Chapter 22- Doctor, Doctor
"See, this spot here? That's the baby's head. Here's a foot, and an arm," the doctor explained.
"It's so tiny," Chloe said in awe.
The doctor laughed. "Yes, it's very small. Okay, have you been having any back pain?"
"Not much anymore," Chloe answered.
"Good. I want you to try and stay off of your feet as much as possible. If you stand too long there may be swelling in your ankles or feet. If there is, just sit and put your feet up," the doctor explained.
Chloe nodded.
"I also want to warn you that the seventh month is the month most likely to have false contractions. They're called Braxton Hicks, but are completely normal. If you have more than five contractions in one hour I need you to call me immediately," she continued.
"Yes, doctor," Chloe replied.
"You should gain about a pound a week for the next few weeks. Eat plenty of folates, such as spinach, oranges, bananas, broccoli, milk, etcetera. Most women don't get enough during pregnancy. Folates help prevent certain types of anemia, and promotes the growth of the fetal tissues and organs," the doctor said. "Well, I think that's it. I can give you these papers. They just repeat exactly what I told you."
"Thank you," Chloe told her.
"You're welcome. See the receptionist to set an appointment for one month from now and have a great day," the doctor said with a smile.
"Will you tell my friend to come in?" Chloe asked.
"Of course. Bye," the doctor answered.
"Hey. How'd it go?" Clark asked.
Chloe smiled at him. "Perfectly normal in every way. Which is weird considering we're in Smallville."
Clark laughed. "Thank you for letting me come with you."
"Don't worry about it. Lana and Pete had to go into Metropolis so I was kind of out of options," Chloe said, waddling out of the examination room.
"Oh," Clark said quietly.
"Clark, I didn't mean it like that. I'm glad you brought me. Thank you," Chloe said, trying to repair the damage.
Clark nodded.
"Hi, I need to set an appointment for a month from now," Chloe told the receptionist.
"Okay, the eighth at two thirty okay?" the woman asked.
"Uh, can you make it any earlier?" Chloe asked.
"Sure. I have an opening at eleven fifteen," the woman replied.
"Sounds great! Thank you," Chloe answered.
Clark opened the door of his truck and Chloe took his hand to climb in. Without a word Clark climbed in and started the engine.
"Say something," Chloe urged.
"Something," Clark teased.
Chloe laughed. "I really didn't mean that the way it came out, Clark."
"I know," Clark replied.
"Nothing seems to come out right lately. I blame it on hormones," Chloe joked.
"Those ran rampant in my house before my mom had Hannah," Clark said with a smile.
"I think they still do!" Chloe said with a wink.
Clark blushed.
"I forgot how much I loved making you do that," Chloe said.
"Making me do what?" Clark asked.
"Blush," Chloe answered smugly.
"Ah, yes. Usually it was some crude comment about Lana that did it back then," Clark said with a reminiscent smile.
"And now?" Chloe asked.
"Some crude comment about anything," Clark replied, his smiles reaching his eyes.
Chloe shook her head in amusement. "I know what you meant."
"You do, do you?" Clark asked.
Chloe laughed. "Home James," she said, directing Clark to turn right.
"Oh, right," Clark said in embarrassment. "Home."
"My home," Chloe clarified.
"Your home," Clark repeated. "Whose home did you think I meant?" Clark teased.
Chloe swatted his arm playfully. "Only you know what goes on in that farmboy head of yours."
"Me, and Ryan," Clark said with a sly smile.
"Nope. Ryan can't read your mind," Chloe said surely.
"How do you know that?" Clark asked.
"I told you, I know everything from back then," Chloe said.
"You sure did your research," Clark replied.
"I was a reporter. I made it my business to know everything," Chloe said.
"You didn't know how I felt about you," Clark said.
"Yes, I did. I just knew that your feelings for Lana had run deeper and longer than the ones for me had. So it was just a matter of time before Lana had another melt down and you rushed to save her day," Chloe answered.
Clark thought for a moment. "It wouldn't have been that way."
"You don't know that, because I didn't give you a chance to find out," Chloe said.
