7:
One. Two.
One. Two.
One... Two.
One... Two...
One...
Two...
"Lois! Lois!"
Someone calls for me... Someone far away... Clark... I can't.
"Lois," he calls, "Lois, you're no longer tied. Listen to me. You have to take the necklace off yourself. Lois?"
I cannot move. I cannot breathe anymore. I heave for the precious second of breathing. My heart wants to give up too. My heart wants to stop. Forever.
"You will not die on me, Lois. Not tonight." The urgency in his voice stirred my spirit. Luce still needs me. My sister… Lucy…
My hands reach to my neck. I try with all my might to lift the heavy necklace off, but my limbs go numb. "Clark," I whisper. "I can't... breathe." Damn... I take it off, and threw it far behind me. Only to trigger the virus more. I end up coughing blood. I look up, wishing the pain to end. I hit the floor with a loud thud. For once, I thanked the hard cement to be cold, it eased the painful fire running in my blood.
The next thing I know, Clark is carrying me in his arms. He wraps his cape around me. "We have to go to S.T.A.R. Labs to purge the virus from your system. Hang on." His eyes are kinder than the last time but his tone is still cold and formal.
I wipe the blood off my face and let my eyes close for a moment. If this would be the last moments of my life, I'd rather say it to him.
"I'm sorry, Clark."
He didn't say anything. He doesn't need to.
Lucy, my little sister –only she's not that little; she's already nineteen, agrees to go out for a lunch date with me at Christal's. I need to make it up to her, after winning a debate that I was supposed to watch if I hadn't been sick last week.
We only have each other; since Mom's dead and our dear father barely has time for us. Nothing's new about that. It's always the cause of greater good for General Lane. He will save the U.S.A. first before his own family. Lucy and I had grown up understanding that.
She ends up staying at my place after Metropolis University admitted her. Then, I guess she doesn't want her big sister snooping in on her things, Lucy found for herself a dormitory inside the campus; reasoning to Dad and me that she wants to be "independent".
I totally get her. When I first step foot in Metropolis I was eager to try the city all alone.
I enter the cafe and search for my sister. It's not that hard to find Lucy's long, bulky blonde hair and ridiculously large shades among the people. She is sitting inside a booth near the large window and doesn't notice me. Lucy continues in checking her phone.
She looks up, one hand poised to signal to a waiter,and smiles when she saw me. "Sis!" Lucy takes off her glasses and stands up. I smile and embrace her.
"Will you tell me why you're wearing shades inside?" I say as we sit.
Lucy laughs. "Are they too much?" Her emerald eyes twinkle.
I shake my head and take one of the menus off the little rack. "Congratulations again, Luce. I don't know you like debates."
"There are so much you still don't know, sis," she replies, taking off the other menu on the rack. "Anyway, how are you? I tried to go to S.T.A.R., Dad too. You know Dad. He went hysterical when he learned that you were...well...sick. He almost shook those guys if it weren't for an emergency at the P."
I smile. P is our code name for the Pentagon. The three of us agreed to use it since it makes Dad sound he's helping cows have babies instead of spilling away the country's guarded military secrets. "I called Dad after I called you. He worries, yeah. But I'm okay. Much better than last week."
Lucy nods but her happy tone faded entirely. "But... What happened really? I mean, sure, Mr Kent told me about it being a 'brush up' with one of the leads you'd been tracking. Dad wanted a better reason."
"Dad did tell me exactly like that," I say, leafing through the menu, "wait, Clark told you?"
"Yeah," my sister says, matter-of-factly, "he did save you, right? He called me and told me what happened. It's not like everybody now knows that he and Superman are one and the same." Lucy rolls her eyes and signals for the waiter.
I'm leaving your life, Lois. Maybe it will be for the better. So long as people remember your connection to me, so long your life will be put in danger.
I remember his soft, lonely voice speaking to my ear, and now my mind keeps on reciting it. That's why he didn't wait for me to wake up. I could totally understand that. After all, I have no right to be angry that he'll leave. He's right and that was the painful part. Clark is right about leaving...
But I don't want him to leave.
Wrong. So wrong and so selfish. If only he could read my mind. There are so many things I still want to say. I cannot bring myself to see him again. I've done more hurt than good to him. Maybe this will be for the better, just like what he said.
"Hello? Earth to Lois?"
I shake my head and see Lucy pointing to the waiter beside us.
"Oh, sorry," I say quickly, "I'll have a cup of cappuccino and some burger with fries. Mayo not ketchup. Thanks."
The waiter nods. My sister smiles. "She's just escaped from the asylum. Don't mind her." The poor boy's eyes widen as he took our menus and sped for the kitchen.
"I don't want to talk about my life so far," I say honestly, "we are here for you. How's your school?"
Lucy's smile fades. She clasps her hands together. "I...well...you remember Dad saying, he will never fund me if I don't continue to med school?"
"Uh, yeah," I reply, preparing myself for the worst that Lucy could say to me. "Why?" Dear God in Heaven… Is she pregnant? Please no.
"Sis," she continues, "I try so hard. Believe me. But I get burn out at Biology. And that's bad because if I flunk Bio this semester all of our plans of my going to med school will be like... dust to the wind." Lucy brushes her hair back and sighs.
My heart goes out for my little sister. After I had graduated from high school, Dad pressed me into joining the military. Mom was against it though, especially that Mr White offered me a scholarship. Now, it's Lucy that he persuades. All of this started when we were born. Dad badly wanted a son. A little chauvinistic, yes, but that's how General Lane is. He's old-fashioned and strongly believes in a patriarchal society.
It's also how I got to be named Lois. Dad and Mom were informed by the ultrasound result that their first baby will be a boy. So, Dad eagerly made a pact with Mom to name me Louis, after his dad - my grandfather. Come the big day, though, I turn out to be a girl. Mom, not wanting to spoil a beautiful name, urged Dad to drop the 'u' or add an 'e'. Dad decided to drop the 'u' and I am then known as Lois Joanne Lane.
Sometimes, Dad's views cause the problems in our family. No one can blame him about it though. He's gone through so much in his life. From a farmer kid in Pittsdale, Middle America to a war hero in Vietnam, Dad's been raised in trying times.
I take Lucy's hand in mine. "Say, why don't we talk to Dad about it? Do you have other plans, just in case?"
"I really wanted to join you at the Planet," Lucy says, "or take a course that is more 'arts' inclined than 'science'. I never liked science." She giggles and presses my hand gently.
"Okay," I say, "If Dad really won't support you if you don't continue to med school, then I'd pay for you. But, Lucy, think about it. I don't want you to waste your time 'finding yourself'. You have to have a plan for your life. Dad and I won't always be there for you. Time will come that you'll have to live on your own."
Lucy brightens up and squeals. "I know you'd understand! Thanks Lo! Thank you very much!"
I embrace her. At the end of the day, family always matters.
A/N: Reviews are welcome!