Previously, on Clark's Heart:
She was still awaiting word from anyone on how Clark's surgery was going - the only update she'd received thus far had been from Sandy, one of Clark's regular nurses, who had been relieved to find Lois to let her know that Clark had been brought in for surgery. She had to assume that it was going well. She could not imagine it otherwise. She didn't know what she would do if the surgery failed. She couldn't lose Clark. She couldn't let Ching's death and Zara's sacrifice be in vain. But, regardless of what she wanted to believe, she still would have liked some status update on her husband.
She sat back in her seat in a huff. Jonathan and Martha were in the midst of a whispered discussion. Lois imagined it was likely nothing more than idle chat to keep their frayed nerves from snapping completely. Zara was singing softly to Kala as the baby sucked greedily at the bottle that was being offered to her. In the far corner, a teenage boy was absorbed completely into his handheld game, his brow creased in concentration while his father flipped through a hunting and fishing magazine. No one else was in the room at this hour, but earlier Lois had seen two other sets of families given news about their loved ones and sent to the recovery areas.
Her pager beeped. A quick glance told her it was Perry. She ignored it. She had called earlier to let him know that Clark was in surgery. That had been a mistake, she realized in hindsight. He'd beeped in twice already. She had ignored those as well. Now she turned the device off and tossed it to the bottom of her purse.
"She really is beautiful," Lois said as she peered over at Kala. "I see a lot of you in her."
"Thank you. She has her father's expressions, I think."
The baby scrunched up her face into a pout as she finished the bottle and Zara moved her to her shoulder to burp her. Lois couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her as she watched.
"She really does!" she said, still chuckling.
Zara laughed as well, just as the baby let out a huge burp. "She burps just like him too," she added wistfully. "Was that Perry again?"
Lois nodded. "Yeah."
"You should call him. He's probably going out of his mind with worry. I saw the way he looks at you and Clark. You're his children in all but blood."
Lois sighed. "I know. But I can't help feeling that as soon as I step away, news about Clark will come through that door."
"If it does, the doctor will wait," Zara assured her. "Go. Put his mind at ease."
"I guess," Lois grumbled.
Still, she pushed herself up out of her seat and walked to the hallway. She took her cell phone out of her purse as soon as she deemed it acceptable, not going far unless a doctor came out, but far enough that she wouldn't disturb the others in the waiting area. She quickly dialed Perry's home number. He sounded tired when he picked up, and Lois felt terrible that she could offer no real news, but promised she would call once she knew more. Then she was once again at Zara's side.
Another twenty minutes passed. Then, finally, the door leading to the operating rooms opened. A doctor stepped out and, for a moment, Lois' hopes flared.
"Mr. Davis?" the woman called, and the man on the far end of the room stood in answer.
Lois sighed again, nervously balling and flexing her fingers. Ten more minutes dragged slowly by. Out of the corner of her eye, Lois could see Mr. Davis and the doctor talking. She saw him collapse to his seat in relief. Even the boy with him put down his game as he gave his father a joyous hug.
The doctor led them away, smiling, to wherever their family member was. Lois could only hope and pray that her turn would come soon. Five minutes later, as if in response to her unvoiced thoughts, Sam Lane staggered through the door, looking a little worse for wear. He rubbed tiredly at his eyes and yawned.
Lois stood as soon as she saw him.
"Daddy?" she asked, her voice half a statement, half a pleading question.
***
"Lois," was all Sam said, his voice low and heavy from all the sleepless nights she knew he'd spent in trying to find a way to save Clark.
He hugged his daughter as soon as he was within her arm's reach. Lois felt his body sag a little as her arms closed around him. For a silent minute, she merely let him hug her, before she finally pulled away to look him in the eyes.
"Daddy? Is Clark...?"
"He's okay," Sam said with a tired smile. "He's okay. Bernie's getting him moved back to his room now to recover. He figured it would be better in terms of privacy."
"Clark's okay? He's going to live?" Lois asked, needing her father to say it again, relief and disbelief dueling in her heart after so long a time harboring doubts where they were visible to neither Clark nor his parents.
"Yes!" Jonathan cried at the same time, gathering Martha into his arms.
