Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Begin the Begin 9/?

A/N: I’d like to thank all those fantastic readers out there, especially Anna, Camy, Ann, Laura, Terry, and Mary whose demands of “more, More, *MORE*” could not be denied.

And, of course, thanks to my wonderful beta Olympe, without whom this story wouldn’t be quite as good. Take a bow.

Lois’s thoughts are italicised and enclosed by angle brackets (<>)
Asterisks enclose emphasis (**)

TOC

Part Nine

It was late in the morning when Cat, Lucy, and Clark finally arrived at the hospital. The sun was warm, and it would become a gorgeous evening, just perfect for a barbecue and a nice cold glass of wine. Clark, however, was completely unaware of any of this. All he knew was that the woman he loved had been hurt. Lois, his Lois, was hurt, and Clark was terrified. Fear was eating away at him, his imagination playing all sorts of evil tricks on him. She would be in a coma, *battered*, at death’s door. The *baby*...

And there was Jimmy, standing at the entrance to the hospital, staring up into the sky, his left wrist wrapped in a bandage, and a few bruises visible around his face.

There was Jimmy, standing, *alive*, and where was Lois? In pain, goodness knows where, and having goodness knows what done to her. And it was all *Jimmy’s* fault.

Clark was out of the car in a heartbeat.

“You *bastard*, Olsen!” Clark bellowed, and descending on a terrified looking Jimmy. “What the *hell* happened?” He ignored Jimmy’s wince of pain as he was slammed into the wall. “How could you let this *happen* to her?” Clark raged, his hands tight around Jimmy’s shirt, almost throttling him. “If *anything*...”

“Clark!” Lucy yelled in desperation, her feet moving her to them of their own accord. “Let go, Clark! Let him go!”

“Lucy, he *hurt* her! If anything’s happened to her...” And then he lost his fire. “Oh, God, if anything, Lois...” he said, his hands falling to his sides. Jimmy let out a strangled gasp and slid to the floor, gasping for breath. “Lucy, I...”

“Come on, Clark,” Lucy said gently, as she wrapped a comforting arm around him. “Lois needs you now. You can leave this until later.” Jimmy looked slightly affronted. “Come on, let’s go, and find her, okay?”

Clark hung his head, before taking a deep breath and going into the hospital. “Okay.”

Lucy and Cat followed him, with Jimmy bringing up the rear, making sure he wasn’t in Clark’s range. Jimmy moved carefully over to Lucy.

“It wasn’t my fault, Lucy,” Jimmy muttered quietly, so that Clark couldn’t hear him. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted Lucy to believe him most of all. “We were rammed from behind. The old woman in the car behind had a heart attack and her foot slipped onto the accelerator. It was an accident, Lucy, an *accident*.”

“Yeah, well, I can understand that. But Clark, he...”

“He’s in love with Lois, isn’t he?” Cat asked, stopping and waiting for an answer from Lucy. Lucy found her mouth had gone dry, and she started making an impression of a guppy. Cat moved closer, almost menacingly. “*Isn’t* *he*?”

Lucy sighed, stared ahead, and saw the slump of Clark’s shoulders as he waited for the lift to arrive.

“Yeah, he is. Very much so.”

“Well, he hasn’t got a monopoly on that,” Jimmy said defiantly. “*I* care about her, too.”

Lucy’s eyes widened as she stared incredulously at Jimmy. “You *love* her? You’re crazy, *painfully* in love with her? You smile every time you think about her, let alone see her? You want her to be happy, to smile *everyday* just because she can? You want what *he* wants for her?” she asked, gesturing towards Clark. “Because *that’s* how he feels about her, Jimmy. *That’s* how Clark feels about Lois.” And she moved forward, as the lift arrived, ready to support her soon-to-be-brother-in-law, ready to be there when Clark needed her.

Jimmy stood there, watching them, knowing that he’d just been warned, and not wanting to hear it. Clark did *not* have the sole right to be in love with Lois Lane. “I care about her too,” he muttered rebelliously. “*I* care too.”

“*Care*,” Cat stated, emphasising the word as she looked at him knowingly.

“No, I *love* her,” he said stubbornly, restraining the urge to stamp his foot.

But, try as he might, he couldn’t match the emotion he’d seen in Clark, the anguish, the raw fear, and the love that had poured from Clark as he thought about Lois. Sure he cared about her, but *love* her? Like Clark did?

