post-traumatic stress (tag Clark)

[slayers_desire]

April felt uneasy, and just couldn't ease her mind. In the back of her mind, she knew it was post-traumatic stress from assisting Alex Mercer escape Manhatten. There were things she saw that she would never forget. Lives lost, their voices forever taken.

The one good thing from the whole situation is that Alex's sister Dana was saved, and currently staying in the Buffyverse universe.

But still, it was hard for April to sleep well. Sometimes the screaming in her mind never stopped.

Comments

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark can easily tell that April is bothered by something, and this moreso than other things have in the past. Especially when he feels her tossing and turning at night.

He doesn't quite know what to say. It's always the hardest when he can't do anything to ease the emotional pain of his loved ones. Superman can't do anything to save the heart.

[slayers_desire]

She finally opens her eyes, staring at the ceiling. The whole apartment is quiet. She can hear his breathing. The steady presence of him beside her.

And she reaches over to take his hand in hers.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark gives her hand a gentle squeeze, wishing that he could be more reassuring for her. "You okay?"

[slayers_desire]

"A little confused..."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Do you want to talk about it?"

[slayers_desire]

She moves to rest her head on his chest. "A friend of mine had to escape from a bad situation. He had to do whatever he could do survive. And I was there..."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

He knew that she had gone to help a friend, because he had to watch the children. But he hadn't heard much about it, until now. "You helped him out of it?"

[slayers_desire]

"From the worst of it. But he didn't find any peace... and is still on the run."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"That sounds rough. I'm sorry." He doesn't know her friend, but anyone that April cares about, it would be tough for her to see them in trouble.

[slayers_desire]

"He had to fight his way out. So many deaths. Lives taken..."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

To Clark, that's even worse. He values life above all, and though he doesn't force his views on others, it's difficult to hear that she had to see so much death. "There must not have been another way."

[slayers_desire]

"They were all attacking him. And..." April pauses to reflect on what she has to explain next. "He is a predator. He consumes life force to survive."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

He can tell from the way she says it that it isn't quite like her situation. "He has to kill to live."

[slayers_desire]

"There was just an emptiness when it happened..."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

He turns a little to put his arms around her. He can't make her stop hurting, but he can let her know that he's here for her. "I can't imagine what it must've been like for you."

[slayers_desire]

"I am trying hard to focus on the joys in my life, so that emptiness doesn't overwhelm me."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Can I do anything for you?"

[slayers_desire]

"Surround me with the joy in my life..."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

He kisses the top of her head and holds her close. "We could go somewhere with the kids, just the four of us."

[slayers_desire]

"I want to surround myself with hope. Possibilities. Could we go to the garden?"

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Sure. Laura hasn't been to the greenhouse yet." The newborn is still too young to get involved with the gardening, obviously, but it's a special place that they've already shared with Jonathan. And Clark thinks that maybe getting to help new life grow will help April come to terms with the deaths she saw.

[slayers_desire]

"Alex's sister, Dana, was taken to my universe. We could check on her too."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"She was?" Clark is a little surprised by this, though not overly so.

[slayers_desire]

"She would have been killed if we left her there. I didn't know where else to take her."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"I'm glad she had a place to go. Is she staying at Lorne's?" There are few other guaranteed safe places he can think of, in her world.