The drive to Metropolis was quiet. Heather seemed deep in thought and to be honest I was still half asleep. For some reason I found myself needing a lot of sleep lately. The radio was full of news of a bank robbery in Gotham that had used some form of poison gas to kill several police officers. I didn't like the news much, it was never good. Since the…event. There seemed to have been a steep increase in crime. I had heard the news when I was younger but I didn't really pay attention. Now that I was more a part of the world I did pay attention. I was still a child basically so I couldn't truly say I understood all that went on, but there was the metahuman issue that seemed to get a lot of press. This was just another example of one of them going rogue. The government had been going on about finding a way to deal with them, lock them up, contain them, license them just for being different. Of course, there were protests. The government couldn't just demand they register themselves, that is like a precursor to a big brother state. I wasn't sure at the time what big brother state meant. I was only thirteen. After the third time the news show basically repeated the same report with different words by a different person Heather reached out and pressed a button changing the station. Fleetwood Mac's The Chain started playing. I couldn't help but move to the music. It had been one of the few things I could enjoy before the explosion. My mother, my biological mother that is, would play all different kinds for me. She was a big fan of music and still had a collection of old records from her parents. I closed my eyes and listened. It is amazing where music can take you if you let it.

I felt the truck slow down and turn. Heather was pulling into a parking spot a non-descript looking building that looked like it was made from blue tinged mirrors. She turned the truck off and looked at me.

"You look tired. Not getting enough sleep?"

"I guess not."

"Let's go inside."

I picked up my school bag and hefted it over my shoulder. It was heavier then yesterday. We went inside and rode the elevator in silence. The doctor's office was clinical, that's the best word for it, of course it was clinical it was a doctor's office. Heather went to the front desk and spoke to the receptionist who seemed to know her well and I was waved inside.

"You want me to come with you Amber?"

I wasn't really sure what to expect so I nodded. Heather put her arm behind the small of my back and nudged me along. I had been a bit frozen there at the threshold of the examination room. I sat down on the bed. I remembered the crinkle of the paper well. Heather sat down in a chair and pulled out her phone and started looking through something. I waited there tapping my feet on the little stool arms hugging my school bag. If had been smart I would have been catching up on Great Expectations but I wouldn't have been able to focus on it. I was tapping my fingers on the sides of my bag when the door opened. A woman, probably in her fifties walked in. She was obviously of East Indian descent. She smiled at Heather who had put away her phone.

"Heather, its nice to see you, is the diet going well?"

"Yes, great."

My disbelief at Heather's response must have been obvious.

"Hmm something tells me you've been cheating."

"It was a special occasion. We had a new addition to our family."

Heather motioned to me. Young me didn't recognize how fluidly she redirected the conversation away from herself. I would see her masterful ability to control the flow of social interactions over the years. It was obvious why she was such a good business executive if one paid attention. The doctor looked at me.

"Well if I'm going to examine you, you're going to need to put the bag away."

I blushed and leaned down offering it to Heather who took it.

"Do you want Heather here with you for the examination?"

I nodded.

"Okay, I'm Dr. Balsimi. I understand from Heather's call you collapsed a few days ago and had a seizure and couldn't breathe."

I nodded again.

"Has this ever happened before?"

I shook my head, then I stopped. I couldn't exactly tell her I used to be wheelchair bound with barely functional lungs with Heather here, but I couldn't ask Heather to leave after asking her to stay. My ability to predict the outcome of my actions was seriously underdeveloped at the time.

"I can't remember anything from before six months ago."

"Okay, lets start at the beginning. I don't really have any medical history for you. We'll do some tests, get your height and weight and then we'll sit down and discuss what you do know okay?"

I nodded. Anyone who's been through a full physical knows exactly what I went through for the next forty-five minutes. When we finished the Doctor brought us into her office and opened her laptop.

"Okay, we still need to send you from for some more tests. Hearing, eyesite, MRI, CT Scan, Allergen test and we'll need a full blood work up. I was able to get your records from Precious Angels. They tell me the same thing the tests we have run so far tell me, you are a healthy twelve year old girl. Your heart is very healthy. Your lungs are great, no sign of Asthma. No signs of any nerve damage in the extremities. Your BMI is perfect. For someone who woke up from a coma six months ago you are doing amazing. Maybe the other tests will tell us more. I was able to get you scheduled for everything but the MRI for today with some of our partners. The MRI and CT Scan are on Saturday at Metropolis General. Then we'll make a follow up appointment here next week and we go over the results."

