ROAD TO GREATNESS
Chapter 13
After making sure that Baron's host was safe and sound Clark, remembered what Kor-El had told him about his parents. As he was making his way out of the hospital he suddenly remembered that he had wanted to see how Lois was feeling. He had almost lost her and what more he had felt more pain at losing her than anyone else, including Lana's death. And that fact scared him. He had no idea as to why he felt such pain and sorrow to her almost being dead. Sure they were friends, but not lovers; heck they were walking a very fine line between best friends and just friends. Yet when he saw her lying there unconscious, and fragile, he felt that apart of his soul had been literally torn out of him, and when the doctor assured him that she'll make a full recovery, he felt a renewed energy within him. The world around him wasn't spinning, nor was it dull or grey. The world had become colorful again, and he can once again see clearly, almost as if that Lois' life had given his own life meaning.
His train of thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone shriek his name out.
"CLARK"
As he jerked his head in the direction of where the sound was coming from, he saw his mother rushing down the hall towards him, his father in check. Her eyes expressed that she was both happy and relieved that he was fine.
He outstretched his hands and allowed the warmth of his mother's embrace envelope him. Many times as a child when his mother would embrace him, all his fears would melt away, and for the mere moments that she would hold him, he felt safe… normal. He allowed himself to indulge in this blissful feeling, before turning and acknowledging his father.
"Son." He said with a relieved smile, before hugging Clark himself. "We're glad you're alright. So, what happened?"
"Raya, she's dead." He answered, the sadness obviously visible in his voice.
"What happened?"
"It's a long story, we should leave it till we get home. What were you guys doing here?"
"Well son, I brought Martha down for a quick check-up, and then we thought since we haven't seen Lois in a while, we might as well drop by and see how she's doing."
"So, how is she?"
"Oh well Clark you know Lois and how she can't stand hospitals," his mother started, "she insists that she is fine and requests to be let out immediately, just not using those exact words."
Clark smiled for the first time in two-days, "That sounds like Lois" he said.
"Are you going to see her?" his mom asked.
"Yeah, I haven't come to see her since, well, the accident. Some best friend I am." In a grim tone.
"Clark, son, any person would be lucky to have a friend like you in their life. We'll see you back home. We're both very proud of you."
"Bye, sweetheart."
"Bye mom, bye dad."
He watched as his parents walked off down the hall and rounded the corner, before he turned and headed towards Lois' room and braced himself for another round of verbal sparring with the brash Lois Lane.
Knocking on the door, he waited for her permission before entering the room. What he saw when he got inside left him in total shock.
Instead of Lois being tucked in bed, and resting; she was lying on the floor doing sit-ups. She was already on 102 when she turned to see who was at the door.
"Hey there Smallville, what's up?" she said completely oblivious to Clark's shocked state, as she continued doing her sit-ups.
"Lois what are you doing?"
"I'm baking a cake, what does it look like I'm doing Clarkie?"
He stood still for a moment and glared at her. "The doctors orders were that you're supposed to sit in your bed and rest, and last time I checked stomach crunches weren't included as resting."
"Okay first off Smallville, doctors don't give orders, they give recommendations, hence I'm entitled not to listen. Secondly just because someone's name has the title Dr. instead of Mr. or Mrs. Or Miss, and walk around with a stethoscope all day doesn't mean that they know what I can or cannot do. Thirdly I'm almost done."
"149, 150.Whew. There, ya happy. And finally, I've told you once before I don't need an overprotective brother especially one who isn't my brother."
"I'm not trying to be your brother, I'm trying to be your friend. I thought I'd drop in and see how you're doing, obviously you're fine since you're still as rude as ever so I think I'll just leave." As he turned to walk towards the door, Lois called out to him causing him to stop.
"Clark wait, ah look – I'm sorry I bit your head off."
As he turned and faced her, her eyes locked onto his deep blue eyes, silently asking her to continue. She didn't know why, but every time Clark sensed that there was a more deeper meaning to what she was saying, he'd look at her and she can clearly see the support in his eyes and she'd just let out everything like an open tap. There was something about Clark Kent that made her able to tell him things she didn't even tell Chloe. He was somehow able to sneak in behind the walls she had put up to protect herself. And that scared.
After struggling lightly many times to get up, she held out one of her hands indicating that she needed help getting up.
Clark walked towards her and held out one of his hands. Her hand smoothly fit into his like a key in a lock. As Lois prepared herself to lift herself off the floor by pulling on Clark's arm for support, she let out a little yelp when she found herself in Clark's arms as he effortlessly carried her to her bed and sat her down. Their eyes interlocked once again, before they both jerked their heads in the opposite direction and pretended that nothing had just happened.
Clearing her throat Lois began, "Look Smallville, the next time you decide to pull of a stunt like that you'll wake up with a throbbing headache the following week. Are we clear? I'm not Lana."
He just smiled and grabbed the chair in the corner of the room and moved it next to her bed. He realized that her lash at him was just her defense mechanism working trying to throw him from her revealing to him her true feelings. Clark wasn't about to let this slip just because she can't hold back her tongue. This was one of the few, rare times that Clark was able to see that Lois was human as well.
