Like Mother, Like Daughter

 

Rain in Los Angeles wasn’t a usual thing, but when it did rain, it poured and was murder on the headache Lois woke up with. Her face was stuck to the satin pillow, having remembered that she had fallen asleep crying she turned over on her back to see she was still in her robe, her hair matted and in her face. Not to mention the fact that she was, alone.

 

Lois pulled herself up as thunder crashed, causing a sharp pain to shoot through her skull. Lois fell back to the pillow, remembering what had transcribed the night before and it wasn’t a soothing thought.

 

“I am not my mother.” She repeated to herself over and over again. Of course, no one was there to hear her moans of defense.

 

Crawling off the bed and onto the floor, Lois crawled to the bathroom, where two empty champagne bottles lay against the still full tub.

 

Lois picked up the bottle, servings… six. She had twelve servings of champagne on an empty stomach, accused her husband of having an affair and kicked him out, after he slapped her. Something he had never done before. Something she never thought he would ever do. Something was very wrong.

 

Lois pulled herself up to the sink to look at her reflection; her cheek was bruised, but not as bad as the bruise on her family. She just remembered that Samantha and Joanna were there when Clark hit her, where were they now?

 

“Sammy?” Lois called out making her way down the hallway and to Samantha’s room where the bed was still made.

 

She walked to Joanna’s; who was next to Samantha’s, her bed was also made. Lois then walked to Brittany’s room; she wasn’t in her crib. Clark obviously took the girls with him where ever he had gone. Who knew if he would come back? Sitting down on Joanna’s bed, Lois picked up her teddy bear, bringing it to her, smelling the distinct scent of her baby girl. Why had she let everything go as badly as it had? Why was everything spinning out of control?

 

Clark and Samantha and fallen asleep on the floor in front of the television, which was now airing Good Morning America, but they weren’t awakened until the front door closed.

 

Clark gently moved Samantha off his chest and sat up to see Charlotte at the front door.

 

“Hey.” He said yawning and noticing the pressure on his nose after having slept with his glasses on, but it wasn’t exactly like he could take them off. This was something else he was growing tired off, hiding who he really was.

 

“Hi.” Charlotte replied tossing her purse on the table by the front door, “I dropped Molly off at school, I didn’t think the girls would want to go.”

 

Samantha continued to doze on the floor,  “No, I think it’s best if I stayed with them today.”

 

Charlotte walked to the couch and sat down, “Do you know what you’re going to do about Lois?”

 

Clark shook his head and yawned, “No, I don’t.”

 

“She needs help, obviously.”

 

“I know, but Charlotte you have to understand; I’ve known Lois for almost ten years, I know everything about her and thought I could fix any problem that she had, but I don’t understand alcoholism. I just don’t.”

 

“Maybe you need to find someone who does.”

 

Lois slept for most of the day, at sundown the doorbell rang.

 

Passed out on the couch, Lois didn’t have far to walk to the door; still wearing her gray sleep set she opened the door to-

 

“MOTHER!” Lois was shocked into full consciousness by the site of her mother, carrying a suitcase and a very hard look on her face.

 

“What the hell’s the matter with you!” Ellen Lane started walking right past her daughter into the empty house.

 

“Nothing is wrong with me, we just had a fight is all.” Lois closed the front door, pushed her hair out of her face and followed her mother into the kitchen.

 

“Ok, then where is he?”

 

Lois shrugged, “I don’t know.”

 

Ellen sighed and opened the refrigerator, pulling out two half empty bottles of wine, she presented them to her daughter, “So, want to party?”

 

“Give me a break mother.” Lois said rolling her eyes and turning her back, “I’m not a drunk, I’m not like you.”

 

“Oh honey.” Ellen put the wine on the counter and walked over to face Lois, “You’re exactly like me.

 

Ellen took her daughter by the arms and walked her to the couch, sitting her down.

 

“Remember your tenth birthday party?”

 

“I’d like to forget it.”

 

“Play it back to me.”

 

Lois cleared her throat, “You showed up an hour after it started, wasted and thought Kimberly Thompson was me.”

 

“And?”

 

“You passed out on the floor right before musical chairs.” Lois looked up at her mother, her head pounding too much for her eyes to even start watering, “I hated you.”

 

“Do you really want your daughters going through the same thing you did?”

 

Lois shook her still throbbing head, “No. But I can control it mother.”

 

“The credo of every drunk.” Ellen sat down next to her daughter.

 

“I AM NOT A DRUNK!” Lois stood up crossing her arms in anger, “I have never passed out at a birthday party, worn only a bra to the supermarket or gone to a back to school meeting and slapped Jason Carps mother!”

