Authors note: okay, this chapter is about the next day; the first day without Clark. Martha remains at the hospital, and starts asking questions. Lionel begins to deal with reality.
Martha awoke to slight commotion in her room. Jonathon was quietly trying to convince the nurse to let him stay in the room with her.
"But, ma'am, no, I know I was here all night and I shouldn't have been, I know, but please, let me stay," he stammered, obviously very tired. Martha smiled wearily.
"Jonathon, I'm awake." She whispered softly to him, and squeezed his hand. He immediately turned to face her. The nurse threw her hands in the air and left the room.
"G'morning sweetheart." He whispered.
"Were you here all night?" she asked.
"Yes. I fell asleep in the chair. I woke up when you did, but I didn't leave."
"Yes," she sighed, "I am afraid I didn't sleep very well. Too many dreams." Jonathon nodded gravely. Then, as if the thought of her dream reset reality within her, she began to cry again,
"Oh Jonathon!" she began to cry heavily, and buried herself in her husband's arms. Jonathon hung his head. It killed him to see Martha so sad, he could never understand how life could deny her a child, and when he thought of what would happen when she learned of Clark, a silent tear made its way down his face too.
Lionel felt the same depression as he regained consciousness around the same time Martha awoke. All too quickly, what had happened the night before set in, and he sighed. What to do, what to do, he thought. One thing his mind could know for sure was that he had to get out of the house. He knew he would be subject to looks, but he didn't care. Perhaps a walk would clear his mind. Lionel quickly summoned his driver, and went to the center of town.
Lionel stopped at the Talon and got out. He went to the driver's window, and told him to go home, and that he would call when he wanted to leave. The driver gave him a weird look, but obliged and drove away. Lionel looked at his feet, and shuffled into the Talon.
Lana was busily serving tables and hardly noticed the new customer walk in and take a seat by the window. Clark, Lex, and Chloe's usual seat. She quickly tried to push the thought of Lex and Clark out of her head. And Chloe; she hadn't said a word last night. Something was wrong. But right now, with so many things wrong, she couldn't take the time to go into it. Lana hastily made her way to the table, trying to look normal for the customer who obviously didn't know the thought wave sitting in that seat had put in her head, and probably didn't care. She reached the table and said,
"Hi, welcome to the Talon! Can I get you something to drink?" she had been writing on the pad, and looked at the customer at the end of her sentence, and she gasped. A forlorn, dismal-looking Lionel Luthor looked back up at her.
"Ms. Lang" he said politely. "I assume the coffee shop business is going well." She replied affirmatively.
"Well, I do think I would like a black coffee, no cream, and no sugar.' He asked politely. She nodded meekly, and said,
"I heard about Lex. How are you?"
"Well, Ms. Lang, my son is probably dead, and his wife to blame. And no, I had no part in this. Spread the news to the coffee shop crowd. My son is gone. And I am, once again, all alone in this world."
"Mr. Luthor, I am very sorry for your loss. I might even understand it. I lost both my parents in the meteor shower," Lionel, staring at his hands, nodded. "I would put this coffee on the house," Lionel grimaced. "But I think I will do you one better. I'll get your coffee, feel free to sit here as long as you like. I won't sit anyone near you, I see you would prefer to be alone." Lana quickly left, and Lionel whispered his thanks. When she returned, she said to him,
"Perhaps you might like to go see Mr. and Mrs. Kent." Lionel, who had not moved his eyes from the coffee in his hands, looked abruptly up.
"Now why, Ms. Lang, would I ever like to do a thing like that?"
"Because they are going through loss as well. In the power surge, they were driving home. Their truck was overturned, and Mrs. Kent was injured. She lost the baby. Clark ran away after learning this." Lana stopped pouring and looked at him.
"I know the problems between you and Mr. Kent. But, it might even help the three of you. I know Mr. Kent is having a hard time. When I told him Clark had run away he could hardly breathe. I don't believe he has told Mrs. Kent yet. You could somehow, be a comfort to them."
"Ms. Lang, I have never been a comfort to anyone in my entire life." Lionel rasped.
"They are at the hospital, in any case." Lana quickly left, leaving the pot on the table. She went into the back room and closed her eyes. She had no idea why she had said so much to Lionel Luthor about the Kents and Clark. It was just, someone had a loss like them, like her, she could not help pouring a bit of her soul to him, along with the coffee. Slowly, she dried her tears, wiped her eyes, and returned to work. She kept an eye on Lionel. Every now and again she would glance over at him, and it was always the same. Lionel wasn't moving, just taking little sips of his coffee, and staring straight ahead.
