Table of Contents
From Part 20:“Lead!” That was the laboratory person. “Lead can cause dizziness, tremors, headaches, fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting... hmm, confusion, mood swings, seizures... that’s pretty much everything on the list, isn’t it?”
Sutton nodded, actually looking excited. “Well, that and the tingling and numbness, but we put that down to the Guillain-Barre. Hmm... It’s rare for lead poisoning to occur intravenously. Normally, sufferers swallow it accidentally, but it’s not impossible. Especially if you’re talking shavings, not chunks. It could have been mixed with the liquid antibody.” He nodded sharply. “Mr Kent, you might just have stumbled on it!”
Excitement was making him light-headed. “So what can you do? It’s not too late to help her, is it? Do you have to test for it?”
“Normally I’d want to, but...” Sutton frowned and looked at the chart in his hand. “If we’re right, I really wouldn’t want to wait much longer to administer the antidote. As it is, Ms Lane - ah, Mrs Kent will have some lingering after-effects. If we’re wrong... well, administering an antidote she doesn’t need won’t really make any difference.”
Because she would be dead anyway. Clark swallowed.
He had to be right. It had to be lead. Had to be. Because being wrong was going to cost him everything in the world that mattered to him.
********
Now read on...Things moved so swiftly for a while he could barely keep up.
Within a few minutes, Lois was given an antidote - an injection of something called dimercaprol. That would reverse the effect of the poisoning. Or, at least, it would begin to. Apparently, she would need several doses over a period of a few hours, and she’d need to be monitored closely for side-effects.
That was okay. He wasn’t going anywhere.
He was going to sit right there, holding her hand, stroking her hair, for as long as it took. No matter how long it took.
Nothing could drag him from her side. Not a natural disaster. Not even the world ending. This was where he needed to be. Wanted to be.
Had to be.
She was going to be okay. Well, that wasn’t certain. Not yet. It had been almost twenty-one hours between the injection containing lead and the antidote, after all, and dimercaprol was most effective if administered within a couple of hours, before the effects of lead poisoning got too intense.
But there was a chance.
She was unconscious. That was probably a good thing, given the number of tubes and wires connected to her and the frequency with which nursing staff came in, checked her pulse and respiration, took her temperature and other things.
But she was still breathing. Still inhaling and exhaling, blood still flowing around her veins and pumping through her heart.
And every minute that continued to happen gave him more hope that they’d done it. They’d saved her.
It was lead. They knew that for sure now.
Sutton had come in earlier, looking exhausted and rumpled but actually happy. He’d told Clark that the lab had just called with the result of the final blood test: a positive finding. His guesswork, and Sutton’s willingness to take a chance based on it, had been justified.
And then, though it was no longer necessary, Henderson had called.
He’d chivvied the forensic lab to rush through the analysis of the trash can. “Just in case,” he’d told Clark. “On the off-chance it might be important.” And they’d found traces of plastic and steel - the hypodermic - and the antibody. And lead.
“Thanks, Bill,” he’d said, meaning it. “We figured it out about half an hour ago and she’s being treated for it now. But it’s good to have the confirmation.” Plus, if he hadn’t remembered the slivers of lead in the workshop, it meant that they’d have known anyway. There’d been a failsafe.
“All this work, just so she can go back to telling me how crap I am.”
There’d been no sarcasm at all in the Inspector’s words, just humour and clear relief. No, Bill Henderson’s relationship with Lois would never change, but their mutual underlying respect and even affection was clear to see.
Bill had also had some other news: confirmation that Edwin Griffin had been working alone, without his son’s knowledge. Kyle Griffin had been interviewed at length by FBI officers in Miami, including undergoing a polygraph test. The officers were completely satisfied that he’d had no idea that his father was out for revenge against the reporter who’d put his son in jail - and that he’d have told Edwin Griffin to stay out of it if he had known.
It was now almost two in the morning. A little over an hour to go based on Lois’s original death-sentence timetable. Two hours since the final ingredient had been identified. And things were changing. Her colour seemed to be looking better already - the ghostly white had muted to a pale ivory. Her breathing was steadier, less thready, less fitful. She still didn’t seem to know he was there, but that was okay. What mattered was what he could see and hear and sense.
