Chapter Fourteen
I Will Always Love You
When Jor-El returned, Marje and Mac were absentmindedly eating a light snack, neither of them exactly enjoying the food, yet knowing they ought to eat to keep their strength up for the hard work that lay ahead of them. They were surprised by the short space of time he'd been gone. Though they'd heard about superspeed, they'd never actually encountered it before so hadn't expected him to return quite so soon. However, they weren't completely shocked by his passenger.
“That was a quick round trip, Jor-El,” Marje said, rising from the table. She noted with some amusement that the hero was once again wearing his mask. Marje, however, believed in plain-speaking. “And this will be Mrs Kent, I presume?” She offered her hand and an encouraging smile to the woman who had arrived in the arms of the superhero.
Matt had warned his mother during the flight that he'd given away his true identity, so Lois wasn't too taken aback by the woman's words. The problem was what exactly these people intended to do with the secret, but for the moment Lois decided to leave that question on the back burner. She'd come here to see for herself if the man who was sleeping in the next room was actually her soul mate.
“I don't suppose you'd be prepared to accept that I was Ultrawoman?” Lois asked with a touch of sarcasm.
“Oh, if you mean the super lady in the pink leotard, then I'd say Mac would be prepared to welcome you with open arms.” Marje laughed, hiding her nervousness. “We happened to be back home in Scotland when she appeared on the scene, and Mac was smitten, let me tell you.”
“Marje! Dinn'ae embarrass the lassie,” Mac said, blushing furiously.
“Oh, it isn't Mrs Kent who should be blushing, Mac. She was just doing her job, you were the one who was drooling.”
“I wuidn'ae say drooling exactly, Marje. There's no anything wrong in appreciating a lovely woman and Ultrawoman was a wee stoatir! I'm sorry, Mrs Kent is a wee st.....” Mac tried to defend himself but realized he was digging himself into a deeper hole. “I'm sure I wisn'ae the only man who thought it either,” he added lamely.
Lois looked, bemused, from one stranger to the other. Firstly, she was having difficulty understanding what the man was saying. She believed she'd just been paid a compliment, but she couldn't be sure of that... and secondly, she wasn't prepared to indulge in a conversation about a persona she'd adopted for a few days in what seemed like another life time. Besides, they were wasting time.
“Look, you both obviously believe you've discovered a secret about my family, but I'm not prepared to discuss that at this time.” Lois folded her arms across her body in an action which was a mixture of defiance and defense. “Jor-El brought me here because he believes that my husband, Clark Kent, who went missing four years ago, is staying with you.”
Immediately, Marje felt contrite and threw a warning glance towards Mac. “Mrs Kent, forgive us, we didn't mean to upset you by blethering on like a couple of silly old souls... and as for your secret, you don't have to tell us anything.” Marge took another step forward, slowly, assuringly. “It's really none of our business, but you should know that neither Mac nor I wish your husband any harm, and that applies to any of his family. He's a rare good man is Letour. We wouldn't dream of doing anything that would cause him hurt... and that would include keeping any secrets which we might have stumbled upon.”
Lois regarded the couple suspiciously, wondering if they were indeed trustworthy. Clark had taught her to look for the good in everyone, yet she'd been without his influence for many years... besides, Clark had been wrong. Some people were evil. Yet, just like her son, she really didn't believe that of these two strangers who were in turn, watching her apprehensively. Marje spoke again.
“Would you like to see him, Mrs Kent? I believe he's still asleep. At least he was when I checked on him a few minutes ago. Sleep is good for him when he gets these attacks.” Marje gestured with her arm towards a door in the back of the room. “He's right through there. Jor-El, you know where to go. Perhaps you could take your mo... Mrs Kent in.” Marje corrected herself, deciding that tact was best at this time.
This was it. The moment. Lois was just a few steps away from finding out whether Matt had been mistaken, yet she was afraid to take those steps. Only not knowing was killing her slowly. Lois lifted her chin and walked in the direction of the doorway. Matt was at once by her side, his hand touching her back, encouraging her, comforting her.
“It's OK, Mom,” Matt said softly. “Everything will be fine. You'll see.”
Then the door was before her and Matt was reaching to open it, while the MacDonnells held back, not wishing to intrude on a very special moment.
Without a murmur, the bedroom door swung wide and Lois stepped inside, followed by Matt who closed the door, shutting the outside world from his parents' reunion.