Martha awoke to slight commotion in her room. Jonathon was quietly trying to convince the nurse to let him stay in the room with her.
"But, ma'am, no, I know I was here all night and I shouldn't have been, I know, but please, let me stay," he stammered, obviously very tired. Martha smiled wearily.
"Jonathon, I'm awake." She whispered softly to him, and squeezed his hand. He immediately turned to face her. The nurse threw her hands in the air and left the room.
"G'morning sweetheart." He whispered.
"Were you here all night?" she asked.
"Yes. I fell asleep in the chair. I woke up when you did, but I didn't leave."
"Yes," she sighed, "I am afraid I didn't sleep very well. Too many dreams." Jonathon nodded gravely. Then, as if the thought of her dream reset reality within her, she began to cry again,
"Oh Jonathon!" she began to cry heavily, and buried herself in her husband's arms. Jonathon hung his head. It killed him to see Martha so sad, he could never understand how life could deny her a child, and when he thought of what would happen when she learned of Clark, a silent tear made its way down his face too.
Lionel felt the same depression as he regained consciousness around the same time Martha awoke. All too quickly, what had happened the night before set in, and he sighed. What to do, what to do, he thought. One thing his mind could know for sure was that he had to get out of the house. He knew he would be subject to looks, but he didn't care. Perhaps a walk would clear his mind. Lionel quickly summoned his driver, and went to the center of town.
Lionel stopped at the Talon and got out. He went to the driver's window, and told him to go home, and that he would call when he wanted to leave. The driver gave him a weird look, but obliged and drove away. Lionel looked at his feet, and shuffled into the Talon.
Lana was busily serving tables and hardly noticed the new customer walk in and take a seat by the window. Clark, Lex, and Chloe's usual seat. She quickly tried to push the thought of Lex and Clark out of her head. And Chloe; she hadn't said a word last night. Something was wrong. But right now, with so many things wrong, she couldn't take the time to go into it. Lana hastily made her way to the table, trying to look normal for the customer who obviously didn't know the thought wave sitting in that seat had put in her head, and probably didn't care. She reached the table and said,
"Hi, welcome to the Talon! Can I get you something to drink?" she had been writing on the pad, and looked at the customer at the end of her sentence, and she gasped. A forlorn, dismal-looking Lionel Luthor looked back up at her.
"Ms. Lang" he said politely. "I assume the coffee shop business is going well." She replied affirmatively.
"Well, I do think I would like a black coffee, no cream, and no sugar.' He asked politely. She nodded meekly, and said,
"I heard about Lex. How are you?"
"Well, Ms. Lang, my son is probably dead, and his wife to blame. And no, I had no part in this. Spread the news to the coffee shop crowd. My son is gone. And I am, once again, all alone in this world."
"Mr. Luthor, I am very sorry for your loss. I might even understand it. I lost both my parents in the meteor shower," Lionel, staring at his hands, nodded. "I would put this coffee on the house," Lionel grimaced. "But I think I will do you one better. I'll get your coffee, feel free to sit here as long as you like. I won't sit anyone near you, I see you would prefer to be alone." Lana quickly left, and Lionel whispered his thanks. When she returned, she said to him,
"Perhaps you might like to go see Mr. and Mrs. Kent." Lionel, who had not moved his eyes from the coffee in his hands, looked abruptly up.
"Now why, Ms. Lang, would I ever like to do a thing like that?"
"Because they are going through loss as well. In the power surge, they were driving home. Their truck was overturned, and Mrs. Kent was injured. She lost the baby. Clark ran away after learning this." Lana stopped pouring and looked at him.
"I know the problems between you and Mr. Kent. But, it might even help the three of you. I know Mr. Kent is having a hard time. When I told him Clark had run away he could hardly breathe. I don't believe he has told Mrs. Kent yet. You could somehow, be a comfort to them."
"Ms. Lang, I have never been a comfort to anyone in my entire life." Lionel rasped.
"They are at the hospital, in any case." Lana quickly left, leaving the pot on the table. She went into the back room and closed her eyes. She had no idea why she had said so much to Lionel Luthor about the Kents and Clark. It was just, someone had a loss like them, like her, she could not help pouring a bit of her soul to him, along with the coffee. Slowly, she dried her tears, wiped her eyes, and returned to work. She kept an eye on Lionel. Every now and again she would glance over at him, and it was always the same. Lionel wasn't moving, just taking little sips of his coffee, and staring straight ahead.