21
Back at STAR LABS, Bernie Klein unveiled his Kryptonite antidote theory to Clark and Lois. Since Krypton's red sun had been burning helium in its core, thus expanding greatly and eventually causing Krypton to explode, the resulting Kryptonite debris which transformed into meteor rocks were fused with the elements of Krypton's giant red star. Helium is a harmless gas in general, so some component of Krypton's molten core, made radioactive by the explosion, must be dangerous someone born on Krypton. If that particular element could be transformed into a harmless gas like helium, Clark's problems would be over.
Bernie exclaimed "If only we had a way of traveling back to Krypton before it exploded, then we could analyze the composition of the planet's core. Obviously, the ground wasn't radioactive then, and was harmless to native Kryptonians."
Clark and Lois looked at each other. H.G. Wells could get them to Krypton's past – but how could they possibly travel there in that little time machine? How many light years away was Krypton from earth, anyway? It was then that Clark was reminded of Ma and Pa's world, where rogue Kryptonians had inhabited a New Krypton. Could there possibly be a New Krypton in this dimension, also? Perhaps it was composed of the same elements as the original Krypton? No sense thinking about it, because they had no way to get in touch with Wells, anyway. He just popped in and out of their lives at will, following his own agenda.
"Bernie, that's a great idea, but obviously not feasible. What other ideas do you have, so I don't have to live my life in a lead-lined room, or wear this cumbersome suit?" Clark asked.
"Well, I was thinking that instead of a Kryptonite vaccine, which obviously didn't work in that other world, that perhaps we could use another method: biofeedback," Bernie explained. "In this way, we train your body not to react to exposure to Green Kryptonite - build up your natural resistance. Every day we expose you to Green K – you advise me when you feel your powers starting to fade. We do that several times per day and see if eventually, you can withstand exposure to it for longer periods of time without feeling the adverse effects. We could give that a try for a week and see if we're on the right track. If that's not working, we go to Plans B, C, and D", Klein said, with a touch of jocularity in his tone of voice.
"And just what would those plans be…?" Lois piped up, playing straight man to Bernie's lame attempt at humor.
"Plan B is: we build a time-traveling rocket ship to visit Krypton in the past, or, Plan C, Clark wears a big ugly space suit every day, and you line your home with lead – including the windows - no sunlight, which means eventually his powers will fade. Or Plan D, we hope the Kryptonite rings dissipate by themselves soon," he joked. "I really think the biofeedback might work."
"Well, believe it or not, Bernie, my apartment has already been lined with lead, for privacy reasons. The curtains over the windows even have lead lining. But being trapped in there or wearing this clunky suit is not an attractive option. Plan 'A' it is. Let's get started then," said Clark. "No time like the present."
Lois went over to Clark and gave him a kiss. "Sweets, I'll be back. I have some unfinished business to attend to," she said, with a wink. <"I'm going to visit Perry White and tell him what's going on! Then I'm going to find an OBGYN and get myself checked out.">
Clark shook his head. <"Lois, be careful, honey. You've already had quite a day for yourself. I'll see you later. Love you.">
<"You too. I'm so glad you're home!">
<"So am I, honey.">
~~~~~
Lois still had Clark's cell phone, and she dialed the Mayor's office, looking for her former boss.
"Good afternoon, office of the Mayor of Metropolis," a perky voice informed her. "How may I help you today?"
"Yes, I'd like to speak with Mayor White. Lois Lane calling," she said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Lane, but Mr. White isn't taking any calls – he is in a meeting with the Deputy Mayor. Can I leave him a message?"
"Yes. Tell him that Lois Lane is going to stop by his home tonight around 7:00pm."
"I'll give him the message Ms. Lane. Have a good day."
