Chapter 6: A New Beginning
Clark awoke in his hospital bed, with a sense of dread in his heart. It would seem that today would be the first day that his mother hadn't come to visit him in the hospital. Clark had to wonder when the next time he would see his father and the outside world before his treatment was to begin. Clark was thrown out of his melancholy thoughts with the phone on his bedside table ringing.
“Hello?” Clark answered tensely. There were only a few people that had the phone number to the room, but Clark always worried that one of the times he answered the phone; Lex would be on the other end.
“Clark, son good thing I caught you.”
“Dad, as if I had anywhere else to go.” Clark said with a smile on his face. He was always glad that his mom and dad seemed to take his illness in stride; he could only hope that others would be able to do the same.
“Well, so it seems that today your mother is off to her first day at work. I was wondering if you wanted to tag around with your dear old dad for the day.” Jonathan said with a hint of hope in his voice. He has missed his son sorely and with Martha visiting their son everyday, he had not had the chance to visit his son at all but now would be his chance.
“Sure thing dad, but will they let me out?” Clark asked as he looked around the room that he had been staying in since his arrival to the hospital.
“I will call Dr. Rowley and see if you can't get out for the day.” Jonathan said with determination in his voice.
“Okay dad, you give her a call and I will wait for a call back, okay?” Clark asked trying to contain his happiness at possibly getting out of the hospital for the day.
“Will do, son.” Jonathan said before he hung up the phone to then try and call Dr. Rowley about letting Clark out for the day. Five minutes later the phone was ringing in Clark's room again.
“Hello?” Clark answered again.
“Clark, its Michael” was what the male voice stated over the phone.
“Michael, hi!” Clark said happily. He was worried that it was Lex or some one else from Smallville, but that was not the case.
“I have some good news for you…well you may not think that it is good news.” Michael said as he chuckled a bit at the thought of Clark's reaction to his news.
“Well I have spoken with a few people and I have set up a tutor for you for your school work.”
“Oh?” Clark said sadly, he didn't know if he liked where was going.
“Yeah, the tutor will start coming a week from Monday, twice a week until Dr. Rowley says that the tutoring should be stopped. I also have a laptop for you to do your homework on. I shall be by in about a half an hour to drop it off.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate all the help. I didn't know what we were going to do about my education. I am really glad that someone thought of something.” Clark said a bit happier with the prospect of a computer coming to him.
“Glad I could be of service. See you in a bit.” Michael said as he hung up the phone. Not ten minutes later the phone was ringing again.
“Hello” Clark said with a small smile on his face.
“Clark” Jonathan spoke in answer to Clark.
“Hi dad, so how did it go with getting me out of the hospital?”
“Well, I have you for a full day once I get there. Is there any place that you would like to go while we are out?” Jonathan asked happily, due to the fact that Dr. Rowley thought it was an excellent idea to get Clark out and about the town before he was to start his treatment.
“Uhm, I was thinking of getting my hair shaved off. Is that okay?” Clark asked meekly, he wasn't sure on how his father would handle Clark's way of dealing with losing his hair.
“Why?”
“Well I thought, why lose my hair when I start treatment. It will be a lot of hair falling out; I figured I could sort of nip it in the bud with shaving my hair off.”
“You know son that makes perfect sense. I will be at the hospital in three hours; from there we will get your haircut. Maybe I could do the same.” Jonathan said and then laughed at the thought of Martha's reaction.
“I don't know if mom would cry or hit you on that one.” Clark said while laughing at the idea of his mother fuming at his father about his lack of hair that she seemed to love running her hands through.
“Well…she will have to learn to live with it. If you do it, I am too I don't think your mother would look to good with no hair, but we can try to get her to cut it.” Jonathan said laughing even harder at the idea of a bald Martha Kent. Shortly after both Clark and Jonathan calmed down they ended their conversation. At about that time Michael Azure came walking into the room with a black leather laptop bag hanging off of his shoulder.
“Clark” Michael said with a smile on his face. He had to wonder how Lex could not be attracted to the young man sitting in front of him. Granted if he swung that way, he would have been on Clark like white on rice. Michael knew for a fact that Lex was bi-sexual, but preferred the male form to the female form. Michael had to shake his head at the way that Lex was acting with this young man. If he didn't know any better, he would think that Lex felt that Clark deserved better in his life. There was only one person that would make Lex think that about any friendship or relationship that he was in, and that would be Lionel Luthor.
“Hey Michael” Clark answered happily.
