Author's Note
Hello everyone. Sorry I'm late for the late update. Life and Author's Block were a bitch the last two months. Anyway, this is the new chapter on The Final Countdown. Enjoy it.
Special Thanks
To Teresa: my beloved surrogate sister who encouraged me to write this story and she also is my personal consultant on it. I dedicate this chapter to her as she was the one who lured me into the Dark Side of Star Wars. I love you so much sis.
To folc4evernaday: who let me use some of her ideas on my story.
And all the Lois and Clark fan fiction writers who inspired me
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.
Warning: This chapter isn't edited and corrected by Beta so forgive me for my grammar errors. Unfortunately English isn't my first language.
Athena
**Previously on The Final Countdown**
"Lois, when was your last period?" Claire asked curious, wanting to make her point.
Lois opened her mouth to answer but suddenly stopped. The last time she had her period was the week of her temporary separation from Clark after the incident with Scardino. Lois started to feel sick to her stomach when she realized what Claire meant. No. This wasn't happening. She opened her mouth again to speak, but nothing came out.
"Lois, are you alright?" Claire asked worried.
"Am I…" Lois trailed off, unable to say anything else, because other words would just come out an incoherent muddle.
Claire looked Lois straight in the eye. "Yes, Lois." she affirmed looking at her patient dead serious. "You're pregnant."
**And now let's continue**
Lois sat in Claire's office feeling completely stunned at what she was just told were the results of her tests. Everything clicked together in her mind, all the symptoms made sense; the dizziness, the cravings, the nausea, the morning sickness. Why hadn't she figured this out sooner? She was the daughter of doctor, for God's sake, she should have seen that coming. It was so simple. Pregnant. Pregnant with Clark's child. Although she had thought and envisioned having children with him, they never spoke about it.
"Lois." Claire's voice broke through her thoughts. She looked up and saw Claire standing at the doorway holding a cup of water.
"Here you go." Claire went on as she approached and handed Lois the cup of water.
"Thank you." Lois said after she accepted the cup and began to take small sips of the cool liquid.
"I take it this wasn't planned?" Claire asked as she sat down across Lois.
Lois set her cup on a coaster on Claire's desk. "Well, um, no, not exactly." she admitted softly, still shocked by the news. "You know, I don't understand. This wasn't supposed to happen. I am on the pill…"
"Well, even the pill is not 100% effective." Claire explained. "You just fell in that 3 % range. So." she went on, as she patted Lois' knee. "Who is your OB/GYN doctor?" she asked.
"Dr. Parker." Lois answered.
"Dr. Anna Parker?" Claire wondered. "Yea she's pretty good doctor. In fact," she looked at her watch. "She's still here at the hospital. We could go down to her office and do an ultrasound if you want." she suggested, as she turned her attention back to Lois.
"No, thank you." Lois shook her head. "I just…" she trailed off. "Can you please prescribe me those vitamins and I will schedule a doctor's appoi-"
"Okay, okay." Claire assured and stood up, walking back to her desk.
After Claire prescribed the vitamins, Lois left the hospital and drove to the Planet. Her brain hurt by trying to process her current situation. Pregnant. She was pregnant. It terrified the fact that a child was growing inside of her. She and Clark hadn't even been engaged or married and here she was, expecting a child. Clark's baby. Superman's baby. Her baby. A baby that one day would be a perfect mixture of them. A baby with both human and Kryptonian DNA. After ten minutes of driving Lois' Jeep came to a halt in front of the Daily Planet building. Tilting her head back, she looked at the building and more particularly at the newsroom's windows. A smile slipped onto her lips. Yes she was terrified. Yes, she wasn't ready to be a mother, she knew that, but she liked the idea that she and Clark could create something from their love. She couldn't wait to see Clark's face when he heard the news. He'd be beside himself with joy at the thought of being a daddy. Without any further delay, Lois opened the door of her Jeep and stepped out of it, walking toward the entrance of the building. She felt her heart pound in her chest as the elevator ascended up to the newsroom floor and sighed with relief when the elevator finally announced its arrival with a ding because the ride was short but this time seemed incredibly long. Lois stepped out of the elevator and stood on the balcony, looking around the noisy and active newsroom until she spotted Clark walk out the conference room, studying a folder and mentally shook her head. He didn't deserve to find out about her pregnancy in the middle of the newsroom during the work hours. He deserved so much more. Maybe she could plan a romantic dinner with Italian food and a delicious bottle of red wine.
"Hey." Lois greeted smiling as she came down the ramp.
"Hey." Clark greeted back with a smile as he shut the folder he was reading and captured Lois' lips in a chaste kiss. "What did the doctor say?" he asked as they walked together towards his desk.
"Everything is fine." Lois replied giving him a reassuring smile.
"How is everything fine?" Clark wondered as he set down the folder on his desk, then sat on the edge of it, folding his arms in front of his chest. "You have dizziness and nausea."
"I have a nutrient deficiency and the doctor prescribed me some vitamins." Lois informed. "Everything is fine, Clark." she repeated. "I'm fine."
"Okay." Clark sighed as he unfolded his arm in surrender, not entirely convinced by Lois' words.
"How about dinner tonight?" Lois suggested as she fingered Clark's tie. "Italian food and a bottle of expensive red wine." she went on, tracing an imaginary path upward to the knot he had so perfectly tied.
"Sounds good." Clark responded with a grin.
"You know how much I love you, right?" Lois managed to say whispering.
"Of course I do." Clark assured. "I love you too. But are you sure everything is okay?" he asked once more concerned.
"Couldn't be better." Lois said back with a smile and followed his gaze for a moment.
Clark saw a glint in Lois' eyes before she reached up to kiss him on the lips, slipping her arms around his waist. The catcalls and whistles around them reached his ears. He could feel the eyes of everyone who was present in the newsroom on them and pulled away nervously, "Lois, everyone's watching…" he whispered self-consciously.
Lois looked around the newsroom before she turned her attention back to Clark. "Who cares?" she whispered to him and leaned in to kiss him once more this time allowing herself to pull him in for a deeper kiss, tugging him close to her by his tie.
It had been a long day and Clark was more tired than if he had worked and made rescues twenty-four hours straight without catching a catnap leaned back in his chair. It was one of these days that he wished he could forget altogether.
