Fiction: Angels Among Us - Part Two
Title: Angels Among Us
Author: Digitalwave
Email: bstaton@iglou.com
Rating: PG for now, Clex
Sequel to: Drunk is Better Than Dead
Link to Part One
His heart pounding, Clark lowered Lex to the bed, getting him back under the covers as his mother cleaned up the evidence of the scene they'd just had. As Lex stirred, restless, his head moving on the pillow, Clark's hand soothed along his back, feeling the heat radiating from his exposed skin.
Martha walked back to the bed, handing Clark another cold compress, watching as he swiped it over Lex's face and chest. "This can't be normal, Clark. I don't care how much he had to drink last night."
Clark looked up at his mother, seeing his own worry reflected back at him in her eyes. "I know, Mom. We need to get someone here to check him out; do you think I should call Toby?"
Martha shook her head. "I don't know, baby, is it safe? You know that they'll be watching, expecting Lex to get in touch with him if he needs a doctor."
"Then, who then, who do we call? He's so sick, Mom. Lex never gets sick, not like this."
Martha pulled another chair over to the bed, sitting next to Clark, watching as he tended to Lex. "What about Bruce, sweetie, doesn't he have a doctor he's friends with? You've mentioned her to me before."
Clark nodded, brow furrowing a little as he worked. "Yeah, he does. Dr. Thompkins, she even knows that he's the Bat." Clark felt like kicking himself for not thinking of her sooner, realizing just how stressed and tired he really was. He hated this time of year, when the days were so short and there wasn't as much sunlight. The shorter the days, the more tired he became, his resources drawn tighter all the time.
Whatever way his body acted like a solar battery, it had never completely recovered after his fight with Doomsday. His power levels were less and he felt it if he went too long without rest, skipped meals, more than he ever had before. Lex had run tests but they hadn't been able to determine the 'why' of it, just the results. He'd said that Clark may never go back to the way he was before and he'd learned to live with it. Didn't mean he had to like it though.
Rising up from the bed, he dipped the cloth in his hand in the cool iced water Martha had placed in the basin on the bedside table before turning and handing it to her. "Mom, could you take over while I give Bruce a call. He's probably going to hand me my butt for not having called before this."
Martha moved into the space Clark had just occupied, seating herself next to Lex on the bed. She began passing the washcloth over his heated skin, mimicking the movements of Clark before. "Sure, sweetie, you do what you need to do. I'll be right here."
Leaning forward, Clark touched his lips to her hair. "Thanks, Mom. I don't know what we would have done without you. Lex needs this so much right now."
Martha smiled, looking up at Clark. "You know I'm happy to do it, Clark. It really isn't any trouble at all."
Clark smiled, pressing his face into her hair again, drawing strength from the sweet smell of vanilla that he'd always associated with his mom. Straightening back up he moved over to where he'd draped his pants over the chair next to his old desk, scrubbing his hands over his face as he moved.
Pulling his cell phone out of the pocket he'd stuffed it into last night he hit speed dial two, smiling a little at the fact that Bruce had never really liked that he wasn't number one. Lex had always had that spot and he wouldn't be giving it up any time soon if Clark had anything to say about it.
Listening to the rings, Clark leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes and rubbing his temple against the beginnings of a headache. On the third ring the phone was finally answered, relief swamping Clark at hearing Bruce's gruff tones on the other end of the line.
"Hey, Bruce... Yeah, I found him late last night. He was in a bar outside of Chicago... Yeah, he was in pretty rough shape. I don't know. Something's wrong, Bruce, he's really sick. I know he doesn't... It doesn't make any sense to me either. I was wondering if Dr. Thompkins could... Yeah? Great, we'll be watching for you." Clark looked over at the bed, Lex's hand lying limply on top of the covers as his mother worked on him. "Thanks, Bruce, just... hurry, okay?"
Closing the phone with a snap, Clark placed it back in his pants pocket, replacing them on the back of the old chair. Moving back over to the bed, he reached to help his mother, sending a silent prayer that Bruce and the doctor would be there soon.
