Previously - Chapter 33 ***
Chapter 34 ***
January 25, 1996
“One more,” Clark said pushing the eject button on the stereo in the borrowed truck. They were nearly at S.T.A.R. Labs in Metropolis. Their first stop in this new reality of theirs would be at Dr. Klein’s office. And an interesting meeting it would be.
“Thank God,” Lois said, raising her hand up as she veered around a slow-moving car on the highway. She knew that, to an outsider, it might have looked as though she suffered from road rage, but instead she was merely relieved.
“It’s really just the last CD we
have, not the last one,” Clark pointed out as he inserted the CD into the slot. “We’ll have to get more.”
“Oh,” she said sheepishly, taking the exit ramp that would take them almost directly to the parking garage at S.T.A.R. Labs. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the songs, in fact, she really enjoyed spending all that time yesterday cuddled with Clark at the fishing cabin, listening to romantic music and reminiscing every time another memory emerged. Laughing at one, tears at another, she felt closer to him now despite the missing puzzle pieces that remained.
It was just one of those things, just one of those crazy flings
One of those bells that now and then rings, just one of those things “We don’t have to listen anymore,” Clark said nonchalantly.
“What?” Lois asked, taken aback. Looking over in time to see Clark snap the CD case shut, she also caught the tiniest bit of a smile at the corner of his mouth. “Did you have something else in mind?” she asked as she turned into the parking garage.
Clark twisted his face in thought. “Well, making new memories sounds a bit cheesy.” He chuckled. “So that’s not it.” He smiled as he turned to look out of the window.
Lois couldn’t stop the giggle from escaping and wasn’t surprised when Clark joined in. They rode listening to the end of the song as Lois found a spot to park. They exited the truck and began walking toward the building hand in hand. “Seriously though,” she started, “I wish I could remember our wedding.”
“And the time between it and when I left…” Clark said as he looked at sideways at her. His free hand came up to lightly brush her arm and it sent shivers through her.
She felt the blush creeping up her neck and tried to ignore it as she pulled open the door and stepped into the lobby and up to the front desk. It wasn’t long before they were checked in and riding the elevator up to the floor that held Dr. Klein’s lab.
And if I can make it there
I'm gonna make it anywhere
It's up to you, New York, New York! “Hm, sounds like they might have more songs for us to listen to here,” Lois commented.
“I don’t think Nat King Cole sang this one.”
“I know, but it fits doesn’t it?”
Clark chuckled and pulled her in close. “Like this?”
“Like this,” she breathed. Reaching up to meet his lips, she vaguely registered a familiar intro as the next song began and closed her eyes.
Moon and mist, Make rainbows in your hair
When I see your smile, There's sunlight everywhere Clark’s hold on her changed fractionally to something more worried. She opened her eyes to see that familiar clouded look and watched as expressions flitted across his face. The return of his memories was short lived in the moment, but it was an IV drip, never releasing more than a few memories at a time. She steadied them as he staggered toward the wall of the elevator, hoping that the elevator ride would last until it passed.
The elevator slowed as he shook his head. When she saw his eyes focus on her, he smiled. The elevator doors opened just then and as he ushered her forward, he whispered, “Now I’ve got a secret.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “What did you remember?” she asked quietly.
“Our wedding.” He knocked on the door to Dr. Klein’s lab, preventing her from asking more questions, and then opened it to enter.
***
“Dr. Klein,” Lois said as she entered the office.
“Just a moment.” Dr. Klein stood at a lab table covered in equipment that included a laser and a centrifuge. He finished marking something down on a clipboard as he looked back and forth between it and a small display on the centrifuge. As he finished writing, he stood up and turned toward them.
“Miss Lane!” His excitement was tangible as he eagerly greeted her. “Oh, I mean Mrs. Kent!” The correction surprised Clark and, judging by the look on Lois’s face, it surprised her as well. “Wait! You haven’t remembered that yet?”
“I’ve been told, but no, I don’t remember it yet,” Lois answered quietly. “This is…” She smiled at him before continuing, “my husband, Clark Kent.”
“Dr. Klein.” Clark smiled at Lois, reaching to shake the grinning scientist’s hand. That was the first time he’d been introduced as her husband, and he found he loved it. He also wondered how the scientist would react to the news they were about to share with him.
“Mr. Kent!” Klein seemed just as excited to meet Clark as he was to see Lois, but the shock on his face when he looked at Clark made Clark chuckle. “Wow! You really took a beating, didn’t you?”
“You should see the other guy,” Clark said, laughing.
“And have you remembered everything?” Dr. Klein asked.