 

“No, but all that didn’t happen until you were older. When you were your kid’s ages I was exactly like you. Have a drink at a party, have another, and have a drink because your husband slept with nurse Cindy and a candy striper. When you need to take the edge off, you have a little bit of wine, then you move up to scotch, tequila, have you passed the gin test yet Lois?”

 

Lois sneered at the woman before her and turned away, walking towards the billiard room she still had yet to use.

 

“You can’t walk away from me Lois, you can’t walk away from yourself.”

 

Lois said nothing, choosing to instead take a cue out of the case and proceed to the table.

 

Frustrated, Ellen grabbed the cue from her daughter, “You are not going to destroy your life the way I destroyed mine!”

 

“Fine, what do you want me to do? Check into Betty Ford; have an epiphany? What?”

 

“The first step is admitting you have a problem.”

 

Lois crossed her arms, and stared directly at her mother, “My name is Lois, and I’m an alcoholic. Are you happy?”

 

Ellen shook her head, “No, I’m not. I’m disappointed Lois. I would have expected this from your sister, but not you, I thought you were stronger then this.”

 

“Yeah, me too.”

 

Ellen looked down at her watch, “There’s not much we can do tonight, so I think you should take a hot shower and get some sleep, we’ll take care of things in the morning.”

 

Lois nodded to her mother, but her mind was set on other things, like where her family had gone. “Where’s Clark?”

 

“I don’t know. He called me this morning, told me the whole situation, even how you got that bruise on your cheek”

 

“He’s never hit me before mother, I swear.”

 

“I know, I think he’s punishing himself more then anyone could right now.”

 

Lois nodded, and shifted uncomfortably, “I’m going to go take that shower now.”

 

Ellen nodded also and waited to hear the water running before she picked up the phone.

 

Steam covered the large bathroom from wall to wall, ceiling to floor and Lois found herself just sitting there for well over an hour. She realized it was that long when the bathroom door finally opened and there stood her husband, staring down at his nude wife as she sat on the soft bathmat with her legs pressed up against her chest.

 

“You’ve been in here for two hours.” Clark said simply wanting so much to just reach down and hold her, but knowing that with the way things were going he could not touch her.

 

Lois began to rock back and forth like a child, “I don’t know what’s happening to me.” She said as she rocked.

 

Caring more about her then himself, Clark walked in the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Lois continued to rock, not even looking up. Sitting in front of his wife, Clark pried her hands away from her legs, entwining her long fingers with his. Without saying a word he pulled her to him and just held her, letting her tears of sadness, anger and pity fall down his back. For the rest of the night they rocked together, until Lois finally fell asleep.

 

“Are you sure you’re ok to drive all the way out there Clark, you didn’t get any sleep?” Ellen stated as she helped Clark bring Lois’ bags to the car.

 

“I don’t really need sleep Ellen, I’m fine. Besides, I need you to watch the kids and I really want to be with her.”

 

Ellen nodded and walked back into the house where Lois was explaining to her daughter where she was going.

 

“Is it a hospital?” Joanna asked as they sat on the couch, Lois sitting between her two older daughters.

 

“Well, sort of. I just have to be there for a month.”

 

“A month is a long time.” Samantha added, “You promised that you’d go to Disneyland with us.”

 

“Daddy will take you.”

 

“But YOU promised!”

 

Lois recomposed herself, trying to fight the need for that tasty beverage that had brought her to this point, “Samantha, it’s only a month, Disneyland is open all year.”

 

“You always break your promises.” Samantha sulked, crossing her arms and pressing her back hard against the couch.

 

“No I don’t” Lois said calmly, “There are just some mitigating circumstances right now.”

 

‘There always are.” Samantha continued always having to have the last word, like her mother.

 

“It’s time for mommy to go now.” Clark called from the front door saving Lois from the bickering between her and her daughter.

 

Lois kissed her daughters, well one tried to run away, goodbye before hugging her mother at the front step.

 

“At least you can afford good care…in my day-“

 

“Mother.” Lois cut off her mother, and smiled, quickly trying to change the subject “Maybe I’ll run into a celebrity.”

 

 

Clark thought twice, three times, a good dozen about leaving his wife in someone else’s care, but in this case his powers were useless, although he could blow up every bottling plant and winery known to man, but that was wrong, yes alcohol had destroyed his family, but you can’t blame something that isn’t real, just like you can’t really blame guns for murders, it’s the people holding the guns that are to blame, and in this case Lois could only blame herself.

 

In between dozing off, Lois stared out the car window at all the pretty trees as the headed up to the mountains of California to the secluded rehabilitation center. Feeling uneasy as it was and even more uncomfortable by the last twenty miles of silence, Lois felt the need to speak.

