Free of kryptonite
Wednesday
Clark awoke to the sound of voices around him. At first he couldn't make out who they belonged to or what they were talking about... He was still half asleep and what he heard didn't make much sense... Apparently his brain was still under the influence of painkillers
-...better than I expected
- ...that's a good sign or not?
- ... Yes, but... Exams...
- ... final?
Clark, intrigued by how little he was understanding, forced himself to open his eyes and thus fully wake up.
Those present in the room were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice when Clark opened his eyes.
Opening his eyes, Clark could see that the people in his room were Dr. Klein, and his parents.
- Mom?
- Oh honey, we wake you up? - Martha asked, approaching Clark - how are you feeling?
- Well... Much better than yesterday... - Clark answered honestly - although I'm not sure if it's thanks to the painkillers or because I'm better
- It could be for both - answered Dr. Klein - the levels of Kryptonite in your blood have been decreasing faster than I expected, in a couple of hours you will be completely free of it
- Great - Clark said relieved
- Yes, that's good... But keep in mind that as soon as your powers begin to return, the painkillers will stop taking effect...
- Oh. Not so cool... - Clark answered discouraged.
- I have a question Dr. Klein. - said Jonathan - why did you decide to do dialysis instead of using radiation like the time of the Top Copy scandal?
- Well, on that occasion I was not present, but from what Clark has told me, the Kryptonite was affecting his entire body with a general malaise and pain... The option of entering a nuclear plant was very risky... but luckily it worked
- I didn't know what else to do - Clark defended himself.
- In this case, due to everything that happened, Clark's body was not able to withstand something like that - explained Dr. Klein - because Clark was taken to the hospital a long time after being shot, the Kryptonite had a lot of time to do damage and enter his system .. also being a modified form there was no way to know if that would work this time
- Oh, I understand - said Jonathan.
- Not to mention that it would have been impossible to do something like that and keep the secret intact
- You're right... - said Martha - thank you for taking such good care of our baby...
- It's nothing... - Dr. Klein said-... As I was saying before Clark woke up, since the Kryptonite will leave his body earlier than planned, I think we'll have to modify our plans a bit
- What do you mean? -/ Clark asked.
- Maybe we can't wait until Saturday to do the tests we talked about yesterday... I'm afraid that if we wait too long we won't be able to do them
- Oh...
- Don't worry, we will calmly do various tests - explained Dr. Klein - that way we will not put your body through to much and we will be able to obtain all the answers we are looking for
- I understand...
- For now, just worry about resting and eating a bit - said Dr. Klein - I'll be back later
- Thank you Dr. Klein - said Martha
As soon as Dr. Klein left the room, Martha turned her attention to her beloved son.
- How did you sleep? - Martha asked.
- Fine mom... I feel much less tired than yesterday.. What time is it? - Clark asked.
- Around 9 AM - answered Jonathan - you slept for almost 12 hours
- That much? ... I think I had never slept as much as in these last two days
- That's good Clark, your body needs to rest in order to recover - Martha said
- Yes, I know... But it's not comfortable being on my right side all the time anymore - said Clark, who was starting to feel uncomfortable being in the same position for so long
- I imagine - answered Martha - Dr. Klein said that soon you could change position
- That's good... - Clark said relieved - Where is Lois?
- She's with John...-Jonathan replied
- She had to work on some things on his computer, so she preferred to stay at home so we could be with you
- Oh...
The rest of the morning passed without much trouble to Clark. After his mother helped him eat a little, they settled down to watch a television show that the three of them usually watched on the farm.
Everything was going very well, until the show ended, at which time Jonathan changed the channel to find something else to watch, but he found the news.
"...shots fired at the Daily Planet. About an hour later, the paramedics left the building with the only confirmed victim of the event, journalist Clark Kent - said the newscaster, while images of the front of the Daly Planet building and the commotion that happened a couple of days ago were shown on the screen - last night the Daily Planet in their evening edition gave an official statement of what happened on Monday afternoon...
