Part 5 - Promise Fulfilled
Superman flew over the city, going directly to his destination: Dr. May Johnson's house.
He didn't know exactly what he was going to say, but he had a feeling he needed to talk to her now rather than later.
A part of him was concerned that it might be too soon. It hadn't even been three days ago after all, but the other part of him knew David wanted Superman to give her the message, and waiting just seemed wrong somehow.
He scanned the area and found it to be a quiet neighborhood and decided he could go unnoticed if he knocked on her front door. It was a moderately large porch with a bush in front of it, blocking most of the door from view.
The house was small and simple, one car in the driveway and one in the garage. He reasoned someone was with her, probably family. He was right when he listened.
"Well dear, I'll go get us some food. What do you want?"
"It doesn't matter," Dr. Johnson whispered.
"Alright," the voice said gently. "I'll be back later. I'm going to the grocery store and then I'll go to a drive through okay?"
" 'Kay."
Superman watched as an elderly lady exited the house and got in the car and drove away.
He risked X-raying the house, finding May Johnson alone on a couch, a tissue box beside her. She didn't seem to be crying, but Clark could practically see sadness radiating from her. He descended, hoping this wasn't a mistake as he landed. Taking care to stay out of sight, he knocked.
His hands were restless, just as the rest of him as he waited for her to come and answer the door.
He suddenly really hoped Dr. Price had spoken to her. This would go so much smoother if he had.
The door began to open.
Too late now if he didn't, Clark thought as the door opened all the way.
"Superman?!"
"Dr. Johnson."
"What are yo- oh, yeah. I'm sorry, I forgot that Price told me you might be coming."
She paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.
"Come in, I'm sure you didn't come here to talk on the porch." She stepped aside and allowed him in. He breathed a silent sigh of relief when the door shut behind him. He could only imagine the repercussions of word getting out that he seemed to be making house calls.
"You didn't have to come. Dr. Price told me everything," she whispered, leading him into her living room.
She motioned him to sit in the big comfy chair as she sat on the couch that was somewhat across from it.
He sat down and she couldn't help but marvel at how naturally his cape fell into place and of how he sank into the cushion.
He sat, leaning forward a little with his right arm on his leg providing support.
She found his gaze quite captivating as he simply looked at her, his eyes even deeper than she remembered them being. As she looked into his eyes she suddenly wondered what he felt he needed to see her for, and if he was having trouble putting it into words.
She quickly decided that that was what it was. His eyes looked like hers. Just like hers whenever she had to go to a parent and tell them that their child was sick and that there wasn't much they could do….
Her thoughts instantly went to David.
How long ago was it when she received those results and had to tell her son that he was sick and she couldn't make it better?
She made herself stop thinking as she focused back on Superman's face.
His face that currently had the 'I-have-something-to-tell-you-but-I-don't-know-how-to-say-it' look.
"Dr. Johnson, first of all, I did have to come. I made a promise." His voice was calm and had this unique gentleness that could only be described as fatherly.
"Dr. Johnson… what I have to tell you is going to be hard to understand, and probably hard to hear, but can you just listen and not say anything until I finish?"
She was suddenly very worried, and a little scared. What was he going to tell her? What could possibly make this man nervous, for that was what he appeared to be. Utterly anxious.
She might even go as far as to say he was super anxious.
"Alright, but just call me May. I'm not working."
"Okay."
He started, telling her what had happened when he had arrived at the apartment complex and of how her son had asked if he could hear him.
That had seriously startled her because Dr. Price had told her David had died instantly as a result from the blast. She was about to speak when she remembered she had agreed to keep quiet until he had finished.
He told May of the trip to the hospital, telling how David was asking him to tell his mom something for him. She was trying her best to hold it together, but at the mention of her husband and Marie, she broke down into tears.
Superman stopped, knowing she would need some explanations before he could continue. He also felt he needed a little break, he had nearly lost it himself a few times, but had miraculously kept his voice steady.
Seeing that Superman had stopped for her, she sniffled before asking a question, figuring he would allow one break in his monologue.
"He…he saw them?"
He nodded as he whispered, "Yes."
"Di-did you see them?"
"I didn't look, they were above and behind me," he answered honestly, suddenly wondering himself if he would have seen them if he had looked.
She then couldn't stop herself as she went to the first question that had been nagging her. "But Dr. Price told me that David was…"
She stopped as she heard Superman give a quiet sigh.
"You'll get to that?" she asked quietly.
He gave a nod, and continued.
"At the time I thought he was alive, but he told me otherwise. May, I don't understand it all myself, but he said he was gone when I arrived… and that he was going to his father. As I flew him to the hospital-"
This time Superman had to stop.
He could hear his voice on the verge of cracking, and he was getting that weird sensation in his throat and chest. The feeling of his body getting ready to surrender, preparing to release what was pleading to be.
The memory was raw in his heart.
The feeling of charred cloth was once again against him and at his hands; the smell of burned clothing and more seemed to be surrounding him as the face of David appeared in his mind. He felt as if he was there again, standing near that entrance to the hospital, time at a stand still.
He took a deep breath, still not trusting his voice, his face no longer facing the woman who had lost so much but instead was looking at the floor that was now getting slightly blurry around the edges.
Goodness, I'm actually about to ball my eyes out… he silently admitted to himself.
He was concentrating so hard on not crying that he didn't notice May get up and go to him, now kneeling before him. The next thing he knew, May had placed a hand on his knee and had taken hold of his hand with her other.
He felt himself become thankful for the human contact and he didn't even exactly know why as he looked at her. He found her green eyes embedded with understanding as they peered into him.
"Please continue. And it's alright to cry…believe me, I'll be the last person to judge tears."
He gave a small smile before clearing his throat, the heaviness in his chest lifting slightly.
He then spoke. His voice was slightly shaky at first but it became stronger, his voice restoring itself to what it had been initially.
"As I flew him to the hospital, he told me that you have something important to do. And so he asked me to tell you this: He's safe. He's with Daddy and Marie. Don't be sad, for he'll be watching, and so will they, so don't quit."
At his last words of 'don't quit', May broke down into sobs before him, so on instinct, Superman pulled her into his arms, himself now at the edge of the seat. A moment later he found himself being squeezed by May as she tried to calm herself.
He softly held her a few minutes, before he heard a soft slam of a car door from outside.
He patted her gently on the back, actually feeling some of her tears landing on his suit.
"I'm sorry… it's just that, I really needed to hear that," she said to him, on the verge of hiccups, but now mainly in control.
"It's alright," he soothed, taking his hand and wiping one of her tears away with his thumb.
"Thank you," she said, wiping the rest away as she backed up, looking at his face.
"I think it should be me saying that," he replied, giving her a smile as he then heard the front door quietly open and shut.
"Someone just came in," he quietly told her.
"Huh, I didn't hear, oh, my mom," she muttered, suddenly realizing for the first time that she had been crying on Superman's shoulder.
Superman gave her hand an encouraging squeeze, happy to see that she had calmed.
May returned it as she stood, Superman doing so as well, both feeling better as a voice came from their right.
"May, I hope you're in the mood for Chinese, I found these coupons and…Oh my…"
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