The remedy was working.
It would take time, Sutton had told him when he’d last checked in. But the doctor, still working after what had to have been at least twenty-three hours - dedication neither he nor Lois had given him any credit for - had seemed hopeful. Positive.
She was going to get better.
**********
“Clark?”
The voice close to his ear made him stir. He was in an uncomfortable position and his neck was stiff. Blinking, he found himself slumped over in the hard plastic chair, with his head lying on the edge of a hospital bed.
And the voice... a weak, dry-mouthed whisper, but a voice all the same. Calling his name.
He shifted, raising his head and turning to look at her. “Lois?”
Her eyes were open. Her hand still lay in his, and her fingers were moving. She was gazing at him, something like wonder in her expression. Her hair was tousled and there were creases on her face from the pillow.
She’d never looked more beautiful.
Most of the equipment that had been attached to her had been removed. She still had one drip running into her free hand, but the monitors had gone.
“How... what time ‘s...”
Her throat sounded so dry. “Here.” Quickly, he reached for the glass and jug on the cabinet next to the bed, water a nurse had left for him at some point during the night. He poured her some water, then gently helped her to sit up against the pillows and held the glass to her lips. “Drink some of this.”
She sipped, but never took her eyes off him. When she’d had enough, he replaced the glass on the table and turned back to gaze at her.
Lois. Alive. Not well, not by a long way, but alive and getting better and awake and looking at him and speaking his name and...
Alive.
“What happened?” She sounded a little more herself now; less croaky thanks to the water.
“Well, how much do you remember?” He took her hand in his again. She responded by curling her fingers around his.
“You mean apart from expecting to die? I guess the last thing is... coming back to the hospital with you and pretty much falling at your feet because I couldn’t stand.”
“Yeah, that was before I carried you back up here and they hooked you up to all kinds of monitors and things.”
Her thumb brushed against the back of his hand. “So... what happened? I mean, why am I still here? And why don’t I feel so... so lousy any more?”
He couldn’t help it. A huge grin spread across his face, from ear to ear. “You’re not dying, Lois. We found it. The poison. You’ve had an antidote and you’re going to live!”
“Really?” Shock, incredulity and joy chased each other across her face and through her voice.
“Really. It was lead. Sutton said none of them even thought of it - it’s not something that’d normally be injected, so it didn’t occur to anyone to test for it.”
“Lead.” Her tone was wondering. “Like old pipes. Or paint.”
“Yeah. As simple as that - but complicated because no-one would expect it.”
“I’m really getting better?” Now, doubt crept into her tone, as if she didn’t quite dare to believe it. She blinked a few times before meeting his gaze again.
“You are.” He smiled broadly. Couldn’t stop smiling. Would probably never stop smiling again. “I swear, you are. Last time the duty doctor came to check on you - ” Not Dr Sutton that time. The ER doctor had gone off-duty at last, satisfied that his patient was well on the way to recovery. Not before Clark had said a heartfelt thanks for everything the man had done. “ - your vital signs were getting close to normal. They’ll want to keep you in for a couple of days for observation, but you’re going to be okay.”
She was silent for a while, seeming content just to hold his hand, let her eyes drift shut and take in the good news.
Amazing news. The best he’d ever heard in his life.
After all the horror, the sick dread and the frantic hunt for clues yesterday, the torment of seeing her weaken visibly in front of him, the joy and relief of knowing that she was going to live were... Indescribable.
“You’re going to be okay,” he whispered, needing to repeat the words.
“Yeah.” She spoke in a whisper too.
For long moments, neither of them spoke. Clark couldn’t have found the words, anyway; all he could do was look at her. Take in the fact that, contrary to what he’d believed,
lived, for the past day, she was alive. And was going to stay that way - well, barring bad guys and kidnappings and plots to blow up the world.
They were interrupted then by a nurse bustling in. Time for more tests and observations. She seemed pleased that Lois was awake and, after asking some questions and getting answers, left again, pausing in the doorway to warn Clark not to tire Lois out.