Clark's eyes fell on the two framed pictures in front of him; the first photo was his parents Jonathan and Martha but his main focus was on the second photo, of himself and Lois which was taken at last year's Kerth awards. He had to admit that Lois' absence that day was part of his bad mood. Truth be told he'd gotten so used to Lois living in his pocket over the years, and vice versa, that it was a lot harder since they had become a couple. It inevitably made him wonder what it would be like working here without her one day, and he honestly didn't think he'd be able to do it. The ache of Lois' absence that was soothed for him somewhat by the reassuring thought that she was fine waiting for him at home with the table set. Clark looked at his watch and groaned. He still had two hours left He had two hours left before he could leave the Planet. His mind wandered to his secret compartment and the velvet box which was hidden inside one of his Superman boots. It was the time. He was going to propose to her tonight. He couldn't wait to see the look on Lois' face when he gave the ring to her during their romantic dinner. He couldn't wait to see it on her finger, nestled next to a gold band…With a sigh Clark turned his attention back to his computer to finish typing the last sentence of the article he was working on. It had been a fairly easy article to pound out-a gun trafficking bust down in Hobbs Bay the day before. He had even been there when the police had made the bust, as Superman and along with the all the further details Bill Henderson, had given him earlier that when the station had released an official statement to the press, he article had practically written itself.
"Hey CK!" Jimmy called across the room. "Henderson's on line two." he informed.
"Thanks, Jimmy." Clark said. "Hey, Bill." he greeted the moment he picked up the phone."What is it?" he asked. "Yeah I'm sending off the story to Perry, now." he informed as he then stretched mightily in his chair. "Superman has to give an additional statement about the bust? Sure. I will let him know." he paused as he looked at his watch. "In 1 hour?" he asked. "Sure. I will tell him. Bye Bill." he said, then hang up the phone.
Clark gave the screen one last pensive look before he pressed the 'Enter' button and sent off the story to Perry. It was a few moments later when he heard he heard a TV anchorman say about a chemical fire and explosions at a chemical manufacturing plant in the Industrial Area of Metropolis. Clark jumped off his seat, and walked toward the television monitors. LNN showed the footage with flames and smoke pouring from the plant while on the bottom of the screen was the graphic "Breaking News", with a smaller caption underneath reading 'Chemical Fire and Explosion at Metro Chemical Sources Corp.' Clark had written an article about it a few months ago. It was a very important factory for the local economy that used to be owned by Luthor and under the new ownership began to produce a broad range of innovative chemical goods. Clark immediately ran up to the stairs that led up to the roof top and took off his glasses, ripping his shirt open to reveal the S symbol underneath. With his super speed he slicked his hair and changed into his super suit and took off to the rescue. He knew that the factory contained some pretty explosive chemicals which some of them had already burnt and exploded, and it didn't take a genius to know what would happen if the flames reached all of them.
"What's happened?" Clark asked immediately after He landed amid the throng of the firefighters.
"Thank God, Superman!" one of the fighters said praising the Lord relieved that Superman was there to help. "We were pretty sure that we had evacuated all the workers in the factory, but the fire had messed with our equipment and we were having a hard time with reading the life signs in the facility." he eagerly briefed Superman on the situation that was unfolding.
"So, you want me to go in and check if anyone is there." Clark presumed as he folded his arms.
"Yea." one of the firefighters nodded. "And help us prevent the fire from spreading any further into the main storage room where the most highly flammable chemicals are. Our colleagues are trying to-"
"I see. I see."Clark interrupted the firefighter raising his hand. In mere seconds, he flapped his cape in the wind and flew off. He entered into the building and began what was sure to be a long firefighting operation. For minutes, he searched the facility, from top to bottom and in every obscure corner but they weren't any injured workers anywhere. Clark got deeper inside the facility and towards the main storage room when he noticed that he began to feel strangely. He almost felt...sick.
That made Clark pause, as the thought occurred to him. He knew it wasn't the same feeling of "being ill" that filled him from the guilt he felt because he couldn't prevent the destruction. It was different, in a way he'd never before experienced. He was ill physically.
Clark's head felt stuffier and stuffier as the hours crawled by and his nose all but clogged up while his eyes watered against the headache pounding at the base of his skull Clark swallowed a lump in his throat, wincing at the burning sensation that it brought. His chest hurt like a fire was raging in it with every breath. Each time he coughed, a bit of mucus came up, though it did nothing to relieve the congestion he felt. So this was what it felt like. The question was - how? How had he suddenly become sick? And why? For one thing, his body was incompatible with Earth diseases. For another he hadn't been exposed to Kryptonite, because he wasn't experiencing Kryptonite-like symptoms. Momentarily it crossed his mind that was to the chemicals in the air but quickly pushed that thought away. He had been exposed in worse chemical fires in the past, yet he had been fine. As he got deeper and deeper into the plant Clark found the main storage room. It was slow going because his physical situation, but he eventually managed to reach the destination, where the main storage room supposed to have been. What laid before him was a wall of debris and rubble blocking his way. It should have made Clark feel defeated, or hopeless, but it actually made him feel the complete opposite. He waited a second and then, and with the little strength he still had left, he squatted by the pile of debris and began to move the pieces that he could manage. Piece by piece, Clark continued to push and shove at the debris in front of the spot where he and fight fighters thought that the chemical fire might be. Finally a small area was uncovered and Clark looked into the hole. There was no fire but the smell of chemicals had permeated the air, and he had to burrow his nose into his cape, so he would not faint. When he finally managed to breathe, Clark used a blast of his super-cold breath and froze the chemical containersin his haste to prevent any further damage. Only once he was certain that the chemicals were secure he made his way out of the plant as fast as he could.
"Everyone is out," Clark told those who were in charge as he emerged the factory. He coughed harshly as soon as the words came out and it nearly sent him to his knees.
"Thank you, Superman." responded one of the fighters.
Clark nodded. "I have used my super-breath to fireproof the chemicals containers in the main storage room at least for while." he explained, then coughed again. "But I don't get it. Aren't supposed those containers to be fireproof in the first place?" he asked folding his arms in front of his chest.
"They are." Another firefighter responded. "The explosions came from the production line where the chemical were exposed." he explained. "We just wanted to make sure that the main storage room was secure as the fire was spreading."
"I see." Clark murmured.
"We are indebted to you for your help." The firefighter in charge extended his hand for a shake.
I'm just glad I could help," Clark told everyone with a weak smile as he took the firefighter's hand proffered hand and shook it when coughed once again.
"Superman? Are you all right?" someone else asked.
Clark managed a nod, knowing it was a lie. "I'll be fine. Is there anything else I can do?" he asked, praying the answer was 'no.' He was getting worse and worse by the second.
The firefighter in charge paused for a moment to think. "We have mitigated thefire, the main storage room. I think we're all set for now. We'll take it from here." he responded. "Thank you again, Superman."
Clark nodded once in acknowledgement, then slowly rose into the sky and started for home. He pushed himself as fast as he could, wanting to get back as soon as possible, but he felt completely drained and in danger of collapsing. Nevertheless, he tried to head to his and Lois' house, but his heart knew better. He couldn't reach that far, that's why he decided to land before the building of someone he could trust and help him with his problem.
"Superman, hi. What are you doing here?" one of the guards on Star Labs asked. "Superman!" he shouted when he saw the Metropolis's resident superhero collapse on the entrance of the building.
"Help." Clark begged and tried to support himself on the guard who had knelt beside him. "Get Dr. Klein now."