 

“I’ve been sober too long, reality is really annoying.” Lois joked to her husband who was not laughing; her smile quickly vanished, “Sorry.”

 

“It’s not something to joke about.” Clark stated keeping an eye on the road ahead.

 

“I know, I know. At least the people at the show understood, they said that they’d just say I’m on a special assignment. I guess in a way I am.”

 

 

They arrived at the center a little after noon, nervous and scared Lois followed behind her husband as he held on to her bag with one hand and tightly squeezed Clark’s right hand as he led her to her new home for the next thirty days.

 

Her bag was quickly checked, removing her cell phone, pager, and any instrument that she may use to inflict harm upon herself or others. Even her jewelry was to be kept safe so there would be danger of losing it.

 

Removing her wedding band and engagement ring, Lois was reminded of all the other times she was forced to take off something that was so close to her heart, a band of love, a band she nearly broke with her own illness that she wouldn’t admit to suffering from until it was almost too late.

 

“I haven’t taken this off in over five years.” Lois said as she looked at her naked finger, now revealing a band of white on her otherwise tan hand.

 

“You know they’ll be safe.” Clark replied taking the rings and placing them in the right front pocket of his jeans.

 

Lois simply nodded and turned back to the attendant, “Now what?”

 

“I just need you to fill out some forms and then you will be admitted. It would probably be best if your husband left now.”

 

Clark shrugged, “I can’t at least see her to her room?”

 

“It’s usually best that family separates at this point, so the patient has time to recover. I assure you sir that she’s in good hands.” The attendant, who’s name badge revealed that her name was Nancy, continued.

 

“I’ll be ok.”

 

“Can I call her?”

 

“Unfortunately not for the first few days of detox, after she’s gotten the alcohol completely out of her system. We do have family days, you’ll have plenty of time to visit her.”

 

Clark nodded, not wanting to leave, but knowing he had to. Not saying a word, he simply handed Lois’ bag to her, gave a tiny smile and turned to leave, not wanting to reveal how upset this was making him and not wanting to cry in front of his wife and a stranger.

 

Lois knew exactly what he was feeling.

 

“This is Julie, she will be your roommate.” Nancy stated to Lois as they walked into the small room with two twin beds.

 

“I thought private rooms were available here?” Lois replied not wanting to share her recovery with an obvious teenager.

 

“There are, but right now they are all taken, we had to fit you in at such little notice as it was Ms. Lane.”

 

Lois nodded but wasn’t completely happy with the situation as this Julie girl sat on her bed popping gum and reading a trashy romance novel with a shirtless Fabio on the cover.

 

“Julie, please come meet your roommate.” Nancy instructed to the long blonde haired cheerleader looking…thing.

 

“I’m busy.” Julie replied annoyed, but looked up from her book anyway. Her eyes immediately widened. “You’ve got to be shitting me!” Julie threw her book down and literally leaped off the bed to Lois.

 

“Oh my god, you are like my complete idol!” Julie grabbed Lois’ hands shaking them furiously.

 

“Oh, so you’ve seen me on television?” Lois replied getting used to this adoration.

 

“Tv? Hell no, I live in Metropolis. I’m a journalism major at MSU, well I was until I got kicked out for spending too much time in the boys dorms with Jack Daniels and Jose Quervo.” Julie smacked her gum and snickered to herself, “So you fell off the wagon too huh?”

 

“Julie, would it kill you to be polite?” Nancy asked.

 

“Probably.”

 

“I guess I’ll leave you two alone to get aquatinted, Julie can show you around later.” Nancy said closing the door as she left and leaving Lois with her number one fan.

 

“So, where’s that husband of yours?” Julie gleamed, “He’s sooo beyond hot!”

 

Now Lois was the one snickering to herself, “He had to leave.”

 

“Oh yeah, they’re really mean like that, won’t even allow conjugal visits. Anarchists.” Julie returned to her bed reaching for her book, “Have you heard of Jefferson Andrews?”

 

Lois thought to herself as she put her dufflebag, which Clark had packed for her, on the small bed with the pastel printed comforter. “Big real estate tycoon in Metropolis, yeah I’ve heard of him.”

 

“That’s my dad.” Julie pulled out her gum and stuck it in a small film case that sat on the nightstand, “Everyone thinks he’s this great guy, but do you know that in my entire life I never heard him tell me he loved me, or that he was proud of me? I mean the whole city looks at him as a god and he doesn’t even acknowledge his own damn daughter until she falls out of a two story window.”

 

“Oh my god!” Lois replied horrified.

 

“I was so drunk I didn’t even feel it, I ended up in the hospital with a sprained ankle.”

 

“That’s it?”

