Chapter Four
Solutions?
Doctor Klein stared at the test results before him. He had to admit that he was still slightly in shock. He'd checked the results more than once, as well as the reliability of the equipment he'd used to arrive at his conclusions, but everything was in working order and the answers steadfastly remained the same.
Was it only a few days ago that Lois Lane and Clark Kent had arrived in his office at an early hour with a baby? Fortunately, Bernie had pulled an 'all nighter' on some puzzling piece of research, or the reporting team wouldn't have found him here. Yet neither Lois nor Clark had shown surprise, which said a lot for his habits! He really needed to get himself another life... get out more, learn to smell the roses. Bernie was afraid that he'd hardly be able to recognise a rose even if it was pushed under his nose.
Maybe he needed to phone Caroline again and arrange another vacation. They'd had a wonderful time together, only he hadn't been comfortable with the age gap. How could a slightly odd, middle-aged scientist like himself hope to keep the attention of an intelligent, articulate and beautiful physicist? She might have called him a 'god', but he was fairly sure she'd soon discover he was very ordinary. Still, life was too short not to take the chances offered, so maybe he would. Just as soon as he figured out the latest puzzle Lois and Clark had brought him....
He'd been shocked when the couple had told him how they'd found a baby left alone in their dining room, with hardly any clues as to where the child had come from. At first, he'd suggested they contact the police and child welfare services... babies not being his 'field of expertise', but when he'd heard about the cryptic note and Superman's shield, he'd immediately agreed to help. Superman was his friend and patient, and if this baby had anything to do with the superhero then he'd be only too pleased to run some tests.
The idea of Superman being involved with an abandoned baby intrigued Bernie, and the puzzle deepened, now that the test results were in. Not only did this baby have something to do with Superman, it was Superman's child. Even more surprisingly; this child's genes were a mix of Kryptonian and Earthling, which should have been impossible.
Klein's first theory was that his earlier tests on Superman's compatibility with an Earth woman must have been flawed, but on checking those figures too, he couldn't refute the results. By rights, a Kryptonian male couldn't reproduce with a Terran female, and yet he'd seen the proof with his own eyes, even held the little boy in his arms. It was a very cute baby, and it had reminded him of someone. Now he knew exactly who -- Superman!
That didn't make sense, though. Obviously Superman was very keen to have a child; his asking Klein to run fertility tests had proved that, and his abject demeanour when told that a child was an impossibility had shown the depths of his longing. He'd even asked about other fertility treatments... such as in vitro fertilization, and Bernie had felt like a complete heel when he'd had to explain that any procedure available would have no more success than a natural conception. Superman had been devastated.
So, why would he give up the very thing he'd dreamed of to Lois and Clark? Couldn't he or the child's mother take care of the baby?
In Bernie's opinion, Lois and Clark would certainly make good surrogate parents, but why wreathe the exchange of the child in mystery? Wouldn't it have avoided a lot of problems if Superman had just asked the Kents to adopt his child? Even if he didn't want the general public to know of the existence of his child, Lois and Clark could be trusted never to tell. They might be reporters, but, first and foremost, they were the superhero's friends.
No, Bernie had to be missing something here. He pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed at the sweat on his forehead. It was getting very warm in here. He rose and adjusted the settings on the AC unit, inhaling a few breaths of the cooling blast of air. That was much better! Wherever this research was taking him, he needed a cool head.
Sitting once more in front of his monitor, Bernard drew up the baby's DNA profile again. He stared closely at the twisting strands, then clicked on to the more detailed chart with both Superman's and the baby's genetic markers. There was something very odd here, something that twigged at the far reaches of his memory. In a flash of inspiration, he delved into his files, quickly bringing up another window to allow him to compare a third set of DNA.
Oh, boy! The answer hit Bernie between the eyes. He grabbed the beaker at his hand and took a gulp, and immediately spat out the distasteful liquid. Rushing over to the sink, he rinsed his mouth out a number of times. Yuk! That had been most unpleasant. How had the remnants of his earlier tests on the lab-chimps been left on his desk? He really had to be more careful what he drank from.
