Collateral Damage
Folc4evernaday
Part 10
***
Dr. Pierce sat in as Allison Wise, the ultrasound technician performed the ultrasound on Lois. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. The protein spots on her bladder were no longer there. The ultrasound appeared to be perfectly normal. How was this possible? A week ago she had had a strong case of Preeclampsia...What had happened?
“Okay, everything appears to be normal. You should be back to your normal self in a few days. Just try and relax. Take care of yourself; that sort of thing. If you have any spotting of any kind let us know.” Allison handed Lois a wipe to clean her abdomen off with.
She couldn't tell them yet. She had to be sure before she told the Kents that the Preeclampsia had disappeared. She smiled warmly as Allison left the room. “Do you have any questions or concerns?”
“Exactly how much REST are we talking about?” Lois asked as soon as Dr. Pierce had closed the door behind Allison Wise.
“I'm sorry?”
“What if I'm in bed, but not resting...Is that okay or will it hurt the baby?” Lois really didn't want to come right out and ask if it was okay for her to jump her husband. It was still a bit awkward to talk about her sex life with anyone.
“Oh...” She noticed the pink flush that had crept up Clark Kent's neck and immediately realized what Lois was referring to. “OH, yes, that's fine. Just don't overdo it. I'm going to want to get a blood sample from you and then we'll release you to go home.”
“That's great,” Lois replied cheerfully.
“But I'm putting you on bed rest for a few weeks.”
“What!?!” Lois nearly shouted.
“Aside from the preeclampsia...Your body has gone through a tremendous amount of stress...”
“Is there anything we can be doing to help Lois heal faster?” Clark asked.
“Just make sure you continue to take your medications...Hopefully, this baby will make it to full term. Even in a normal pregnancy...things like this can trigger premature labor.”
Lois and Clark fell silent, unsure of what – if anything there was to say in response to that.
***
“So, you played a hunch and it panned out, huh? I'm really proud of you, Jimmy.” Perry smiled at the young man. Jimmy had really grown over the past few years. The eager to please attitude was still there, but he had matured quite a bit from the days he had been able to bully the young man into cleaning his office out on a Saturday night.
“Thanks, Chief,” Jimmy replied, quietly. He was glad to hear the praise from Perry. He had always looked up to him. “So, when are they letting you out of here?”
“He'll be going home at the end of the week,” Alice said, as she entered the room with a couple of cups of coffee.
“Alice, it's good to see you.” Jimmy took the coffee from her and placed the cups on the tray by Perry's bed. “Chief, why didn't you tell me you had company. I would have come back later.”
“Oh, for goodness sake, Jimmy, he's been worried about you; wondering if you'd ever come and see him.” Alice winked at Jimmy, “I told him his bad habits have worn off on you.”
“I told her that was something I highly doubted. I figured something big had to have happened to keep you from coming by.” Perry replied dryly.
“Yeah, I'm sorry about that, Chief. I was kinda in shock when Lois and CK told me what happened to you. I don't really like hospitals...They make me claustrophobic. I guess I kinda took the chicken way out.”
“Hey, no hard feelings.” Perry looked at the young man in concern, “What made you change your mind about the hospital if you don't mind my asking?”
Jimmy didn't meet Perry's eyes when he disclosed this information. “Seeing everything Lois and CK have been going through and then that Luthor guy trying to kill Superman. I guess I figured being there for friends is more important than anxiety about a hospital.”
“Oh, my word! Is everyone all right?” Alice asked in concern. Perry stared at the wall solemnly, unable to voice the emotions running through him.
“Lois and CK are fine. Superman’s okay. He's just sore from what Dr. Klein said.”
“But they're okay?” Perry asked.
“For the most part; yeah,” Jimmy replied solemnly. “This has been a tough week. CK said Lois’ pregnancy is high risk so…” He sighed.
Alice let the news register. “Lois is pregnant?”
Jimmy smiled broadly, “Yeah. She's pregnant.”
Alice's face lit up. She and Perry both had always thought of Lois as the daughter they never had. Lois was going to have a baby. That was hard to imagine with how hectic her and Clark's lives were, but she was sure they would make it work.
“It'll be a miracle if she's able to deliver the baby full term with the way things have been going lately,” Jimmy remarked sadly. “It's just been one thing after another.”
