The Try Not to Change Anything story you’ve been waiting for is here! This fic picks up where The More Things Change left off, so be sure to read that one first. Time to find out what happens after Lois gets knocked on the head this time around. Kerth Challenge #4: The What Dreams May Come Challenge!
Lois had a dream about Clark the night before and wakes up....ANGRY at him. In the dream, Clark has done something to really tick her off, but what is it? It can be silly or serious but poor Clark won't know what hit him when she arrives at the Planet that morning, still steamed...
This ended up being much longer than I expected so I've broken it into parts. I haven't written the final part yet, but it will be done soon. You won't actually see this prompt answered until Part 8 but I promise it's in there.The More Things Stay the SamePart 1
Superman moved the children to safety and put out the flames as quickly as he could. He wouldn’t have left his wife alone at the hospital for anything less than a fire at the orphanage – which was exactly what had torn him from her side. But so long as he didn’t stop to talk to the firefighters, avoided the press, and kept his interactions with the children to a minimum, he could be back in under ten minutes.
Lois had woken up only a few hours after her fall and Clark had been so relieved to hear her say his name. She remembered him. It wasn’t like last time. She knew who she was and she knew who he was.
But his relief was short-lived. Lois had seemed very confused that he was there and pulled away from the kiss he’d tried to give her. She’d looked about to start yelling at him when the doctor came in and began asking questions – and then all was revealed.
It wasn’t like last time. Lois didn’t lose all of her memory – just some of it. Clark had listened in despair as Lois described her life in great detail right up until about a month after he’d started at the Daily Planet – the first time around. She didn’t remember anything about their marriage or long-distance dating through high school. She didn’t even remember her Pulitzer!
He was back to being a greenhorn sometimes-partner in her eyes. Everything they’d shared, everything they’d been through together was gone.
The doctor advised him not to bombard her with too much information at once. She was having enough difficulty processing that it was 1996 instead of 1993. He’d also said that they would be bringing in an expert to help with her memory but was unable to specify the name of this individual.
After finishing up with the fire, Superman sped back to the hospital. He wanted to be there when this so-called expert came to call. There was one doctor who would not be treating his wife no matter what his expertise.
Spinning back into his casual clothes in an alley outside the hospital, Clark quickly bought some flowers from a street vendor and headed up to Lois’ room. He heard the scoundrel long before he saw him and had to forcibly relax his hand so as to not crush the stems of the flowers.
“Your memory loss is quite extensive,” Dr. Deter was saying. Clark picked up his pace while still maintaining a human gait. “Fortunately, there are many treatment options available. In your case, I would recommend –”
“You can take your recommendations somewhere else
Dr. Deter. Lois won’t be using your services.” Clark glared at the doctor from the doorway, unconsciously adopting his preferred Superman pose – a look spoiled slightly by the flowers in his hand. Lois and Dr. Deter both turned to him in surprise.
“Clark?” Lois said in confusion.
“Excuse me.” Dr. Deter said, standing up from where he had been seated uncomfortably close to Lois’ bedside. “Who are you?”
“Clark Kent.” Clark replied tersely. “I’m Lois’ husband and I would like you to leave. We’ll be requesting another provider.”
“My what?!” Lois exclaimed. Clark winced. He’d forgotten that she didn’t remember that and the revelation might be too much for her to process right now. He let his eyes wander to the bandage around her head and felt the renewed guilt of allowing this to happen to her again.
“Mr. Kent,” Dr. Deter began to step forward but stopped when Clark turned an intimidating glare back on the man. The doctor cleared his throat . “Mr. Kent, Lois has suffered a traumatic brain injury. I’m sure, you’ve been told that it is imperative that you not tell her too much at once. Her mind needs time to heal and process new information. This is why I would like her to join us at our clinic and –”
“You can forget about that.” Clark snapped. “Lois will be going home once she is discharged.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the doctor countered.
“I didn’t ask your opinion.” Clark stepped further into the room and firmly placed himself between Dr. Deter and his wife. “I asked you to leave.”
“I’m sorry, did I do something to offend you?” the doctor asked.
Clark had to stop himself from recounting how Deter had secluded Lois from her loved ones under the pretense of “treatment” and proceeded to encourage her to have romantic feelings for him before hypnotizing her to run away to France with him – because none of that had actually happened in this timeline. He took a deep breath and forced himself to say simply, “I just don’t like your treatment methods.”
Dr. Deter looked ready to reply but another voice cut him off. “Excuse me! Don’t I get a say in any of this?” Both men turned to face Lois, who looked positively enraged at being left out of the conversation. Clark had the grace to look sheepish.
Deter began pandering. “Of course, Lois. Surely you can see that it is necessary for you to receive proper treatment.”
Lois held up a hand to stop the doctor from continuing. She focused her gaze on Clark and considered him for a moment before asking, “Are we really married?”
Clark nodded solemnly; sorry she’d found out this way. “Going on two years.”
Lois gnawed on her lower lip, then took a deep breath and nodded her acceptance. “We’ll talk about that later. Why don’t you want Dr. Deter to treat me? He’s the foremost expert in the field of memory loss. Surely, he knows what is best for me.”
Clark set the bouquet on the table beside her bed and sat in the chair Deter had vacated. He placed his hand gently on top of hers. “Lois, I need you to trust me on this. If you had your memories, you’d agree with me completely.”
“Well, I don’t have my memories and , husband or not, right now I barely know you so you’re gonna have to give me more than that.”
“May I say something?” Deter asked.
“No.” Lois and Clark chimed together.
Clark offered her a soft smile before nodding soberly and wracking his brain for a way to convince her that Deter was no good. “Dr. Deter’s methods are largely experimental.”