He had no intention of doing that. He’d willingly just sit there, beside her, holding her hand in complete silence for hours if necessary, just to be with her.
“Clark?”
“Yeah?” Her eyes were open again.
“Thank you.”
He squeezed her fingers. “For what?”
She gave a faint shrug. “Everything. You know.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Yeah, right.” She shook her head. “You were there for me. Every step of the way. I’ve never been able to depend on
anyone like that before. Every time I needed something - anything - even if it was just a hug. I didn’t even have to ask. You just knew.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Lois, I’d do anything for you. You have to know that.”
“Yeah.” A pause. “I do.”
She fell silent then and dropped her gaze from his face. After a moment, he noticed that she was looking at his hand. Specifically, at the shiny new gold band on his third finger.
Oh. Right.
Regrets, now that their hasty marriage was something she had to face in the cold light of day?
Well, it didn’t have to be a problem. She had said, after all, that they could just get a quick annulment or divorce, whichever was easier. Now that she no longer had any need for him as a husband, she could rid herself of him simply enough.
He didn’t want a divorce. That was just being unrealistic, though. Sure, he’d told her that he loved her yesterday, and she’d even said she loved him back. But he couldn’t hold her to a deathbed declaration.
So softly he barely heard her, she said, “So where’s my ring, then?”
That was probably one of the last things he’d expected her to say... “I have it. The nurse had to take it off when you were admitted last night. I... didn’t want it shut away in some safe, so I took it.”
She withdrew her hand from his. Instantly, he felt the chill of its loss.
And then she was holding it towards him, palm downwards and fingers splayed. “Can I have it back, please?”
**********
Clark’s hand actually shook as he slid the ring back onto her finger. And, even though she’d only worn it for a few short hours yesterday, it felt as if it belonged.
This was all just so... unreal.
Her eyes were blurry again as she looked down at the gold band on her finger, then turned her gaze to the man who’d put it there for the second time.
Right now, she should be dead. She’d resigned herself to dying. After spending concentrated hours working, thinking, pounding the pavement, investigating harder than she ever had in her life before, only for it all to crumble to dust with the shooting of Edwin Griffin, she’d... well, not given up, but accepted the inevitable.
As had Clark. That had been obvious when he’d taken her away from the Planet, and even more so when he’d agreed to marry her. She’d seen the desperation, the
acceptance in his eyes. The knowledge that he was going to lose her and the pain that just cut through him.
And now she was alive after all. And... married. To Clark.
He expected her to ask him to arrange a divorce. He really could be so transparent sometimes. When he’d seen her staring at his ring, it had been written all over her face. She would have said anything to take away the hurt she could swear she’d seen in his eyes.
Did she want to be married to Clark?
Did she want to be married at all?
He loved her. That was beyond question. Looking back, she shouldn’t even have needed his impassioned declaration to tell her that. He’d shown it through the whole day, in more ways than she could even begin to count. In the way he’d looked out for her, supporting her and keeping her spirits up; the way he’d been completely attuned to her needs and done everything he could to meet them. The way he’d told her what losing her would do to him.
He’d shown it, too, in the way he’d set aside his responsibilities as Superman for her. That couldn’t have been easy. In fact, it must have been near-impossible at times. She knew him - as Superman and as Clark - well enough to understand that. It tore Clark apart when he couldn’t help someone who needed it. Yet he’d done that for her. Had anyone ever loved her that much?
And she loved him too.
But... marriage?
Most people at least tried dating first. And even perhaps living together.
Maybe it wasn’t fair to let him think that she was accepting their marriage as a fait accompli. Maybe she should have broached the subject of divorce - or annulment - tactfully.
On the other hand... something within her screamed in protest at the idea.
Later. There’d be plenty of time to think about all that later. After all, now she actually
had a later...
For now... she linked her fingers through his.
“Lois... I can’t tell you how good it feels to know you’re okay.” His voice was husky as he raised her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “Knowing I was going to lose you... was tearing me apart...”
Yeah, she’d seen that. And knowing how much he cared about her had done so much to help her get through yesterday. Tears pricked again at blurry eyes.