"He's just fine. He's going to live a long, healthy, happy life, God willing," Sam said. "The transplant was a success. The heart started beating with almost no coaxing on our behalf - like it knew how important it was that Clark live. And, with the information your friend here," he nodded in Zara's direction, "gave us, we don't need to worry about the risk of rejection, though I'm sure Bernie will want to keep him under observation for a time."
"Thank you, Daddy," Lois whispered, burying her head in his shoulder as she hugged him again. This time, her tears were those of pure bliss and the release of all her pent-up fears.
"I don't know how to thank you, Sam," Jonathan said, clapping the doctor on the shoulder. "This is the second time that you've saved my boy's life. That's a debt I don't know I'll ever be able to repay."
"Clark already has," Sam said. "He's made my little girl the happiest I've ever seen her in my life. That's something I was never very good at - making either of my daughters all that happy."
"Can we see him?" Lois asked, barely letting Sam finish speaking.
"Soon. Let's give Dr. Klein some time to make sure Clark is settled into his room, okay? It shouldn't be much longer."
The extra wait should have annoyed Lois. She knew that under normal circumstances, it would have. But not today. Today she was just so happy that she was going to be able to see Clark, and not in the morgue or in a casket, that ten minutes or even ten hours longer seemed the smallest price to pay for that privilege.
"How did the surgery go?" Martha wanted to know.
"Overall, better than I expected, all things considered. With Clark's...uniqueness...I mean. And then the harvest...I just anticipated that it would be more difficult. But that, ah, little bit of help that Bernie supplied..." Sam shrugged as he purposefully remained as vague as possible. The waiting room was now empty, but none of Clark's family could ever be trusting enough to speak of Kryptonite or anything else related to Superman aloud. "Well, it surpassed my expectations. It allowed the surgery to go smoothly. Not only the cutting and repair work, but it also allowed him to tolerate the extra machines and anesthesia, which, to be frank, I had been nervous about. Anyway, no one in the room knew that I had the, shall we say, good luck charm with me. Well, actually, with your mother. Bernie fashioned a pendant out of a small piece that she wore on a leather thong around her neck. He slipped it to her before the surgery, and she was just giving it back to him for safe keeping when I came to find you."
"You're sure no one noticed?" Lois asked, fearing for Clark's secret.
"Absolutely," he said, giving her a sly smile. "I kept checking the line of sight on it throughout the surgery. It was safely tucked away beneath her scrubs."
Lois breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."
"And what of my husband?" Zara asked in a quiet voice.
"Last I saw, he was being sewn back up. They'll take him to the morgue until you can decide exactly what you want to do with him. There's no rush, of course. You can take whatever time you need."
Zara nodded in response. "I'll have to think of an appropriate alternative to our usual customs."
"Is Clark awake yet?" Lois asked suddenly.
Sam shook his head. "Not yet, but it probably won't be too much longer until the anesthesia wears off. Actually," he looked up and squinted at the clock on the wall, "why don't you head to his room now? I'm sure he's got to be all settled in by now."
"Are you coming too?" Martha asked.
Again, Sam shook his head. "Later. This is your time. Go on. I'm going to go find Ellen and try to get a couple hours of sleep."
Lois smiled and hugged Sam again. "Okay. Thanks, Daddy."
Martha and Jonathan both took turns hugging and thanking Sam as well, before they all headed back to Clark's room, for the first time looking forward to seeing the sterile and all-too-familiar room. Had she been physically capable of it, Lois would have run the entire way to Clark. But her rapidly expanding waistline held her back, the baby within kicking wildly. Lois put her hand lovingly over the movement.
Soon, she thought. Soon you'll be able to feel your active little son, Clark. I can't wait. I was starting to become afraid this day would never come.
"Clark?" she called as she reached his room, before she could open the door fully, before she could even step foot over the threshold.
"He's still not awake," Rhoda, one of Clark's personal nursing staff said, as she scrawled notes on his chart. "But everything looks great, Mrs. Kent. Better than I can recall seeing for anyone just out of surgery."
"Thanks, Rhoda. Did Dr. Klein leave word?"
