Chapter 29:
He had no idea what time it was. Of course, he never really cared. It's not like he could do anything to change it. Time was out of his control. Just like all the things that truly mattered. For a being with so much power, he had true control over very little.
The moon gently shone through his window, caressing his comforter with a cool glow. But he never noticed. It wouldn't have mattered if he did. He wouldn't have appreciated it, even if he was the one person who could have. Everything goes unnoticed until it gets taken away, no matter how small it may be. And even when it comes back, sometimes the beholder is so damaged that it cannot recognize the inner beauty it still wields.
Tears stung the back of his eyes, threatening to fall. He didn't care though. At one time he was ashamed of the tears, knowing that they showed an emotional side of him that was supposed to be masked in public. Then he grew to be afraid of the tears, knowing that they showed a human trait that he didn't deserve to exhibit. Now, he barely noticed them silently cascading down his cheeks. Even if he did stop them, it never proved anything. They still existed even if they didn't show them themselves.
He closed his eyes, willing sleep to stay away, but the urge grew too powerful to ignore.
He opened his eyes to a sharp, blinding pain originating around his abdomen. Even before he opened his eyes, he could feel the bright light above him. He heard the murmuring of scientists around him, and knew escape was futile. He could only pray it would end soon.
As if to mock his silent prayer, one of the scientists grabbed a green tinged scalpel and dragged it horizontally across Clark's bare abdomen. Clark instantly screamed out in pain, trashing weakly against the metal restraints. The scalpel finally reaching its destination, the scientist pulled it out and dropped it against a metal tray, the clash echoing throughout the sparse room.
Panting heavily, Clark looked up at the man hovering above him. A light green, medical mask colored half the man's face. Just another reason to hate the color green. Only the man's eyes were visible to Clark, yet even that held to relief. Amidst the pain, Clark could barely tell what color they were, but the harshness underlying them was indisputable. Unable to look another second, Clark closed his own eyes, waiting for unconsciousness to claim him.
The next time Clark opened his eyes he was back in his room, yet the pain in his stomach still lingered. Staring up at the ceiling, he tried to calm his uneven breaths, but found it futile. Turning his head, he shakily glanced around the room, unsure what he would find in its dark corners. Clark remained motionless, scared to blink, knowing what was waiting for him in the dark.
A disturbing uneasiness encompassed his stomach. A single thought filled his mind. Get the hell out of his room.
oOo
The loud blare of the alarm clock broke through Jonathan's dreamless sleep. Not wanting to wake Martha up, he reached over and quickly switched the alarm off. He looked over at his wife for a moment, worshipping her graceful beauty, before standing up ready to start the day. He groggily snatched his robe of a hook as he made his way toward the bathroom. Reaching the door, he became instantly aware of the sound of streaming water on the other side.
Jonathan knocked the door twice, becoming increasingly confused. " Clark?" When there was no answer he pounded the door a bit harder, his confusion quickly turning into concern. " Clark!" he called again. Hearing only the faint echo of his own voice, he opened the door, surprised to find shower running even though the lack of light clearly indicated there was no one occupying the room. Flipping the light on, he blinked a couple times before cautiously stepping towards the shower curtain. He wasn't sure why his heart was beating so loudly. There was no shadow on the other side of the curtain, proving that no one else was in the room, but the sinking feeling in his stomach thought otherwise.
Standing a safe distance away from the tub, Jonathan swiftly pushed the curtain aside, his eyes widening at the sight before him. "... Clark?" he asked, his voice scratchy with emotion and uncertainty. His only son was lying on his side, drenched to the bone, as ice cold water rained down upon him. Before his mind processed what was happening, Jonathan bent over the tub, protecting his son from the cold stream. " Clark, what are you doing? You'll get sick," he stated, wrapping his arms around his son's wet t-shirt.
Clark never looked up. He remained on his side, his body and soul defeated by the pounding water. "No, I won't," he answered his voice void of emotion. "Not human, remember?"
Breathless with worry, Jonathan questioned, "What are you talking about?" His body was already starting to tremble as the water soaked through his robe.
"I can't feel the cold," Clark breathed. "I've been trying, but I can't." Several seconds passed in silence, the cold water still dripping off of the father's body and onto the son's face. Jonathan opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it when Clark turned his head towards him. "Help me feel the cold," the boy pleaded, his eyes revealing his inner-turmoil.