The air in the small room was still, broken only by the soft, uneven moans from the man in the bed. Lois held her head erect, until little by little she lowered her gaze to the sleeping man. For the woman who'd secretly dreamed of this moment, time stopped....
“Oh, God. Matt, you're right,” she whispered. “It is your father.”
Her words dropped into the silence like stones into the depths of a well. She edged closer, as her disbelief was replaced with longing. Her hand reached out. She was close... close enough to touch him and yet she was afraid that if she made any move her dream would shatter and once again she'd wake up in her bedroom back home, needy and alone.
Yet the warmth of Matt's figure by her shoulder confirmed this was reality. She moved nearer still until the edge of the bed hit her leg. Now tears were coursing down her face as she studied the beloved face which rested on the pillow beneath her.
Clark was different. His skin was so pale, even against the white linen, and age had lined his face... or was that the result of the painful headaches she'd been told about? A few fresh scrapes and scratches marred one hollow cheek and the sole arm that was above the covers, but Lois didn't think they were anything to worry about. He'd probably picked those up during the difficult day of rescuing people.
That was so Clark. Even without superpowers, he would always try to help. All doubt disappeared from Lois' heart... almost as if it had never existed.
The man in the bed might have acquired furrows around his eyes and mouth, his hair might be streaked with gray, but it was still thick and luxuriant, and his body seemed to have lost some of its bulk, though she couldn't quite tell because of the blankets tucked so warmly around him... but he was Clark. Partner and best friend, husband and father, and simply the man she would love for the rest of her life.
She wanted to call out his name, to pull him into her arms, to hug and kiss him awake, but she was cautious not to rouse him from a much needed rest. Instead, she reached out gently and touched his hair, letting her fingers linger in its silky depth. Oh, how her senses remembered the feel of his hair, the warmth of his skin, as she allowed her hand to cup his injured cheek.
Even that small intrusion seemed to unsettle Clark as his breathing quickened and his limbs moved uneasily beneath the covers. “Ssh. You're safe now,” Lois crooned, keeping her voice low, but he didn't appear to hear her and the lines on his forehead deepened.
“Use your telepathy, Mom.” Matt's voice came softly from behind her in the darkened room.
Lois shut her eyes and concentrated for a long moment, then she turned a little to address Matt. Sadly, she shook her head. “There's only static. The channel is closed. It's no use.”
“I know, Mom. It's a long shot, but just... just try it one more time. He's probably forgotten how,” protested Matt, pulling off his mask. There shouldn't be any barriers between himself and his father. “You just have to get his attention, Mom.”
Again, Lois closed her eyes. Though she doubted she could reach Clark, she decided to humour her son. It was such a long time since they'd used their telepathic link, Clark wasn't the only one who might be rusty. However, into the void she sent her thoughts.
'It's OK now, sweetheart. I'm here with you. I love you.'
No words came back to her, only the annoying, monotone hissing.
“It's no use, Matt,” Lois sighed, turning fully to face her eldest child. “We'll just have to wait until....
“No, Mom, see? He heard you.” Matt's face was shining, though he struggled to keep his voice low.
Almost too fearful to look, Lois glanced back to Clark and her tears turned to those of joy as she noticed what Matt had already seen.
The face that had been creased with worry and pain was now settled in repose and his breathing was calm and even. Not only was his countenance one of peace, but a small smile replaced his frown. Clark sighed loudly and shifted to face Lois.
“Oh, Clark,” she whispered with a tremulous smile, placing her hand on his. “You've come back to me.” She sank down on the edge of the bed to watch him sleep....
There were still many questions to be answered, but for now she had reached her safe haven, and that was so much more than she'd ever hoped for in this lifetime again.
*****
Time had no meaning for Lois and Matt as they waited for Clark to wake up, but, too soon, the door opened a crack and Marje leaned in, bringing outside concerns into their sanctuary.
“I don't like to interrupt,” she said, her quiet lilt apologetic. “But there are two people out here who you might want to meet.”
Jor-El lifted his finger to his mouth in a shushing motion, crossing to the door to exclude the intruder. Yet Marje held her ground.
“I know you think this isn't a good moment and, under normal circumstances, I'd agree. But I think this is important. Jor-El, they're the two doctors you brought here earlier, and they've come back to look for Letour. They say it's very urgent that they speak with him.”
“He's still asleep, Mrs MacDonnell, and you said yourself it was best to let him rest.” Matt objected. “If we wake him too soon, he might still be sick.”