"You too," Lois replied insincerely. <She must have bubble gun in her veins. Ugh!>
Lois started walking down the sidewalk and spotted a Women's Reproductive Health Center – walk-ins welcome. <No time like the present to find out if you're prego or not, Lane!>
After filling out the paperwork and explaining to the receptionist that she currently had no health insurance, she was finally placed in a waiting room, and instructed to undress and put on the required blue gown-that-ties-around-your-neck-and-is-all-open-in-the-back-thing. She had already given her urine sample, therefore it would be a simple ["yes-you-are" or "no-you're-not" – pregnant] conversation when the doctor finally made it in the room.
A female gynecologist who introduced herself to Lois as Dr. Helen Bryce entered the room.
Lois got right to the point. "Am I pregnant? My period is three weeks late," she explained. "I just got married, and we haven't been using birth control. If I am pregnant, it'll be okay. My husband is wonderful, and he'll support me in every way possible," she babbled on.
Dr. Bryce smiled at Lois' nervous ranting and said, "Right now, Lois, the pregnancy test is negative. But I'd like to examine you anyway; perhaps there is a medical reason other than pregnancy that your period is late."
Lois was both relieved and disappointed at the news. "I'm not pregnant? Huh. That's interesting, yeah, that's okay. I'm not ready yet anyway, yeah, that's good."
Dr. Bryce had Lois get in the familiar stirrups and began her examination. "Lois, on your chart you indicated that you don't have any children."
"I don't. Why?"
"Well, Lois, I can see some scar tissue from a previous pregnancy. It's quite obvious to me that you have given birth to a full-term baby. Was the child stillborn? Did you give it up for adoption?"
Lois looked at her as if she was speaking Kryptonese. "What? Doctor, I swear to you, I never had children – uh, waitaminute! Oh, forget it!" A strange, ominous feeling had overcome Lois momentarily – then it passed.
"Ms. Lane, as a doctor who exclusively treats women – I can tell you, based on the shape of your pelvis and the scar tissue I see, you most definitely have given birth in *this* lifetime. Have you had a traumatic experience that would cause you to have hysterical amnesia?"
"I was in Congo-Brazzaville for ten years, living in various refugee camps. But I could swear – I remember it all," Lois said slowly, now not believing the words coming out of her own mouth. "You would think, Dr. Bryce, that I would recall giving birth!"
"Lois, may I recommend a good psychiatrist?"
"You may, as long as his name isn't Dr. Maxwell Deter," she replied sarcastically.
"Well actually… Dr. Deter is the foremost psychiatrist in Metropolis. He specializes in hypnotic regression to treat hysterical amnesia, Lois. Have you had a bad experience with him or something?" Dr. Bryce inquired.
"It's a long story. Perhaps I *will* go see him again. I'd like to get a copy of the tape he made while I was under hypnosis. I think I need to listen to that as soon as possible. Thanks, doctor. Can you explain why my period is late?"
"Quite often, a major change in lifestyle- you said you just moved back to Metropolis and got married – will interrupt the cycle of the menses, Lois. If you skip another month, come back to see me. I'll take blood samples and run some tests. Perhaps you're starting an early menopause. And Lois, please – if I can be of any other assistance, let me know. Good luck. You can get dressed now, if you like."
"Absolutely; I'm out of here," Lois snipped. <Dr. Deter, you've got some questions to answer!>
~~~~~
Looking at her watch, it was nearly 5:00 p.m. Hailing a cab to bring her to Deter's office, she nearly ran out of the vehicle as soon as it stopped, throwing the driver a conservative tip as she did so. <I think he closes at 5:00 p.m. "Hey sweets …how's the biofeedy-thing going?">
No response. The Kryptonite must have sapped the telepathy. Oh well. This was something she had to do alone, anyway.
She bombed into the waiting room and stormed the receptionist's desk.
"Where's Dr. Deter? I need to meet with him *now*!" Lois insisted.
"Ms. Lane, is it? He's with a patient, and I'm afraid it's his last appointment of the day. The office is technically closed."
Lois sat down. "I'll wait, and I’m not leaving until he meets with me."
