Kryptonite and Scooter Ankles ||J. Kent ||

Part 13:

A/N: This book is a coping mechanism.

Which is funny, considering that this book is the reason I need a coping mechanism in the first place.

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The hallway smelled sterile.

The floor was glossy, and the walls bumpy with hardened paint.

The chair Jon sat in, stationed across from the hospital room door, was firm, and held no bounce. The chair, very much like himself at the moment, didn't seem to like him. At all.

He could hear the conversations happening in his mother's room, along with all the other recovery rooms on the floor if he listened hard enough.

Kara and Conner had accompanied them to Metropolis General, eager to see Lois alive and semi-well.

Jon wished he was anywhere but there. The idea of seeing his mom for the first time in weeks —after he'd almost killed her — made him want to throw up and die. He could almost see the look she'd get when he walked in; something mixed with distaste, no doubt. He couldn't stand that.

Clark didn't make him go anywhere near the door, and for that, he was grateful. Kara waited with him out in the hall. The only reason he was even in the dang hospital was because no one trusted him enough to leave him alone.

And that was fair.

Jon didn't know if he trusted himself to be alone. Not when his thoughts always ended up taking a turn for the worst.

Kara, sensing his feelings, had leaned over to wrap an arm around his shoulders. She wanted to say something to ease his conscience, to elicit a smile, but part of her understood that he might not want to feel better. Not here, at least, siting just outside his mother's hospital room for the injuries he had caused.

"Are they done?" Jon asked. Kara was the first person allowed to give him any physical comfort all day. She was surprised when he didn't shrug her off like he had with everyone else.

"No,"

Kon emerged from the room with a relaxed smile.

"Lois wants to see you guys," he said.

Kara stood up. Jon spiralled into a state of panic.

He couldn't go in there. He knew he couldn't take her reaction, whether it be good or bad. Because either she was happy to see him, and he'd feel worlds of guilt, or she'd be upset at the sight of him, and that would make him want to die even more. He knew he didn't deserve her forgiveness after everything he's put them through. He was just a responsibility to his parents now, nothing more.

"Jonno, you should come," Kara said, reaching for his hand.

He shook his head, remaining in his seat.

"Kid, come on," Kon coaxed. "It's your mom. She misses you just as much as you miss her."

"I don't wanna," Jon muttered.

"Please?" Kara whispered. "For me, your cool cousin who'd never do you wrong?"

He pouted at her to go away, and she did, backing off with a miserable huff. She disappeared through the door. Conner crossed the hall, and sat in Kara's empty chair.

"You should come inside," he said, gently nudging his little brother's arm.

"Just leave me alone," Jon said.

"Look, kid, I know you're probably feeling a lot of things. But this is your mom. The same mom that's been asking after you every day because she knows how much this is getting to you."