/continues from part 1/
He gave me a hard look. “Now, Professor Carlton told me that you’re suffering from—”
“Aphephobia,” I offered feebly.
“Right. You don’t like to touch people.”
Hmm... definitely worried about hurting people.
I opened the door and began to walk out when someone barreled into me. I stepped backward in surprise, and the person who’d run into me fell to the floor.
Chagrined, I moved to help the person—a woman—get to her feet, but then I quickly realized what I was doing and stopped. “S-sorry,” I mumbled.
She glared at me and picked herself up off the ground with more dignity than seemed possible, given the awkwardness of the situation.
I moved out of the doorway and to the side so she could bypass me, and her annoyance was almost tangible as she brushed past me and shut herself in the small room with the Chief Editor. I could hear her demand, “Who was that guy?”
So many things revealed here. Clark's definitely consciously avoiding touching people. I don't think he would have to force himself to refrain from helping if he had Aphephobia. And now Lois thinks he's just another insensitive man. And to top it all off, Clark has always been the touchy guy. Fanon has him actually as the touchier of their relationship, and Lois just liking it. But now, he won't try to make physical contact, staying away from Lois, etc. Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy.
But they weren’t able to make it in time. The bus hit them straight on. I was helpless to stop it.
Okay, either Clark's more afraid of his shadow than I thought. Or, what's more likely, the locket contains a bit of green Kryptonite. This would also explain his hunger, bus rides, tiredness, etc.
Wonder if his accident happened because of coming into contact with red kryptonite.
Great story. Biggest issue was refraining from starting part 3 before leaving FDK for 1 and 2, so as to not muddle things too much
Michael