"Only that he would be by in the morning to check on things."
"Okay."
"I'll be around all night. If he starts to wake, hit the call button so I can remove his breathing tube. Okay?"
"Got it."
The nurse flashed a brilliant smile. "I'll see you soon then."
Lois took her customary seat after Jonathan pushed it as close to the head of Clark's bed as he could, wedging it between the bed and the windows. She kissed Clark's brow before she sat, mindful not to bump into his breathing tube. Then she smoothed the hair from his forehead, pushing it to one side, before taking his hand in her own.
"I'm here, Clark," she told him. "I'm here and you are going to be just fine. All you need to do is wake up. Please, Clark. Wake up and show me how well you've come through this ordeal."
But Clark slumbered on, and Lois had to wonder how much anesthesia he'd been administered to ensure that he would feel nothing during the transplant. Now, even in the dimness of the room - the shades drawn against the deepening night - Clark seemed to almost glow with life. His once ashen skin had begun to pink up with health as his new heart beat strongly in his chest. His breathing was steady and even, the work of the machines, but Lois imagined that it didn't look quite as labored as it had once appeared to her. He looked, for the first time since he'd arrived at the hospital some weeks before, to be peaceful.
Kala began to stir in Zara's arms. Lois held out her arms, offering Zara the chance to relax for a while. She felt bad for the new mother - alone with a young infant, on a planet that was still alien to her, regardless of the short time she'd spent living on Earth before trying to convince Clark to help New Krypton avoid war. Zara looked a little relieved at Lois' offer.
"Here," Lois said. "Let me." She smiled up at Zara as the other woman closed the distance and laid the baby in Lois' arms. "I need the practice."
Zara smiled for an instant as well. "Just hold her head," she cautioned, though Lois was already supporting Kala's tiny head and neck.
"I've got her," Lois cooed to the baby. "Who's a precious little angel? You are. Yes, you are. Kala's a precious little angel."
"You're good with her," Zara observed as the baby quieted down, looking about the room with wide, curious eyes.
"I hope so," Lois confessed. "I worry about how this little guy is going to take to his mom." She nodded downward at her stomach. "But you are giving me hope, little missy." She let the baby grab her finger and guide it to her mouth to suck on. In moments, the girl was asleep.
Suddenly, Clark's head moved, the way it always did when he woke from a deep sleep. Lois recognized the familiar and much missed movement immediately. She gently pulled her finger from Kala's mouth and slammed the digit into the "call" button on the rails to Clark's bed.
Rhonda came running.
"He's waking up!" Lois cried, happy tears racing from her eyes.
Rhonda was at Clark's side in the blink of an eye. She shushed him as his movements became more frantic. His eyes opened a slit and his hands reached for the tube in his throat.
"Relax, Mr. Kent," Rhoda said, grabbing his wrists to stop his movements. "I'm going to take the tube out for you, okay? Just breathe out when I tell you to."
Clark couldn't respond but he did stop struggling. Rhonda grabbed the end of the tube.
"Ready? And breathe out."
Clark did as he was told. The tube came up and out of his throat with a wet noise. Clark coughed and gasped as he got used to the sensation of not having the plastic tube down his throat, taking up his entire airway.
"Okay?" Rhonda asked.
Clark nodded. "I think so." His voice was raw and gravelly to Lois' ears. It appeared to hurt to talk and possibly even more to swallow, Lois observed as she watched him. "Am I dead?"
Lois reached for his hand. "No, sweetie. You're alive. You got your heart. You're going to be just fine."
"My throat hurts," Clark rasped, wincing a little.
"Your throat will be a little sore for a day or so. It's from the tube. But it will be better before you know it," Rhonda said. "You can drink some water if you want, but sip, don't gulp."
"Can he have some tea?" Lois asked, knowing that her husband took great comfort from a hot cup of tea.
"Sure thing. Just no food until I clear it with his doctors."
"I'm not hungry anyway," Clark said.
"I'll get the tea," Jonathan offered. "It's good to see you awake, son."
"Thanks, Dad. It's good to be awake."