“Even less than Lois,” he answered.
“What a shame,” Dr. Klein said as he shook his head. “I’m sure it will come back to you soon enough. The details from this Dr. Hightower’s machine are fascinating, but it seems as though it was never meant to be long term.”
“I’m sorry?” Clark asked, not sure he heard the doctor correctly.
“It was never meant to be long term,” the doctor repeated. Clark lifted an eyebrow as he looked at Dr. Klein until he caught the meaning. “Oh, well, you see, it was a bit like hypnosis with the keys that undo the changes they made, but the process he used to change the memories left them completely intact. It was only a matter of time… months or years … before the brain would right itself.” He smiled at them as he finished his explanation. “Brains really are very fascinating.”
“That’s good to know,” Clark said, looking at Lois who smiled at him. “I wonder if Hightower knew that was the case.”
“Dr. Klein,” Lois started, turning her attention to him, “we have some other things we wanted to talk to you about today. Two actually.”
“Yes?” He smiled at her, raising his eyebrows.
“It’s about Superman,” she said.
Dr. Klein’s face fell. “You haven’t remembered that he left. Oh, Miss Lane,” he quickly cleared his throat, “Mrs. Kent, he went to discover whether any other Kryptonians survived the destruction of his planet. Just before all of this happened, I came to tell-”
“No, Dr Klein,” Clark interrupted. “We know all that. It’s just that…”
“Superman didn’t leave,” Lois put in.
“He did, Miss…es Kent,” Dr. Klein started, correcting himself again. Clark surreptitiously moved to close the door to the office, thankful they were alone. “You were there, I was there. I don’t know where Mr. Kent was.” He blinked as he said the last part.
“I was there, too,” Clark said, meeting Dr. Klein’s questioning expression. “I’m Superman.”
“Please, Mr. Kent,” Dr. Klein said, rolling his eyes. “And I’m The Atom.” He turned back to the materials he had on his work bench and continued whatever he was doing before they arrived.
“Who?” Lois asked.
“Dr. Klein,” Clark cut in to prevent an explanation of who The Atom was, “I know it’s hard to believe, given my face and the circumstances, but it
is true. I
am Superman. I don’t have any powers right now, which is why we’re here.” The scientist stopped what he was doing and turned to face him. Clark watched as Dr. Klein’s brows drew together, and he seemed to be inspecting Clark for a few minutes before he spoke. .
“But you did go,” Dr. Klein argued. “I prepared you to go, with help of course, and I watched you leave.”
“It was all part of Lex’s plan,” Lois explained. “He staged
all of that.”
“But I saw the data myself,” he pointed out, taking a seat on the lab stool nearest his table. “The readout on the computer as you left Earth’s orbit.”
Clark shook her head. “After Superman flew away from the dock that Monday last November, Luthor used kryptonite to bring Superman…me down. I’m sure the tracking device was destroyed then. I fly…flew pretty fast so it would be easy to believe it would seem as though I left.”
“And you don’t have
any powers?” Dr. Klein asked with disbelief written on his face.
“None,” Clark confirmed. “But we think we know why and we’re hoping you can help.”
“Of course,” Klein seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts. “I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Yesterday,” Lois began, “when I found Clark on the ground, I saw this tattoo on his back that sparkled red and green.”
“You think it’s Kryptonite?!” Dr. Klein exclaimed.
“Yes,” Clark said.
“Green
and red?” Klein mulled over out loud, rubbing his chin with his hand. “Yes, the combination of the two in close proximity and with just the right amount…” He stood and began pacing in the lab, stopping abruptly to face Clark, “And you are… normal… now?” At Clark’s nod, his eyebrows shot up. “How fascinating. May I see this tattoo?”
“Yeah.” After removing his coat, Clark pulled his t-shirt over his head, exposing the bandage on his chest.
Dr. Klein motioned to the lab stool he’d been sitting on moments earlier and collected a few items before coming over to examine him closely. Clark felt the doctor’s gloved fingers poking and prodding the skin between his shoulder blades as the scientist made various thinking noises.
Clark was surprised at how quiet Lois was being during the exam. He looked to her to see concern on her face, her eyes glistening. He reached his hand out to her, and she came to him to grasp it.
“Well, it looks like this will be an easy fix. It appears to be a simple tattoo. With special ink, of course. The design is a good one though. I’m afraid, though, that laser treatments are not going to work with this one.” He came around to face Clark and Lois. “We’ll have to remove the entire tattoo…the old-fashioned way.”
Clark grimaced. Lois squeezed his hand and he let out a long sigh. “Okay.”
