Authors Note:  I wrote this several months ago, before I even knew there
was such a thing as fanfic.  I had only intended to keep this for myself,
but after reading all the other fanfic out there, I thought somebody might
enjoy reading this. (I hope so, anyway!)  It's full of WAFFs and also
several very big WHAMs!

When I first sent this out to some of my buddies for proof reading, they
found so many holes in the a-plot that I was ready to deep-six it.  But
with the help and encouragement of so many of my friends on IRC, I was able
to rewrite it and make it a much better story.  So I send out a huge thank
you to Kathy Brown,  Rochelle Harrison, Adrienne Vukovic, Michele Clark,
Rich Synave,  Rachel Royce, Jen Stosser, and Gina Blank--for without all
their help, encouragement, and many late nights of brainstorming on IRC,
this story couldn't have been salvaged.  Thanks you guys!

As always, comments and/or suggestions would be *greatly* appreciated!


* denotes emphasis on a word
**denotes a person's thoughts


WHEN YOU NEEDED ME MOST
By Erin Klingler (ELK on IRC)
erinklingler@cableone.net

Lois rolled over in bed, still half asleep, wondering what it was that woke
her up from the deep sleep she had just been in moments before.  She
glanced over at the alarm clock resting on her nightstand and saw that its
luminous figures read 1:30.  She stared around the room, searching and
listening for anything out of the ordinary that would've caused her to wake
up.

But the only sound she heard was the sound of Clark's slow, rhythmic
breathing as he slept peacefully beside her.  She shrugged off the strange
feeling that something had caused her to wake up, and cuddled up next to
Clark, pressing herself against his back and slipping her arm over his side
so she could rest her hand on his flat, muscular stomach.

Her touch caused him to stir a little, and he shifted slightly, pressing
even closer to her.  Lois smiled, though, when her protruding belly
prevented him from snuggling as close as he would've liked.  She was just
beginning her eighth month of pregnancy, and Lois already felt as if she
couldn't possibly get any bigger.  Her skin was already stretched tightly
over her abdomen, and she was beginning to feel uncomfortable in these
later stages of pregnancy.  It was getting increasingly harder to sleep
comfortably, and being on her feet for long periods of time had simply
become out of the question.

It was tough on Lois, who was still one part of the toughest investigative
journalism team of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, because her mind was still
able to continue her tasks at the Daily Planet.  But her body simply
refused to perform, and finally Perry had practically forced her to take a
maternity leave for her final month of pregnancy.  "You're no good to us
here, moaning and groaning about how wiped out you're feeling,"  Perry had
told her firmly.  "If you're body is trying to tell you to stay off your
feet more, then I think you should.  I'm sure your doctor would agree with
me, too."

So, much to Lois' disappointment, she'd been grounded, so to speak.  Now
she was forced to spend a few hours a day at home with her feet propped up,
using her laptop to work on the smaller, less exciting stories that Perry
had assigned her to.

Lois was brought back to the present when Clark rolled over to face her,
though still fast asleep.  She stared into the face of the man she loved so
deeply, more deeply than she ever knew was possible.

She thought back to when she and Clark had gotten married on that beautiful
secluded mountain with only her family and two closest friends, Jimmy and
Perry.  She could still remember the onrush of emotions she felt when she
and Clark were finally pronounced husband and wife. Lois knew that without
a doubt, it had been the best day of her life.  But she'd had no idea that
after a year of marriage to this wonderful man, she could love him even
more than she had back then.

Maybe it was because they were able to spend every day together, their love
for each other growing deeper each day that passed.  Or maybe it was
because she was carrying their child.

She smiled softly as she moved her arm from Clark's side and placed her
hand lightly on her swollen abdomen, lovingly caressing the bulge that was
occupied by their soon-to-be son or daughter.

Her thoughts drifted back to about seven months ago, when she and Clark had
only been married a few months.  Lois had started feeling sick, but they
hadn't thought much of it, since the flu had been going around.  She took a
couple of days off from work at the Planet, and stayed at home in bed.  But
when her symptoms persisted for several days, she began to wonder if it was
really the flu that she had.  She tried her best to act as if she was
feeling better so Clark wouldn't worry, but it turned out to be pretty hard
to hide her quick, frequent dashes to the bathroom.  Clark had finally
insisted that she go see a doctor.

That morning at the doctor's office a few days later, Lois had had the
shock of her life.  She could still remember when the doctor had entered
the room, test results in hand and a big smile on his face.  "Well, the way
you're feeling is going to last a bit longer than any regular strain of the
flu.  About nine months longer, to be exact.  Lois, congratulations!
You're pregnant."

She remembered driving home from the doctor's office in a daze, wondering
how Clark was going to take the news.  They had decided even before they'd
gotten married that they were going to wait a while before having children.
But now their decision to wait had been changed for them.

Lois had paced around the apartment the rest of the morning, rehearsing the
way she was going to break the news to Clark when he got home for lunch.
It must've shown that she was still in a state of shock when he finally
walked through the door, because he had taken one look at the distraught
expression on her face and immediately expected the worst.

"Lois, honey, what is it?  What's the matter?  What did the doctor say?"
Clark's questions ran together into one long sentence, his concern for her
evident in his voice.

Her practiced speech immediately flew out the window when she saw how
worried he was, and she simply blurted out the news.  "Clark, I'm
pregnant."  Then she braced herself for his reaction, not knowing what he
would do or say next.

But Clark's reaction was definitely not what Lois had expected.  He let out
a loud whoop, picked her up in his arms and spun her around excitedly,
pausing only to kiss her soundly on the lips and tell her how much he loved
her.

Though Clark had been thrilled and happy about the prospects of having a
baby, Lois was filled with doubts and concerns.  What if this baby turned
out differently than everyone expected?  After all, this baby would be half
Kryptonian, and half human.  Nobody knew what to expect.  Would the baby be
born a normal infant, or would he or she have super powers like Clark did?

Of course, Clark didn't get his powers until he was a teenager.  But maybe
being born here on Earth with a yellow sun would cause this baby to have
super powers much earlier than Clark did.  What then?

And there were also her concerns about being pregnant.  She'd never been
pregnant, and she hadn't the slightest idea of what to expect.  There were
books she could read, she knew, that could help her know what to expect.
She smiled as she remembered wondering (not seriously, of course) if there
was a book somewhere that would tell her what to expect of a Kryptonian
pregnancy.

But what she worried the most about was what would happen when her figure
began to change and her abdomen began to swell.  Would Clark still find her
attractive?  What would happen when her slim and curvy figure started to
become not so slim and curvy?  Would it turn him off?  She didn't know if
she could handle that if it happened.  She loved Clark with all her heart,
and wanted to please him and continue to have him loving her as much as she
loved him.

As it happened, she needn't have worried.  When she began to show, Clark
got more and more excited.  Every morning when they'd wake up, Clark would
roll over in bed and kiss her tenderly.  Then he'd turn his attention to
her growing abdomen.

He'd place his hands gently on her stomach and lower his face so that his
mouth was by her navel.  Then he'd speak loudly to their unborn child,
saying things like, "How are you this morning, kiddo?" or "How's my up and
coming journalist doing today?"  Then he'd rub her stomach gently, almost
reverently.  She thought it was just about the sweetest thing she'd ever
seen, this bond that Clark was developing with his unborn child.

And as she and Clark went to the doctors appointments together, learning
how their baby was growing and developing, she could see the love for her
in Clark's eyes growing daily, and he seemed to love her more each day.
The pregnancy was creating a special bond between them, knowing that
together they had created this life growing inside of her.

One morning, as the pregnancy began to enter its later stages, Clark did
his morning ritual of talking to the baby, and was surprised when he felt
the baby kick in response to his voice. Clark's entire face had lit up,
looking exactly as if he were a child on Christmas morning.  He had been so
excited that he could hardly contain himself.  He swarmed around the
Planet's newsroom as soon as they arrived at work that morning, telling
every single person he could find about how the baby had kicked.

Lois remembered rolling her eyes in exasperation, and complained to him
when he'd finally returned to his desk that not every person in Metropolis
wanted to know about this latest development.  But secretly she'd been
thrilled at Clark's excitement.  It made her feel good that Clark was
taking such an active roll in this pregnancy, and it made her feel special
that she was the one carrying the child of the man she loved.

Lois ran her hand one more time over her baby bulge, and smiled at Clark,
who was still asleep.  She knew, without a doubt, that he was going to be
the greatest dad in the whole world.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain course through her, and she automatically
curled herself into a tight ball, trying to ward off the pain.  It grew
stronger, and Lois let out an involuntary moan as she clutched at her
stomach.

The noise woke up Clark, who looked over at her, startled, sleep still
clouding his eyes.  He propped himself up on one elbow and looked at her
sleepily.  "Lois?  You okay?"

Lois pressed her hands firmly against her belly and lay silently for a
minute as the pain started to subside.  Then, as quickly as the pain had
come, it was gone.  She glanced over at Clark, who was still staring at her
with concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she told him quietly.  "I just had this sudden pain, but
it's gone now."  She slowly stretched back out underneath the covers, as if
worried that any sudden movement might cause another pain to come.

Clark rubbed her shoulder lightly.  "What kind of pain did you feel?"

"I'm sure it was nothing,"  she told him.  "It was probably just from
eating all that spicy food at dinner last night."

Clark watched her closely for another minute, as if he wasn't completely
sure about whether to believe her or not.  Finally, he gave her shoulder a
squeeze and lay back down next to her.  "Well, just let me know if you need
anything.  I'm right here."

She smiled softly at him.  "Thanks."

Clark leaned forward and kissed the bare skin of her shoulder tenderly,
then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her over next to him.  She
snuggled up against him, tucking her head under his chin and snuggling up
against his chest.

She loved the feeling of him cuddled up next to her...the softness of the
hairs on his leg brushing against the bare skin on her leg, the way he
smelled as she rested her head against his chest, and the way it felt to
have his arm draped over her.  She loved being in his arms, and knew that
she would never, ever grow tired of it.  Feeling safe and contented, she
closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Lois was startled awake again in the early hours of the morning.  This time
she had no trouble understanding what had woken her up as she felt a sharp
pain stab at her abdomen.  She grabbed at her stomach and tried to stifle a
moan, not wanting to wake up Clark.  But his super hearing picked up on the
sound.

"Lois?"  he asked, instantly awake.

Lois clutched at her stomach and sat upright, swinging her feet over the
side of the bed so that they rested on the floor.  She took several short,
pained breaths as the dull, aching pain grew stronger.

**What kind of indigestion feels like this?**  she asked herself silently.
Then suddenly, the realization washed over her and Lois knew exactly what
was happening.  She wasn't having a bad case of indigestion.  She was
having a contraction!

Clark scooted over to her quickly and put his hands gently on her
shoulders. "Lois, honey, are you okay?"

Feeling a little scared now that she knew what was happening, Lois turned
to look at Clark.  "Clark, I think I'm having a contraction."

Clark's eyes grew wide with shock and surprise.  "You're having a *what*?"
he asked in disbelief.  "You can't be having a contraction!  You're not due
for another month yet!"

"I know that!"  Lois snapped, feeling scared.  "Don't you think I know that?"

A few seconds later, the pain subsided.  Clark watched as Lois closed her
eyes, breathed out slowly and then relaxed.  "Is it over?"  he asked, his
eyes searching her face intently.

Lois opening her eyes back up and found herself staring straight into
Clark's warm brown ones.  She smiled slightly and nodded her head.  "I'm
okay.  I guess it's over."

Clark looked at her worriedly.  "Is this the first contraction you've had?
Or have you been having them for a while?"

"I had one earlier this morning, but that's it."

"How long ago was that?"  he asked.

"The first one was at 1:30 this morning,"  Lois told him before glancing
over at the alarm clock again.  It read 5:15.

Clark looked at the clock, too, and mentally counted the time between the
two contractions.  "Well, I don't think we have to get too concerned about
this,"  Clark told her, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her to
him.  "Your contractions were almost four hours apart, so I doubt we need
to get all panicky and rush you to the hospital.  But I think we should
keep track of any contractions you have so that if you start having them
closer together, we can call the doctor and ask him what he thinks we
should do."

Lois sighed into his bare chest.  "Clark, I'm a little worried about this.
Like you said, I'm not due for another month.  I shouldn't be having
contractions yet, should I?"  She pulled away from Clark so that she could
look up into his face.

Clark smiled reassuringly down at her.  "I'm sure everything's fine, honey.
Having a baby a month early these days isn't that big a deal anymore.
Besides, we really don't know much about Kryptonian childbirth.  Maybe
Kryptonian babies mature faster, making the gestation period shorter.  I
just don't know."

"Clark, that's why I'm worried,"  Lois told him.  "We really *don't* know
that much about this.  What if the kryptonian gestation period is supposed
to be *longer* than nine months?  Then that would mean something was wrong?"

Clark looked into her anxious face and rubbed her arms soothingly.  "Lois,
I'm sure everything is fine.  You just had your doctor's appointment a week
ago, and he said that everything was fine.  So don't get all worked up
about this.  Let's just keep track of things for the next little while and
she how everything goes.  If you keep having contractions, we'll call the
doctor and talk to him.  Okay?"

Lois smiled softly at him.  "Okay."

They stared into each other's eyes for several moments, and Lois was again
amazed at how kind and loving the man was.  Impulsively, she reached up her
hand and brushed it across his cheek.  He closed his eyes at her touch and
then lifted his own hand to cover hers, pressing her hand tightly to his
cheek.

"I love you, Clark,"  she whispered.

"I love you, too, Lois."

They sat that way for several minutes, until Clark finally stood up and
pulled the sheets down on the bed.  "Come on,"  he told her, gesturing to
the bed.  "You should get some sleep.  If the contractions were four hours
apart, it doesn't make any sense to wait up for the next one.  It could be
a while in coming, if at all."

He helped her get back in bed, then leaned down and kissed her gently on
her forehead.  "Aren't you coming back to bed, too?"  Lois asked.

