~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 3
Wednesday's Child
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 16, 1998 12:00 am
348 Hyperion Avenue, Metropolis
Lois smiled sleepily as Clark climbed into bed next to her. "Hey, you," she said softly. She moved over and settled her head comfortably on his chest. "How did it go?" she asked.
"Pretty good," he said, smiling as he leaned down to kiss her. "The fire wasn't serious and everybody got out okay. I gave Mike the interview... It'll be his first from Superman."
"That's nice," she said, reaching over to lace her fingers through his, her mind obviously elsewhere. She played with his fingers absently before speaking. "Sweetheart," she began, "I was wondering... do you think we could try the adoption option again? I know we were refused last year, but it's not like you've had to rescue me much lately. She looked up at Clark hopefully. "It's possible that they'd accept us as candidates. "
"I don't know, sweetheart," he answered truthfully. "All we can do is try." Clark leaned down and kissed her softly.
"Yeah," she sighed and snuggled closer to him. "I talked to Bobby today," she began, turning her head to drop a gentle kiss on his chest. "I think we've got a lead on a story--twenty-five babies and toddlers in the system have died in the past few months and the cause of death for all of them has been listed as SIDS."
"That's insane!" Clark commented, wide-eyed. "That's just *way* too many kids; there has to be something else going on there."
"Tell me about it," Lois said wryly. "The sheer numbers are far too high for it to be coincidence."
"If it's not SIDS, what's *really* happening to all of the kids?" Clark wondered out loud.
"I don't know," Lois said softly.
"We'll get to the bottom of it," Clark promised. "Tomorrow..." he interrupted himself with a huge yawn.
Lois chuckled softly and reached over to turn out the light. "G'night, sweetheart," she said quietly. She settled herself comfortably on Clark's chest and soon joined him in a deep sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998 2:30 am
The Streets of Metropolis
Rachel shivered violently as she walked. She had been wandering for hours, and knew that she was well and truly lost. She didn't know where the Daily Planet was, and she figured that she wasn't any closer to finding it. Sleepily, she rubbed her eyes. Rachel stubbed her toes against a big crack in the sidewalk and fell, landing face first on the wet, dirty pavement.
Tears began to gather in her eyes. She curled up on the filthy asphalt around Aimee and gave in to the tears that had been threatening for so long. She was freezing and dirty, as well as hungry, and tired, and she ached from the numerous bruises and scrapes on her body. She sobbed into the doll's yarn hair, wishing for someone, anyone, to come and put their arms around her. "Mommy," she whispered sadly. She didn't have many memories of her mother; they were all hazy, dream-like. But she did remember how it felt to be held close by someone who loved her, and she yearned for that feeling now.
Rachel scrubbed the tears from her cheeks, further smearing the dirt and blood on her face. She pushed herself up from the ground and shivered again, feeling the bite of the icy wind as it blew through her thin, torn pajamas. Blubbering like a baby never does any good, she thought sadly. Nobody cares; no one ever comes. Maybe it'd be easier to find the Daily Planet in the morning. Maybe pretty Ms. Lane will care.
Rachel sighed. It was too cold to sleep outside, she wanted to find someplace warmer to try and sleep in. She looked up and down the street she was on. Houses. Houses everywhere and none of them were hers. Rachel frowned slightly--all of the houses on this block kind of reminded her of the pretty lady's house. She shivered again as a sharp breeze whipped through her.
Rachel turned, glanced at the house closest to her, and brightened. The door didn't have a lock on it. She'd probably get in trouble when the people who lived there found her, but she decided not to care. She was tired and it looked like a good place to rest. With aching feet, she climbed the flight of stairs that led to the door and slipped inside. Rachel smiled sleepily as the warmth of the house began to seep into her icy skin. She could at least get warm here... and if the peoples were nice, perhaps they'd take her to the Daily Planet to see Ms. Lane again.
