan, who just finished college and who was a long time family friend, was asked to teach him and watch him while his mom was at work. She was paid by Dr. Johnson of course, though Megan said it wasn't necessary because she could easily work from her computer while David did his school work. She had a knack for making websites."
"Will she be alright?" Lois asked, only knowing her condition was no longer 'critical'.
"Physically at least. She arrived here with smoke inhalation that concerned the doctors at first and moderate burns to her hands and such, but she is recovering well now. She is still not receiving visitors, except family and close friends, before you ask," she continued.
Clark and Lois nodded, understanding.
"Thank you."
"Anything I can do to help a fellow friend," she replied, before standing up to escort them out, her drill sergeant persona suddenly being switched back on as she stepped out of the room.
O o O