Sorry for the long delay. I was having a little trouble---not exactly writer's block, more like its cousin or something. I would like to thank a certain FoLC who helpped me out with a mini brain-storming session on IRC. Thanks, Bethy!
For those for whom it's been so long they don't even remember what the story was about, you can find the other parts
Here. This part had not been Betaed, so read at your own risk.
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It was a long time before Clark finally regained consciousness. All he knew was that one minute he was running towards a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel, and the next minute he was lying on the floor with his head in Lois' lap. She looked very concerned.
"---up! Come on, Clark, wake up! Snap out of it! What have I done? Clark!"
"Lois?"
"Oh, Clark! Are you all right? I didn't mean to---well, I meant to, but I didn't realize---"
"What happened?" And where was that ringing noise coming from?
"Clark, I'm so sorry! I didn't know I'd hit you that hard!" She was starting to cry.
"Hit---me?" Oh, right...When he finally told her about the whole Superman thing. Actually, she'd taken it better than he'd hoped; at least he was still living. "Lois, it's okay."
"No, it's not okay!" Lois sobbed, "I just KO'd Superman! What am I going to do? I can't live like this! I don't even know my own body any more! First the floating dreams---which weren't even dreams---and now this..." She looked down at her hands. Tears were running down her eyes.
Clark sat up and reached to put an arm around her. "Lois, it'll be O---"
"Don't touch me, you lying, deceitful blob of testosterone!"
Okay, so just because she was sorry for hitting him didn't mean he was off the hook. "Look, Lois, I'm sorry about that, okay? I had meant to tell you sooner..."
Lois snorted.
"Can you ever forgive me?"
She fixed him with a viscous glare.
"Lois, please! I know what I did was wrong, and I'll do anything to make it up to you! I'm really sorry."
She seemed to consider this for a moment. "Anything."
"Anything, Lois! You name it."
"A-ny-thing..."
For some reason, Clark didn't like the way she said that.
"All right, Buster. When this whole thing started, you said you wanted to help with the baby. Well guess what? I'm taking you up on your offer. From now on, you will be at my beck and call as far as anything even *remotely* related to the baby is concerned. *You* will do all the manual work setting up the nursery, and *you* will handle *all* of the diapers! Is that understood?"
A grin spread across Clark's face. "Yes, Ma'am!"
"And *you* will handle explaining this whole mess to my mother."
His grin vanished. "Yes, Ma'am."
"I think we should put some ice on your eye," Lois suddenly said, scrambling to her feet. "It's swelling up pretty bad."
"Is it?" Clark put a hand over his sore eye. He'd never gotten a black eye, before. He followed Lois into the kitchen, where she filled a rag with ice cubes from his freezer and then carefully placed it over his discolored eye. "Thanks," Clark said.
Lois mumbled something that sounded like "Your welcome."
"So, has your doctor noticed anything unusual?"
She blinked. "Doctor?"
"Your obstetrician. Is there any chance that she---or he---knows you've been getting these---abilities?"
Lois became a little uncomfortable.
"Lois? You have been seeing a doctor, right?"
"Look, I'm a busy woman, okay? I don't have time to spend three hours sitting in a waiting room flipping through old magazines! Besides, I have that book..."
Clark stared at her in disbelief. "Lois, that book isn't enough! If you're going to have a baby---especially with your condition---you should be seeing an doctor!"
"Well, Clark, what am I supposed to do? It's not like I can just call her and say 'Hi, I need to make an appointment; I'm pregnant with the first human/Kryptonian hybrid known to man.' Let's face it, something like this is probably a *little* out of her league!"
Clark thought for a moment. Lois did have a point; this was clearly a case where a regular doctor wouldn't be sufficient. "Then maybe we should call in someone from the *big* leagues."
Lois looked at him. "Huh?"
**********
Dr. Bernard Klein was happily conducting an experiment on the effects of gamma rays on man-in-the-moon magnolias when he heard the door of his lab open and turned to see none other than Superman himself. "Superman! This is a surprise. What can I do for you?"
"Hi, Dr. Klein. I was, um, hoping you could help me with a little---situation."
"Situation?"
"Um, yes. But it's something really personal, and I need your word that absolutely *nothing* that I'm about to tell you will go beyond this room."
"Ah. Don't worry, Superman. I can keep a secret. So, it's personal, huh?"
"Very."
"I see. Well, go ahead and take a seat, and you can tell me about this 'situation' of yours."
Superman gratefully sank into one of the lab's metal chairs, and Klein dragged another chair over to sit down in front of him. "Actually," Superman began, "it's technically not *my* situation---you see, I have this friend..."
"Ah. I see." Klein had to hide a smile. "So go ahead, tell me about your 'friend'."
"We're very *close* friends, you see..."
Klein nodded knowingly.
"And not too long ago, this friend of mine was diagnosed with Endometriosis---"
Klein's eyebrows shot up. "Endometriosis? But, that only affects women!"
Superman looked at him strangely. "Well, this friend of mine *is* a woman."
"WHAT?!" The scientist stared at the superhero and sputtered incoherently for a few moments. "Oh! Well, of course. It's obvious." Boy, could he could use a drink right about now.
"Uh---huh." Superman considered him uncertainly for a second, then shrugged and continued. "Anyway, to make a long story short, she asked me to get her pregnant, so---"
"Oh!" Klein interrupted, "You're talking about an actual friend of yours?"
"Well, yeah!" Superman raised an eyebrow. "What did you *think* I was talking about?"
"Nothing, nothing." Klein could *really* use that drink... "So let me guess, you and your *friend* want me to help you make a baby. Am I right?"
"Erm, not exactly."
"No? Well, what do you need, then?"
"Um, you see---" Superman shifted a little in his seat. "We sort of-----the baby---is already---made." His face turned a little red.
Dr. Klein sat up straight. "You made a baby with an earth woman?! Do you know what you're doing? That could be dangerous! Who's taking care of her?"
"That's why I'm here, Dr. Klein. I was hoping you could be her doctor while she's having the baby."
Klein flopped back in his chair. "Oh, no. Sorry, Superman. I wish I could help you, but I just don't do clinical work. I have absolutely *no* bedside manner..."
"Please, Dr. Klein? You're the only one I would even *think* of asking! And we really need you---Lois is going crazy from all the weird changes that have been happening in her body." Superman lowered the hand that had been covering his left eye all this time. "This is the most recent example."
The scientist's jaw dropped. The invulnerable man of steel had a shiner the size of Lake Michigan! He sighed. "All right, Superman, I'll do it! Bring her into my office first thing Saturday, and I'll see what I can do for her."
"Thanks, Dr. Klein!" Superman smiled.
"But can you promise me one thing?"
"What's that?"
"Whatever happens, Don't let her hit me!"
**********
TBC