- The assailants attacked the newspaper, expecting Superman to appear on the scene to rescue them, but the superhero is off-planet, as reported by Lois Lane. Apparently the assailants began to get impatient when they saw that Superman did not appear and decided to shoot to motivate the superhero to show up at the place - added the co-presenter - They fired twice, and both shots affected Kent
- The hospital has not released any statement regarding the journalist's health state, but the Daily Planet reported that he is out of life risk, in good spirits, and recovering from what happened and from the subsequent surgery that had to be performed to remove the bullets.
- The assailants, who managed to flee the place, have not yet been captured, despite the efforts of the police - concluded the host, while the images changed on the screen - On another topic..."
Jonathan lowered the volume, and turned to look at his son - Are you okay Clark?
- Yes... - Clark answered somewhat distracted. He knew they all had seen him leaving the Daily Planet, and knew that Lois had written an article about what happened... But seeing it on TV was different... It made everything a little more real... there was definitely no way to pretend that nothing had happened. Everyone knew what had happened and the consequences it had brought to him - Mom, do you have Lois's article there?
- Yes darling...
Clark knew that Lois wouldn't write anything that would ruin his secret, but he preferred to read the article and thus know what was the "official version" of what happened. He just hoped that there wasn't too much detail on his health state... there was still that small chance that this wasn't permanent, and it would be easier to make up a new story if the details weren't leaked too much.
Martha passed the newspaper to Clark, who after reading the article, was greatly relieved. Lois was really good at writing, she had managed to tell what had happened in enough detail not to leave loose ends that would raise difficult questions to answer, but at the same time keeping a lot hidden.
- Lois is really good - Jonathan said, seeing that Clark had finished reading
-Yes, yes she is
At noon Dr. Klein returned to Clark's room.
- How do you feel Clark? - asked Dr. Klein
- Better... Hungry in fact
- Excellent! I'll take a blood sample to check the Kryptonite levels, but according to my calculations you should already be completely free of it - said Dr. Klein cheerfully.
- Excellent! - said Martha relieved
- Soon your speed healing will start to activate - explained Dr. Klein - I doubt it will activate immediately, due to the long exposure time to Kryptonite, but surely the recovery will be faster than in a human
- Okay...
- That is why I need to check the incision, to be able to evaluate how fast it is healing, and thus be able to carry out all the exams that we have planned.
- Oh ok...
Dr. Klein checked the wound, which had no signs of infection, but it had not yet fully healed.
- It looks quite good, normally some incisions like these would take a couple of weeks to heal enough to be able to remove the stitches, in some cases a little more due to the movement of the area
- ... I have too many stitches? - asked Clark, who until then hadn't thought about it.
- Ehm yeah... On your back you have 25... And on your side there are another 15
- Wow...
- Yeah, I know it's a lot, but it was the only way to ensure that we got as much Kryptonite as possible - said Dr. Klein - most likely, due to your cell regeneration, you won't even have a scar
- That's good - Jonathan said.
- As soon as we have carried out the tests, we will expose you to the sun, to accelerate cell regeneration - said Dr. Klein
- Why wait so long? .- Jonathan asked.
- At the moment I don't want to speed up the process more than necessary, to be able to carry out all the necessary tests - explained Dr. Klein - I want your body to recover a bit so we don't push you too much with the tests, but not enough so that we won't be able to do them
- I understand
- Now what we will do is that I will withdraw the dialysis and during the day we will monitor how your kidney is working
- Oh, okay - Clark said.
- We will keep the probe, since this way it is easier to monitor urine production - explained Dr. Klein - besides, you still can't go to the bathroom...
- Ok... - Clark said, while Dr. Klein worked on the dialysis machine - ... When can I change position? My right side is already a bit sore
- Later today we will evaluate a change of position - said Dr. Klein
- Great
- Well, try to eat and rest a little more... I'll be back later - said Dr. Klein before leaving
Before Dr. Klein could close the door behind him, one of the nurses entered the room with a tray of food for Clark.
- Good morning Mr. Kent, how have you been feeling? Have you had nausea today? - she asked
- Hello Anne... No, today I have not had nausea, I feel much better
- I'm glad, I hope you enjoy your lunch today... It's still a light diet, but it's more consistent than the soup you've been eating.
