Part 5: Visit

Lois couldn't sleep, but neither could Alice, so they kept each other company while they waited to hear from Perry.

It was past midnight when the phone finally rang. Alice quickly answered and let Lois listen in by angling the phone's earpiece out as she stepped beside her.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Alice, it's Perry," he said, fighting back a yawn.

"With good news, I hope?" she asked softly.

"Yes. The lights are working. He's doing much better . . . much better than a few hours ago,” he said. "They've elevated his condition from Critical to Serious. They suspect that come morning it'll be Fair."

Lois bit back a relief-filled sob, not wanting to risk causing Perry to hide the truth in an attempt to spare her feelings. She wasn't stupid. Or, well, considering recent events, maybe she was. Sometimes.

“Thank heavens,” Alice said.

“He’s sleeping again,” Perry said. "They'll make a statement to the press in the morning."

"Okay."

"Due to how late it is, I think it'll be best for me to stay at the hotel nearby with Joe so we can quickly return to the hospital if they page me before morning," Perry continued.

"Do you think that'll happen? That he'll regress in the night?" Alice asked, worried.

"No, but we don't know much about his physiology, so I'd rather not assume." He sighed, collecting himself. "It was bad, Alice. Not as bad as some of the things I saw in Vietnam, but. . . . I'm glad Luthor is dead."

"So he did it then?" Alice said grimly.

"No question. Superman told me most of it. He . . ." He trailed off and refocused. "How's Lois?"

Alice glanced at her.

"I'm okay, Perry," she piped up, trying to sound calm and not on the verge of tears.

"I didn't mean for you to hear some of that, honey," he said, resigned as he quickly realized she had been listening the whole time.

"I'd rather learn it now than later," she said with a sniffle. "Oh, Perry, how could I have missed seeing who he was? I was so stupid! Clark tried to warn me! But I didn't want to listen, I . . . I don't know."

"Honey, Luthor was very good at hiding the truth, especially from the people he didn't want knowing it. He worked very hard on that, it's why it took us so long to get hard evidence," he explained.

"I still should have believed Clark. Should have trusted him more."

"You can't change the past, but you can learn from it. And as bad as this experience is for all of us, I think we'll come out stronger from it, and that includes Superman."

"Yeah, I guess so," she said, although still with clear self loathing before she deflated. Her thoughts shifted. "Do you . . . do you think I could go in and see him tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Security is extremely high, and . . . I don't know if you seeing him right now would be a good idea. There's also the fact you were engaged to Luthor. If the media saw you. . . ."

"I need to see that he's okay, and I need to tell him I'm sorry. I'll go in disguise, whatever I need to do. Please, Perry," she said.

Perry sighed. "I'll talk to the doctors tomorrow, and if they give the okay, I'll let you know. But if they say no, accept that."

"Thank you."

She pulled back, allowing him and Alice to continue talking without her.

She prayed she would be able to visit Superman tomorrow. She needed to try to make amends.

O o O o O

Henderson wanted to throw up. He wasn't a violent person, and was usually very calm even in horrible situations. It was why he was an Inspector. But what he was witnessing here was beyond despicable that he wanted to shoot something. He knew he wasn't the only one who felt Luthor deserved worse than he got.

Luthor had recorded the whole thing.

From the moment Superman entered the cellar to the moment investigators found the camera. Everything had been captured in mind-numbing clarity, including sound.

Henderson fast-forwarded through hours of Superman struggling in the cage, and then he forced himself to watch at normal speed whenever Luthor returned to gloat and curse at the Man of Steel while he kicked him over and over again. It was especially disturbing to Henderson when he realized the only reason the man stopped and left whenever he did was because he was tired.

The last few hours of the video were the worst, and the disgusting taunts from Luthor about Ms. Lane made his skin crawl. Henderson was relieved when Luthor left for the wedding, knowing the video must almost be over.

Superman went still in the cage.

Several times, if he hadn't helped Superman get out of there, Henderson would have been convinced he had just died, but then he would moan and stir again.

And then the organ music began to play.

It was one of the most heart-rending, awe inspiring things he had ever seen in his life.

Superman got up to his knees.

