Ghost From the Past
Folc4evernaday
Part 3
***
Six Years Ago…
She had kissed him. She had kissed him like her life depended on it. He could still feel her lips against his as she sashayed away from him, leaving him speechless. That was apparently the point. From the comment, she had murmured right after, ‘Finally speechless.’ It had been her intention to make him speechless and she had definitely succeeded.
He’d spent the last few months working alongside her, trying to get the courage up to ask her out. This fiery brunette that had crashed into his life…literally. The more he got to know her and spend time with her the harder he seemed to fall. He’d been surprised when she’d appeared at the Daily Planet too with her own internship. They’d spent months working together on campus and at the Planet. There was something about her…
“Kent, nice investigating work on that expose,” Paul, the Editor for the Met Daily said as he approached him, patting him on the back. “Top notch,”
He smiled back, “Thanks, but that was actually more Lois than me.”
“Even so, good work.” Paul shook his hand. “You’ve got a real shot at making it in this business…”
He nodded, enjoying the compliment. He’d always looked up to the investigative reporters that exposed companies for their wrong doing and making a difference in the world. It was something he’d always wanted to do. Despite his ‘gifts’ he always felt like he was doing everything with one hand tied behind his back. He could never use his powers without fearing being found out. It was his and his parent’s biggest fear when he’d left Smallville, but after promising to stay under the radar his dad had finally caved and let him go.
He glanced around the room, looking for Lois. Where did she go?
***
Her head was a fog as she struggled to find her way towards the bathroom. Something was wrong. She could feel the room spinning around her.
“Well, well, what do we got here, boys…” the familiar voice of Whitley Roarke echoed in her ear as she felt someone grab her from behind.
“No…” she stammered out, struggling to release herself from his grasp. She looked up at Thomas Jenkins that held her securely in his grasp.
“I told you to watch your back…”
“Let go ….of me!!!”
She could feel the heat of Jenkins breath against her neck as he shoved her against the door to one of the rooms. “I don’t think so….” He grinned, “What’s wrong? Feeling a little down? Maybe you should lie down…”
Roarke opened the door to one of the rooms on the floor the party was, “Time to teach you a lesson in keeping your mouth shut…since you like opening your mouth so much…”
“No…no….no, no, no!!!” she screamed as she struggled against Jenkins who was attempting to drag her into the room. She’d been drugged. As hard as she fought she could tell it wasn’t doing anything to fend them off. No one seemed to be paying them any attention.
“Shut up!” Roarke hissed, slapping her across the face.
She felt a searing pain across her face as she glared back at Roarke. “Go to hell!” she spat back.
He raised his fist to strike her again, and she closed her eyes, preparing herself for the blow. Only it didn’t come. She felt a gust of wind against her face and opened her eyes slightly, seeing Clark, hoisting Roarke up against the wall, “Get your …..hands off of her…NOW!!”
“Kent…we were just playing around…” Roarke wheezed out as Jenkins released her from his grasp, taking a few steps back.
Before she knew what had happened Jenkins had been hoisted in the air along with Roarke. “I don’t think so!!!”
“What’s your deal, Kent? We were just having a little fun…” Jenkins argued.
Clark tightened his grip around their necks then stopped for a moment, seeming to contemplate something before throwing them to the ground. “Don’t you dare come near her again…” he warned as Jenkins and Roarke scrambled out of the hallway, leaving him alone with her. He knelt down next to her, inspecting her wrists, neck, and arms where Jenkins had grabbed her. “Are you okay?”
“I think…they…drugged…me…” she managed to whisper as she leaned back against him. “Thank you….”
“I’m gonna get you to a hospital,” He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder protectively. “Can you walk or do you need me to carry you?”
She couldn’t answer. Everything around her continued to spin as she leaned against him more securely, feeling confident he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. It had taken everything in her to fight those guys off. Now that her adrenaline was no longer coursing through her she could feel her body giving into the effect of the drugs…
“Lois? Can you hear me?”