- Thank you
Martha walked over to the tray, so she could help Clark eat.
- This looks like a vegetable cream, it looks much better than yesterday - she said when looking at the content
After helping Clark with lunch, Martha and Jonathan went to the cafeteria to get something to eat while Clark took a short nap. They were eating when Martha's cell phone started ringing.
- Hello?
- Hello Martha, how is Clark? Lois asked on the other end of the call.
-Hello dear, Clark is very well, he is sleeping now, but he is much better than yesterday
- Oh really? What a relief...
-Yes, the Kryptonite left his body a few hours ago, so Dr. Klein plans to start today with some studies, in case his powers return to soon
- Oh...maybe I should go there then - Lois said hastily - has Clark asked for me?"
- Of course, honey - Martha replied - we told him that you had to work on some things om your computer, so you had decided to stay with John and give us time to be with him
- Thank you...
- Were you able to do what you needed to do? - Martha asked.
- Not everything, but I made enough progress... Enough to be able to talk to Clark later.
- Do you want me or Jonathan to go take care of John?
- I'd really appreciate it - Lois said, while she began to put her things in order so she could get out as soon as possible.
- Calm down honey, Jonathan is leaving now - said Martha, when she saw her husband stand up
- Thank you!
Just 40 minutes later, Lois was already at STAR LABS, chatting with Martha in the hallway outside Clark's room. Clark for his part had already been sleeping for about two hours
- Lois, good to see you - said Dr. Klein coming down the hall - is Clark still sleeping?
- Hello Dr. Klein - Lois greeted, - yes, he hasn't woken up yet...
- Oh, I see... Lois, can I talk to you for a moment... In private? - said Dr. Klein, looking around
For her part, Martha nodded calmly, since she knew that whatever Dr. Klein wanted to talk to Lois had to be related to Clark's powers, and therefore had to be done in private.
- Ehm... Sure... - she replied
- Go dear, I'll stay with Clark.
- Thank you Martha
About half an hour later, Clark heard the door to his room, and Lois and Dr. Klein came in.
- Clark! You're awake - Lois said, approaching him to give her husband a soft kiss - How do you feel?
- Well... I woke up a while ago... - Clark replied
- Well Clark, it's time to start the tests - Dr. Klein said, approaching Clark's bed - first I'll check the incision, to see if there has been any progress since this morning, and then we'll start with something minimally invasive, some ultrasounds
- Okay...
-There is no noticeable improvement in the wound... Although only three hours have passed... -Dr. Klein said while examining Clark- but it tells us that we are going well with the times
Dr. Klein put the bandage back on his place, then continued with his explanation.
- As we had discussed yesterday, these ultrasounds are on one hand to see how everything is working after surgery, and on the other hand to be able to see the rest of your system and obtain a good medical record for the future - explained Dr. Klein, while preparing the ultrasound - In order to keep everything as private as possible, I didn't ask Anne to help me with the exam, could you help me, Lois?
- Sure
- Thanks, if you can help me with Clark's gown please, his chest and abdomen have to be exposed so we can analyze everything
- Ok - said Lois, who very carefully moved the robe, to leave his torso exposed.
-- Great... I also need you to write down some information that I will give you.
- Ok...
- Clark, you will feel a bit of cold gel on your skin, but it will pass very soon... - said Dr. Klein
- O-ok...
- ...First, your kidney... It looks pretty good... There are no nearby bleeding or bruises from the surgery... - said Dr. Klein without taking his eyes off the screen and dictating measurements and other data of everything he saw to Lois
- ... Excellent! The liver also looks good... - Dr. Klein said, dictating the latest data to Lois - ...All your abdominal organs are in order and we already have records of them for the future...
- Great - said Clark, who didn't find the exam very comfortable
- Now we will check your heart... Interesting...
- What is interesting? - Clark asked a little alarmed.
- It's nothing bad, don't worry... - said Dr. Klein - in terms of shape it's very similar to ours, but apparently it's more efficient... It beats a little slower, but each beat ejects more blood at the rest of the body...