"Come on, get up," he heard Superman grit out.

Superman didn't need super powers to be super.

He stood up.

Henderson barely breathed as he watched Superman break through the bars and crash down. It was agonizing to watch him lift himself from the mass of splintered green and spreading red, but it was also another example of Superman's unending perseverance.

And then he saw Superman scramble behind the barrels moments before Luthor stormed in.

'Sorry, no time to chat. I think I'll just take my pound of flesh an--'

"That man was truly a psychopath," Captain Wallace stated beside him as Luthor lashed out with the axe before storming away.

Henderson had all but forgotten he wasn't the only one watching this astounding example of good versus evil.

An FBI agent sat silently to the side, but Henderson could tell even he was getting affected. Three other people were in the room with him and Wallace, although he doubted they would be the last to view this video evidence.

They watched the rest of the video, unable to do anything but stare in morbid fascination as Superman groaned and went limp while Henderson, Collins and Matthews carried him past the glowing cage and up the stairs to safety and help. Henderson swallowed as he pushed his memory of the minutes afterward aside.

"The Kryptonite has all been secured, correct?" a fellow investigator asked.

"Yes," Henderson said. "And we're combing through Luthor's things to make sure there's not a hidden stash."

"Good. We can't allow any of this to get into the wrong hands," the FBI agent stated.

They all unequivocally agreed.

O o O o O

Superman woke to the sound of someone adjusting some equipment beside his bed. He removed the cloth that was covering his eyes and squinted up at Nurse Noel who had sunglasses on.

“Good morning, Superman.”

“Morning,” he said.

All four full spectrum lights were still on and the room was definitely warm but not as hot as he had expected. He glanced over and saw the window was open and a large fan was on beside it as a maintenance man installed a window AC unit. The man beamed at him when he noticed him awake so Superman waved with a soft smile before looking at Barb.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Better,” he said before looking down at himself.

All of the wounds on his arms were now bright, tender pink scars and most of the ones on his legs were as well. All but the worst of his burns were completely gone and he could move his hands without severe pain. However, the bruises on his left side were still there. If anything, they were more prominent, with bright purples and blues brushed across that side of his ribcage like paint accented with vibrant blood red blotches that marked where Luthor's steel-toed boots had struck him directly.

Well, at least that explained why it still hurt to breathe. He suddenly realized he had slept with the oxygen mask on. Shouldn't he be doing better by now? Or maybe he was being unrealistic. He had almost died less than twenty-four hours ago, and this exposure was by far the worst he had ever had. Would his powers return after what had happened?

“We’ll remove the bandages to your right side soon,” she said, pulling his attention away from his darkening thoughts.

Superman nodded. "What time is it?"

"Just after eight. Mr. White was in here earlier but he's gone to grab some breakfast and make a few calls," she said, replacing the empty IV bags. "The hospital has also given another statement to the public. You're now officially in Fair condition."

"Does that mean I'll be able to leave soon?" he asked, reassured by the positive prognosis.

"That's up to Dr. Carson, although I think he'll prefer to discharge you once you've fully healed and your abilities have all returned."

Superman sighed in defeat, before wincing sharply as the movement made his whole side flare in discomfort.

"You likely have a few cracked ribs on that side. In a bit I'll teach you some breathing exercises to help prevent you from developing pneumonia and other complications," she explained.

"Is this why I'm still on oxygen?" he asked.

"In part. Dr. Carson also noticed your healing improved when he increased the oxygen flow. He hasn't turned it back down."

"It does hurt to breathe a little," he said with a frown.

"That's understandable. Just remember to try not to twist or move too quickly," she advised.

"Would a brace or something help?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, we've found wrapping reduces breathing capacity, and that's very bad in preventing pneumonia. However, if you feel like you need to cough, or sneeze, hug a pillow firmly to your chest when you do. It helps a lot, and it'll help when we begin the exercises," she said, bringing over a spare pillow.

"Alright. Thanks," he said, a little bewildered. He couldn't remember ever sneezing or really coughing before.

"Visiting hours begin at 10. I understand Mr. White asked Dr. Carson if someone could come see you then. He said that would be alright, if it was okay with you," she said.