 

“Yeah, luckily I fell on a bunch of bushes, so I got scratched up a lot, the vicadin for that is the reason I’m in here. So, what’s your story?”

 

Lois shrugged and sat on the edge of her bed, “Stress, move, stuff like that I guess.”

 

“You said you’re on tv now? Doing what?”

 

“The View.”

 

“Ew, that’s still on? How can you stand Barbara Walters? I mean there were people in my classes who thought she was like the god of journalism, but come on, real reporting is in the papers not on tv.”

 

Lois was actually starting to like this girl, “I know exactly what you mean Julie, but it’s a different show, no Barbara.”

 

“Thank god. I don’t watch tv myself, I get enough garbage from these. I just read them to laugh at the other words for guys…packages.”

 

Lois nodded, “So Julie, are you going to show me around this place or what?”

 

Julie smiled and once again hopped up off her bed, “Of course, wait till you see the cafeteria, it’s to die for!”

 

After sitting in the car crying to himself for over twenty minutes, Clark found himself x-raying the building until he found Lois’ room, which was thankfully on the second floor with it’s window hidden by a large oak tree in which he hid himself listening to the entire conversation she was having with her roommate. Yes, he knew it was trespassing and wrong to eavesdrop on his own wife, but he just wanted to make sure she was all right and thankfully it sounded like she was. So, he retreated from the tree to the car in his own special way and proceeded home, alone.

 

Clark took the long way home; a way in which consisted of stopping every few miles to take a walk and think. He didn’t arrive home until near dusk.

 

When Clark entered the house he was greeted with silence. No television, no kids playing or even Brittany crying, just dead silence. Walking into the kitchen Clark noticed a note on the counter from Ellen letting Clark know that she the girls and Charlotte went to the movies. So here he was, alone. No wife, no kids, not even a pestering mother in-law. All he had now was the torturous thoughts in his head of what would happen if Lois didn’t get better.

 

“They’re so adorable!” Julie gushed as she looked at the photos Lois kept in her purse of her family. Samantha and Joanna’s kindergarden pictures and many of Brittany doing, well, baby like things. “They’re so lucky.”

 

“Lucky?” Lois asked as Julie handed her back the photos.

 

They were sitting cross-legged on their beds like girls in a college dorm room, not addicts in a rehab center.

 

“Yeah, lucky. They have parents who love them. My mom left when I was ten, well I guess technically she didn’t leave me; she left my dad. She wanted to take me with her but he fought for custody in court and since he’s so big and PERFECT he got me. I guess it was some kind of control thing. Now my dad has his NEW wife and his NEW kids; when I went off to college I just figured he forgot about me, but like I said before he was forced to remember that I actually existed.” Julie began to pick at her bare toes, as she fought back the tears of a neglectful father.

 

“How old are you Julie?”

 

“Twenty one, but I’ve been drinking since I was ten. I guess I have a little Drew Barrymore in me. Too bad I’m not famous.”

 

“Childhoods are never easy for anyone Julie, my dad left when I was twelve and I really didn’t see him again until about seven years ago. It wasn’t until then that we actually became close again.”

 

“So are you saying I have to wait until I’m middle aged to have my father like me?” Julie asked confused, “I don’t think I can wait that long.”

 

“Hopefully your dad will come around a lot sooner.”

 

“Hope so.” Julie went back to paying more attention to her feet then Lois; the subject at hand and skewed to the uncomfortable side and she didn’t really feel like talking anymore.

 

Just as Julie was about to throw herself under the covers, an aide walked into the room stating that she had a phone call.

 

“Who calls me?” Julie said confused.

 

She pushed her frail couldn’t –be- more –then- 105 body off the bed.

 

After what could only be seconds, there was a knock on the door to the overhang, which was supposed to be some kind of patio. There was no way to get up to it from the ground so Lois did not have to question whom her visitor was.

 

Even in the dark she could see the red of the cape she had not really seen him wear in months, maybe she just wasn’t paying attention.

 

“You know you’re not supposed to be here.” Lois told her husband as she opened the door letting him into the small room.

 

“Well, I was worried, and lonely.”

 

Lois crossed her arms and smiled, “You don’t have to worry about me, and you know I will be fine.”

 

“What if you’re not, what if you’re here for a month and come home and everything is exactly the same.”

 

“It’s been one day, at least give me a chance to get better, now you better leave before my roommate comes back.”

 

“She’ll be gone for awhile, I had her father call her.”

 

“What? How did…you…you’ve been eavesdropping?”

 

“Just a little.”

 

Lois took her husbands hands in hers and squeezed them, “This won’t work this way, and you have to let me get better and as hard as it is you have to let me do it, alone. I mean, look how long it took me to even admit that I have a problem, and remember what had to happen to make me realize that something was very very wrong.”