- Oh...
- I'm not really surprised... In order to support all the physical strain of your powers, your heart must be very efficient.
- It's true... - Martha said.
- Well, that's all for now Clark - Dr. Klein said, cleaning the remains of gel from Clark's torso - I'll come back later to assess how the wound is progressing and see if we need to hurry with the other tests... just rest for now
- Ok, thanks Dr. Klein - Clark said to who was leaving the room
- I'm so glad that everything is going well honey, but I think it's time to go... - said Martha - I don't think little John is giving your father much trouble, but it's better that I go help him
- Oh, yes... Thanks mom.
- We'll see each other tomorrow, rest honey - Martha said before saying goodbye to both and leaving the room
- I read your article - Clark said to Lois as soon as they were alone - it's excellent... Thank you
- You don't have to thank me honey...
- Mom said you had been working today?
- Yes... I was doing some research.
- For a story?
- No, not really... Clark, there's something we need to talk about...
- What's going on?
- Honey, I know that we still don't have a definitive diagnosis, and that Dr. Klein said that there was still a small chance that your powers would help so that this is only temporary... But... - Lois said, trying to sound calm. and empathetic - ... But we have to think about the possibility that that doesn't happen... And about everything that would imply...
- ...I...
- I know it's not easy Clark, and I hope with all my heart that we don't have to do any of this, but if it does happen... It's better to have something planned... Calmly look for options now... And not later in a hurry
- Planned? Options? What are you talking about?
- Clark... If you have to use a wheelchair... The best thing would be to move to another house...
- But you love that house!
- Not as much as I love Clark... I will love any house as long as we live together in it...
- But...
- Clark, think about it... It has steps at the entrance... The stairs to the second floor... - Lois said calmly caressing Clark's hand - the bathroom on the first floor is too small to fit a wheelchair, and you would not have how to get to the second floor...
- ...You're right...
- It doesn't make sense that you can't move around in your own house Clark...
- But we still don't know...
- I know... But it's better to have a couple of options ready and not use them, than to have nothing and choose the wrong one just because of the rush to find one... Also...
- Also? - Clark asked when Lois's pause became too long.
- I was talking with Dr. Klein... - said Lois - he believes that there is a third possibility that we had not considered until now...
- Which one?
- One is the total paralysis of your legs, another is the total recovery thanks to your powers... And the third one, is that your powers help the recovery, but it end being only partial...
- Partial?
- There is no way to ensure anything yet, but it is a possibility... - Lois explained - it is possible that you will recover sensation but not movement... Or that you will recover some movement, but not enough to walk without any support... Or several other options...
- Why didn't he tell us before? - Clark asked confused.
-He said that he had not thought of that option until today... When he came to talk to you, you were still sleeping... So he told me... And I asked him to be the one to tell you... .
- Oh...
- Clark... Whatever the outcome, your parents and I will be there with you to help you...
- I know...
- But there's no point in making everything more complicated just to hold on to a house...
- Yes, you're right... - Clark said with a sigh - have you already looked houses?
-- Yes... And I found a few very good options... - Lois said, standing up to look for the papers she had printed before leaving - they are all one-story houses, with a nice garden and in a good school area
- That will be good for John
- That's right... They all have spacious rooms and bathrooms where a wheelchair could fit without problems - Lois said, showing him the photos of the different houses - only the distribution and style varies.
- This one has a step at the entrance - Clark said, looking at the photos of one of the houses
- Yes, but it's the only one in the whole house, and we could easily build a ramp there
- Oh, it's true...
The afternoon passed very quickly for Lois and Clark, who were carefully reviewing all the pros and cons of the six different houses that Lois had selected. After much analysis they had managed to choose two of them, hopefully to visit them in person as soon as possible.
After that they had talked about other things they would have to worry about if all this wasn't temporary.
Perry had already offered to adapt the newsroom if necessary, and Clark might not be able to participate in some undercover missions, but his job shouldn't change that much...
Maybe what will happen behind closed doors at home will be different...
