DJ, I find this so extremely moving. I'm talking specifically about the lump that Clark finds in Lois's breast. While I myself have no close friends or acquaintances who have been diagnosed with, let alone died of breast cancer (with the exception of a generally sick old lady who died of it whan she was 85), I do know that breast cancer is the leading killer of women in the United States as well as in Sweden, where I live. Oh, it's possible that coronary diseases claim as many women's lives, but breast cancer is definitely one of the top two killers of women.
It's important to stress that a lump in one's breast is not an automatic death sentence. I do believe that most lumps are benign, and even when a tumour is cancerous, it can often be successfully treated. But sometimes it can't, and the woman dies.
This question is so relevant, because so many women, and so many children, husbands and partners, are affected by it. Also, there are so many implications here. For example, will the woman have to have her breast removed? If so, how will that affect her way of thinking of herself as a woman? And how will it affect her relationship with her husband, her intimate relationship with him as well as her friendship with him?
I had so many questions racing through my mind after I had read this. I think it's a bit of a pity that you are not posting this in the nfic folder. Please understand that I'm not asking for any sort of detailed lovemaking scene here, but I think it would be hugely interesting to see a scene where Lois is perhaps doubting her own femininity and her ability to be a good wife to Clark. It would be so interesting to see that topic explored, and I'm not saying that it can't be done in the gfic folder, only that it will be harder here.
There are still more implications here. Will Lois doubt her ability to be a mother, too? And will she be forced to undergo treatment that will make it impossible for her and Clark to have a second child? And how will Lois and Clark's relationship be affected overall? The way I see it, I believe Clark would probably love Lois even more, because he would be so harshly reminded that life is so fragile, and he could easily lose her.
I have to say, DJ, that this is such a poignant and worthy topic for a Lois and Clark story. Thank you for making it a part of your story.
I'm amazed at all the threads you are so effortlessly weaving into this story. I had fun with the Jimmy/Penny subplot. Hope I'm not insulting you here, but to me, "Penny" is a slightly corny name. Forgive me, all you adorable Pennys out there! But, well, to me Jimmy himself is ever so slightly corny, and the fact that he would have found a girl named Penny... I can't help giggling a little, and I hope everybody can forgive me. Anyway, this ring business seems promising, and I think it could well turn out to play an important part in this story.
And then, Aaron. How chillingly evil he is, and yet at the same time totally convincing. You don't make him come out as over the top at all. I think you make us see that Aaron is just pathologically selfish, so selfish that he doesn't realize it himself. To him it is just so perfectly natural and obvious that his own needs and preferences so totally overrule everybody else's.
Ah, and then there is the horrible bigotry, the way the Leader (who?) and Aaron hate Superman for being an alien. And there is that terrible, terrible weapon they are going to use against Superman: they are going to use what is basically terrorist strategies against those who receive help from Superman. How horribly effective that would be! You make me shudder, DJ!
All in all, this is just brilliant. Wow, DJ. What an emotional punch this is packing. Fantastic!
Ann