Now Jimmy wasn’t so sure. Cat watched the emotions playing across his face, chose not to comment, and headed towards the lift.

Looking up, Jimmy realised that Lucy had held the lift for him. He hurried over and the four of them stood silently as the lift climbed to the third floor. With a soft ping, the doors opened, and Jimmy led them out and over to the nurses station.

***

Perry stared at the telephone, willing it to ring. And then, in the same heartbeat, he prayed that it stayed silent. He needed to know she was all right, but he didn’t think he could cope with any other news. Lois was -- *is*, he told himself -- is like a daughter to me. So proud and determined when she first arrived here, with a single minded determination to be the best reporter she could.

And she hadn’t failed in that respect. She was one of the best reporters Perry had ever worked with. She’d found that curious knack of being able to follow the rules, and to also bend them to suit the occasion.

He turned to the phone and silently pleaded, *ring*, damn it!

***

Carol Wilson looked up as a disgruntled Jimmy approached the nurse’s station again.

“Jimmy, I thought I told you to go and get some rest. I’ll tell you when there’s some news.”

“I know you did, and thank you for that, but some of my colleagues are here, and they need to see Lois too,” Jimmy said apologetically. “I know what you said, but...” his voice tapered off, as he glanced hesitantly back at Lucy, Cat, and Clark.

Carol’s green eyes followed Jimmy’s gaze. The two women behind Jimmy looked as if they were only just holding themselves together emotionally. The taller one stood stiffly, hands by her side. But it was the other one, the man, who held Carol’s attention. Misery was etched across his face, his eyes full of fear. The woman that Jimmy was looking for, this Lois Lane, she must mean a great deal to this man.

She sighed, and gestured over to a row of chairs that lined the corridor. “Okay. I’ll tell you what I told Jimmy. Lois is stable now, but she took a nasty knock to the head. She’s still unconscious, but we think she’s going to be fine. She’s got some cuts and bruises, and her right arm needed stitches, but they’re all pretty minor when compared to her head injury. But, then again, the doctors have had a good look at her and are optimistic she’ll wake up very soon.”

Lucy sighed with relief as Carol’s words washed over her. Lois would be fine. She was a bit bashed around, but she would be fine.

Clark sat in the uncomfortable grey chair, his hands tightly wrapped around the front of the seat. His mind was a jumble of emotions. He vaguely heard voices, but his emotions were on overdrive. She was *here*, *somewhere*, his Lois. Lois. The only woman he’d ever truly loved, and the only woman he ever wanted to love. She was here, in a hospital bed, with God knows what wrong with her.

“Clark? *Clark*? Did you hear that?” Lucy’s voice finally filtered through, and from the expression on Clark’s face, she knew he hadn’t heard a word of it. “She’s going to be *fine*, Clark. Bit bashed and bruised, but she’ll be *fine*...”

“So where *is* she? I want to see her,” Clark dove in, the need to see her alive becoming almost unbearable.

“Clark, let me *finish*. She’s pretty battered, but...” she paused, knowing she had to be the one to tell Clark, but not knowing how to. Carol moved as if she was going to talk, but Cat gently stopped her, leading her away from Lucy and Clark.

“Are you all right, Jimmy? You don’t look too happy,” Carol asked, concerned for the man in front of her. He looked as if his heart was broken, along with being in pain from the battering he’d received when the car had crashed into them on the crossroads.

“Yeah, I’ll be all right,” Jimmy said, his eyes straying over to Clark.

“He loves her, doesn’t he, that Clark?” Carol asked. “Just like you do.”

Jimmy froze at her words, Lucy’s previous comment coming back to haunt him. Did he love her? Did he love her like Clark did?

And in his heart of hearts, Jimmy knew that he didn’t, he knew deep down that no-one loved Lois like Clark did, and if he really thought about it, Jimmy knew that Lois loved Clark just as much.

***

Lucy sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy. It wasn’t as if it were all bad news, the doctors were optimistic that Lois would wake up soon, but getting that through to Clark was going to be hard work. She looked over at the man sitting next to her. Clark had shut down. The calm strength, the power of the man he usually radiated had left him, and Lucy was sitting beside a man at breaking point.