"No, you didn't. I don't think that theory was far from wrong back then, though," Clark admitted.
"I thought so," Chloe said.
"But it's different now," Clark said.
"Because Lana's engaged," Chloe said.
"Lana had a boyfriend then and it didn't stop me. You think if I really wanted her that a fiancé would get in my way?" Clark asked.
"What do you mean it didn't stop you? Whitney kept you from going after Lana many times. Like the whole scarecrow thing," Chloe said. "By the way. I know Lex found you up there and had to pull you down. Why didn't you just get down yourself?"
"I couldn't," Clark said simply.
"But you have superstrength, superspeed, super everything and you couldn't just break the ropes that tied you up?" Chloe asked in disbelief.
"No. I had Lana's necklace on," Clark said.
Chloe's face fell. "Did she give it to you?"
"No. Whitney was wearing it. I got mad, and took a swing at him, moving his shirt to a position where I could see it. He saw me looking and mistook it for me thinking of Lana. He got angry, ripped it off of himself, and put it on me," Clark explained.
"Why would that do anything? You had Lana's necklace on, so what?" Chloe asked.
"So, there are things about me that you don't know," Clark said smugly.
"Want to explain?" Chloe asked.
"Okay. You remember how I used to always trip and fall around Lana?" Clark asked.
Chloe furrowed her brow. "Yeah, but then it stopped."
"When I convinced Lana to stop wearing her necklace," Clark explained. "Her necklace was made with a part of the meteor that killed her parents. My ship came down with the meteor shower."
"That much I know, keep going," Chloe pressed.
"The meteors have some sort of effect on me. They weaken me. Sometimes to the point of being helpless. I was weak around Lana because of her necklace, because of the meteor," Clark replied.
"I see. That would explain some things," Chloe said. "We're here. Thanks again, Clark."
"Anytime. Do you want me to walk you to the door?" Clark asked.
"Nope, I got it," Chloe said with a smile. "Bye."
"Call me later?" Clark asked.
"Top of the speed dial. Now go home," Chloe teased, shutting the door.
"See, this spot here? That's the baby's head. Here's a foot, and an arm," the doctor explained.
"It's so tiny," Chloe said in awe.
The doctor laughed. "Yes, it's very small. Okay, have you been having any back pain?"
"Not much anymore," Chloe answered.
"Good. I want you to try and stay off of your feet as much as possible. If you stand too long there may be swelling in your ankles or feet. If there is, just sit and put your feet up," the doctor explained.
Chloe nodded.
"I also want to warn you that the seventh month is the month most likely to have false contractions. They're called Braxton Hicks, but are completely normal. If you have more than five contractions in one hour I need you to call me immediately," she continued.
"Yes, doctor," Chloe replied.
"You should gain about a pound a week for the next few weeks. Eat plenty of folates, such as spinach, oranges, bananas, broccoli, milk, etcetera. Most women don't get enough during pregnancy. Folates help prevent certain types of anemia, and promotes the growth of the fetal tissues and organs," the doctor said. "Well, I think that's it. I can give you these papers. They just repeat exactly what I told you."
"Thank you," Chloe told her.
"You're welcome. See the receptionist to set an appointment for one month from now and have a great day," the doctor said with a smile.
"Will you tell my friend to come in?" Chloe asked.
"Of course. Bye," the doctor answered.
"Hey. How'd it go?" Clark asked.
Chloe smiled at him. "Perfectly normal in every way. Which is weird considering we're in Smallville."
Clark laughed. "Thank you for letting me come with you."
"Don't worry about it. Lana and Pete had to go into Metropolis so I was kind of out of options," Chloe said, waddling out of the examination room.
"Oh," Clark said quietly.
"Clark, I didn't mean it like that. I'm glad you brought me. Thank you," Chloe said, trying to repair the damage.
Clark nodded.
"Hi, I need to set an appointment for a month from now," Chloe told the receptionist.
"Okay, the eighth at two thirty okay?" the woman asked.
"Uh, can you make it any earlier?" Chloe asked.