“That's what I told them, and that you were with him.” Marje inched in the door, trying to see past Jor-El's body. She was curious to discover what was happening, but anxious for her friend too. “The doctors agree that he should be left in peace, for now, but they want to talk to you and your mother... er Mrs Kent.”
A rosy glow flushed Marje's cheeks at her latest slip up and Matt couldn't help but smile. This pretending was stupid. Matt would stake his life that the MacDonnell's were trustworthy. Hadn't his father's life been in their hands for quite some time and hadn't they kept him safe? However, he wasn't at all sure about those doctors. Why were they so interested in finding Letour?
Matt was just about to ask his mother for advice when, alerted by the sound of her name, Lois turned her attention to the little altercation by the door. “What is it, Matt?” she asked, raising her voice only slightly, and now she blushed as she realized she too had made a mistake. Oh, what did it matter, it appeared the Scottish couple were already friends of the family.
“Mrs Kent, Doctors Ducos and Janik are insisting they speak with Jor-El and you,” Marje answered for herself. Actually, the newcomers had only mentioned the superhero. It was Marje who decided that Mrs Kent should be included. The laddie might need his mother's support.
Lois shook her head in puzzlement. She was sure she'd never heard those names before. “Who are they?”
“I rescued them yesterday, Mom, when their car was trapped in a sinkhole. After I got them out, they told me they were doctors and were on their way here to offer medical help, so I gave them a lift.” Matt made the flying sign with his hand. “I'd no idea they were interested in anything else.”
“Then you didn't hear the woman ask you to come back because they had something very important to tell you?” Marje saw the boy's confusion and went on. “I guess your mind was on other things at the time... and I don't blame you. That landslide was too big a task for even an army of superheros. I can't tell you how thankful I am, laddie, for all you did, and especially for saving my friend, Li-Ying.” Taking advantage of Jor-El's bashfulness at being thanked, Marje leaned up and placed a motherly kiss on his cheek, further embarrassing Matt, then she returned to current business. “I know you're both still wondering if you can trust me and Mac, but I really believe you should see these doctors. They seem very determined to find Letour. Call me suspicious, but that makes me think they might know something about him.”
Lois gave the question some consideration. Clark appeared to be pretty much out of it for now, but she wanted to be right by his side when he awoke. Of course, she could ask Matt to stay with his father, though she doubted he would let her face any strangers alone... notably medical people who appeared to have knowledge of Letour's history.
She sighed as she decided they couldn't pass up any opportunity to learn what might have happened to Clark in these last four year. Meanwhile, there seemed to be little point in being coy with Marje MacDonnell. “Matt, I think we've got to meet with them. If they can shed any light on how your father came to assume the identity of Letour, then that has to be a good thing. Mrs MacDonnell, we'll be right out.”
During the conversation, no one noticed the man in the bed lift his weary eyelids, nor saw his gaze focus on the woman sitting by his side. If only for an infinitesimal moment Letour's eyes widened. His dream was back, but the accompanying dull throb in his head warned him this was different. Normally, he felt no pain during his dreams....
Was it possible that he wasn't dreaming?
He glanced around carefully. This was the MacDonnell's spare room and their guest bed. He'd spent enough occasions in there recovering from one of his headaches to recognize it.
The situation felt pretty similar to those earlier times. He felt pretty similar; the same aching in his head and joints, the dread lethargy in every muscle. Only this time it wasn't Marje who was taking care of him, it was his dream woman....
He desperately wanted to stay awake, to ask her if she were real and why she was here, but his body betrayed him and, inescapably, he sank into sleep again. Yet before he lost consciousness he managed to squeeze her hand.
Immediately, Lois' attention was dragged back to Clark. “Sweetheart?” she cried out expectantly. “Clark?” Her grip on his hand tightened. “Clark? Are you awake?” Lois waited, praying for another sign. She decided to try a different tack. “Letour, can you speak to me?” When no answer was forthcoming, her shoulders drooped in disappointment.
“Don't be upset, Mrs Kent. He drifts in and out of consciousness for a wee while after he's been ill. He'll come out of it in time. Try not to worry,” Marje said kindly, recognizing that this lady was on the very edge. She decided a distraction might be called for here. “I'm pretty sure you have time to have a little chat to the doctors before he's fully awake. Come away now. Let him sleep.”
“But he squeezed my hand,” Lois offered, her voice sounding small and mournful. “Matt, I felt it. I'm sure he did.”