Clark shook his head.  "It's almost 5:30, and I have to be up in about an
hour anyway.  I'll just stay up and do a few things around here until I
have to get ready for work."  At the mention of work, a thoughtful look
crossed his face.  "Maybe I should call Perry and tell him I won't be in to
work this morning.  I don't know if I want to leave you here all by
yourself."

Lois reached for his hand.  "Clark, I'll be fine.  You should go to work.
You have that bank theft story to finish.  Besides, you're right that this
is most likely nothing to worry about.  Women in their eighth month
probably have irregular contractions all the time...don't they?"  She
thought for a minute.   "I'm sure they do.  Didn't they say something about
that in our prenatal class?"

Clark thought back, then nodded.  "Yeah, I think they did."  He looked down
at her intently.  "Are you sure about this?  You don't want me to stay home
with you?"

She shook her head adamantly.  "No, I'll be fine.  Go write your big
story."  Then a teasing smile crossed her face.  "Besides, if I need you, I
can just holler for *you-know-who*."

Clark's face broke out into a big grin.  "Well, I'll just tell
*you-know-who* to keep an ear out, then,"  he said as he gave her a quick
kiss.  Then he stood up and adjusted the covers around her a bit, making
sure she was comfortable.  "Now get some sleep."

"Okay."

Clark grabbed his robe and slipped it on before making his way to the door.
Just before he left the room, he turned and smiled at her once more.
"Sleep tight."  Then he closed the door quietly behind him.

He took a couple of steps toward the kitchen but then stopped suddenly.
Maybe it would be better if he left the door open a crack so that he could
hear her if anything happened.  But then he realized how silly that was.
He'd be able to hear her through a closed door with his super hearing even
if she made the tiniest noise.  So it would probably be better to keep the
door shut so his movements around the apartment wouldn't disturb her.

He wandered into the kitchen, intent on having some breakfast, and found
himself unable to wipe his concern for Lois and their baby from his mind.
Knowing how much Lois tended to worry and get worked up about things, he
made sure he stayed calm and reassuring. And apparently he had.

But inside, he *was* a little concerned.  As he told Lois, having a baby a
month early these days wasn't that big a deal.  But how did he know that
this situation was nothing to worry about?  He didn't have any past
experience to compare this to.  Only the prenatal classes that he and Lois
were taking provided them with the information they needed.

He *did* seem to remember something from their class about it not being
uncommon for women in their eighth month to have some contractions.  But
still, he found himself worrying about it a little.

**Well, worrying about this now isn't going to help anything,** Clark told
himself as he put a couple slices of bread into the toaster.  **We'll just
have to wait and see what happens today.**  Then with that decided, he set
about his morning routine.

When he was finally ready to leave for work, Clark decided to check on Lois
before he left to make sure she was okay.  When he reached the bedroom
door, he hesitated.  He didn't want to open the door in case she was
sleeping and the sound woke her up.  So instead, he pulled his glasses down
and used his x-ray vision to check on her.

She was curled up in the middle of the large bed, sound asleep, clutching
his pillow tightly to her.  He smiled.  It made him feel good to know that
she needed something of his to hold onto while she slept.

He watched her sleep for a few minutes, in awe of the beautiful woman that
was all his.  He'd never been able to get over feeling how truly lucky he
was, that such an amazing woman could love him despite his many faults.
With a happy sigh, he pushed the glasses back up onto the bridge of his
nose and headed off to work.
****

Lois finally stirred as the mid-morning sun filtered in through the
partially open blinds and fell across the bed.  She stretched luxuriously
and turned to see what time it was.  She noticed, with some dismay, that it
was almost ten-thirty.  She had planned on finishing one of the no-brainer
stories that Perry had assigned to her by noon, but now she doubted she'd
have it done by then.

She lay there for another few minutes, torn between feeling guilty about
sleeping so late, but happy to have a few minutes to do nothing at all.
Her moment of peace was disturbed, however, when the phone rang.

With a moan, she rolled over onto her side and scooted toward the edge of
the bed, feeling cumbersome and awkward.  When she was able the phone, she
lifted the receiver and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?"  she mumbled sleepily.

She heard Clark's voice on the other end.  "Don't tell me you're still in
bed and that I woke you up!"  he said with a laugh.  "How are you feeling?
Is everything okay?"

Lois smiled a little and rolled over onto her back.  "Everything is just
fine.  And no, you didn't wake me up.  I woke up *by myself* a few minutes
ago."

Clark chuckled.  "Oh, okay.  Whatever you say.  Have you had any more
contractions?"

"Nope,"  Lois told him, running her fingers through her short dark hair.
"Not since 5:30."

"Good,"  he said, sounding relieved.  "I was just thinking about you and
wanted to make sure you were alright.  Everything else okay, then?"

"Yeah.  I think I'll just go take a shower and then work a little on that
society piece that Perry assigned me."  She rolled her eyes.   "What a
joke."

"Now, Lois,"  Clark began.  "We've been though all this.  It would be
better for you to take things easy for a while.  You can start back in on
the investigative pieces after you have the baby."

"I guess,"  she said unhappily.  Then she brightened as she remembered
something.  "Oh, Clark!  Could you please stop by the store on your way
home tonight and get a gallon of chocolate ice cream?"

Clark laughed.  "Another one?  I just bought you a gallon three days ago!
You mean to tell me that it's gone already?"

"Hey, farmboy!"  Lois said, trying not to laugh, too.  "Don't give me a
tough time!  I'm eating for two, remember?"

"Sure, but you're supposed to be eating food that's good for you, not just
chocolate ice cream by the gallon!"  Clark pointed out, still laughing.
"At this rate, this baby's going to be addicted to chocolate before it's
even born."

Lois' first instinct was to defend herself and her eating habits, but then
she realized that Clark was just teasing her, so she laughed, too.

"Okay, Lois.  Chocolate ice cream it is,"  he said.  "If you need me today,
just call.  But I'm going to ask Perry if I can leave a couple hours early
so I can go home and be with you.  Okay?"

"Okay,"  Lois responded.  "Talk to you later.  Love you."

Clark smiled.  "Love you, too.  Bye."  Then he hung up the phone and went
back to work on his story, satisfied that everything was okay.

Lois rolled over in bed and hung up the phone, deciding she'd better get up
and shower. She hummed to herself as she walked into the bathroom and
turned on the water, letting it get hot while she undressed.

With a sudden start, she realized that she was actually feeling pretty good
today.  In the past, she often felt worn out from doing the simple things
like getting dressed and showering.  But this morning, she felt exhilarated
and energized.

**Maybe it was the extra sleep I got this morning,** she decided as she
climbed into the stream of hot water.  She stayed in the shower for what
seemed like hours, letting the hot water soothe her muscles.

When she finally got out and got dressed (which was getting harder and
harder to do each day, it seemed), she decided to take advantage of her
unusual energy level and do some housework.  By noon, Lois still felt
great.  She'd finished cleaning out the hall closet, done some work on her
story, and finished two loads of laundry.

When Clark decided to go home for lunch so he could check on Lois, he was
flabbergasted to see her in the kitchen, rubber gloves on, scrubbing the
kitchen sink and counters.  "Lois, what are you doing?"  he asked in shock.

"Have you ever noticed how the grout around this sink never seems to come
clean?"  she asked, looking up from her scrubbing only long enough to give
him a quick kiss.  "I've tried a couple of different cleansers, and nothing
seems to work."

Clark just continued to stare at her for a long minute, too shocked to say
anything.  Lois had never been the domestic type, and she hardly ever
cooked, let alone scrubbed kitchen counters.  There was something wrong
with this picture.

Lois became self-conscious under his stare, and she stopped what she was
doing to stare back at him.  "What?"

He looked at her doubtfully.  "Lois, are you sure you should be doing this?
I mean, this morning you had a couple of contractions, and I think you
should be taking it easy."

Lois waved off his concern.  "No, no, Clark.  I'm just fine.  Actually, I
haven't felt this good in a long time.  I can't believe all the energy I
have today.  It must've been the extra sleep I got this morning."

"Ummm...Lois, "  Clark began haltingly, not knowing how to say what he was
thinking without causing her to worry.

"What is it, Clark?" she prompted, seeing the uncertainty in his eyes.

"It's just that.... Lois, do you remember in our prenatal class when we
talked about how women often get a big burst of energy the day or so before
they deliver?"

Lois stared at Clark blankly for a minute, then it hit her.  "Oh!"  she
said with sudden realization.  "You're saying that I feel like this
because..."  she stopped.

Clark's only response was to raise his eyebrows at her.  Lois' jaw dropped.
"Wait, you don't think this means that I'm going to have this baby in the
next couple of days, do you?"

Clark shrugged, and moved closer so he could put his hands on her shoulders
and rub them lightly.  "Everything does seem to be pointing in that
direction.  You had some contractions this morning, and now you seem to
have this great supply of energy...." his voice trailed off.

Lois walked over and sank into the nearest kitchen chair, a stunned
expression on her face.  Clark pulled out a chair and sat down next to her.
"Lois, honey, are you okay?"

She slowly took off her rubber gloves and laid them down on the table.
"Clark, I'm not ready for this,"  she said.  "I'm supposed to have a month
before I'm due, and I kind of counted on that last month to prepare myself.
I mean, childbirth is no easy task.  Or so I've been told,"  she said,
forcing a smile.  "Anyway, I've always thought of how exciting it would be
when I was ready to give birth to this baby, but now that I'm actually
facing it, I don't know if I can do this.  The truth is...I'm scared."

Clark smiled softly and pulled Lois into his lap, wrapping his arms
comfortingly around her.  "Lois, you *can* do this,"  he told her
sincerely.  "I know you can.  Besides,"  he smiled at her tenderly.
"You're not going to have to go through this alone.  I'm going to be right
with you the whole time, and we'll get through it *together*.  Okay?"

As Lois looked back into Clark's kind, gentle eyes, she knew that he was
right.  They could do it together.  "Oh, Clark.  I don't know what I would
do without you."

"Well, you wouldn't have anyone to buy you chocolate ice cream, that's for
sure,"  he said with a teasing smile.
****

When Clark left to go back to work, he made Lois promise to spend the rest
of the day taking things easy.  She reluctantly agreed.  But after he left
and Lois was faced with a quiet house, the idea of curling up on the couch
and doing nothing sounded wonderful.

She went into the bedroom and grabbed her pillow, a book, and a cozy afghan
that Martha had made for them, and went into the front room.  Then she made
herself comfortable on the couch.  It felt heavenly after her busy morning
to lie down and not do anything.

She'd been reading for about a half-hour when she sensed that a contraction
was coming. It wasn't as strong as the one she'd had earlier that morning,
but it still wasn't a pleasant feeling.  She grasped her book a little
tighter and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to subside.  When it
finally did, she let out a long, deep breath and glanced up at the clock on
the wall.  Doing some quick math, she figured it had been about eight hours
since her last contraction.

**Well, that's hardly anything to worry about,**  Lois thought to herself.
The contractions were a far cry from being two minutes apart.  She debated
whether or not to phone Clark, but finally decided that one contraction
wasn't worth getting him all worked up about.  So she relaxed back on the
couch and tried to concentrate on her book's intricate plot.

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful.  Lois read a couple of chapters
in her book and slept a little.  When she woke up from her short nap and
went into the kitchen for something to drink, she had another contraction.
It was a little stronger than the previous one, but it didn't last very
long.  She thought again about calling Clark to let him know, but when she
saw that it was almost time for Clark to get home, anyway, she decided to
just wait and tell him when he got home.

A short time later, Clark walked in whistling cheerfully.  He smiled when
he saw her relaxing on the couch.  "Hi,"  he said, coming over to sit
beside her.  He lifted her legs up so he could scoot underneath them, and
rested her feet in his lap so he could massage them.  "How are you
feeling?"

"Fine,"  she told him with a smile.  "But it's been kind of an exciting
afternoon."

Clark's eyes lit up as he picked up on the meaning of her words.  "Have you
had more contractions?"

"Yes, a couple."  She smiled at the looks of excitement and anxiety that
crossed his face.

"Lois, I told you to call me if you started having contractions,"  he told
her seriously.  "Why didn't you?"

She shrugged.  "I knew you'd be home in a couple of hours, and they weren't
really that bad, so I decided not to bother you."

"Bother me?"  Clark asked with a shake of his head.  "Lois, as I told you
earlier, we're in this together.  I want to be here for you, whether it's
for support or for you to use me as a punching bag when things start to get
tough."

Lois laughed.  "You mean you're actually giving me permission to beat you
up?  Maybe I should have a baby more often!"

Clark joined in with her laughter. "How many contractions did you have this
afternoon?"

"Only two.  I had one not too long after you left, and then another one
about a half-hour ago.  That would make them about three and a half hours
apart."

"Okay.  Then let's keep track of how close these get."  He glanced at his
watch, then looked back up at her.  "Hungry?  I brought us some *non-spicy*
food for dinner,"  he told her with a teasing smile.
****

After dinner, Lois and Clark spent the evening playing scrabble.  Lois
could tell that Clark was trying his best to keep her occupied so she
wouldn't think about the contractions that could come at any time.  But
still she felt anxious.  Midway through their third game, Lois stood up to
make yet another trip to the fridge.

Clark rolled his eyes and laughed.  "Lois, what is this...your fourth or
fifth trip to the fridge?  You've made so many trips that I've lost count!"

Lois poured herself a glass of juice, then shuffled back to the table.
"It's my sixth,"  she stated matter-of-factly.

Clark laughed again.  "Come on, Lois, will you please calm down?  You're
making *me* nervous!"

"Clark, I'm sorry,"  she told him as she fidgeted with her scrabble pieces.
"But I can't help it.  All this waiting around is driving me crazy!  I
can't handle it.  I need something to do."

"But honey, we *are* doing something.  Don't you remember our game?"  he
gestured to the scrabble game  spread out on the table.

Lois sighed.  "Clark, that's not what I mean.  I need something *active* to
do.  I'm tired of just sitting around."

"Well, what do you want to do, then?"

Lois smiled at Clark mischievously.  "How about we go flying?"

Clark shook his head.  "I don't think that's such a good idea, honey.  How
about going for a walk, instead?"