Pouring the offending material down the drain, he returned to his computer and reached for his proper drink, but before he could take a sip, his attention was reclaimed by the information on his screen. If he hadn't spotted this earlier, he really was working too hard. But who would have suspected?
He had had the chance to study the mother's DNA before... or a very close facsimile. In fact, he'd worked very extensively on the project to try to save the doomed young woman. Clois! The poor female clone of Lois Lane. Of course, she couldn't be the mother, she'd been dead for too long. But, clones were like identical twins, so it followed that this baby had inherited the genetic make-up of... Lois Lane.
Oh Jeez! Klein slugged back a swig of his drink and felt the warm spirit trace its way down his throat. The tabloids had told the truth. Lois Lane and Superman had been an item! More than an item... and he'd just discovered the proof. What was he supposed to do now? How could he tell Clark that his wife had been unfaithful to him, particularly since Lois would probably be present?
"Oh, hi, Clark, Lois! Congratulations, Lois, you're a mother." He spoke his thoughts into the empty room. "Oh, boy! Yes, she's going to destroy me. I'm toast!"
Wait a minute, though. Why did Lois not admit that she was the boy's mother? And why ask him to investigate the baby's origins? Surely she'd known her secret would be discovered....
No, that couldn't be the answer. He might be the 'absent-minded professor', but he didn't think he'd forget something as obvious as Lois being pregnant and giving birth. And even if it had passed his notice, Clark Kent was no fool. There was no way Lois could hide that from her husband. Besides, he'd stake his reputation on the fact that the couple had no idea how the baby had arrived in their home, nor its parentage.
But the paternity tests were irrefutable, and there was no doubt in his mind that if he had a sample of Lois' actual DNA his deduction would be verified... no doubt at all.
Bernard had eliminated all the possible explanations, which left him with the impossible... the child was a clone... sort of! If he ran some more experimental tests on the baby's tissue samples, he might even be able to prove it, though that idea was just conjecture. This was amazing! Stupendous! Someone, somewhere, who wished to remain anonymous, had perfected the yet risky procedure of cloning a child... a healthy child. Though the child's health would need careful monitoring, he hoped for everyone's sake that this was true. Of course, with the baby's super genes there was every likelihood that it would share its father's good health and invulnerability.
A clone of Superman and Lois! He could understand why someone might want a super-baby to use for their own, probably, nefarious purposes. There was always some megalomaniac villain scheming to take over the world. Only, if that were the reason, wouldn't it be more plausible to make a clone of only Superman? A hybrid baby might not have the total array of super skills.
Could it be that the cloning process needed two sets of genes to produce a viable baby? None of the theories he'd read on cloning had ever suggested that. In fact, as far as he was aware, any ongoing experiments were set to produce a clone of a single being. A clone with two sets of genetic markers hadn't yet been envisioned. This was cutting edge stuff, or beyond. It seemed this unknown scientist had created a normal healthy child using cell tissue from both father and mother.
And it still didn't explain Lois' involvement.
It was a well known fact that the superhero was a close friend of Lois, but wouldn't it have been easier to use a female who was perhaps involved with the experiment... or the woman Superman told Bernie he was dating? Could she have been Lois Lane? Somehow the idea of a corrupt research scientist with a romantic streak didn't ring true.
Besides, Bernie had never believed in the rumours of a deeper relationship between Superman and Lois. She was a married woman, and he'd often witnessed the interaction between Lois and Clark. It was clear they loved each other deeply. Then again, he'd seen the same thing between Lois and the superhero. He'd often joked that they acted just like a married couple....
Lois visited Star Labs with Superman... or with Clark. But Bernie couldn't remember a single time when she'd been here with both. In fact, he'd never seen the two men together, either!
Finally the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. The baby was a cloned blend of Lois and Superman... because Superman was Clark! It explained his yearning to have a child with an Earth woman... a woman he was married to.
Bernie downed the last of his drink and poured himself another as he pictured both Superman and Clark in his mind. The second cocktail followed the first in quick succession. This was mind blowing, but he didn't need a DNA test to confirm his deduction.