Rachel walked over to the corner of the entryway and curled up there. She cradled Aimee in her arms and began to rock the doll to sleep. "You're the only one who loves me, now," she whispered, "you're the only one who's there for me." She began to quietly hum the tune of an almost-forgotten lullaby quietly. "I love you, Aimee," she said, before cuddling the damp, grubby doll. "I love you," she whispered before falling into a deep sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998 5:30 am
348 Hyperion Avenue
Clark woke to a cry for help, looked at the clock, and groaned. 5:30. He could survive on less sleep than most people, but between the hurricane that had hit the Bahamas last week and a few other crimes and disasters, he hadn't been getting nearly enough sleep lately. He slipped out of bed, spun into the Suit, and, making sure that his cell phone was in the pocket of his cape, he flew off to attend to the call for help.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998 6:00 am
Coates Orphanage, Early Childhood Wing, Metropolis
Jared walked into the dormitory and looked around. Most of the children were safely tucked in bed asleep, but one in particular was empty. He examined the room and grimaced when he noticed the open window. The brat had run away. Mr. Stevens, the director, wasn't going to like the fact that one of the children was missing. Jared knew he'd be lucky if he could escape with just a lecture.
He sighed heavily and went down the hall to use the phone. At least this had the potential to solve some problems for him and the Boss. With the weather they'd been having, it was possible that the kid hadn't survived the night. He picked up the phone and began to make the necessary calls.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998, 6:30 am
348 Hyperion Avenue, Metropolis.
Lois woke to an empty bed and frowned. She hated waking up alone; it was infinitely better to wake up with Clark than without him. She shut off the alarm quickly and began to get ready for work. She hurried through her preparations for the day, intent on getting some work done at the Planet before going to the coroner's office to get the autopsy reports.
Lois hurried downstairs and, deciding to skip breakfast, grabbed her overcoat and threw it on, then snatched up her purse and briefcase. She headed out the door pausing momentarily to scan the vestibule. Lois dropped her briefcase and gasped in surprise when she spotted the ragged, filthy little girl curled up in a corner by the door. She quickly knelt beside the child and gently touched her arm.
"Little one?" she said softly, trying not to startle the baby.
"Mommy," the child answered sleepily. "My froat hurts." She looked up at Lois with glassy eyes.
Lois caught the little girl's chin with one hand and examined the child's face. "Rachel?" she asked quietly.
"Mommy," Rachel sobbed, still half-asleep.
Lois laid her hand on the girl's forehead and frowned. It was obvious that she was feverish. She wasn't sure why the little girl was calling her 'Mommy', but decided she was probably delirious from the fever. Rachel's filthy pajamas were still wet and clung to her skin. Without further thought, she gathered the little girl in her arms and stood, then carried her small burden back into the house.
Unsure what to do next, she grabbed the throw from the back of the couch and wrapped the little girl in it, then sat down heavily on the couch. Lois felt Rachel's forehead again and shivered. Just how was one supposed to treat a feverish five-year-old? She wished that they had bought a thermometer to replace the one that Clark had accidentally stepped on last week, but it hadn't really seemed necessary at the time. She briefly considered calling Clark, but this wasn't that big of an emergency and it would look more than a bit strange for Superman's cape to start ringing in the middle of a rescue.
Lois thought back to her father's lectures, trying to think of something to help. Deciding that a warm bath and dry clothes might be in order, Lois carried Rachel upstairs, laid her on the bed, and went into the bathroom to run tepid water into the tub. Once it was half-full, she turned the water off and went to get Rachel.
She stripped off the child's sodden pajamas and carried her into the bathroom, amazed that a child of five years weighed so little. Lowering her gently into the water, she began to wash off the dirt, grime, and blood, paying special attention to the scrapes and scratches that marred the girl's body. She winced in sympathy as she found the large, black and purple bruise on Rachel's stomach and the puffiness around her right eye.
"That feels good, Mommy," Rachel whispered hoarsely. "I wanna go sleep, now."
"In a few minutes, sweetie," Lois answered. She washed Rachel's hair gently before lifting her out of the tub and wrapping her in towels. She carried Rachel into the adjoining master bedroom to retrieve one of Clark's t-shirts, then took her into the guest room and placed her carefully on the bed. Lois slipped the shirt over the child's head and tucked her into bed. "There you go, Rachel. All safe and warm."
