Chapter 16

Clark let his feet touch the ground outside the hospital. Seeing the sliding doors to the entrance, he wasted no time going inside. In another event he might stand outside and ponder what he might say, how the moment might play out. But she needed him and she'd needed for hours.

Rushing inside, he paid no attention to anything but the information desk.

"Maternity floor? Lois Lane?"

"Floor three, room 313."

"Thank you."

The first thing he saw was his mother's body. She was sitting down holding Lois's hand. He could barely see Lois, his mother in most of his view.

"Mom?" he asked softly.

Martha turned and saw her son, her eyes lighting up with pure joy.

"Clark!" she cried, jumping out of her chair to hug him. "Oh my God," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "You're finally here. You're okay."

He hugged her back, now able to see Lois. She was lying in a normal hospital bed hooked up to IVs. She had her head turned away and her hair was damp from sweating. Her eyes were shut and she was incredibly pale. He could tell she was only semi-conscious and fear rose up in him.

"I missed you, Mom."

She cupped his face and stood on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek.

"What happened to her? Is she okay?"

"She's in a lot of pain. Here, sit down," Martha said, motioning him to the chair she'd been in.

Clark took Lois's hand.

"Lois?" Martha said. "Lois! Lois, he's here."

Lois mumbled something, crying a little.

"She was so exhausted that she sort of passed out. I let her because it kept her from crying."

"Is that normal?"

"Lucy said she didn't want pain killers. So she has to feel everything."

Clark didn't even see Lucy across the room.

"Lucy, hi. I didn't even see you over there. It's great that you're here."

Lucy smiled an almost honest smile. This whole situation was harder on Lucy than she was telling anyone.

"Good to see you too, Clark. Where's Chloe?"

"She's on her way," Clark said, returning his attention to Lois. "Lois! Lois, it's me."

Lois struggled to open her tired eyes. Blinking several times she focused them slowly as Clark turned her face to him.

"Hey," he said, scooping his hand beneath her head as her mind comprehended who she was looking at. "Hey, Lois Lane. I'm here to make good on my promise."

A million expressions washed over her face as she reached her arms to wrap around his neck. Tears flooded down her face as she used up energy she didn't have to cry.

"You better make good on your promise," she whispered as he showered kisses on her face. "Clark, I missed you so much! Oh my God, are you okay? Are you really, finally here? Did you learn what you wanted to learn?"

"Yes, I'm fine, everything's fine, shhh," he murmured pulling her more tightly against him, kissing her white lips. "I love you," he said into her mouth.

Completely enveloping themselves in each other, they tangled the IVs and Clark enjoyed the whispered sarcastic comments Lois made to him. Martha watched, relieved and happy while Lucy did her duty and went back to being the photographer. Almost immediately Clark could feel how much pain she was in. Pretty soon she lost the ability to respond to him in any way and she fell back, limp.

"I can't," she whispered, this time unhappily. "Help me," she begged desperately.

She closed her eyes and Clark tried to keep her awake.

"Lois!" Slipping his arms beneath her he lifted her up into his arms. "Lucy, could you get me some ice chips?"

Lucy nodded. "Sure."

"She's still at five and a half centimeters," Martha told Clark. "She was going pretty quickly for awhile but now it seems to be dragging along."

Clark rocked Lois in his arms, for the first time looking at her stomach. He reached a hand down to touch it. He could actually feel the contractions through her nightgown.

"Mom, it's amazing."

"Probably not as much from her point of view," Martha replied. "She's in so much distress."

"I know. I wish I could help her."

"You are. Just your presence, Clark. You know that."

Clark caressed Lois's face. She sighed a little, letting him know it felt good.

"I love you more than anything," he told her, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Lucy came back in with the ice chips.

"Here, Clark."

"Thank you."

Taking the spoon he took a single cube and held it to Lois's lips. Barely opening her eye-lids, she felt the chill at her mouth and gladly took the ice into her mouth. Seconds after enjoying it, she writhed in Clark's arms as another contraction coursed through her spent body. She gulped a cry and grabbed onto his shirt, using it as something to silence her moan.

Clark held her tightly, becoming a place for her to put her pain. Keeping her cool and her mouth moist she waited out several more contractions over the next several minutes, slowly dilating a little bit more. Clark massaged her shoulders, her feet, and her neck as he talked to her about nothing of importance to try to distract her from the pain.