 

“I’m never going to forget, or forgive myself.”

 

“Well please do forgive yourself because if you can’t then this isn’t going to work.”

 

“Ok.” Clark nodded and leaned down to kiss his wife when they were…. interrupted.

 

“Work it girl!” Julie yelled as she opened the door.

 

Like a bolt of electricity came between them Clark and Lois separated.

 

“Um, Julie, what are you doing here?” Lois said nervously.

 

“I kinda reside here, temporarily of course. You guys can keep doing what you were doing, I’ll just hang out in the bathroom.”

 

“What?” Lois asked confused, Clark still stood there in spandex not knowing if he should leave or not.

 

“It’s not illegal, you are married…just do it, and I’ll take a shower or something.”

 

“WHAT?” Now it was Clark’s turn to ask that one worded question.

 

Julie rolled her eyes, “I’m from Metropolis not Mars. But I have to say that I find the glasses much more attractive. I’ve always liked brainy guys.”

 

Julie opened her dresser drawer and pulled out her nightclothes, she turned back to her bewildered roommate and the man in tights who thought everyone in the world was fooled by a pair of wired rims. “Don’t worry, it’s not like I tell anyone or anything. It’s actually funny seeing how stupid people are, like when that tabloid story came out about the two of you, what five years ago; I was laughing my ass off! All these people are like ‘Lois Lane cheated on her husband! What a harlet!” I’m like, ‘Ok dolt, she’s kinda married to the guy, can’t blame her if he has identity issues.” Julie started walking to the small bathroom, “Now, I’m going to take a longgg shower, you two keep yourselves busy.” Julie winked before entering the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

 

Lois shook her head and plopped herself on the bed, “I guess I really am the dumbest woman in the world.”

 

“Maybe I’m the dumbest man.” Clark looked back at the bathroom door, “Is she for real?”

 

“Apparently, but since you’ve been eavesdropping anyway I’m sure you already know all about her life.”

 

“Yes, I do, which is why I called up Mr. Andrews and told him it would be a good idea if he called his daughter and the first thing he said was ‘she’s asleep in her bedroom upstairs.’ I then had to inform him that I meant his other daughter. Poor thing, the jerk forgot she even existed. But he owed me a favor so he called him.”

 

“What did you do for that scum?”

 

“Stopped a photographer from taking a photo of him and a woman other then his wife coming out of a hotel.”

 

“Which wife?”

 

“The one he has now…I think. Anyway, that was about eight years ago so I had to even remind him of that. Superman can be very persuasive.”

 

“This I know. But I also know that Superman needs to go home to spend time with his children.”

 

“Your mothers watching them.”

 

“Which is why I REALLY think you need to get home.”

 

Clark smiled, “Ok, but you’re not rid of me for good.”

 

“I hope not.”

 

This time Clark successfully kissed his wife goodbye and let himself out of the room, flying into the night to return to his house and his temporarily motherless children.

 

“Sammy?” Joanna whispered as she walked into her sister’s bedroom, nudging her. “Are you awake?”

 

“I am now.” Samantha whined rubbing her eyes.

 

“I miss mommy.”

 

Samantha sat up and looked at the Mickey Mouse clock on her nightstand, “It’s only nine thirty.”

 

“Do you hate mommy?”

 

“No, I just hate what she’s doing to us. Mommy’s are supposed to take care of families, not destroy them.” Samantha yawned, “Go back to sleep I’m tired.”

 

“Daddy’s not home either.”

 

“Then who’s watching us?”

 

“Grandma Lane is playing FreeCell on the computer.”

 

“Then okay. Let me get back to sleep.” Samantha let her head fall back down on the pillow.

 

Joanna sighed, “Fine, if you don’t want to talk to me then I’ll talk to my other sister.”

“Whatever.” Samantha moaned before dozing off.

 

 

Clark arrived home only minutes after leaving the center; quickly changing he noticed the light coming from the dining room where Ellen sat with Lois’ notebook obviously playing some kind of card game.

 

“Ellen?” Clark said softly to announce himself, trying to not to scare his mother in law.

 

Ellen turned in her chair to face him, “Clark.” She said simply, “So, how is she.”

 

“Good actually. This may work out after all.”

 

“Of course it will, when Lois sets her mind to something she does that. You of all people should know that by now.”

 

“Yep, I do.” Clark sat down across from Ellen. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

 

Ellen looked at the screen, then up at Clark and smiled, “Of course you can.” She closed the laptop, “I was losing anyway.” Folding her hands on top of the computer she smiled, “Ok, go right ahead.”

 

“I don’t understand alcoholism.” Clark started.