"Superman?" the guard asked doing him best to support him, half-caught beneath his weight.
Clark tried to respond but a sharp pain grew in his head before he was sucked into the chaos and everything went to black.
Lois paced around the living room as she anxiously waited for Clark. It had been two hours since Clark had left the Planet due the chemical fire. The TV reporters who covered the incident mentioned that he had left the scene almost immediately because he wasn't needed, as the firefighters had everything completely under control. However, Clark still hadn't come home. Aside that incident there wasn't any emergency or hold-up that would delay his arrival so long. Lois had no idea how many times she'd tried calling Clark, but it had gone straight to voicemail every time. She had called him at the Planet, in case he had gone there, as he had a routine to write up the article right away when it was fresh in his mind, but it was Jimmy who answered his phone telling her that Clark wasn't there.
Lois breathed with worry as she checked at her watch, before she looked at the table in front of her with a frown. She had set it with a bottle of very expensive red wine, takeout pasta made from scratch, and a toasted roll of ciabatta bread, while candles flickered off the walls softly, completing the romantic vibe with a warm glow over the dining room. It wasn't very fancy, but Lois knew Clark would love it, especially for an occasion like this.
Lois placed her hand on her stomach with a sigh. She knew that Clark would be a great father, but some moments like that she couldn't help but worry that she and their child would be neglected by him because of his Superman duties. "No." she thought out loud. Any child would be lucky to have Clark for a dad and she was more than certain that he would manage to balance the responsibilities of being a super-hero and a father.
Determined, she grabbed her cell phone from the table to call Clark for one more time when she heard the landline phone ring in the living room. "Hello. Who is it?" Lois said immediately after she made her way into the living room and picked up the phone.
"Lois?"
"Molly?" Lois asked, her voice an octave higher in surprise. That was the last person she expected to call her especially at this time of night.
"Yes, Lois. It's me. Listen to me." Molly said pointedly to draw Lois' attention. "You need to come to Star Labs." she went on. "Now." she emphasized after a pause.
"Why? What's wrong?" Lois asked a suspicious tone in her voice.
"It's Superman." Molly responded after a few seconds of silence.
Lois' eyes widened with concern upon hearing the name of Clark's alter-ego. "What about him?" she demanded.
"He's…sick." Molly haltingly got out, her voice heavy. "Very sick."
What Lois heard from Molly made her blood run cold and the color drained from her face. "Sick." she echoed shakily. There had to be a mistake. Superman couldn't sick. He was invulnerable. He couldn't get sick from Earth diseases. Unless it Kryptonite. At the thought of it, Lois leaned against the wall and slid down against it to sit on the floor, letting the phone fall from nerveless fingers. Memories of Superman's poising with Kryptonite by Diane Stride 8 months ago began to flood in. The poisonous rock had invaded Clark's system and spread almost like a cancer. It had to be Kryptonite. Clark was dying because of it and she couldn't do anything. Clark was dying and she was carrying his child. Superman's child. Lois wrapped her arms around herself, a saddened expression painted upon her face. It was so cold all of a sudden, feeling her whole body shake when she became aware of a tiny voice which seemed to be calling her name; after a moment, she realized that the phone was still off the hook and lying on the floor beside her. "What?" she demanded after she picked up the phone.
"Lois! I thought you'd...Are you okay?"
It was Molly again. Why was she still there? "You're wrong. You have to be. Superman doesn't get sick."
"Lois." Molly's voice sounded concerned now. "I shouldn't have called, but you and Clark are listed as his medical proxies."
"Molly, how bad is it?" Lois asked into the phone upset and heard her friend sigh on the other side of the line.
"Honestly Lois, I don't know." Molly answered with a serious tone after a few moments of silence, each word coming out of her mouth slowly and clearly.
"I'm on my way." Lois announced as she swallowed hard struggling to regain some composure and hung up. With the little strength she still had left, Lois dragged herself off the floor and ran the stairs up to her and Clark's bedroom to get dressed. Without pausing even to run a comb through her hair, she descended the stairs as quickly as she could in her current health situation, grabbed a coat and her cell phone and keys, and ran to her Jeep. As she unlocked and opened the door, so she could step into it, all that she could think of was the previous night. She was hanging Clark's new Superman suits in the secret compartment, when she accidentally upturned one of his boots and a velvet box fell out. Lois had stared it, briefly, before quickly replacing it and directing her attention elsewhere. For hours afterwards, her mind raced and heart pounded. She couldn't sleep because she was desperately trying to figure out whether or not she was ready, what to do, what to say. It was ironic how one change in circumstance could make everything more clear; Because suddenly, her most desperate hope was that she would still get the opportunity to tell him yes.
The car ride to Star Labs was a blur. While speeding there, Lois made a few frantic phone calls to try and fill in the gaps. All Molly had was a few bits and pieces of information so far. Superman had gone to help and rescue the workers from the chemical plant who were trapped amidst the raging chemical fire and then flown to Star Labs, asking for Dr. Klein's help before he lost consciousness. Lois flooredthe gas pedal, speeding her Jeep more. She could barely focus on the road as memories flooded her mind. Their first meeting, the first story they had worked together, their undercover assignments, the destruction and rebuilding of the Planet, their first real date and kiss, the first time they had made love; all the time Clark had been there for her through thick and thin. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Lois hit the brake pedal, squealing the tires as she stopped in front of Star Labs.
"Miss." A guard from the Star Labs called out the moment Lois stepped out of her Jeep. "Miss you can't park here. It's white zone." The guard informed and followed Lois into the Star Labs building.
"Where is he?" Lois demanded shouting after she opened the double doors by pushing them open with determination as she spotted Molly in the lobby.
"Lois." Molly called out as she set a manila folder on the reception table the moment she saw Lois.
"Where is he?" Lois asked once again more intensely, grabbing Molly by the shoulders.
Hey, hey." Molly tried to soothe Lois. "Calm down. I will you lead you to him." she promised when she saw the guard of the building approach them. "It's okay." raised her hand up stopping him. "She's with me."
The guard just nodded and returned to his post. He knew who the woman that illegally parked her car was, because not only he was reading her stories on the Daily Planet, but also because he had seen her visit Star Labs multiple times with her partner. And of course he knew the reason of visit that particular moment as he was the one who found Superman unconscious outside Star Labs.
Molly turned to Lois. "Follow me." she grabbed her friend by the arm and together they walked toward the elevator. "Everything's going to be all right." she assured Lois resting her left hand on her friend's shoulder as she pressed the calling button. She didn't know what else to say due to the current circumstance as much as she wanted to comfort her friend. Molly glanced over at Lois as they waited for the elevator. She seemed worried sick almost as though she might cry. She knew that Superman was a huge and important part of her friend's life. However, she began to wonder if Lois and Superman were more than just friends. Sure, Lois was with Clark now, but the way she behaved, made Molly think that her friend still harbored a secret crush on the superhero. The ding sound announced the arrival of the elevator, bringing Molly back to reality. 'Nah.' she thought to herself. Lois was completely in love with Clark. It was obvious just how crazy she was about him. Lois was definitely interested in Superman only as a friend.
