While You Were Sleeping
Recruit
He ran through the tunnel. The rush of water was roaring, but not enough to dull the pounding of Lois' heart from fear in his ears. It matched his own.
"Lois!" he yelled.
When he reached the end he looked through the metal bars and saw her blue coat as the water continued to flood. Using his heat vision he was able to get through the barrier. He called out her name again. She was paralyzed, her body submerged. She was drowning. He fell to the ground and lifted her up, her name leaving him in alarm of her condition. Then a third time.
When it left his lips a fourth time, a scared voice said "Lois, can you hear me," softly as he held her close.
His hand grazed the back of her head. "Lois?"
She was cold and soaking wet. When he heard her faintly say, "Clark," he felt like he could breathe.
"It's okay. You're going to be okay," he assured her as he gently rocked her within the waves of the water.
She was okay.
He lifted her up and carried her in his arms. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest. She was recovering, but not keenly aware of what was going on. Her disorientation granted him time to use his powers to get out of the underground.
With Geoff subdued, he was able to tend to Lois outside as Chloe arrived at the scene.
He would take care of the rest.
When Lois arrived back at the farm it had been in a whirlwind of bewilderment that she moved back into his room.
He had been relieved to hear her voice and she had used it expertly. He might move his feet quicker than the speed of sound, but her words always seemed quicker.
She was sleeping as he creaked the door open.
He attempted a "knock, knock" like she had granted him in the loft earlier in the day-for privacy, of course.
He needed something from his closet and did his best to not disturb her. He fished around for what he was looking for and then started to leave. He turned back to see her curled up in his bed, the red and blue checkered comforter wrapped around her as she laid in a sea of blue sheets.
He flashed back momentarily to her rescue. The blue sheets dissolved into an expanse of water and she was once again caught in the throes of pouring water over her.
The intensity built up again in his gut, reaching through his lungs and getting caught in his throat. He felt his hand start to form a fist. At the realization he let out a breath and uncurled his fingers.
He couldn't help but have a reaction to Lois being in danger. As much as she annoyed him, he had felt rage when she had been taken, the risk of her dying consumed him. It hadn't been long since Alicia. Maybe that had contributed to it, but something else entirely had been unleashed that hadn't felt before for Lois.
He had become aggressive, feral even, when he pulled Geoff from the window and demanded, "Where is she?! Tell me where she is!"
He could have lost her.
Lois made a tiny sound from her lips as she turned her face deeper into his pillow.
He was concerned at first, wondering if she was having a nightmare of some kind, but her expression wasn't frightful, but placid.
He pushed the thoughts deep into the crevices of his mind.
He was in awe that she wasn't letting the disturbing experience get to her.
She was okay.
She was in his bed. She was safe.
He could keep an eye on her while she stayed at the farm.
Content with the image, and the plan, he left her in a peaceful slumber.