Shayne, this whole story has been just brilliant. But this chapter seems to start to sum up all that wyou have been building towards; putting Lana where she belongs, Lois coming to terms with her feelings for Clark, Clark coming to terms with his feelings for Lois, Lisa starting to really grow up and make rational decisions relating to her developing powers and the desire of the three of them to become a family.
The fact that Lois had to think fast and bring Clark to the ER as Superman to protect his identity proves beyond a reasonable doubt that she will protect his secret at whatever cost. Now Clark shouldn't have any questions about trusting Lois with...everything.
“The fragments in his back are poisoning him,” Lois said. “They interfere with his special abilities and cause him pain. If he’s exposed to them long enough he thinks they can kill him.”
The doctor stared at her. “How is it that you know all of this?”
“I work for the Superman Foundation,” Lois said. She pulled her employee’s ID out of her wallet. “And I’ve worked with the closest thing he’s had to a personal physician.”
And Lois continues to protect him, revealing on a need to know basis and keeping as much detail to herself as she can get away with without compromising his life.
“Doesn’t a nurse usually do this part?”
The doctor nodded. “It’s a slow night.”
Lois could see several nurses and doctors staring at her in the distance. Looking back at them, the doctor said, “Actually, I wanted to do this. He’s done a lot for the people of this city, and we’re going to do everything we can to keep him alive.”
The doctor doing all of this himself shows just how much Superman means to the world...and this doctor...and he wants to personally take part in whatever it takes to save his life.
“You didn’t eat your dinner,” Lana said, leaning over her.
Lisa shook her head slightly and said, “I wasn’t hungry.”
“At least you drank your tea.” There was a slight sound of smugness in Lana’s voice, and Lisa knew she’d been right not to drink it.
She caressed Lisa’s forehead and Lisa fought not to flinch. Instead she looked away from Lana and allowed tears to rise to her eyes.
People thought girls were weak; even other girls thought it sometimes. The girliest thing of all was to cry, and so Lisa allowed herself that.
Lana pulled her into a hug and Lisa was struck by just how skinny the woman was. Her hand touched the heavy bag at Lana’s side, and her fingers started to tingle unpleasantly near the flap of the bag.
Lana kept the poison in the bag. It was probably what she’d used to hurt Lisa before.
Lisa pulled her hand away from the bag unobtrusively.
Getting the bag away from Lana would be her first priority, although if she had a chance to run, she’d take it.
Lisa has taken this time that she has been "locked away" to think her plan through (unlike her mother).
I shows that she is a smart girl (like her mother...and father) and realizes that something just isn't right. Hopefully, with careful calculations, she can escape soon and hopefully Lois can "take care of Lana" in the way she deserves to be taken care of (beat the crap out of her). And the red and green K wont be of any help to Lana against Lois.
“There’s something you need to know about mothers,” she said. “Normally they are nice people, pretty much like anyone else. But when you take their child…well…they’ll do just about anything.”
That is the absolute truth!
“Wow,” Lois said. “You’ve got really hairy legs.”
A moment later he began to scream.
LOL! I love how Lois took care of Bruno!
“I haven’t been fair to you,” Lois said softly. “Except for that first day you’ve always been good to me.”
He lay on the bed, terribly still. It was the lack of animation in his features that bothered her as much as anything. When he was awake he was the first person you noticed when he entered a room. He had charisma, a sort of dynamism that was more than just physical beauty, although he had that as well.
“I’ve been alone for a long time,” Lois said. “Being responsible for someone else makes you grow up in a hurry, and it was just easier to focus everything I had on Lisa.”
Lois is finally starting to come to terms about how she feels about Clark and feels a need to explain to him why she has been acting the guarded way that she has.
“I always believed that a woman doesn’t need a man to be happy, and I think that’s true.” Lois stared down at him, “But since I’ve been around you I’ve been happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Grasping his hand in hers, she said, “I’m going to save our daughter. When we get back, I think I’d like to give being a family a try.”
Almost imperceptibly she felt his hand tighten in hers, and she felt a moment of hope.
Lois can say all that she feels now that she thinks Clark is asleep. She wants him to hear her but probably wouldn't have been comfortable at this point telling him face-to-face, so that if he rejects her she can almost pretend that she didn't bare her soul to him.
She tells him how happy he makes her and doesn't really want it to end. She wants this to be a beginning of something and seems to be asking if he would be willing to try for something more. I love how she emphasized "our daughter" as if they are *more* already. Then Clark did the only thing that he was strong enough to do...tighten his hand...as if to answer *yes* to her questions. They have already been unconsciously courting each other for a while.
Shayne, this was probably one of the most brilliant parts of this story. I am anxious for the next post.
Hurry up, already! Before I have to return to school on Monday!
~Sheila