Lois pouted, only half teasing.  She would've loved to go flying with
Clark.  "Well, okay.  At least that's better than sitting around here."

Clark couldn't help but notice the disappointed expression on her face.  He
stood up and went over to Lois, taking her hands in his and leaning down to
give her a tender kiss.  "Don't worry, Lois.  We'll go flying again soon.
I promise."
****

The walk seemed to help things move along, because Lois had a couple more
contractions after she and Clark returned home.  Then as the evening wore
on, the contractions started coming closer together and were a little
stronger each time.

Lois was lying down on the couch restlessly flipping through channels on
the TV, when she felt another contraction start to come.  "Clark--"  she
called out anxiously.  He was beside her immediately, holding her hands and
rubbing the backs of them gently with his thumbs.  When the pain finally
subsided, Lois breathed a sigh of relief.  "You okay?"  Clark asked,
lifting his hand to brush at her bangs.

Lois nodded.  "That was one of the worst ones yet.  How long ago was my
last one?"

Clark looked at his watch.  "About forty-five minutes."

"Do you think we should call Dr. Meyers?  Just to make sure everything is
okay?"

"Well, I don't know if we need to call him just yet.  Even if your
contractions *are* getting stronger, they're still nearly an hour apart."

Lois nodded.  "I know.  But I guess I would just feel a little better if I
could talk to him for a minute."

Clark thought for a minute, then smiled softly.  "I guess it wouldn't hurt
to give him a call.  Where's his number?"  He took the cordless phone from
its base next to the couch and dialed the number Lois recited to him.

They were able to reach Dr. Meyers through his answering  service, and they
spoke to him briefly.  Lois voiced her concerns about having the
contractions even though she wasn't due for another month.  Dr. Meyers
listened patiently, then reassured her that it sounded as if everything was
just fine.

"When your contractions get to be about five minutes apart, give me a call
and I'll meet you at the hospital.  Until then, just hang in there, and
feel free to call me if you're concerned about anything else."

After they hung up, Clark smiled at Lois.  "Feel better?"

"Yes, I do."  She smiled and scooted closer to Clark.  He put his arm
around her and she snuggled up against him.  "I guess I just needed to hear
him say that everything was okay."

"And everything is,"  Clark said confidently.  They sat together that way
for a long time, neither speaking, just enjoying each other's closeness.
After several minutes, a broad smiled crossed Clark's face.  "I can't
believe this is actually happening!"  he said excitedly.  "You're in labor,
and it won't be long before we have this baby!"

Lois laughed at his enthusiasm.  "Of course you're excited.  You're not the
one who's going to have to give birth to this child!" She poked him in the
chest teasingly.  "Hey, what about your parents?  Should we call them and
let them know what's going on?"

Clark's eyes lit up.  "Oh, yeah!  I'm sure they'd love to know."  He picked
up the phone again and dialed his parents' number.  As the phone rang, Lois
rearranged herself so she could lean back against the arm of the couch and
rest her feet in Clark's lap for him to massage.  Clark smiled at her.  "Is
that a hint?"  he asked, nodding toward her feet.

"You bet!"  she answered with a mischievous smile.  He laughed, but started
massaging her feet anyway.  A moment later, Martha answered the phone.
"Mom!"  Clark said, looking as if he was about to burst.  "Guess what?
Lois is in labor!"  He looked over and caught Lois' eye, and winked at her.

Lois could hear the excited shriek from Martha clear from where she sat, a
couple feet away from Clark.  Both she and Clark laughed.  Then they could
hear Martha calling to Jonathan, telling him to get on the phone.

A minute later Clark was answering questions about how far apart Lois'
contractions were, what the doctor had said, and that yes, even though Lois
wasn't due for a few weeks yet, the doctor said everything sounded like it
was fine.  He talked for a while longer, then he felt Lois' hand start to
squeeze his arm tightly.  He looked at her and saw that she was tensing up,
and knew that another contraction was coming.

"Mom, I've got to go.  Lois is having another contraction.  Yes, we'd love
to have you come.  Okay.  We'll see you then.  Bye."  He hung up the phone
and squeezed Lois' hand. "It's okay, Lois.  I'm right here.  Just hang in
there.  It'll be gone in a minute."  He continued to reassure her until the
contraction ended.

"Well, they're definitely getting stronger,"  Lois told him when it was
over.  "I guess that's to be expected.  But I'll tell you, I'll be glad
when this is all over.  I don't think I care for labor too much."

Clark laughed.  "I'll bet."  They were silent for a minute.  Hey, I just
thought of something,"  he said suddenly.  "We never did finish picking out
names for the baby."

"Oh, you're right!"  Lois said.  "What did we have it narrowed down to?"

"Let me grab the notebook,"  Clark said as he stood up and walked over to
the bookcase.  He pulled the thin notebook down from the shelf, then walked
back to Lois.  He sat back down next to her and opened it up, laying it
across both of their laps so they could both see what was written in it.
"Okay,"  he said matter-of-factly as he scanned the list of names.  "I
remember we had a bunch of names that we both liked.  Which ones do you
like the best?"

"For a girl or a boy?"  Lois asked, studying the list thoughtfully.

"A boy, of course."

"Wait a minute!"  Lois said with a laugh.  "What do you mean 'of course'?
Are you saying that you'd rather have a boy?"

Clark laughed.  "Lois, lighten up!  I don't care what we have, as long as
you and the baby are healthy."  But he started reading off names from the
boy names list anyway, and Lois rolled her eyes at him.

They went through their list of names, both for boys and for girls,
debating about each one.  After several minutes, though, Lois couldn't
bring herself to pick any of them.  She leaned back against the couch
cushion and sighed.

Clark looked over at her, studying her carefully.  "What was that sigh for?"

Lois shook her head.  "It's just that none of these names sound right to
me,"  she confessed.  "If I tell you something, will you keep an open mind
about it?"

He leaned back, too, so that he could look directly into her serious brown
eyes.  "You know I will,"  he assured her.  "What's on your mind?"

"Well, it's just that I've been thinking about something for a while, and I
wasn't sure how you'd feel about it,"  she began.  She looked down at her
hands for a minute, then back up into Clark's intent face.  When she saw
that she had his undivided attention, she rushed on.  "OK, here goes.  I
know that you don't want anyone to be given any clues to your true
heritage, but I'd really like to name this baby after your Kryptonian
parents....kind of as a tribute to them.  I mean, if they hadn't had the
courage and love for you to send you away from them in a space ship to
earth, never knowing if you'd reach your destination, I'd have never met
the man of my dreams."

Clark's expression became tender, and he raised his hand to lay it lovingly
on Lois' cheek.  "And I would've met the woman of *my* dreams."

Lois smiled warmly at Clark.  "So you understand why I'd like to do this?"

"Yes, I understand how you feel, and I feel the same way,"  Clark said with
a sigh.  "But if we named our child Jor-el or Lara, someone might get
suspicious."

"I've already thought of that,"  Lois told him.  "So, how about if we use
"Jordan" for a boy or "Laura" for a girl?  That way we're still honoring
your parents by using a form of their names."

A warm and very pleased smile spread across Clark's face.  He reached out
to stroke her cheek lovingly.  "I couldn't think of anything I'd like more.
Thank you for understanding how much my heritage means to me."

Lois leaned over to him and met him halfway for a long, delicious kiss.  "I
do understand.  And I love you."

He smiled into her eyes.  "I love you, too."

"Okay,"  Clark said a minute later, clearly very pleased.  "Jordan if it's
a boy, Laura if it's a girl."  He closed the yellow notebook with finality
and tossed it onto the coffee table.  "I'm glad that's settled."

Lois smiled.  "Me, too.  Now we won't have to argue about it in the
hospital.  You know what, though?  I can see why people would want to know
if they were having a boy or a girl.  It would make it easier to choose a
name, for one thing.  And it would also give you a chance to plan ahead and
buy clothes and all that."

Clark reached out to put his hand on Lois' tummy and rubbed it lightly.
"You know, Lois, the offer I made you several months ago still stands.  I
could...you know...peek..."  he touched the frames of his glasses.  "and
tell you what we're having."

Lois shook her head adamantly.  "Clark, don't you dare!  I want this to be
a surprise!"

"Okay, okay!"  Clark chuckled.  "I was just offering."

"I know,"  Lois said, snuggling back up against him.  "It's just...how many
husbands do you know that can use their x-ray vision to see what sex their
baby is?"

Clark laughed.  "None, I guess."

"Exactly!  I just want us to be like everyone else, having to rely on good
old-fashioned medical technology."

"Lois, since when have we been like everyone else?"  he pointed out with a
big smile.

Lois laughed.  "I guess you have a point there."
****

As the evening hours wore on, Lois only had one more contraction.  Her
labor seemed to be slowing down, and she was beginning to think that this
was just a case of false labor like they had talked about in their prenatal
classes.

Lois was surprised when she realized that she actually felt disappointed,
even though it had only been a few hours ago when she had wished that she
still had a month till this baby was ready to be born. Clark seemed
disappointed, too, though he was trying his best not to show it.

As the evening wore on, Lois finally quit her nervous pacing and settled
down on the couch with Clark to watch an old movie on TV.  Still nothing
had happened by the time the movie was over, and Clark noticed Lois
yawning.

"Honey, why don't we go to bed?"  he told her, wrapping his arms around her
and pulling her to him.  "It doesn't make sense to sit up all night waiting
for something to happen.  You need your sleep, and you can always wake me
up if your contractions start up again.  Okay?"

Lois nodded tiredly.  "Yeah, I guess you're right.  All this nervous energy
has worn me out."  Clark stood up and put out his hands to help her to her
feet.  She gratefully accepted his help.  Then they turned off the TV and
the lights and headed for their bedroom.

When they got into bed a few minutes later, Lois curled up against Clark,
snuggling into his warmth.  "Are you feeling okay?"  Clark asked her,
enveloping her in his embrace.

"Yeah, I feel fine.  I'm just tired, I guess.  It's been a long day."

Clark gently stroked her hair, something he knew that she loved.  "Remember
that I'm right here if you need anything tonight, okay?  Anything at all."

She smiled softly, her cheek pressed against his collarbone.  "Thanks,
Clark.  I love you."

"I love you, too, Lois."
****

Lois was awakened around one o'clock with another contraction.  She groaned
a little and sat up in bed, both startled and excited that her labor hadn't
completely dissipated.  Clark heard her and woke up, too.  He was obviously
excited when she told him that she was having contractions again.

After that, Lois started having contractions about every hour.  Lois and
Clark fell into a routine of sleeping between contractions, then waking up
when another one came, then going back to sleep.

By morning, they were both exhausted from being up so much during the
night.  So when Clark's alarm clock rang at six a.m., they both groaned in
protest.  Clark rolled over quickly and hit the snooze button, silencing
the alarm and nearly crushing the alarm clock.  It was silent for a few
minutes as they both fought the urge to doze back off to sleep.

Finally Clark rolled over and kissed Lois tenderly.  "How are you feeling
this morning?"  he asked, rubbing her tummy lightly, his voice still
gravelly from sleep.

"Tired,"  Lois admitted with a sigh.  "I didn't sleep much last night."

Clark smiled.  "I know.  Neither did I.  Why don't you go back to sleep?
I'll call Perry to let him know I won't be in to work today, and I'll stay
home with you."

Lois was too tired to even protest.  "Okay.  If you're sure Perry won't mind."

"It'll be fine, honey.  You just rest.  I'll go make some breakfast.  Are
you hungry?"  Clark climbed out of bed and slipped on his robe.

"A little,"  she admitted.  "A glass of juice sounds good."

"You got it."  Clark leaned down over Lois, putting a hand on either side
of her head on the bed and kissed her softly.

"Mmmm,"  Lois murmured dreamily.  She brought her arms up to wrap them
around Clark's neck, pulling him down to her and deepening their kiss.

When Clark finally pulled back, they were both breathless.  Clark smiled
provocatively at her figure scantily covered by one of his flannel shirts,
buttoned only partially down the front, giving him a tantalizing view of
what was underneath.  He raised his eyebrows at her.  "Lois, don't start
something you can't finish,"  he said huskily.

Lois smiled.  "*I'm* willing to finish it,"  she said seductively.

Clark looked longingly at her, and then leaned down to meet her kiss.  He
pulled away a second later, though, moaning in frustration.  "Lois, don't
tempt me,"  he pleaded soulfully.

"Oh, all right,"  Lois said with a sigh.  "But you can't blame a girl for
trying."

Clark smiled.  "Don't worry.  I'm definitely taking a rain check."

After Clark threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, he disappeared down the
hall and into the kitchen to make breakfast.  Even though Lois knew she
should be going back to sleep, she just couldn't.  The smell of breakfast
cooking was just too inviting.

She struggled out of bed, not an easy task with her baby bulge, and started
to grab some sweats from her drawer.  But then she decided against it.
Wearing regular clothes made her feel huge, and the flannel shirt of
Clark's that she was wearing did a good job of slimming her figure down.
The shirt was large, even on Clark, and it hung down almost to her knees.
**What the heck,**  she thought.  **Nobody's going to see me except for
Clark, anyway.**  So instead of dressing, Lois padded down the hall in the
flannel shirt to go and see what Clark was cooking.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw Clark standing at the stove cooking
scrambled eggs.  She walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his
waist and pressing her cheek against his back.  "Hi,"  she murmured
sleepily against his T-shirt.

"Lois, you're supposed to be sleeping,"  Clark told her, turning around so
he could see her.  "I would've just brought breakfast in to you so you
didn't have to get up."

"I know,"  Lois said.  "But I couldn't go back to sleep.  Breakfast smelled
too good."

Clark smiled and handed her a plate, which he spooned some eggs onto for
her.  Then he filled a plate for himself.  They sat down at the table
together, both excited and eager to talk about the baby on the way.

When Clark stood up to clear the breakfast dishes, Lois asked, "So what did
Perry say when you told him you weren't coming in today?"

An alarmed look crossed his face.  "Oh my gosh, I forgot to call Perry!"
he said.  "I'd better go call him so he doesn't wonder where I am."