- If you can't walk, but your ability to fly remains intact, you could move around the house without much problem - Lois said thoughtfully - although...
- It would have to be with all the curtains closed or a neighbor could see me
- Yeah, you're right ...
- I don't think it's a good idea... it would be very confusing for John to see me sometimes in the chair and other times flying - Clark said - at least until he learns to speak there would be no problem, but soon he will be able to speak and he will be too small to understand, and will be unfair to ask him to keep such a secret...
- It's true... - Lois said - well, all this is in a hypothetical future...
- I know... But as you said, it's better to think about this now calmly... Than later in a hurry and with so many emotions involved...
- Everything will be fine Clark - Lois said, leaning in to kiss Clark.
- What I'm not sure about is what will happen with Superman... - Clark said thoughtfully
- That... - Lois said, but was interrupted by the sound of the door.
- Knock Knock! - said Dr. Klein on the other side of the door, before open it a little - can I come in?
- Sure
- How do you feel Clark? - asked Dr. Klein, approaching the bed
- Better...
- How is the pain? Are the painkillers still working?
- Yes... Although maybe not as much as before... I think it hurts a little more than a while ago... - Clark said - but not much more...
- On a scale from 1 to 10?
- 3?... 3,5... maybe?
- Ok, I'll check the wound then ... Everything looks very good... In fact, I can see a clear difference with what I saw in the morning - said Dr Klain as he carefully observed the incisions
- That is good, no? - Lois asked.
- Of course it is... It means that your speed healing is starting to work... Maybe not as fast as usual, but you:re healing faster than a human - Dr. Klein explained. - Your powers haven't come back yet?
- No, nothing yet..
- Maybe the first thing to come back will be your speed healing, and once your body has healed enough the rest will come back too... said Dr. Klein thoughtfully.
- Do you think we can do all the exams you wanted? - Lois asked.
- I hope so... - said Dr. Klein - but for now we will focus on something else
- What else? - Clark asked.
- We'll try to change position... And maybe try to sit down for a few minutes
- Oh .. - Clark said, a little nervous about it.
- Don't worry, we'll do it slowly, and we'll help you - explained Dr. Klein, just as Anne and Julie entered the room - excellent...
- Calm down Mr. Kent... we'll hold most of your weight - Anne said trying to reassure him, as she positioned herself on the side of the bed
- You should only worry about breathing... Otherwise, it will hurt more - Julie said, positioning herself on the other side of the bed, in front of Anne
- More? - Clark asked nervously, remembering his transfer from the hospital the day before.
- You may feel pain from the movement, but we can't keep waiting for you to start moving little by little - explained Dr. Klein - the longer we wait the worse it will be
Lois seeing how worried her husband looked, got closer to him and squeezed his hand hard.
- It will be fine Clark, we'll all be here with you
- Besides we'll go slow and at your pace... If you feel like you can't take it anymore, we'll stop, okay?
- Okay...
- Well, the first thing we'll do is turn you very slowly so that you'll end up facing the ceiling... - explained Dr. Klein before performing the procedure - But your back will not yet be touching the mattress, we will be holding you
- Ok... - Clark answered, trying to concentrate on breathing... He didn't want to hyperventilate before everything started
-- Then we'll slowly sit you down, and at the same time we will rotate you so that your legs can fall over one side of the bed, and thus make you remain seated
- ... - Clark didn't answer this time, he just nodded his head slightly.
- If at any time you feel that the pressure in your back is too much or the pain is too intense, just tell us and we'll stop - Dr. Klein reassured him - it is not necessary that we get to the point of having you sit down today
- Okay...
- Good, on my sign - said Dr. Klein
In a series of highly synchronized movements, Anne, Julie, and Dr. Klein were able to gently flip Clark over.
- How are you doing Clark? - asked Dr. Klein
- W-well... - Clark said trying to keep breathing.
- From 1 to 10?
- 4...
- Ok... So we'll start to seat you, ok?
- Okay...
Again, in a very natural and synchronized way, the three of them began to sit and rotate Clark.