Why had he never noticed the similarities between the two men before? More than anyone he'd been allowed to study Earth's strange visitor. He should have worked it out. After all, he was a famed research scientist. Caroline had called him a god! A god who couldn't spot what was right under his nose! And yet, if he were truthful with himself, he was rather vague when it came to dealing with human beings. Give him a scientific formula or equation and he'd probably arrive at the correct conclusion sooner rather than later. Just as he had with this current problem. Only he'd found more answers than he'd been looking for.
Which brought him to the fact that he really should phone Lois and Clark and tell them he had some information. But just how much should he tell them he'd discovered? And even confirmation of the baby's parentage got them no closer to finding out who had left him in their care. Solving that enigma was more in the field of Lois and Clark.
*****
Doctor Klein frowned at the anxious couple before him, but more often his eyes kept drifting to Clark. How could he not have recognised that his star patient -- actually his only patient -- was the man sitting before him? Of course, the flashy blue and red uniform was distracting, but he was one of the few people who'd seen Superman without it. He'd assumed he was the only one who'd known for certain that the suit came off. But Lois Lane obviously knew that much better than he.
Superman was Clark Kent. Any vestige of doubt disappeared from Bernie's mind as he absorbed more similarities. Both had the same height and build, though Clark tried to hide his bulk... and the glasses were a good disguise, as was the different hair style. But, on closer inspection, they shared the same features, and the tiny mole above the lip was a dead give away. Holy Cow! How could he have missed that?
"Bernard!" Lois' exasperated voice brought him back to the present. "I'm assuming that since you called us, you have something to tell us about Matthew."
"Matthew?" Bernie turned to Lois so quickly he almost slipped off his chair, while his brain struggled to make the transition from Clark to Matthew.
"Yes, our baby... the one you were running tests on."
"Oh, the baby...."
"Lois, honey, you know we can't call him ours yet." Clark's words were a warning, but even he couldn't quite suppress the hopeful note in his voice.
"Actually, Clark, Lois is right, and you can!"
That silenced the pair, and they simply stared at the man behind the desk. Not surprisingly, it was Lois who first found her voice. "We can?"
"The baby is yours, biologically speaking." Bernie wished he was more adept at explaining things without resorting to scientific jargon. "I ran paternity tests, and there's no doubt about the baby's mother and father. His genetic code is a combination of both of yours."
Again there was a moment of silence before Clark eased forward in his chair. "But surely that's impossible for you to know. You don't have DNA samples from either Lois or myself."
"I have to admit that assumption did prove to be a stumbling block to my research, and I might have reached the right answers a whole lot sooner if you'd been honest with me," Bernie huffed and almost pouted, feeling more than a little aggrieved.
"But you don't, Dr Klein. Neither Clark nor I have ever given you samples."
"Not as yourselves, no. But I've been studying Superman for nearly two years now, and I was certain you trusted me...."
"Superman? What does Superman have to do with this?" Lois' shock numbed her memory, blocking the fact that they'd told Dr Klein about Matthew arriving with the 'S' shield.
"Superman, Clark that is, has everything to do with this, and don't try to pretend you don't understand what I'm saying because the contents of this folder prove otherwise." Bernie's agitation made him bold, while his fingers played with the edges of the file beneath his hand. Normally, he wouldn't dare confront Lois Lane this way, though Superman didn't scare him -- he was a 'mild-mannered' pussy cat.
The 'mild-mannered' pussy cat folded his arms and his lips compressed into a tight line, making him resemble his alter-ego even more, and Bernie did wonder if he'd misjudged the situation. After a second, though, Clark stated quietly, "I take it you've discovered my secret identity?"
"Yes, and I have to tell you it wasn't a comfortable conclusion to arrive at. For a little while, I was very disappointed in you, Lois."
"Why me? What did I do to upset you?" Lois rose from her chair, regarding the doctor stormily. "And what has this got to do with Matthew?"
Recognising the warning signs that his wife was about to explode, Clark stepped in quickly. "Bernard, I think perhaps you should tell us everything you've discovered."