"Mommy," the little girl said. "I don't feel good."
"I know you don't, sweetheart," Lois answered, continuing to play along. "You go to sleep, baby. I'll call the doctor, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy," Rachel answered. She rolled over and groped around the bed, searching for something. "Where's Amiee?" she asked, tears threatening.
"I'll go get her," Lois promised, suddenly remembering the doll that the child had been holding. She winced at the thought of putting the filthy, wet toy into bed with the girl, but knew Rachel needed the comfort of a toy to cuddle. Suddenly remembering the stuffed bear that Clark had won for her at the Smallville Corn Festival, Lois walked over to the closet and, reaching to the back of the shelf, grasped the stuffed animal by one fuzzy leg and pulled it down. As an afterthought, she retrieved the electric blanket as well, and carried both items back into the guest room.
"Here you go, Rachel," Lois said softly as she placed the toy in Rachel's arms, praying that "Clarkie-bear" would be a suitable substitute. Lois tucked the blanket around Rachel, plugged it in, and turned it on its lowest setting.
"Thank you, Mommy," Rachel sighed, turned over and stuck her thumb in her mouth.
Lois gave the blankets one final pat before she headed downstairs. She was thankful that her father had relocated to Metropolis; Rachel needed to be examined, but the thought of enduring an endless wait in the Emergency Room while cradling an exhausted child was wholly unappealing. Besides, Rachel was probably only suffering from a simple fever and a cold. She knew she should call Family and Children services, but the offices didn't open until nine and that was more than an hour from now.
She picked up the phone and began to dial the familiar number. "Daddy? This is Lois. I need your help--I found a patient for you, it's little Rachel Pierce. Yes, Daddy. I know that I should take her to the hospital, but there are some circumstances. No, Daddy, it's nothing illegal. Will you come? Thanks, Daddy! I'll see you in a few minutes."
Lois sighed, hung up the phone, dialed another number, and got the machine. "Perry, this is Lois. An emergency's come up and I won't be able to come in until later on today, if I manage to make in it at all. It has to do with the Pierce child. I'll be at home if you need to reach me." She hung up the phone, went back upstairs, and sat down beside Rachel's bed to watch over her as she slept.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998 7:00 am
836 Centennial Drive Apt 3B
Sam hurriedly stuck some emergency medical supplies into his black doctor's bag and scrounged around for a piece of paper to jot a quick note to Ellen on. It had taken him almost two years before she had finally forgiven him... and agreed to marry him again. The last few years of their first marriage had been hellish, but he had been even more miserable without her.
Baby Gunderson was the closest he had gotten after their divorce to having a serious relationship--and he didn't think that it could even be called a 'relationship' with an android. Baby Gunderson had really been a... science experiment, and science experiments couldn't love you back. Sam was thankful that his Ellen had taken him back; he knew he really didn't deserve her. He snatched a sheet of paper from the blotter on his desk and scribbled a note on it with the pen that lay on his bedside table.
"Dear Ellen,
Lois called and asked for help. I'll be at their brownstone if you need me. Love you--Sam"
He placed the note prominently on the bedside table and, picking up his bag, headed for the door. Sam grabbed his heavy overcoat, tugged it on, went outside, and locked the front door behind him.
He walked over to his car, unlocked it, tossed his bag inside, and climbed in. Sam was determined to help his daughter in whatever way she needed him. After all, it was a rare occasion that Lois ever asked for his help. He was aware of the fact that it was his fault; after all, he was the one who had hurt and betrayed her by his behavior. If he hadn't fallen into the infidelity trap, Lois might actually trust him more than she did. He just felt lucky that his princess was willing to give him a second chance--Lucy wasn't able to do that yet.
Sam had been a doctor not so long ago; he had helped heal an awful lot of people. It was long past the time for him to try and heal the fractures in his family; fractures that he had created. He had never meant for it to happen. He had never meant to destroy the family that had been so precious to him. It had crept up on him a little at a time. He had just wanted what was best for them; he wanted to provide the things for his children that his parents had never been able to afford.