“So what are your plans for the day?” Michael asked as he made his way toward where Clark was sitting in the bed.
“Oh, well my dad and I are going to go and get our hair shaved off. I thought that I would save myself the grief of losing it when treatment started by shaving it off now.” Clark said with a blush on his face. Now that he had time to think about what he was doing, it seemed like he was following in Lex's footsteps on having a baldhead. Clark hoped that Michael wouldn't notice.
“What a great idea!” Michael said with a small smirk on his face, the same thought that Clark was thinking entered into his mind.
“So what do you have there?” Clark asked by way of changing the subject. He didn't want to dwell too long on the whole hair cut thing, since thinking about it made him think of Lex.
“Oh, well here is that laptop I told you about over the phone earlier. You should have internet connection here in the room, so let's test it out.” Michael said as he pushed the black leather bag toward Clark. Clark took the bag and unloaded the laptop and booted it up while Michael looked around the room for the Ethernet connection, what he found was a wireless router sitting near the window.
“Well it seems that we have wireless Internet here in the room. Why don't you give it a try”?
Clark opened up an Internet Explorer screen and waited for the main screen to come up. When the screen finally came up, Clark navigated his way to www.KentFarms.net and logged in to check his e-mail. A small smile graced Clark's face when he saw that there was an e-mail from Lex waiting for him. His smile grew even bigger when he saw the subject and the casualness of it. Clark couldn't wait to see what Lex had to say; he only hoped that Lex has realized that Desiree was not the right choice for him, as Clark has stated when he met her for the first time. Michael watched the many facial features that graced Clark's face with wonder. He was interested to know who could make Clark so happy so quickly.
“So any good e-mails?” Michael asked innocently. Clark blushed bright red at that the question.
“Uh, yeah Lex wrote me.” Clark said with a smile on his red face.
“And what does the young Mister Luthor, have to say.” Michael said with humor in his voice. Maybe Lex did see what a great person Clark was and was willing to admit the errors of his ways.
“I don't know I haven't opened it up yet.” Clark said blushing even more, he was just so happy that Lex had written that the thought of opening it didn't even cross his mind.
“Well open it up and see what he has to say.”
“Okay” Clark said distractedly, while he opened and read the e-mail. As he read it a small frown graced his face. He was sad that he couldn't go to the Talon and talk to the young billionaire, but he was also happy to see that Lex had even written and admitted that something was not right with Desiree.
“Well?” Michael asked impatiently.
“He wants to talk to me at the Talon about Desiree, but I can't go. Maybe I will just write him an e-mail.” Clark said, as if talking out the problem to him self. As soon as he finished saying that his finger began to work on autopilot for returning the e-mail.
From: Clark_Kent@KentFarms.net
Subject: Re: What is going on?
Lex,
Always the proper one you are, Lex. I am a little surprised to be getting an e-mail from you. The last time that we spoke face-to-face you had made it pretty clear that we were no longer friends. Is this not the case? If it is not, I am very glad to hear from you, although I am not talking to you so I don't know if you can consider that hearing from you. I would have liked to talk to you at the Talon, but with where I am staying now I am not allowed to. I am sorry about that. I would appreciate any e-mails that you could send my way.
Clark
Clark had to shake his head at the neediness of the e-mail. He was just so excited for the chance to be Lex's friend again.
“So what did you write?” Michael asked with interest. Clark blushed at the question about what he wrote Lex.
“Nothing much, just that I can't go to the Talon and talk to him, but and e-mails would be great.”
“Why didn't you tell him that you are in Metropolis?”
“I don't know if I am ready to tell Lex that yet.”
“Oh” Michael said a bit disappointedly. Clark didn't have time to question him further since Ava Roberts came in like a whirlwind.
“Clark…Michael” Ava said as an after thought at seeing Michael in Clark's room. She had to frown a bit at the amount of time that Michael Azure was spending with Clark.
“Ava” Clark said while continuing to look at the laptop screen, as if waiting for it do something.
“Clark, Dr. Rowley told me to come and tell you that your dad has been granted permission to take you out for day.” Ava said with a tight smile on her face, she just couldn't understand how the scion of Azure Interprises seemed to take a liking to the farm boy and his family. She herself liked Clark due to his humble and beautiful nature that came from living on the farm, but Michael Azure she was sure had never spent a day in his life on a farm. Dr. Rowley had notified her that there was another patient her age the same day that Clark arrived, she had been happy to hear that she would finally have someone to talk to about high school and other mundane topic. When she met Clark the next day, the only thing that she could do in his presence at that time was stare at the beautiful body that stood awkwardly next to Dr. Rowley as she showed him around the halfway done wing of the Cancer Center. From them on she had tried on several occasions to talk to the young man, but had little luck but it seemed that Michael Azure was doing just fine. Ava had to figure out how Michael Azure had gotten Clark so comfortable in his presence so that she too could woo the young farm boy.