“She'll be fine, Jimmy. Lois is the most stubborn woman I have ever met.” Perry grinned, “I think Clark's the male equal to her in that regard.” Jimmy couldn't help but laugh. He and Perry had watched the courtship of Lane and Kent from a distance, speculating the outcome. Clark was definitely a perfect match for Lois. “Once Lois puts her mind to something; there is no talking her out of it. She won't let anything happen to her or that baby if she can help it. You know how pig-headed she can be.”
Jimmy nodded, "Yeah, I hope you're right, Chief."
"Of course, I'm right," Perry beamed. "I'm the Chief ain't I?"
***
“I just don't understand,” Dr. Pierce remarked as Dr. Klein examined the blood sample in front of him through a microscope. “I've never seen any case like this before.”
“Well, Ms. Lane has always had a tendency to test the laws of nature. She and her husband have always found themselves in impossible situations usually by impossible means.” Dr. Klein explained dryly. “She was exposed to that meteorite, kryptonite...maybe that could explain it...we still don't know all the effects it has on the human body...” he explained. Dr. Pierce continued to look at him apprehensively.
“Should I tell them that the preeclampsia is gone?” she asked, nervously. “What if it comes back?”
Dr. Klein smiled, “I want to run a few more tests before we get ahead of ourselves.”
“I just – I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. The fetus is growing normally. It's almost like her body is healing itself. There should have been scarring. There should have been bruising on her uterus. There's nothing.” Dr. Pierce ran a hand through her hair nervously. “What in the world could explain such a phenomenon?”
***
“Lois, honey...” Clark attempted in-between the kisses Lois was showering his face with. “Let me close the door.”
Lois pulled away for a moment and allowed him to close the door; then once the front door to their brownstone was securely shut, she launched herself into his arms once more. “No excuses...Dr. Pierce said it was perfectly acceptable for us to make love...No harm to the baby.” she tugged at his dress shirt as they made their way towards the couch; still in one another's arms.
Clark allowed himself to be pushed back on the couch with Lois. She moved to straddle him as she continued her assault on his body. Her lips only left his a few seconds to catch her breath. She swiftly stripped herself of her blouse, tossing it across the room; marveling at the feel of his skin against her own. “Mmmm...too much drama.,” she whispered, unbuttoning the last button on his dress shirt.
“Tell me about it,” he whispered back, shedding himself out of his dress shirt and tossing it to the ground. She moaned in pleasure as she felt his hands explore her body. The warmth from his hands created a heated path up and down her back as he trailed his mouth up her chest.
“Oh, God...Clark...” she moaned in pleasure; arching her back into his supportive arms. The heat of his mouth against her skin sent shivers of pleasure down her spine.
***
Dr. Klein stared at the results in front of him. He looked back and forth between the sonogram in front of him and the blood tests he had been examining for the past hour. This was good news. Lois was no longer at risk, but how could he explain this to Dr. Pierce without giving away Clark's secret. He didn't know what to do. He sighed to himself. He now understood the chaos Lois and Clark had to deal with every day.
Their willingness to share their secret with him was commendable. He knew it had to have been a hard decision for both of them to make. He felt honored to have such good friends. He decided the best thing to do was to talk to Lois and Clark in the morning. Surely they would have a better idea of how to explain this than he did.
***
The next morning, Jimmy entered the newsroom and found everyone waiting patiently by the elevator doors, “What's going on?” he asked one of his co-workers, Brian.
“Franklin Stern said he had an announcement to make. He wants everyone here.”
“Everyone? Lois and CK aren't going to be able to make it here.”
“I'm sure they're the exception along with Perry.” Brian smiled back.
The elevator door opened, revealing the owner, Franklin Stern exited the elevator swiftly, making his way to the edge of the balcony, “Can I have everyone’s attention?”
“Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with me.” Mr. Stern began. “I'm sure you all have heard of the circumstances surrounding Mr. White's condition. If you haven't then shame on you. You're obviously in the wrong profession.” Everyone laughed at the man's joke. “I'm making some changes to the way things are run in the newsroom to help Mr. White and you all. I'd like to introduce you to your new assistant editor-in-chief, Mr. James Olsen.”
There was a murmur of both protest and approval at this announcement. Jimmy wasn't sure what to think of the news. Was this what the Chief wanted? He grew thoughtful for a moment. He had just been promoted. He would be working side by side with Perry White his mentor. This was great news.
***
“Dr. Klein? You wanted to see us?” Lois asked as she and Clark entered the office hesitantly, looking around for the doctor. Lois smiled when she spotted Dr. Klein sitting at his desk, jotting down various formulas as he muttered incoherently to himself.