Lois observed the receptionist furtively intercoming her boss, relaying the message to him. Little did the woman know that Deter was actually elated that Lois Lane was out in the waiting room.
Less than ten minutes later, the last patient exited the office and the very handsome Maxwell Deter told his receptionist to take off, that he would handle Ms. Lane personally.
Lois looked up and saw her doctor smiling broadly at her, offering his hand in greeting.
"Lois! How great to see you! What can I do for you?"
"I'll get to the point, Dr. Deter. I want a copy of the recording you made during my hypnosis session."
"I'm afraid that's only available through a court order, Ms. Lane. You psyche may not be able to process some of the information on that tape at this time. It's for your own protection, I'm afraid. Your next appointment is Friday afternoon, correct?"
"Forget it, Deter. I'm not working at the Planet anymore – I quit - I have no medical insurance and quite frankly, I've been warned not to trust you. So I guess that means – no, I won't see you on Friday. And I *will* get that tape!"
Lois blew out of the office, slamming the door vigorously, leaving Maxwell perplexed and dismayed.
Hailing another cab, she headed back to STAR LABS.
Clark and Bernie were in a lead-lined laboratory. Clark looked pale, Bernie looked upset.
"Hey! How's it's going?" Lois asked, trying to be cheerful, for Clark's sake.
Clark looked up, his expression brightening, seeing Lois. "OK, not as good as we’d hoped. I was only able to stand the Kryptonite exposure for two minutes longer this last time."
"Two minutes today, twenty minutes next week," Lois replied, "by the end of the month, two hours." Bernie left the room for a moment to give them some privacy; he sensed that they needed it. "Hey, Propaganda, I need you to put that ugly space suit back on, we need to break into Deter's office."
"Lois! You can't be serious!"
"Propaganda… do I *look* like I'm kidding? Hurry up, let's go, I'll explain on the way! – oh you *do* still have your powers, right?"
Clark smiled. "We're gonna find out the hard way, I guess!"
Flying high above the clouds so as not to attract attention, Lois carefully explained to her husband that she believed an important piece of information about her past was captured on the recording of her last hypnosis session. Unwittingly, she didn't block the rest of her thoughts and Clark figured out the rest telepathically… Lois *wasn't* pregnant, and she'd been told she had given birth at some time in her life, probably when she was in Brazzaville.
Clark furtively flew them back to the apartment, thankful that he had long ago shielded the walls with lead lining for privacy reasons when he was first "outed" as Superman. He realized that he would have to replace the window glass with lead crystal if he was going to live there. Taking the "head" of the suit off, so they could finish the discussion face to face, Clark stared into Lois' big brown troubled eyes, observing that Lois had tears staining her cheeks, but was trying to keep up a strong front, as usual.
<"Omigod, honey… of course I'll help you. I think it might be better to go to a different doctor than break into Deter's office, though. There are other psychiatrists that can treat amnesia through hypnotic regression other than Deter.">
<"Yes, but if it's *true*, I *did* have a baby, I don't want that information in the hands of Edge Enterprises!">
<"I know, honey, but hopefully Deter will at least respect your privacy – he is under professional oath not to discuss the details of your treatment – he can only advise the employer the *status* of your treatment, not the personal details.">
<"I'm supposed to have another appointment with him on Friday. What if I told him I would only keep the appointment if you were present to listen in?">
<"Yeah…cute…me sitting in a doctor's office wearing this sexy space suit… oh well…for you, honey, I'll do it. Call him back. That's certainly better than breaking into his office. He's going to know who did it, and you don't need any more legal problems.">
<"Yeah, okay, well I'll leave him a message that I'll be there Friday and that you're going to accompany me. In the meantime, we have to go to Perry's house at 7:00 pm!">
Clark looked at the wall. <"Well that means we have plenty of time for…">
<"We only have one room in this house that doesn't have windows, Clark… the bathroom. Did I ever tell you I find uniforms sexy? They're so much fun to take *off*!">
~~~~
TBC
