Chapter Nineteen

She looked around. She was in a strange place. Slowly, her gaze took in the bright ceiling lights, the equipment around her, the people moving before her. Then her gaze singled out one of those people. Her expression changed. In a voice croaky with misuse, she rasped, "Hi, handsome."

She felt her hand being squeezed. "Hi, yourself. It's nice...no, it's *wonderful*...to have you back."

One of the others moved into her field of view. "I need you to tell me who I am."

She blinked at him. "You're...you're Perry. Um...no, that's not it. Is it...Jimmy?"

The first person was again immediately leaning over her. "Honey, tell me your name. Please..."

"Um...it's Wanda. Wanda Detroit. I sing for drinks down at..."

"No!" A devastated look covered his face.

Then she suddenly grinned. "C'mon, Clark, lighten up! I'd know you anywhere. Lane 'n Kent? The hottest team in town?" And she slowly winked at him.

It sunk in; she was playing him. "Lo-is! That was *not* funny!"

"Yes it was. But I guess I'd better be nice, so I can get you to tell me what I'm doing here. And what's going on."

"Lois, how many fingers am I holding up?" the second man said insistently.

"Bernie, you can give me a math test later. Right now, tell me what I'm doing here? And why I feel so good, when I somehow feel that I shouldn't."

The third person stepped into view. "Lois, what do you remember about...about what happened to you last?"

"...Karen?" Suddenly Lois's face showed alarm. "Karen, where are the kids? Are they all right; did they make it? Are they..."

Karen smiled. "They're down the hall, asleep. Walter's keeping an eye on 'em. They're both fine."

She turned her attention back to Clark. "So, did Superman save the day? How did we get out of there, anyway? And why do I feel so good?" she repeated. "Last I remember, I had a broken arm, no feeling below my waist..." She paled. "What day is this? How much time has passed? Weeks? Months..."

"Honey, believe it or not, it all happened last night. As to why you feel so good...that would be because of the Walldecker Effect." He grinned.

Lois looked completely puzzled. "The Walldeck...oh. Resplendent Man."

"Who's Resplendent Man?" Karen wanted to know.

"A few years ago, there was this guy, Walter ... William ... whatever-his-name-was ... Walldecker. He got my powers through a lightning strike. He went around performing super-rescues, and charging people for them. He --"

"Wait a minute, Clark!" said Lois. "You're saying that *I'm* the latest recipient? Again?"

He grinned at her. "'Fraid so, honey. Whether you like it or not, Ultrawoman is back!"

"What's my physical condition? Am I glued back together?"

"Well, I haven't given you a full physical since the main invulnerability kicked in," said Bernie, "but short of that, and some bones that need to knit for a few more hours, I'd say you're as good as new!"

"Well, no time like the present for a trial run!" She began to float up off the table.

"Honey, *wait*..." It was too late. Lois let out a squeal, and swiftly retreated to the corner of the room as she discovered that she was wearing only a hospital gown, and that it wasn't yet tied in the back.

* * *

"Well, Lois, I'd say you really *are* as good as new," said Dr. Klein as he and Karen finished the examination. "But don't do anything strenuous for the next few hours, to give those fractures time to heal to full strength..."

Clark, wandering back over, added, "Not bad for someone who was clinically dead for over half an hour."

"*What*?" Lois was flabbergasted. "When?!"

"You died about twenty minutes before we were rescued," said Karen. "The lightning didn't start your revival for at least ten minutes after that. Lois, we --" she glanced at Clark, " -- at least some of us -- were positive that, even with the invulnerability transfer, you didn't stand a chance. Lois, you were...you were brain-dead!"

"Then...then how is this possible? Me...here, now?"

"We simply don't know," said Klein. "There's something truly incredible about superpowers, something that seems to defy science."

Lois was silent, lost in thought. Karen added, "Actually, it's a miracle that *any* of us got out of there. The odds were against us all the way."

Lois captured her gaze, with a strange look. "Don't sell yourself short, Karen. You're *not* 'just a dumb nurse.' Never think that you are."

Karen's breath stopped, and her eyes slowly grew wide. Finally she said, "You *were* there...it was real..."

"Guess so," said Lois quietly. "At least for a while..."

"What are you two talking about?"

She turned to Clark. "That's for us girls to know, and for you to..." Then her eyes softened. "...To find out later. In private."

Clark suddenly got *the look*. "Oh, no, Clark, not *now*..." she wailed.

He smiled. "Nope, nothing like that. But two little girls are waking up, and I think you might want to play 'possum, so they can 'wake' you properly."

She grinned. "Great idea!" She promptly arranged her cover and closed her eyes, not moving.

Shortly, the door quietly opened, and Walter entered with the girls in tow. "Is it all right if they come in?" he asked in worried tones. "They insisted, and I thought..."

"Yeah, Walter, it's fine," said Clark softly. He knelt beside the girls, and spoke quietly. "Kids, we think Mommy's going to be okay. But we need someone to wake her up...to give her a very *special* wake-up. All right?" They each nodded. Clark leaned forward, and very softly, he whispered something in both their ears. They smiled, and nodded vigorously.