“Oh I already know, dad called and told me after he got off the phone with Dr. Rowley.” Clark said with a smile on his face. This day was looking better already. After Clark had spoken those words Ava made her way out of the room. Clark had to frown at the quick leaving of the girl.
“Michael?”
“Yeah” Michael said distractedly as he watched Ava leave the room.
“Is there a reason why Ava left so quickly?” Clark couldn't come up with a real reason as to why Ava would leave so quickly.
“I don't know Clark, but why don't I find out.” Michael said as he made his way toward where Ava had gone. Michael didn't return to Clark's room until 15 minutes later. Michael was shocked at the answer that he got from Ava about why she had left so suddenly.
“So?” Clark asked Michael as he walked back into the room.
“It seems as if young Ava Roberts has a bit of a crush on you.” Michael said shaking his head.
“Oh” Clark said blushing at the implications that the statement made.
“I am not sure on how you do it Clark, but there is just something about you that makes everyone you meet fall for you.” Michael said with a large smile on his face, he himself could be included in the group of people that had a crush on the farm boy from Smallville, even if it was slightly awe inspired due to his easy friendship with Lex. There was just something about Clark that made everyone want to be with him and find out the entire mystery that is Clark Kent.
“Ava, likes me?” Clark asked shocked as what Michael had just said sunk in.
“She sure does Clark, and let's just say that Ava Roberts doesn't settle for sloppy seconds.” Michael only hoped that Lex would move on Clark before Clark found some one else to return his affections, such as Ava. Ava Roberts was not a young woman to be ignored and when she wants something she goes after it with the desire and will power that could only be matched by Lex himself, if the articles in the Daily Planet were to be believed, and what Ava Roberts wanted now was Clark Kent served to her on a nice silver platter. She would continue to be “friend” as she claimed to be, but she would show him “special hospitality” that only the money of the Roberts family could buy here at the hospital. Michael was jarred out of his thoughts with Clark asking him a question.
“Do you think I should tell Lex what is going on?” A look of worry marred Clark beautiful features.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well I got another e-mail from Lex, and he wants to know what is going on. I don't know if I should tell him that I am sick or what.” Clark said while now looking at the laptop screen that sat in his lap.
“That is up to you Clark. I would advise you do to what your heart tells you. I don't think it would steer you wrong.” Michael said with a small smile on his face. It seemed to him, that Clark was more concerned about Lex Luthor than he was about Ava Roberts, and that to him was a good sign.
“I think that I will just wait a bit.” Clark said while nodding his head in agreement to what he just said.
“Well then, I think you need to go with that plan. I am sure that Lex is willing to wait for an explanation.” Michael has lied a bit about that, but he could only hope that Lex would understand that the young man that was Clark Kent would be worth the wait.
“Okay then” Clark said while typing away on the keys of the laptop.
From: Clark_Kent@KentFarms.net
Subject: Re: Re: What is going on?
Lex,
You are right that there is something going on with me. I just don't think that I can tell you about it right now. I was hurt, by the words that you spoke to me about “stalking” Desiree. I would never do that to you. You should have believed that.
I am willing to become friends again, but I think we will need to gain each other's trust again. Just know that bothering my mom and dad won't get any answers about what is going on with me. No one in town knows either, so please don't tell Chloe or Pete that something is wrong.
I hope to see or talk to you soon.
As he sent off his e-mail he could only hope that Lex would understand why he was going to wait to tell him the whole truth. The last time he did that, he got burned and he wasn't willing to take that risk again anytime soon. Lex would have to earn Clark's trust again as he stated in his e-mail.
A short time later, Jonathan Kent arrived to pick up his son. What greeted him was Clark sitting with Michael Azure on the bed laughing about something on the laptop that was sitting in his son's lap.
“Clark?” Jonathan called out to his son.
“Dad!” Clark said with a huge smile on his face. Clark had not seen his father since his check-in to the hospital almost a week ago.
“Ready to go, sport?” Jonathan asked Clark.