Jonathan followed Rhonda out of the room. Clark lolled his head to the side and smiled at Lois. Unable to stop herself, she leaned in and kissed his lips - those soft, inviting lips that she had missed so dearly while he'd been hooked to the ventilator.
"I missed you," she breathed when she pulled back.
"I missed you too. Wait. How long was I out?" he asked, catching sight, for the first real time, of the baby in her arms.
"Oh! A few weeks. And she's not ours."
"Whose then?" he rasped out.
"Mine," Zara said softly, stepping into his field of view.
"Zara? How?" he asked, confused. He'd never expected to see her again, Lois knew, though he'd admitted to her that he'd wished, more than once, that he could contact her, not just since his heart had begun to give out, but ever since she and Ching had returned to New Krypton. He'd wondered how they and the planet had been doing. "Is Ching here?"
"Kind of," Lois said gently.
"What do you mean?"
"He's the one...Clark...there's no easy way to say this. Clark...the heart you received...it's Ching's," Lois said, breaking the news as gently as she could.
"What?" Clark's entire face fell.
"It's a long story," Lois said. "When you're feeling stronger..."
"I can handle it," Clark interrupted her. "Please."
Lois and Zara shared a look as Jonathan came back with a steaming cup of tea. Lois accepted the pink plastic mug and held it out to Clark, who sipped it gingerly through the straw. Lois knew his powers weren't restored yet - he'd need the sunlight for that, and that was still hours away. If he drank too deeply and too quickly, he would scald his mouth.
"Thanks, Dad," Clark said after taking a sip and closing his eyes in bliss. "Oolong, huh?"
"We've kept some in the room since the beginning, just in case," his father said with a smile.
"You guys are something else," Clark replied, with a mild shake of his head. "But, please. I need to know. What happened to Ching? And how did you know to come, Zara?"
"I didn't. Things just sort of...fell into place."
"Something tells me you aren't here on vacation. What happened on New Krypton?"
Zara lowered her eyes. "It's gone."
"Gone?"
"Destroyed by an alien race. It and everyone on it. Ching, Kala, and I were the only ones to escape, but Ching was injured and succumbed to his wounds before we could reach your yellow sun. I tried to contact you and eventually found that you were in critical condition. I did the only thing I could do - give you Ching's heart so that you could live."
"I can't even begin to thank you. Or imagine how difficult all of this has to have been for you," Clark said.
Lois caught the glimmer of a tear in his eye. That hurt her heart to see. It was rare indeed when Clark's emotions ran so high that he was moved to tears. She knew that Clark had considered Ching to be a brother of sorts, in a way that was different from the brother-like relationship he shared with Jimmy. He had more in common with Jimmy, but with Ching, there had been a mutual respect that had gone beyond words.
"I'm glad that I could help," Zara assured him.
"You need to rest," Martha reminded Clark, as he sipped again from the straw.
"I've rested enough," Clark said dismissively. "I've missed so much."
"Not that much," Lois said giving him a tender smile. "And your mother is right."
"I know. But I'm not ready to sleep again. Not yet," he pleaded.
The four exchanged a look as Zara took Kala from Lois' arms. Lois took the opportunity to stand by Clark's head. She grabbed his hand and placed it on the spot where their son was doing what felt like a Riverdance routine. At first, Clark seemed confused as she positioned his palm, but after a moment his face lit up in sheer amazement and bliss.
"Incredible," he whispered hoarsely.
"I've been waiting for this moment," Lois confided with a grin. "I used to let you feel his kicks while you were asleep, but I could scarcely wait for the moment when you'd be completely aware of what was happening."
"Thank you, Lois," he said in wonderment. "This is the most amazing thing I've ever felt."
Lois gave him a mischievous smile. "Just wait until I put my stomach to your back and let him kick you all night long."
Clark smiled back, making Lois' heart skip a beat. She'd missed that brilliantly devastating smile so much. Every day, multiple times a day, she'd looked at pictures of him. But the camera could never do justice to his smile. Somehow, it always dulled the sparkle in his eyes and managed to lose some of the warmth of his smile. Still, the photographs had given her the strength she needed to face each dawning day and every sleepless night. When she'd actually slept, she'd dreamed about his smile, the way he'd often chuckle as he did so, waking with a residual happy feeling throughout her body until she'd remembered the reality of the situation, and the all-too-real fact that she might never see it again.
