The Story So Far Part 6---
Lois rounded the corner and was somewhat surprised to see Mr. Smith still standing in front of the elevators. He pressed the call button repeatedly, waved his hands in front of the doors, then began hitting them. They dented, but did not open.
“Trouble with the elevator?” Lois asked him.
He turned to glare at her, then hung his head and sighed. “A bit,” he admitted. “They must have been deactivated in the lock-down.”
“How about taking the stairs?” Lois suggested.
Mr. Smith rolled his eyes. “This building doesn't have stairs,” he answered, his voice resuming that annoying tone of condescension. “In case of emergencies, people use the teleportation system.”
“So, use that, then.” Lois replied, resisting the temptation to match his tone.
He shook his head. “It would only take us outside the hospital. Naturally, getting back in again would be nearly impossible.”
“Well, don't worry,” she said, patting his arm reassuringly. He glanced distastefully at the spot where she touched him. “My great-grandson runs this place; he can probably get us upstairs.” She turned, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted. “Jordan!”
Mr. Smith gave her that irritating look, again. “Do you truly not know anything?” he asked her.
Lois turned to face him, daggers flashing in her eyes. “What do you mean?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Look: I don't know if they explained when they checked you in, but this hospital is primarily designed for Kryptonians—well, Earth's half-race, anyway, but our needs are the same.”
“Okay, first of all, stop calling them that,” said Lois. “Second of all, I already know who the hospital was built for. Third of all, I am not a patient, here!”
Mr. Smith snorted. “Very well, I won't argue it. But why shout for someone when most of the building is sound-proof?”
Lois froze. “Sound-proof?” she echoed.
“Wave-neutralizers in the walls,” Mr. Smith explained, “allowing patients both peace and privacy. Also, the patients' rooms have these things called 'beds'--”
“Your sarcasm is duly noted,” said Lois. “Now, shut up and let me think.”
Mr. Smith's mouth snapped shut. He narrowed his eyes at her, but Lois paid him no mind. She stared at the elevators and rubbed her chin. “We could try to hack it,” she said at last.
Mr. Smith blinked at her. “Hack it?” he echoed. “What--?”
“Just think for a second,” Lois continued, waving a hand toward the elevators. “Supposedly, all the elevators were shut down as soon as they announced the lock-down, right? So, that means they must all be controlled from some central location.”
“That's...plausible...” Mr. Smith admitted, raising an eyebrow at her.
“So,” she went on, “all we need to do is find the control center and turn them back on. Come on!”
She started off down the hall. After a second or two, Mr. Smith jogged to catch up to her.
“Er, where are we going?” he asked.
“We're looking for an office,” she told him.
“An office?” he echoed. “What office?”
“Any office,” Lois replied. “If we're going to find a gizmo to control the elevators, it's probably in someone's office, somewhere. So, let's start looking.”
He sighed and muttered in his native language, again. “Why am I even following you?” he asked aloud.
“Do you have a better plan?” Lois responded.
He grumbled even as he followed her around a corner and down another hallway. “No,” he admitted.
Lois smiled triumphantly. “That's why,” she told him.
“But, this is not a plan!” he protested. “This is—this is maybe *half* of a plan! You don't even know if what we need is anywhere on this floor!”
“Oh, and do you have an idea for searching the other floors?” Lois asked, sweetly. “I thought so,” she said when her opponent fell silent. “Now, then; any chance you can do a quick x-ray of the rooms on this--” she trailed off at the now-familiar look. “That's a no, I take it. Well, we'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way. Now, come on!”
---
To Be Continued...