"Sure. I have an opening at eleven fifteen," the woman replied.
"Sounds great! Thank you," Chloe answered.
Clark opened the door of his truck and Chloe took his hand to climb in. Without a word Clark climbed in and started the engine.
"Say something," Chloe urged.
"Something," Clark teased.
Chloe laughed. "I really didn't mean that the way it came out, Clark."
"I know," Clark replied.
"Nothing seems to come out right lately. I blame it on hormones," Chloe joked.
"Those ran rampant in my house before my mom had Hannah," Clark said with a smile.
"I think they still do!" Chloe said with a wink.
Clark blushed.
"I forgot how much I loved making you do that," Chloe said.
"Making me do what?" Clark asked.
"Blush," Chloe answered smugly.
"Ah, yes. Usually it was some crude comment about Lana that did it back then," Clark said with a reminiscent smile.
"And now?" Chloe asked.
"Some crude comment about anything," Clark replied, his smiles reaching his eyes.
Chloe shook her head in amusement. "I know what you meant."
"You do, do you?" Clark asked.
Chloe laughed. "Home James," she said, directing Clark to turn right.
"Oh, right," Clark said in embarrassment. "Home."
"My home," Chloe clarified.
"Your home," Clark repeated. "Whose home did you think I meant?" Clark teased.
Chloe swatted his arm playfully. "Only you know what goes on in that farmboy head of yours."
"Me, and Ryan," Clark said with a sly smile.
"Nope. Ryan can't read your mind," Chloe said surely.
"How do you know that?" Clark asked.
"I told you, I know everything from back then," Chloe said.
"You sure did your research," Clark replied.
"I was a reporter. I made it my business to know everything," Chloe said.
"You didn't know how I felt about you," Clark said.
"Yes, I did. I just knew that your feelings for Lana had run deeper and longer than the ones for me had. So it was just a matter of time before Lana had another melt down and you rushed to save her day," Chloe answered.
Clark thought for a moment. "It wouldn't have been that way."
"You don't know that, because I didn't give you a chance to find out," Chloe said.
"No, you didn't. I don't think that theory was far from wrong back then, though," Clark admitted.
"I thought so," Chloe said.
"But it's different now," Clark said.
"Because Lana's engaged," Chloe said.
"Lana had a boyfriend then and it didn't stop me. You think if I really wanted her that a fiancé would get in my way?" Clark asked.
"What do you mean it didn't stop you? Whitney kept you from going after Lana many times. Like the whole scarecrow thing," Chloe said. "By the way. I know Lex found you up there and had to pull you down. Why didn't you just get down yourself?"
"I couldn't," Clark said simply.
"But you have superstrength, superspeed, super everything and you couldn't just break the ropes that tied you up?" Chloe asked in disbelief.
"No. I had Lana's necklace on," Clark said.
Chloe's face fell. "Did she give it to you?"
"No. Whitney was wearing it. I got mad, and took a swing at him, moving his shirt to a position where I could see it. He saw me looking and mistook it for me thinking of Lana. He got angry, ripped it off of himself, and put it on me," Clark explained.
"Why would that do anything? You had Lana's necklace on, so what?" Chloe asked.
"So, there are things about me that you don't know," Clark said smugly.
"Want to explain?" Chloe asked.
"Okay. You remember how I used to always trip and fall around Lana?" Clark asked.
Chloe furrowed her brow. "Yeah, but then it stopped."
"When I convinced Lana to stop wearing her necklace," Clark explained. "Her necklace was made with a part of the meteor that killed her parents. My ship came down with the meteor shower."
"That much I know, keep going," Chloe pressed.
"The meteors have some sort of effect on me. They weaken me. Sometimes to the point of being helpless. I was weak around Lana because of her necklace, because of the meteor," Clark replied.
"I see. That would explain some things," Chloe said. "We're here. Thanks again, Clark."
"Anytime. Do you want me to walk you to the door?" Clark asked.
"Nope, I got it," Chloe said with a smile. "Bye."
"Call me later?" Clark asked.
"Top of the speed dial. Now go home," Chloe teased, shutting the door.