“I’m feeling pretty happy about it myself,” she admitted, and he met her gaze and laughed. Suddenly, the heightened emotion dissipated and she was able to smile.
He grinned back at her, and her own smile grew wider. “Welcome back, partner.”
“It’s great to be back.”
“By the way - ” He flashed her an amused smile, his eyes dancing with merriment. “- I think Henderson wanted me to tell you that he’s glad you’re okay.”
“Oh? What did he say?”
“Something about wondering why he’d gone to all this trouble just so you could stick around to carry on telling him how useless he is.” Clark’s droll tone showed her just how Henderson would have said it, too.
“Figures.” But Bill Henderson had been a very good friend to her yesterday, too. And to Clark. Maybe she’d give him a break for a while. A very long while.
So Clark had been spreading the news of her survival. He would have enjoyed doing that. “Did you talk to my parents? Or Perry?” Come to think of it, she’d never got around to calling her parents, had she? Had that been another uncomfortable duty Clark had had to do on her behalf?
“Not yet.” He grimaced. “Actually, I never managed to call your folks last night. You came up here and got really sick pretty quickly and I... well, I just never thought of it.”
Because he’d been too distraught. The unspoken explanation was written clearly in the bleak look that crossed his face for a moment.
“And then we realised it was lead and they gave you the antidote and... I just figured there was no point getting them worried for nothing. It was clear within about an hour that you were getting better. So I didn’t call. As for Perry, I’d planned to talk to him once Sutton gave you the all-clear, but I guess I fell asleep.”
“We can call him later.” She grinned suddenly as an irresistible idea struck her. “Or wait until they let me out of here and you can just walk into the newsroom with me.”
Clark blinked, then grinned in return. “I think the shock might be too much even for Perry! He’d probably come up with one of his stories about how Elvis is alive and well and pumping gas in Oklahoma.”
He sobered then, lifting their joined hands once more so that their rings were in view. “This... Lois, I’m not going to hold you to anything. What we did yesterday... well, the circumstances have changed. I’m more glad than I can tell you about that. But if that means you want out, that’s okay.”
She stared at him. His face was kind of fuzzy around the edges still. But she could see the tic in his jaw which revealed his anxiety and the fact that this was hurting him.
Typical Clark. Always concerned about how she would feel. Making it easier for her to end their marriage if she wanted. Freeing her from the guilt of speaking the words first.
But still, she wasn’t ready to make that decision. For him... or for her. Carefully, she asked, “Can we... not talk about that yet?”
He smiled warmly; her friend was back. “Take all the time you want.” Unspoken between them was the reminder that time was something she had plenty of now.
“I just think... maybe we should... I don’t know, take some time to... well, date or something? Before making a decision?”
“Really?” That clearly shocked him. “I thought... well, that now you’re going to be okay you wouldn’t want to be tied... I mean, you’d never have married me otherwise...”
Wouldn’t she? Even leaving aside the Clark-Kent-is-Superman thing, which now didn’t seem quite so astonishing as it had yesterday - amazing how quickly it was possible to get used to even the strangest of things - Clark had become special to her over the past months in a way that no-one else ever had. Ever. Even if he hadn’t been Superman, he’d been her hero yesterday in every way.
And, in the midst of her fear and confusion after being attacked, it had been Clark, not Superman, she’d called for...
“Maybe not this soon.” She gave him a crooked smile. “I was doing a pretty good job of refusing to notice what a wonderful guy you are. But you were doing a pretty good job of getting under my guard, all the same. I think, given time...”
“Given time...?” he echoed.
“I just might have succumbed to your Kansas charm anyway.” She squeezed his hand.
His answering squeeze was accompanied by a smile that took her breath away.
***********
Her room looked like a florist’s shop.
The largest bouquet was from the Daily Planet, of course, though her favourite was the arrangement of spring flowers from Clark - freshly gathered in Australia, he’d told her when he’d arrived bearing it. But she also had a sneaking fondness for a vase of peach roses - complete with thorns - which had arrived by messenger a few hours after she’d awoken to see Clark asleep by her bedside.