The remainder of my day was taken up by driving all over Metropolis getting poked and prodded. To be honest it gave me flash backs of my childhood. None of it was painful as I recall. Heather patiently waited with me at every single appointment and even took me for lunch again. I could tell she was still concerned even after Dr. Balsimi had said so far, I look healthy. I had a few texts from April and Jacob asking if I was okay. I had replied when I noticed, which was about an hour after I received them. I wasn't good at keeping track of my phone at the time.

When we got back to the farm Edna was getting some posts and fencing loaded on to the back of her hold truck. She looked to be just start. As soon as Heather parked I rushed out to help her my school bag forgotten. I was surprised at how light the fence posts seemed. Edna had struggled getting the first one on the truck but to me it felt like I was lifting my school bag. I figured maybe she was just tired from working all day, or maybe just getting old enough she wasn't as strong as she used to be. Heather had my school bag hanging off her arm at her elbow and she watched me work for a few minutes then she walked over.

"Edna don't you overwork her. She could be sick."

"I'm fine Grandma Heather, these are light."

I was holding the roll of fencing in my fingers and then I hoisted onto the back of the truck. I hadn't looked at the listed weight on the bundle but if I had I probably would have fainted it was a full fifty lbs. I then scooped up the bag of cement and dropped it in the back of the truck. That one noticed as the truck's back leaf springs creaked under the weight and the tires inched closer to the wheel wells. Edna and Heather looked at each other for a few minutes but then Heather shook her head and went into the house. I got in the truck with Edna and she drove out to the place where a car had run off the road and taken out the fence. We had to replace three posts and run the fencing between them. I remembered to text Emma just before we started telling her I was helping Grandma Edna replace some fencing and wasn't sure when I could send another.

Proud of myself I helped unload the truck. Between us we dug out the old posts and I threw them beside the truck while Edna continued to dig. It was a quiet three hours as we went through the motions. The old posts had been stuck deep then cemented. It was a pain to get them out put between digging and me yanking we managed to get them out and replaced just as dusk was settling in. I loaded the old posts on the back of the truck and the garbage. Edna dusted her hands off and put her hands on her hips as she looked at our work.

"Good job, thanks, don't think I could have got it done without you. Back isn't want it used to be."

I nodded and got in the truck. She drove me back to the farm and I unloaded the truck for her. After stopping in the house for a couple of hugs I was ran through the west field to my house. I got there just in time for Emma to be putting supper out. She looked me up and down when I came in.

"You look like you were rolling in the mud."

I smiled and nodded.

"Wash up and get some food while it's hot."

I nodded and ran upstairs and washed my hands and face and pulled on a t-shirt and some jogging pants. Henry, Emma and Sarah were all sitting at the table by the time I returned. They were halfway done their meals and I sat down quickly and started dishing food out to myself. I was starving after all the hard work in the field. Emma looked up from her food.

"So how did the appointment go today?"

"Doctor said I seem healthy. I had to do a bunch of tests and have to do two more on Saturday."

"So, she didn't find anything?"

"I guess not. She said my BMI was perfect, my lungs and heart were strong. My hearing test came back with me being able to hear in a higher and lower range then most people, my eye test was at twenty-ten. The doctor seemed surprised but said my vision was great and didn't see any signs of damage. I'm not allergic to anything they tested me for."

"Its good that you're healthy but you obviously have something going on or you wouldn't have collapsed. I was hoping it was found easily and we could get it taken care of."

I nodded.

"I understand, but I feel great. I mean I'm tired, replacing fence posts is way more work then I assumed it was."

"Mom shouldn't be working you so hard."

"It's okay, she needs the help. She couldn't believe I could lift a bag of cement myself."

"You need to be careful; We still don't know what is wrong with you."

I sighed and nodded.

"Mom could have hired someone to do it for her."

"But I can help."

"I know you want to help, but you have to watch out for your health at the same time."

I nodded and let the table fall into silence as I ate my food. Which while not as good as Heather's cooking was a lot better than the hospital food at Precious Angels. After we cleaned up the dishes I went upstairs and went to bed almost immediately. I woke up just before five-thirty in the morning with no alarm. I turned it off. I felt refreshed for the first time in a while. I looked at the bathroom then pulled out some yoga pants, a jogging shirt and my hoodie. I could hear someone in the kitchen and rushed down to try and catch Emma before she left for work. She looked a bit bleary eyed while she sat there drinking her coffee. She noticed me at the bottom of the stairs.

"You're up early."

"I know I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep I was wondering if it was okay if I went for a bit of a run. I just feel like I need to get rid of some energy or something."

Emma glanced at her Fitnow bracelet and outside at the sun that was rising.

