Whisper Part 4

At the Talon…

The Talon was the busiest it had been in days when school let out. Lana punched in, ready to get to work, when she spotted Clark sitting at a small table in the back.

Lana walked over. Work could wait. "Hi, Clark."

"Lana. Hi."

She noticed how the table was free of textbooks. Just an open notebook with crooked handwriting and a small audio device with headphones attached.

"How are you?" Lana took the seat across from him. She reached out to hold on to his hand. Clark smiled at the touch.

"I'm okay. Just taking it one day at a time."

"If there's anything I can do, please let me know."

"Thanks. Everyone's been asking me that, and I don't know what to tell them."

"A-hem." Alicia, holding two coffees, appeared beside Lana, who was clearly in the seat intended for her. "I thought you were working."

Lana reluctantly rose from the chair, which Alicia all-too happily slide into. It was true; wait staff was not supposed to sit with customers during their shifts. "Just saying 'hi' to my friend."

I do not like this girl.

"How thoughtful. Clark, I managed to add some sensory tags to your textbooks. I know it's not a lot, but at least this way, you'll know which is which and can hand it to your tutor. Here, try this one out."

Alicia pulled out a textbook that had three buttons taped to the front cover. She guided his hand to them and explained her system.

Lana felt another pang of jealousy as she forced herself to go back to waiting tables. She went through the motions of smiling and refilling coffee cups, sneaking glances back to where Clark was seated. Alicia took notes, read from the textbooks, and quizzed him as Lana had to stay behind the counter.

Lana realized that she wanted to be where Alicia was. She wanted to be the one Clark was relying. Lana had tried to put herself out there; to show her willingness to be there for him.

But Clark didn't want her. He refused to be open and honest.

And without that, Lana had to accept they had no future.

"Sorry," Van said as he bumped into Lana. "Trouble's brewing on the battlefield of love."

"I don't know if I'd call it a battlefield," Lana sighed. "More like a cemetery."

"Oh. I was talking about Jake." Van jerked his thumb over to his friend sitting nearby. "He's taking what happened with Megan pretty hard. Trying to drown his sorrows in large quantities of caffeine."

"Did they break up?"

"She lied to him about being a creature from the Black Lagoon. Yeah, they broke up. But, what's going on with you?"

Lana glanced back to Clark sitting alone at the table. "I guess I'm starting to realize a truth of my own."

"You and Kent finally quits?"

Lana nodded as she realized that was the inevitable truth. "Clark will always be an important part of my life. But whatever there was between us, is gone."

The familiar sound of a mug shattering on the floor filled the air. Lana turned to see where the spill happened and how much damage had been done so she knew what to bring over.

Lana felt her blood freeze when she saw Clark had dropped it. Somehow his table was now right next to her.

Clark had heard everything she had said to Van.

No! That was impossible. Clark had been on the other side of the coffee shop.

"Clark…" Lana began. "I didn't…"

"No, it's okay." Clark stood up from the table. He took two steps forward, only to bump into someone. He muttered "sorry" as he tried to navigate blindly. Lana's heart broke at seeing him struggle. She wanted to go over to him, take his hand, and lead him to someplace quiet so she could explain.

Instead, Alicia was the one who took his hand. And Clark turned to her and whispered, "Get me out of here."

Lana stood silently as she watched Alicia lead Clark to the door. And right before passing through the doors, Alicia flashed Lana another satisfied smirk.

I definitely do not like her.

At the Kent house…

Trigger warning: There's going to be something that could be upsetting for some people. Keep an eye out for the next bolded section which will let you know what it is, then scroll down until I say it's safe with a summary so you can read the rest without being lost.

"Here you go. Home sweet home. We're in the living room," Alicia's voice explained as she led him to the couch. Alicia had waited until they walked a block from the Talon before teleporting him home.

"Are my parents here? I haven't told them about, well, you know."

"Coast is clear. And thank you, for that. I haven't mentioned a word of you to my mom, either. It's kind of easy with her being on a work trip right now." Alicia patted Clark on his knee. "I'm so sorry. That couldn't have been easy to hear. Hey, how about I make you some tea?"

"You don't have to do that."

If Clark was honest, all he wanted was to be alone. He knew things with Lana were very rocky, and he knew he needed to tell her about the kiss he and Alicia shared. But to have heard Lana say it, made it seem certain that they had no future together.

"But I want to. Really, it's no bother. You'll have to help me though. Tell me where everything is."

Clark instructed Alicia from the couch where she could find the kettle, mugs, and tea bags.

"So, how's your hearing been?" Alicia asked as the water boiled.

Clark didn't know what to say. He wanted to keep Alicia's knowledge of him to a minimum, but she seemed to have already figured out he had gained super hearing. It had only come up once since Lex's visit. Clark had overheard his parents talking, or rather, arguing in the kitchen.

And he learned his dad was sick with something. It couldn't be the flu.

