[Chapter 7: Aura][Puerto del Esperanza, Spain - 6:29 pm (1:29 pm in Metropolis)]
Dr. Margaretta Alcon became a doctor decades after surviving a traumatic accident as a child. Being a curious child, she had ventured into the kitchen one evening and bumped a pan of hot oil, causing it to fall off the stove and onto her. The resulting burns had covered over half of her torso and most of her right arm and part of her hand. It had been unquestionably the most painful experience of her life and the months that followed had exposed her to the world of medicine. But more importantly it had instilled a hope to become like those who had helped save her life. A hope she made a reality twenty years later.
And now she was in a position to potentially help the one many considered to be the world’s most powerful beacon of hope.
"<Do you know what caused it this time?>" she asked Superman.
He was breathing heavily as she mentally went over everything she knew about him. Like most of the world, she had been enamored by the proof of alien life and had eagerly absorbed any and all facts that came out about ‘Lord Kal-El’, as well as theories. Nightfall only compounded her curiosity and so she knew what his heart rate and temperature should be thanks to that.
"<Me, I think,>" he gasped as she and the other doctors and nurses worked.
She did not like what she was seeing and motioned to Nurse Francis to hook up the oxygen. She didn’t bother to ask for permission as she placed the oxygen mask on his face a blink later. He needed it.
Heavens, he actually needed it.
"<Sum'pin's happen'in,>" he mumbled.
"<Just breathe as normally as you can,>" she directed, glancing at the monitor that was now showing his vitals. Or rather, they were supposed to.
His heart rate and blood pressure were so high the readings were pegged to the machine's maximum read outs. She had never seen or heard of anyone maxing out a machine. If he were human, he would soon be dead two times over.
His hands suddenly moved, grasping the guard rails before she could even think.
And then it was chaos.
The bars bent and instantly smashed in his hands as if they were made of buttered sand instead of stainless steel. The metallic crunching sound echoed in her ears before an odd buzzing sensation pulsed in the air as Superman arched his back on the gurney with a cry.
And then a tingling energy surged through her, lingering on her scars and areas of her skin where she hadn't felt anything pleasant since she was a child. Superman fell quiet, falling limp and dropping the chunks of crumpled steel in his hands onto the floor. She looked down at her hand and could only stare as she witnessed the white, wrinkled scars smooth out and flush pink before fading to her natural olive complexion.
"<Doctor!>"
She looked up at Nurse Francis who was breathing deeply in awe.
"<I can breathe!>" she whispered, astonished.
Francis was in the second stage of COPD, and, although she rarely commented on it, Margaretta knew it was something she had to contend with every day.
"<And you! Your scars!>" Francis gasped, pointing.
She looked around at their colleagues who all appeared to be in some variation of shock and astonishment.
Margaretta snapped herself out of her stupor, quickly shifting her attention back to her patient, even as a million questions swirled in her mind.
His blood pressure had plummeted. 64/42 mmHg.
It was no wonder he had lost consciousness, but the blue of his lips was what really startled her.
She touched his wrists, wanting to check his circulation, and instantly found the probable reason for his discolored lips. He was ice cold!
Dr. Alcon lowered her face over Superman’s and felt a puff of breath. "<Superman, if you can hear us, I think whatever happened has caused some of your power to extend out from you. If you can, just focus on keeping your breathing level.>”
He didn't respond and she was doubtful he even heard her, but she felt it was good practice to always communicate with her patients.
"<Francis, take his temperature. Alfonso, don't let anyone else not already here come in this area. Tell security, and move whatever perimeter there already is further out. If my guess is right, this aura of his healed us and it drained energy from him to do so. I doubt he can afford to do so again. Also, someone, check on the room above us and move any patients there away. Considering what we felt in here, I wouldn't be surprised if it went beyond the walls and floor. Please check,>" she stated swiftly as Alfonso and another darted out of the room.
“<I think he’s gone into shock,>” Margaretta continued. “<Elevate his legs,>” she directed.
“<Cardiogenic shock?>" Nurse Francis asked as the other nurses placed a few pillows under his feet, elevating them about 10 inches.
“<No. He had good color initially, otherwise I’d think that. No, this is closer to Neurogenic. Granted, I can only assume that, but I’d wager his aura is more in link with his nervous system than anything else,>” Margaretta said, placing her hands on either side of his ribcage to feel his breathing. “<Someone, try to start an IV,>” she added.
Someone quickly retrieved a needle and began prepping his arm.