“Clark,” she began softly, making sure she got his attention. “Clark, Lois is *alive*. She has some cuts and bruises. The main thing is, well, she’s still unconscious, but the doctors are keeping a very close eye on her and are pretty sure she’ll come out of it soon. Clark, it’s just the body’s way of healing itself, she’s had a *shock*, and she’s just taking her time. You know, our Lois never does things by half. Clark, listen, she’ll wake up soon, and she’ll be wondering what all the fuss was about. And then she’ll see you and we’ll all *finally* be able to get answers about the photo that you had hidden in your drawer,” Lucy said, trying to get even a ghost of a smile from Clark.

Clark’s head shot up. “The photo! Lucy, do you have that photo on you?” he asked quickly.

“Yeah,” she answered, frowning in confusion at his reaction. “It’s right here in my bag.”

She hadn’t even finished talking before Clark had grabbed her bag and started tearing through it like his life depended on it. He found the photo, took a good look at it, and sighed in relief. *Lois* was there. Their *daughter* was there. And all was right with the world.

Clark glanced over at Jimmy, Cat, and Carol. Following his gaze, Lucy hung her head again. Why me? she asked silently. Why me? But she knew the answer. Lois was her sister. Jimmy was a friend too, which was why this was all so difficult.

“Clark, it was an *accident*. Jimmy would never hurt her, you *know* that. They were at a crossroad, and the elderly lady in the car behind them had a heart attack, and apparently her foot hit the accelerator. It was no more her fault than it was Jimmy’s. And he’s...he’s hurting too,” she said, unsure of quite how far to go.

“He loves her, Lucy. Jimmy loves Lois.” Clark had known that from the beginning. But it had always appeared to be like Lois was a sister to him. He hadn’t realised that Jimmy had ever entertained romantic thoughts about Lois.

“Yes, he does, but not like you, and I think he knows that now. He doesn’t stand a chance, Clark. He really *doesn’t* stand a chance.”

And it was as if Jimmy heard them, because he came over to them, and Clark stood. For a second the two men stared at each other, and then Jimmy understood, really understood, giving up any last hopes he may have had for Lois’s heart. He’d never been in the running, not when Clark felt like he did, and not when Lois returned those feelings, as Jimmy was pretty sure she did.

“I’m sorry CK. About...everything. It was an accident, CK. There was *nothing* I could have done. And...and, well, I’m sorry about the rest too.”

Clark shook the proffered hand. “It’s okay. I know it was an accident, and I’m sorry about before. It was just...Lois, she, ah, she has this effect on people. And...and I *love* her, Jimmy, I love her *so* much...and it’s *killing* me knowing she’s here and I can’t see her,” he said, his brown eyes darting around, desperation beginning to return. She was here *somewhere*, and...

“Carol?” Jimmy asked, turning to the nurse who hovered behind them. “Can we, *he*, can he see her?” He placed a pleading hand on her arm. “Please?” His eyes grew wide and puppy-like. “They’re together; he’s *family*...Carol, look at him. You can *see* how much he loves her, please...”

“Okay!” Carol yielded, Jimmy’s begging raising a smile. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do, but the doctors are in with her at the moment, and it *is* outside visiting hours.”

“I just need to see her, Carol, *please*?” Clark pleaded. Fear and worry still gripped his soul, and his brown eyes were bright with unshed tears.

Carol, unable to withstand such a look, sighed and led them over to a closed door.

***

Knocking gently on the door, Carol pushed it open, only to have a junior doctor come over and stand in the way.

“I’m sorry nurse, but we’re busy at the moment. Dr. Roberts is examining this patient.”

“I know, Tim.” And the Doctor flushed, his green eyes darting back to the other doctor in the room.

“Mu-um! What did I...?”

“Sorry, *Doctor*,” Carol said, grinning. “Son, listen, these people need to see the patient,” she said, gesturing to the people standing behind her.

“But it’s after hours, and Dr. Roberts...”

“I know it’s after hours, but they need to see her.”

“Mum, don’t...”

“Well, he’s, Tim, he’s her boyfriend, and he’s only just got here, and he needs to see her,” she said, pulling Clark over to stand next to her.

“Dr. Wilson? If you could tear yourself away from those people who should *not* even be here, I require a *moment* of your time?” came the voice of the other doctor, a voice acquired over many years of being a senior doctor and many years of delightedly snubbing junior doctors.

“Sorry, Doctor,” Tim said, hurrying over to the bed.

“Now, this patient is showing signs of waking up, but appears disorientated. It could be due to the knock she took,” Dr. Roberts said, making notes on Lois’s chart.