Sam started the car and began the short drive over to Lois's house, lost in thought. It hadn't taken long for him to start spending more and more time with his patients and away from home. After that, the women at work began to look better and better. After all, *they* appreciated him and how he saved lives while Ellen criticized him for not being there whenever he came home. His first affair followed. He had felt horribly guilty for it, and had promised himself and his wife while she was asleep that it would never happen again.
Unfortunately, it had only gotten easier. He started showering at work and changing clothes so that she wouldn't notice other women's perfume on him. If she asked why he had showered before he came home, there was always the excuse that one of his patients had bled on him; it wasn't an uncommon occurrence, so Ellen hadn't questioned it.
She had found out eventually, but she hadn't wanted to fully acknowledge it, so she started drinking. He felt partially responsible for her alcoholism, too. By the time he finally came to his senses, he had lost everything that was really important. In the past few years, he had regained some ground, but he wasn't sure if his family would ever manage to entirely forgive him.
He pulled up in front of the brownstone, parked the car, climbed out, and walked up to the door. Sam rang the bell and waited quietly. He smiled when Lois answered the door. "Hi, Princess," he said quietly. "You said you had a patient for me?"
"Thanks for coming, Daddy," Lois said. "Come in," she ushered him inside and shut the door behind her father.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998 8:00 am
Daily Planet, Metropolis
Clark walked into the newsroom, whistling. It had been a busy few hours between the five-car pile-up on the freeway and an electrical fire in a tenement across town. Luckily, he'd been able to get everyone out alive--this time. Some of the accident victims were in critical condition, but their prognosis looked good. He had also managed to get everyone out of the crumbling building before the fire spread too far.
Clark glanced at Lois's desk and frowned. Her computer was off and her coffee mug empty, indicating she hadn't been in yet. It was unusual for his wife *not* to already be at her desk at this time of the morning--she should have been there, looking for information on the SIDS deaths story. After all, it was the best lead they'd had on a potentially big story for over a month.
Mentally, Clark shrugged. Lois must have gotten a late start. It was unusual for her to sleep through the alarm clock, but it wasn't impossible. Besides, the Coroner's Office wouldn't open for at least another hour.
Clark walked over to his desk, sat down, and booted up his computer. The Superman stories were destined for the middle of the paper somewhere--after all, without fatalities, Superman rescues were just part of another normal day in Metropolis. He typed them up quickly and LAN'ed them to Perry's office before logging onto the Planet's network to do some research on SIDS. He figured that it wouldn't hurt to read up on it a little bit and that he could assign Jimmy to do some more in-depth poking around.
"Clark! In my office now!" Perry's voice called.
Clark groaned softly; he had just found what looked to be a reputable source on the subject. "Coming," he said, getting up from his desk and heading over to Perry's office.
He walked in the office and shut the door behind him, he asked, "Yes, Chief?"
"Clark, I just got a message from Lois saying that she might not be coming in today because an emergency came up. I was hopin' that you'd know what was goin' on." Perry stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked concerned.
Clark stiffened, alarmed. "Perry, I don't know; have you tried calling her?" he asked, ready to spin into the Suit and bolt out the door. She hadn't gotten into trouble in quite some time, but with Lois, these things could change at the drop of a hat. For all he knew, she was currently dangling over a vat of hazardous chemicals somewhere or being held at gunpoint. He took some comfort in knowing that she hadn't called for him, but still...
Clark made his decision. "Chief, I'm going to run home and check on her," he said worriedly.
"You do that, son," Perry said, relief evident in his voice. "I'm worried about her, too." Clark nodded sharply, and sprinted towards the elevator.
Perry watched him leave, relieved that Clark would be checking on the woman whom he considered to be a daughter. With Lois, you never knew what kind of trouble she was in. It was true that she'd been being more careful in the last year, but she could have gotten carjacked on the way to work and be in the hospital right now or being held at gunpoint somewhere for all he knew. That girl beat all for finding trouble.