- How are you doing Clark? - asked Dr. Klein, when Clark was at a 45 angle.
- 5...
- Shall we continue?
- Yeah...
A few seconds later, the trio stopped again, this time just before Clark's legs fell over the edge of the bed.
-Clark?
- I think almost 7... - Clark said through clenched teeth.
- Want us to stop?
- No...
- Ok... Now Anne will move your legs, ok? And we will finish lifting you...
- Okay...
- Keep breathing, Clark - Lois told him, as she continued to caress his hand.
Anne gently moved Clark's legs and left them dangling over the side of the bed, while Julie and Dr. Klein finished sitting him up, always holding him and supporting most of his weight.
- Mmhhmpff - Clark moaned through clench teeth, when he was fully sit up. The pressure on his back was too much, and he couldn't hold the position by himself, going sideways. If it wasn't for the support of Dr. Klein and Julie, Clark would be on the floor - No... more...
- Ok... Relax... We'll start laying you down slowly... - Dr. Klein said, while the trio synchronized their movements again to leave Clark in the same position he was a few minutes ago.
- That was very good Clark - Dr. Klein congratulated him - how much pain did you feel while sitting?
- 8 or 9... I don't know... - Clark said with a tired tone.
- I see - said Dr. Klein, while he wrote down what Clark told him - and now?
- Going down... In 6 maybe...
- Okay...
- You did very well honey - said Lois, who was still holding Clark's hand, who luckily still hasn't recovered his strength...
- Oh, I'm sorry Lois... Did I hurt you? - asked Clark, alarmed.
- Of course not...
- As Lois says, you did very well Clark, you managed to sit for 10 seconds
- Only 10 seconds? - Clark asked disappointed, for him it had been much more than that
- For a first attempt Clark, is quite a bit. We will repeat this exercise several times a day...
- Great - Clark said sarcastically.
- Each time it will hurt less... And each time you will last longer - explained Dr. Klein
- But I couldn't even stay seated... Without you supporting me I would have ended up on the ground
- This is normal, little by little your muscles will be able to maintain your posture without help again
- How long will that take? - Lois asked.
- I don't know... Surely your process will be faster than that of humans, but how much faster? Don't know...
- Oh...
- Well, I think that has been enough emotion for one day... How is the pain? - said Dr. Klein before leaving
- Going down little by little...
- Very well .. Julie will bring you dinner so that you can rest later
- Thank you Dr. Klein - Clark said - to all of you
As soon as they were alone in the room again, Lois asked
- How do you feel?
- A little better, the pain is decreasing...
- I did not mean that...
- I know...
- How did you feel when sitting down?
- Well, apart from the immense pain... It was... strange... - Clark said thoughtfully - ...it felt... disconnected...
- What are you talking about?
- When I'm lying down, not feeling my legs isn't so strange... - Clark tried to explain - but when I was sitting I could really feel the disconnection with them
- Ooh..
- Also, I had no real control over my body... No matter how hard I tried to stay seated, I was going to the sides...
- And the pressure on your back?
- Uff... That was strange... I couldn't describe it...
Lois, not knowing what to answer, just caressed her hand again and said
- Do you mind if we watch a movie while you eat?
- Sure... But you should go find something for yourself...
- I'll go as soon as Julie returns with yours
- I can stay 5 minutes alone Lois... - Clark said with a smile - I'm not going anywhere
- I know but...
- Go... So we can eat together
- Ok... I love you - Lois said, kissing Clark's forehead before leaving the room.
About an hour later, Lois and Clark had already eaten their dinner, and they were both enjoying a movie. Clark was about to surrender to exhaustion
- Haha - Lois laughed at a particularly ridiculous scene.
Not hearing her husband's laugh, Lois turned to look at him, only to find him sleeping peacefully. Lois gently removed his glasses, which Clark had continued to wear to keep up appearances, and placed them on the nightstand. She then turned off the tv, took her laptop and turned off the light in the room before leaving. It had been an exhausting afternoon for Clark.
Since it was still early to go to bed, Lois decided to take advantage of the time and headed towards the cafeteria to work.