"<33.9 degrees Celsius,>" Francis said, astonished as she pulled the thermometer from his ear. "<His normal is just shy of 38, right?>"
"<Yes,>" Alcon said, frowning as she quickly went over their options.
“<I can’t start an IV,>” another nurse said, lifting up the bent needle.
Margaretta sighed. "<Is everyone alright? Other than Francis and myself, is anyone . . . ?> She didn't know how to word what had happened.
"<I think my bad knee is better,>" Francis' best friend said.
"<My head. It feels lighter somehow,>" another person said.
"<My scars are gone,>" said another, before several others commented on similar improvements.
"<Someone, start cataloging everyone's changes,>” Margaretta said. "<Mary, get heat pads and begin applying them to him. I’m going to—>”
She cut herself off when the phone on the wall rang and Alfonso hurried in.
“<Doctor, that call is for you,>” he said, out of breath.
O o O o O
[Metropolis - 1:38 pm (6:38 in Puerto del Esperanza, Spain)]
Dr. Klein looked up from his work when Julie Heinz entered the lab with barely a knock, which was not normal at all.
"Bernie, Mav is on the line with the US Embassy. They just learned Kal collapsed in Spain. They're getting us connected to the hospital he was taken to. The doctors there are going to want to talk to you," Julie said without preamble.
Klein immediately shut down the test he was conducting on the crystals. Fortunately, there was nothing critical that needed his attention and the kryptonite sample he had been looking at the day before was secure.
“What happened?!” he asked worriedly as he put away the critical equipment.
“I don't know. I came to get you while Mav remained on the phone. Soon after Kal collapsed, he told them his aura was damaged and to call you. That’s all I know,” she said before he followed her out.
Klein was struck by how calm she sounded, but he knew by her posture that she was just as concerned as he was.
They entered Mav’s office and Mav quickly waved him over.
“They’re getting the attending physician,” Mav stated, covering the phone’s receiver.
“What happened?” Klein asked.
“A disturbed individual detonated a bomb in a small shop and Kal arrived just as it went off. People were running away from the building when the blast happened, and, after it was over, Kal was on the ground. From what they're getting from witnesses, the people escaped without injury, even though they were beyond Kal's reach. Authorities are certain now that the 'aura' Kal mentioned is why," Mav roughly summarized.
"Did they say anything else?" Klein asked.
"He's in obvious pain. They hav—" Mav began, only to shift his attention to the person who was now speaking on the other end of the phone. "Yes — yes, I have him here. Thank you," Mav said before holding the phone out to Dr. Klein.
"This is Dr. Klein," he said, quickly taking the phone and ignoring his pounding heart as he hurried to Mav's desk and grabbed a pad and a pen.
"Dr. Klein, I'm Dr. Margaretta Alcon, the doctor on call," she introduced in heavily accented English. “Superman was alert but had labored breathing when he arrived. A few minutes ago he had what looked like a seizure. Afterwards, he developed severe hypotension and bradycardia. I believe he's gone into neurogenic shock.”
“Lord in heaven,” Klein breathed.
“We tried to treat him for it, but his skin is still invulnerable and we can't get an IV running. He's in shock, so he needs treatment right now. If he was human, I'd give him large amounts of fluids and noradrenaline, but I don't know if that would help him.”
“Do you have any full spectrum lamps? If not, getting him under powerful examination lights should help. He absorbs yellow light,” Klein proposed.
“We don't have full spectrum lamps, but we could move him to the operating room. Those lamps are the strongest we have,” she said. “Is there anything else that we can do?”
“Could we administer fluids orally?” Klein asked.
“He’s unconscious, but we could use a nasal tube.”
"That should help,” Klein said.
“Alright, we’ll get fluids started.”
He heard her turn away from the phone and swiftly speak to her team before getting back on the line with him.
“We’re inserting a nasogastric tube. Should we stick with basic fluids and nutrition or do you think medication will help?”
“His metabolism is very high so I don’t know how much medication you would need to give to have it be effective--and that's assuming it would work the same way as in a human. What else can we do to counter the shock?” he asked.
“We could try to trigger his own body’s stress hormones. I’m not sure how we can do that considering he’s Superman though.”
“Well, I hate to propose it, but I can only think of two options. Use a defibrillator on him or lithotripsy,n” Klein suggested.
“Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy? Hm, we might be able to target his adrenal gland, assuming you know where it is,” she said. “I’ll admit I would prefer trying that before the defibrillator.”
“I believe his organs are placed very similarly to where ours are,” Klein said confidently.