Now, however, that smile was back and her heart ached with joy to see it.
"If it means that I'll be home and able to share a bed with you again, I'll enjoy every sleepless moment this little boy will bring us," he said with complete sincerity. He closed his eyes for a moment while he snuggled back into his pillows a little deeper. "What else?"
"Well," Lois said slowly, thinking, "Ralph got fired from the Planet."
"What? How? I thought he was some bigwig's nephew, and that's why Perry hadn't fired him yet."
"Yeah, well, that's before he sold information about your condition to the Inquisitor. The Planet was a media circus for about a week. I wound up living here, in the hospital for several days because our house became an instant target for every newspaper and television station in New Troy. One of the downsides to being the hottest reporting team for a world renowned paper. Anyway, even Ralph's uncle didn't want him associated with the Planet after that."
"Yikes," Clark said, his voice heavy with the exhaustion that Lois knew had to be clinging to him.
"Perry wasn't all that sad to see him go," Lois said with a smirk. She and Clark had complained to one another numerous times about Ralph's complete ineptitude.
"I'll bet," Clark said with a chuckle. Raspy as it was, it was the greatest sound in the entire world to Lois' ears.
"Nothing else of note really happened," Lois said. "All of the other little details can wait until you've rested."
"She's right, son," Jonathan said, backing her up. "We love that you're awake and talking, but you need to allow yourself to start healing so we can get you home."
"Come on, let's give him some privacy, so that he can sleep," Martha offered. "Clark, we're so glad you're okay. That and the fact that Zara came when she did, offering the help you needed."
Clark nodded. "I know. Zara, I know saying thank you isn't enough. I swear to you though, I will do everything I can for you and your daughter. She'll never lack for anything, not if I can help it. Especially not a fatherly figure. I know I'm not her father, and I would never, ever try to take Ching's place. But I will take care of her as though she was my own."
"We both will," Lois swore.
***
"How are we feeling?" Dr. Klein asked as he entered the room, bright and early the next morning. He sounded happier than Lois could ever remember him sounding in the years they had known him.
Clark swallowed the sip of water he'd taken through a straw as Lois held the cup for him before answering. "Better than I thought I would be."
Lois could see the beginnings of a sparkle in Clark's eyes. It wasn't completely back, not yet, but it was still encouraging to see him starting to look like his old self. His throat was still raw and his voice scratchy, but the sleep he'd gotten had done wonders for him. He seemed clearer headed and his sense of humor had returned.
On the other hand, Lois had slept only sporadically. She'd refused to leave Clark's side. She'd sat up for a long while, just watching him sleep, in awe of the rising and falling of his chest without machines having to do it for him. It had been difficult to surrender herself to sleep. Now that she'd gotten Clark back, she didn't want to miss a second with him.
"I'm glad to hear it," Dr. Klein said as he approached the bedside. "Any nausea? Pain? Anything out of the ordinary?"
Clark shook his head. "Not really. I'm a little achy, but that's about it." He swept his hand an inch or two over his chest as he spoke.
"You're bound to be a little sore after the operation. I've got you on pain killers through your IV, but with your genetics..." He shrugged as his voice trailed off. "It wouldn't surprise me if it took a day or more before your powers kick in again and your body begins its normal accelerated healing. In the meantime, let me take a look at the incision, okay?"
"Go for it," Clark said with a grin.
Carefully, Dr. Klein removed the surgical tape and sterile gauze from where it had protected and hidden away his incision. As it came away, Lois saw the angry red and swollen skin first, then the line of sliced flesh held together with more stitches than she cared to count. Dr. Klein checked the wound thoroughly, then swapped the bloody gauze for fresh and clean bandages. Lois averted her eyes, away from the blood. Normally, blood didn't bother her much, but seeing Clark's always had. He was Superman! If he was bleeding, it was never a good sign.
"Stitches?" Lois asked as she watched Dr. Klein work.
He nodded absently. "Mmm hmm. Staples are the norm, but I was afraid his body might reject them as he heals. These stitches will absorb into his body, in case he heals too swiftly for us to get them out in time."