“Sure” Clark said as he got out of bed. Clark was dressed in the clothes that his mother had left for him one day on her daily visits. Clark was grateful to his mother now, because he really didn't want to wear the outfit that he checked-in with.
“Then let's go!” Jonathan said with a wide smile on his face. Clark quickly followed Jonathan out of the room and with a backward glance noticed that Michael was standing looking amused.
“Michael!” Clark said watching the older man laughing at him.
“Clark, go have a good time. I might stop by later.” Michael said waving his hand in dismissal. Clark watched as Michael made his way to the seemingly endless hallway of windowed offices. As he was out of sight Clark caught back up with his dad.
“So dad how's the farm?” Clark asked trying to avoid a conversation dealing with Lex. This was obviously the wrong way to go, since his father's face got a grim look.
“The farm is fine, Clark.” Jonathan stated in a tight voice.
“What's wrong dad?” Clark asked concerned, when his dad got like this there were usually only two causes. One was the farm, which had just been in a state of fine by his father, and the other was something dealing with Luthors; whether the younger or the older it didn't matter.
“Luthor” Jonathan bit out with a slight snarl in his voice. Clark thought, ‘and there we have it folks. The reason dinosaurs are extinct, why we dropped the atom bomb in Japan and let's not forget why people get cancer.' Clark couldn't help the snort that came out of nose at the thought.
“Clark, you okay?” Jonathan asked in concern.
“Yeah, fine just didn't expect to hear the name Luthor coming out your mouth so soon dad.” Clark said in what he hoped was a level voice.
“What?” Jonathan said startled as they made their way through the hospital.
“I didn't think you would say anything about Luthor's, dad.” Clark said as they got on the elevator that had just arrived.
“Clark, Lex Luthor was at the farm a few days ago. I think he knows something is up.”
“I know dad, I just got an e-mail for him saying he wanted to talk.”
“Clark”
“No, dad. I don't want to talk about this. You and I will never see eye to eye about Lex so can we just leave it for today?” Clark said as they made their way out of the hospital and into downtown Metropolis.
“Sure son, but I just don't understand why you are willing to defend him.” Jonathan said as he made his way over to where the valet had the truck parked.
“You don't have to understand dad, just know that Lex isn't his father, okay?” Clark asked in a pleading voice.
“I will try Clark, just for your sake.” Jonathan finally agreed as the got into the truck and made their way into Metropolis proper.
“So dad where are we going to go and get our hair cut?” Clark said looking out the window as the cars passed them by.
“I don't know. I guess anywhere would be fine, huh? They are only just shaving off our hair.” John said with a chuckle.
“You really are getting your hair shaved off?” Clark asked surprised.
“Sure why not? I know your mother won't like it too much, but when she knows the reason I don't think that she will mind too much.” Jonathan said as he pulled to a stop at a small shopping center that held the “Metro Clips” that he had decided on.
“Here we are Clark.” John said as he made his way out of the car. As Clark got out of the car, he couldn't help but feel nervous about what was about to occur.
A short time later, both Clark and his father exited the salon with no hair on their head. Both Clark and his father had decided to shave the hair as short as possible, with only a little bit of “fuzz” as the stylist called it, on their head. As they sat in the truck Clark looked in the rear view mirror, Clark thought that he saw an unmistakable Lex Luthor car. Clark had a panic attack then.
“Dad we have to go now!” Clark yelled to his father.
“Clark, why?” Jonathan asked confused.
“I think that Lex is here. We have to go now!” Clark yelled to his father while continuing to look out the window. Shortly after Clark spoke the words that Lex Luthor was here, Jonathan pulled out of the spot and sped away. They were not so lucky as to not be seen by the black Aston Martin that had in fact spotted the Kent Farm truck.
Lex had to wonder on why Jonathan Kent would make his way to Metropolis by himself, if he was in fact by himself at all, he was pretty sure that he had seen the outline of another body sitting in the passenger seat. The only reason he could come up with was that something was seriously wrong with Clark and that they had to come to Metropolis for medical attention. Lex followed the truck right up until the LuthorCorp Towers area, where some how he lost them. Lex made the decision then to ask Clark, if he or his family were in Metropolis and what purpose they had there.
Clark and Jonathan arrived back to the hospital with dredge in their heart. Clark was trying to hide at least for a while how sick he truly was from Lex, but with him seeing the truck there was no way that he could avoid not explaining what was going on. Clark could only hope that Lex would wait for him, willing to listen to what Clark had to say.