Lois grabbed her empty plate and started to follow Clark to the sink, where
they were putting their dirty dishes.  But she'd only taken a couple of
steps when she felt a warm gush of water and then felt it trickling down
her legs.  With a sudden wave of panic, Lois realized that her water had
just broken.  Too startled to concentrate on balancing her dishes in her
hands, she lost her grip on them and the dishes fell to the floor with a
crash.

Clark turned immediately to see what had happened.  "Lois, are you okay?"
he asked, concerned by the startled expression on her face.

"Clark!"  she said, her voice holding a sense of urgency to it.  "My water
just broke!"

"What?!  You're kidding!  Lois, are you sure?"  Clark asked, his questions
running together into one long sentence.

Lois glared at him.  "Clark, I think I would know if something like that
happened!" she snapped irritably.  She hadn't meant for her tone to be as
sarcastic as it had come out, but she was scared, and it had edged into her
voice.

"Okay, Lois.  Okay.  Let's not panic.  Let's just get you to the hospital.
I'll go grab your bag and be right back."

Lois nodded as he super-sped out of the room.  "Everything's going to be
okay.  Everything's going to be okay,"  she kept muttering to herself over
and over again  Then she remembered something.  "Oh, Clark!  We need to
call Dr. Meyers and tell him to meet us at the hospital!"

"I'm on it!"  Clark called back.

Lois took a few tentative steps toward the front room, but then felt the
unmistakable feeling of an oncoming contraction.  She could tell right
away, though, that this contraction wasn't like any of the others she had
had.  When this one hit her full force, she was nearly overwhelmed by the
sharp, stabbing pain that surged through her.  She doubled over and
clutched at her stomach, reaching out to grab the back of the kitchen chair
next to her.

"Clark!"  she managed to call out from beneath clenched teeth.

Clark hurried into the kitchen when he heard her, and when he saw her
doubled over in pain, his heart leapt into his throat.  He immediately
rushed to her side.  "Lois!  Lois, are you okay?  What's the matter?  Are
you having another contraction?"

Lois heard him, but the pain was too intense for her to respond.  She
gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes shut tightly, still doubled over.
When the contraction started to dissipate, Lois straightened a little,
still holding fiercely to the back of the chair.  "Clark, that was the
worst contraction yet.  I don't know if I can handle too many more of
those,"  she told him truthfully, still a bit out of breath.

"Well, I just got off the phone with Dr. Meyers and he's on his way to the
hospital to meet us.  Let me just grab your bags and we'll go."

He started to leave, but Lois grabbed his arm tightly.  "Clark, no!  Don't
leave me!"  she said, the nervousness and insecurity she was feeling
creeping into her voice.

Clark put his hand over hers and squeezed it gently.  "Lois, listen to me,"
he said in a soft, soothing voice.  "Your water just broke, and we need to
get to the hospital as soon as we can."

Just then another contraction swept through Lois and she grabbed Clark's
hand fiercely.  "Ow!"  she cried loudly.  This time the contraction was too
much for her to bear and she dropped to the kitchen floor, doubled over in
a tight ball.

"Lois!"  Clark shouted.  He quickly knelt beside her and put one arm across
her back, lowering his face down to hers so that he could see her.  "Lois,
talk to me!"  he said, his voice filled with concern and alarm.  "Tell me
what's going on!"

Lois closed her eyes to the pain, wishing with all her heart that the
contraction would end.  When it finally did, Lois sat up slightly, her face
flushed.

"Clark,"  she said, her voice trembling.  "I think something's wrong.
Remember in our prenatal classes that they told us the contractions would
get closer gradually, and that they would get harder as they did?  Well,
what happened to that?  My contractions were an hour apart all night, and
now all of a sudden they're coming this hard and fast?  This can't be
normal.  Something's got to be wrong."

"Lois, just calm down.  I'm sure everything is fine,"  he said, his voice
calm and reassuring.  "Or it will be as soon as we get you to the hospital.
Besides, we really can't know if this is normal or not,"  Clark reminded
her.  "We knew from the start that there may be some things about this
pregnancy that would be different.  Maybe this is one of them."

He paused to let his words sink in as Lois caught her breath.  Then he
continued, his voice determined.  "Now come on, Lois.  We really need to
get you to the hospital.  They'll be able to give you something for the
pain."

He started to help her stand up, but just then another contraction racked
her body and she slumped back onto the floor, starting to cry softly.
"Clark, I can't go.  It hurts too much.  Please... go and call Dr. Meyers.
Tell him--" she broke off as she groaned against the surging pain.

Clark felt torn.  He knew he could just pick her up and fly her to the
hospital, and they could be there in a couple of minutes.  But he had no
idea if moving her at this stage would do her more harm than good.  And he
wasn't about to take the chance at risking her life and the life of his
unborn child by moving them.

**Maybe these kind of debilitating contractions are common in Kryptonian
childbirth,**  he thought to himself, trying to rationalize the situation.
But on the other hand, what if something *was* wrong, as Lois thought?
Either way, he knew she needed immediate medical attention.

When Lois' contraction was over, she seemed to relax a little and breathe
easier.  But Clark could tell from her flushed cheeks that this was
anything but easy on her.  "Lois, I'm going to call the paramedics,"  he
said suddenly, his mind made up.  "I'd fly you to the hospital, but I don't
know how safe it would be for you to fly in this condition."

She nodded slightly, showing that she understood.  "Okay.  But tell them to
hurry."

Clark rushed into the living room to grab the cordless phone and carried it
back into the kitchen with him.  He dialed 911 and then knelt beside Lois,
putting his hand on her back and rubbing soothingly.

The 911 operator answered, and Clark quickly explained the situation.
After giving them their address, Clark pressed the hang-up button on the
phone and set it down beside him on the kitchen floor.  "The paramedics are
on their way.  Do you think you'll be okay until they get here?"

"Do I have any choice?"

Clark smiled and lifted a hand to smooth her rumpled hair.  "It won't be
long, sweetie."

Just then Clark's super hearing tuned in to something, and Lois immediately
recognized the look on his face.  "What do you hear, Clark?"

He continued to listen for a second.  "The neighbor's radio.  There's a
news bulletin about an overturned tanker on the highway.  It's on fire, and
just caused a huge pile up, and the fire is spreading to the cars involved
in the accident."  Clark's face took on a look of urgency.  He knew that a
lot of people were in trouble with the tanker fire spreading, but how could
he possibly leave Lois in her condition?

"Clark,"  Lois said, giving his hand a desperate squeeze.  "Please, don't
go.  I need you.  I can't do this by myself.  Please..."  her pleading
voice trailed off as she searched his eyes intently.

A second later, she saw the worried look in Clark's eyes dissipate and he
let out a huge sigh of relief.  "I just heard that several fire trucks just
arrived at the scene, and that ambulances were being dispatched to help the
people that were hurt.  It sounds as if they're getting things under
control."

Clark sighed again, relieved that he didn't have to make the decision to go
or stay.  He would've made the decision to stay, but he knew from past
experience that when he found out how many people had been injured or even
killed, he wouldn't have dealt well with the guilt of knowing he might've
been able to save them.

Even from where they sat in Clark's apartment, they could hear dozens of
sirens, all heading for the scene of the accident.  "Did the news report
say how many people were involved in the pile up?"  Lois asked.

"The report didn't say for sure, but they suspected it was at least thirty
cars worth."

Lois' interest in the accident vanished quickly when she felt another
contraction coming.  She grabbed Clark's hand and squeezed it tightly as
the contraction grew in strength.  When it was over, she straightened back
up and met Clark's eyes.

"Clark, do you think everything is okay?"  she asked, searching for
reassurance.

Clark smiled calmly.  "Yes, I'm sure that everything is fine.  Even Dr.
Meyers said so.  So don't worry about it."

Lois gave a shaky laugh.  "Don't worry about it?!  That's easy for you to
say.  You're not the one in pain on the kitchen floor."

Clark laughed a little, too.  "You're right.  I'm not."  He leaned forward
to touch his forehead to hers in a tender gesture.  After a few moments, he
pulled back.  "Alright, let's see.  The first thing we need to do is to get
you as comfortable as possible until the paramedics get here.  How about if
we move you to the bedroom?"

Lois took a couple of quick breaths and shook her head.  "No, I don't think
so,"  she said.  "Another contraction is coming."

Clark glanced quickly around the room, and finally spotted what he was
looking for.  The sweatshirt he'd been wearing the night before was still
draped across the back of one of the kitchen chairs.  He stood up and
grabbed it, then wadded it up into a ball.  "Here.  Lift your head up.  I'm
going to put this under your head."

Lois shook her head as the contraction started to come full force.  "I
can't,"  she told him through clenched teeth.

"Lois, you've got to trust me,"  Clark told her firmly.  "I've taken all
the advanced first aid courses and I know what I'm talking about.  I've
even delivered several babies."

Despite being in pain, Lois nodded and let Clark help her lift her head so
he could slide the wadded up sweatshirt under her head.  Then he helped her
lie back on it, trying to make her as comfortable as he could.  A few
moments later the contraction was over.

As Lois tried to slow her labored breathing, she smiled a little at Clark.
"Delivering babies is just another day in the life of Superman, huh?"

Clark smiled.  "Yeah, I guess it is,"  he said softly, his voice filled
with tenderness and love.  "But right now, this isn't a job for Superman.
This is a job for me, Clark...your husband who loves you very much."

Lois felt tears come to her eyes when she heard his words.  "Oh, Clark.  I
love you, too.  Thanks for being so supportive."

Clark touched her face lightly.  Then he seemed to remember that he was in
charge of the matter at hand.  "Now the second thing we need to do,"  he
told her.  "Is to get your breathing correctly.  Do you remember our Lamaze
classes?"

Lois nodded.  "Although it seems like ages ago right now."

Clark smiled, then continued.  "Remember, you're supposed to breathe like
this: 'hee-hee-hee-hoooo'.   Do you remember now?"  Lois nodded.  "Okay.
Then the next time you have a contraction, breathe just like that."

Lois rested for a minute.  "Clark, I don't think I can do this,"  she told
him anxiously.

Clark squeezed her hands tightly.  "Lois, you're doing just fine.
Everything is going to be okay.  Besides, what could go wrong?"  He smiled
teasingly.  "You've got Superman here to deliver your baby.  Do you realize
how lucky you are?"

Lois' face broke into a big smile.  "You never quit, do you?"  She laughed
softly.  "Boy, I tell you.  What an ego!"   They laughed together for a
minute, but then Lois' smile faded abruptly.

"Another one coming?"  Clark asked, noticing the strained expression on her
face.  She nodded tensely.  He could tell from her expression that she was
scared, even though she was trying her hardest to mask it.

"Lois, you're doing fine," he reassured her.  "I know you're scared, but
you have nothing to worry about.  I'll be right here with you and talk you
through everything.  Okay?"

Lois nodded, her face pinched with pain.  "Okay,"  she gasped between quick
breaths.

Clark squeezed her hands to get her attention back on him.  "Lois, look at
me,"  he told her quickly when he could tell that the contraction was
gaining force.  She did, and he looked directly back into her eyes.  "Now
remember your breathing.  'Hee-hee-hee-hoooo'."

Lois started breathing with him, but she could feel the contraction getting
stronger and stronger.  She let out a long moan.

Clark could tell that she was struggling to keep her emotions in check, and
his heart went out to her.  "Lois, I'm right here,"  he said, trying to
keep her attention on him.  "Don't think about the contraction.  Just look
right at me and we'll breathe together."

She looked into his face and locked her eyes with his.  "Squeeze my hand as
hard as you want if it helps,"  Clark told her.  "I promise you won't hurt
me."

Lois did, and in between breaths, she managed to say, "Is that supposed to
be another Superman joke?"

Clark smiled at her, knowing how hard she was trying to stay positive.  "I
guess it was, even though I didn't mean it to be."  He stopped talking for
a minute to breathe with her.  Then, as quickly as the contraction began,
it was over.

Lois relaxed a bit and laid back on her "pillow".  She closed her eyes for
a long moment and took a couple of slow, deep breaths to return her
breathing to normal.  She opened her eyes, though, when she felt Clark
brush his fingertips across her cheek.

"Okay?"  he asked gently as she looked up into his dark, gentle eyes.  She
nodded, feeling a sudden surge of warmth and love for him sweep through
her.

She raised her hand to gently touch his arm.  "Clark?"

"Yeah?"  He continued to stroke her cheek with his free hand.

"Thanks,"  she said quietly.  "I couldn't get through this without you."

He smiled softly at her.  "I'll *always* be here for you," he told her
seriously.   "Because I love you."  Then he leaned down to kiss her
tenderly.

After the kiss, Lois lifted her hand and touched his cheek gently, stroking
his skin with her thumb.  They sit that way for a long minute.  Then Clark
saw Lois start to tense up again.  He sat up and grasped her hands.  "Okay.
Let's remember our breathing."  He started breathing with her again.

By the time several contractions had come and gone, Clark began to get
anxious.  He glanced up at the clock on the kitchen wall and noticed that
twenty minutes had already passed since he had phoned the paramedics.
"Where *are* they!"  he muttered under his breath.

Lois picked up on the urgency in his voice and looked up at him.  "Clark,
what is it?  How long has it been?"

"It's been almost half an hour.  The ambulance should've been here by now.
I'm going to call again."  He picked up the phone from the floor beside him
and hit the redial button, then waited anxiously for the operator to
answer.

When the operator picked up, Clark told her who he was and that the
ambulance they had requested hadn't arrived yet.  The operator apologized
and explained that all their ambulances were at the huge tanker accident,
and that they would send an ambulance to them as soon as one was available.


Clark hung up, beginning to feel desperate.  The expression on his face
must've given him away because Lois noticed immediately that something was
wrong.  "Clark, what's the matter?"

"All the ambulances are at the tanker accident,"  he explained slowly.
"But they said they'd send one as soon as they could."   He toyed again
with the idea of flying Lois to the hospital himself, but then she had
another contraction that racked her body even harder than the previous
ones.  She grabbed desperately for Clark's hand, and squeezed it as hard as
she could, crying out loudly when the contraction grew even stronger.