In the mine time, Lois' eyes were firmly fixed on the elevator doors which seemed to be taking an infuriatingly long time to open. She let out a mental sigh of relief when the elevator dinged and the door slid open, storming into the car like a woman possessed, almost knocking over Molly in the process. Clark's life was at stake. Lois closed her eyes as she leaned against the metal wall behind her, allowing her head to clear before she opened them again and saw Molly press the button for the basement. She was glaring at the set of numbers on the panel above the doors, eyes following the glowing digits lazily as it drew nearer at her desired level of the building. The elevator was taking forever, and the longer it took, the closer she was to throwing up. She'd never thought she'd find herself praying with every fiber of her being to a God she really didn't believe in, that Clark would be alright. Lois tensed as the elevator alarm dinged signaling the arrival to the basement. The ride seemed to last forever, and now that it was over, she couldn't help but feel relieved when the automatic doors slid open.
"What's exactly happened?" Lois asked once more she stepped out of the elevator, following Molly who preceded down a bright hallway.
"I have no idea." Molly responded and turned to look at Lois momentarily as she continued walking down the hallway. "I told you everything I know." she added and stopped in front of a door which read "Authorized Personnel Only Do Not Enter" at the end of the hallway. "After you." she said to her friend after she punched a five digit code into the keypad beside the metal door which opened with a loud creak.
Lois did as she was told and got into the room that Molly indicated. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at Clark through the clear glass that formed the walled off his room and encapsulated him. He was clad in white and mint green hospital gown while he was hooked up to monitors and IV lines. Lois also noted a cooling blanket on his upper body and the ice packs in his armpits and on the back of his neck. It was unbelievable, impossible. Superman was hooked up to monitors and IV lines laying on a bed still and pale. Lois stepped closer to the glass. She wanted to touch him to let him know she was close, that she was carrying his child, but she couldn't. She walked around the glass walls and watched for any sign of awareness, but Clark remained still, his chest moving with shallow breaths.
Lois leaned forward, pressing her aching head against the cold glass. She felt so helpless in that moment. There was nothing she could do…but wait. She watched Clark for a few moments and as she turned to move to the other side of the glass wall, she noticed someone dressed in white hazmat suit standing over Clark and taking notes on a clipboard. "Dr. Klein has personally taken over Superman's care." she heard Molly say behind her and saw Dr. Klein walk towards the glass door and open it by pressing a button on the side of it.
"Miss Lane." Dr. Klein said after taking off his mask. "I glad to see you here."
"Dr. Klein, how is he?" Lois asked, after few moment of silence.
Dr. Klein shook his head with a worried look. "Not well, I'm afraid." he admitted. "He's got a fever unlike anything I've ever seen."
"Do you have any idea how could this happen?" Lois questioned further.
Dr. Klein looked momentarily Molly then back to Lois.
"Dr. Klein, you have been working with Molly for quite some time now and you know she's also my friend so you can tell us everything." Lois encouraged.
"Remember few weeks ago when Intergang and Johnny Bermuda created the virus from crystallized microbes from the ship Superman had come to Earth in, and tried to kill him?" Dr. Klein mentioned
"Are you telling me that Superman was infected by this virus?" Lois breathed in realization, disbelief and hysteria warring within her in equal parts. "I thought all the virus' samples were collected from the authorities and delivered to Star Labs."
"They did." Dr. Klein responded.
"Then how did this happen?" Lois demanded.
"I don't know." Dr. Klein said. "Either he was exposed to something containing the virus or the virus was dormant in his system that, for whatever reason, started being active now."
"Could this happen by the weapon that the Presses used against Cl…Superman?" she immediately corrected herself hoping that neither Dr. Klein, nor Molly noticed her mere slip of the tongue. "Could this active the virus?"
"It's very possible." Dr. Klein shrugged.
"So what do we do now?" Lois asked folding her arms in front of her chest. "You have already isolated the virus. What about the treatment you were working on?"
"The research about the cure is still in early stages." Dr. Klein began. "All I know is that he's got a fever unlike anything I've ever seen. We're doing all we can to try and break it, but…" he trailed off. "You should know it is uncharted territory for me." he explained. "Superman is different than someone like you or me, just like this virus. It's different than any Earth disease, so I'm not certain any of the traditional methods are going to work."
"So what do you suggest?" Lois asked further and turned to look at Clark's still form through the glass helpless and heartbroken before she turned her attention back to Dr. Klein.
"Normally, I'd give him some Ibuprofen to try to help the fever to break, but his body burns it off too fast for it to have any effect." Dr. Klein explained.
"That's why you are using cooling blankets and icepacks." Lois concluded.
Indeed." Dr. Klein affirmed.
"Is this virus dangerous to us?" Molly interjected curiously at Dr. Klein words.
Lois was taken aback by Molly's question and turned to look at her friend impressed. She had to admit it was a question she didn't think of asking it at all.
Dr. Klein shook his head. "I wore the hazmat suit because I didn't know what we were dealing with, but no. It's not a virus we'd respond to. But on Krypton or someone with Kryptonian DNA..." he trailed off. "It could even lead to death."
Fear had crept into Lois, with terrified look plastering on her face, when she heard Dr. Klein's last statement, and took a few steps back. The baby. A baby with both human and Kryptonian DNA, a baby that it was vulnerable to that virus. Lois looked at Clark through the glass. She wished she could just touch him, only for a second, to feel her skin under her fingertips. But she couldn't, not without putting her and her baby's lives at risk. Lois tried to gather her thoughts, but her head began to spin, feeling her knees grow weak.
"Lois!" Molly called the moment she saw Lois lose her balance and grabbed her by the arm, holding her up with Dr. Klein's help.
"I'm okay. I'm okay." Lois assured as she rubbed her forehead and eyes to recover from the dizziness. She gave one last glance at Clark through the glass and put her hand over her mouth, running down the hallway toward the exit as one more wave of nausea came up. She flung open the door and grabbed the trash can throwing up into it immediately.
"Lois, are you okay?" Molly asked as she knelt down next to her friend, rubbing Lois' back and holding her hair back.
"I told you that I'm okay!" Lois shouted. "Look, I'm so sorry Molly." she apologized. "I will be fine." she assured after she started feeling a little bit better. "I just...need some air."