She’d had to ask Clark to read the card; her eyes were still fuzzy and getting watery when she tried to focus too hard. That was a lingering effect of the lead poisoning and one which, Dr Sutton said, might be permanent. He was arranging for the ophthalmology resident to see her as soon as possible; she’d need correctional lenses, or she could even think about laser surgery.
Considering what could have happened, she’d live with some mild damage to her eyesight. Especially since it was easily correctible. Contact lenses were no big deal. After all, she couldn’t have both Clark and herself wearing glasses... it would just look too cute for words.
Take your time convalescing - my officers will appreciate it. Careful of the thorns - like someone I know, they can sting! Welcome back to the land of the living - Bill H.She’d smiled when Clark had put the card down. Maybe she’d put Henderson on her Christmas card list this year.
She’d had a few visitors during the day: Perry, Jimmy, her parents and, to her amazement, Clark’s parents. He’d arrived in the late afternoon with Martha and Jonathan in tow. To her surprise - and relief - they’d made no mention of her and Clark’s marriage, though they had to know. After all, neither she nor Clark had taken off their rings, and she’d caught Martha looking at her ring with a secretly pleased smile on her face.
Though, while her other visitors had been there, she’d been careful to hide her left hand under the cover...
“I’m surprised that I haven’t heard anything from Lex,” she said as Clark returned from seeing her parents out. “I mean, he was so concerned yesterday...”
“Ah.” He looked a little embarrassed. “I completely forgot to tell you. He’s... a bit tied up at the moment.”
“Oh?”
“Henderson arrested him last night.”
“Really? What for?” And when had Henderson had time to do anything like that? From what she remembered, he’d been with her and Clark at the warehouse, and then dealing with everything they’d found there.
She listened in mute astonishment as Clark filled her in on what had happened and Lex’s self-incrimination. “So... it’s his fault that Griffin got killed?”
“Yes.” Clark’s expression was grim. “He cost us what looked like our only chance to save your life.”
Though, by the sound of it, he hadn’t meant for Griffin to be killed. That was still beside the point. If he’d known who her would-be assassin was, he should have told the police. Or Superman.
“Well, I guess we know what our next big investigation is, partner. And we’ll get to do it together after all.”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “I’m looking forward to it. And Bill’s promised us exclusive access. He doesn’t expect this to be over any time soon - not with someone as slippery as Luthor, and with so many lawyers on his payroll. I think it could keep us busy for a few months.”
She caught and held his gaze. “Not so busy that we can’t find time for a few dates?”
The grin faded and he gave her an arrested look. “I... think that... could be arranged. Anywhere in particular you want to go?”
She shook her head, smiling. “I think I’d like to know where you’d take me.”
“Well, that depends.” He pulled the chair over to her bedside again and sat, reaching for her hand. She twined her fingers with his. “Are you dating Clark or Superman?”
“Well, I thought I was married to
both of you...” She raised their joined hands to her lips, kissing his knuckles lightly. “Seriously, I’d like to know where Clark would take me on a date. And if Superman wants to take me someplace different the next time, I won’t complain.”
“Sounds like we might have a lot of dates lined up in the near future.” And it sounded as if he was pretty keen on the idea.
“I’d say you’re right.”
“So, you think we should take these off for the time being? Until we make a decision, that is.” He tapped his ring lightly with the index finger of his free hand.
Funny how attached she’d become to that little piece of jewellery in less than twenty-four hours. The thought of taking it off was... not appealing. But he was right. Unless they wanted to be faced with questions they weren’t ready to answer, from all sorts of people including Perry, colleagues at the Planet and her parents, they didn’t really have a choice, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
He gently tugged at hers, sliding it off her finger, but lessened the loss by bending to caress her lips with his in a warm kiss. Not passionate, but a kiss which held the reminder of urgent kisses yesterday and the promise of more to come in their future. “I’ll keep it safe for you, I promise.”
“You do that. I’ll be wanting it back one of these days.” And, as she said the words, she knew they were true. And that it probably wouldn’t be too long, either.
“Whenever you’re ready, Lois. Whenever you’re ready.”
~ Finally, The End ~ 