 

“You don’t understand it?”

 

“No I don’t. I mean what can turn someone into an addict and how can a substance that people usually use to celebrate with can cause someone to spin out of control.”

 

“Well, you know that feeling you get when you drink…”

 

“No, I don’t.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Alcohol doesn’t affect me; drinking it is like drinking water. It does nothing but go straight through me.”

 

“Oh, I see. I guess you’re lucky then. I really don’t know what to associate it with. Ok, here’s one, what makes you feel good?”

 

Clark blushed, “Lot’s of things.”

 

“Ok, without saying what I know we’re both thinking because I really don’t want to be thinking about it, imagine getting that feeling in a drink. See, alcohol just makes you feel good; it makes all your problems seem to disappear.”

 

“But if Lois has a problem then she can talk to me.”

 

“See, not everyone wants to talk about their problems, sometimes you just want them to go away and drinking can do that. It numbs you to reality. It makes you forget that your husband slept with everyone on the ward except for you.” Ellen sighed and closed her eyes, still fighting the urge after all these years to open up a bottle of bourbon. “Anyway, once you get used to that feeling, once your body gets used to having alcohol each and every moment you feel bad you start to feel bad if you don’t have it, and after awhile nothing feels good if you’re not drunk twenty four hours a day. You’re talking to someone with experience in the field Clark, I should have a PHD in booze.”

 

“How long did it take you to recover?”

 

“I hate to break it to you Clark but I’m still not fully recovered, you never really are. You just live each and every day resisting the urge to drink because just one can lead you back to where you started. I guess you could call it the thirteenth step that you never move up from.” Ellen yawned, “Well I had a busy day and after hearing Charlottes problems and now yours I need a much needed bath.”

 

“Charlottes problems?”

 

“Yeah, with her husband leaving, didn’t she tell you?”

 

“No, she didn’t…”

 

“Well, apparently he’s been having an affair with some twenty-one year old who just moved here to be an actress. She got some job on his show and they’ve been sleeping together for over a month. He didn’t even tell Charlotte until a few days ago, I can’t believe she didn’t tell you, after all you seemed so close.”

 

“I thought so too.” Clark sat amazed that such a sweet girl could be abandoned at the drop of a hat. Was love really that thin?

 

“Well, the tub is calling me. Sleep well ok.” Ellen said taking his hand and squeezing it before heading up the stairs to answer the bathtub.

 

Walking up to his bedroom Clark decided that tomorrow he would go talk to Charlotte; let her know that she wasn’t alone. Apparently, Clark would not be sleeping alone himself, turning on the master light to reveal two of his sleeping daughters already sacked out on his bed. He knew by the way she slept with her left thumb in her mouth, that the twin holding on to her baby sister’s hand was Joanna.

 

“Daddy…” Samantha’s tired voice said from the doorway.

 

Clark turned to his conscious daughter, “Yes sweetie?”

 

“Can I sleep with you?”

 

“It might be a little crowded, but sure hop on up, just don’t wake up your sisters.”

 

“Ok.” Samantha said walking to the other side of the bed and lying down with her back to her sisters. “When do we get to see mommy?”

 

“The first family day is next Saturday.” Clark said from the bathroom as he changed out of his clothes, as he folded the jeans over, Lois’ rings fell out of the pocket onto the cold bathroom tile.

 

Clark leaned over and picked up the gold rings, seeing how plain they looked when they weren’t on his wife’s finger.

 

“That’s five days away.” Samantha replied, sniffing.

 

Clark quickly put on his pajama bottoms and an undershirt and went back into the bedroom; “Well you have school tomorrow, so you don’t have to think about your mom.” Sitting on the edge of the bed next to his daughter Clark placed the rings on his nightstand, Joanna and Brittany were sleeping on Lois’ side of the bed, and Samantha was more in the middle. They fell asleep as a group who was missing the person who made them a family.

 

Birds were the first thing Lois heard as she awoke in her new domicile; her dry mouth stuck to the pillowcase as her eyes batted at the patio doors in front of her, and the lonely twin bed in which she lay.

 

Sitting up, Lois wiped the hair out of her face and got a better look at her surroundings, which caused a sudden pain to her heart and an ache in her stomach, for alcohol.

 

“What is wrong with me?” Lois cried out grabbing hold of her stomach, having not felt misery like this since she was pregnant.

 

Lois’ cries of confusion awakened her roommate, “IS this just hitting you now?” Julie asked.

 

But before she could respond Lois sprung to the bathroom, losing whatever substance was in her stomach.

 

“Welcome to detox.” Julie yawned before turning over to go back to sleep.