"Makes sense," Lois said, her eyes glued to the gash down Clark's chest
"The wound looks good so far," Dr. Klein said cheerfully. He seemed almost ready to laugh in his relief over Clark's improving condition.
"It's hideous," Clark whispered, looking down. "Will it leave a scar?"
"Normally, yes," Dr. Klein admitted. "In your case, however, I don't know. I would imagine that, once your body is able to heal itself, it probably won't leave any trace behind that it was ever there."
"Good," Clark said, his voice indicating that he would prefer not to have a reminder of how close he'd come to dying.
Lois sat silently. In her mind, at least, the incision was beautiful. It wasn't a reminder of Clark's dance with death. It was a symbol of his life, his will to live, and the ultimate sacrifice of a friend.
***
"Ready?" Lois asked Clark as they stood together in Perry's office.
"As I'll ever be," he replied, smiling.
"It feels like a lifetime ago since we were last in here like this, waiting for Superman to address the world."
"That was the worst day of my life," Clark agreed.
It still pained him deeply to think about the day he'd turned his back on Lois, his parents, and the world at large. True, he'd been doing what he'd felt was right. In his heart, he knew he could never just leave New Krypton to perish under war and leave Zara to be wed to a psychopath. But he'd done so at the expense of everyone he'd held dear - not knowing if he could ever return to them, not knowing if he'd ever hold Lois in his arms again.
Perry opened the door and poked his head in. "We're almost ready for you, Superman. LNN's having some microphone issues. It should be sorted out in a couple of minutes, they tell me."
"Thank you, Mr. White," Clark said, leaning against the Chief's plaid armchair.
"I'll be back when they're ready."
"Great."
"Oh? Lois?" Perry asked, almost as an afterthought. "How's Clark doing?"
Lois smiled. "He's doing really well, Chief. He's itching to get back."
"Well, you tell him to take his time. A man doesn't go through something like that and bounce right back into the swing of things. He's not Superman. Ah, no offense, Superman."
Clark chuckled. "None taken." Inwardly though, he had to once again ponder how much Perry actually knew or suspected about his dual identities.
"I'll tell him," Lois said, "but you know Clark. I'm surprised I've gotten him to stay put at home for as long as I have already."
Perry chuckled and shook his head. "Reminds me of someone else I know," he said with a wink.
Then he was gone, back into the media circus that had overtaken the bullpen, in anticipation of Superman's impending statement to the world. Clark sat carefully, not wanting to crease his cape. It was killing him inside to stay home while Lois went to work each day. But it had only been three weeks since his heart transplant. No normal man would be back to full speed that quickly. He couldn't be seen at work so shortly after his brush with death. But he longed for the sometimes mundane routine of normal life. He wanted to get up in the morning, put on his work suit, chase leads, and write stories.
As it was, he'd only just been cleared by Dr. Klein to resume his super activities. That, at least, had been a blessing. Being stuck in the hospital, then at home, with nothing but the television for company had been depressing. He'd felt worse than useless. Lois had offered to stay home with him, but after the first week, he'd told her to go back to work. After all, soon she would need to take her maternity leave, and he wanted her to have as much time as possible to use when their son was born. And his parents had needed to return to the farm. Clark knew how expensive it was to keep the extra hired hands on, so he had told them to go, with promises to visit them as soon as he was able to. Even the Lanes had needed to resume their own, normal lives, though Lucy had stayed on for a few days to help out, after Sam and Ellen had gone.
But getting the green light from Dr. Klein had given him something that he could do. If he couldn't be Clark in public, he could at least be Superman. At first, he had been a little afraid of making any rescues. It had taken more than a week for his powers to return, once he'd woken up after his surgery. It had been a particularly stormy week, and the cloud coverage hadn't helped when the rain had actually let up. When the sun had finally peeked out from behind the clouds, it had taken time for Clark's body to absorb enough of the life giving and nourishing light for it to begin to repair itself. Slowly, one by one, his powers had returned to him.