Starting to feel very intimidated by Ms Lane, Bernie agreed. "Yes, of course. I didn't mean to insult you, Lois, really I didn't, but for a short time... a very infinitesimal time, I believed the old rumours about you and Superman." He blanched as Lois edged closer. "Of course, that's not true. I mean you can't have an affair with your husband, even if he is wearing a different suit...."
"Bernie... talk!" Lois demanded.
"Ok, but please remember I'm not very good at explanations... especially ones of a personal nature. You asked if I could find out about the baby's origins, and I have. I ran DNA tests and I very quickly recognised the Kryptonian genes, so, of course, I checked them against the only Kryptonian I know who lives on Earth...."
"Superman?" Clark stood and placed his arm round Lois' shoulder.
"They matched up. But I have to tell you, I was sorta puzzled why Superman should turn his baby over to you two without explaining why."
"Especially since you knew Superman wanted a child."
"Exactly, Clark. Though, after working out that you and he are the same person, it's not surprising at all."
Clark's large shoulders shrugged uneasily beneath his jacket. As always, his first instinct was to deny the accusation, but Dr Klein knew him better than anyone outside his family and he doubted that his lies would be believed... besides, he didn't want to mislead this man. "Can I ask what you're going to do with that knowledge?"
"Nothing! I would never tell anyone." If it were possible the doctor looked even more hurt and disappointed. "I would never betray your secret. Apart from the usual ethics of doctor/patient confidentiality, I consider you a friend, a close friend. I hoped you felt the same."
"Yes, I do! And believe me, Lois and I have been debating whether we should tell you the truth. But you have to understand that this is a very dangerous secret. If it ever got out, my family and friends could be in danger...."
"Oh, I do understand. Wild horses couldn't drag it out of me." Bernie felt his insides shrinking at that scary scenario. For a moment he doubted his courage, and he could only pray that he would live up to his avowal, if he were ever tested. Then a second thought suddenly consoled him. "But I doubt it would come to that. Most people think I wander about in a fog of scientific research and wouldn't notice whether the sky fell in, so I don't suppose anyone would think to question me."
"I have faith in you, Doc, and I'm very grateful for all that research -- it's saved me many times in the past. You've been a great friend, and I hope you'll keep helping in the future." The younger man's face relaxed into an eager smile and he reached out a hand across the desk. "I'd like to shake your hand as the 'real' me, if you'll accept?" The question was asked with a certain amount of trepidation, but Clark needn't have worried.
An answering grin lit up Klein's face as he shook the proferred hand. "I'm honored, and the real you would be... Clark?"
"I grew up as Clark, but Lois will tell you I'm an amalgam of both."
"You are," Lois added, smiling too. Usually, when someone got too close to Clark's true identity, her reaction was dread, but she didn't mind this trustworthy doctor knowing the secret. Particularly since they now had Matthew to worry about. He was Kryptonian too. Only, he wasn't just Kryptonian.... "Bernie, that explains some of what you said, but how do you know Matthew shares my genes? As far as I know, I've never given you any sample tissues."
"Not you, Lois, but I did study your clone very closely."
Clark drew on what he'd learned of scientific theory over the years. "And clones are like identical twins?"
"Exactly, Clark!" Bernie was happy that one of his visitors understood where he was leading. "I remembered that I'd come in contact with Matthew's second set of genes before... not that it came to me right away. It was all very bewildering at first...."
"Bernie, we would have pointed you in the right direction, but we really had no idea," Clark admitted apologetically.
"Wait a minute!" Lois interjected. "How can Matthew be ours? Neither Clark nor I have ever had a child."
"Lois, how galactically stupid do you think I am? I might be thought of as the 'wacky professor', but I am aware of that fact."
Lois had the grace to blush. She might be unnerved by the situation, but it was very unfair of her to attack the person who was trying to help them. It seemed that Bernie forgave her, however, and he continued to explain.
"Which is why I've deduced that Matthew too might be a clone."
If there had been moments of silence in the small lab before, now its sound was positively deafening. Lois and Clark were completely stunned. Even if they had toyed with a similar conclusion, neither were overjoyed to hear it confirmed. Cloning was still in the experimental stage... and Lois was suddenly very afraid for her baby boy.