At the door, Carol was trying to keep them out of the way, wanting Lois to have the best care possible, and also not wanting to get her son in any more trouble. Dr. Roberts wasn’t an easy one to work with, and neither mother nor son had been happy when Tim had drawn that rotation.

Clark, however, was having none of it. He’d heard what the doctor had said, and he was going to hear the rest. He *needed* to know. This was *Lois* they were discussing so clinically. Lois!

“Come on, Clark, please,” Lucy said gently. “Let them do their job.”

“Lucy, I’m not going anywhere, not until I know what’s going on,” Clark said calmly, and Lucy knew she stood no chance of moving Clark.

“Note this down, Doctor, and then get those people out of the room,” Roberts said in his bored, pompous tone.

“Come on, please! We have to go,” whispered Carol, trying to get them out of the room. “Please! You’ll get Tim into *trouble*, come on!”

“Would you care to tell me *exactly* who you are and *what* you are doing here?” came the arrogant tones of Dr. Algernon Roberts. “And you can do that outside of this room. My *patient* needs her rest.”

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere,” Clark told him, squaring up to the doctor. “That is *Lois* *Lane* in there, my *fiancé*.”

“Fantastic, wonderful. Now get out of this room, before I call security on you, fiancé, or no fiancé!” ordered Roberts.

“Why, I’d be *delighted*,” he said with a happy grin, moving into the room, and sitting carefully on Lois’s bed.

“Get off the bed,” hissed Roberts, sticking his head into the corridor and looking for a security guard.

His attention was distracted for a moment as Lois, perhaps sensing the disturbance and the electrified emotions in her room, started muttering.

“Mm, Clark, where’s Clark?”

“Oh, now that’s enough. *Out*. All of you. I will not have my patient disturbed like this!” Dr. Roberts finally snapped, coming over and moving to physically eject Clark from the room. “I don’t know what is going *on* here, but my priority is my patient, and as you can *see*...”

“I’m here, Lois, I’m here,” Clark whispered, ignoring the man beside him. “Lois, I love you, *please* wake up.” And he dropped the most gentle of kisses on her forehead. “Come on, Lois, let me see those gorgeous eyes of yours,” he said, kissing her again.

“What the...” Roberts said, flinging his hands up in the air.

“Doctor, for a supposedly clever man, you have no clue about people at all, do you?” Lucy asked disdainfully. “He is her *fiancé*,” she said, waving a hand in front of the doctor’s eyes, not at all sure anyone was really home.

Algernon Roberts glared at her, the whole scene all falling into place. Casting his nose into the air, he marched out of the room, talking to Tim as if he were nothing. “If you are so interested in these clowns then...Doctor, this case is all yours. I have *other* patients to attend to.”

The others grinned, clearing a path for him. “Our pleasure,” Jimmy told him.

“Our complete and utter pleasure, you *silly* little man,” Lucy told the departing doctor, pointing to Jimmy when Roberts turned round and glared. Carol just about managed to hide her grin. Tim was struggling not to laugh as well, his laughter fading as he realised he’d have to work with Roberts again tomorrow.

“What a *pompous* little man,” Cat said thoughtfully, having seen Tim’s face fall, and realised what he was thinking. “I think I might put in a complaint about his treatment of Lois, Jimmy, what do you think?”

“Mm-hmm. He just *ignored* us, and was willing to ignore information relevant to a patient’s well-being. Not good for a man like Dr. Roberts. Yep, one or two complaints coming up. Good thing we had *another* Doctor around,” Jimmy told Cat.

“Yep, very good thing Tim was here,” Lucy added. “Think I might write a letter telling his bosses how *good* he is. What about you, Jimmy?”

“Mum, take these loons away and I’ll go and check on our patient and her fiancé,” Tim grinned, glancing back into Lois’s room.

***

Clark grinned as he watched the others leave, but his attention was soon drawn back to the woman in the bed beside him. Looking down at her, he was just in time to see her eyes flutter open, and to hear her voice again.

“Where’s...Clark, you’re here!” she smiled tiredly, her hand moving to find his.

“Sure am, honey.” He paused, kissing her forehead gently, unable to stop himself. “Lois, I love you. Don’t ever do that to me again. You scared the living daylights out of me. I love you so much, and...and you’re asleep again,” he smiled softly as her eyes closed.

Forcing them open again, she just about had the strength to talk.

“I love you too, Clark.” And then she slept, holding his hand, and his heart.