 

Remembering the joys of morning sickness, Lois fell back against the shower door, clutching her stomach and crying, not really knowing why the tears were falling, only knowing that she had to let them.

 

More annoyed by the crying and heaving then concerned, Julie got herself out of bed and went to comfort or confront her roommate.

 

“Ok, look you survived the last, what fifteen hours, you have twenty-seven days to go, they’re not all going to be spent puking. Well that is, unless you’re me.” Julie said standing in the doorway of the bathroom with her arms crossed. “It’s not even seven!” Julie continued after yawning a few times.

 

Lois continued to hold her stomach and cry, rocking back and forth, “I can’t do this, I can’t be here!”

 

Julie sighed and found herself remembering her first full day here; three days ago, she never left the toilet.

 

“Look Lois, your body is just ridding itself of the alcohol that’s still in your system. It sometimes takes awhile, look at me; I’m still a pizza face. Do you want a cigarette?”

 

“I don’t smoke.” Lois blubbered out.

 

“You will.”

 

Lois shook her head, “Never.”

 

“Whatever.”  Julie sighed again, “What do you want.”

 

“My husband.” Lois began to cry and shake harder missing the person she had neglected for so long and now feeling as if she would die without him.

 

Sighing for the third time, Julie walked away from the weeping mess of a reporter on the floor. How are you supposed to react when a woman you idolized your entire life turns out to be a basket case. Walking out to the balcony, Julie looked around at the quietness of the center. There were a few people walking around the garden, smelling flowers, a few others standing on their balconies having a drag. Every one of them could probably use a drink right now, just as Julie could and most defiantly as could Lois. After hearing her detoxing roommate heave again, while still obviously crying, Julie resorted to breaking rules.

 

“Um…how the hell do I do this anyway?” Julie started looking up at the sky, “The guy really needs a pager, not that I would be able to call him with a phone anyway…well I could…but it’s too early.” Julie continued talking to herself, relived in the fact that there was no one around to hear her mumbling, and Lois was too busy ridding her system of drugs and tears to notice anything else.

 

“Ok, here goes, I can’t yell because then someone will hear me, but hopefully you’ll hear me anyway; Superman, it would really be a good idea if you got your buns over here, your wife is kinda freaking out.” Julie said to the sky hoping that if anyone in the yard did hear her, that they would think she was talking to God, which a lot of people around there did.

 

Nothing. Never having been in this situation, Julie really didn’t know how to react.

 

“Geez…how the hell does one get his attention, what am I supposed to do, fall out the window?” Julie looked down at the maybe twenty feet to the hard concrete, and then shook her head, “Ain’t worth it. No matter how hot he may be.”

 

 

How can a person throw up so much if nothing is in their stomach? Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was loneliness, and maybe it was the fact that Lois hadn’t had a drink in two days and her body just noticed.

 

“I’m dying!” Lois moaned as she keeled over next to the commode.

 

Julie sat on her bed, chomping on five sticks of Wrigley’s Fruit Gum and blowing large bubbles that stuck to her face; doing her best to not want to vomit herself.

 

A gush of wind came through the open window and there stood the man in tights.

 

“Where is she?” Clark asked as he looked around the room.

 

Julie propped herself up on her elbows and popped another bubble, “Currently losing her breakfast, lunch and past twelve dinners. I really didn’t know how to call you.”

 

“I got the message.” Clark replied walking towards the bathroom where he found his wife practically licking the cold tile.

 

Clark kneeled down and gently rolled Lois over to face him.

 

“Clark…” Lois started but found that her mouth was too dry to continue speaking, not that she really knew what to say anyway.

 

“Is this normal?” Clark asked Julie as he picked Lois up into his arms, noticing that the color was lost in her face.

 

“Unfortunately it is. Just your body ridding itself of toxins, in this cases our friend Mr. Booze. I puked for three days straight, and lost about ten pounds in the process.”

 

Placing Lois on her bed Clark gave Julie a once over; she could stand to get those ten pounds back.

 

Lois moaned again and rolled over on her side.

 

“I’ve never seen her this sick! Are you absolutely sure this is normal?” Clark asked feeling how hot Lois’ forehead was.

 

“Yes, we’ve all been through the same thing, I swear. Would I lie to Superman?” Julie said almost sarcastically.

 

Clark ignored Julie’s sarcasm and walked back into the bathroom to get a cold towel, “This may not seem like much to you Julie, but this is my wife we’re talking about.”

 

“Yeah I know.”  Now Julie felt bad for her comments, “I guess I just didn’t see it from your point of view.”

 

“I can fix nearly anything, but I can’t fix this.” Clark placed the cold towel on Lois’s forehead, she jerked a little, but her head quickly fell back on the pillow.

