Previously on O Brother Where Art Thou:
Clark and Michel cracked the secrets of telepathy, just in time for an asteroid to menace the earth. Now, the asteroid is gone and there is an amnesiac in Metropolis...and another amnesiac in Europe.
ToC
Part 27 ----------
Part 28The door to the apartment flew open as soon as Ms. Lane knocked. An elderly woman on the other side immediately pulled him into her arms. “Clark! We came as soon as Mr. White called!” She let go, only for the man beside her to take over the hug. These must be his parents, he knew; although he didn't recognize them any more than the gossip columnist he was apparently seeing.
Once he'd been thoroughly squeezed to their satisfaction, they ushered him and Lois down the steps into an immaculate living space with shelves full of strange knick-knacks and unfamiliar books. “How are you feeling, Honey?”
“He feels...that is, I...” He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of that...current, or whatever it was that seemed to be constantly humming through his brain, echoing back his thoughts and feelings and sometimes distorting them until he wasn't quite sure which ones were really his. He'd tried, with little success, to explain it to the psychologist back at the police station, but after fumbling his way through a woefully inadequate description, her only response had been to frown and make a note of it.
“Clark's got some kind of dissociative thing going on,” Lois explained at their confused stares. “The doctor thinks he must have recently experienced some kind of trauma.”
The elderly couple...his parents...shared a look.
He nodded, allowing himself to sink onto the couch. “Ms. Lane thinks that it is because of Superman's disappearance. Apparently, we are...close friends?” He looked up at Ms. Lane, who nodded in confirmation.
His parents shared another look.
Ms. Lane shifted the strap of her purse. “Speaking of which, I need to get back to work finding Superman, anyway. The sooner we get him back, the sooner Clark's memories will get fixed!” She leaned over the couch and patted his shoulder. “You'll be in good hands, now, Clark. Don't worry about anything, okay?” She turned and started marching towards the door.
He rose to his feet. “Wait!”
Ms. Lane stopped and whirled back to face him.
“Er...” he stammered. “Thank you for your help.”
She shrugged, smiled, and brushed her hair back behind her ear. “Oh, no problem. What are friends for?” She strode back across the room to him and wrapped him in a quick hug. Then, she left.
Once the door was closed behind her, his father cleared his throat. “Son...about Superman...”
His mother chimed in. “There's something you need to know.”
*****
TBC...