"As long as you're careful. Don't run on the road and do not let anyone pick you up."

"Of course, Mom."

"Don't forget your keys Henry won't be up for an hour at least. And if you feel the slightest tightness in your lungs you call 911 immediately."

I nodded and slipped my phone into my hoodie pocket and put my blue tooth earphones and closed the door behind me. I started to jog at a slow pace. Like I used to do on the treadmill at Precious Angels but I found myself wanting to try to go faster. I wasn't getting tired at this pace. I kept trying to faster and my breathing wasn't getting any worse. By the time I realized how fast I was actually going I was in Smallville proper. I was panting and trying to take deep breathes. I looked at my own Fitnow bracelet it was showing my heart rate as 70 bpm. I assumed I must have lost track of time and panicked a bit I tapped it and it showed ten to six. I looked back at where I'd come from. It should have taken way longer than ten minutes to run this far. I looked up at the school sign it was reading sixty Fahrenheit and 5:53 am. I heard a honk. And looked up and one of the Sheriff's deputies' cruisers was pulling up alongside the curb. There were a couple of female deputies in the car. The one on the passenger side which was closest to me rolled down her window. She must have seen me trying to catch my breath. I pulled my earbuds out and stretched my back. For the first time since I was first learning to walk again, I was actually feeling the need to stretch.

"Everything alright there?"

"Yes ma'am, I'm fine, just catching my breath was doing a sprint."

She nodded and looked me up and down.

"You're the girl Emma and Henry Morris adopted, aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Little young to be as far as Smallville jogging, alone aren't you?"

"I actually didn't mean to make it as far as Smallville to be honest ma'am. I lost track of the time and where I was."

The deputy looked me up and down and looked at her fellow deputy.

"You need to pay more attention when you're out running especially on the country roads, lot of idiots from out of town on them."

"Thank you for the warning, ma'am. I'm going to start heading home. Need to get ready for school."

She motioned back towards the country road I'd been running on.

"Well better get going then."

I nodded and put my earbuds in the cruiser drove off and I was left alone again. I started jogging back to the house again. This time I paid closer attention to what I was doing and my speed. I realized I would easily be able to match a car at this speed and reached home by 6:10 am. I was out of breath again and took a few minutes to let it catch up. I unlocked the door to the house. Emma was already gone. I hadn't known running for fun was so good. I pulled my ear buds out and poured myself a glass of water. I took a few big gulps then drained the glass. I had no basis for how fast other people were at the time. Part of me thought how fast I could run was strange, but surely Olympians could do it. I was sweating from my run and decided a good long shower wouldn't hurt.

The day went about the same as my first day of school. Henry was just as quiet as usual, though this time he didn't say anything to me, mostly because I left for the bus with plenty of time for it to arrive. After school I went to the Kent farm and Enda put me to work reorganizing the tool shed. She looked like she wanted to say something for almost the whole time I was there but didn't seem to know how to say it. She eventually took a deep breath. Then she closed her mouth again and shook her head.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing kiddo. Nothing. I twisted a tilling blade in the south field today. I was hoping you could help me dig whatever rock I ran into tomorrow."

"Whatever you need Grandma."

"Thanks, you should run home, get cleaned up for supper and do your homework."

I nodded and I jogged home. I had a quiet night reading Great Expectations. Not exactly my favorite book ever. I wished I could go see April, but I was grounded after the late night on Monday. I gave up on Great Expectations and closed it. I scooped up my tablet and tried to ping April but no response. I was bored at this point. A rare occurrence for me so for a lark I checked for the world records for runners. I nearly fell off my bed when I saw forty-one minutes for fifteen kilometers which was about the distance to Metropolis when I used a converter. I blinked and doublechecked the other sources. They all confirmed forty-one minutes. I was four times faster than the world's fastest runner. I started to have a mini-panic attack. Did this mean I was a metahuman? I was freaking out. I couldn't do it again, if someone found out. All the stuff going around. What would Emma think?

I put the tablet in my nightstand drawer. As if that would hide the fact, I was a metahuman. I couldn't get comfortable that night. I tossed and turned. I did not sleep well at all. I woke up just after 5:30 am again. I turned off my phone's alarm and got dressed for jogging. Emma was drinking a coffee in the kitchen again. She smiled at me and waved, I nodded and waved back putting my ear buds in and I went for a jog. I kept it under the speed limit this time. The same cruiser passed me as yesterday and I waved to them as they passed and the deputy in the passenger seat waved back. I finished my jog at the Kent Farm. It was only a forty-five-minute run. I was barely feeling the run. Edna was already outside feeding the horses. She jumped when she saw me. I pulled my Earbuds out and waved.