She gave into the sweet serenity of darkness as everything around her continued to spin.
***
Drugged. She had been drugged. He silently cursed himself for letting her come to this party. It had been his idea. His teasing that had made her step out of her comfort zone. He should have known. He should have been there to…
He watched as the ambulance pulled up outside the Lexor and sighed in relief. It had taken everything in him not to fly her to the nearest hospital but she had been in and out of consciousness and on the off chance, she was more alert than he realized he didn’t want to have to explain…
He’d carried Lois outside and waited with her on the steps. As the ambulatory workers began assessing her they kept asking, “What did she drink? What was she drugged with?”
“I…I don’t know…” he stammered. Anger coursed through him as he fought the urge to find Roarke and Jenkins and force them to tell him what was in that drink.
He followed them as they loaded Lois into the ambulance, taking a seat next to her as they continued to assess her. “Yes, I’ve got a female approximately twenty-one years old….”
The ride to the hospital felt like it was taking forever. They continued to pump fluids in her as they kept checking her blood pressure. He’d never seen Lois look so pale …. Counting the time around Finals when she’d had the stomach flu.
As she was checked into the hospital he stayed nearby and watched as the doctors continued to work on her. He gave the nurse Lois’ emergency contact information and paced outside her room in the Lobby. He’d never met her mother before but from the stories he’d heard she was a force to be reckoned with. He glanced around the entrance and saw a woman with short blonde hair and a young brunette that looked to be around seventeen right behind her. He’d recognize that look anywhere. Lois wore it on her face every time she got determined about a lead or angle on a story they were working on…
He approached them before they could check with reception, “Mrs. Lane?”
She turned to face him, giving him a once over. “Yes?”
“I’m Clark Kent. A friend of your daughter’s….”
“Friend????” she fumed at him. “A FRIEND wouldn’t have allowed her to be in this situation in the first place….”
“Mom, calm down,” the young woman, he assumed was Lois’ younger sister, Lucy pleaded. “He probably didn’t have anything to do with that…”
Ellen seemed to swallow her anger for the moment, “I’m sorry. I’m just very….”
He nodded, “She’s still unconscious but they won’t tell me anything…”
Ellen nodded. “I’ll get you an update when I know something…” she pushed past him and headed towards the front desk. The nurse seemed to recognize her and took her back to where Lois was immediately. He waited patiently but hadn’t seen Ellen or Lucy return. He tuned in his hearing to try and find out something…
“Mrs. Lane, we’re doing everything we can, but right now we don’t know WHAT she was drugged with. Her blood pressure is very low and we’ve pumped her stomach but…”
They needed to know what she’d been drugged with. He drew a fist as he held in his anger. He headed towards the exit and headed back to the hotel. If finding out what Lois had been drugged with would help he would get an answer for them one way or another.
***
Seeing Roarke inside the hotel room he’d tried to force Lois in Clark headed towards it to confront him. He banged on the door, “Hey, open the door!”
“Piss off asshole!” Roarke shouted drunkenly from the other side of the door.
It took everything in him not to tear the door off its hinges right there. “Piss off?” he repeated softly to himself. “Okay,” He looked around and saw other people watching him. He couldn’t use his gifts but as he examined the door it wasn’t made of the best material. He could break it down without anyone being the wiser. He took a step back and lifted his foot, holding back as much strength as he could he kicked the door open.
“Hey!!!” Roarke’s eyes widened when he saw Clark heading for him and tried to make a run for it.
“I don’t think so…” Clark said as he grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
“Kent, what’s your deal man?” Roarke whined against him.
“What did you put in her drink?” He spat angrily as he pushed him against the wall.
“I didn’t put anything in anyone’s drink…” Roarke argued half-heartedly. He could tell from his heart rate he was lying.
He slammed him against the wall once more, “You can tell me or you can tell the police…What the hell did you put in her drink???”