"Let me-"
"No." Lois immediately pushed Molly's suggestion aside. "I want to go alone." She came to her feet and quickly walked down the hallway to the elevator. She needed air. She felt she was suffocating, like she would faint. Lois pressed repeatedly the button to call the elevator and when the doors opened, she entered pressing the button for the building's lobby. She couldn't understand how seconds later, she had pulled the emergency stop and found herself sliding down the metal wall until she sat on the floor with her arms wrapped around her knees. The only thing she could understand it was that she was crying. She was crying for the man she love; the man who was on the verge of death and she couldn't do anything about it. Few moments later, she took a deep breath and wiped her tears from her cheeks, removing the emergency stop, so the elevator would start to move again. Once it reached the lobby, it dinged, and when the doors slid open, Lois stepped out of it and ran out of the building. The night breeze was cool and she closed her eyes as if there was someone else who made her do it, until the same, unfamiliar power forced her to open them again. Lois raised her head to look at the sky. It was dark, speckled with a myriad of stars. They were like a promise of life and warmth in the darkness, their light seeming so fragile against the expanse of nothingness. Lois was pulled back into memories; memories of her days spent staring at the same stars, wondering what secrets those silver lights held. Memories of her meetings with both Clark and Superman who were the one and the same; the man she loved more than anything in her life. The mild-mannered reporter, the superhero sent by the stars she was looking at now. A sob escaped Lois' lips as she lowered her head and placed her hand on her stomach for what felt like the millionth time. Would Dr. Klein find a cure to save Clark? Would Clark be able to meet and get to know his child? It was now or never. She had to tell him. He did have a right to know there was a little person growing inside her, their baby. She didn't want him to die without knowing about the little being inside her. But first things first-she had to call Clark's parents and informed them about his condition. Lois dug her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her contact list. When she found the contact she was interested in she looked at it intensely. They didn't deserve a phone call telling them that their only child was laying in a bed at Star Labs with a serious illness than no one knew how to cure. They didn't deserve the possibility that their son would die. However, it was the only thing that Lois could do that moment. Lois let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, then pressed the call button on the contact and waited.
"Hey, Martha. It's Lois." Lois told the moment her call was answered. "It's about Clark. There is something you and Jonathan should know."
"I want a second opinion." it was the only thing that Lois said after she burst open the door of Dr Klein's office. It had been two days since she received the phone call from Molly that Clark was sick at Star Labs. Two days where Dr. Klein's slow and - unfortunately - ineffective treatments had done nothing; two very grueling days where Lois could see Clark getting worse by the hour and getting closer and closer to death. Yes, the fever had stopped climbing but refused to break while his breathing seemed labored, his chest heaving with the effort.
Dr. Klein who was updating Superman's Medical History raised his head and looked at Lois. "Good morning you too, Lois." he said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry for the way I talked to you, Dr. Klein." Lois apologized as she closed the door behind her. "But like I told you I want a second opinion." she repeated as she folded her arms in front of her chest.
Dr. Klein placed his pen down and flipped the file shut in front of him sighing heavily. "Lois, I know this must be frustrating for you…"
"I'm frustrated that you can't do your job!" Lois yelled, resting her hands on Dr. Klein's desk as anger flared in her, like she was shot with pure rage. "Look I'm sorry. The way I'm talking to you." she apologized once more, more calmly, when she realized how she had just behaved. "It just…" she sighed as she rubbed her one hand over face.
"It's okay." Dr. Klein assured. "But I want you to understand that I'm trying, I'm really trying to help here."
Lois nodded slightly. "How is he?" She couldn't help but to ask the question that was burning a hole in her mind.
"Not well," Dr. Klein replied with the shake of his head. "Anyway, before I was interrupted I was going to tell you that I ran out of ideas." he admitted, leaning against his chair. "So if you know someone we could trust and collaborate with me…"
"My father." Lois interjected.
"What about him?" Dr. Klein asked warily.
"He might be a sports surgeon but he's always been an out-of-the-box thinker too." Lois responded. "Maybe he could come up with something." she shrugged.
Dr. Klein stared at Lois for a long moment. "I'm open to new ideas and opinions. So, call him then." he urged. "How long will it take him to come here in Metropolis?"
"He's already here." Lois informed. "He is attending the medical convection about Reconstructive Microsurgery. He will be here in few minutes." she assured and reached into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out her cell phone. With a sigh she scrolled through her contact list and pressed the call button to call her father, holding her breath as she listened to the phone call. "Daddy? It's me. Lois." she said on the phone when her father picked up after only two rings. "I…I need your help with something." Lois began to explain Superman's, in fact, Clark's medical situation to her; Kryptonian virus, how it was affecting Clark's body, what methods that Dr. Klein had used and how Clark continued to worsen. He reassured her that the Star Labs scientist had been pretty thorough and that there was nothing outside of what he had already tried. However, her father offered to visit Star Labs and help Dr. Klein by studying Superman's medical files, so he would look for a new angle on the treatment. Lois immediately requested his presence at Star Labs and twenty minutes later, she watched through the glass wall her father, Dr. Sam Lane dressed, in a white lab coat with a clipboard in his hands examining a very sick Superman. He was checking Clark's vitals and keeping notes, while occasionally he was turning to Dr. Klein, who was also in the room, to talk to him.
Lois flattened her hands and forehead against the glass wall fearfully, to look in. The room was dimly lit, despite her father's and Dr. Klein's presence, while Clark looked like he was sleeping. She watched her father go to Clark's side and rest a gentle hand on his forehead. Her heart leaped when his eyes fluttered and then opened. He was awake. Lois tried to get a better look inside the room. Her father, Dr. Klein and occasionally Clark seemed to be engaged in a serious conversation, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. However, she began to worry a little more intensely when she saw Clark close his eyes. Her father immediately placed his index and middle fingers on Clark's neck to the side of his windpipe to check his pulse then turned to Dr. Klein and gave him a nod. Few moments later they both walked toward the glass door and pressed a button on the side of it.
Lois could tell, just from one quick glance at them, that things were not good. They both seemed stooped and defeated as they'd made their way to her. "So, how is he?" she asked, already thinking the worst.
"He's asleep now." Dr. Klein responded and looked at Sam.
"Lois." Sam began and took of his glasses. He looked at his daughter and saw how drawn and pale her face was. Tight lines of worry creased her brow. He hadn't seen a look like that cross her face ever before. His heart broke at the sight, but he had to tell her the truth. "We need to talk." he said at last, sighing in weariness and fear as he reached out and squeezed Lois' shoulder affectionately.
"What's wrong, Daddy?" Lois asked her voice small, frightened and meek.
"Everything points to a rampaging viral infection." Sam began to explain. "No medicine Dr. Klein and I know of, seems to be effective." he informed. "And we…" he paused and looked at Dr. Klein momentarily then back up at Lois. "We afraid it's overwhelming his system."
"So, you can't save him." Lois swallowed hard, feeling defeated.
