Title: Vulnerable
Author: Ashley Graham
Rating: K+ -Just to be safe…there is some swearing and a bit of blood…
Summary: Who exactly found Clark in the middle of the road in Hidden, after he was shot? This is an AU version of what I wish had happened…Hints of a future CLIOS relationship, nothing too obvious since Clark is with Lana at this point in time.
Authors Note: A quick question, how does Clark get to the Fortress of Solitude? I know I should remember but I'm having a mind blank! (There's been a lot on my mind lately lol)
Vulnerable
Chapter 5: Misplaced Guilt
Smallville Memorial Center, Present Time
"I ran halfway up the road once I got out of there. My intention was to get back to Clark, but a police officer pulled up beside me. I explained the situation as quickly as I could…he said that Clark had been taken to the hospital, that someone had found him…and he gave me a ride. I have to go to the police station at some point to make a statement…" Chloe finished wearily.
Lois put a comforting arm around her cousin's shoulders and said softly, "They need one from me too; since I was the one who found him…I'll go with you when the time comes."
Chloe smiled gratefully at her.
"Are you going to be okay, Chloe? That had to have been very traumatizing." Martha asked, concerned.
A typical Kent gesture, always putting others before themselves…even when they are the ones facing bigger problems. "I'll be fine, Mrs. Kent. I-I just hope Clark can say they same…" Chloe replied quietly.
"Our son is tough; he'll make it through this." Jonathan said, obviously unable to believe anything else.
"He's the most thick-headed, stubborn person I've every met." Lois chipped in.
"Lois!" Chloe exclaimed at the remark.
"It's okay, Chloe…Lois is right. He's just like his father." Martha said, a small smile tugging on her lips.
Jonathan laughed lightly, reassuring Chloe that they were not offended at all by Lois' open opinion.
"Jonathan, Martha…we've got him settled in his new room." The doctor suddenly said softly as she entered the waiting area.
Everyone in the room jumped to their feet.
"Whoa, easy now. You can't all go in at once…please, one at a time. He isn't conscious but you could still overwhelm him, and the last thing he needs is more stress put on his body."
"Right, of course." Jonathan readily agreed.
"He's in room 78, take as much time as you need and I just want to forewarn you, we've put him on a respirator, he is capable of breathing on his own but his left lung is very weak., we're hoping that the respirator will relieve some stress and help him breath easier. " The doctor added before leaving, "I will update you periodically, and inform you immediately if there is any change at all."
"Martha, you go first sweetheart." Jonathan said, smiling comfortingly as he rubbed his wife's shoulders.
"Are you sure?" Martha asked quietly.
"Positive…I'll go and see him when you're done. I can wait a little longer." Jonathan replied.
Martha hugged her husband tightly before leaving the room to go and see her only son.
Jonathan stared after her, his face shadowed with both fear and guilt. It was his fault that his son was fighting for his life, he never should have told Clark and Chloe to look for Gabriel, he should have made Clark stay at home where he was safe. Damnit Kent, you knew he was more vulnerable now than ever! How could you have been so senseless?
Taking a shuddering breath, Jonathan sat down and ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to mentally ready himself to see his son…to see what he could have prevented in the first place.
Martha, meanwhile, had just entered Clark's room. She let out a choked sob at his prone figure lying helplessly on the bed.
"Hey baby…its me, mom…" She whispered softly as she sat down by his bedside and took his hand in hers.
Clark gave no sign that his mother had spoken to him.
"You really scared me and your dad today. We thought we had lost you at first…" Martha continued, her voice shaking with sobs, "You need to hang in there sweetheart…it'll kill us if we lose you…you have to stay strong…"
Martha sniffed and wiped away the tears that were currently rolling down her cheeks. "We wanted to see you earlier but the doctor wouldn't let us…your dad will be in after me…we have to come in one at a time so that you don't get overwhelmed…" She rambled as she stroked the limp hand she held.