“Dr. Klein?” Clark asked a little louder.
Dr. Klein looked up, finally noticing the couple and smiled, standing up to greet them, “Lois, Clark, how are you feeling?”
“Good. We're still a bit sore, but you know how it is.” Lois shrugged.
“Yes.” Dr. Klein couldn't help but broaden his smile. This was big news. It wasn't every day that he got to deliver good news to the couple. “I've discovered something about your pregnancy, Lois...concerning the baby.”
Lois and Clark's faces grew apprehensive. “What is it?” Clark asked, placing a supportive arm around Lois.
“Well, Clark, you know how your body has a healing aura around itself? Anything within a few millimeters of your skin is invulnerable?” He still couldn't wipe the grin off his face. He was trying. He really was, but this was just such good news.
“Yeah.” Clark began slowly.
“Well, your son seems to have inherited that trait.” Dr. Klein began, “Lois, you no longer have Preeclampsia.”
Lois and Clark looked like they had just been hit with a ton of bricks. “What?” they asked in unison.
“Your child's aura has healed your body. There's no scarring. No protein build up. It's as if you never had it.” Dr. Klein smiled as he watched the couple embrace, reveling in their relief. He cleared his throat to remind them of his presence when they found themselves in a clinch that was lasting longer than needed. “But this is what brings me to my dilemma.”
“Dilemma?” Clark asked, curiously.
“Yes, Dr. Pierce is very concerned about how Lois' preeclampsia disappeared. I'm not sure how to explain this to her.”
“Hmmm...I don't suppose leaving it as an unexplainable phenomenon will work?” Lois asked curiously.
“I'm not sure she'll buy that,” Dr. Klein remarked dryly.
“We can check with my father and see if he can come up with a good medical explanation.” Lois began. “I still need to talk to him about all of this.” She was still in shock slightly. The weight that had been on her and Clark's shoulders the past month was gone. She didn't have preeclampsia. Their baby would be okay. She sighed in relief, reveling in the newfound freedom she felt at being an expectant mother without the condition of preeclampsia. It felt good.
***
The next two weeks flew by. Lois and Clark began to adjust to life as impending parents. They had been ordered by Mr. Stern not to show their faces in the office for at least two weeks; so they took advantage of the free time to enjoy one another’s company in more ways than one. The extra boxes that had been stored in their spare bedroom were cleared out to make room for the furniture. Martha and Jonathan had sent Clark’s old bassinet to them as a start to the new nursery.
Both sets of grandparents were relieved to discover Lois’ condition of preeclampsia was gone. Ellen still didn’t quite understand how her body had healed, but she wasn’t pushing the issue too much. She was grateful that her daughter was healthy and her grandchild was no longer at risk. Sam was equally grateful and had worked hard with Dr. Klein to come up with a probable reason to give Dr. Pierce and Ellen for Lois’ miraculous recovery. Given the fact that Lois had been exposed to kryptonite, an unknown substance, he and Dr. Klein used that as an excuse. Dr. Pierce still wasn’t sure how the combination of medicine and kryptonite radiation could heal Lois’ body, but she seemed somewhat satisfied.
As Inspector Henderson began digging deeper into Mindy Church’s assets he discovered her payroll had extended to many of the previous criminals that had been arrested for attempts to take over Metropolis. Caribbean Imports was put out of business and all assets were frozen by the courts. This along with having Cross Industries dismantled piece by piece left Mindy Church penniless when it came time for her court date. She was sent to trial with no hope of bond. In the men’s prison, both Bill Church Sr and Junior found it amusing that she was finally getting her just deserts.
***
“Jimmy?” Penny stood in front of Jimmy’s desk, nervously toying with a strand of her hair.
“Penny! What are you doing here?” Jimmy asked. He hadn’t seen her since the fiasco with Luthor. He wasn’t sure what to make of his relationship with her. He knew he cared about her, but he was unsure if she cared about him in the same way.
“I-I didn’t mean to intrude on you at work, but I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“What?”
“I know we didn’t exactly start out…dating…well, sort of…under the best circumstances..” she flushed slightly, recalling the way she had thrown herself at him. “I guess I was just hoping…well, wondering….do you still like me? I mean, it’s been like two weeks since I’ve heard from you. I thought we had reconciled the whole me thinking you were Superman thing, but I would completely understand if you didn’t…I just…” she stopped for a moment and laughed. “I’m sorry. I kinda ramble like crazy when I’m nervous.”