“Okay, we’re about ready to move him,” she said after a moment.
“What are his vitals? Can you tell me more of what happened before and after the seizure?” Klein asked.
"He was transferred to us about twenty minutes ago after collapsing about fifteen minutes prior. Before the seizure, all he could tell us was that his condition was linked to his aura and that his aura felt torn. He told me it had been injured before in the past but not to this degree. When I first saw him, his blood pressure and heart rate were beyond what the machines could read. About ten minutes after my initial assessment, he became agitated and experienced what I’m calling a seizure. His body released a wave of energy during the . . . seizure, and it healed old injuries of myself and my team. He fell unconscious right after and his heart rate and blood pressure plummeted to 38 beats per minute and 64 over 42, which is about where they're still at. His temperature is 33.9 degrees Celsius and we have begun placing heat pads and a warm air blanket on him. We had started him on oxygen soon after he arrived because he was dyspnoeic, so he's still on that. Do you need me to repeat anything before I go on?" she asked.
"No, I got it," Klein said, jotting down Kal's vitals while hearing movement on her end. "Please continue.”
"We elevated his legs because his symptoms are reminiscent of neurogenic shock. Would it be a fair guess that his ‘aura’ is tightly linked to his nervous system?”
“Yes, I believe it is. When his aura had been damaged before, it affected his balance, mental focus, and invulnerability. You see, normally his invulnerability extends out to anything within a few millimeters of his skin. It’s why his uniform isn’t ruined from bullets or fires,” Klein explained. “When he had damaged his aura before, one side of him didn’t have it extending from his skin at all, while the other side had it to about 2 inches.”
“Well, we haven’t exactly tested it, but considering what we were told about what had happened at the scene of his collapse, and then what happened here, I think it’s fair to say his aura is extending severely beyond where it should. I had asked him if he knew what had hurt his aura and he answered: ‘Me, I think.’”
“I see,” Klein breathed, trying to determine what else they could do.
“He's unresponsive to outside stimuli. Granted, should we expect him to respond?" she asked.
"His sense of touch is just like all of his other senses, he just can't be easily hurt, so technically he should be more responsive," Klein answered. "Could you tell me more about the energy he released?" Klein asked.
"He felt something was happening to him and tried to warn us. Then he arched his back and released the energy. It was invisible, but we all felt it. It went through and into me. I felt it shift to my scars and I felt my skin tingle from it. And then I watched my old burn-scars brighten to pink and then fade to unmarked skin. It all happened in just a few seconds,” she explained.
“And it happened to all of you in the room?” he asked, marveled by this unexpected reaction.
“Yes. One of my nurses, who has COPD, immediately stated she could breathe better. I also just recently learned a patient who was in the room directly above us healed from their open heart surgery in seconds. They don’t even have a scar. Suffice it to say, we have barred any new individuals from coming anywhere near him,” she said.
“I completely agree with that decision,” Klein stated.
Klein heard her speak to someone on her end again.
“Okay, I’ll be back with you in a moment. We’re moving him to the O.R. now.”
“Very good. Thank you, doctor,” Klein said.
He heard the line beep before someone else picked up.
"Hello, this is Dr. Romarez, Head Cardiologist. Could you tell me Superman's normal vitals and anything else about his heart and aura, Dr. Klein?" the voice asked. "I'll be assisting Dr. Alcon."
"Of course," Klein said, before telling him everything he felt might help.
He wished he knew more.
After studying Kal-El’s physiology for over two years, Klein knew he would need another decade to really be an expert of Kryptonian biology. There was just so much they didn’t know. Even with the knowledge Kal’s family had left with him, they didn’t have any real understanding of how his body actually worked, let alone how they could address specific injuries other than sunlight and rest.
So after hanging up the phone, Klein did something he hadn’t done since he was a child. He prayed.
O o O o O
[Metropolis - 2:44 pm (7:44 pm in Spain)]
Lois smirked as Lucy tried not to choke on her drink.
“Y-you’re serious?!” Lucy asked, coughing. “You’re really serious?”
Lois nodded. They were in the local pub, catching up during a late lunch.
“And you’ve been dating for months?! Why haven’t you told me?” Lucy asked, appalled.
“I wanted to tell you in person and you’ve been busy,” Lois said simply, still amused.
“Not that busy! Lois, you have never been this serious about a guy before! I’ve never been as serious as you clearly are about someone! And he seems to be serious back! So, do you think he’ll ask you soon? When do you think he’ll ask you?” she asked, already shifting gears.