“I’ve seen his credentials,” Lois mentioned and Clark nodded, knowing that even in her injured state, Lois would want to be in the know about everything. “Some would say his methods are cutting edge.”
“Cutting edge is still untested. I don’t want you to be his guinea pig.”
“I think you’re being a bit melodramatic. This is memory therapy – not brain surgery.” Lois rubbed her forehead and leaned back against her pillow. “Ugh, my head hurts.”
“This is too much for her.” Deter took the opportunity to jump in. “The sooner she begins treatment, the better.”
Clark cast an angry glare over his shoulder. “I thought I told you to leave.” Turning back to Lois, he knew he needed to let her rest and that meant finding a way to end this argument. He wracked his brain for something which might work and then wrapped her hand in both of his.
“How about a compromise?” He waited for Lois to open her eyes. “A second opinion. I’ll make a few phone calls, see if we can find another expert to agree with Dr. Deter’s treatment plan. If they do, then we will get you checked into a
different clinic.”
“What’s wrong with Dr. Deter’s clinic?” Lois asked.
Clark smiled, glad to have an answer ready for this one. “We’ve been investigating it for possible criminal activities.” It was the truth too. They’d opened their investigation into Dr. Mendenhall after the first mysterious murder a few weeks ago.
“What?!” Deter exclaimed. “What criminal activities? I can assure you that my clinic is completely above board.”
“You’d better hope you’re right, Dr. Deter,” Clark replied, still smiling at his wife. “Because once Lois is feeling better, I can guarantee you that she won’t leave a single stone unturned. Lois Lane is the best investigative reporter in the world.”
He watched Lois’ eyes light up at the praise and felt some of the tension ease from his heart. She still had a long road to recovery but he was confident that they would come out on top again.
********
Dr. Deter soon left to see other patients and Clark took the opportunity to have the man formally removed from Lois’ treatment team and spoke to her primary physician about getting a second opinion about treatment options. Another expert in the field of memory loss was soon contacted, who confirmed that Lois would not require a stay at any specialty clinic but rather, would attend cognitive therapy sessions twice a week while continuing the remainder of her recovery from the comforts of home.
They were still waiting on several test results to get back before she could be discharged from the hospital. Clark left briefly while she was resting to get her a fresh change of clothes (and to attend to a few quick Superman rescues). When he returned, she was wide awake and looked about ready to walk out on her own.
“Why must hospitals take so long to do everything?” she complained as he set her bag of clothes down in the corner.
Clark smiled sympathetically. “Tired of waiting?”
“And bored out of my mind. The only thing I can get to play on this television are infomercials.”
“I’m sure it won’t be much longer.” Clark sat in the chair beside her bed and took her hand.
“How are you feeling?”
Lois’ eyes darted to where his hand was wrapped around hers. She gnawed on her lower lip for a moment but didn’t pull away. “Better,” she replied, looking back at him. “They gave me some Motrin. Are we really investigating Dr. Deter’s clinic or did you just make that up?”
Clark laughed at the sudden turn in conversation. He wondered if she’d been wondering about that the whole time he was gone. He nodded. “We’re really investigating it, though it’s technically just his partner, Dr. Mendelson, we’re investigating in relation to a series of murders.”
“Murders?” Lois sat up a little straighter in, her eyes lit with interest. “Tell me more.”
Clark shook his head. “Lois, honey, you’re supposed to be resting.”
“I’ve been resting all day. I’m bored.” She paused, then asked, “Did you just call me honey?”
Clark sighed. For a moment, he’d forgotten that Lois didn’t remember him all that well. “Sorry,” he muttered not sure what else to say. Lois eased her hand away from him and frowned as though deep in thought.
An awkward silence fell between them for a few minutes. Clark waited, knowing she needed time to process everything. Finally, Lois breathed a heavy sigh. “So, we’re married.” It wasn’t a question this time.
Clark nodded.
Lois shook her head. “I’m sorry. I just don’t see it. I mean, I believe you but I can’t wrap my head around how we can be married. I only just met you a few weeks ago.”
“But it wasn’t only a few weeks ago.” Clark reminded her slowly.
Lois paused, then nodded. “Right, it’s 1996… and you said we’ve been married two years?”
“Just about.”
“Then we got married in 1994 – barely a year after we met. Isn’t that a bit fast?”
Clark stopped himself from pointing out that they had known each other for much longer than three years - that they’d waited more than eighteen years to consummate a marriage which technically hadn’t happened yet considering that, in their original timeline, their wedding had been in 1997.
She didn’t need to know all of that right now. She was having enough trouble remembering what year she was in – she didn’t need the added complications of time travel and soul hopping.
He shrugged. “Some might say it was fast,” he answered truthfully. Many of their colleagues had been baffled by their fast courtship, not realizing they’d known each other for years. “We became partners, then friends, and then… more.” Also all true, even though the timing wasn’t quite what he was letting her believe at the moment.
“Right…” Lois nodded but then shook her head again. She looked so lost and confused.
Clark reached for her hand again and she allowed him to take it. “Lois, you don’t have to remember right now. It’s okay. You just need to rest and let yourself heal. Your memories will come back in time.”
“What if they don’t?” Lois lifted her gaze to meet his and he saw a glimmer of fear in her eyes. “What if I never remember?”
Clark didn’t want to contemplate that. There was so much they had been through together. Just thinking that they might not ever share those memories again was difficult. But as hard as it was for him – it must be terrifying for her. He offered her a reassuring smile. “Then we’ll just have to start over.”
It wouldn’t be the first time.
Stay tuned next week for Part 2! Comments can go
here in the FDK Thread!
