Part 12 - Ever Watching
Lois closed and locked the window, pausing as she asked herself why she even did so. Superman was the only person who could reach it.
Turning, her thoughts shifted to the tingling sensation still present on her forehead. She didn't know if the feeling was real or psychological, but whatever the case, she couldn't help but believe he kissed her with more than just thanks; he had kissed her in reverence.
There was just no other way of putting it.
She had never been touched in such a way that made her feel so utterly treasured, let alone kissed. He had done it with such tenderness and respect that it was…
She shook her head, placing her hand gently on the spot that he had touched as if it had left an invisible mark that only she could feel and only he could see.
She thought back to that moment, feeling the heat of his body so close, and then the touch of his lips, however briefly, his warmth seeming to flow into her.
Complete bliss.
She was confused and honored that he seemed to have admitted how dear she was to him, and that she had become someone he could talk to.
Her eyes wandered to the table where she had left her pen and notebook.
That interview was as good as done.
O o O
Saint General Hospital Roof - 9:58 pm
Dr. Price stood waiting on the roof, watching the clouds move softly over the moon.
He still could not believe Superman had chosen him to be his personal doctor, and a part of him was wondering why he himself had agreed to it.
But he had agreed, and he never went back on his word.
He heard a soft thud and felt a disturbance in the air around him.
"Thank you, Dr. Price, for seeing me."
"My pleasure Superman," he said, turning.
"Well, I've been trying to think how to go about this, and haven't really come up with anything. I'm hoping you have."
"Actually, Superman, I have. I have some friends who work in research. They would be willing to let me use their lab downtown."
"In secret?"
"Well, their security is top of the line, as is the rest of their equipment, but I'm a friend of the owner, so it's not a problem. He's already agreed to give me the keys. He said if I say I need to do a little research on something important, I can use his lab, and no one will know about it."
"Nice."
"Yes. His son works part time there as well, and the fact that I did a simple operation that saved his son's life probably helped in some of this. The only problem is that he will not be able to give me the keys until next week, but I'm sure we can start here at the hospital."
"Okay, so what are we going to do first?"
"I think we should start with the basics. I need to give you a routine physical so I can get an idea of how you work."
"Oh, alright."
"Have you never been to a doctor's office?" Price asked, easily reading that Superman was a little hesitant.
"I have, but never as a patient."
"That's fine. You'd be surprised at how many…uh, human adults haven't either," he said, not knowing how to exactly word that. "So when do you want that appointment?"
"Oh. Not this weekend…I…" his voice trailed off.
"Me too. I'll be going as well," Price whispered.
They stood in silence for a time, Price watching Superman's face.
"You are a godsend, you know that Superman?" Price said finally.
"What?"
"May was really thinking about giving up. Quitting the doctor business for good. But thanks to you, she's going to continue doing what she's been doing. Her exact words to me were, 'Superman reminded me of something very important, Eric. My son is watching, and so are Timothy and Marie. I'm not going to quit. They wouldn't want me to.' She had already started making plans of moving and had already written her resignation before you had visited her."
"I didn't know."
"I know, but I thought you should. Because of you she will continue saving people's lives. Because of you she will always remember that her family is watching. She still has a purpose, and to her that is everything."
"Thank you for telling me, Dr. Price."
Price nodded, now placing his hands in his pockets.
"Well let's have that appointment Monday sometime, if that works for you."
"Yeah, that'll work."
"7 pm here, room 402? The window will be unlocked," he added.
"That would be fine," Superman agreed.
"Oh, for next time, here's the address to the lab," Dr. Price said, getting out a pen and paper to write down the address. He then handed it to Superman.
"S.T.A.R. Labs?" he asked, surprised. "You sure have some friends in high places."
"I certainly hope I do."
Superman smiled at that, folding the page in his hand.
"Good night, Doctor."
"Good night."
O o O
The next day came quickly for Clark. The services were taking place at a church a few miles from the city Saturday at 4 pm. Soon after, close family and friends would drive down to the cemetery to privately say their last goodbyes.
Clark decided not to wear what he normally wore as Clark. Instead, he found an aged but nice enough looking dark jacket, pitch black pants, and a black buttoned up collared shirt. He didn't wear his normal glasses, but wore sleek dark shades.
He couldn't risk being recognized as Clark, for 'Clark' hadn't been invited; but he felt he could pass as a nobody.
Clark stood quietly in the back, seeing May Johnson and her mother at the front pews, Henderson and his family beside them.
He saw Dr. Price and Jim O'Neal as well, intermixed with countless other faces, some he recognized from the hospital, others not.
He stayed to himself, simply giving a soft nod to those who gave him eye contact, but most paid him no mind. When the services started he was in the far back, sitting by himself, a few feet from the next person on the pew.
He didn't say a word under the roof of the white and brick church.
He simply didn't have any.
As the pastor came up to the podium, Clark could not take his eyes from the casket.
Within, he knew, lay a child, an individual who had been taken too soon from this world, a child who he had held in his very arms.
He tuned out the quiet crying echoing throughout the building, and even blurred out the words the pastor was speaking as his eyes wandered from the casket to the stand which bore a large photo of David.
He could see that it had been taken on a playground, a large blue slide beyond with swings to his right. He had a light jacket on, and, by the looks of it, the picture had been taken just a few short months ago.
He was slightly turned, as if he was about to run to the slide, smiling as he did so.
A picture, frozen in time, testifying to the fact that life can turn on a dime, and that the future is never certain.
Zoning back to his surroundings, he found that they were again allowing people to go up to the closed casket. He felt as if he wasn't physically there, but instead was watching from above.
