A man who lost his wife told me that one of the things that happened during her illness was that he ceased to talk carelessly, like one normally does. I think if Lois really cared for Clark, even as a friend, she would think about him all the time, not about herself and her insecurities.
She thinks so much about the result - how to save his life in the future - that she totally forgets how to make his life more full and precious just now.