Lois couldn't follow what was being said, but she lay perfectly still, eyes firmly closed, and waited. There was a slight obstruction of the light against her eyelids, and then she felt two hands, one touching each of her cheeks. "Wake up, Mommy" said a voice. Before she could respond, another voice added, "Mama, *please* wake up..."

Surprised, she started to open her eyes...and jumped slightly at the sight before her. Her two daughters -- how beautiful they were -- were *both* hovering in the air above her, hand clasped in hand, their free hand each touching her cheek. Her breath went out in a gasp. "Am I...is this heaven? Are you angels now?"

"Nope," grinned Emma. Then she added, "But we're cherubs."

"Ya mean 'cheru*bims*'!"

"That's 'bim'."

"'bims!'"

"'bim.'"

"Is *not*!"

"Is too."

"Not..."

"Whoa, *whoa*!" She reached up and hauled them both down into a ferocious hug. "What was *that* all about?" She turned her head and stared at Gracie. "And when did *you* learn to fly?"

"I didn't. Emma flies us *both*. But I can make fires with my eyes. Wanna see?"

Lois took a breath. "Not here; you'll burn the whole place down! You can show me when we get home...*in* the bathtub!" She looked pleadingly at Karen, who was nearest. "Okay, *somebody* tell me the whole story. I want it *in order*, every gory detail!"

"Um, I'm not sure that's a good idea. It gets pretty tense."

"Well, edit it if necessary. But I want it *all*."

* * *

Chapter Twenty

They were all gathered around Lois's gurney, which had been wheeled back into the space illuminated by the examining light. Lois and the children were seated on the gurney while the other four stood near the upright carts. All were enjoying a delicious breakfast which had been provided courtesy of 'Superman Express.'

"So I was saved by a Bible story?" Lois asked as she set her tray back on the nearest cart.

"We *all* were. If I hadn't happened to do that research on cherubs --"

"Cheru*bims*," corrected Gracie, and she and Karen grinned at one another.

"Anyway, if it weren't for that, I doubt I would ever have gotten the idea for the signal."

"Yeah, and if it wasn't for *Gracie* having heat-vision -- and not *telling* me," Emma glowered at Gracie, who made a face back at her, "we couldn't 'a set the tree on fire."

"And I'm sure," put in Clark, "that Walter and I would never have found you in time without it." He and Walter exchanged glances, each noticing the other cringe at the thought.

"But more than just being a 'flaming sword,' Lois," added Bernie, "that beacon was also your 'tree of life.' If it hadn't been for the lightning strike following the tree down -- *and* for the tree's bright yellow light starting up your invulnerability -- we wouldn't all be here talking about it."

Lois shivered at what a close thing it had all been.

"You know, Clark," put in Karen softly, "I owe you an apology. I was wrong in my diagnosis; you were right. If you had followed my advice..."

"No, Karen, you were absolutely right on all counts. You 'gave me your best counsel,' as you put it...and then you let me make my own decision. In any other circumstance, yours would have been the right diagnosis. You should just keep sticking to your training." He put an arm around her shoulder, and gave her a quick hug. "You're an incredible person. Don't forget it."

Lois turned to Dr. Klein. "I keep meaning to ask you, Bernie. Is this superpower transfer a permanent thing? I mean, *should* Ultrawoman try making a comeback? I'd hate to have the powers fail at a critical moment --"

"Lois, I honestly don't know. I'm sure that they're good for a year or two at least; but I can't say whether they'll be permanent." He paused thoughtfully, and then walked over to a desk and, opening a drawer and taking out a pad of paper, jotted something on it. Tearing off the top sheet he walked back to Lois, looking extremely pleased with himself. "Here you are. As your doctor, I want you to follow this prescription exactly. If you have any further trouble, come see me in a year or two." He handed her the paper with a smirk.

She read it aloud. "Booster shots every six months..." She stared at him, and then dissolved into mirth. Still chuckling, she added, "I guess it couldn't hurt. So long as I'm invulnerable, lightning isn't going to hurt me; I guess it could only help!" She glanced at Clark. "How about it, Big Guy? Are you game?"

"Lois, I *always* enjoy sparking with you..." He stopped and ducked his head, grinning at the groans all around.

Gracie said to Emma, "What're they talkin' about?" thus provoking another round of laughter.

Clark finally turned to Lois. "Honey, there's something I need to tell you. When I went out for breakfast I noticed some security people gathered around your Jeep, so I made excuses, and ferried it home." He seemed to fumble for words. "Um -- honey, it's a total loss. I know how much you love that car; it's been like a member of the family since before we were married. I wish that there were a way to..."

"Don't worry, Clark. That car saved our lives. It made the 'ultimate sacrifice' for us, and I'm not complaining a bit. But I *do* want to replace it right away, within the next few weeks if we can; our other car just can't keep up with a growing family. But I don't think I want to go with another Jeep. I was thinking about something more modern, more up-with-the-times."