Once he was fully back to normal, he'd kept his super activities to a bare minimum, testing himself to make sure that he felt completely comfortable. He'd kept picturing himself doubling over while performing a rescue while his new heart blew right out of his chest. But, slowly, his fears had left him. His leisurely flights took on speed. He revisited the void between the Earth and space to soak up as much sunlight as possible, reveling in the fact that he was alive and no longer earthbound. Finally, he'd trusted himself enough to start making rescues.
Of course, as soon as the first rescue was made - a child who'd fallen down a well on her family's farm - the rumor mill had begun. There was no doubt that Superman had returned. The media had captured him on film as he'd lowered himself into the constricting well and reemerged with the wet, shaking, hungry, and terrified three year old girl. But where had Superman been? Why had he been gone so long? Was he really back? Or would he play with the planet's emotions and disappear once again? And so, he'd decided that he would need to make a statement, to address all of those questions.
"Hey," Clark said after a couple of minutes of silence lapsed. "I've been doing some thinking."
"What about?"
Clark gave her a small smile. "Our baby."
"Oh, really?" she said, feigning surprise, her interest clearly up.
"Yeah. I know we've settled on Christopher for a first name. But I was thinking about the middle name." Lois nodded, urging him on. "You know how Ching's death has affected me."
Again, she nodded. "I don't know if I've ever seen you quite that upset before."
Clark nodded in turn. "I want to honor him in some way. I was thinking...maybe we could use David as our boy's middle name."
"David?" Lois asked.
"Remember when we first met Ching? He was using the cover..."
"Dave Miller," Lois said, filling in Clark's words before he could say them, smiling as she did so.
"Yeah. I've already spoken to Zara about it. I wanted to make sure she would be okay with it, if you said yes. She's taken Ching's death really hard."
"I know. I wish there was more we could do for her. I think David is the perfect middle name for our son. Christopher David Kent." She patted her stomach as she said the name and Clark could tell by the twinkle in her eye that she loved the name. Not only loved it, but knew already, somehow, that the name fit the tiny human it now belonged to.
Clark was thrilled that Lois loved the name as much as he did. It felt so natural, so right, to be honoring Ching in the way that they were. The man had been a brother to Clark, not by blood, but of the spirit. He had felt privileged to have forged a friendship and understanding with the Kryptonian lieutenant during the brief time they had found themselves on the same side of the war Lord Nor had waged on Earth. When Clark had learned of Ching's death, it had been like a knife to his newly transplanted heart.
For a long time, and even now, as he sat waiting to address the world, he'd felt so conflicted about having Ching's heart beating within his chest. Of course, he was ecstatic to be alive. He'd been given an unexpected second chance. He would be there to witness his son's birth, his first steps, his first words. He would be there to dole out advice on everything from any powers the boy might inherit to asking girls out on dates. He would be around to dance with Lois at Christopher's wedding. But the price for that new life had been steep. Ching was dead. He would never see Kala's first steps or hear her little voice call him "dada." He would never see her go off to school, or find the person that she loved. He would never see his baby girl grow into the beautiful and confident woman Clark was sure she would become.
It felt, to Clark, like Ching's life had been traded for his own.
It was, of course, a ridiculous thought. Rationally, he knew the depths of how untrue that thought was. Ching hadn't been killed in order to save Clark. It had all been a matter of chance, a cosmic coincidence that had just so happened when Clark's need for a heart was at its most desperate. Still, the scar on his chest - faded now into a pale, barely there white line - constantly reminded him of what, exactly, the price of his life had been.
"Superman, we're ready for you out here," Perry said, knocking and opening the door in the same moment.
"Fantastic," Clark replied, standing. "Thank you."
Perry nodded and left just as quickly as he'd come in. When they were alone again, Lois gave Clark a chaste kiss on his lips, after checking for the hundredth time that the blinds to the office were tightly shut.
"Good luck," she whispered.
"I'll meet you at home," he promised.
With Swiss chocolate and French pastries, he silently added. Now that he was once more confident in his ability to use his powers without endangering his life, he looked forward to making trips again to retrieve the treats Lois enjoyed. And maybe some of that Chinese food you're so crazy for.
"I can't wait," Lois said with a smile that spoke volumes to him. He'd not only been cleared to use his super powers, he'd been cleared to resume all of his normal activities.