Martha Kent sat back in the chair holding Lois's hand as Clark worked his way around Lois's bed aiding her body and keeping her calm. Martha was proud of her son. No matter how much Lois cried out or how many tears she shed, he remained strong and held onto her.

Martha had to admit that it was Lois who had made Clark so strong. He was a completely different person since she'd come into his life.

"Clark?" Lois asked.

"I'm right here."

"How many hours have you been here?"

"I haven't. Less than forty minutes."

"Seems…" she couldn't finish the sentence.

She was too tired. Clark heard running heels through the hallway getting louder and louder until they clanked hard on the floor and Chloe grabbed onto the door frame.

"Did I make it?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, we're all still here," Clark said.

Martha stood up and hugged Chloe.

"Thank you for getting my son."

"I'd do anything for Clark. It's so good to see you again."

Chloe pulled back and looked at Lois.

"She doesn't look too good."

"No," Clark agreed.

Chloe ran a finger along Lois's wrist.

"Lois?" she asked. "Your dad's downstairs. He's on his way up."

"Dad's here?" Lucy said.

"You want to go see him?" Chloe asked.

"No. I'll see him when he comes up."

"I'll go greet him," Martha said politely, excusing herself.

Chloe caressed Lois's hair.

"She was in hardly any pain when I saw her last."

Lucy stood up and came over to Lois, seeing a rival in Chloe. Placing her hand on Lois's leg she tried to find a way to feel as bonded as Lois and Chloe had figured out how to be. Without Chloe there she could sit in the background and not be heard but now she would fight to have a presence.

"Lois?" Chloe said again. "Your dad's here."

Lois breathed in, waking up again.

"My dad?" she said.

"Yeah."

"Chloe," she smiled, more happy to see Chloe than hear about the General. "Doctor, help me," she whispered. "I need help."

"I'll get the doctor," Chloe said.

Lois couldn't believe she still had enough water inside her body when she felt the tears sliding down her face. Her legs were aching from contractions – to say nothing of her abdomen. Lucy immediately moved to the opposite side of the bed so she and Clark faced each other.

"Lois, I'm so proud of you. You're so strong, being brave and pulling through this. Now you're almost done."

"Lucy," Clark said, shaking his head.

"What?" Lucy replied, clueless.

"Tired," Lois murmured.

"The doctor's coming," Clark said, cupping Lois's face gently. "Don't worry about anything."

The doctor came in with a nurse and Chloe behind them.

"Alright, Lois. I hear you're asking for me and the contractions are still coming strong."

Lois nodded.

"Okay, let me take a look at you."

As the doctor examined her, Lois looked at Chloe.

"Dad? Mrs. Kent?"

"Yeah, they're outside waiting. They're here."

"Thanks."

"Lois?" the doctor said to her delicately. "You're at ten centimeters. You're fully dilated."

Lucy squeezed Lois's hand.

"See? You're done. You can push now."

Lois shook her head. "I can't."

"Sure you can," Lucy said.

"I can't move, breathe, do anything. I can't push. I need help."

"Lois, do you want her to give you something?" Clark asked.

"No, Clark. She's said for weeks she didn't want anything," Lucy told him.

"Lucy," Chloe said, placing a hand on her arm.

"I wasn't asking you," Clark said as politely as he could.

"Hey, I've been here, Clark. I don't know where you've been for the past four months but the rest of us have listened to her state how she wanted this to go. She doesn't want drugs."

"First of all, Chloe's the one who's been here and secondly maybe if you'd listen to her she'll tell you differently!"

"Hey!" the doctor shouted, startling all of them. "I don't care about your domestic issues. I care about my patient and if she's been in pain this long without clearly stating that she didn't want drug relief, someone should've come to me immediately. If I find out that anyone tried to influence her not to have what I can provide her, then I'm going to be very upset. Now all of you, be quiet and let her answer. I don't want to hear a word from anyone but Lois. Are we clear?"

Lois was grateful for the quiet again. She swallowed and wondered what the hell she'd been trying to prove.

"Lois?"

She nodded.

"I want the drugs. I feel like I'm going to die."

The doctor shook her head.