***

Out in the corridor, Dr. Roberts had disappeared, leaving Cat, Lucy, and Jimmy with broad smiles on their faces. Carol had gone back to her desk, with a hug for each of them.

Sitting in the chairs, Lucy turned to Jimmy. “You all right?”

“Fine, fine. Bit peckish, but fine.”

Cat just stared over at him, waiting.

“Okay, okay, maybe I’m *not* fine,” Jimmy said, after a while. “But I will be. I can’t help liking her, Lucy, but I know I don’t stand a chance. CK...she and CK are *linked* somehow.” He sighed. “Whatever. Anyway, if she and CK are happy together, then who am I to get in the way? I’ll just have to cast my sights elsewhere.”

Lucy just smiled, a feeling starting to swell inside her, a feeling of...hope? Lucy quickly pushed those thoughts away. She’d only met the guy yesterday for God’s sake! I am not going to do a Lois, and hook up with a guy I’ve only known for *one* *day*, Lucy thought fiercely. She could almost hear her mother’s reaction if that happened. Lucy threw those thoughts away too.

Clark came up behind them, unnoticed. Tim had checked on Lois, and finally convinced Clark she was *fine* and that she would be sleeping for the rest of the day. There was *no* danger, and she would have a headache and some bruises and bumps when she woke up, but she was going to be *fine*.

“Tim’s given her something to help her sleep, and said we should go down and get something to eat. It’s almost eleven o’clock, and I’ve not eaten since breakfast...and I’m starving! I’m staying here until Lois is ready to come home with me.”

And a shrill voice behind them startled them all.

“Lucy! Where is she? And how come it took *Perry* *White* to call me and tell me about my daughter, when *you* lot have been here for hours?”

***

Clark froze, his brown eyes wide and staring at Lucy in horror. Lucy’s eyes were just as wide, and Jimmy and Cat were no help. This was going to be...interesting.

“Lucy?” Clark muttered a plea of help, and the super efficient sister swept into action.

“Cat, go and talk to Carol and get her and the nurses to try and dilute this, I don’t know, keep Clark’s name out of it. Jimmy, you...” she paused for a second, and then continued. “You go and check on Lois, and we’ll talk to her.” And, with a deep breath, she turned to face Ellen Lane.

“Mother!” she exclaimed in a feigned tone of delight. “Hi, how are you?”

“Don’t give me that, Lucy! What happened to your sister and why am I only just hearing about it? And why the hell did I hear from *Perry* bloody *White* and not from *you*?” the smaller woman demanded, moving right up to Lucy and glaring at her.

“Uh...I, um...well,” Lucy made an attempt at making a coherent explanation, and then dissolved into making strangled noises and looking like a frightened guppy.

If looks could kill, I’d be staring at a pair of smoking boots right now, Clark thought.

“Oh boy,” Cat muttered, moving over to the nurses station. “Carol, as you may have noticed, that’s Lois’s mother.”

“Ah, yes, so I see!” Carol said, watching the standoff that Clark was trying to defuse. “And I take it that she doesn’t know about Clark and Lois?”

“Ah, no, no she doesn’t. But then again, they only admitted all of this yesterday...”

“Cat, don’t be silly, you just have to look at them to know that they’ve been in love forever,” Carol rebuked her gently.

“No, really! They only kissed for the first time Friday night.”

Carol smiled and shook her head in disbelief. “Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“What? Oh, yes, ah, well, maybe, just until Clark’s either been swatted by Mrs. Lane or got her to understand, whichever one happens, well, we were wondering if you guys could try and keep the love connection quiet? Jeez, I’m not doing this very well, am I?” she asked, stumbling over her explanation.

“No worries, Cat, I’ll have a word to the girls, and we’ll do our best. Now, it looks as if Jimmy wants you.”

“Jimmy, what is it?” And from down the corridor, Clark heard her, and his brown eyes bored into Jimmy, until Jimmy gave a thumbs up, and mouthed ‘she’s okay’, letting Clark turn his attention back to the woman in front of him.

“Jimmy?”

“Cat, she’s fine. I couldn’t talk to her because she’s fast asleep.”

“Of course she is, Tim gave her something to sleep, and she’ll be out for a while,” Carol told them. “Which is *one* thing in your favour,” she said, as she turned and stared over at the man who loved her patient so much, and who was currently being grilled by Lois’s mother.

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