From Part 6:
Clark retrieved the rings from his son. “Just a minute, everyone. Now this,” he said holding up one of the rings, “is Lois’ original engagement ring. This ring has been some pretty unusual places and seen me- us- through some pretty hard times.” Visions of the rejected ring floating in the vastness of space and of himself desperately clutching the ring as Baron Sunday used Clark’s own fears to torment him flashed through his mind. Clark then picked up the matching bands. “These are our original white gold bands, symbolizing our marriage, entwined with new platinum bands, symbolizing that our marriage is now even stronger.”
“Oh, Clark,” whispered Lois, getting all weepy again.
Clark slipped the rings on her fingers and handed her his band so that she could return the favor.
“Oh, Clark,” Lois said again when she saw the three diamonds nestled in the twists of both her and Clark’s wedding bands.
“Those symbolize out three beautiful miracles.”
“Every time I look at them, I’ll remember what is really important.”
“Me too.”
*****
Lois wondered if she had ever been happier. Of course, she wished she was off bed rest, that her pregnancy was more normal, but she felt so blessed and safe in Clark’s love. Pulitzer would be entering this world into a family eagerly awaiting his arrival and mindful of just what a blessing his creation was.
*****
Part 7:
“It’s time.”
“You’re ready to do the C-section?” Lois asked surprised.
“No, Lois, you knew this was a probability. Your proteins are up again. It’s time for you to move to the hospital. In a perfect world, this is just a precaution. But should you have any drastic changes or start seizing, the safest place for you is in the hospital where we can deliver you immediately. You’re at thirty-two weeks, which is more than I ever hoped for, but now is when your son is really going to take off and start growing and gaining weight putting much more strain on your body. I’m going to start you on some medicine to speed up his lung development, so that he’ll be ready when the time comes.”
“But she’s okay?” Clark asked Dr. Groner worriedly.
“That’s why I want her in the hospital, to make sure she stays that way.”
“Of course, Dr. Groner, whatever’s best.”
Lois glared at him then turned to Dr. Groner, “Are you sure I can’t just stay home? I promise, I’ll be good.”
Dr. Groner shook her head, “You need to be in the hospital if something goes wrong. In the time it took you to get here, it could be too late, for the baby *and* for you.”
“Well, then, I guess I’ll just have to get used to hospital food.”
*****
Dr. Groner frowned as she looked over Lois’ chart. “Can we get an ultrasound in here ASAP?” she asked the nurse who moved quickly to comply.
“What’s wrong?”
“Is something wrong?” Lois and Clark asked simultaneously.
“Your proteins aren’t leveling off, Lois. I want to take a good look at this baby and see at what stage his lungs are. I think we need to deliver sooner than later.”
The nurse wheeled in the ultrasound machine. Lois heart pounded as she clutched Clark’s hand, feeling very light-headed, while Dr. Groner moved the wand over her stomach. They both watched as their son squirmed and kicked against the disturbance. Dr. Groner nodded. “He looks good. Lois, I’m going to book the ER. We’re going to have this baby today.”
Clark and Lois looked at each other. “Wow.”
Clark released her hand. “I’m going to go call Mariel and JC and let them know.”
“Lois, you’ll be under a general anesthetic, rather than an epidural, since we’re going to go ahead with the hysterectomy while we’re in there. But I promise that you’ll get to see this little guy as soon as possible.”
“It’s been so long, it just seems unreal that it is all going to be over today.”
“Or maybe today is when is just really gets started,” Dr. Groner commented, reminding Lois of the years ahead.
*****
No matter how routine a surgery is, it is always scary. Lois was shaking as she held Clark’s hand in the operating room as they waited for the anesthetic to be injected.
“It’ll be okay, Lois.”
“Clark, stay with the baby.”
“Lois-”
“He’ll be so little. I don’t want him to be alone. Especially if. . .”
“Lois, he’s a fighter. He’s already defied impossible odds to be in existence.”
“I know that, but I still want you to stay with him.”
“Guess even Superman can’t be two places at once,” he whispered to her. “I’ll stay with the baby, but my heart’s going to be in here with you.”
Lois smiled drowsily as the anesthesia began to take effect. “No, your heart *will* be in two places at once. You’ll take one look at him. . .”
*****
“Lois, Lois.”
“Mmmm.”
“Lois, wake up.”