She saw Clark's eyes light up, and she couldn't resist. "Clark...how would you like it if we drove to work every day in a military Humvee?"

He stared at her, in total shock. Then he caught the glint in her eye. "Lo-is! You are *so* evil!"

"Cla-ark!" she whined, mimicking him. "You are *so* easy!"

Clark glanced at Karen; she seemed to be almost asleep where she stood. "My gosh, Karen, I just realized that you've been up the whole night! I know you've got to be dead on your feet." He turned so that he was addressing all of them. "This has been...there are no words to describe what we've all been through. We all came within a hairsbreadth of losing either our own lives, or the lives of those very dear to us. And we can never tell anyone about this; we just have to keep it among ourselves." He turned to Walter. "You once pledged a life-debt to my daughter --" his eyes indicated Emma "-- because she saved your life. On behalf of Lois and my daughters, I want to make the same promise. If there's anything you *ever* need ... Bernie, Walter ... and especially Karen ... You just need to name it."

"Thanks, Clark; you're a gentleman as well as a superhero. But right now, I'd just be happy with a night's sleep." Then a look of distress covered her features. "Oh, no. I just realized, our car ... our stuff's all up at the cabin!"

"That's easy!" said Clark. "How about if I just fly the two of you up to the cabin, and leave you there. There won't be anyone to disturb you; you can get all the sleep you want!"

"Honey," interjected Lois, "if I'm counting right, this is only Saturday morning. After I rest up for a day, we could join them up there tomorrow, and still have tomorrow and Monday to finish our 'long weekend' together." She turned to Walter and Karen. "How about it? Or have you had enough of the Kents for a while?"

Walter and Karen exchanged glances. They seemed to reach a decision; Karen turned back to Lois. "That sounds like a great plan...on one condition..."

"Uh...what's that?"

"Ultrawoman's going to teach me to fly. The way Superlady taught Gracie."

"You got it. And Karen...that offer is good anytime. From now on."

"Um..." Emma was looking uncomfortable. "Dad, Mom..."

"So now it's 'Mom,' hmm?"

"Yeah, well...see, that's all *part* of it," said Emma. "I'm getting too *old* to call you 'Mama' anymore. Just like I'm too old for a name like 'Superlady'. It was great when I was a little kid --" Lois and Clark shared a private smile, "-- but it's a dumb name. I don't want it anymore; I want to find something better."

Emma felt a tug on her sleeve; she turned to Gracie, whose eyes were shining with eagerness. "Then can I have it?"

Emma stared at her, then slowly grinned and held up a hand. "Gimme five."

"Huh?"

"Hold out your hand, with your palm up. Like this." She demonstrated with her other hand. Gracie did so, looking puzzled, and Emma slapped Gracie's palm with her upraised hand.

"Ow! Why'd you do that?"

"Now you do it to me." She held out her hand. Hesitantly, Gracie executed the other half of the ceremony. "Okay, it's yours. I just gave it to you."

The light began to dawn, and Gracie looked around in solemn wonder, as though something infinitely important had just concluded.

"You know," said Clark to Emma, "I was thinking. Your first superpower was the ability to fly. You might want to take the name of a bird as your superhero name -- but not just *any* bird," he hastened on as she began to look doubtful. "I was thinking about a particular bird. Some people think that its song is the most beautiful birdsong in the entire world. They say that the song fills you with love, and hope."

"Um...it sounds nice. But I dunno if I want to be a bird..."

"Well, I think that Karen could tell you a lot more about this." He winked at Karen.

"Me?" Karen looked non-plussed; then she suddenly saw where Clark was headed with this. Smiling at him, and mouthing a silent 'thank you,' she continued to Emma. "Actually, I can tell you a lot about another woman who had this bird's name.

"She was a very special person, a person who dedicated her whole life to saving people's lives. She figured out how to make sick people get well faster. She taught doctors, and hospitals owners, that giving sick people lots of sunlight and fresh air -- the same thing that birds thrive on -- made the people recover more quickly. She taught that keeping hospitals clean, and tidy, kept diseases from spreading to other people.

"She used to walk around every night to check on all the people in the hospital, to see if they needed anything. People began to call her the 'Lady with the Lamp.'"

"Yes," put in Dr. Klein, "but they had another name for her, too: the 'Angel of Mercy!'" As Emma's eyes grew round, he continued, "And she started the first modern school for nurses. Did you know that Karen, here, graduated from one of those schools?"

"I wanna be like her!" said Emma in awe. "Who was she?! What was the bird's name?"

And thus was born the world's newest superhero. And she dedicated her career not so much to Truth and Justice, as to Mercy -- to the saving of lives.

And her name, of course, was Nightingale.

-- The End --


Dedicated, with love and admiration,

To my mom,

Elizabeth McAllister, R.N.


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Well, there it is.

Again, many thanks to Lynn M. for the use of two wonderful characters.