Corrina! *Do* something!
My heart just goes out to poor Clark. It's going to be a long road.
"Because I wasn't able to stop them from taking my parents. Because I don't even know who I am anymore. Because I am totally powerless. Because sometimes, everything seems so dark, and I don't know how to get through that."
Change "from taking my parents" to "from killing Linda", and this could have been Lois talking just 5 days ago.
He couldn't fail her again today.
Somehow, he had to try to be what she needed him to be. He had to respond. He had to act as if he could see a way through this.
I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It sounds a bit like:
She didn't want anyone to know about [her weaknesses, her insecurities, and her pain.]
She hadn't admitted them to Scardino. When the shrink probed, Lois had insisted that she enjoyed long and uninterrupted sleep every night.
On the other hand, they do say that feelings often follow action. Perhaps acting confident and hopeful will eventually lead to confidence and hope? [ETA: I think the key will be how open he is with Lois and how much he tries to hide.]
I'm actually finding these chapters harder to read than the first ones. Mental anguish is so much more difficult to overcome than physical pain.
That makes the wait between chapters harder, too! I *so* want to continue reading, ever hopeful that things will get better!
Oh, and also to see what Shadbolt is going to do!!!
