Back by popular demand (and the fact that I'm no longer in the mood to write anything else...)
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Lois rapped lightly on the open door of the patient room in Metropolis General Hospital. She was met with Martha’s watery gaze, Clark’s motionless form, and one very empty hospital bed. Lois bit her bottom lip. “Oh, Martha,” she began.
The older woman embraced her fully, and Lois let her tears flow unencumbered as her mother-in-law sobbed openly into her shoulder. For all her years and experience as a reporter, Lois could find no words she could say– none she could even think of– to comfort her at this point. Part of her felt betrayed by her profession for leaving her so lacking, but an even larger part couldn’t feel anything other than the pain only brought on by loss.
Eventually they parted, and Lois turned her gaze to her husband, who hadn’t even moved since she’d entered the room. She glanced back at Martha, expressing her question without words. Martha nodded and wiped her tears away. “Well, I haven’t eaten in a while. I’m going to go see what’s edible downstairs.” She slipped out of the room noiselessly, leaving Lois to face what was left of her husband.
Silence ensued. Clark remained completely still, staring blankly at the hospital bed. Lois was suddenly at a loss for what to do. This morning at the press conference was the first time they had really spoken in the past couple of weeks– not for a lack of trying on her part– but even that didn’t amount to much. What could she say now, of all times?
“Do you know where I was?”
Clark’s voice startled Lois out of her thoughts, and simultaneously took the burden of what to say off of her. Slightly relieved, she replied. “What?”
“This morning. When he... when he died. Do you know where I was?” Lois felt this was rhetorical, so she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to say something wrong and make things worse. “I wasn’t with any of my family. I wasn’t at work. I wasn’t out on a rescue. I could have been, but I wasn’t. Do you want to know what I was doing? I was preparing for that stupid speech. Relaxing before the big day. And all that time, I couldn’t figure out that my own father was dying!” His voice broke on his last few words, and he buried his face in his hands.
Lois felt her heartbreak for the millionth time today, and was instantly at his side, kneeling in front of him, placing a hand lightly on his thigh. “Hey,” she chided gently. “You can’t beat yourself up over this. It’s not your fault.” She brushed away that same stubborn lock of hair from his forehead that she had ever since they’d first became a couple. “Even if you had been right by his side when it had happened, there’s nothing you could have done. It wouldn’t have made a difference.”
Suddenly, Clark grew still, and he slowly straightened up, leaning away from Lois. He looked disgusted by her. “It wouldn’t have made a difference?” he repeated her words and scoffed at them.“It sure would have made a difference to me.” He stood up and turned away from her.
Lois shrank back with a grimace, rising to her feet slowly. “That’s not what I meant, Clark, and you know that.”
“No, no. You’re right. I couldn’t have saved him. It was a heart attack. And besides, it’s not like I’m Superman or anything, right? I couldn’t have, I don’t know, flown him out to a hospital really quick and tried to save him.”
“Clark– ”
He whirled on her and started raising his voice. “And it’s not like I couldn’t have spent another moment with him, or apologized to him for acting like such an ass, or told him I loved him one more time. Because, knowing me, stupid Clark Kent, my being there wouldn’t make anything better. In fact, more likely, I would just make everything worse.”
“That’s not true, Clark–”
“Hell, my being there probably would have just killed him sooner, huh Lois?”
Lois went red with outrage and before she knew what she was doing, she slapped him hard across the face. At least he had the decency to turn his head with the blow, lessening the impact. “Stop it, Clark! Just stop it!” Lois felt hot tears of anger spilling down her cheeks, but pressed on anyways. “God dammit, Clark! You never know when to quit, do you? I’ve been doing my best to try to help you and comfort you because your father just died– and you just slam the door in my face! And here I was, ready to invite you back home even! Well, you sure showed me! Won’t be making that mistake again. I know when I’m not wanted.” She grabbed for her purse and rummaged through it to find her keys.
Clark’s hand reached out and rested gently on her forearm. “Lois, wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of that–”
“You know, Clark, you really can be an ass when you want to be.”
“Please, Lois. I just lost my father.”
His dark brown eyes pleaded with her to stay, to give him another chance. But Lois wasn’t in the mood to hear it right now. She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I know. But he was my family, too, you know.” She felt her lip quivering slightly, and forced herself to move on. “And it’s been a long day. I’m going home.” She turned and walked towards the door.
Clark swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Lois?”
She paused at the door frame. “Oh, and in case you would like to visit your children at some point, they’re staying with my parents for now. I figured it would be best until things settle down with all this going on.” With that she turned and made her way out of the hospital.
Clark sank back into his chair in shock, feeling more empty and alone than ever in his life.