Lois had hoped that through her sudden outburst that Clark would forget the fact that she was about to let him in behind the walls. When he reached for the chair and pulled it closer to the bed she realized that there was no way of getting around it. 'Damn it.' She thought to herself.
They sat there in silence for a full minute. Lois was hoping that Clark would eventually get bored of waiting and just leave. Clark however knew exactly what Lois was doing and just sat there expectantly. She tried to busy herself with anything she could find, to avoid Clark's piercing gaze. She first straightened out her pillow, then her bed cover. She grabbed one of the magazines and started flicking through it, trying to act interested. Truth be told she had lost interest in the magazine ten minutes after she had discovered it in the first place. It was all junk. The main article was titled 10 ways to keep your man happy for longer. What irritated her was that each one of those ten ingredients had some sort of sex-appeal to them. 'As if the only way to keep your partner interested in you is by wearing your pants and shirts extremely low amongst other things. If that's all the guy is interested in then he's not worth being with, in the first place.' She thought to herself. She glanced back at Clark to see if he was showing any signs of boredom or other emotions that would indicate he was going to leave soon. She infuriated when he still seemed as calm as ever, and that his blue-green eyes were still waiting for her to open up to him.
"Will you stop that, you're gonna burn a whole straight through me if you keep staring at me like that Smallville!" she yelled.
Clark just chuckled to himself. He knew Lois too well. Sometimes it scared him just how well he knew her. At times he felt he knew her more than he did himself. It also scared him to find just how well Lois could read him too. At times he felt like she knew him better than anyone, including himself.
"Well, I'm waiting."
Letting out a deep breath before she began. "I guess it all started when I was five, and we found out that mom had lung cancer. We went to the hospital every month for the following year, so mom can get her regular check-ups. Every month was worse than the previous, Lucy would be constantly crying with all the tension in the room, the general would be yelling at the doctors calling them incompetent and whatever, but the worst part was mom. Every month she'd become weaker than the month before. Her voice would get lower, her skin would get paler. She was dying right in front of me and there was nothing me nor anybody else could do about it. The last two months were the worst. She became a full-time patient because her condition had gotten so bad. She had all these wires going in and out of her, she looked more like a mother board that a person. Lucy had gotten terrified of coming close to her because she had gotten so cold, the general didn't get any better either. There were times when he refused to look at her because it brought him so much pain. Then one day, the doctor came out and gave daddy the news, and daddy was just silent. He grabbed Lucy and me and just walked out, Lucy was screaming and wailing and I was so scared I didn't know what I was gonna do without mom. The general wasn't just quiet for the whole car ride, from that day on, the only time he spoke was when he gave us orders. I guess the reason to why I hate hospitals is I didn't only lose my mother here, I lost my father as well. And I guess is that every time someone I care about is in here or I'm here I'm afraid that I might lose them or myself as well." She finished softly, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. She hadn't realized that she had her eyes closed, nor did she realize that halfway through her confession, that Clark had grabbed her hand and was gently stroking the back of it with his thumb.
She opened her eyes, when she was certain that there would be no signs of tears ever threatening to have fallen, only to be met by Clark's warm, comforting blue eyes.
"Lois I promise you, that you're gonna make it out of here." He said with a soft smile, before slowly getting up. As soon as his hand left hers Lois felt a sudden chill flow through her body. As he was about to open the door Lois called out his name.
"Clark." He turned so he could face. "Chloe told me that you were the one who brought me here, and that if it weren't for you, that you guys would probably be burying my ashes in a grave or something, so I just want to say thanks. You always have my back even when I don't ask. You really are a good friend. But if you mention anything that I've said in here to anyone else, well let's just say Elmer Fudd will finely meet the Smallville."
He widened his eyes a little at her threat, before grinning mischievously and answering, "Aye, aye – Sailor." And he walked out of the room. Leaving Lois with a smile of admiration on her face.
When Clark arrived home he found that his mother was just about to serve dinner. The holidays were coming up so his father was officially on vacation. It will be the first time in a long time that they'll be having dinner as a family since the evening of the election results. Over dinner Clark told his parents everything that happened to Baron, how Raya, died and how Kor-El had swooped in and saved him as well.
"Poor Kor-El, I can' imagine how upset he must be feeling at the moment. Not seeing his wife for all these years and then when he finally gets reunited with her she's taken away from him again. He must be really heart-broken."
"Son, did you have any way of contacting him?"
Shaking his head as he answered. "No, he told me to get back to the farm and that he'll meet me there after he's done."
"Done what?" his father asked.
With an embarrassed face on Clark answered "Um, expressing his love to his wife." He replied.
"O, I see." His father answered, his mother having an amused look on her face.
The awkward moment was interrupted by a knock at the door, "I'll get." Clark said, wanting to escape the awkwardness of the room. Martha got up to clear the dishes but was stopped when Jonathon beat her to it, "I'll get it sweetheart, you just relax."
When Clark answered the door he was stunned to see that Kor-El was on the other side.
"Hello Kal-El."