“I don't doubt it,” Marje agreed. “And I believe he dreams about you too. I've sat where you are now a number of times, and I've heard him talk to a woman in his dreams. He pleads with her not to go. One time, not so long ago, I even heard him whisper her name... Lois. That's you, isn't it? Of course, I didn't make the connection till today.”
Hope dared to bloom in Lois' soul. “So, he remembered me?”
Marje felt like kicking herself. She had wanted to let Lois know that Letour hadn't completely forgotten, but now she had to disappoint the poor woman. “Not exactly,” Marje answered apologetically. “When he woke up, I asked him who Lois was, but it was clear he had no idea. He panicked, just like all the other times we've tried to get him to talk about his past. He always shuts himself off, like he's terrified of voicing his thoughts, then he makes some excuse and runs away... he seems to find that fairly natural.”
A wry laugh found its way through Lois' sobs. “He's had a lot of practice. OK, Mrs MacDonnell, we'll take your advice.” Unable to resist, Lois bent down and placed a light kiss on Clark's lips, but unlike the fairy tales, her prince did not awaken. Then, tenderly tucking his hand beneath the covers, she rose. “Where are these doctors of yours?”
“Oh, they're not mine. I just met them yesterday for the first time.” Marje held the door open as mother and son walked through. “And, please, do you think you could call me Marje? Letour... I mean, Clark does.”
Lois rolled her eyes. In her opinion, the jury was still out on whether she ought to be on first name terms with the MacDonnells. Granted, they had given her husband a refuge... probably, but she'd feel a lot more charitable towards them if they had gotten in touch with the American Embassy and arranged for Clark to be sent home.
Until she had all the facts, she was reluctant to concede they had had no real idea where Clark's home actually was, nor that he had a very stubborn streak. If Clark had refused to cooperate with their suggestions, there wasn't really much else the MacDonnell's could have done.
The big mystery appeared to be why Clark had taken such an aversion to finding out about his past, but perhaps these doctors would be able to answer that question. Lois certainly hoped so.
*****
The atmosphere in the living room was charged with tense expectancy. When Lois had first arrived with Matt she'd been somewhat distracted, but part of her mind had acknowledged the homey feel of the house... even if it was a little busy. It was obvious that the wooden building was both used as a home and a workplace, yet it had not felt oppressive. Now that had changed. She could only surmise that the two new people in the room had created the difference.
Lois moved a little closer to her son; not for her own protection but in an effort to shield him from whatever these doctors had planned. Jonathan's fear of laboratories and personnel in white coats didn't seem quite so irrational at this moment. What if they had kryptonite with them to attack her son and her husband. Could she fight them off? It was a long time since Lois had had to use her self-defense skills, but she was prepared to go to any lengths to save her loved ones. And judging by the way Marje MacDonnell had ranged herself alongside Matt and herself, Lois was finally willing to admit the woman was firmly in their corner.
“I'm told you want to speak to us.” Lois was the first to break the silence.
The female doctor had been checking out Jor-El, who, thankfully, had had the presence of mind to replace his mask and cowl.
“We wanted to have a conversation with Jor-El,” Adrienne explained, glancing at the woman who'd accompanied the hero. “Preferably, in private,” she suggested, pointedly.
“Whatever you want to say to me, can be repeated in front of my... friend... friends.” Matt stated, careful not to emphasis the connection to his mother this time.
“I beg your pardon, Jor-El, but I don't think that would be such a good idea,” Stephan Janik said, while stepping centre stage into the middle of the room. “What we have to say is of a delicate nature and involves your father....”
“We don't mean to be rude, but we don't know these people,” Adrienne added, trying to make amends for Stephan's curt manner. There were times she regretted her partner's lack of people skills.
Jor-El set his hands on his hips and straightened his stance. “But I do know this lady,” he said, gesturing with his chin towards his mother. “And I can assure you she is trustworthy.”
For a second or two there was complete silence in the room while the two 'opposing' camps reviewed their positions.
“If I can mak a wee suggestion,” Mac put in with the hint of a wink to his three companions, hoping to break the stalemate. “Marje and I wuid be happy enough tae leave ye alone, if that wuid help?”
Marje bristled at her husband's suggestion and was about to disagree when Lois spoke up.
“Thank you, but I don't think it would help.” Contrarily, Lois found she was unhappy at the thought of the MacDonnells' withdrawal. “You mentioned you were searching for Letour?” As the female doctor nodded, Lois plunged on. “Marje and Mac are his friends. As I think this conversation is all about Letour, and since he is too ill to speak for himself, I believe he'd be happy to be represented by them.”