“How long do you think it will take him to get back to normal?” Lois asked. “Well,
his normal.”
“I can’t say. After the tattoo is removed and I see just how much kryptonite is there, I’ll be able to make a better estimate.”
Lois nodded at this and squeezed his hand again.
“Can we do it now?” Clark asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Dr. Klein said as Lois’s eyes widened. The scientist took a few steps away and then stopped abruptly and turned back to them. “You said there were two things you wanted to talk to me about,” Dr. Klein added.
“Yes. There’s another thing we may need your help with,” Clark started. “We’re not sure yet, though.”
“Name it.” Dr. Klein leaned back on his lab table, listening.
“Lois is pregnant,” Clark said as he glanced up to Lois. She stood looking at him with loving eyes, biting her lower lip. With his help, she was becoming more comfortable with the situation, but she still needed time. “The baby could be mine,” he quickly added, revealing why they would need Dr. Klein’s help.
“Oh.” Dr. Klein’s eyes went wide. “
Could be?” he repeated.
“The baby might also be Lex Luthor’s,” Lois said, a grimace on her face.
“I see.”
Clark chuckled at Dr. Klein’s awkward look. “I assume that since I’m not human, if the baby is mine, the pregnancy could be complicated.”
“You’re right,” he nodded. “I’ll have to run some tests. I could take some samples while I’m removing the tattoo.”
Clark nodded as he squeezed Lois’s hands. As Dr. Klein scurried off, Clark prepared himself mentally for what was about to happen.
***
Clark sat in what looked like a massage chair, his face centered on the hole in the head rest, his eyes closed. They’d moved to a different room, one on the top floor of the S.T.A.R. Labs building with quick access to the roof. Dr. Klein insisted that they be able to get Clark outside quickly when the procedure was over and expressed his relief that the day was proving to be sunny even though it was still cold. He had brought into the room a small chunk of kryptonite in a thick lead box that sat open to further weaken Clark for the procedure.
Lois gently massaged Clark’s fingers as she held his hands in hers from her seat on a foot stool placed just in front of him so that she could see his face. She was wrapped in a very heavy, leaded blanket that covered her from her neck to her knees. Dr. Klein insisted it was a necessary precaution if she wanted to stay in the room. From her vantage point, she could also see Dr. Klein scurrying about the lab, collecting the equipment he would need. She tried not to think about what was about to happen, but it was hard to ignore.
She watched Dr. Klein approach with a tray and set it on a stand just to the side of the chair. “I’m going to get started now,” Dr. Klein announced. “It shouldn’t take too long.” He paused and looked at Lois. “Are you sure you want to be here for this?”
“Yes,” she answered, her voice shaking. Dr. Klein nodded and sat back to begin. She squeezed Clark’s hands.
“Lois,” Clark whispered.
“What is it?” she asked, leaning closer. She stopped herself from asking if he wanted her to tell Dr. Klein he changed his mind. That wouldn’t be it; his mind was made up.
“It was a Monday.” His voice was faint, but he didn’t seem to struggle to say the words.
“It’s good for him to be distracted, Mrs. Kent,” Dr. Klein whispered over Clark’s shoulder to her. “Ask him more questions.”
“What was a Monday?” She frowned, wondering if the kryptonite muddled his thoughts.
“Our wedding.”
She peered up at his face to see a weak smile on his lips, his eyes still closed. “Which Monday?” she asked, hoping to distract him.
“November 13th,” she heard Clark say. He gasped then as he flinched, but no other sound came from him. Tears sprang to her eyes and she squeezed his hands even harder. “It was at Centennial Park,” he breathed. “Near the … fountain.” His words sounded like they were being forced through gritted teeth, but he continued, “That pavilion … just to … the north.”
She tried to blink away the tears with little success. Without relinquishing his hand, she brought hers up close enough to use her wrist to wipe at her face. “Who…” Her throat was clogged, and she swallowed to clear it before continuing. “Who was there?” she asked.
“You.”
She gave a half laugh. “Who else?”
“I don’t know…” He drew in a sharp breath. “All I saw … was you.”
“And what did I look like?” His hands squeezed hers and she rubbed his white knuckles before looking back to his face.
His eyes remained closed. “Beautiful…” he said, the corners of his mouth curling up even as his eyebrows were knitted in pain. “Sad… and happy.”
Lois opened her mouth to speak, but a lump wedged itself in her throat making it impossible for words to escape. Only a muffled squeak made it through. Dr. Klein made a noise behind Clark, drawing her attention.
“Sorry,” he said. “Almost done now. Just a few more minutes. Keep him talking.”