“Go away.”
Clark chuckled. “She’s waking up.”
Lois eyes flew open. “The baby! Is he okay?”
Clark laid a restraining hand on her shoulder. “Easy there. You did just have a large portion of your insides removed.” Lois relaxed and he took her hand. “Pulitzer is fine.”
Dr. Groner entered the room. “You’re awake! Great. Your family is wanting in here to see you, but I told them they had to wait. How do you feel?”
Lois thought a minute. “It might be the drugs, but not too bad really. After I had the twins I remember feeling very crampy, but I really just feel sore where the sutures are.”
Dr. Groner smiled. “Suprisingly, recuperation from a Cesarean hysterectomy is less painful than from a C-section. With a C-section, there's a lot of discomfort because the uterus is contracting against the incision used to get the baby out. But because you had a hysterectomy, there's no uterus contracting, so a lot less pain.”
Lois nodded grateful that she had gone ahead with the hysterectomy. “How’s my baby?”
“He’s a little jaundiced, so we put him under a sun lamp. Amazingly, not too long after that we could tell he was breathing much better and he started acting hungry.” Lois and Clark looked at each other and smiled in shared amusement at their son’s reaction to the rays of the sun lamp. “We’ve still got him on oxygen, but not nearly as much as I would have thought. His tests look really good. He’s about three and a half pounds so I’ll want him to stay here for a few more weeks, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you had him home before his original due date.”
“When can I see him?” Lois asked eagerly.
“I’ll have a nurse bring him in. You’re going to breastfeed, so the sooner he gets to eat the better. Although he really likes the sugar water the nurses gave him.”
“He has a sweet tooth just like his mother,” Clark joked.
“I’ll let your family know that they can come in,” Dr. Groner said as she left the room.
*****
Brian and Mariel and JC crowded into the room with Lois and Clark with smiles and exclamations of “Congratulations!”
Clark couldn’t stop smiling. Lois was obviously very happy, yet anxious to see the son that she had been waiting for so long. It seemed like ages before the nurse finally wheeled the bassinet into the room. “He can’t stay long,” she warned. “We need to get him back under the lamp. He will probably have a little trouble regulating his own body temperature since he’s so young, but he’ll get there. He’s already a favorite in the nursery.”
Tears streamed down Lois’ face as Clark handed her son to her. “Oh, Clark. He’s so tiny.”
Mariel leaned over to look at her new brother, “I can’t believe Laney was ever this small.”
JC leaned in, stroked his brother’s cheek and kissed him mom on the forehead. “Good work, Mom,” he said hoarsely.
“Are you ready to try feeding him, Mrs. Kent?” the nurse asked.
The kids all stood. “We’ll go and let you guys have some privacy,” Brian explained. “But we’ll be back soon. The grandparents are all making plans to come by tomorrow.”
*****
Lois’ tears finally cleared as she stared down at the tiny miracle nursing slowly at her breast. Clark sat next to her examining their son’s tiny hands and fingers.
“It’s so amazing.”
“What are we going to name him?”
“What’s wrong with Pulitzer?”
Lois laughed. “That one’s not on the table, Kent.”
“Well, we always said we’d name the next one after your dad.”
“So Samuel?”
“He doesn’t look like a Samuel to me.”
Lois looked at her husband. “What do you think he looks like?”
“Joseph. Joey. ”
“Joey. He does look like a Joey. What gave you that idea?”
“Joseph Pulitzer.”
Lois laughed. “Only if you promise not to tell anyone why you named him that. He’d die of embarrassment.”
“Joseph Samuel.”
Lois lifted the now sleeping baby and looked at him, tracing his small features. Then she gasped. “No, it couldn’t be. . . but I’m sure of it.”
“Lois?” Clark asked in alarm.
“Clark, look at this baby.”
“I have-”
“Look really hard, Clark. I’ve seen him before.”
“That’s not possi-”
“Yes, it is. He was a little more filled out, but it was him.”
“What are you. . . the baby! The one H.G. Wells brought to us!”
“I was sure he must have been JC or Mariel’s child but it wasn’t.”
“It was Joey.”
Clark wrapped his arms around them both. Clark and Lois gazed down as the sleeping child, completely amazed at their miracle that had come to them and saved then from despair not just once, but twice. Their little miracle. Their. . . creation.