He smiled slightly. Lois had once claimed that she never went looking for trouble, and it wasn't her fault that it tended to find her, but he wasn't sure if he believed that. After all, even with her being more careful, she had been stabbed, shot at, and kidnapped in the past six months alone. The Planet was lucky that their insurance premiums hadn't gone up in the past few years from her medical bills alone! Perry sighed and turned back to Ralph's far-from-perfect copy that lay on his desk. He supposed it would do to keep his mind off of worrying about Lois.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998 8:00 am
348 Hyperion Avenue, Metropolis
Sam packed up the last of his instruments and looked at Lois. "What are you going to do now, princess?" he asked softly.
Lois sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I don't know," she said softly. "Children's Services opens in another hour and I can call them then," she reached down to push Rachel's hair out of her face. "Is she going to be all right, Daddy?" Lois asked.
Sam nodded. "You did the right thing, princess. You managed to counteract the chill she got. The child still has a fever, but a little Children's Motrin should bring her temperature down quickly." He looked at the little girl and smiled. "She's a pretty little thing under all of those bruises," he murmured. "You said her name was Rachel?"
At Lois's nod, he continued, "She's got different coloring, but she reminds me a little of you at that age." He sighed, leaned over, and kissed Rachel on the forehead.
"How she got here, I don't know," Lois said. "She was supposed to be at Coates Orphanage. I guess we won't know what happens until she tells us, and Rachel's been pretty withdrawn since they found her on the streets last month."
"So this is the little girl that you wrote those articles about?" Sam asked, surprised.
"Yes. They haven't found a foster home placement for her yet, so she's been staying in the Early Childhood wing of Coates Orphanage. They're still gathering evidence on her stepfather, but she won't tell who was hurting her, so we can't know for sure. Rachel is the only witness and she hasn't told anyone." Lois tugged up the blankets and tucked them around the child.
Sam frowned. "It's not fair," he grumbled. "I know I wasn't the best father in the world. Hell, I wish I could take a lot of what I did... or didn't do back, but I never laid a hand on you or Lucy."
"Daddy..." Lois began. Then she simply shook her head and turned back to Rachel, fussing with the blankets.
Sam walked over to his daughter and kissed her on the cheek sadly. He had lost so much--and it was his own fault. "I'll go get the medicine for Rachel," he said quietly. "You need to stay here in case she wakes up since she'll at least recognize you."
"Okay, Daddy," Lois murmured.
Sam looked at his little girl longingly before heading out the door and downstairs. This time he didn't intend to let his daughter down.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998, 8:15 am
348 Hyperion Avenue, Metropolis
Clark landed on the back patio to their Brownstone and spun back into his street clothes before entering the house, focusing on the comforting sound of Lois's heartbeat.
He frowned; he could hear another heartbeat near hers. Something was wrong. Clark raced up the stairs and followed the sound into the guest room. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the small bundle beneath the blankets. A child slept in the big bed while Lois sat attentively by her side. "Lois?" he said softly, trying not to wake the little girl.
Lois glanced over at Clark and smiled. "Hi," she said quietly. "I found her in our vestibule this morning on my way out," she explained, nodding in Rachel's direction.
"Isn't that Rachel Pierce?" he asked, puzzled. He walked over to Lois and took her hand in his.
"Yeah. I don't know how she ended up here," she said, "but Family and Children Services won't be open until 9, so I got her warm and put her to bed."
Clark squeezed Lois's hand and gently reached over to brush a lock of tangled, but now clean, blonde hair out of Rachel's face. "Is she okay?" he asked softly.
Lois stood and, leaning, into Clark, buried her face in his shoulder. "Yes," she said, her voice muffled. She looked into his eyes for a minute, her fear for the child showing in her face. "I called Daddy after I put her to bed," she explained. "He said that she'll be okay, but he went to get some medicine for her."
"Shouldn't we call Coates Orphanage?" he asked. "I bet they've discovered that she's missing by now, and someone will be there."
"I don't think I want to do that." Lois began. "I know we can't just keep her, but she must have run away from there last night, so it can't be that good of a place for a little girl. Danielle may have seemed happy, but it's obviously not the right place for Rachel. I just can't imagine the man we met back then having anything to do with hurting her--or even letting it happen. I have her social worker's office number, but Samantha Parker won't be in until 9. It's close to 8:30 now, so I'll call her in half an hour." Lois looked up at Clark, troubled. "You did the research on foster care, Clark. What's going to happen to Rachel?" she asked.