Adrienne and Stephan exchanged questioning glances. It appeared they weren't exactly sure how to proceed.
Marje, on the other hand, had no such doubt and she inched nearer to Lois, forming a united front against the newcomers. “Mrs Kent, Mac and I will stay as long as you want us to.”
“Mrs Kent?” Adrienne inquired, her eyes narrowing as she studied the slight, attractive woman who commanded the room. The name sounded familiar to her.
“Yes. I'm Lois Kent. My husband was Clark Kent, the reporter who went missing in North Korea with Superman.” Lois watched the reaction of the doctors closely, hoping to gain some clue as to their intentions. She decided a little plain speaking was in order. “But you knew that already, didn't you?”
Adrienne bit at her lip nervously, recalling the old press stories of another missing person, which had finally filtered through to Hyesan's bunker. But there had been only one man who'd been brought to the complex... Superman.
Of course, Hyesan could have ordered this Clark Kent killed on the spot, yet that didn't seem like the General's style. She also remembered how he'd personally questioned Superman on his arrival, but The Man of Steel had resisted every violent interrogation, until Hyesan had lost patience and ordered the surgery carried out forthwith. Once those chips were implanted in Superman's brain, there was no way the hero could ever answer any questions on the source of his power... or his past. One, albeit mammoth, session under Abelev's knife and Superman had been lost... but hopefully not irreversibly.
However, in Adrienne's opinion, if this reporter had been captured, Hyesan would have at least attempted to use the poor man as a hostage to force the Kryptonian to talk. Killing Superman's friend out of hand would seem like a waste of resources to the psychotic General: it just didn't wring true.
Perhaps the man had died accidentally, but she'd talked with Teo a few times after they'd freed Letour and he'd never mentioned this Kent, and Teo had been there when Superman was taken.
Knowing how paranoid the North Koreans were about security, Adrienne doubted that Kent had ever been in Korea, but why would the media lie about such a thing... and why was Mrs Kent here now, sitting with Letour? Jor-El she could understand. After all, he'd already admitted he was Superman's son... Letour's son, but what connection did Lois Kent have to the superhero?
Lois Kent! Adrienne wracked her brain for information. Lois Kent was... Lois Lane! Lois Lane and Clark Kent of the Daily Planet in Metropolis. They were friends of Superman. But hadn't there once been a scandal linking this woman romantically with Superman? The world press had had a field day with the news that the Man of Steel was having an affair with his best friend's wife. Of course, it had shocked the uptight Americans that their hero should be so base, but the French understood passion....
“Dr Ducos? I think Mrs Kent wuid like an answer tae her question,” Mac prodded, losing his patience with the long silence. Mrs Kent wasn't the only one who was interested in the answer. “Whit dae ye ken about her man?”
“Pardon?” Adrienne turned, startled by the strange sounding voice so close to her right ear. “I don't understand,” she stuttered, playing for time to sort out her jumbled thoughts.
“My husband is asking what you know about Mr Kent's whereabouts?” Marje added, helpfully.
“Leave her alone!” Stephan came at once to his partner's defense. “We know nothing about Mr Kent. There was only Superman brought to the....”
Stephan halted abruptly, realizing he'd just admitted to being involved in the hero's disappearance. But did that really matter? Hadn't he and Adrienne come all this way to try to put matters right? It had been naïve of them to believe they could do that without confessing their part in Superman's imprisonment.
“So you admit you were responsible for my father's disappearance?” Jor-El asked, taking a menacing step forward, his cape billowing behind him with his sudden movement. Though his words sounded ice cold, his eyes glinted eerily red.
Lois glanced sideways, her stomach knotting at the sight of her son. She'd never seen his eyes blaze in quite that way before, nor his jaw set so sternly as it was now. Matt was filled with righteous wrath. These people had stolen his father from him and, clearly, he was tempted to take revenge. Yet, as much as Lois wanted to tear them limb from limb, she couldn't allow her normally gentle son to give in to his baser instincts. That had never been Clark's way... and it couldn't be Matt's.
Besides, these two doctors didn't look threatening. If anything, they seemed guilty and afraid. Lois quickly placed a restraining hand on Matt's arm, wincing internally at the feel of his tightly corded sinews beneath her fingers.