On her way to the cafeteria, Lois told Julie where she would be, in case Clark woke up.
Once in the cafeteria, Lois decided to call Martha to see how everything was going.
- Hello?
- Hello Martha, how is everything going over there?
- Hello darling. We are all fine. John has already taken his bottle and is sleeping peacefully
- Just like his father... - Lois murmured.
- How is Clark? Martha asked.
-Sleeping...he was very tired
- Oh... Did something special happen after we left?
- After the ultrasounds Clark had the whole afternoon to rest... - Lois said - ... So we had time to talk.
- Oh... And how did that come out?
-Pretty good... At first he didn't like the idea of having to move, but eventually he understood that in the worst case we won't have another choice...
- And were you able to review the options you found?
- Yes, we calmly reviewed them, and we chose two that we quite liked...
- Oh that's great
- Yes, tomorrow I'll call to see if I can go see them in person...
- Without Clark?
- Yes... We talked about it, and if a change of home is necessary, the ideal would be for Clark to be able to go directly from StarLabs to the new home when he is discharged... And for that we couldn't wait for Clark to can go visit them
- Oh...
- Don't worry Martha, I'll ask Jimmy to come with me to take pictures so that my report to Clark is very complete.
- Thank you dear...
- After that we talked about other things... And then Dr. Klein appeared to try to change Clark's position
- Oh! And how did it go that?
- Good... But it was physically and emotionally exhausting for Clark.
- What are you talking about?
- Well, it's a painful process... Especially the first attempts... Clark managed to stay seated, with help of course, for only 10 seconds...
- Oh my baby
- But Dr. Klein said it was a very good first try.
- Oh that's good...
- Yes... But it was also a new and strange sensation for Clark... he told me that he had really noticed how disconnected his legs were...
- I see...
- Dr. Klein will repeat the process several times a day... At least each attempt will be less painful than the last
- Oh Clark...
- So tomorrow it will be your turn to help him while I go see the houses
- Sure dear
- In fact... I was thinking that the best thing would be that when you come you bring John with y ou, Clark will be happy to see him...
- What's a great idea Lois!
- And then I take him to accompany me to see the houses
- Are you sure?
- Yes, Clark needs you here with him... I'll take care of John
- Well dear, see you tomorrow then
-- See you
After talking with Martha, Lois called Perry.
- Hi Perry
-Lois! How are you? How's Clark doing?
-Well... he has been evolving as expected
- Do you already have a definitive diagnosis?
- No, not yet... But it should be within the next few days... There are still tests to take
- Oh, I see... Did you think about looking for a new house?
- Yes... I already discussed it with Clark... we won't make any decisions until we have a clearer understanding of Clark's evolution, but we've already been looking at some options
- I'm glad you're doing it calmly
- Yes... in fact I wanted to see if Jimmy could come with me tomorrow to visit a couple that we chose...
- Jimmy?
-Yes, so he can take photos to show Clark
- Oh, of course, dear.
- Thanks Perry.
- Have the journalists kept calling you?
- No... Luckily not... And apparently it's not yet known that Clark is here at StarLabs, because I haven't seen them outside either.
- Let's hope it stays that way.
- Yeah...
- Try to rest Lois...
- Thanks Perry...You too
- See you, and give my regards to Clark
- Thank you
After talking with Perry, Lois opened her laptop to see if she found any other houses available.
After she didn't find anything new, she decided to review some of her reports that were still pending delivery. With everything that was coming up in the next few days, it was best to get them ready so she could deliver them to Perry as soon as possible, and then focus fully on Clark.
Around eleven o'clock at night, Lois turned off her laptop and went to her husband's room. In his room there was a small sofa, where Jonathan had slept last night and where she would sleep tonight .
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Sorry for the delay. I have many chapters planned, but not much time to write them... So it will take me a while to upload them, but I will do it eventually .
Sorry if the story is not very coherent in terms of medical information...
Thank you all for such nice comments, I would like to know which of the three evolution options for Clark you would like. I already have clear how the story will continue, but I would like to know which one you would like more
See you!