Sam sighed audibly. "I didn't say that." he defended. "I didn't say…." he paused rubbing his hand over his face. "Listen, there is one, ugh, very controversial treatment." he began and looked at Dr. Klein who nodded at him. "The theory is to bring the host body to the point of death." he told further. "As it begins to die, it can no longer support the invading virus. It's a great risk, bringing your friend..." he turned and glanced at Superman through the glass wall, before he turned his gaze back to his daughter. "...close enough to death to starve out the virus..." he went on carefully. "...yet pulling him back to life afterwards." he explained in detail.
"Are you two asking me to make that decision for him?" Lois asked loudly in disbelief as she looked back and forth between her father and Dr. Klein.
"You don't have to." Dr. Klein interjected with a straight face. "Superman himself told us to proceed."
An icy feeling of dread had flooded Lois' body and raced down her spine, chilling her to her very core, upon hearing Dr. Klein's words. She walked toward the glass wall, flattening her hands and forehead against it once more, and watched Clark sleep. There was only one thing that could bring Clark's body to the point of death, only one element that was even more dangerous than this viral infection. Green Kryptonite.
'I will always come back to you. You can bet on it.'
'You do know that I won't leave you, right?'
"Lois." she heard her father say but she didn't even flinch. She just kept looking at Clark who was lying still in bed.
"Lois," Sam repeated in a low, gentle tone.
"Leave us alone." Lois requested, not taking her eyes off Clark.
"Lois, please-"
"I said leave us alone." Lois repeated in a more demanding tone.
"Okay." Dr. Klein nodded. "It's going to take us some time to go and retrieve the Kryptonite we'll need so..." he trailed off and both he and Sam made their way outside the room.
The moment the two men shut the door behind them, Lois turned to move to the other side of the glass wall, where there was a telephone line. She lifted the receiver and blinked as she heard the sounds of the monitors beeping and wailing. "Clark." she whispered. She could hear his faint breathes. She cleared her throat, wiped away her tears and repeated. "Clark…" He did not respond in any way. But she was okay with it. She could communicate with him and she wanted her voice to bathe him in comfort, care and love. "Clark I don't know if you can hear me. I don't know if I…" she choked back a sob, wiping her tears on her shirt sleeve. "I just want you to know that I'm right here, by your side, like always." she managed to say. "I love you and I wish I could hold you, kiss you, but…" she trailed off. "I can't. I can't without putting their life at risk." she went on. "Clark, we are having a baby." she confessed. "I'm pregnant." she added. "You are going to be a daddy. So please," she begged him, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Fight this." she told him. "Do you remember what you told me once? That being with me was stronger than being alone? Grab on to that strength now. We can be strong enough for everybody. For our baby." she asked. "Hang on for me, Clark. I can't do this alone. I need you. Our baby needs you." she pointed out. "I love you." she murmured and gently put the receiver back into place, when she heard the door of the room open and reveal her father and Dr. Klein wheeling in a cart with metal box on it.
"We are ready." Sam announced slowly.
Lois looked down at the lead-lined box. The chance of death to the green meteorite was preferable to the certainty of death to whatever virus was destroying Clark's organs and body. However, the truth was she didn't feel particularly good about subjecting him to the deadly green stone. It was also true that she was petrified that Dr. Klein and her father wouldn't be able to find that narrow line between an ineffective treatment and certain death. Lois wasn't willing to sit back and watch as the virus slowly stole Clark away from her. However, she didn't intend to stay and watch the Kryptonite to ravage Clark's body either, putting their baby's life at risk at the same time. "I can't stay and watch this." she said dryly and started to walk away. As she reached the door and opened, she turned and gave one last time at the two men and the box with the Kryptonite, hoping and praying that Clark would pull through.
Numb. That was the only word that could adequately describe how Lois felt. Numb and hollow. She sat in silence, staring blankly across the room and waited to hear news from her father and Dr. Klein about Clark's condition. Waiting. Patience was not one of Lois Lane's virtues, but someone above was certainly testing her. She had been waiting almost five hours already while Clark was fighting of his life in ICU under the influence of the green Kryptonite, and despite her father let her know the procedure was well underway, it was not enough. Lois bit her nails nervously and watched the clock tick on and asthe thudding in her head from her own heartbeat resounded louder and louder with each passing hated the feeling of being out of control. Times like this reminded her of how truly weak she was. Lois knew that this procedure would be a long one, but still she wasn't prepared for the waiting game. Clark's life was at stake and that wasn't something she wanted to think about. It was his decision. No one else influenced him. However, that didn't make anything better. Because she loved him. Clark was Clark. With his super-powers or not. Lois glanced around the room at all that sat or stood. Her thoughts randomly jumping from one thing to the next, anything not to think of trash can where she had thrown up two days ago. The hallway which was painted a deep emerald, just like the walls at the Planet, the floor which was marbled tile….She liked the blue color, all the shades of it. Especially on Clark.
"Here." Molly thrust a cup of coffee towards Lois. "De-caf, just like you asked." she sat next to Lois.
"Thank you." Lois said with a stiff nod. She stared at the coffee cup then blew on it to cool it down before she took a sip.
"So, how's Clark's father?" Molly asked as she took a sip of her coffee.
"He's doing better." Lois answered. "His heart problem wasn't as serious as we thought at first." She had come up with that excuse when she had to justify Clark's absence to Perry all those days he was sick and fighting for his life at the Star Labs basement. She had even informed the Kents about Clark's cover story she had created, during a phone call where they asked her to know about Clark's medical condition. Both Martha and Jonathan wanted to be at their son's side but they didn't want to put Clark's secret at risk. Even if they simply flew to Metropolis to be close to him, they were afraid they would raise any suspicions, so they preferred to stay in Smallville and wait for news regarding Clark's condition through Lois.
Molly looked at Lois with a smile. "Glad to hear that." she replied truthfully and looked in front of her again, sipping some more of her coffee. "Lois?"
"Yea?" Lois said looking down at the floor.
"Superman will pull through." Molly said simply.
"I know." Lois nodded slightly though fear still was lurking in the corners of her heart. Her foot bounced up and down as her impatience continued to get the better of her. She should have heard news from her father and Dr. Klein regarding Clark's condition by now. Lois drained the last of her coffee—down to the last drop and threw the empty coffee cup in the trash can next to her when she heard the door of the ICU click open. "Daddy?" she asked immediately as she jumped out of her seat the moment she saw her father and stood before him worried.
"He's in a coma." Sam announced loudly and clearly. He wrapped his arms around his Lois and held her tightly as his daughter fell into his arms and started to cry silently.
"He will make it, right?" Molly asked and brushed one hand lightly on Lois' shoulder as she visibly sought to pull herself.
Sam sighed and pulled away from Lois and looked at her in the eye. "I can't promise you that I will save him. It's up to him now." he told her honestly. "But I can promise you that Dr. Klein and I are doing the best we can."
Lois didn't say anything but she let out a small sob as she buried her face into her father's shoulder. The man she loved, the father of her child was on the verge of death and all she could do was to pray, hoping desperately for a miracle.