“Jor-El,” she said firmly, employing the same tone as she would at home when he'd forgotten to do his chores. “We have to remember that these two doctors came here to talk with you, so I think we should listen to what they have to say before making any rash judgments.” Inwardly, Lois didn't feel quite so magnanimous towards these doctors, but she watched with satisfaction as Matt relaxed a mere fraction, before turning back to the strange pair. “But I warn you, don't try anything. Even if you have some way of incapacitating Jor-El, you're still outnumbered.”
Adrienne looked astounded. “Mrs Kent, I can assure you we have no way of attacking Jor-El. He saved our lives! We don't want to hurt him, or anyone for that matter. Believe me, our only intention is to find Letour and try to undo the harm we caused him.”
“Dr Ducos, since you freely admit to being the source of Letour's problems, you'll understand if we find it difficult to believe you're here to help him.” The staunch Marje harrumphed disparagingly, clasping her hands tightly together to stop them from shaking.
“I do understand,” Adrienne said anxiously, her pale skin flushing as she rushed on. “And neither of us are pretending we're completely innocent, but we weren't exactly given a choice.”
“What Adrienne is trying to say is that we didn't capture Superman. A power hungry Korean General called Hyesan thought up the whole idea.” Stephan quickly backed up the woman who'd come to mean so much to him. “He saw an opportunity to kidnap Superman and he took it. He had this crazy notion that he could brainwash Superman into becoming his own personal weapon of mass destruction. Our mistake was that we already worked for this General on his 'retraining' project and he used our expertise to try to bend Superman to his will.”
“I suppose I can guess what this 'retraining' project entailed. So, where is this General now?” Lois asked sarcastically, not willing to believe their excuses of coercion.
“He's dead. Killed by his own government,” Stephan explained, staring intently at his fingernails and resisting the unseemly desire to start chewing them. “They weren't too happy with him when his grand plan for Superman failed....”
“Failed?” Jor-El interrupted. “How did it fail?”
“It didn't fail completely.” Stephan raised his head, perversely proud of that dastardly achievement. Even now he was reluctant to admit that his chemical calculations had been completely wrong. “But even when Superman had completely forgotten who he was, the guy was a hero. No matter what we tried, he refused to accept any order that would cause harm. A weapon's not much good if it won't kill or maim.”
Lois' voice was filled with dread as she asked the ultimate question. “What happened to him then?”
“Superman, you mean?” Adrienne spoke softly. “The General ordered him killed and his body disposed off....”
Lois drew in her breath sharply and Jor-El caught her as her legs gave way. She knew that statement was untrue; she'd seen the proof with her own eyes, but what dreadful things had happened to Clark in the intervening years? A scraping noise sounded behind her as Marje dragged a large chair across the floor. Lois allowed Matt to lower her onto the cushions, but her hand still clenched her son's.
“But we couldn't let that happen,” Adrienne hurried on with her explanation. Seeing Mrs Kent's reaction, she was now fairly certain that the conclusions she'd arrived at were correct. “We saved him. We set him free. Stephan and I, with the help of one of the guards, smuggled Superman out of the bunker, took him to the border with China and told him to run and never look back.”
“Letour! Ye told him he wis called Letour, and ye abandoned the laddie tae fend fer himsel' in a strange land, even knowin' he wis sick? Whit kind of people are ye?” Mac asked incredulously, his hand ruffling the sparse hair on his crown.
“It wasn't the best of plans,” Stephan admitted, his gaze back to studying his nails. Yet if he and Adrienne had done anything to be proud of, it was helping Letour escape. Once more he raised his head and stared at the others with some defiance. “But we did what we could, and even then we risked everything. Hyesan would have killed any one of us without a flicker of an eye for disobeying him... or even if he just felt like it. The man was a psychotic killer. He gave us an order to get rid of Superman. We had no time to reverse the mind-altering process, so we did the only thing we could. We gave Superman a new identity and tried to make sure he'd never fall into the General's hands again.”
“If this General was as insane and evil as you say, why did he never come looking for Superman... and why are both of you still alive?” Lois might be in shock, but her investigator's brain was still active.
“Because we convinced Hyesan that we'd carried out his orders. Till the day he was assassinated, he believed The Man Of Steel was dead,” Stephan announced with some satisfaction.
“Wuid the wee matter o' a missin' finger have onything tae dae with yer persuading this General?”
A light had switched on inside Mac's head and he'd blurted out the question before giving it proper thought, but at the sight of the stricken look on poor Mrs Kent's face, he regretted it immediately.