 

“No one can fix diseases, not even Superman.” Julie looked at the clock on the nightstand, “You better go, if they find you in here there will be a lot of explaining to do.”

 

Clark nodded, “I know. Promise me you’ll keep an eye on her, I can’t lose her.”

 

“I know, I know all about you two. I think I studied you guys more then anything else in high school. I could have gotten an A in Lane and Kent.” Julie softly laughed, but not for very long, “She’ll be ok, you can bet my life on it.”

 

“I’ll remember that.” Clark said, smiling to Julie before exiting out the window.

 

Giving himself a few hours rest, while Brittany had her morning nap, Clark slept soundly on the couch until the doorbell awakened him.

 

Groggy, he answered the door, and was shocked into consciousness by the person who stood before him.

 

“Bonjour CK!” Jimmy greeted Clark.

 

“Jimmy? Aren’t you supposed to be in France?”

 

“Kelly has some fashion thing here, and of course I’m sitting there watching Jerry Lewis movies when she tells me this and I automatically think ‘who do I know who lives in LA!”

 

“I think I can answer that. Why don’t you come in.”

 

“Gladly.” Jimmy walked into the large house, Clark immediately noticing the two duffle bags he was carrying, “Look at this place! OH man you even have a pool!”

 

“Yeah…we do.”

 

“So, where’s Lois? I stopped by the station to surprise her and they said she was on some special assignment.”

 

“I guess you could say that.”

 

“So where is she? Covering fashion shows, peace conferences, dog shows?”

 

“Betty Ford.”

 

“OH cool, so she’s undercover as an alcoholic?”

 

Clark bit his lip, “No, she’s a patient.”

 

“Oh…” Jimmy now wished he could swallow the foot that was rammed in his mouth, “I didn’t realize.”

 

“No one did, until it was too late.”

 

Jimmy set his bags by the stairs and sat down on the couch in which Clark had been resting for the last three hours, and oh how he wished he could be resting now.

 

“Can I get you something to drink Jimmy?” Clark asked.

 

“Yeah sure, a beer would be great.” Now the other foot was in his mouth, “I mean water…water is good.”

 

Clark went into the kitchen and came back with a beer for Jimmy and a beer for him, even though drinking it wouldn’t do anything to him,  “It’s ok, beer wasn’t her forte anyway.”

 

“Thanks.” Jimmy said popping open the silver aluminum can.

 

A moment of uncomfortable silence came and went. Jimmy swallowed hard and looked down at his can, “Kelly left me.”

 

“Huh?” Clark replied to Jimmy’s admission, still in his own personal daze.

 

“Some guy in a beret. Painter or something; she said that I was suffocating her. That I complained about French food too much. When I woke up she was gone. I felt it best for me to leave.”

 

“I’m sorry Jimmy.” Clark replied placing the quickly emptied beer can on the coffee table, “I really am. You two looked very happy together.”

 

“Well, that’s what I thought. Goes to show what another country can do to your relationship.”

 

“Helloooo.” Ellen’s voice called out as she entered the house, bags of groceries hanging off her arms and a package resting on top of the industrial stroller in which her granddaughter occupied, yet now sleeping.

 

“Is that..” Jimmy started.

 

“Yes.” Clark finished standing up to help his mother in law with the bags.

 

Jimmy stood up as well, following Clark to the vestibule where Ellen stopped to put her purse and the package down.

 

“Oh…you’re that boy with the camera.” Ellen stated after noticing Jimmy as he took a bag from her.

 

Jimmy nodded.

 

“Jason right?”

 

“Um, Jimmy.”

 

“Oh..sorry.”

 

Clark returned from putting the bags in the kitchen and took the package from Ellen, “What’s this?”

 

“I had Sam mail them; they’re Lois’ old journals, I thought you might like to have them.”

 

“Oh..” Clark replied embarrassed, not really knowing if he should be reading his wife’s private thoughts from her childhood.

 

He really didn’t have time to think, because the phone began to ring, he rushed to answer it and was shocked that it was the principal of Samantha and Joanna’s school stating that she needed to see him or his wife immediately.

 

“Ellen, can you watch the house and Brittany a little longer, I have to go to the twin’s school.”

 

“That’s fine.” Ellen replied taking the sleeping toddler out of her stroller, “We’ll just take a little nap together.”

 

On the way to the staircase, Ellen looked at Jimmy and then Clark; not saying a word Clark knew exactly what she was thinking.

 

“Jimmy will be staying with us for a little while, can you show him the guest room.”

 

“Not hard, there’s only one empty room left in this house.” Ellen led Jimmy up the stairs as Clark exited the house.

 

“Your daughters are very very intelligent. But what they have in brains they lack in manners.” Was the