His father had made a deal with Jor-El to bring him back from Metropolis. This must be the price his biological father was demanding.

Once again, Clark had brought nothing but pain to his loved ones.

That was why Clark had asked Alicia to take him to the Talon. He couldn't bear to hear the worry in his mother's voice or his father panting from shortness of breath. Clark had felt so useless. He still had his strength and speed, but that didn't do anyone any good if he couldn't see where to throw the haybales.

"I don't have a handle on it, just yet." Clark confessed.

"Here you go." Alicia pressed a hot mug of tea in Clark's hands.

Clark jumped as his ringtone went off a few decimals higher than normal.

"It's okay. I got it. Hello?"

"Clark there?" Pete's voice said on the other line.

"Yeah. We're at the Kent farm."

"Turn on your tv, now! It's another PSA from the shooter."

"What now?" Clark groaned as he heard Alicia pressing the buttons on the remote.

Here it is: If anyone is triggered by assisted suicide, please scroll down starting now.

"…not only me who believes this is a curse on our hometown. Hear the words of someone else who has suffered greatly from the effects."

"Hi, Smallville." Clark recognized the voice of Jodi.

"Alicia, what's happening?"

"There's a girl sitting on a couch. I can't see the shooter anymore."

"My name is Jodi Melville, and I am a freak. It all started when I drank veggie smoothies that grew in my garden."

Clark leaned forward as he listened to Jodi explain her condition. Alicia sat next to him, holding his hand.

"We're not meant to live with these mutations. They're dangerous. I'm dangerous. It has to stop. It all has to stop."

Alicia inhaled sharply. "Shooter's back on screen. He's holding a gun."

Clark realized what was going to happen.

"Alicia, you need to take me to Jodi's house, now!"

"I can't! I've never been there before."

"You can see the room, right? On the television? Picture that and take us there."

"I'll try."

"I can't live like this anymore!" Jodi was sobbing. "I'm sorry, daddy. I love you so much."

"Alicia!"

"Goodbye," Jodi's voice sobbed out.

Clark heard the echoing of a gunshot as he and Alicia transported to the Melville living room.

What you missed: Jodi volunteered to be shot on live television. Alicia has brought Clark to the Melville house so he can confront the shooter.

"Jodi!" Clark called out.

He swung his arms out to find a wall, a table, a counter, anything for him to get his bearings. Clark didn't care if the camera saw him.

"It's too late," Alicia said softly. "She's dead."

No! Why did this have to happen now, when he was blind? If Clark could see, he could have ran himself to the Melville house and caught the shooter. All of this would be over.

"Um, the, um, camera's been shut off," Alicia continued to describe the scene. "I don't see anyone else here."

"He couldn't have gone far." Clark stood still and concentrated on the noises around him. He breathed in and out. He tilted his head to the side and tried to pull apart the sounds one by one.

Clark heard his own heartbeat.

He heard the heartbeat of Alicia, who was nearby.

The dripping faucet in the kitchen.

The curtains fluttering in the breeze.

A fly buzzing against the ceiling.

And another, much calmer, heartbeat coming from above.

"He's up the stairs."

Clark was lead to the stairs by Alicia, and then with one hand against the wall, he was able to make his way toward the heartbeat. Clark wasn't sure which room he entered, but the sound of a pistol getting ready to fire signaled to Clark he was in the right place.

"Call the cops." Clark called to Alicia.

The shooter made no noise. No doubt he realized Clark's handicap and was trying to fool him.

"I know you're there."

Clark remembered the shooter's voice being disguised. He wondered if he could hear past the garble if he concentrated hard enough. But he could only try it out if the shooter started speaking.

"Jodi didn't deserve to die."

"Move." The voice growled in an electronic tone. The one word wasn't enough for Clark to go on. His heightened hearing did pick up the sound of sliding wood. Clark placed it as the opening of a window. There were several trees in the yard; if they were in the right room, the shooter could jump over to one and climb down. Clark lunged forward to pull the shooter back inside. His hands found the murderer's shoulder. Clark's iron grip prevented him from going anywhere. The shooter tried punching Clark across the jaw. Instinctively, Clark was able to turn his head at the same time as the fist to avoid the bones being shattered against his steely flesh. All the shooter had been able to do was knock of the sunglasses.

Within a second, the air was filled with an ear-shattering sound and Clark's world turned from black to white.

Clark yelped in pain; he let go of the shooter as he covered his ears to block out the noise. His eyes squinted shut from the lingering pain. Clark didn't know how long he stayed in that position before Alicia found him.

"He's gone," Alicia declared. "Come on. I need to get you out of here before the cops show up."

Clark forced his eyes open. He blinked once; then rapidly three times. He rubbed his eyes to make sure that what he was seeing wasn't an accident.

"Wait." With clarity, Clark reached out and touched Alicia's cheek. He smiled; there were three blurry Alicia's in front of him, but there was color and shapes where he had only seen darkness.

"I can see."