"You need any help before I go get ready for school?"

"You scared me half to death Amber. What are you doing out at this time of day?"

"I went for a run. Decided to stop by and see if I could help out with anything."

"Are you sure it wasn't for Heather's cooking?"

"No, I would never… Actually, is she up?"

Edna laughed.

"Yes, go on inside I'm sure she'll make you something other than cereal."

I gave her a wave and went inside. Heather was drinking a coffee and reading a newspaper which she looked up from when I came in.

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I couldn't sleep, Edna said you might have some breakfast left over…"

Heather pushed her glasses up her nose.

"She did, did she?"

I nodded.

"Well there are no leftovers, but you can help me make more."

We exchanged smiles and she showed me how to make bacon and over easy eggs. I screwed up the first two which she said she'd use for something else. I couldn't get over how patient she was with my inability to do simple things. Eventually I had a steaming plate of food in front of me and a glass of milk. I ate quietly and Heather went back to reading her paper. When I finished I cleaned up the dishes and wiped down the counters and stove like she had taught me. I was quite proud that I remembered everything.

"Thank-you!"

"You're welcome, you better hurry or you're going to be late for your bus."

I nodded and waved. I pulled my hoodie on and ran back to my house. Henry was barely waking up when I got out of the shower. He looked surprised to see me awake early again. I had already put out the bowls, glasses and cereal for breakfast. Well except one for me. He nodded to me then started to make a cup of coffee in one of those instant coffee machines. I went upstairs and sat on Sarah's bed and started tickling her hand then her nose. She swatted my hand away but eventually woke up.

"Morning sleepy head!"

She giggled when I tickled her foot next.

"Time to get dressed sis. Mom put out your clothes. Do you need any help?"

She stretched and hopped out of bed.

"Can you help me with a braid?"

I blinked. I opened my mouth a few times to say something, I didn't want to disappoint her, but I had no idea how to braid hair.

"I'm sorry Sarah, I don't know how."

She hugged me tightly.

"It's okay sis. Maybe tomorrow?"

I nodded. She went into our bathroom and I heard her brushing her teeth when she came out, she was mostly dressed but her shirt was on inside out. I smiled and pointed to it.

"You have your shirt on inside out, sis."

She giggled and fixed it. I went into the bathroom with her and helped her brush her long hair out, gently of course. We decided on her kitten clips and put them in. I helped her get her cereal and juice ready. Henry looked like he didn't know what to do with himself so promptly got busy doing nothing while trying to look busy in the kitchen. I felt a little bad, I guess he enjoyed his mornings with Sarah. So, I spoke up.

"Dad, do you know how to do a braid, Sarah wanted one badly today, but I don't know how to do it."

It took him a moment to realize he was being spoken too. When he realized what I had asked he nodded and came over. He pulled the clips out of her hair and started making the braid. He was quick about it; He described the steps for me in his quiet voice. Sarah was kicking her feet when he finished, she looked up at him with those adorable irresistible eyes of hers.

"Daddy, do Amber's hair now!"

He looked at her like she'd just asked him to go shark diving without a cage. He opened his mouth a few times I wasn't sure how to save him from his predicament, so I sat down beside Sarah and pulled my ponytail out for him and offered him my hair tie. He braided my hair to match Sarah who seemed extremely pleased with herself. When he finished I stood up.

"Thanks dad."

He nodded to me and started reaching for the plates. I touched his hand softly.

"You hang out with Sarah, I'll take care of the dishes. I have a few minutes before I have to go out to the bus."

I busied myself cleaning off the table while Sarah begged him into a game of patty cakes. And then thumb wrestling. Her giggles of joy filled up the open concept main floor. I finished cleaning up after breakfast and pulled on my hoodie and grabbed my school bag.

"Have a good day everyone!"

With that I closed the door and went to the end of our driveway and waited for the school bus, ready for another boring day at school. At least Jacob would be there. By the time the school day was over I was ready to get outside and help Edna. Jacob laughed at me when I told him the highlight of my days was helping Edna around the farm. I couldn't explain why to him without telling him my real story, but just being able to do physical work was a pleasure for me. I went through the south gate and into the fields. I found Edna quickly she already had her tractor out there with the shovels. She smiled to me and nodded.

"How was your day?"

"You know."

She laughed. And handed me a shovel.

"I think it's down here."

She'd already started digging I got close and could feel my breathing suffering and before I knew what was happening, I was gasping for breath and I was collapsed into the hole. Edna dragged me away from the hole and I started to feel better almost immediately. She rushed to the hole and dug into the dirt in a panic. She pulled out a chunk of green crystal.