"Lois, you're okay.  You're fine,"  he told her, his worry for her
increasing by the moment.  "Try to keep breathing like we have been."

Part of the way into her contraction, Lois felt the sudden urge to push.
She stopped her breathing and clenched her teeth together.  "Clark, I need
to push!"  she told him loudly, almost desperately.

"No, no, no, Lois, don't push!"  Clark said, trying to stem his sudden urge
to panic.  He forced himself to remember that he had to stay calm for Lois'
sake.  He squeezed her hands tightly to get her attention and moved closer
to her head.  "Lois, listen to me!"  he said urgently. "You can't push.
You've got to wait.  The paramedics aren't here yet."

A tear trickled down Lois' cheek as she struggled not to push.  "Clark, I
have to.  I don't think I can stop it."

"Lois, you *have* to stop it!  Do whatever you have to do to keep from
pushing."  His mind raced as he tried to think of what he could do to keep
her from pushing.  "Lois, keep watching me.  Look right here..."  He
pointed to his eyes.  "Just keep watching me, and whatever you do, don't
push!"

They breathed fiercely together for a minute, but Clark could tell that
Lois was really struggling as she clenched her teeth together tightly.  The
tears were starting to flow freely now down her cheeks, and Clark felt as
if someone was ripping out his heart and stomping on it.  He wished with
all his might that he could trade places with this brave little person who
he loved so much, so that he could protect her from the pain that was
encompassing her.

When the contraction was finally over, Clark started to stand up, but Lois
grabbed at his shirt.  "Clark!  Where are you going?"

Clark looked down at her, able to tell from her face how scared she was.
"It's okay, Lois.  I'm just going to grab a couple of towels.  Do you want
a wet washcloth?  Would that help?"

Lois nodded.  "I think so.  Man, I sure wish Dr. Meyers was here!"

Clark started to smile, but then a thoughtful look crossed his face.  He
stood up and super-sped into the living room, obviously looking for
something.  "Clark, what are you looking for?"

He stopped his super-speed search.  "Dr. Meyers' gave us his cellular
number.  Do you know where it is?"

She nodded.  "It's in my address book in my purse."

He found her purse and pulled out her address book.  "Ah-ha!"  Clark said
triumphantly.  "I'll be right back with those towels."  He hurried down the
hall to the linen closet, pulled out several towels, and had just turned on
the bathroom faucet to wet one of the washcloths when he heard Lois calling
him.

"Clark!"  she said, gasping out between sharp breaths.  "I'm having another
one!"

Clark glanced at his watch and noticed with dismay that not even two
minutes had passed.  "Already?  Shoot!"  he muttered to himself.  He
quickly dialed Dr. Meyers' cell number.

"Come on, come on, come on,"  he said urgently as he waited for the call to
go through.  Feeling very desperate and wondering how much longer he could
keep his own panic in check, he managed to call back semi-calmly, "Lois,
hang in there for just one more minute!"

As the phone rang once, then twice, Clark shifted his feet impatiently.
"Answer the phone, darn it!"  Just then he heard Dr. Meyers' voice on the
line.  "Dr. Meyers!"  Clark gasped out in a mixture of relief and anxiety.
"This is Clark Kent.  Lois isn't going to make it to the hospital.  Her
contractions are coming so hard and fast that I don't dare move her. I've
called for an ambulance, but they're all at the sight of the tanker
accident.  And now Lois is saying that she needs to push.  I think she's
very close to having this baby, I don't know what to do...."  Clark finally
stopped his rambling when Dr. Meyers broke in.

"Now Clark, calm down.  Tell me how far apart Lois' contractions are, and
how she's doing."

Clark rung out the washcloth and started wetting another.  "They're about a
minute apart, and coming extremely hard.  She can't even stand up to go to
the hospital."

"Well, I'll tell you what.  I'm in my car on the way to the hospital, but
all the traffic's backed up because of the accident.  I'm going to change
directions and head over to your place.  What's the address again?"

Clark told him hastily.  "How far away are you?"

"Well, under normal circumstances, I'd be about fifteen or twenty minutes
away.  But unfortunately it's going to take longer than that because of all
this backed-up traffic.  I'd say maybe a half hour or forty-five minutes."

Clark rung out the washcloth and turned off the faucet.  "I hate to say
this, Dr. Meyers, but I don't think this baby's going to wait that much
longer.  I may have to deliver it myself."

"Have you ever seen it done before?"  Dr. Meyers asked.  "Do you have any
idea what to do in case you need to?"

Clark smiled.  "Yeah, I've delivered a few babies before, so I guess I
could handle this if I had to."

Dr. Meyers sounded surprised.  "You've actually *delivered* babies before?"
he asked, stunned.  "How?  Did you use to be an EMT or something?"

"Ummm...."  Clark stammered, suddenly realizing he had just made an awkward
slip.  "I've, uh, had a few extensive first aid classes, and I just
happened to be in the right place at the right time to deliver a few."

Dr. Meyers laughed.  "Imagine that.  Well, do you think you can handle it
until I get there, then?"

Clark, feeling calmer and thinking more clearly, nodded.  "I'll just have
to handle it, that's all.  I'll see you when you get here."

"Okay.  I'll be there as soon as I can."  There was a click on the other
end of the line as Dr. Meyers hung up.

Clark pushed the hang up button on his own phone, grabbed the towels, and
hurried back into the kitchen.  When he saw Lois, he could tell that this
was really taking its toll on her.  She was sweating profusely, and her
face looked tired and pale.  He saw her visibly relax when he came into the
room.

"Did you get hold of Dr. Meyers?"  she asked.  "What did he say?"

Clark kneeled beside her with the towels and laid the wet washcloth across
her forehead.  "He's stuck in traffic, but he says he'll get here as fast
as he can."

"How long?"

"Probably another half hour or forty-five minutes."

Lois started to cry softly.  "I can't wait that long, Clark.  I just can't."

"Shh-shh-shh,"  Clark said, gently wiping at the tears that were rolling
down her cheeks.  "It's okay, Lois.  You won't have to wait any longer.
Let's do this right now."

Lois looked up at Clark through tear-filled eyes, confused.  "What do you
mean?"

"I mean, let's deliver this baby."  He looked down at Lois and smiled at
her reassuringly. "Everything's going to be fine, Lois.  You'll see."  He
looked deeply into her eyes for a moment, then leaned down and kissed her
tenderly.  "I love you,"  he told her sincerely.

"I love you, too."

Clark smiled gently at her for a minute, then sat up to a kneeling position
beside her.  "Are you ready for this?"  he asked calmly.

"I don't think so,"  Lois said with a shaky laugh.  "Can't we just have
this baby some other time?"

Clark laughed and shook his head.  "Sorry, Lois, but I don't think this
baby is going to wait any longer."

"Neither do I."

"Okay."  Clark said in a very business-like fashion.  "The next time you
have a contraction, which should be any time now--" he glanced at his
watch.  "we'll see if we can get this baby born.  Okay?"

"Okay."

Clark took a couple of towels and scooted toward Lois' feet.  "First of
all, we'll need to get your underpants off."  He helped her take the
water-soaked garment off, then gently patted her shins.  "Let's get your
knees up and we'll see what's going on."

Lois nervously raised her knees so that her feet were flat on the floor.
Clark lifted the bottom of her flannel shirt up and placed a hand on each
of her knees.

"Okay, Lois,"  he told her calmly.  "I'm going to reach in with my hand to
see if I can feel the baby's head.  You might feel a little pressure, but
just relax.  I'll be done before you know it."  He waited for Lois to nod
nervously before proceeding.  As he put his hand in and felt for the baby's
head, he could feel Lois tighten up nervously.  "It's okay, Lois,"  he said
soothingly.  "Just relax."  He rubbed her knee with his free hand in an
attempt to soothe her.

"Wow, the baby's head is just right here,"  Clark said a moment later,
smiling excitedly.  "The other good news is that it feels like you're fully
dilated, so I think its okay for you to start pushing on your next
contraction."  He rocked back on his heels.  "I'm going to wet another
towel."  He stood up by the sink and turned on the faucet.  He was just
wetting the first one when he heard Lois call out to him.

"Clark!"  she gasped.  "Another one's coming!"

"Okay, Lois.  You're fine,"  he said, turning to look at her.  "Just
remember your breathing.  'Hee-hee-hee-hoooo.'"

She did, but almost immediately she felt the urge to push.  "Clark, I need
to push.  What do you want me to do?  Do I push or what?  Clark?  Clark,
where are you?!"

Clark hurried to her and situated himself by her feet.  He grasped her knee
with his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.  "It's okay, Lois.  Just relax.
Everything's going to be fine."  He made sure he had direct eye contact
with her before continuing.  "This is what we're going to do.  When I say
push, push hard for a count of ten.  Got it?"

Lois nodded and tried to suppress another groan from behind clenched teeth.

"Okay, Lois.  Push!"  Clark said fervently.  Lois strained down hard,
raising herself up slightly as she did.  "Good!"   Clark exclaimed.  "Now,
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10.  Now rest for a minute."

Lois laid her head back on Clark's sweatshirt for a minute, but then she
felt another irresistible urge to push.  She gritted her teeth and Clark
noticed.  "Go ahead and push, Lois!"  She did, and he started to count to
ten out loud.  Halfway through his count, he said excitedly, "Lois, I can
see the baby's head!"

At the end of the ten count, Lois rested as the contraction subsided.  A
minute later, another one came.  "Okay, Lois.  Let's push again."

They went through this for what seemed like an eternity to Lois, and Clark
kept glancing inconspicuously at his watch when Lois wasn't looking.
Thirty minutes.  Then forty-five.  Then an hour.  He could tell that the
exertion of pushing was taking its toll on Lois.  She seemed to have less
and less energy each time she pushed, and he didn't know how much longer
she could keep doing this.

And he didn't know how much longer *he* could keep doing this, either.  He
was beginning to worry that something was wrong, because no matter how hard
Lois pushed, the baby's head would disappear as soon as she stopped
pushing.  Although he made sure to act calm and reassuring for Lois' sake,
inside he was a nervous wreck.  **Where's that ambulance?!**  he kept
demanding silently.

When yet another contraction came, Lois again heard Clark telling her to
push.  Lois did, but she was too exhausted to push very hard.  "...6, 7,
8.... Come on, Lois!  Really bear down!"  Clark told her.  Lois pushed as
hard as she could, but she knew she was just about out of steam.

When they had finished the count of ten, Clark rocked back on his heels.
"I know you're getting tired, Lois,"  he said.  "But we're almost done.
One more push and I bet that'll do it.  Rest for a minute and then we'll
push again."

Lois let her head fall back on Clark's sweatshirt and nodded, but inside
she felt ready to call it quits.  No matter how hard she pushed, nothing
seemed to be happening.  **I can't do this any more,** she thought to
herself.  **I'm just too tired.**  She let the tears that had been
threatening for quite some time spill wearily down her cheeks.

A minute later Clark was telling her to push again.  "Okay, Lois..... now
push!"

Nothing happened, and Clark looked up at Lois in surprise.  He noticed with
a sudden stab of concern that she wasn't even trying to push.  "Lois!"  He
kneeled up so that he could lean over her, resting his left hand on the
floor by her head and looking into her eyes.  "Lois, what's the matter?
What aren't you trying to push?"

He noticed she was crying softly.  "I just can't push anymore, Clark.  I
can't.  I'm just too tired."

It was then that Clark knew that Lois was out of steam.  Never before had
he heard her admit defeat, and it scared him. He knew that he had to do
something immediately, or else he might lose her.  He spoke up with
determination, raising his voice for the first time since this had all
begun.

"I know, you're tired, Lois, but listen to me!  Both you and this baby are
going to be in trouble very quickly if we don't do this!  We've got to get
this baby born before one of you goes into distress.  You don't want that
to happen, do you?"

Lois continued to cry softly, but she shook her head.

"The baby's head is right here, Lois,"  he said, his tone a little gentler.
"A couple more good pushes and this will all be over with.  You can do it,
Lois.  I know you can.  Now are you ready to push?"

She nodded, and Clark felt relieved that at least she was still willing to try.

"Okay.  Then go ahead and push!  Really bear down.  Hard!"

Nearly a half-hour later, though, still nothing was happening.  Lois
couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face.  Not only was she
exhausted, but she was starting to feel dizzy and a little sick to her
stomach.  It seemed like every little thing she did took tons more energy
than she had.  **It's not supposed to be like this,**  she thought
silently.  **I should be in a hospital where the doctors know what to do
when things aren't going according to plan.**

When she heard Clark telling her to push again, she shook her head in
resignation.  "I can't, Clark.  I'm too tired."

But Clark wasn't about to let her admit defeat.  "Yes, you can, Lois!  You
have to!"  he told her forcefully.  "Now come on.  Please try to do this.
Just one more good push and that should do it."

"That's what you said a half-hour ago,"  she pointed out despairingly.

"I know, honey.  But I really think it's going to happen this time."  He
stopped talking when he saw that Lois obviously didn't believe him.  He
knew he'd have to take some drastic measures.  "Lois, I need to tell you
something,"  he said, his serious tone causing her to look up at him.
"I've been listening to this baby's heartbeat for the past forty-five
minutes or so, and it's definitely slowing down.  I think this baby is
starting to go into distress.  I'm really worried that if we don't get it
delivered in a hurry, we might lose it."

Lois' heart skipped a beat when she heard this.  The thought of losing this
baby before it was even born was more than she could bear.  So, without
having to think twice, she decided that she would do whatever it would take
to get this baby born.

Clark saw the renewed look of determination in Lois' eyes, and felt a sense
of relief come over him.  Knowing the urgency of the situation seemed to
help her want to keep at it for at least a little while longer.  "Now do
you think you can try one more time?"  Clark asked solemnly.  When she
nodded, he sighed with relief.  "Good.  Now go ahead and push!"

Lois knew that the time was up.  It was now or never.  She pushed a few
more times as hard as she could, trying not to think about how tired and
worn out she felt, and forced herself to focus on Clark's coaching and
words of encouragement.

"Come on, Lois!  One more!  Just one more good one!"