I've never seen him look this bad, ever. Even when he was stabbed…She thought to herself sadly as she observed her son. Dark rings were under his eyes; his hair was matted to his head, the blanket only covered up to his waist, and his chest was bare (the reason being that the doctors didn't want to aggravate the wound.)
Clark was paler than Martha had ever seen him, and that included the times when he was exposed to kryptonite. "I love you, Clark…and I'll be here until you wake up…" She whispered into his ear before gently kissing him on the forehead.
Martha smelled in his scent before standing. "Everyone else is anxious to visit with you…so I'm going to go for a little while; I promise I'll come back in a bit, okay baby?" She said, speaking to him as if he was awake.
Martha lingered for a few minutes, hoping to get a response. When she didn't she left the room quietly, a devastated look on her face that only a mother could have.
The moment she entered the waiting room, Jonathan jumped to his feet and enveloped her in a strong hug. She cried gently on his shoulder, whispering, "Oh god Jonathan, he looks so bad…"
"It's going to be okay, Martha. It's going to be fine…" Jonathan replied, before turning to Chloe and saying quietly, "I think you should go in Chloe. Clark saw you get kidnapped, it'll take a lot of stress off of him if he hears your voice…"
Martha pulled away and looked at him, surprised.
Chloe opened her mouth, but nothing came out, the situation was way too awkward for her part.
Lois, who quickly realized that the father wasn't prepared to see his son, said boldly, "I think Mr. Kent is right…when I found him…I didn't mention this before but…well he was asking about Chloe, he even tried to get up to go and save her…"
This seemed to convince Martha. "Tell him that his father will be in once you leave…" She said to Chloe, who nodded before leaving the room apprehensively.
"Are you sure you're okay, Jonathan?" Martha said, looking at him in concern. He was usually the one who rushed to Clark's side when he was hurt.
"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine Martha…I'll go and see him as soon as Chloe gets back."
Martha frowned, but nodded her head and sat down tiredly.
Chloe bit her lip as she made her way down the hall, which seemed to stretch for miles. She finally came to room 78 and took a deep breath before entering. She took an involuntary step back when she saw the state Clark was in. She had never, never seen him look so bad in her entire time of knowing him.
The only time that came even relatively close was when he had been struck by that mysterious fever.
This...this is so much worse than that…
Chloe sat down in the chair that Martha had once occupied and stared at her best friend awkwardly. She couldn't help but feel a little bit of guilt for involving him with the whole "Gabriel is going to blow up Smallville" thing.
"Hey Clark, its Chloe. Um, your dad will be in after me, he thought I'd better come in and let you know that I was okay." She continued, "Don't worry, I stopped the missile…Gabriel didn't hurt me…well, I didn't, I didn't really give him the chance to…I kind of shot him by when we were fighting for the gun...he's dead…"
Realizing that she was rambling, Chloe quickly shut her mouth. "Sorry, I'm running my mouth again. I'm just…nervous I guess…It's just…it's so hard to see you like this! I never should have gotten you involved with Gabriel…I'm really sorry this happened…I wish I could be the one in that bed instead of you…" She said sadly, crying into her hands.
Chloe recomposed herself and squeezed Clark's limp hand comfortingly. "I'm going to go so that your dad can come in…get better Clark…I can't live with the thought that I escaped death today and you didn't…and even though you don't have your powers anymore…I still think you are destined for great things…" She whispered before leaving the room swiftly, fresh tears running down her cheeks.
She quickly stepped into the restroom to wash away the tear streaks, and the mascara smudges, before heading back to the waiting room. She sat down quickly once she reached her destination, and she felt Lois wrap her arm around her shoulders in a supportive embrace.
TBC
Hope you enjoyed it :) Jonathan and Lois visit with Clark in the next chapter!
To answer a reviewer's question...there won't be any CLOIS in this story...there will be HINTS of a future relationship between the two...I want to stick close to the canon...the reason being that this story was never meant to be super long (I originally had planned for it to be a one-shot!), I wouldn't have time to properly develop a relationship between the two and I have a Harry Potter story that I really need to get updating again...those reviewers are going to kill me soon! ; )
Xo, SuNkiSsT