"Dr Klein, none of the clones we ever encountered lived very long." She swallowed hard and asked in a small voice, feeling grateful for Clark's arm around her shoulder. "Is our baby going to die?"
"No, no! I doubt that very much." Bernie understood how hard this must be for a couple who longed for a baby but were unable to conceive in the normal way, and he cared very much what happened to his friends. "Why don't we all sit down, and I'll try to explain as simply as possible. Though I have to say that I'm not at all informed about this procedure either. However, I will tell you what I believe."
Clark settled Lois back in her chair, moving his closer and holding her hand tight. "Just tell us what you do understand, Bernard, please."
"Right... and I'll try to keep this simple." Bernie's lips twitched in a rueful grin, hoping to lighten the mood. "I've studied the baby's genetic make-up thoroughly and I've found no trace at all of doppelbuufo frog DNA, which was the particular agent that accelerated the growth rate of those earlier clones. Not all the clones which have been created in the world have had life spans of only a few weeks...."
"I know! But hasn't the only success, so far, been 'Dolly' the sheep? I can't see why some research scientists from Scotland should break into our house and leave a baby behind," Lois sighed in resignation. They were no further forward in finding out who had brought Matthew to them and thus how they could legally and publicly become his parents. It wouldn't be the wisest course of action to announce to the world that their child was... somewhat unusual.
"There have been some other successful attempts, Lois. That lab has quite a good track record, considering this is on the cutting edge of science. But as far as I know, neither they, nor any other legitimate facility, has cloned a baby. In theory it's possible, but it's far too risky and complicated a process to try with human beings, even if there have been some irresponsible researchers who have claimed otherwise." Bernie was warming to his subject. "Do you know how many attempts it took to create Dolly? And neither Leek nor Mamba could create a healthy clone. We all know what happened to those poor people. Not one of them lived more than a couple of weeks."
Once more a hush fell over the room as the three occupants contemplated the tragic lives of those Luthor had so cavalierly had created for his own ends.
"But, that's maybe not so," Lois' eyes lit up excitedly. "What about those other two clones Mamba made for Lex? He told me they had an unlimited lifespan...."
"You mean the ones Luthor stole from Star Labs?" Bernie enquired, rubbing his head sympathetically in the remembered trauma of that break-in. "I'd already tested those ones, and they weren't much different from the others. Maybe a smaller content of that frog spawn, but they definitely wouldn't have lived to a ripe old age. It's a good job they were crushed in that fall-in before they were brought to life. I'd have given them a matter of months at most. If Luthor thought otherwise, then Mamba was probably too terrified to tell him the truth. It was never a good idea to disappoint Lex Luthor."
Lois' heartbeat raced as she learned how close a call she'd had with death. Thank goodness her very own superhero had come to rescue her, even if she hadn't recognised him at the time. Clark had always been there for her, whether she wanted him or not.... Just as he was now, taking her chilled hands into his own, lending her his quiet strength.
"Bernard, I'm sure that the history of cloning is very interesting," Clark conceded, yet he needed to draw Lois' memory back from that dire period in their lives. He didn't like to dwell on it either. "But could we stick with Matthew here? He's the important one."
"Sorry, Clark. I tend to get distracted. It's why I gave up general medicine. I always ended up confusing my poor patients."
Clark gave a tight grin. He could well imagine the truth of that statement, but another train of thought was forming in his mind. His teeth worried at his bottom lip as he tried to put together whatever information he had on cloning. "Aren't clones normally a copy of a single person?"
"As you said earlier... identical twins really." Bernie nodded. "With a number of years between them, depending on when the procedure was carried out. Both your clones were created with DNA which was taken from you as adults. I assume they would have started life as babies, if Leek and Mamba hadn't incorporated the doppelbuufo element which speeded up maturation, exactly as Luthor wanted. But once that gene was activated it couldn't be turned off and all the clones completed their lifespan in a very short time. Fortunately, we don't have to worry about that in Matthew's case."