“You …” he started before she could say anything, “came down the … sidewalk … with your father.”
“I thought you said you didn’t remember anyone else being there,” she whispered.
“It’s in the ceremony … ‘Who gives this woman’…I heard his … voice.”
“Oh,” she managed to say. “Do you remember our vows?”
“I found mine … tucked into my wallet.”
“The wallet Scott gave you?”
“Yeah.” He squeezed her hands again. “I didn’t … know that’s what it was … at first.” He winced again. “It’s weird, you know.”
“What is?”
“I don’t remember meeting you … or falling in love with you … just bits and … pieces. But I know … I
know I love you … more than anything.”
She leaned forward and kissed the top of his head.
“I hate to interrupt,” Dr. Klein started, “but I’m going to cover the area with a special polymer that will bind to the wound and behave like skin until he’s healed.” Dr. Klein turning away from them as he spoke. When he turned back around he addressed Clark. “This will hurt.”
Lois braced herself and wondered how Clark was even managing to stay awake through all of this.
“You …” he said, breathless, “are the … most …” He stopped as he flinched in pain. Lois brought his hands up, holding them in front of her chest before he finished his choppy sentence, “Beautiful… thing I’ve ever … seen.”
“All done.” Dr. Klein said. He turned and began piling utensils on his tray.
Lois released the breath she was holding and kissed Clark’s fingers. As Dr. Klein closed the lid to the kryptonite box and began wheeling his cart out of the room, Lois stood and pressed another kiss to the top of Clark’s head.
***
Clark released her hands and attempted to sit up. He braced himself with his arms on the head rest and raised his head to meet Lois’s face.
She placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed his lips gently. “Even without your powers, you are amazing,” she said as she pulled away making him chuckle.
“Only because I have you.”
“Let’s get you outside,” the doctor ordered as he came back in.
Together, Lois and Dr. Klein helped the still shirtless Clark out onto the sunny rooftop patio. He immediately felt relief as the sun touched his skin. They staggered to the table placed near the middle of the area and he dropped into a seat, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. Lois took the seat next to him and Dr. Klein went to sit across from them..
“Thank you,” he said, his voice already feeling stronger. He took a deep breath, feeling more energized than he had these last two months.
“You’re welcome,” Dr. Klein said, inclining his head.
“So how long do you think it will take him to get back to normal?” Lois asked.
“There wasn’t much kryptonite there, so the length of the exposure plays a bigger role. Given that,” Dr. Klein paused, doing some calculations in the air, “a few months? Less, if he gets plenty of sun.”
Clark breathed a sigh of relief and hung his head. With the Kryptonite no longer in his system, he would finally be able to get his powers back. And with the exception of some very important differences, he could see his life going back to normal soon.
“Regarding the pregnancy, I can recommend an OB,” Dr. Klein’s eyebrows rose in question. At Clark’s nod, he smiled. “Dr. Jackson. He’s a friend of mine. Very good. In fact, I’m pretty sure he knows everything … about everything.” Dr. Klein laughed before turning serious once more. “If it turns out the baby is Superman’s, I’d trust him to help with that.”
“I’d see anyone who could get us in before April,” Lois said rolling her eyes. She crossed her arms and sat back. “They make a big deal about getting in to see a doctor as soon as you can, but no one has any open appointments for two months. It’s ridiculous!”
“I’m sure I can pull a few strings. He owes me one.” Dr. Klein winked at them. “You two certainly have a lot to cope with. I’m sorry it all got so out of hand,” Dr. Klein said, a sad smile on his face. He sighed and added, “and it’s a shame you weren’t able to make it to Krypton this time around.”
“That was just part of the ruse,” Lois answered, shaking her head. “Lex planted all that information.”
“Oh, but there was
real data,” Dr. Klein said. “That chunk of Krypton is out there.”
“What?” they said in unison. Clark felt his jaw drop.
“Several other observatories around the world have shared their data with us, some just in the last few days,” Dr. Klein explained, his eyebrows high on his forehead. He seemed to register their surprise suddenly. “Oh, this is big news. Really big. I’m sorry. I should have waited to say something.”
This was too much for Clark to take in. He raised one hand up to run over his face and reached for Lois’s clasped hands with the other. He looked to her and read the pleading in her face.
“I’m not going,” he stated. “I can’t go.”
“Of course, you can’t,” Dr. Klein agreed. “That window closed a long time ago. The next time we’ll be in the right location for you to use gravity assist won’t be for another 10 months or so. But you don’t have to make that decision now,” Dr. Klein assured them.
***
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