Roarke seemed to be contemplating his situation for a split second before rolling his eyes and admitting, “It was nothing, man. Just a roofie.”
“Where are they?” He tightened his grasp on Roarke’s neck.
“I…” Roarke shrugged
He was lying. Clark released his grasp on him, holding onto his anger as he held back his strength with everything he had, punching Roarke in the face before grabbing him by the collar once more. “Where ARE they??”
Frightened by the anger he saw reflected in Clark’s eyes, Roarke reached into his pocket and pulled them out, “Here…” he held up the silver pack.
Clark took the pack from Roarke, releasing his grasp on him once more before striking him again and grabbing him by the collar once more, “You better pray to God she’s all right…” he warned before throwing Roarke to the ground once more and heading back to the hospital.
***
The monotone beeping seemed to register around her as she slowly woke up. She looked around the room and saw monitors and what looked like a hospital room. She glanced across the room and saw Clark in a chair by the door, slumped over asleep with his glasses sliding down his face. Fragmented memories from the night before came flooding back, “Oh, God…” she winced as she tried to sit up. The pain in her head became more prominent as she tried to move.
“Lois?” She glanced to the side and saw Clark was by the bed next to her awake.
“Clark?” She looked around, wincing as she became more alert and feeling the more pain as she moved. “What happened? Where am I?”
“Do you not remember what happened last night?” he asked concerned.
“We went to a party….that Roarke guy threatened me….I remember us dancing….” She trailed off looking at him for confirmation, “I think I was drugged….I remember someone saying something about me needing to lie down….”
Clark’s expression was grim. “Yeah, that guy Roarke and Jenkins drugged you….I was able to stop them in time and find out what it was they put in your drink….Doctor said it was a mild sedative…” He looked at her with concern, “How are you feeling?”
“Okay, I guess…” Lois sighed. She looked at him in concern, “They didn’t….I mean…”
He seemed to thankfully realize what she was referring to and shook his head. “No, no, nothing happened. Thankfully I got there before they could…You were fighting them tooth and nail then once the adrenaline wore off you passed out.”
Lois nodded, taking his hand in hers, “Thank you,” She recalled something else that had happened last night but wasn’t sure if she remembered correctly. Had she really done it? She glanced up at him cautiously. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. The worry on his face was evident. “Clark…”
“Hmmm?”
He seemed really distant. This man sitting next to her was not the young man she’d come to know over the last six months. He was terrified. She tightened her grasp on his hand, “I’m okay…” she squeaked out, not so convincingly. “You know me…jumping in without looking…I guess I should have given that scoop to the school board before printing it like you said…”
“Lois, this is NOT your fault,” Clark reassured her adamantly.
He was a few inches away from her, holding her hand in his own. There was something about him that made her feel so safe. It was one of the many things she loved about him. She’d definitely fallen hard for him. Had she really kissed him last night? She really wanted to…
He’d saved her last night.
“I know,” she said softly before grabbing his collar and pulling him towards her to capture his lips. He tasted of coffee and doughnuts. She could feel him respond to her immediately as his hand moved to cup her cheek. She smiled against his lips as she released his collar, allowing her hand to rest against his cheek.
“Lois? Are you awake yet? I brought some breakfast….” Her sister’s voice intruded before she could break off the kiss. “Oh, my…”
She couldn’t help but blush as Clark pulled away, glancing back at her kid sister, standing there with a bag of what looked like biscuits. “Hi, Luce…” she could feel her cheeks turning a crimson red as she glanced at her sister.
“Hi,” Lucy responded, looking everywhere but at them.
“Ahem,” Lois cleared her throat, “Have you met Clark?”
“We met last night,” Lucy said with a grin. “Friend, huh?”
Clark blushed, not responding as Lois countered. “The best,”
Lucy nodded, “I’m gonna leave these here and ….I’m gonna go let the nurse know you’re awake…”
“Thanks, Luce,” Lois said, fighting back laughter as she watched her very embarrassed little sister leave the room.
***
TBC...