Jimmy smiled. She was nervous. It was kinda cute. He liked it. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, Penny, I’ve just been really busy here at the Planet. Everything’s changed since Mr. Stern promoted me to help the Chief out. With Lois and CK gone, everyone else has been juggling more than their fair share of the load…trying to get the paper out..” he laughed nervously, “I guess we’ve been playing it hit and miss these past few weeks, huh?” She nodded shyly at him. “Listen, why don’t we go to dinner and talk? Chinese?”
“I’d like that.”
“I have to warn you, though; it’ll actually be in Metropolis. I can’t fly to China to get food for you.” He joked.
Penny smiled, “Personally, I think being able to fly all over the world is overrated.”
“Good.” Jimmy was on cloud nine. She liked him. He liked her. This was always a good sign.
He was interrupted from his reverie by the sound of cheering around the elevator. He looked up and saw Perry White step off the elevator with Alice by his side. He smiled to himself, happy to see Perry and Alice working things out. Ever since he had met Perry he had been in awe of the way he loved Alice. He had always wanted to find someone he could love like that. Maybe Penny was that person? Only time would tell. He looked around the newsroom anxiously; Lois and Clark still weren’t here yet.
***
Lois and Clark made their way through the lobby, hand in hand. They had been running late…again. Today Perry would be returning to work. This was their first day back on the job as well. Clark had regained his powers a few days after the attack with Luthor and was back to his super self. Lois had secretly worried they would encounter the same problem they had when Randy Goode had attacked Clark with kryptonite. She had been grateful to hear his powers had returned normally.
Her body had been changing even more over the past few weeks. It was as if she woke up and all of a sudden a huge baby bump appeared. It amazed both her and Clark to watch her shape change as their child grew.
“We’re late,” Lois muttered, pressing the call button as they stepped on the elevator.
“We’re always late.” Clark teased, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned down to kiss her.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish,” Lois whispered against his lips, linking her arms around his neck.
“Who says I can’t finish?” he whispered back, deepening their kiss. Lois moaned in pleasure, reveling in the feeling of him in her arms.
The heat of the moment was interrupted by the ding of the elevator. They reluctantly pulled away from one another once their consciousness registered the cat calls they were receiving. “Hey, haven’t you two had enough alone time? You’ve been gone for two weeks! Sheesh!” Ralph hollered across the newsroom.
Lois and Clark ignored the statement as they made their way down the ramp to the newsroom hand in hand. “Lois, CK!” Jimmy bounded up to them, “It’s great to have you back!”
“It’s good to be back, Jimmy,” Lois replied warmly.
“So, how have things been?” Clark asked. They hadn’t been at the Planet in two weeks; so he was curious how the transition from Luckabee’s management back to Mr. Stern’s had affected everyone.
“It’s been interesting. You two are our main city beat journalists so everyone’s been kinda juggling everything. Mr. Stern said he’s looking to hire some new people for the city beat.” Jimmy sighed.
“Lois, Clark, it’s good to see you!” Perry approached them with a big smile on his face. He looked down at Lois and noticed the change in her abdomen. His smile broadened, “Motherhood suits you, Lois.”
Lois blushed, “Thank you, Perry. How are you doing?”
“I’m good. I’m very good. I’m on cloud nine.” He couldn’t seem to wipe the smile off his face, “I have some news for you three.” He motioned for Lois, Clark and Jimmy to follow him into his office.
Lois and Clark looked at Jimmy quizzically who just shrugged. They followed Perry to his office and closed the door behind them.
“What’s up, Perry?” Lois asked.
“Lois, I’m going to take you off the actual city beat for awhile,” Perry began.
“What? Why?” Lois was getting upset, she didn’t want to be stuck doing desk work all the time; especially when she just found out her pregnancy would be normal. She was looking forward to diving into a good story with Clark.
“I’m going to have you helping Jimmy.” Jimmy beamed, knowing where Perry was going with this. “He was promoted to my assistant Editor-In-Chief and I want you to help him transition. You won’t be able to keep up your regular schedule the further along you get and this way we can put your mind to good use. You’ll be back on the city beat when you return from maternity leave. I promise.”
“Assistant editor?” Clark and Lois asked Perry in unison. They both knew Perry well enough to know that couldn’t have gone over well with him.
“Orders of Mr. Stern. He doesn’t want me keeling over anytime soon; so I have to delegate.”