"You're not going to die. And I'm going to have you out of any pain in about two minutes. Hold on. Everything's going to be fine."

The doctor barked orders to the nurse and Lois and Clark waited one more time. The second that the doctor left, Lucy turned away and she grabbed onto Chloe, feeling shame.

"Oh my God, what did I do?"

"It's fine," Chloe assured her.

"It's not. I'm horrible. She's never going to forgive me."

"No, don't be ridiculous. Come over to the other side of the room, come on."

Chloe guided Lucy back to where she'd been spending most of the day. Sitting together, Lucy slumped over, truly disgusted with herself.

"I can't believe I did that. She needed the drugs and I was urging her on like some cheerleader. I made the doctor and Clark think I was some idiot who didn't care about her at all. As soon as she's able to think again she's going to look at me with even more disappointment than she did before."

"Lois looks at herself with disappointment. Not you. Besides, she's in labor. She's not going to remember this. You were not trying to hurt her. Give yourself a break. She will and you know it."

Lucy nodded, trying to believe Chloe.

"Now, she's going to be out of pain in a few minutes so why don't you go tell her how much you love her?"

The nurse immediately came back in and administered the epidural directly into Lois's spine. She literally fell back in tears.

"Did it not work?" Clark asked.

All she could do was shake her head, answering with a yes. "Do you know how long I've been in pain?" she asked him, her hand over her eyes.

"Well, why didn't you ask for it hours ago? What were you thinking?"

"I don't know," she sobbed.

"Okay, well stop crying. You've been crying the whole time I've seen you."

He pulled her hand from her eyes.

"Let me look at you."

"Oh yes, this is a great time for you to be looking at me. Just let me give birth and go to sleep and you come see me in a few days."

"Wow. That did work fast."

She tilted her head in sarcasm. Then lying back she exhaled, reveling in the feeling of no pain. Clark climbed up next to her so they were face to face. Caressing her cheek she panted, exhausted and happy.

"I wish we were in some beautiful place where I wasn't gross and sweaty," she sighed.

Clark touched her stomach, still feeling slight movement.

"I've dreamed of this moment for so long. I knew I'd miss everything, every moment and it will be a regret of mine forever. But you, seeing you, touching you pregnant, even your last moments of pregnancy, it's the most beautiful you've ever been."

She smiled, her eyes clanking shut as she rested. A few minutes later, the doctor came back in to check on Lois.

"Okay, Lois? Your cervix has reached one hundred percent effacement, and you're fully dilated. The first baby's head has dropped so you are ready to give birth."

Lois still felt exhausted but she felt her babies pressing and forcing their way down her body and she knew they wanted out. She tried to sit up and seeing her not do very well Clark reached out to help.

"I feel like I'm ready to try. Please tell me only one is ready to come out."

"At a time, yes."

"Good, because otherwise I'm not pushing."

"No, I wouldn't let you push then either," the doctor smiled.

Clark held Lois's hand, standing beside her.

"Don't be nervous," he said to her.

"Why are you so calm?" she asked.

"Because he's not the one pushing," Chloe answered, standing on the other side of the bed with Lucy.

Lois reached her free hand out and Chloe put Lucy's hand in Lois's.

"Alright, Lois. You can go ahead and push."

"You're sure you're going to catch my baby?"

Clark chuckled and the doctor smiled.

"Hey, I've worked nine months to make these children. I don't want them dropping on the floor," she said to Clark.

"I promise I'll catch your baby," the doctor vowed.

"Lois, push!" Clark said.

"Okay, okay!" she said, leaning forward slightly with Lucy and Clark's help.

As Lois grabbed onto Lucy, Lucy finally found her place. It only took a half hour to push the first baby and it slid out from body and into the doctor's arms. Lois lied back against the bed out of breath, as Clark and Lucy helped her.

"Which is it?" she asked.

"It's your daughter," the doctor said happily as the baby began to cry.

"Oh, she's crying," Clark sighed with relief.

"Is she okay?" Lois called out.

"She looks perfect so far. Give us a minute to check her and clean her and then we'll bring her to you."

"What are they doing to her?" Lois asked Clark.

"Checking her, don't worry, Lois. How do you feel, though? You're not finished."

"I know. I need her to hand us our baby!"