"That should be fine. Did Mr. White say who?"

"No, but I'll ask."

"Thanks."

"Would you like the TV on?" she asked.

"Sure."

She brought him the remote after turning on the television to a soap opera.

"I'll be back in a bit," she promised, closing the door behind her.

O o O o O

Lois took a deep breath as she entered the hospital. The moment Perry had called saying she could come at ten, she had been trying to keep her emotions from spiraling.

She knew Superman had agreed to see her, which was a relief, but all she could think about now was whether or not he blamed her for what had happened to him. Was he angry with her? What did he think of her, almost marrying that . . . that monster? Could he forgive her? And what about what she had done to Clark? She shuddered, not even wanting to think about Clark because it hurt so much. If she had listened to him, maybe they could have brought Luthor down together and Superman never would have gotten hurt. Lord, Superman had almost died! She knew Perry wasn't telling her everything, but he didn’t need to. She could tell by his voice and the look on Henderson’s face when he had hurried to Perry yesterday with blood on his clothes. It had been bad.

Perry walked beside her, leading the way to the room. Security was heavy and they nodded mutely at them as they passed.

“I know they want to move him after lunch, just so you’re aware. They want to move him to a room facing the sun,” Perry said.

“Why haven’t they moved him already?”

“Security, to put it simply," Perry explained before changing the topic. “I’ll just stay for a bit and then I’ll go get us something to eat. I know you didn’t eat breakfast.”

“Alice told you,” Lois complained.

“No, you just did.”

She rolled her eyes before they came to a door with an officer on either side.

"Inspector Henderson is talking to Superman. He'll be out in a moment," the officer to the right said.

"Oh." Lois looked worriedly at Perry who suddenly looked grim.

Fortunately, the officer was right and Henderson stepped out a minute later. He averted his gaze from Lois and met Perry's eyes.

"Mr. White, ma'am," he greeted. He obviously knew it was Lois, but they wanted to keep her identity a secret.

"Any update on the investigation?" Perry asked.

"Ongoing, but the FBI and the DoD are now involved. It's going well, all things considered. You and your team did well. Thanks again for your help," he said before glancing at the door. "Give him a moment." He then walked away.

Lois' eyes were wide, but for once in her life she held back her questions. She wasn't sure if she had the right to ask them, and it certainly wasn't the time to quench her curiosity.

They stood outside for another two minutes, and it felt like twenty. Finally, a nurse stepped out. Perry seemed to know her as she gave a nod in greeting before departing.

With that, they went to the door and Perry entered after giving a soft knock.

"Superman?" he asked.

"Hey, Mr. White."

His voice was stronger than she had expected but weaker than she had hoped.

Lois stayed behind Perry.

"Up for a visitor?" Perry asked softly.

"Please." Superman sounded desperate for a distraction.

Lois entered, finding the room was notably warmer than it was in the hall, but a hum of a recently installed window AC unit indicated it could be hotter. At first she was confused by not seeing a bed, but then realized half of the room was almost completely divided by a privacy curtain. Bright lights lay beyond and shined out from under the curtain and glistened mutely through its fabric. She immediately knew this was due to the special sunlamps helping Superman recover.

Perry looked at her encouragingly as he walked her to the chair near the opening of the curtain. The chair faced the wall, positioned parallel to the curtain. Sitting down, she realized she was actually right next to the bed, as she could now see Superman's head and bare right shoulder, but not much else. She supposed she could lean forward and around the edge of the curtain to see more, but that felt like it would be an extreme violation of privacy. He was reclined back a bit from a completely upright position. His face was turned slightly away from her and looking toward the yellow, healing light. Part of her was relieved. She wasn't sure she was ready to fully face him just yet.

"Hi, Superman," she said, her voice faint as her eyes trailed over the part of his face she could see and stilled over what could only be a freshly healed cut on his right cheek under the elastic band holding the oxygen mask onto his face.

Upon hearing her voice, he turned his head and smiled weakly at her.

Perry handed her a pair of sunglasses and straightened.

"I'll be back later," Perry said, leaving the room without another word.