"Get out of here, go to the house hurry."

I didn't think about it at that point I clawed into the dirt and scrambled to my feet and ran to the house. I blinked and I was collapsed against the yellow siding of the old farmhouse holding my stomach. As I tried to catch my breath. Heather rushed out of the door and looked down at me she checked my Fitnow bracelet.

"Amber can you hear me? What happened?"

I pointed to the field and Heather rushed out towards where Edna was waiting. By the time they got back I was sitting on the stairs. I was feeling much better and had caught my breath. Heather looked calmer and Edna had the chunk of green rock in her hand I instinctively backed away from the stairs and towards the house. Edna went into the garage with it and came out without it. Heather came over and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Are you feeling better?"

I nodded.

"It was the green rock that made you sick. Edna is putting it somewhere safe for the time being and we're calling the government to come and collect it. Probably best to stay out of barn until they do."

I nodded again.

"Let's get you cleaned up before Emma sees you."

I followed her into the house and washed my hands and face. I put on an old pair of Emma's clothes they had from when she was a kid. I looked like I belonged in a 90's music video, but it was better than the mud-covered clothes I had been wearing. Heather had already put them in the laundry.

"I'm glad we know for sure now. If that is all it is, we'll have good news on Monday."

She smiled to me and put a few cookies out on a plate with some milk. Heather liked to treat every situation with food it seemed, the future proved this to be true. I was feeling much better by the time I finished the cookies and milk. Strange how that cookies and milk thing works. Maybe it's the chocolate chips, or the sugar, or just the quiet time. When I finished, I found Heather, she was outside collecting eggs. She motioned for me to help.

"Feeling better?"

I nodded.

"Could I come over for another cooking lesson before school tomorrow? I really want to be able to help more and I just don't know how to do anything."

"Of course, Amber."

"But we shouldn't waste food, if I mess it up, I'll just eat it and we can try again tomorrow. I mean just because they aren't perfect doesn't mean it's going to taste awful."

"Okay. It's a deal."

I smiled at her and we continued to collect eggs. I didn't realize it at the time but all this manual work, the cooking lessons, the schoolwork, anything, to stop thinking about Kristen and what had been lost, what my new, mostly perfect life had cost. Given the choice I would have willingly traded my life for the lives of everyone who was lost.

The weekend came and went. The last two tests were uncomfortable. I am slightly claustrophobic. When the time came for the appointment on Tuesday with Doctor Balissi I found myself nervously dangling my feet and kicking forward and backwards. I wondered if the old me would have done this if she'd had the ability to move her legs. The doctor came in, she was smiling she greeted Heather and then looked at me.

"Well I've looked over the tests. Everything came back clean. You are healthy. You have no allergies, your blood tests showed perfect levels of everything we'd expect to see, except your hormone levels. I saw some irregularities with your brain scan, and I consulted with a neurologist and we suspect we know why you can't remember anything before waking up. You did have some form of damage to your brain. But your body has rewired around it and even started repairing the damage, which is strange, usually brain injuries are typically permanent, but it is not unique. Sometimes children have recovered full cognitive functions. You are a healthy twelve-year-old girl. Your hormone levels are more in line with a girl of nine or ten, however they have increased since the last test so it seems like something had stunted puberty for you in the past but now its catching up. Developmentally by the time you turn fourteen you should be caught up. This may delay the onset of menstruation but not my much. You're doing great as far as I can tell. Which while good news, is also bad news because we still do not know what caused your episode."

Heather spoke up at this point and showed a picture of the rock.

"She had a similar reaction when she was helping in the field and dug up one of these. They are a meteor rock that was determined to be radioactive. Smallville used to be covered in the stuff but the government declared it a Smallville and the surrounding area a superfund site about fifteen years ago and have cleaned up most of it. There may have been some of that in the park or near where she collapsed. The reaction was identical."

The doctor lifted her tablet and tapped several times. Her eyes scanning texts.

"Well it's not unprecedented that certain minerals can cause negative reactions. The fact it is radioactive is concerning. I would be worried about radiation poisoning, but her white blood cell count is great. She has no signs of radiation poisoning. Let's monitor the situation. In the meantime for the second half of the appointment, and I am sorry Amber, this is going to make you feel terrible for a few days, but its time for all your vaccinations since we have no records we need to make sure you're up to date."

I nodded. Needles didn't bother me. I sat through several injections at that point. Heather took me out for lunch again, mostly I think she just wanted ice cream. We chatted about this and that and then she dropped me off at school.