Another very good chapter!
I felt a little nervous when I read this:
"Please, come in." Clark held the door open and gestured inside.
Mayson hesitated for a second and then walked in and down the steps, taking in the apartment as she did so. "Where's Lois?"
Clark shut the door and followed her. "She's asleep."
Mayson is coming in when Lois is asleep? For once Clark is doing what he made sure he never did before: he is, for all intents and purposes, alone with Mayson!
"You've been cheating on her? With who?" Mayson sputtered.
He shook his head. "No. I haven't been cheating on her, but according to Paul and Dr. Snodgrass, there's a rumor that I have been."
"With who?"
He finally looked her straight in the eyes. "You."
Mayson gulped. "What?"
But it was very good that Clark told Mayson about the rumor. I'm glad that she was so surprised. Not that I had expected that she wouldn't be.
A scream interrupted whatever he was about to say.
He managed to keep himself to normal human speed as he bolted towards the other room.
Lois was sitting up, her eyes closed. The screams had stopped, but the sobs continued.
Clark reached out to touch her, but she flinched as his hand grazed her shoulder. "Lois, honey, wake up." He spoke softly to her for a few more minutes, until her eyes opened and she turned and buried herself in his chest. After several more long minutes she pulled back slightly. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Another nightmare."
"I figured. Listen, Mayson's here. She's been here for a little while and I told her most of what happened, abridged version of course."
"What did she say?"
It's also good that Mayson learnt about Lois's nightmares. And I'm very glad that Lois wasn't upset that Mayson was there. She trusts Clark now.
"My oldest sister was date raped about ten years ago and she still has flashbacks and stuff from time to time. I mean, usually, she's fine and she has a... good relationship with her husband and even a couple of kids, but every once in a while – maybe once a year or so – something still triggers her. I know what she's gone through and I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
"Thank you," Lois said quietly.
Mayson understands Lois's situation. Good.
"I'm not sure what I can do to help, but..." Mayson took a deep breath, "...if you need me to tell anyone that there wasn't anything going on between me and Clark, I will. I won't pretend that earlier didn't hurt – it did – but I'm willing to admit that, in some ways, it was probably called for and I won't let my hurt feelings stand in the way of trying to bring Professor Paul to justice. I'll do anything I can to help."
Lois glanced at Clark. He was watching her, willing to let her take the lead and back up whatever she decided. "Thank you, Mayson. I appreciate that, but other than telling the truth about your friendship with Clark when necessary, I don't know what you can do."
"Um... I don't know if this will mean much coming from me, but I do mean it. If you need to someone to talk to, you can call me."
"I appreciate the offer," Lois said quietly.
Good! Mayson is on her way to becoming a lawyer.
And I was glad that Jimmy was upset when he heard that Lois had thought that Clark was unfaithful to her, and I'm glad that he didn't blame Lois, but rather thought that Clark had behaved unwisely. But of course he knew that Clark most certainly had not been having an affair.
Clark has been so sure that he is never going to be with another woman that he didn't seriously consider the possibility that his many lunches with Mayson may look suspicious to Lois.
But you have to love Clark for being so completely committed to Lois.
"Well, I've got addresses on four of the six women on the list. I went to the alumni office on campus and said I was looking for former students and they gave me the information. The other two students haven't kept in contact with the university. Two of the four are married, one is divorced. One of the ones that's married has one child, the other one has two. The one who's never been married has a 5-year-old son and get this... she graduated six years ago."
Clark instantly paled. "Do you think...?"
Cat looked at her gently. "What can you tell us about the last few weeks before you graduated?"
She took a deep breath and started her story. "In some ways it was the best thing that ever happened to me – it gave me my son..." she glanced at them. "Don't tell me you haven't done the math already."
I can't resist commenting on what James said about this woman who chose to keep her child even though her son was the product of rape. I agree with James that her son is of course innocent, and I, too, respect the woman for not aborting her child.
Nevertheless, I respect those women who do have an abortion if they have become pregnant after being raped. Arnost, my colleague, says that "rape behaviour" is partly hereditary. Please! I'm not talking about predetermination here, only an increased risk of a certain behaviour.
To make you see what I mean, imagine a large group of boys whose fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers never committed rape. Imagine that ten of these boys will nevertheless grow up to become rapists themselves.
Now consider another, similarly large group of boys, who are all the product of rape. Imagine that fifteen of these boys will grow up to become rapists.
But what if not only the boys' fathers were rapists, but perhaps one set of grandfathers, too? For such a group of boys, we may have a situation where twenty-five of the boys become rapists later on.
And what if not only the fathers but
both sets of grandfathers were rapists? And one set of great-grandfathers? Or two sets of great-grandfathers? Or three? Or four?
Arnost, my colleague, says that rapists on average have more children than other men, simply because they rape as well as have sex with consenting partners. Therefore, the number of people who carry rapists' genes grows faster than the number of people who are not at all a product of rape. If "rape-behaviour" is hereditary at all, then women who choose to keep their babies after being raped may increase the risk, ever so minutely, that other women may be raped in the future.
Anyway. I feel very sorry for the little boy whose mother was raped by Professor Paul in the story. I very much hope that Lois and Clark can shield the boy from nasty publicity. Imagine being a little child and growing up knowing that your father is a really bad man and you yourself are a product of a truly vile act. I wouldn't wish that on any child!
So while I respect the woman in this story for keeping her child, I respect her even more for loving her child. That is the best way to steer one's children down a good path and help them become good persons themselves, I'm sure.
And speaking about publicity... it is disgusting to think that Lois herself may find herself the victim not only of attempted rape, but of cruel publicity, too.
I'm eagerly looking forward to more of this engrossing story!
Ann