“You? Delegate?” Lois asked.
“I didn’t say it was gonna be easy.” Perry admitted shyly.
“That is great news. Of course, I’ll help. Jimmy, I’m so happy for you,” Lois beamed.
“Well, this oughta make things interesting.” Perry mused.
***
One Year Later…
The soft cries of a baby could be heard from the brownstone on Hyperion Avenue. Clark Kent held his son close to him as he tried to calm his cries. “Shh, it’s okay. Mommy’s coming. See?” He positioned his son in his arms so she could see Lois in the rocking chair, positioning herself to begin nursing.
“Let me see him.” Lois held her arms out and Clark handed her to Lois. He smiled; watching the love in his wife’s eyes as she nursed their child. This was everything he had ever wanted; a family of his own. Lois noticed him watching her and looked up at him curiously, “What?”
“Nothing. I’ve just never seen anything so beautiful…so perfect in all my life.” He said, wrapping his arms around her as he watched them. “Can you believe everything we’ve been through from the time we’ve met up until now?”
“I know. It seems like ages ago when Perry first introduced us. If someone had told me five years ago that I’d one day be married with a baby …and happy about it…I’d of thought they were crazy. Now, I can’t imagine my life without you or CJ.” She smiled at the sleeping baby in her arms, “He’s asleep.”
Clark looked down at the sleeping figure in his wife’s arms. Their child. Their miracle. It was hard to take in sometimes, but he couldn’t be happier. The last year had been a struggle. He had to cut back on his Superman activities in order to help Lois during the end of her pregnancy. They had had a couple close calls when they thought the baby would come early, but he still managed to stay put until thirty-eight weeks.
Dr. Klein said he seemed to be normal. The only thing he had noticed unusual about him was he seemed to be more aware of his surroundings than normal babies, but they weren’t worried about that. Life was changing rapidly and for the better, it seemed.
After Cross Industries, LexCorp, and Caribbean Imports had been dismantled a new businessman from Gotham City had approached Superman about merging the foundations to help more people and protect the cities against organized crime. He had been a bit skeptical at first because of the man’s reputation. Bruce Wayne was a well-known playboy, but he was also an acute businessman with a strong sense of justice.
The establishments that had taken over the previous organized crime now were working with the foundations to help better both Metropolis and Gotham as a whole. It felt good to find someone willing to help without a hidden agenda. It was refreshing. After five years in Metropolis, Clark had begun to develop a sense of skepticism towards entrepreneurs and philanthropists claiming to be wholesome well-meaning individuals.
He had hope for the future. His son’s future. Maybe one day there would come a time when Superman wouldn’t be needed; except for natural disasters. He prayed that day would come, but in the meantime, he enjoyed the sense of peace that he felt holding his family. He had come so close to losing everything…It still shook him to the core, but he had survived. He had learned in a situation of true adversity who his true friends were. Never would he have imagined Jimmy was capable of such courage; or Bill Henderson capable of sneaking kryptonite out of a crime scene, but they had surprised him. He would forever be grateful for their help in defeating Luthor.
He watched Lois lay CJ down in her crib. She was such a natural mother. He would never understand how she could have ever doubted herself. Her natural instincts had taken over the moment she had held CJ for the first time. He had fallen in love with her all over again every time he saw her with him.
“I love watching him sleep,” Lois whispered.
“Yeah. He’s so cute…I wish I could just hold him forever…” He smiled at Lois as she walked over to him; seating herself in his lap.
“What time do we have to leave?” Lois asked.
“Uh, in about three hours,” Clark said, looking at the clock. It was four thirty. Penny and Jimmy’s engagement party was at seven thirty that night. Her parents were watching CJ for them while they attended. It amazed him how quickly things had changed between Jimmy and Penny once they had settled the whole ‘Not begin Superman’ fiasco. It appeared Jimmy had found the right girl. He was happy for his friend. Everyone around them seemed to be doing better in their relationships. Perry and Alice had remarried about three months ago and Jimmy was getting married.
“Well, I guess, we should start to get ready.” Lois made her way towards the bathroom and turned on the shower. It took him a moment to realize that was an invitation. They didn’t need to leave for another couple of hours…
Lois poked her head out of the bathroom, “Are you coming?” She squealed in delight when he super-sped both of them into the shower stall.
Yes, life was definitely …very good. He thought to himself before his mouth came crashing down on Lois’.
The End.
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