Lois mustered what little strength she had left and strained for all she
was worth.  She pushed until she actually felt like she might pass out.
Just then she heard the sound of a baby crying.  Exhausted, she let her
head fall back on Clark's sweatshirt and just cried, feeling an extreme
rush of emotion at the realization that it was finally all over, and that
everything was going to be okay.

"Lois, it's a boy!"  she heard Clark say excitedly.  She tried to sit up to
see the tiny baby that Clark was wrapping in a big blue towel and holding
up for her to see.  "Is he...is he okay?"  she asked wearily.

"Lois, he's perfect.  Just perfect,"  Clark said, his voice full of
emotion.  "Ten fingers, ten toes, and a head full of dark hair."

"Let me see him,"  Lois said softly through her tears.

Clark scooted closer to Lois and gently placed the towel-wrapped baby in
her arms.  "Jordan, meet your mom.  And *mom*..."  he smiled at Lois.
"Meet Jordan."

Lois took their new baby carefully, afraid that even the slightest move
might hurt or break him.  She peered down at the tiny baby, so delicate and
beautiful.  "Hi, Jordan,"  she said, her voice filled with emotion.  "I'm
your mom, Jordan.  I'm your mom...."  And with that, Lois started to cry
all over again.

Lois felt Clark's hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see that Clark,
too, had tears streaming unashamedly down his cheeks.  "Lois, I'm so proud
of you,"  he told her through his tears.  "You worked so hard to bring this
little guy into the world."

Just then they heard the front door open and shut, immediately followed by
the entrance of Dr. Meyers into the kitchen.  "Did I hear a baby crying?"
he asked with a big smile on his face.

Clark sniffed and wiped at his tear-streaked cheeks.  "You sure did," he
said, his voice still overcome with emotion.  "Everything is just fine."

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here.  In order to avoid all the
traffic jams, I had to use just about every side street in this city to get
here."  Dr. Meyers kneeled beside them and peered at the baby in Lois'
arms.  "How did everything go?"  he asked, taking the baby carefully from
Lois to look him over.  As he did, he looked back up at Lois and asked with
concern, "How are you feeling, Lois?  Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay,"  Lois told him in a weak, but happy voice.

"Actually, Dr. Meyers,"  Clark spoke up.  "She had a pretty tough delivery.
I'm a little concerned about her."

"Well, let me just get this umbilical cord cut and then we'll make sure
you're okay."  When that was done, Dr. Meyers turned to Clark.  "Why don't
we let the new daddy hold this little boy.  He appears to be as healthy as
an ox."  He handed Jordan to Clark, who took him eagerly.

Dr. Meyers turned to Lois.  "Now.  Let me make sure everything is okay with
you."  He moved closer to her and probed her tummy gently.  But as gently
as he was pressing, the pressure still really hurt, and Lois cringed.  "I
know this doesn't feel very good,"  he told her.  "But I need to make sure
the placenta has detached itself from the uterus wall."

He pressed around her mid-section for a few more moments, then finally
rocked back on his heels, satisfied that everything was okay.   "Everything
looks good,"  he told them.  "But judging from the amount of blood here,
you've lost quite a bit, Lois.  It's normal to lose a certain amount during
delivery, but I'm concerned that you may have lost a little too much.  When
we get you to the hospital, I'm going to set you up with a couple of pints
just to be safe."

Dr. Meyers then turned to Clark and patted his shoulder affectionately.
"Good work, you two.  I guess congratulations are in order.  But I want you
to know, Clark, that just because you delivered this baby by yourself
doesn't mean my fee is going to be any less."  His eyes twinkled as he
winked at him.

Lois laughed, tired but happy.  Clark turned his attention back to her and
leaned down to kiss her.  When their kiss ended, he smiled into her eyes.
"Do you know that you're the most incredible person in the world?"  he
asked softly.

Lois smiled wearily at him.  "In the world?  Don't you mean in the universe?"

Clark laughed, and touched his forehead to hers, enjoying the private joke
that nobody as of yet could understand.  Just then there was a commotion in
the entryway, and Clark looked up to see that the paramedics were coming
into the room.  His and Lois' private moment was gone, but he was glad to
see the help arriving.

Clark moved back so the paramedics could check on Lois, too. Before he knew
it, he and Lois and Jordan were on their way to the hospital in the
ambulance.  Clark held Jordan tightly the whole way, and Lois looked over
at the father and son picture.  A smile crossed her face as she watched
Clark making cute faces at him.  They looked so perfect together.  Lois
just knew that Clark was going to be a terrific father.

They arrived at the hospital quickly, and Clark was whisked away to fill
out the admitting forms, while the baby was taken upstairs to the
second-floor hospital nursery for further check-ups.  Lois was wheeled up
to the second floor a few minutes later where she was put in a private room.

Everything was so quiet when the nurses left, that Lois had to struggle to
keep her eyes open.  She wanted to stay awake because she knew that Clark
would be there soon.  But before she knew it, she had fallen fast asleep.

When she awoke, she glanced groggily around the room trying to figure out
where she was.  Then it all came back to her in a rush.  Jordan.  Her new
baby boy.  She tried to sit up, but immediately decided against it.  Every
muscle in her body ached.  She lay back on the bed and stared silently up
at the ceiling, trying to sort out all the day's events in her mind.

A few minutes later, the door to her room opened and Clark came in.  "Hi,"
he said, smiling at her tenderly.  He came over and sat down next to her on
the bed.  "How are you feeling?"

"Tired,"  she answered truthfully.  "And very sore.  How's Jordan?"

Clark positively glowed.  "He's perfect in every way.   My parents think
so, too.  They say he's the most perfect baby they've ever seen, but you
know how grandparents are."  He rolled his eyes, but Lois could tell that
he was still very pleased by their remarks.

"Your parents are here?"  she asked happily.  "Where are they?"

"They're in front of the nursery windows making fools out of themselves at
him,"  he told her.  "They stopped in to see you a little while ago, but
you were asleep, so they didn't disturb you.  Especially after I got
through telling them about everything that happened.  You know, about
having the baby at home and having such a tough delivery and all."

Clark paused a minute as he tucked her blankets around her a little more
tightly.    "Actually, we've become mini-celebrities of sorts around here,"
he said with a broad smile.  "All the doctors, and especially the nurses,
are going on and on about how we delivered Jordan at home.  You'd think
they'd never heard of such a thing before by the way they're carrying on
about it.  It's kind of cool, actually.  Anyway, the nurses went ahead and
bottle-fed Jordan so you could sleep.  Doctors orders."

Lois smiled tiredly.  Clark was quiet for a moment as he studied her face.
When he did speak, his voice was soft and serious.  "Lois, how are you
feeling, really?  And please tell me the truth.  I really want to know."

Lois sighed, but stopped quickly when she discovered that taking a deep
breath actually hurt.  "The truth of it is, I'm really very sore, and I'm
still pretty tired."

"You have every right to be."  Clark lifted his hand to gently push at a
strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes.  "Have I told you that you
are the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me?"

"Not in the last couple of hours,"  Lois told him with a smile.  "So I
think you need to tell me again."

Clark laughed.  Then he leaned toward her and pressed his lips to hers in a
sweet, lingering kiss that left her tingling all over.  When their kiss
ended, he touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes with a happy
sigh.

Lois slipped her hand around the back of his neck so that it was resting
just below his hairline.  She massaged his neck gently as they sat that way
for a minute, with their foreheads pressed together and their eyes shut,
enjoying the intimacy of the moment.

A moment later the door opened.  Clark didn't pull his head away, just
turned it slightly, as did Lois, so they could see who had come in.  It
made it so their cheeks were still almost touching as they looked toward
the door.

Martha and Jonathan appeared in the doorway, and Martha was all smiles as
she came over to Lois' side.  Clark sat up and moved back a little so that
his mom could lean over the bed's railing and give Lois a big hug.  "Oh,
Lois!"  she gushed happily.  "You did so great!  I'm so proud of you,
sweetie.  Jordan is just perfect!"

"He really is,"  Jonathan agreed proudly.  "He's the best looking baby in
the nursery."

Clark laughed, but Lois could tell he was really proud.  "Dad.  You're only
saying that because you're his grandfather."

"So what if I am?"  Jonathan smiled and shrugged.  "Does that make it any
less true?"

They all laughed, but Lois stopped quickly and clutched at her stomach.
"Oh, don't make me laugh, please!  I'm so sore that every time I try to
laugh or breathe deeply, it hurts."  She was still smiling, though.

"Clark said you had a really tough delivery,"  Martha said.

Lois nodded wearily.  "Yeah, it was a lot harder than I'd expected it would
be.  But I'm okay.  And  thank you for your compliments on Jordan,"  Lois
added, smiling proudly.  "I haven't seen him since I've been here, though.
I guess I must've fallen asleep right after they put me in bed.  I keep
asking myself if this has all really happened, and if I really do have that
perfect little boy to show for it."

"Well, you really do,"  Clark assured her, beaming down at her.  "And he
really is absolutely perfect.  Do you want to see him?  Do you feel up to
it?  I can have the nurse bring him in."

Lois nodded.  "I'd like that."

Clark buzzed the nurse, and she agreed to bring Jordan right in.

Jonathan turned toward the door.  "I'll just go make sure she doesn't
forget."  Then, with a smile and a wink, he left the room.

Martha turned to Lois and Clark and shook her head, laughing.  "Jonathan's
so excited he can hardly stand it.  He's just so thrilled to be a
grandfather."  She looked over at Clark and smiled proudly at him.  "I
still can't believe that you delivered Jordan all by yourself, without any
doctor's help.  I'm so proud of you."  She gave Clark a big hug.

"Excuse me!"  Lois protested jokingly.  "He didn't deliver him by himself,
you know."

Both Clark and his mom looked over at Lois and laughed.  "I know, sweetie,
I know,"  Martha said.  "You did great, too.  If I were you, Lois, I
would've been scared to death."

Lois looked sheepishly at Clark, then back at his mom.  "Actually, I was.
I couldn't have done it without Clark there to talk me through it.  He
really was a *super* coach."  Both Clark and his mom laughed at her pun.

The door opened a moment later, and they looked up to see the nurse come
in, rolling the baby cart ahead of her with Jordan lying in it wrapped
tightly in a light blue blanket.  Jonathan was right behind them.  The
nurse stopped the cart beside Lois' bed, then left the room.

"Who wants to hold him first?"  Clark asked.

Lois spoke up immediately.  "Oh, me.  Definitely,"

Clark picked Jordan up so gently that Lois was amazed that this was the
same man who, only days before, had stopped a fifty-thousand ton meteor
from crashing into South America.  He was so gentle and loving that Lois
wondered, as she had many times before, what she had possibly done to
deserve this truly wonderful man.

"Hi, Jordan,"  Clark was saying as he cradled the tiny infant in his arms.
"Do you want to see your mom?"

Lois eyes misted up as Clark put the sleeping baby into her arms.  "Hi
there,"  she spoke quietly, her voice filled with emotion.  "You sure
caused a lot of trouble earlier for such a little guy, do you know that?
But you were definitely worth it."  She leaned down and kissed him very
gently on his wrinkled forehead.

He made a tiny little cooing sound and Lois felt as if her heart would
burst right through her chest.  A tear slid down her cheek, then another,
then another.  She sniffled, and then remembered in embarrassment that she
had an audience.

Quickly, she wiped the tears from her cheeks with the sleeve of her
hospital gown, but try as she might, she couldn't seem to stop the tears
from coming.   "I'm sorry," she murmured to the people standing around her.
"I just can't seem to stop crying."

Clark's mom squeezed her shoulder understandingly.  "Oh, sweetie, don't
apologize.  It's the most incredible thing in the world to hold that new
little baby in your arms.  I know.  I remember how I felt when I held Clark
in my arms for the first time."  She looked over at Clark and smiled a
watery smile.  "It was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me."
She looked back at Lois.  "And now this is probably the most wonderful
thing that has ever happened to you."

Lois turned her teary-eyed gaze to Clark, who was standing beside her.  "It
is.  Except for marrying Clark."

Clark sat down beside her and kissed her tenderly.  Then he just sat there
next to Lois, staring in awe down at his new son.  A few minutes later, the
talk turned to the baby's different features.  "I think he definitely looks
like Clark,"  Lois was saying as they heard the door open again.

"Oh, no!  Please don't tell me he looks like Clark!"  a voice said from the
doorway.  Everyone looked up to see Perry and Jimmy coming into the room,
broad smiles on their faces.

"Hi!"  Clark said happily.  "How did you guys find out we were here?  I
haven't had time to call anybody yet."

Perry gestured to Martha and Jonathan.  "Your folks phoned us at the Planet
a little while ago.  Everybody was worried when you didn't show up for work
this morning, Clark.  I was all ready to send Jimmy out to track you down
when your parents phoned and told us that you guys had the baby.  Of
course, we hurried right over to see the little tyke."

The Kents stepped back a little so that Perry and Jimmy could see the baby
in Lois' arms.  "He's so wrinkled!"  Jimmy said as he looked at Jordan.
"He looks like a little old man."

"You'd better watch it,"  Clark joked back.  "That's my son you're talking
about."

"Man, that sounds strange,"  Jimmy said.  "To think that you have a son.
Do you know how ancient that makes you sound?"

Everybody laughed.  When the laughter had died down, Perry turned to Lois.
"So how are you feeling, Lois?  Did everything go okay?"

"Actually,"  Lois began, glancing at Clark.  "Nothing went according to
plan.  As you know, I wasn't due for another month.  So when I started
having contractions yesterday, Clark and I were both a little panicked."
She stopped to study Perry and Jimmy's faces, then went on when she could
tell she had a captive audience.  "But things got worse.  My contractions
were coming so hard and fast, that we didn't have time to get to the
hospital.  So Clark phoned the paramedics and my doctor, but both were
delayed in getting to our apartment, and Clark ended up having to deliver
the baby by himself."

"No!"  "You didn't!"  Were their responses.  They looked over at Clark in
disbelief.  But  Clark nodded.  "It's true.  The baby was born right on our
kitchen floor."

"Wow!  That's incredible!"  Perry said.  "It'll make the perfect story for
the Planet.  Do you mind if we write it up?"