“We’ve agreed to take things slow, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he asks by the new year,” Lois admitted with not a little glee.
Lucy all but squealed. “I can’t wait for you to tell mother!”
Lois cringed. “I can,” she stated flatly, suddenly realizing she’d need to tell their father as well at some point. That, fortunately, wouldn’t be as agonizing as telling mother though.
“Oh, come on, can you imagine the look on her face?! I don’t think she ever imagined you even contemplating marriage; she might faint!” Lucy said, laughing.
Lois was torn with agreeing that that aspect would be enjoyable, but she knew she wouldn’t enjoy what would surely follow.
She moved to respond, but suddenly the television screen to their left caught their attention. In fact, it had captured the attention of every individual in the bar, as well as people on the street outside.
“We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you this breaking news,” the television said, flashing a bar of colors before shifting to a newsroom with a lone news anchor.
“MNN, Al Bradley, reporting. Less than an hour ago, Superman collapsed in Puerto del Esperanza, Spain - a small town in northern Spain within the province of Navarre. Reports say that just after an explosion took place in a shop, Superman appeared in the town square before abruptly falling to the ground. We have received a clip from the local news agency showing this. We will play it for you now,” the man said grimly before the scene went black for a moment.
Lois didn’t breathe as a view of a courtyard filled the screen. There was a water fountain to the right, but her eyes were on seven people currently running away from a building as quickly as they could.
And then the building exploded!
However, as shocking as that was, her brain seized up when the tragedy she expected to see did not happen.
The people who should have been blown off their feet from the blast were still standing! They didn't even appear to be hurt at all! Which was very odd because their clothing, especially those of the men closest to the blast, were now in shambles.
She was relieved for them but couldn't understand what had just happened, and then a jolt of something she would later liken to a lightning bolt snatched her astonishment away and blasted it into fear. She noticed a red caped form standing beside the woman at the edge of view who had been leading the charge out of the now obliterated structure.
Kal.
And then, just as the news anchor had said, Superman suddenly collapsed, tipping forward and pulling the woman down to her knees beside him.
"Kal-El!"
Fortunately, Lois was not the only one who had shouted out, and her voice was swallowed up by dozens of gasps of disbelief and cries of concern and fear.
The scene continued, with people at the scene snapping out of their shock. Soon after, Superman's form was out of sight, beyond a mass of people. There was yelling and waving, and then an old truck backed into the area with police dotting the swarm.
"¡Despejar el camino! ¡Limpiar lo! ¡El camión está retrocediendo!"
"¡La policía lo escoltará! ¡No podemos esperar por una ambulancia!"
There were more yelled orders, urgency clear in their tone. A group of men surged forward, under the direction of a man whose shirt was in tatters. It took Lois a moment to realize he was the man who had been closest to the blast. The camera was jostled as the man urged everyone back. Fortunately, people obeyed, giving the group of men space to gather around the fallen hero as the woman was helped up.
The cameraman would likely be highly praised for providing the coverage they were seeing, as it was clear he was holding the camera above his head to capture the scene.
"¡A las tres! ¡Uno dos tres!"
Lois covered her mouth as the ragtag group of men hoisted Superman up and gently maneuvered him into the back of the truck, using what she could only assume was a blanket. His bright uniform was a stark contrast to the light blues and browns worn by most of the people around him, but her eyes were on his face.
Superman was squinting up into the darkening sky in blatant pain. He was breathing heavily, as if he couldn't catch his breath, and sweat was dotting his brow. Four people remained in the back of the truck with him while the rest piled out, carefully moving around Superman's trembling form.
"¡Muy bien, ve, ve, ve!" someone shouted as the truck's tailgate was slammed closed.
The truck sped away.
What had happened? What could hurt Superman? Was it from helping for so long in Indonesia? But if that's the case, how were the people spared from the explosion?
The news station replayed the scene one more time, and Lois took notice of the fact that many of the people who fled from the building had actually been struck with notable debris. She saw fragments bounce off of their forms, but they hadn't been hurt!
What?
The scene shifted back to Al Bradley.
"At this time, we don't have any further information, only that Superman has been taken to San Juan De Dios Hospital, the nearest hospital."
Lois grabbed her purse before dropping some cash on the center of the table.
"Lucy, I'm sorry. I've got to go!" she said before dashing out of the restaurant.
Her sister watched in astonishment and shook her head. “I wonder, how Clark is going to live with her always running off to cover a story?”
O o O o O
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