It was the voice that chilled Jonathan to the bone. It reminded him of when his son was younger and looked to him for all the answers. Now, years later, the same son lay before him lost and helpless, and Jonathan no longer could provide the answers his son was looking for. But the father would provide everything his could. He slowly reached over and turned the shower off. "C'mon, Clark," he said, keeping his voice as calm as possible, "let's get you in some dry clothes." He wrapped his arms around his son, and began lifting him out of the tub.
"No! I want to feel!" Clark frantically cried, breaking from the father's grasp.
Becoming desperate, Jonathan threw himself on top of his son. " Clark, stop!"
"Let me go!" Clark screamed as he used his inhuman strength to push Jonathan off of him onto the floor. Never looking back, he threw himself towards the front of the shower and turned the faucet back on.
" Clark..." Jonathan whispered as he slowly sat up from where he was tossed.
The father silently watched as Clark glanced up at the shower head, rivulets of water streaming down his face. He could feel his son's disappointment when Clark hung his head and miserably turned off the faucet. "It's useless I'll never be able to feel it," he whispered barely loud enough for his father to hear.
Jonathan slowly reached over the tub once more, giving his son the support he needed. "C'mon. Let's get you out of here."
Clark silently complied. Standing up, he stepped out of the tub, letting his father guide him several steps. As they passed the mirror, Clark glanced at it and immediately fell to his knees. His reflection mocked him. It showed him the façade everyone saw, but never revealed what he truly was. Feeling strong arms wrap around him, Clark leaned into his father's chest. "I just...I want to be normal."
"I know, but you were meant for so much more," Jonathan whispered into his son's hair.
"Why?" the boy questioned through his tears.
Jonathan furrowed his brow for a moment. "I...I don't know," he admitted, silently praying that one day his son would find the answers he was so desperately searching for.
To Be Continued...
oOo
Chapter 30:
Feeling refreshed and relaxed, Cassie stepped out of her motel room shower. She quickly grabbed both towels off the rack, one for her body the other for her hair. Walking out of the bathroom, she looked out the dingy window to see the sun almost at high noon. The doctor spent the past couple weeks doing nothing in particular. Evidently, they called the town Smallville for a reason. Besides being the site of the world's largest meteor shower, the town had little to brag about, and the thought of visiting the small tourist spot where the meteors hit made her feel sick to her stomach. At first, she enjoyed the time off from her usually hectic life. Yet as the days slowly dwindled by, she started to become antsy, looking for anything to preoccupy her time.
The doctor was still extremely hesitant to go back to Metropolis without having anymore information on the mysterious killer who viciously murdered every single one of her colleagues, except for Dr. Baum of course. And, even though some may call her paranoid, whenever she was out in public she was constantly looking over her shoulder, wondering who may be hidden in the shadows. This resigned her to hours of reading both fiction and non-fiction books, completing the never ending stack of puzzles she bought from a local shop, and endlessly going over the files from Clark's capture.
Fortunately, money was not an issue for the young woman. Three years ago, after suffering from a stroke that eventually killed her, Cassie's mother left the young, struggling psychologist a bit of inheritance to live off of. Cassie immediately put the money in a savings account, not able to face the fact her last tie to the family left her. Of course there were still a couple aunts or cousins in the mix, yet none of them were ever close to the family after Cassie's family moved to Kansas when Cassie was still in elementary school.
Dressed in a simple white tank top and hideously green sweatpants, she sat down on her bed. She looked at the half-completed puzzle of two beagles on the table across from her. Sure she would lose her mind if she did not get out of the motel room soon, she grabbed her cell phone, hoping to get a hold of one of her friends to make some plans for the weekend.
The moment she flipped the phone open it blared to life, as if sensing her desire to get out and have a social life. 'Unavailable Number' was boldly stated across the bright screen. Her brow furrowed, she cautiously greeted, "...Hello?"
"Cassie?" a deep voice, obviously male, questioned on the other side.
She stayed silent for a moment, not sure of how to answer. "Who is this?"
"Oh, of course," the voice on the other line rattled off in a nervous tone, realizing its error. "This is Dr. Baum from the-"
"How did you get this number?" Cassie instantly cut off, not wanting any reminders of the horrific circumstance she had met the incompetent scientist. She realized she was being rude to the man who she had put so much faith in, but her, and more importantly Clark's, safety was not something she was willing to toy with.