It had been three hours since Clark slipped into a coma. Lois was still at Star Lab's waiting for news, regarding his condition and, despite her father's insistence to go home and rest, she refused and preferred to stay there. At the very least, she knew it was better to be close to Clark in case he woke up or something was happening, rather than to be at home room and let her imagination run rampant creating worst case scenarios. She sat in the ICU's waiting room for the entire day until night fell, but eventually, she succumbed to the need for sleep. Scrunched up in a little ball on the chair where she'd located herself once the adrenaline rush had worn off and exhaustion had set in, she awoke in the early hours of the following morning to someone gently touching her arm.
'Clark.' her sleepy mind informed her before her eyes even opened. Clark had finally woken up. Lois yawned and creaked her eyes open, taking a moment for them to adjust in the brightly litby fluorescent lighting room. "Clark." she asked as she stirred, her voice cut by a second yawn.
"No, Princess." Sam said. "It's me."
"Daddy?" Lois mumbled, the moment she realized it was her father who shook her and not Clark. "Has there been any change?" she asked dimly.
"No, not yet." Sam replied as he took a seat next to his daughter. "But you look more drained than I've ever seen you." he went on. "Now, I want you to take a break—you go to your place for a while." he suggested.
"I can't leave, Daddy.—I can't." Lois shook her head.
"Lois," Sam said kindly. "You really need to rest." he insisted. "Especially in your condition." he pointed out.
Lois' eyes widened in horror at her father's statement. "Whaaaa…t?" she asked confused.
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" Sam asked softly as his eyes bore into his daughter. "I'm a doctor for God's sake!" he said half-joking. "But even if I wasn't, the sudden dizziness, the nausea. Not to mention that your hand fluttered over your stomach every time you thought no one noticed."
Lois blushed, as she readjusted herself in her seat. So, someone had noticed.
"How far along are you?" Sam asked further.
Lois ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh. "I have no idea." she answered. "I found it out by accident few days ago." she continued. "I just…I just wasn't feeling well and I visited the doctor's office after Clark's insistence and…"
"Does Clark now?"
Lois shook her head. "I don't want to break that news to Clark through the phone. He deserves much more." she explained.
"Do you actually believe that or are you afraid of his reaction to the news?" Sam dared to ask. He was thrilled she found a man like Clark. However, he couldn't help but being afraid that this young man could break Lois' heart irreparably. He didn't want his daughter hurt like her mother because of him.
"Daddy." Lois began and sighed once more. "It would be a bit of a shock, but I think he would be happy about it." she assured. "Although we have never talked about children I know that he loves them." she shrugged.
"Good." Sam said satisfied. "Because he seems to be a special man." he continued with a slight smile. "Now go." he urged her on. "You and my grandchild need rest."
"Daddy."
"I promise I'll call the minute there's a change." Sam pressed the advantage, squeezing Lois' shoulder for assurance, the moment he saw her hesitation.
Lois smiled at her father and pulled him into her arms hugging him tightly before she stood up from her seat and walked toward the elevators. The ride to her and Clark's place, after she left Star Labs, was long. She was too drained too worried, too afraid to dare speak of tomorrow. When she finally reached the house and stepped into it, shutting the door behind her, Lois put her keys on the key holder by the door and went up the staircase slowly, thinking that if she fell, she could hurt more than just herself. She stood at the doorway of herself and Clark's bedroom and couldn't help but wonder if their child would be healthy, if he or she would inherit Clark's powers in the future, if he or she would be able to fit in and feel loved by the others. Lois walked into the bedroom, snatched Clark's pillow off the bed. Picking up his pillow and hugging it, as she sat on the window seat, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, enjoying the scent of his cologne. She missed him so much that she could barely breathe. Unconsciously, Lois placed her hand on her still flat stomach. "Don't worry little one." she murmured and looked down at her stomach, rubbing it. "Grandpa will do anything in his power, so daddy will come back to us as soon as possible." she said as she leaned her head back against the wall and looked out the window. "Everything is gonna be alright, little one." she said, more to herself than the baby that grown inside her. "Everything is gonna be alright."
Three days. Three arduous days since Clark slipped into a coma and there had been no improvement in his condition. A wave of disappointment ran through her, every time her father informed her over phone or during her visits to Star Labs that Clark's condition hadn't changed. And on top of that, she had to go at work and act as if everything was normal. Walking into the bullpen later that day, she snapped out of her trance-like state, just long enough to deliver the supposed news from Clark on his father's health condition to Perry and Jimmy. She answered their questions as best she could, being as vague as she could about the more specific details, in an effort to buy some time for Clark. All day and night long and into the next day, Clark remained in his coma. There were no outward signs of the battle raging inside of him. There was no way to know if the treatment was working. But the fact that Clark's status stayed stable, gave Lois hope that Dr. Klein and her father hadn't pushed the envelope too far and killed the man she loved. It was fewminutes before Lois' lunch break and her visit at Star Labs when the phone on her desk rang out.
"Lois Lane." Lois automatically said into the receiver after she picked it up from its cradle, her eyes still focused on her computer screen.
"Princess, it's me." Sam said through the phone.
"Daddy!" Lois screamed on the phone and jumped off her chair, being completely freaked at this point.
"He's awake." Sam spoke clearly into the receiver, his smile evident in his voice.
Lois could imagine her father's smiling face brimming with delight on the other end of the phone. It gave her a smile of her own too. "I'm on my way." she responded happily and hung up the phone, her eyes welled up with tears of joy. Lois didn't waste any time. She immediately grabbed her purse and rushed out of the newsroom, bolting for the elevators. Once she left the Planet, it was almost as if her mind went to autopilot mode. She drove to Star Labs, oblivious to all of the normal things that usually angered her as a driver, because simply she didn't care. Clark was awake and, obviously, healthy and cured. She could not contain her happiness when she walked into the hallway and saw Molly with her father approach her, smiling from ear to ear the entire moment they saw her.
"Molly!" Lois called as she pulled her friend into a tight hug. "Daddy!" she said excited as she pulled away from Molly and fell into her father's arms. "Thank you so much, Daddy." she whispered gratefully. "How is he?" she asked concerned after she broke the hug. She turned and focused her attention on the glass wall where she could see Dr. Klein checking Clark.
"He's fine." Sam replied. "His body had had a severe trauma, he is terribly weak, but he's okay now."
Lois turned and looked at her father. "So he has been cured." she concluded.
"We beat this, Lois." Sam assured his daughter, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Trust me."
Lois turned her attention back to the glass wall and Dr. Klein who turned and gestured for Clark to look at her. Lois sat by Clark's side for days, waiting, hoping and praying he would wake up. Miracle of miracles, he finally opened those beautiful brown eyes and smiled at her. She missed his eyes, his face, his smell, his smile, the bright peal of laughter that used to fill the newsroom and the rooms of their home. She had missed everything about him.