"You're sure? I need to know Matthew's going to be well." Lois couldn't easily put aside her nightmare concerns for her son.
"Totally! I wouldn't lie to you."
"Thank goodness for that!" After a moment of heartfelt relief at the doctor's assurances, Clark's brow drew down again in concentration. "But you said Matthew has both Lois' and my own DNA. Is that possible?"
"Correct, Clark. It shouldn't be possible, and, strictly speaking, I'm not sure the term 'clone' actually applies to Matthew, or at least, not as we know it. Unless both you and Lois have been transported to the future where they've perfected the practice -- and we all know that's completely out of the question -- someone's invented a way to produce designer babies. Should be a money making scheme, if it was considered ethical or legal, which I'm sure it won't be."
Lois and Clark exchanged a pointed look, but thankfully Bernard was lost in contemplation. Was it possible that they had taken a trip in time which they'd forgotten about? No, they'd already ruled out H G Wells and the only other person with a time machine was Tempus and he wanted to destroy the Lane-Kent bloodline, not propagate it.
Which left them with only one other option... the New Kryptonians, but did they have the ability to create such children? They were certainly far more advanced than Earth, scientifically and technologically.
Bernie sat back up in his seat, returning to the conversation with renewed interest. "Clark, is it possible that those extra-terrestrial relations of yours could be involved? Not all of those New Kryptonians were bad people you know. In fact, I had the pleasure of having a very brief meeting with one of their medical researchers. Now what was his name? Malky or something like that! He wanted to give me some medical pointers in case you should have any long term after-effects from the Kryptonite gas."
"That's right, Clark. I remember there was a physician who took care of you when they brought us back to the mother ship. You were unconscious and could hardly breathe. I was so worried about you." Lois shivered again at the memory of running into the haze of green gas to find Clark lying on the ground so still and lifeless. "He was kind enough to take time to tell me you would recover, though he did ask if you had a doctor on Earth. I didn't know he visited you, Dr Klein."
"It was a very quick visit. In the aftermath of Nor's attack on Metropolis, he felt it wasn't prudent to linger. But he was very concerned with your well-being, Clark. In fact, I wish he could have stayed longer because I'm sure that between us we could have come up with an antidote for your reaction to Kryptonite radiation."
"Now that might have made that whole terrible disaster worthwhile, Bernie," Clark sighed. His reaction to Kryptonite was still his biggest threat. "I think the man you're talking about is Physician Malaki, one of the more caring Kryptonians I happened to meet."
"Probably because he was a friend of your father...." Bernie mused while still formulating possibilities for creating an anti-K vaccine.
"What?" Clark shot out of his chair in less than a second, causing Bernie to jump like a startled rabbit.
"Didn't he tell you?"
"No!" The reminder of how he'd been treated by most of the councillors and crew of that ship knotted Clark's stomach. For his parents' sake he'd chosen to help his own kind, only he'd found himself a stranger in a world he couldn't understand. "But then no one was exactly encouraged to talk to Lord Kal-El, unless it was to instruct me in my duties or the laws of Krypton."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Lois remarked sardonically.
"Lois, they did come through for us in the end." Conversely, Clark found himself defending his race.
"Maybe, Clark, but not until they'd allowed their resident power-hungry moron to annex Smallville and conquer Metropolis.... Not to mention finding you guilty of treason and having your molecules scattered clean across the galaxy. They might be your people, but don't expect me to think of them with high esteem."
"I wouldn't expect that, honey...." Sliding his arm around Lois' shoulder, Clark pulled her up into his embrace. "Even if I did come to an understanding with Zara and Ching, I can't say the experience lived up to my expectations either."
"Have you ever thought that they might be trying to make amends by bringing you the one thing you want but can't have?"
Bernie's question intruded on Lois and Clark's comforting hug. Together, they turned towards the doctor, though their arms still rested round each other.
"You mean Matthew?" Clark asked. "But how would they know we're incompatible?"
"Your father's friend was a very intelligent research doctor and he asked me a lot of knowledgeable questions about Earth biology. I'm also assuming the Kryptonians knew you were Clark Kent and that you intended to marry Lois."