"That's the problem," he said with a sigh, bringing his arms around Lois to hold her close. "Rachel is part of the Lost Generation. Unless she gets adopted, which isn't very likely at her age, she'll end up bouncing from foster home to foster home until her eighteenth birthday. After that, chances are that she'll end up at some minimum wage job for the rest of her life."
"It's not fair," Lois muttered again.
"I know," Clark said, tightening his arms around her. "Honey," he began slowly, "you were thinking about us trying to adopt again. Do you think we could request temporary custody of Rachel? Maybe we could even adopt her eventually." Clark suggested hopefully.
Lois's face lit up. "Samantha *did* say that the Coates Orphanage was only temporary until they found foster parents for her, and I've been a foster parent before," she smiled. "It's possible that they'd let us!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
November 16, 1998, 8:30 am
CVS Pharmacy, Metropolis.
Sam grabbed a bottle of Children's Motrin off the shelf and walked quickly over to the cash register. He needed to get the medicine into Rachel as soon as he could; her fever was higher than he liked in a child that age. It wasn't high enough to be warrant hospitalization, but he'd rest easier when his patient's temperature dropped into the normal range.
When he returned to Lois's and Clark's brownstone, Rachel's flushed face and glassy, dark blue eyes reminded him of a certain set of brown eyes a long time ago. When Lois was Rachel's age, she had caught a bad case of the chicken pox and gotten a high fever. He had been away from home at a medical conference, and since it had only been chicken pox, Ellen hadn't worried too much. He had checked on Lois when he got home and discovered her rapidly escalating temperature. They had almost been too late to get his baby girl's fever down.
He wouldn't have such a close call with Rachel. She wasn't his granddaughter or anything, but when she had opened her fever-brightened eyes and looked at him, he suddenly visualized Lois or Lucy in her place. His worst nightmare in the past had been arriving too late after one of his girls had been hurt and not being able to save them. He knew it was irrational, but he *was* still a doctor after all. It was his life's work to save lives and make them better.
He poured out the dose in a baby medication spoon and carefully held it to the little girl's lips. "C'mon, sweetheart," he murmured. "This'll make you feel better." After he got the medicine into her, he noticed what was going on around him. His daughter was on her cellphone. Shamelessly, he listened to her end of the conversation.
"Samantha, we found Rachel Pierce and she's with us right now. She must have run away from the orphanage last night. Yes, a doctor has checked her out--my father did it. Is there anywhere she needs to go, or can we leave her in bed? You need her to go to the hospital? Okay, Clark and I can take her there. Samantha, what's going to happen to Rachel? You don't know? Samantha, Clark and I would love to have her stay with us. Is it possible? It is? Oh, so we still have to take her to the hospital so you can have time to get the paperwork together and come and look at our house." Lois looked at her father and smiled, joy on her face.
"How long will it be, Samantha? I know that you said that there's been a shortage of foster parents. *Only* a few days *if* we can get Judge Stephenson's approval? That's great! We'll see you at the hospital in a few minutes. Thanks! Bye." Lois closed the phone and looked at her father, a huge smile on her face.
"Princess, did I hear that right?" he asked. "You and Clark are really going to try and be this little girl's foster parents?"
"Yes, Daddy," Lois said, still smiling. "Clark and I talked about it--if everything works out, we'd like to adopt her."
"Are you sure, princess?" Sam questioned. "I just want the best for you and Clark. You do realize that if a relative comes forward, you could lose this little girl?"
"I know, Daddy," she said patiently. "But at least this way, Rachel will be safe." Lois leaned over the bed and wrapped Rachel in a blanket. She picked the little girl up and started toward the door. "I've got to get Rachel to the hospital for now--that was her social worker that I was talking to." With that, she headed out the door and started down the stairs.
Sam stared after her and shook his head. This poor, homeless little girl could very well break his baby's heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~