Dr. Baum voice dropped an octave lower. "There are more important things for us to discuss."
Cassie felt her heart skipped a beat as she softly asked, "What happened?"
Obviously expecting the question, Robert immediately answered in one breath, "Several days ago I went back to the building we worked at and everything was gone, wiped clean as a slate. I would have called you earlier but it was difficult getting a hold of-"
"Wait," Cassie interrupted, still processing everything he had just said. Even through his obvious ambiguity, she understood each unspoken word. "So, when you say everything you mean..."
Robert immediately caught on to what she was referring to. "Everything," he enunciated, his voice once again dropping an octave lower. Not waiting for an answer, he quickly continued with his rambling, "The equipment, the files, even the...debris on the floor."
That was all Cassie needed to hear. She could have sworn she would have dropped the phone right then if it wasn't her only connection to the other survivor. The bodies were gone. That means who ever was there was not only brutal in the killing but meticulous in the clean-up. "Dear God. What do you think this means?"
"That's why I'm calling. Whatever happened back there, it's covering up its tracks. They may decide to come out again." The scientist paused for a moment, picking his words very carefully. "Retrieve what they believe is rightfully theirs."
Cassie closed her eyes, not able to face what his implications meant. "Do you really believe..."
"For a scientific break through of that esteem?" the scientist asked incredulously. "People have done a lot more of a lot less. Whatever happened back there it's not over yet. I don't think it ever will be until they have it back."
Cassie inwardly cringed at the reference to Clark as 'it'. "Okay, thanks for calling," she whispered, her energy depleted.
"Cassie," Robert instantly called out.
"Yes?"
She could hear Robert sigh on the other sigh. "Please, be careful," he said. His tone sounded more like pleading than Cassie would have liked.
"You too," she answered and closed the phone without another thought.
Mentally exhausted, Cassie laid back on the bed, her mind plowing over the past ten minutes. She knew she would have to visit the Kent's today to break the news to them, yet she also knew that she may not have the courage to do it. So many questions were left unanswered. She didn't even know exactly what or who she was hiding from and what their intentions were, even though she could take an educated guess.
She was so tired. And yet she knew no amount of sleep could make her fatigue go away. She was tired of being scared, of not knowing what lurked around the corner. She was tired of no longer having any control of her life, something she valued more than her life itself. Control meant power, and power gave her the ability to change...to change herself, and to change the lives of those who walked into her office. And most importantly, to change the world she lived in.
She knew something big was coming, she could feel it in her bones. Whether it was Clark's break through, or the arrival of the thing that threatened to tear her and Clark's life apart, something was on its way and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Part of her wished it would just happen already, even if she didn't know what 'it' exactly entailed, anything to break her out of the limbo she was currently trapped in.
Most of all, she was tired of waiting.
Opening her eyes, she looked back over at her phone discarded on the nightstand. Frustration quickly building inside of her, she quickly turned over and screamed with all her might into her pillow. With a new resolve, Cassie quickly got out of bed, not letting herself wallow in self-pity for a moment longer. She strode over to her small closet and pulled out a pair of plain kakis and a lavender short-sleeved blouse. She would be visiting Clark today, and it was her own personal oath to always look somewhat professional when visiting a patient.
As she was brushing her hair, her phone rang, foretelling the impending doom on the other line. She warily looked at the phone, willing it to stop. On the third ring, she grabbed the phone and opened it. Relief spread through her as she recognized the Kent's number displayed on the screen.
"Hello?" she answered casually.
"Dr. Harris?" Martha asked.
By the worrisome tone on the other line, Cassie instantly knew something was wrong. "What's the matter? Is it Clark?" She waited a moment as a deep, shaky breath echoed through the phone.
"Please, come over here. It's Clark. We don't know what to do," she begged, obviously on the brink of tears. "It's been days now and..." the woman abruptly stopped, unable to form the words.
Dr. Harris could hear the mother breaking down on the other line. "Don't worry, Mrs. Kent, I'm on my way."
To Be Continued...
AN: Thank to everyone for being so patient. I know how hard it must be to keep up with this story and I really, truly appriciate it. And pweaze review. It's a fanfic authors only payment.