"They wanted me to go back with them to New Krypton, but I told them that my place was here on Earth with Lois."
Bernie digested that piece of information for a moment before continuing, "You know, I'd say that Malaki had a pretty good idea you'd run into trouble when you wanted to have children. It wouldn't take rocket science for a man like him to work that out. What am I saying? These people have rocket science down to a fine art."
"But a clone, Bernie?" Clark was still having difficulty with coming to terms with the fact that their baby was created in a test tube.
"Perhaps that's the way they breed on New Krypton," Bernie suggested, wrinkling his nose in sympathy for a race of people who might never experience the joys of physical passion. Not that he did... very often, but the option was there.
"It's not!"
"Oh?" The doctor's voice rose an octave and he leaned across the desk, gazing at Clark in enthusiastic expectation.
"Don't ask me how I know, just take my word for it... and it wasn't through personal experience." Clark flushed and glanced sideways at his wife. A tiny smirk turned up the corner of her lips. The little minx was enjoying his embarrassment.
The moment passed, however, and Lois returned to the more pressing subject. "Ok, let's say that the New Kryptonians discovered we wouldn't be able to have children. Would they have been able to create a cl... no, create Matthew?" This was her baby, no matter how he began.
"If they had the know how and the DNA material," Bernard gave his considered opinion. "They treated Clark after the gas exposure, so it's a fair assumption they would have done blood tests or taken tissue samples."
"Not only then. I had to go through this extensive physical exam before they'd sanction my 'supposed' marriage to Zara. They wanted to make sure I hadn't picked up any Earth diseases that would contaminate the Royal bloodline."
"The nerve of these guys!" Lois' stiffened in Clark's arms as she bridled at the insult to her husband. "You risk your life... you leave everything and everyone you love behind, and they treat you like some leper."
"Lois, don't! It's all in the past, and I really didn't care. I just wanted to get through it all as quickly as possible so I could get back to you."
"Those relations of yours have a lot to make up for...." Moving away from Clark, Lois started pacing, feeling the need to express her pent-up annoyance.
"They did try to atone for the mess Nor created. They put Smallville and Metropolis back in order," Clark offered mollifyingly.
"It was the least they could do...."
"I know, Lois, but it could never make up for the fear they created... the people who were hurt or killed.” Contrarily, and as was his habit, Clark took the burden of guilt upon himself. “I'll never forgive myself for what happened."
"Clark, no!" A quick couple of steps brought Lois back to Clark's side and she wrapped her arms around him. He rested his head against her soft hair.
Yet comfort came from another source too. "I don't think you should take the blame in any way, Clark. You didn't ask them to come here," Bernie announced with uncommon conviction. "You're not responsible for what they did, and I'm glad your parents sent you here instead of packing you off to New Krypton. The good that Superman has done for Earth far outweighs any of the bad things that happened back then."
"See, I'm not the only one who believes in you, honey, and I'll tell you as often as you need to hear it -- I'm very, very glad that your mom and dad sent you here to me," Lois leaned back and smiled lovingly into Clark's troubled face. Then she brushed a light kiss across his lips, which quickly deepened into something more.
"Hum-hum!" Bernie tried to attract the couple's attention. He was pleased that his friends were happy, but didn't they know he was a very busy man with deadlines to meet? Seconds ticked by, and Bernie cleared his throat, loudly. "Excuse me! I do have a few more questions. I thought you might have some too."
Lois and Clark broke apart, Lois smoothing down her husband's jacket while Clark tucked a stray lock of hair behind Lois' ear. "Sorry," both replied sheepishly in unison and returned to their seats.
"What did you want to ask us?" Lois sat up straighter and crossed her ankles demurely. They really needed to stay on track here.
Bernie stood up and came around the bench. "Lois, is it possible you left some tissue on that spaceship, inadvertently perhaps?"
"I guess, yes. I was on it a couple of times, not for long, though. I didn't eat or drink there, and I didn't touch much of anything, except Clark, but I guess I might have... shed a few hairs for example." Lois suddenly remembered preparing for Lord Kal-El's inspection. "Yes, I definitely brushed my hair. Can't they use hair samples?"