TBC
Author: Digitalwave
Email: bstaton@iglou.com
Rating: PG for now, Clex
Sequel to: Drunk is Better Than Dead
Link to Part One
His heart pounding, Clark lowered Lex to the bed, getting him back under the covers as his mother cleaned up the evidence of the scene they'd just had. As Lex stirred, restless, his head moving on the pillow, Clark's hand soothed along his back, feeling the heat radiating from his exposed skin.
Martha walked back to the bed, handing Clark another cold compress, watching as he swiped it over Lex's face and chest. "This can't be normal, Clark. I don't care how much he had to drink last night."
Clark looked up at his mother, seeing his own worry reflected back at him in her eyes. "I know, Mom. We need to get someone here to check him out; do you think I should call Toby?"
Martha shook her head. "I don't know, baby, is it safe? You know that they'll be watching, expecting Lex to get in touch with him if he needs a doctor."
"Then, who then, who do we call? He's so sick, Mom. Lex never gets sick, not like this."
Martha pulled another chair over to the bed, sitting next to Clark, watching as he tended to Lex. "What about Bruce, sweetie, doesn't he have a doctor he's friends with? You've mentioned her to me before."
Clark nodded, brow furrowing a little as he worked. "Yeah, he does. Dr. Thompkins, she even knows that he's the Bat." Clark felt like kicking himself for not thinking of her sooner, realizing just how stressed and tired he really was. He hated this time of year, when the days were so short and there wasn't as much sunlight. The shorter the days, the more tired he became, his resources drawn tighter all the time.
Whatever way his body acted like a solar battery, it had never completely recovered after his fight with Doomsday. His power levels were less and he felt it if he went too long without rest, skipped meals, more than he ever had before. Lex had run tests but they hadn't been able to determine the 'why' of it, just the results. He'd said that Clark may never go back to the way he was before and he'd learned to live with it. Didn't mean he had to like it though.
Rising up from the bed, he dipped the cloth in his hand in the cool iced water Martha had placed in the basin on the bedside table before turning and handing it to her. "Mom, could you take over while I give Bruce a call. He's probably going to hand me my butt for not having called before this."
Martha moved into the space Clark had just occupied, seating herself next to Lex on the bed. She began passing the washcloth over his heated skin, mimicking the movements of Clark before. "Sure, sweetie, you do what you need to do. I'll be right here."
Leaning forward, Clark touched his lips to her hair. "Thanks, Mom. I don't know what we would have done without you. Lex needs this so much right now."
Martha smiled, looking up at Clark. "You know I'm happy to do it, Clark. It really isn't any trouble at all."
Clark smiled, pressing his face into her hair again, drawing strength from the sweet smell of vanilla that he'd always associated with his mom. Straightening back up he moved over to where he'd draped his pants over the chair next to his old desk, scrubbing his hands over his face as he moved.
Pulling his cell phone out of the pocket he'd stuffed it into last night he hit speed dial two, smiling a little at the fact that Bruce had never really liked that he wasn't number one. Lex had always had that spot and he wouldn't be giving it up any time soon if Clark had anything to say about it.
Listening to the rings, Clark leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes and rubbing his temple against the beginnings of a headache. On the third ring the phone was finally answered, relief swamping Clark at hearing Bruce's gruff tones on the other end of the line.
"Hey, Bruce... Yeah, I found him late last night. He was in a bar outside of Chicago... Yeah, he was in pretty rough shape. I don't know. Something's wrong, Bruce, he's really sick. I know he doesn't... It doesn't make any sense to me either. I was wondering if Dr. Thompkins could... Yeah? Great, we'll be watching for you." Clark looked over at the bed, Lex's hand lying limply on top of the covers as his mother worked on him. "Thanks, Bruce, just... hurry, okay?"
Closing the phone with a snap, Clark placed it back in his pants pocket, replacing them on the back of the old chair. Moving back over to the bed, he reached to help his mother, sending a silent prayer that Bruce and the doctor would be there soon.
TBC