How could someone get rid of a brain tumor without opening the person up and taking it out. That seemed like a dangerous, risky thing to do. If Earth had had a way to fix it, it wouldn't help now. It had to be done with something on Krypton and there was nothing.
His vision became distorted with the tears that filled his eyes. He began to walk back to the hospital. When he got halfway there, he realized that he couldn't go back to the hospital. He couldn't face telling her that she was going to die after all and then sit there and watch as it happened.
He was near the zoo and for some reason he knew that he just had to see the animals. It might take his mind off things for a little while.
The first cage he came to had ballonies in it. They were creatures that looked like frogs. If something dangerous came into their path, they would blow up like a balloon and float upward. They were fun to watch. He saw snagriffs, a creature that looked like a winged dinosaur, and flame beasts, a name that comes from their appearance of being on fire. It was all interesting. He particularly liked the Thought-beast. They had something that looked like a screen above their heads and pictures of what they were thinking appeared on it. It wasn't impressive, complicated thinking about the meaning of life or something. It had pictures of food mostly.
He had finally worked up his courage enough to face Lois but then he spotted a rondor. The beast looked very gentle but he had a horn. He got closer. It seemed too gentle for the horn to be used for violence but then what was it used for? Rarely were things there for decoration. Everything had a purpose. He read more about the description of the animal and became very exited. In ancient times before science had been able to cure practically everything, a rondor's horn had been able to cure any kind of disease by the waves it emits.
He found the animal's caretaker and asked him questions.
"Are you sure the horn could cure anything? Why don't people still use it?"
"If you're looking for it to cure green death, it won't work. Green death is caused by radiation from the beneath Krypton's surface. It's not a disease to be cured. It doesn't help with physical injuries and doctors have healing rays for that anyway. As for why people don't still use them, rondors are so rare and only cure a limited number of times before it has to recharge. There is a vaccine for anything it could cure, so it has outlived its usefulness to people."
"Do you think it could cure a disease from another plant? Something like a growth on the brain?"
"Maybe."
Kal-EL didn't need to hear anything else. He took off to the hospital as fast as his legs could carry him. He told the doctor of his discovery and the doctor said there was no reason why she couldn't leave the hospital. She needed to have someone to hold onto her in case she lost consciousness again. So Kal-El took Lois to the zoo.
"Kal, is there any particular reason why we came to the zoo?"
"There's a reason but I don't want to tell you unless it works."
"Okay. I just want you to know if this is an attempt to cheer me up, I'm not a huge animal lover."
He just smiled.
They went into the rondor's cage.
"What in the world are we doing?" Lois asked.
"Getting a closer look at the rondor."
"They let you do this?"
"I've gotten their permission."
Lois looked at him like he'd flipped his lid, as they got up in the rondor's face.
"That's weird," she remarked.
"What?" Kal-El asked unable to hide his hopeful excitement.
"My headache's gone."
He hugs her and says, "it worked! The rondor's horn cured your tumor!"
They went back to the hospital, so the doctor could give her an examination to be sure.
As they walked up in front of the hospital, Lois said, "I feel a 100 percent better. You really don't have to keep holding onto me."
"Better safe than sorry. Besides, it gives me an excuse to hold you."
She smiles at that and then goes to get examined.
"Kal-El?" Zara says coming into the lobby with Ching.
"What?"
"We have a serious problem. We need to talk"
---
Lois was fixing her hair when Kal-El, Zara, and Ching came into the examination room.
"Guess what?" Lois said happily, "the tumor's definitely gone."
Kal-El gave a forced smile and said, "that's great news. I knew it would be."
"What's wrong?" asked Lois picking up on the group's gloom.
"The council passed a new law that goes into effect immediately," Zara said.
"So?" Lois asked.
"It says that if a betrothed couple has had stable jobs for 3 months or more, they have to get married immediately and we've had our jobs for 4 months. Zara and I have to get married right away," Kal-El said.
Lois sighed but she wasn't surprised. She knew Kal-El and Zara would have to get married sooner or later. She had just gotten good news, so it was only natural something would come along to spoil it. Her life had never yet failed to work that way.
TBC