“It was the only idea I could come up with at the time. Since we didn't have a body, I believed a finger was a small price to pay for his life.” Stephan shrugged pragmatically.
Lois gaped at the male doctor, deciding she despised him. The implications of what she'd just heard made her sick to her stomach. Clark's hands! His beautiful, gentle hands. Mutilated! Maybe she shouldn't have restrained Matt when he'd been tempted to use his superpowers.
Matt! She looked quickly up at her son, who was staring threateningly at the doctors again. Good! This time she wouldn't hold him back, but thankfully a less emotional mind prevailed.
Marje placed a warning hand on Lois' shoulder as she spoke up. “That explains why Letour is here in China, but why are you here? Surely you haven't been searching for him to do him more harm?”
“No, definitely not!” For the first time, Adrienne's voice was filled with genuine conviction. “We've been seeking Letour since Hyesan died and we were allowed to leave North Korea. We want to right the wrong that was done to Superman.”
“Are ye telling us ye can reverse what ye did tae Superman?”
Distractedly, Lois watched Mac's eyebrows rise towards his non-existent hairline as he asked his question with a great deal of incredulity. The world around her slowed, while she waited to discover whether her husband could be cured.... But, in her heart, at this moment, she couldn't bring herself to care overmuch. No matter what happened to Clark in the future, they would be together. She would take him home and together they could rebuild their lives... rediscover their love. Nothing else really mattered.
But Jor-El couldn't contain his boyish exuberance. “You can make my father well?”
Once again Adrienne and Stephan exchanged uneasy glances until, eventually, Stephan clarified the prognosis. “I assisted with the surgery carried out on Superman and Adrienne was in charge of the drug treatments he underwent. We believe that with our help some of the results can be undone. But, since all the procedures were ground-breaking science, there is no way we can guarantee a total cure.”
“Ground breaking science-fiction, if you ask me!” Marje gave her opinion scathingly. “Seems to me you tested your madcap theories on an innocent victim.”
“Aye, lass, ye're right! And ye ca' yersels doctors? We should hae ye struck off and hauled afore the Court of Human Rights.” Mac pointed an accusatory finger at both doctors who wilted under the judgmental stares of Superman's friends.
“We admit we've done wrong, and we expect to have to pay for our crimes.” Adrienne resisted the temptation to defend the indefensible. That wasn't the reason for their quest. “But please allow us to try to help Superman first. We can't be sure how much we can reverse his condition, but we are his only hope....”
“Are you?” Lois demanded, standing tall to confront the people who had treated Clark so atrociously, her eyes sparking fire. The MacDonnells' condemnation had finally roused her from her almost trance-like state. “As far as I'm aware, Superman had his own highly qualified physician.”
“I beg your pardon, Mrs Kent, but I doubt any other physician would have the knowledge to treat Superman in this case,” Adrienne stated reasonably.
Lois, however, was not prepared to listen to reason. “And you can't expect us to just place Superman back into the hands of the very doctors who injured him. How can we trust you?”
“You can!” The somewhat shaky voice came from the back of the room and every glance turned towards the sound. Letour stood in the doorway, gripping the wooden frame to hold himself erect. The noise of raised voices had awakened him and his curiosity had forced him from his bed to investigate. “Dr Ducos and Dr Janik, it's good to see you both again. I've often wondered if you were safe.”
At the sight of Clark, Lois stood transfixed, but she quickly got herself under control. There was too much at stake here for her to fall apart. “Do you know these people, Letour?” she asked gently, remembering only at the last moment not to call him Clark. Oh, how she wished she could run to him and take him into her arms, but it was obvious that he was still very fragile and the last thing she wanted to do was cause him to collapse again. Neither did she want to betray his secret identity to these Frankenstein-like doctors; she'd already accepted the MacDonnell's were in on the act.
“Yes, of course.” Letour gave a tremulous smile as he answered, completely unaware that he was breaking his wife's heart twice over.
Lois felt like weeping at the sight of his dear, sweet smile. But how could he recognize these awful people who had brought him nothing but pain and suffering and not remember the woman who'd shared his love, borne his children and whom he'd called his soulmate?
“These are the doctors who rescued me and saved my life,” Clark elucidated patiently. He didn't quite understand why, but he felt it important that these people should get along. “I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. You wanted to know if you could trust them... well you can... Lois.”
*****
tbc