She took a deep breath and put the glasses in her pocket. She wasn't in direct line of the light. "I . . . I have a lot I want and need to say, and now I can't think of how," she stated flatly, afraid she might burst into tears at any moment.

Silence rose.

Finally, he spoke. "I'm glad you stopped the wedding."

She snorted. "Yeah, me too."

"Why did you?" he asked.

She stilled and closed her eyes. "The truth?"

"Please."

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Clark," she answered.

Superman's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I--I realized something," she added before covering her face with her hands. She tried not to cry in front of Superman, but it was no use.

"Oh, Superman, I was so horrible to him! I wish I had listened to him, I wish I had done things differently, chosen differently. Instead, I was an idiot, and what's more, I put you in a horrible position and then no doubt became part of why you've ended up here. I'm so sorry, Superman. I'm so so sorry!" she sobbed while doing her best to be quiet. The last thing she wanted was to be caught sobbing her eyes out in front of Superman before being kicked out.

"Lois, please . . . don't cry," he said.

She sniffled and tried to get herself back under control, but his voice was so pained it just proved to her how much she had screwed up.

She then felt his hand on her knee.

Looking down, she was startled by two things. The slight tremor in his hand and the pink of new scars she could see scattered along his forearm and up to a mean looking mark on his bicep. Healed cuts and puncture wounds? Burns?

Her sobs were severed in her throat as rage overwhelmed all other sensation.

"He did this?" she grit between her teeth.

He moved to pull his arm back, but she took his hand and didn't let go as she slowly met his eyes.

He looked away, and she was horrified by a thought. Did he feel ashamed? Afraid of her reaction? She desperately hoped not.

"Superman?"

"He didn't do this exactly. I did, to escape," he managed.

"Then you're stronger than anyone could have guessed," she said, giving what she hoped was a comforting squeeze.

Superman exhaled shakily. "Henderson said something similar."

"Because it's true," she said. He slowly looked back at her. "Why did you try to pull your arm back?"

"I don't know. Ashamed, I guess. I shouldn't have fallen into his trap. I was overconfident."

"If anyone should be ashamed, it's me. And I am. I was so blind. I have no excuse, I don't know why I did what I did. I hate myself for what I did to Clark, and to you. I never should have put you in that position. It was selfish and wrong for so many reasons. I feel sick even thinking back to any part of that entire day."

"I'm sorry I said what I did to you. The robe comment. The moment I said it, I wanted to take it back. I was angry, but I shouldn't have treated you like that."

Lois shook her head, waving off his concern. "If it makes you feel better, I forgive you, but right or not, your words did make me realize what I was doing." She closed her eyes in self loathing. "I acted like such an idiotic teenager. What was I thinking?!"

"Lois, it's over and done now. I suppose the only thing anyone can do is learn from it all and move on. Dwelling on it doesn't help anyone."

Lois laughed in spite of herself. "You sound like Perry."

"I'm glad."

"Alright, well, as long as we can both agree to learn and move on, let's do so. I just hope Clark can forgive me."

"He already has, Lois. And he wasn't perfect either. He . . . wishes he had gone about things differently too."

"He has? He does? Did he tell you?"

"Not quite, but. . . . Lois, he has something he wanted to tell you for a long time, but he was . . . afraid. It's what has no doubt made everything so complicated between you and . . . us, I suppose." He closed his eyes. "I really hope I'm not botching this up."

Lois frowned. "Well, you're not making much sense, but I think you're right. Complicated is a good word."

"Lois, you have no idea," he said, smiling so tenderly at her that she fleetingly wondered if Superman actually loved her.

However, the moment was lost when his face fell into a grimace.

"Superman?"

She released his hand when he pulled it away. She stood up, her concern quickly growing to alarm when he gasped out in pain.

"What's wrong?"

"My ribs," he bit out, suddenly bracing his arm against his left side.

She moved forward, forgetting the purpose of the curtain as she shifted it aside in the hopes of seeing how she could help.

Under the intense light, she was met with a sight she would never forget. Above a waistband of medical exam shorts, his entire left side was adorned with such colorful bruises it might as well have wept in agony all on its own. On his right side was another cluster of recently closed wounds shining under the glaring lights, but her horror truly came when he screamed.

O o O o O

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