"They're wrapping her up in a blanket now."

Lois whispered to Chloe to get the camera and use it like there was no tomorrow.

"Okay, here's your perfect little daughter," the doctor admired, walking towards Lois and Clark.

"Well, take her, Clark Kent," Lois smiled with love.

Clark looked at Lois to make sure that was okay.

"Your daughter's been waiting for you to come home," she told him. "I've been holding her for you and she's eager for you."

Clark had never seen Lois be more beautiful in any moment and in his entire life. He'd never remembered loving anyone like he loved Lois. He thought his love would be focused on his daughter in this moment. Even when Lois was calm and cool instead of ambitious and in his face, she still stole the attention.

"There you go," the doctor said, sliding the newborn baby into Clark's arms.

Clark, just as Lois had predicted, lit up at the sight of his daughter. He held her perfectly, looked at her with love, and she fit into his arms easily. Lois didn't even notice that the doctor went back to examining her. She was too preoccupied watching Clark. She leaned back against the pillow, resting contently, watching the man she loved holding her child.

"He's great with her," Lucy noticed immediately.

"I know."

But after about a minute, her needs crept up and she wanted to see her baby girl.

"Help me, Lucy," she said, trying to sit up.

Without needing to be asked, Clark came over and knelt down next to Lois, putting the baby in her view.

"Ellen Kent," she said. "We didn't figure out the rest."

"Well don't worry about it right now. Ellen's a very good start."

"She's real," Lois said with amazement. "She's her own little person."

"Chances are she's going to be really, really tall person," Lucy pointed out.

Lois felt her son inside her, ready to be born.

"Okay, take her. I have to push."

Clark took Ellen and handed her to Chloe. She geared up to push again, but her son did not seem to want to leave her body. While Ellen took a half hour, her son took an hour and a half. Once he crowned though, he practically fell out of her body instead of sliding.

After what seemed like an eternity, both babies were in their blankets being passed around the family and photos were being taken like no other event in Lois's life. General Sam Lane was the odd ball out through the whole thing. While everyone else was enjoying the newborns and each other, he was distant. Fortunately, everyone else was so overjoyed that his attitude was overlooked and happiness consumed everyone. But, after all Lois had been through, it was a short celebration because she needed sleep.

As Lois climbed back into bed, Martha went back to Lois's new house with Lucy. Lois, needing sleep, wanted Clark back in her arms tomorrow morning. She told him he would go home with Chloe, never mind the imposition on Chloe's relationship with Jimmy, or the fact that everything Clark owned was at their house.

"You want me sleeping at Chloe's?"

"It's the best option for tonight. All I'm going to do is sleep and I want you to go to the Daily Planet tomorrow and have your interview."

"You want me to worry about a job the day after my children are born?"

"Well Clark, what are we talking about? An hour? It's on your way back. Just go home with Chloe, come back after the interview, and everything will be fine."

Of course, Lois wanted Chloe to drive back to their house, pick up an outfit for Clark, but make sure she parked far enough away that Clark wouldn't see the house. She still wanted Clark to sleep at Chloe's place after that. Lois, of course, saw nothing absurd about this.

Chloe, after making a phone call, came back in to say goodnight.

"I'm staying with you tonight apparently," Clark said to her.

"What? Why?"

"I'm not allowed in my house yet."

"But you can go by and pick stuff up for him. But don't park anywhere where he can see even the outside of the house," Lois said, adjusting her IVs and peeking at her babies.

"Well, Lois, normally I'd be happy to help you out but I have plans with Jimmy tonight-"

"I just gave birth, Chloe. Besides, Clark just got back after four months and you can't spend some time with him? Please, both of you, go have fun."

Chloe rolled her eyes, having to give in.

"Oh Chloe, I got Clark that interview so fill him in on how everything works and get him ready. I wrote notes up for him to read over and I left them on the foyer table."

"You—" Clark began but Chloe cut him off.

"Goodnight Lois. Get some sleep and we'll see you tomorrow."

Clark tucked an exhausted Lois in, her eyes already shut and slumbering.

"I love you," he whispered, hesitantly leaving after placing kisses on Lois and his babies.

Closing the door behind them, Chloe was all smiles.

"I guess she's feeling better. Maybe a little less pregnant."

~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~