Clark nodded, then adopted the neutral, unreadable mask of Superman. He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, then let it go as he opened the Chief's door and stepped out into the bullpen. How he missed the place! The smell of the coffeemaker across the room in the break area. The sweet sugary glaze of the donuts in the box next to the coffeemaker. The ticking of the clocks on the wall, showing the time zones across the globe, inaudible to anyone else's ears. The chug, chug, chug as the fax machine spat out a stream of papers. The sea of clutter on his friends' and coworkers' desks, now abandoned as everyone awaited his statement.
With confident strides, he walked down the aisle that had been kept clear for him. He nodded in a friendly enough manner at those he knew well. Jimmy was, of course, right in front, in the place Clark was sure the photographer had picked especially for the angles it would afford him while his camera snapped away. Jimmy gave him a thumbs up when he caught his eye. Clark allowed himself to aim a smile at his friend, though he kept it small and professional looking.
He reached the microphone and a hush fell over the crowd, without the need to ask. He took a moment to look out over everyone before beginning.
"Thank you all for coming today," he began. "I know there have been a lot of questions and rumors lately, about where I've been and why I seemed to have vanished. I want to set the record straight. I have always striven to be as open and honest with the people of this planet as I possibly can. My recent disappearance was an unfortunate situation that I could not avoid. Things happened too quickly and beyond my control, so I was unable to issue a statement beforehand. But, I assure you, that situation has been handled and can no longer prevent me from my mission to protect the people of Earth. There have been rumors speculating that I am leaving this planet. I would like to take this opportunity to strike that rumor down. I have no intention of ever leaving. Earth is my home. There is nothing that can take me away from here." He paused, taking a breath. "I will take any questions."
"Superman!"
Clark had to fight not to grimace. It was Nelson Gingham, from the Dirt Digger.
"Yes?" he answered politely.
"You talk about this mysterious 'situation.' I think I can speak for us all when I say that that's not really enough information."
"Mr. Gingham, isn't it?"
"Ah, I see you know who I am."
Clark bit his tongue against the man's arrogant, self-important attitude.
"I'm familiar with all of Metropolis' reporters," he said instead. "Mr. Gingham, while I appreciate the curiosity of the public, the situation I needed to tend to was not my own. Out of respect for those involved, I can only say that it was a matter of life and death, and that I am happy to say that life won out."
"Oh, come on!" the man grumbled.
"I apologize, but that really is all that I am at liberty to say. It was an intensely personal event," Clark said, as politely as he could, while making it clear, through the tone of his voice that the discussion over the specifics of the situation was now at a close. "Are there any other questions at this time?" he asked, nailing home the point that he would be giving no deeper information on the details of the event.
"Some people have speculated that there was a need for you to return to New Krypton. Is there any truth to that?" Linda Peters asked.
"I can assure you that I never left this planet," Clark said. "Nor have I ever stepped foot on New Krypton's soil."
"Superman! It's Gary Katz, LNN. You are friends with Clark Kent, are you not?"
Clark nodded. "I am."
"You know then, that he recently was in the hospital, awaiting a heart transplant."
"I was aware of it," Clark said, cautiously.
"It seems that he got a transplant pretty fast. Rumor has it that you used your influence to...shall we say...speed up the process. A sudden bump to the top of the list, perhaps. How do you respond?"
"By reminding everyone that rumors are usually baseless speculation. And that is exactly what that rumor is. I would never do anything to put one person's needs above another's, friend or not, nor could I, in this particular instance, have done anything to change Clark's spot on the recipient list. Clark was just very lucky that a match could be found in time to save his life, that's all. And, while I'm glad and relieved that one was found for him, I had nothing to do with it."
As expected, there were several more questions. Most centered around his disappearance and reemergence. A few asked about projects that the Superman Foundation was working on, or the recent resurgence of what most speculated was Intergang activities. In all, the whole thing lasted less time than Clark had been dreading it would. It was a relief when he finally ended the press conference, thanked everyone for coming, then flew out the large window above the bullpen.
As he flew off, he had only one thought. It was good to be back.
To Be Continued...