Lois pressed the button to the wall to open the door to Clark's room and she was met with bright brown eyes and a wide smile,.
"Hello, Superman." Lois greeted Clark happily the moment she approached him, followed by her father and Molly.
"Get well, soon."
"Hello, Lois." Clark greeted back, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Thank you." He never even realized how much he missed her all those days he was sick at Star Labs, until this very moment he finally saw her again. He had missed everything about her; how her smile would reach her eyes, how they would shine when she was excited, their usual interaction together in the workplace, the way he felt every time they made love. He knew and understood why she couldn't be by his side. She didn't want to raise any suspicions of their personal relationship. What he hoped the most though, was what he had dreamt a few days ago before procedure with Kryptonite while he was still running a high fever and having bouts of delirium. In his dream, Lois told him that she was pregnant, that he was going to be a daddy and that he needed to fight for all of them. And he fought. He fought that Kryptonian virus and beat it. He only wished though that Lois' words were not simply a dream but fact.
"Hi, Lois."
Dr. Klein's broke both Lois and Clark out of their thoughts.
"Hello, Dr. Klein." Lois turned and looked at Dr. Klein a little embarrassed. "How is he?" she asked, trying to avoid further the awkwardness between her and Clark.
"We beat the virus, he's fine now." Dr. Klein replied. "But I have to run some blood tests before I release him." he indicated the blood vials he was holding.
"So his powers haven't returned." Lois stated matter-of-factly.
"No." Dr. Klein shook his head. "Not yet. The combination of his exposure to the virus and later to Kryptonite robbed him of his abilities." he began to explain. "It was like the time he got vaccine, only this time the powers will take a little longer to return." he went on. "But I have to tell you when the powers come back he has to take it easy for bit. No rescues for few weeks because they will set him back." he warned. "This along with the event of the Presses, especially so close together, could put a strain on his body."
"You don't need to worry about this, Dr. Klein." Lois interjected. "Clark and I…" she looked at Clark, then back to Dr. Klein. "…will make sure he rests up."
Clark mentally rolled his eyes at Lois' comment. It would give him a chance to practice something that both and Lois needed to work on. Patience.
I count on that." Dr. Klein responded hopefully. "Well, I should better go up to the Lab and run these." he pointed to the blood vials he kept on his right hand.
"Thank you, Dr. Klein." Clark said grateful. "You too, Dr. Lane." he turned his attention to Lois' father. "Thank you so much. Your idea saved my life."
"I was just doing my job." Sam just shrugged. "I'm just glad you are okay."
"Nevertheless, thank you, Doc." Clark thanked once more. "You too Ms. Flynn." he turned his attention to Molly. "Thank you for being here."
"Any friend of Lois' is also mine." Molly smiled at him.
"Thank you, anyway." Clark repeated.
"Well, we should better go, so we will let you talk." Sam suggested and put his hand on Molly's shoulder urging her to follow him. When those two, along with Dr. Klein, stepped out of the isolation room, Lois and Clark turned and looked at each other.
"Oh Clark." Lois sighed with worry as she sat on the edge of Clark's bed, when she made sure that there was no one around; tears welled up in her eyes, as fear and emotions came flooding to the forefront. "I thought I lost you." she murmured. Her right hand wedged its way through his hair, momentarily fisting it, before reaching down to rest her hand against the front of his hospital gown over his heart.
"Don't worry, Lois." Clark assured as he rested his hand over hers. "You're not going to get rid of me that easy." he managed a smile.
"But you were in coma." Lois countered in low voice.
"And I'm okay now." Clark insisted as he slowly raised her hand and kissed it while never taking his eyes from hers. "I'm sorry." he said apologetic.
"It's wasn't your fault but I was very frightened all those days." Lois blurred and tangled the fingers of her left hand into Clark's soft hair.
"Yea, I know. Me too." Clark admitted softly. "I've never faced anything like that." he added in the same tone. "But your dad's theory was right, Lois; he saved my life."
"Aha." Lois mumbled as she kept running her fingers through Clark's hair. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you." she apologized from the depth of her heart.
"It's okay." Clark told, squeezing Lois' hand reassuringly. "I'm sure you had a good reason not to."
Lois just nodded silently as she didn't want to discuss further the reason of her absence from his side. It was obvious that he hadn't heard her telling him about her pregnancy as he was asleep.
"We really need to figure out who did this." Clark said troubled after a few moments of silence. "I mean, a Kryptonian virus was present at a chemical factory."
Lois nodded with a sigh. "If you think about it, it is pretty weird that something not of this Earth was suddenly exactly where you'd be pretty much guaranteed to be." she thought aloud. "Clark, it's no coincidence that the virus was at a disaster where Superman would be." she started piecing everything together. "The fire wasn't an accident. It was a sabotage to lure you in." Lois widened her eyes, as she came upon a realization.
"Obviously." Clark told further. "There is no such thing as coincidence, the fact that the particular factory belonged to LexCorp."
"Do you think that Lex has anything to do with this?" Lois asked, raising her eyebrows in question.
"I don't know." Clark answered unsure. "Maybe. It's just a thought and I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think we can discount it."
"We won't." Lois assured. "But now you have to rest." she reminded Clark. "When your powers are back and Dr. Klein gives you a clean bill of health, whoever they are we will hunt them down." she said without hesitation.
"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Clark asked reluctantly, trying to keep a certain amount of annoyance from his voice.
"Damn right you don't," Lois laughed, nodding in agreement. She couldn't help but laugh a little louder when saw Clark let her head fall back on the pillows with a defeated sigh, looking at the ceiling.
"Look I…" Lois as she looked at her watch then back at Clark. "I should better get going." she suggested. "I'm so late. Perry will g my wring my neck." she joked. "Plus, I have to inform your parents that you are okay." she added. "See ya later?"
"Aha." Clark smiled at her.
Tears pricked the backs of Lois' eyes as she saw him still so weak and vulnerable. "Clark." she blurred out.
"Yea?"
For a moment, it had crossed her mind to confess that she found the ring and she was pregnant, but she quickly pushed those thoughts away. That would have ruined his proposal plan, whatever that was, and of course his impulsive reaction to her pregnancy news; she didn't want to take those away from Clark, or herself, for that matter. Forgoing words, Lois looked outside the room's glass wall in case there was someone around. When she made sure they were alone, and knowing there were no cameras in the room, she leaned over Clark, one hand braced on the pillow beside his head, and delivered a short kiss to his lips. Everything about the moment was absolutely perfect. There was not one thing she would change, because this was going to be their forever.
Thank you for reading and PLEASE REVIEW so you would let me know what you think and encourage me to continue writing. You can also tell me what you wish to see on the upcoming chapters. I'm open in ideas. And remember: You can always contact with me and express your opinion about my Author's Note through PM or my Twitter Account. ( hellaslar), having as only request the reviews will be only for the storyline.