Clark laughed and shook his head.  "Not at all.  Actually, it would make us
proud."

"Well, all I'd like to say is,"  Jimmy spoke up.  "Remind me not to eat in
your kitchen any time soon."  Everybody laughed.

"That's an incredible story, Lois,"  Perry shook his head, still smiling.
"Well, congratulations, you two.  Jimmy and I should be getting back to the
Planet.  We just wanted to come by and see the little tyke."

Clark smiled.  "Thanks, Perry.  I'm glad you guys came by."

Perry and Jimmy headed for the door, but Perry turned back before they
could leave.  "Oh, and Clark...if you guys need anything, anything at all,
just holler.  Okay?"

"Okay.  We will.  Thanks."
****

Jordan started to fuss shortly after Jimmy and Perry left, and Lois looked
down nervously at the squirming infant in her arms, who was now wide awake
and acting restless.  "What do I do?"  she asked anxiously.  "I don't know
what's the matter with him."

"Oh, he's probably hungry,"  Martha said matter-of-factly.  "Why don't I
get the nurse and she can answer some feeding questions for you."

In response to their buzz, the nurse arrived shortly.  Martha and Jonathan
left, telling Lois and Clark that they were going to the cafeteria for some
coffee.  After they left, the nurse gave Lois a crash course in feeding
Jordan.  Once Jordan started suckling away, the nurse left, satisfied that
Lois had things under control.  When Jordan had finally had his fill, he
promptly fell back to sleep in Lois' arms.

Clark, still in awe of his new baby boy, reached out to smooth the tiny
infants short, dark hair.  "He is just *so* perfect,"  Clark replied, his
voice quiet, almost reverent.

Lois looked up at him and smiled.  "He is, isn't he?"

"Not much for conversation, though, huh?"

Lois laughed.  "I guess not!"  It was quiet for a few more minutes as they
just sat and watched Jordan sleep.  The lack of activity started to make
Lois feel tired, and she yawned.

Clark noticed and smiled.  "Ready to fall asleep yourself, huh?"  Then, as
he looked at her more closely, he became more serious.  "Lois, you look a
little pale.  Did all of this wear you out?"

"A little, I guess,"  she sighed.  "A nap sounds wonderful."

Clark nodded understandingly.  "I'll take Jordan back to the nursery so you
can sleep for a while."

Lois started to protest, but Clark insisted.  "Honey, you've been through
so much in the last couple of days.  You really should let your body rest
and heal.  Besides, I'll bring Jordan back in when you wake up.  He'll
probably be hungry by then again, anyway."

"Okay,"  Lois finally agreed.  "I guess you're right.  But what about you?
What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about me.  I'll probably just go and talk some more with my
parents."

"Be sure to tell them I said thanks for coming.  It's really nice to have
them here."

Clark smiled at her tenderly.  "I'll tell them.  Now you get some sleep."
Then he left the room with Jordan, and Lois was asleep only moments later.

When she woke up, she noticed that her room was getting dark.  Clark was
immediately at her side.  "Hi," he said softly, taking her hand.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"About four hours."

"You're kidding!"  Lois asked sitting up a little.  "Why didn't you wake me?"

Clark smiled.  "Because you needed the sleep, honey.  My parents said to
say good-night.  They decided to give us some time by ourselves, so they
went back to the apartment.  They made me promise, though, that if we
needed anything at all, to call them right away."  He laughed lightly.  "My
mom was very specific about that."

"That was nice of them.  How's Jordan?"

"He's fine.  I'm sure he's hungry, though.  The nurses bottle fed him once
while you were asleep, but it just seems to go right through him."  Clark
studied her still-pale complexion.  "Do you feel up to feeding him?"

"Yeah, I'm fine,"  Lois insisted.

Lois and Clark enjoyed spending the next couple of hours with Jordan,
taking turns holding him and talking about what life had in store for him.
Finally at around nine, Lois could no longer stifle her sleepy yawns.

"Lois, I'm going to go home and get some sleep,"  Clark told her.  "And you
need to get some, too.  Dr. Meyers told me that he'd like to have the
nursery feed Jordan tonight so you could get a good night's sleep.  And I
agree with him.  I haven't seen you look this worn out in ages."

Lois smiled despite her drooping eyelids.  "Well, why don't *you* try
giving birth and see how well you feel afterward!"

"Okay, okay,"  Clark laughed.  He bent over to give her a quick kiss.
"Goodnight, Lois.  If you need me tonight, just call and I'll be here in a
flash."
****

After Clark left, Lois immediately fell into an uneasy, restless sleep.
She kept waking up every hour or so, drenched in sweat.  She'd kick her
blankets off, trying to get cool, but then she'd feel chilled and cover
back up.  And to make matters worse, the nurses were in and out all night
checking on her.  Lois wished that, more than anything, they would just
leave her alone and let her sleep.

By morning, Lois was even more worn out than she had been the day before.
She was tired of being poked and prodded by the nurses, and snapped at them
irritably when they kept coming in.  By the time Clark arrived, Lois had a
pounding headache and was starting to feel a little nauseous.

Clark came into her room whistling cheerfully and came over to give her a
kiss.  "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Horrible,"  Lois answered irritably.  She knew she had said the wrong
thing, however, when Clark's smile turned into a worried frown.  "No, I'm
okay, I guess,"  Lois reassured him.  "It's just that I didn't sleep well
at all, with the nurses in and out of here all night, waking me up every
two minutes.  How is someone supposed to get better if they never get any
sleep around here?"  She punched at her pillow up angrily.

"I'm sure they were just making sure you were okay,"  Clark said
diplomatically.  "Have you had anything to eat yet?"

Lois shook her head.  "The nurse who was just in said they were bringing
breakfast around in a few minutes.  But I'm not all that hungry.  Actually,
my stomach feels a little queasy."

Clark patted her arm reassuringly.  "Don't worry.  I'm sure that's just
because you haven't eaten since dinner last night.  I'll go see if I can
hurry them up with your breakfast."  With that, he hurried out of the room.

He'd only been gone for a few minutes when Lois began to wonder if the
queasy feeling in her stomach was really due to hunger pains.  It was
getting stronger by the minute, and Lois closed her eyes against the sudden
wave of dizziness that swept through her.  All of a sudden, Lois knew she
couldn't fight it any longer.  She needed to throw up.

Ignoring the screaming pains in her muscles, she threw back her covers and
made a mad dash for the bathroom.  Quickly she flipped on the light and
dropped to her knees in front of the toilet, heaving into it over and over
again.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she struggled unsuccessfully to regain
control of her body.  As she continued to heave, her skin started to feel
hot and clammy, and beads of perspiration dotted her face.

A couple of agonizing minutes later, she heard her door open.  Then she
heard Clark's voice calling her, sounding puzzled as to why she wasn't in
bed.  "Lois, where are you?"  A second later, he appeared in the bathroom
doorway and was startled to see her hunched over the toilet bowl.  "Lois,
you're sick?"  he asked in a concerned voice.  He came into the bathroom
and squatted beside her, putting a hand on her back.  He noticed then how
violently she was shaking.

She heaved again into the toilet, her stomach feeling like it was about to
work its way out through her mouth.  Clark immediately stood up.  "I'm
going to get the doctor,"  he told her before hurrying out the door.

Lois normally would've stopped him and assured him that she was sure it
would pass in a minute.  But with the way she felt just then, she was glad
she was in a hospital where a doctor could make her feel better.  Lois
heard Clark shouting out in the hall for a doctor, and then she heard the
sounds of people coming toward her room.

After yet another heave, Lois felt like there was absolutely nothing left
that she could throw up, so she just sat there, shaking violently and
clutching the rim of the toilet bowl for dear life.  She felt both hot and
cold at the same time, and she could feel the sweat just dripping off of
her.

In the next instant, the door to her room was thrown open and she could
hear Clark saying, "When I came in a minute ago, she was throwing up in the
bathroom."  Then Clark appeared in the bathroom doorway, along with a
doctor and two nurses.  The doctor immediately got down on the floor beside
her.  "Can you tell me what happened?  Do you hurt anywhere in particular?"

Lois heard him, but she was shaking too violently to respond to his
questions.  She felt the doctor press his fingers against her neck and knew
he was taking her pulse, then he put his hand to her forehead to check her
temperature.  A moment later he said with concern, "Her pulse is racing,
and she's really burning up.  We've got to get her back in bed."  He turned
back to Lois. "Can you walk?"

Lois nodded weakly, though she wasn't sure she could at all.  The doctor
and Clark helped her to a standing position, then supported her as she took
the couple of steps to leave the tiny bathroom.  As she did, Lois felt the
room start to spin violently around her.  The next thing she knew, her
knees gave out and everything started to dim.

"Lois!"  Clark exclaimed immediately.  He scooped Lois up quickly and set
her limp body on the bed.

The doctor spoke quickly to one of the nurses.  "We've got to get her
stabilized.  Get on the intercom and tell ICU that we have an emergency!"
The nurse nodded and rushed out into the hall.  A few seconds later, she
was back with a gurney.  The doctor and two nurses quickly moved Lois onto
it and rushed her out of the room, down the hall, and into the staff
elevator, the doctor barking out instructions the entire way.

Clark ran along beside them, trying to stay out of their way, but not
wanting to leave Lois' side.  The elevator seemed to take forever to get to
the ICU floor, but when the elevator doors finally opened, a medical team
was waiting for them.

They rushed Lois into a room and immediately went to work, hooking her up
to an IV and pumping her full of injections.  Clark stood against the wall,
feeling very helpless as he watched them work on her.   The nurses hustled
around, handing the ICU doctor the things he called out for.  Members of
the medical team stormed in and out of the room with various pieces of
equipment.  Everyone was shouting and talking at once, getting this and
hooking this up to that.

Within a matter of minutes, Lois was hooked up to several machines and had
wires and tubes stuck all over her.  Finally the ICU doctor called out for
silence and pressed his stethoscope to Lois' chest, listening for a long
minute.  Then he nodded his head at the members of the medical team that
surrounded him.  "It's okay now.  She's stable."

He took the stethoscope out of his ears and let it dangle around his neck
as he adjusted a couple more things before finally stepping back.  Clark
took the opportunity to speak.  "Is she going to be okay?  What happened?"

The doctor turned to look at him, noticing him for the first time since
they'd arrived.  "Well, she's stable now.  But I have no idea what's caused
this.  We'll take some blood samples and compare it to the ones we took
when she arrived.  Maybe that will give us some clues."

"Is she going to be okay?"  Clark asked.

The doctor didn't look very optimistic.  "She's okay for now.  But, like I
said, we don't know what's caused this.  Right now she's hovering pretty
close to a coma.  Whatever this is, if we hadn't gotten to her when we did,
she might've died."

Clark swallowed noisily and felt tears come to his eyes.  He looked across
the room at Lois, with all the tubes and needles stuck in her, and felt
dangerously close to losing it.  He knew immediately what he had to do.
"Do you have a phone I could use?"

The doctor nodded.  "There's one in the office across the hall."

Clark walked to the office that the doctor had indicated, and shut the door
behind him.  Then, slowly and methodically, he walked over to the phone on
the desk.  He picked up the receiver, trying to hold back the sob in his
throat as he dialed the phone number with shaking fingers.  He listened to
the phone ring once, twice, then three times.  Finally his mom's voice came
over the phone.  "Hello?"

Clark tried to speak, but nothing came out.  He cleared his throat and
tried again.  "Mom?"

Instantly, she could tell something was wrong.  "Clark?  Clark, what is it?
What's wrong?"  Then he heard his dad's voice in the background asking her
what was wrong.

When he was finally able to speak, his voice was choked with emotion.
"Mom, I need you and Dad.   Can you come to the hospital right away?
Something's wrong with Lois."

Hastily, his mother said, "Clark, we'll be right there.  Just hang on."
Then she hung up.

Clark slumped into the chair by the desk, still holding the phone and
staring blankly into space.  When he heard the tone come over the phone, it
seemed to bring him back to the present.  He slowly hung up the phone,
stood up, and made his way out of the office and across the hall to Lois'
room.

He opened the door quietly and stepped in, letting the door close slowly
behind him.  Standing awkwardly just inside the room, Clark shoved his
hands into the front pockets of his jeans and slumped his shoulders.

It had just been last night that Lois had been happy and well, and they had
held their precious new baby, talking excitedly about how their lives were
going to change because of him.  But in just a matter of minutes everything
had changed.  Instead of sitting and talking with Lois as she recovered,
he'd now have to wait to find out if she'd live.

He walked slowly over to her bed and sat down in the chair beside it.  In
the dim light coming in through the curtained window, Clark stared at Lois'
face, studying her delicate features.  He lifted his hand to her cheek and
let his fingers gently trail along her cheekbone and jaw.  After staring at
her helplessly for several minutes, Clark realized how completely lost he'd
be without her.

The door to Lois' room opened a minute later, and Clark looked up to see a
doctor in a lab coat coming into the room carrying Lois' patient folder.
He shook Clark's hand solemnly as he introduced himself.  "My name's Dr.
Peterson.  I'm here to see if we can find out what's wrong with your wife."


"Do you have any idea what's wrong with her?"

The doctor shook his head.  "To tell you the truth, we're not sure.  Her
most recent blood samples are still being analyzed.  Hopefully that will
give us some answers.  But in the meantime, can you tell us anything that
could help us know what we're dealing with?  Has Lois been sick lately, or
complained about anything that might be health related?"

Clark sighed and shook his head.  "No.  Nothing at all.  Her pregnancy has
been fine.  She wasn't due for another month, but our doctor didn't seem to
be too worried about it.  Other than that, I can't think of anything that
could've caused this."

Dr. Peterson made a couple of notes in Lois' folder.  Just then Clark felt
a wave of fear swell up inside of him.  "Jordan!"  he said urgently, his
voice filled with concern.  "What about our baby, Jordan?  Is he okay?  Has
he been affected by this like Lois has?"