"Sir?" a voice whispered from his side.
He turned, barely looking up from the pew to find Nurse Schmitt standing in the aisle beside him, all 56 inches of her.
"Nurse Schmitt! Hi," he choked out, though in a hoarse whisper, having been caught a little off guard.
"I didn't know if I would see you here or not," she said, her voice quiet.
"Oh, uh. I…"
"Was asked to come," she finished for him gently, then moved and sat next to him.
Unable to think of anything else to say, he simply replied, "Yes."
What is going on? Clark asked himself, more than just somewhat confused. Who am I to her right now?
"Are you going to the cemetery afterwards?" she asked. People were now up and about, quietly talking to one another, as well as comforting each other.
"I don't know if that would be appropriate. I'm not family or close to -"
"Nonsense. You're here for the same reason I am. You were asked to come, and so you came. If you had not been invited to come then I would say that it would be inappropriate, but that is not the case." She paused, her eyes going up to the casket before them all. May, currently being hugged by Henderson, had tears in her eyes; a young lady, her left hand wrapped with white cloth, was standing beside her.
Megan.
"So how are you doing?" Nurse Schmitt asked, taking her voice even lower, which gave him a hint to who he hoped she was talking to.
"Good… I've uh… been doing a lot of thinking lately to be honest, with everything that has been going on."
"Have you decided anything? I'm a close friend of Jim O'Neal, and he told me of the visit a few nights ago."
Clark was at first a little concerned, but then he felt a sense of calm wash over him.
This was okay.
"Yes."
"That's good, but if you need any 'directing' you know where to find me."
"Yes Ma'am, I do," he whispered back, giving a slight smile.
She slowly stood up, her head now barely above his even though he was still sitting. She put out her small hand for him to take and so he did so, her hand all but disappearing into his. With her other she patted his hand, and whispered, so quietly only he could hear.
"A soul such as yours needs closure too. Even if you are super…"
Clark couldn't say anything to that as she turned, making her way up to the front, leaving him to his thoughts.
O o O
Cemetery - 5:10 pm
Clark watched as the casket was secured over the freshly dug hole, the awning already up.
He was a ways back, standing next to a tree, completely out of the way. Most people who might see him would not know if he was there for David, or if he was making a visit of his own and was now paying his respects to this recently passed individual.
He had arrived before anyone else from the church, his ability to fly coming in handy; that and his nonexistent desire to make himself known.
The sky was mainly clear, an occasional cloud floating in infinite blue, the sun approaching the western horizon.
He watched as the people arrived. Henderson and his family took their place beside May and her mom, Diane. Behind was Nurse Schmitt who was beside Dr. Price, and Jim O'Neal and his wife beside them.
He hoped Nurse Schmitt wouldn't try to search him out, but after talking to her in the church, he was sure she understood that he wanted his space.
They started, Clark now barely watching.
His mind was elsewhere, but still on David.
The wind was blowing gently now, the top of the awning rippling from it. It even tousled Clark's hair.
His eyes skimmed over the scene before him from over a dozen yards away.
The pastor stood at the front, the holy book held open in his hand.
He barely heard the statements from the pastor now, his words intermixing with the wind.
.
.
'Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of G-d belongs…'
.
'G-d will keep them in perfect peace…'
.
'The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets…'
.
.
The leaves above him were rustling softly, as if they were being moved by the words being spoken and not by the wind.
He was standing straight, hands at his sides, his shaded glasses still on his face when he suddenly had this overwhelming feeling of being watched.
He searched for the source, trying to find the eyes that he now felt upon him.
And then he found them.
A man and a young girl stood beyond and on the other side of the awning, directly across from him. They were transparent in the light, and he quickly saw they made no shadow.
The father had one hand on his daughter's shoulder as he raised his other to acknowledge Clark.
The girl, who went up past her father's elbow, gave a smile, before looking up to her father.
"Dad, he can see us can't he?"
"Yes, Marie, he can see us."
"So that's really him…"
"Yes."
"Wow…"
Clark simply stared, but was suddenly brought out of his statue imitation when he felt a tiny hand clasp his own.
He instantly looked down, finding an unblemished young face looking up into his own.
"You are right, Mr. Kent. We shall be ever watching," the boy whispered.
"David?" he asked, unable to fully believe it. He knelt down to David's eye level, his right side now to the funeral service where some of the people were leaving. The precious book was closed in the preacher's hand.
The boy's face was clean and perfect, and his silky clothes were of brilliant white and blue, no longer tarnished with black smoke or charred with ash.
"Yes Superman, it's me."
"I don't know what to say, David. It's good to see you," he replied, exhaling a shaky breath.
The boy smiled, his whole being seeming to glow at the action.
"Thank you for talking to my mom," he said.
"You're welcome. Is there anything else you would like me to do?" he asked before he got too choked up.
"What I want you to do you will do already, for it has already started. The things that are coming will all be used for good. Do not be afraid."
"What's coming?"
The boy simply smiled, casting his eyes across the cemetery to his father and sister for a moment.
He took a step back. "Mr. Kent, if you can, make a visit to my friends who are in the hospital. I'm sure they would be happy to see you," he added as the forms of his father and sister materialized beside him.
"We have to go now," he whispered.
"But you shall be watching," Clark stated, giving a soft smile.
"Yes."
And with that, Clark stood up, the three before him disappearing as they smiled down and across at May who had just lifted her hand from the flower covered casket.
And Clark found her eyes.
Her eyes that had previously been completely embedded in grief were now traced with a new found determination and purpose.
And from that instant, Clark knew David was right.
It had already started.
O o O