"It's possible, if a follicle is attached. They could extract DNA from minute samples, especially with their technology...."
The floodgates of Lois' memory opened up, reminding her of the time she'd tried hard to forget. “And they took a blood sample from me. I guess they didn't want to put their precious First Lord at risk either.”
Clark, however, was lost in his own thoughts. "Lois, what happened to the concubine's dress?"
"I left that on board. It wasn't exactly something I'd normally wear to the office...."
"Pity!" Clark cocked his head to one side and wiggled his eyebrows expressively as he too relived the scene of spotting Lois in the control room of the floating palace.
"The New Kryptonians have something you wore? I expect they could have found traces on that," Bernie suggested, knowingly.
"Sweat traces? I don't know about you, honey, but I certainly did a fair bit of sweating when I saw you in that pink dress -- that leash must have appealed to my baser instincts."
"No kidding. What about me? That black skin-tight outfit they put you in really was a turn on."
"No, not sweat traces -- they're just water, but perhaps skin particles. I'd be more inclined to go with the hairbrush or the blood sample, though." Bernie found the questions intriguing, but seeing that Lois and Clark weren't listening to him, and fearing another romantic interlude looming, he brought them quickly down to Earth. "Well, between us, I think we've safely established the how and the who, because I really don't believe anyone on Earth has the capability."
"Adding the blanket and my shield into the equation, I'd say you're right, Bernie, but that still doesn't explain why they left Matthew in our house and disappeared without a reasonable explanation."
"And it doesn't make it any easier for us to get legal custody of Matthew," Lois said, blowing out a breath in frustration.
"I can give written proof of paternity...."
"And how would that help, Bernie? Just how would you explain our becoming biological parents without an actual pregnancy? The stork delivered him? Because that would be just as probable as cloning!"
Sighing audibly, Bernie sagged against the wooden bench. "Yes, I can see how that would create a problem."
"Not to mention we really don't want to attract any more media attention to our family. We have a secret to protect." Clark stood again, realising the meeting was coming to an end. His hands dug deep into his pockets and he looked as perplexed as the doctor.
"It looks like we have another secret to protect now, and I think I'd prefer that Matthew isn't referred to as a 'clone' ever again," Lois declared adamantly. "He might have been created a 'little' differently, but from now on he's just a baby... our baby." She rose to stand by Clark's side and slid her arm through his, seeking warmth.
Immediately, Clark squeezed Lois' arm, tucking it closer to his body. "I understand completely, honey, and I'm sure Bernie does, too." The doctor nodded his head vehemently, confirming Clark's words. "Thanks, Doc. We appreciate all your work. At least we know something about our son now. It means a lot to know he really does belong to us, even if we can never tell anyone else."
"That's ok. I was glad to help... and don't hesitate to come back, if you have any problems with Matthew. Not that I foresee any," Bernie rushed to calm Lois' and Clark's alarm at his tactless words, then he turned to pick up the file he'd left on the desk and handed it to Clark. "I think I'd rather you took care of this. It's my findings on the paternity tests. I trust Star Labs security systems completely, but I think this is for your eyes only. And remember, from now on, I have two patients."
"Thanks, Bernie. We'll be in touch." Clark waited while his wife slipped the folder inside her briefcase, then with his hand at her back they walked together through the door.
Watching them go, Bernie tugged at his bow-tie, his collar suddenly feeling very tight. "That went better than expected," he told himself, returning to his seat behind his desk. Yet he did feel conflicted. There was one important piece of information he had kept to himself. The very fact that a hybrid baby was alive and well was confirmation that Kryptonians and Earthlings were genetically compatible and only the insemination process wasn't in harmony. Which meant that he might eventually be able to rectify the couple's infertility problem. Of course, it would take a lot of research and perhaps his quest would never be successful, so he'd made the decision to say nothing. To raise Lois' and Clark's hopes on such a flimsy supposition would be too cruel, but Bernie wasn't about to give up on his friends. Perhaps one day Matthew would have a brother or sister.
*****
tbc