Dr. Peterson shook his head quickly, dispelling any notions that Jordan
might be in danger.  "I'm already ahead of you.  The pediatricians were
alerted immediately, and they've been monitoring Jordan for any signs of
this.  But so far he seems completely unaffected by whatever is affecting
your wife."
Clark breathed a sigh of relief.  "Boy, I'm glad to hear that.  But what
about Lois?  Where do we go from here?"

"Well, unfortunately we're not going to be able to start looking for cures
until we find out what's caused your wife's illness."  Dr. Peterson glanced
over at Lois, then looked back up at Clark.  When he saw Clark's worried
expression, he smiled reassuringly and patted his shoulder.  "Don't worry,
Mr. Kent.  Metropolis General has one of the best ICUs in the country.
We'll get to the bottom of this.  Just hang in there."  Then he turned and
left the room.

Clark felt devastated.  The woman he loved was fighting an unknown illness,
and he couldn't stand the thought of what could happen if they didn't find
out what was causing it.

The door opened again, and a nurse came in to inject something into Lois'
IV.  Clark couldn't bear to watch.  Realizing that he was dangerously close
to losing control of his emotions, he stood quickly and turned to escape
from the hospital room.

He had just hurried out of the room and was starting to walk down the hall
when he saw his parents come flying around the corner of the west wing.
They both looked very worried and haggard.

"Clark!"  his mother said immediately when she saw him.  "What's wrong with
Lois?  Is she okay?"  They rushed up to Clark and stopped beside him,
seeming to be preparing themselves for the worst.

"No, she's not okay, mom."  Clark told them what had happened and finished
with, "and she hasn't regained consciousness yet."

"Oh, honey,"  Martha said, putting her arms around Clark and hugging him
tightly. Jonathan put a hand on Clark's shoulder.  After a long minute, his
mom drew back.  "Can we see her?  Are the doctors allowing it?"

Clark shrugged, seeming more emotionally drained than either of his parents
had ever seen him.  "I guess they are.  No one's said anything to me about
it."

Jonathan spoke up.  "I'd like to go be with her."

Martha nodded.  "Me, too."  They started to walk toward Lois' room, but a
couple of steps later, Martha noticed that Clark wasn't following them.
"Clark?"  she said, looking at him questioningly.

"I don't think I can do this, mom,"  he said a moment later, feeling
dangerously close to tears.  "Maybe you should just go in without me."

Jonathan shook his head firmly.  "Clark, I understand how hard this is for
you to see Lois this way.  But she's your wife, and she's very sick right
now.  She needs to feel that you're here for her.  Running away from the
problem isn't going to make it go away.  We all have to face the fact that
our loved ones are not always going to be free from injury and sickness.
We can only hope to deal with something like this when it happens."

Clark nodded.  "I know.  You're right.  It's just....it's just harder than
I ever thought it would be."  A tear slid down his cheek.

Martha nodded and squeezed his arm.  "I know.  But we'll be right there
with you."
****

When Dr. Peterson came in twenty minutes later to explain what they had
found, Clark was shocked at what the doctor told them.  "It's almost as if
her blood has been poisoned by a foreign agent," Dr. Peterson explained.
"It's unlike anything I've ever seen.  Its DNA is very similar to the same
kind of anti-body that our bodies produce to fight off diseases, but we
have no idea where this particular agent came from.  Our bodies don't
produce anything like it.  In some cases, I can see that this anti-body
could be used to fight off all sorts of diseases and sicknesses, but in
Lois' case, her blood has instead been poisoned by it for lack of it being
slowly introduced to her immune system.  In actuality,  it's poisoning her
blood, and in turn, her whole immune system."

It was quiet for a minute as they pondered the doctor's words.  Finally
Jonathan spoke up.  "So what does this all mean?  Lois *is* going to get
better, isn't she?"

Dr. Peterson sighed.  "Well, unfortunately, nobody around here has seen
anything like this.  So we're going to have to do some more research and
just hope for the best."

"You don't sound very hopeful about that,"  Jonathan pointed out.

"Well, of course we're going to do all that we can.  But until we figure
out what's caused this..."  his voice trailed off and he shrugged
bewilderedly.  Then he started for the door.  "I'm going to get right on
this.  But I'll let you know the minute we find out anything."

As soon as the door shut behind Dr. Peterson, Clark slapped the armrests of
his chair angrily and stood up abruptly, nearly tipping his chair over in
the process.  His parents jumped, and looked at Clark in surprise.

"Damn it!"  he swore uncharacteristically, walking angrily across the room
to the window.  "I should've known something like this would happen."

Martha and Jonathan were so surprised by his outburst that they were silent
for a minute. Finally Martha spoke up.  "Clark?  What's the matter?"

When Clark turned around, they could see the tears streaming down his face.
"How could I have done this to her?"  he said, his voice totally overcome
with emotion.  "Lois is the love of my life.  I can't imagine living
without her, yet this is all my fault."

Martha and Jonathan exchanged a very confused look, then Martha said,
"Clark, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Mom, you know *exactly* what I'm talking about,"  he said, seeming to have
finally lost control of his emotions.  "We never knew for sure how my body
worked, or if my physiology was even the same as everyone else's.
Obviously my blood chemistry is completely different than Lois', and when
we decided to have this baby, my blood type carried over to the baby.  Then
during the delivery yesterday, my blood-the baby's blood--contaminated
Lois'."  He looked from his mom to his dad.  "Don't you see?  This is all
my fault!  And now Lois might even die because of this..."  he broke off,
dropped into a nearby chair, put his face in his hands and started to sob.

Martha immediately went over to him and put her arms around him.  She
rocked him slightly and stroked his hair back away from his forehead like
she used to do when he was a child and in need of comfort.

When his sobs finally diminished, he took the handkerchief his dad offered
him and wiped at his tear streaked cheeks.  "So what are you going to do,
son?"  his dad asked solemnly.  "You can't just tell the doctor that
you're...well, you know."

Clark was silent for what seemed like an eternity, his mind pondering the
seriousness of the situation.  "I don't know, Dad.  Maybe this time I don't
have a choice.  Maybe if I tell the doctors what's going on, they can do
something to help her.  If I don't..."  he let his voice trail off.

"Oh, but Clark!"  Martha interjected.  "You can't do that!  You've always
stressed the importance of not having the people close to you becoming a
target.  And letting the cat out of the bag, so to speak, would definitely
put Lois, *and the baby*,"  she emphasized, "at risk."

Clark looked up at his mom's serious expression.  "So what do you think I
should do, then, Mom?"

The room was quiet for a minute as they all silently considered Clark's
options.  "Well, I don't think you should do anything as drastic as telling
the doctors who you are unless it becomes absolutely necessary,"  Jonathan
said a minute later.  "Lois is stable for now and not in any immediate
danger.  I think it would be best to wait and see what the doctors come up
with.  I mean, if they were able to find a cure on their own, telling them
the truth would be unnecessary."

Martha nodded.  "That's right.  I agree that we should wait and see what
the doctors find out."

Clark sighed heavily.  "I guess you're right."  He turned to look at Lois
sadly.  "It's just so hard to wait."

"We know, Clark.  We know."
****

A couple of hours later, Clark was sitting in the chair beside Lois' bed
holding her hand when the door to her room opened yet again.  By now Clark
was so used to having doctors and nurses in and out of the room checking on
Lois and giving her medication that he didn't even look up until he heard
the sound of Perry and Jimmy's voices.

"Oh, man,"  Jimmy said as he stopped by the bed and saw Lois hooked up to
all the machines.  "Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know,"  Clark said desolately.  He explained for the second time
that day what had had happened and what the doctors had said.

Perry shook his head when Clark finished.  "Do the doctors have any idea
what caused this?"

"No, not yet.  They're still working on some things.  They hope to find out
soon."

Perry clamped a hand onto Clark's shoulder in a show of support.  "Clark, I
want you to know that we're here for you.  If you need anything at all,
just say the word.  Got it?"  And Jimmy nodded in agreement.

Clark smiled gratefully.  "Thanks, you guys.  I appreciate that.  I don't
know how much you could really do right now, though.  We're just waiting to
hear."

"But I'm sure that's the hardest part of all, son,"  Perry told him solemnly.

Clark nodded.  **If only they knew how hard it really is to sit back and
wait,**  he thought sadly.  **When you know that you have the answer, but
have to wait until the doctors really need to ask the question.**
****

Dr. Peterson came in a short time after Jimmy and Perry left to go back to
the Planet.  Clark looked up at him hopefully.  "Any word yet?"

Dr. Peterson shook his head.  "It's not looking very good. I'm afraid we've
hit a brick wall.  We don't know what else to try.  We just don't know
enough about what's caused this to try to create a cure."

Seeing the devastated look on Clark's face, he put his hand on Clark's
shoulder sympathetically before leaving the room.  Clark found himself
almost in a trance as he wrestled inwardly with his thoughts.  Martha came
into the room a moment later.

"Clark, sweetie, one of the nurses from downstairs just called up here
saying that Jordan was hungry and needed to be fed.  Should I just tell the
nurses there to bottle feed him?  Or would you like to go down and do it
yourself?  It might do you some good to take a break and spend some time
with Jordan."

Clark felt torn.  He didn't want to leave Lois, but he also wanted to see
his new son, whom he hadn't even seen in a couple of hours.  **This isn't
the way it's supposed to be,**  Clark thought sadly.  **We're supposed to
be home by now, and enjoying being a family.  And now all that may
change...**

In that instant, Clark knew that he needed to see Jordan.  Maybe seeing the
flicker of Lois in him would somehow reassure him that Lois was going to be
okay.  That Lois *had* to be okay.  "I think you're right, Mom.  I need to
get out of here for a while.  Seeing Jordan might help me sort some things
out."

Martha seemed confused by her son's last words, but decided not to pursue
it.  "Good,"  she said.  "Maybe seeing Jordan will cheer you up a little.
And don't worry.  I'll stay here with Lois."

Clark walked stiffly down the hall to the elevator.  When he reached the
nursery, he could hear Jordan crying.  The nurses smiled at Clark when they
saw him through the windows and gestured for him to come in.  They helped
him put a gown on over his clothes and pointed him toward a tiny room just
off of the nursery where he could sit and bottle feed his new son, away
from the noise and activity of the nursery.  He sat in the rocking chair in
the corner and waited for the nurse to bring Jordan in to him.

A minute later she was setting Jordan gently in his arms.  Clark took the
bottle that was handed to him, then offered it to the fussing infant.  As
soon as Jordan got a taste of the warm formula, he latched on to the bottle
and started sucking fiercely.  Clark and the nurse both laughed.  A few
moments later, the nurse turned to resume her duties, leaving them alone.

Clark stared at Jordan for a long time, absolutely mesmerized by him.  He
loved the way his thin eyebrows raised slightly each time he sucked on the
bottle's nipple, and the way his dark hair curled slightly around his ears.


As Clark continued to study his features, he realized just how much Jordan
looked like Lois.  With a smile, he wondered if Jordan would have more in
common with his mom than just her looks.  Would he also have her feisty
spirit?  Would he always be getting himself into one predicament after
another?  Would 'Superman' have to keep saving him, like he did his mom?

After several minutes, Jordan's sucking grew less and less fierce, then
finally stopped altogether as he drifted off to sleep in his dad's arms.
Clark slowly slipped the bottle from Jordan's mouth and set it on the
changing table next to him.  Then he brought his arm back and slipped it
underneath him again, cradling the tiny infant ever so gently.

As Clark relaxed back in the chair, rocking slowly and rhythmically, he
stared down at his precious new son, and he felt his love for this perfect
little person nearly overcome him.  "You are just so perfect,"  Clark said
quietly, in awe of the little miracle he held in his arms.  "I can't
believe that you're here, and that you belong to us."

He was quiet as he sat back, simply enjoying watching Jordan sleep
peacefully in his arms.  A minute later, Clark continued speaking again
softly.  "Your mom and I love you so much.  Do you know that?  And I love
your mom very, very much."  Once the words were out, Clark couldn't stop
the tears from spilling down his cheeks.

"You see, Jordan...your mom is very sick, and she needs my help.  But
giving her that help is going to come at a price.  A big price.  It's
definitely not easy for me to make this kind of decision, because I would
never do anything that would hurt you or your mom.  And I'm afraid that
this might.  People might try to hurt one of you because of it, and I'd
never, ever want that to happen.  But I don't see that I have much choice.
Your mom needs to get well, because...."  he paused, trying to control the
shake in his voice.  "Well, because I love her and you more than anything
else in this world..."  Unable to continue, Clark broke down and started to
cry softly, no longer able to hold back his flood of emotions.

When he was all cried out, he leaned down and gently kissed the top of
Jordan's dark head.  Then he tucked the blue blanket around him a little
more snugly, making sure he felt warm and safe.

A minute later the nurse poked her head into the room.  "Dr. Peterson is
looking for you upstairs,"  she told him.

Immediately Clark felt anxious.  "Tell him I'm on my way."  With one last
look at his sleeping baby, he said, "Jordan, I promise that I will always
love you, and that I'll always do my best to keep you and your mom safe."
Then he kissed him once more before standing up and going back into the
well lit nursery.

The nurse came over to take the sleeping infant out of his arms, and Clark
wondered if the nurse could tell he'd been crying.  If she had, she didn't
let it show.  "Thanks,"  Clark told her as he took off the gown he'd been
wearing and draped it across the arm of a chair.  Then he slipped out of
the nursery and headed for the elevators.


When Clark reached the Intensive Care Unit, he saw that Dr. Peterson and
his parents were waiting for him.  "What's going on?"  Clark asked.

Dr. Peterson cleared his throat.  "I just finished checking on Lois, and
I'm afraid to say that I'm not sure how much longer we can keep her stable.
Whatever this is just seems to be overtaking her system."

Clark felt like his heart was falling into the pit of his stomach.  The
time had finally come.  There wasn't anything else these doctors could do
for Lois, so Clark knew that he no longer had a choice.  He had to tell
them the truth.

When Dr. Peterson excused himself, Clark turned to his parents.  "Well, I
guess I no longer have a choice, do I?"  he said sadly.

Jonathan shook his head.  "I guess not, son."

Clark crammed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and shook his
head nervously.  "I know what I have to do, but the idea of telling anybody
that I'm...you kno