Cheers, back to theatre for surgery I go. (hmm, like yoda, I sound)
All right it is, Em, as long as lightsaber you do not use as scalpel, yes?
Jonathan is, as I've already stated, still grieving over Lana's death. He still feels as if he lost a daughter when that freighter exploded. Grief is a process, and there are five recognized stages of grief, but not everyone works through grief the same way or at the same pace. Maybe it's not smart to refer one's readers to another story while yours is about to start building to a climax, but an excellent story about processing grief - or not processing grief - is M.L. Thompson's
The Second Stage of Grief . I thoroughly enjoyed it when I read it, and I heartily recommend it (after you finish reading this beast, of course).
A comment about Lois's bowels turning to water. Yes, it's a bit gross, but it's supposed to convey abject disappointment and despair. At this point, she's just about decided that Jonathan will never accept her as a person in her own right and will always compare her to Lana with negative results for Lois. We'll see if that's true as time goes by.
As always, thanks for reading and commenting!
