tests of a new mother

[slayers_desire]

April and Jonathan went shopping today. The new mother decided to travel into Smallville to avoid the noise and confusion of Metropolis itself. And shopped at the flea market, and a couple of small-town places that she knew would provide approprate supplies at good prices.

Her best find of the day was a small wooden music box. It had an older tree feeling to it, which she particulary liked. And felt would be a good addition to the nursery.

Jonathan was tired when they returned home. So April placed him in the crib, and quietly took out the music box to gently play for him while he slept.

Two seconds after leaving the nursery, Jonathan started to cry with a piercing scream. Quickly, April returned to the nursery. She could feel that he was in pain... so gently she picked him up. And attempted to soothe him. She could not figure out why he was in such pain however.

And her first attempts to soothe him didn't work. Holding him, April left the nursery and headed into the living room to call Dr. Hamilton. Jonathan calmed slightly, but still whimpered.

Comments

[slayers_desire]

He is in pain. I can't tell why

[kalel_ofkrypton]

That has him even more concerned. It could just be first-time-mother jitters, but he doubts it very much. Not with April. I'll come home and see if I can help. If only to keep her company while they try to deal with this new situation.

[slayers_desire]

Thank you April doesn't figure that this is first-time jitters. Something is wrong with her son. She can feel it.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Hang in there. And give Jonathan my love. He's not sure how long it will take to make his excuses, but he doesn't plan to delay any longer than he has to either.

[slayers_desire]

Jonathan still is rubbing his ears, his eyes wet. He is not crying as much right now. But something is still bothering him.

"I wish you could talk, little one." April kissed his forehead.

[jla_npc]

Emil arrives at the apartment building. He has a small bag in hand, and presses the button that calls the Kent apartment so they can allow him access to the elevator.

Once she lets him in, he goes straight there, ready to check Jonathan over.

[slayers_desire]

"Thanks for coming so quickly Dr. Hamilton." April shows him where Jonathan is lying on the floor. The small child was still whimpering.

[jla_npc]

"You're quite welcome." He's already getting out some of his diagnostic tools, glad that Jonathan is still too young to find them frightening, only new. "Hello there, Jonathan. I'm going to have a look in your ears, and see if there's anything that might make you hurt." Even though the baby is too young to understand the words, Emil is used to working with kids, and sometimes the tone of voice is better than anything else.

"Could you hold him while I examine him?" he asks April.

[slayers_desire]

"Of course." April gently lifts her child up off the floor, and holds him so that Dr. Hamilton could examine Jonathan.

While a little curious about the Doctor and the tools, Jonathan whimpers softly. He is too upset to play right now.

[jla_npc]

For his part, Emil is gentle when he has to peek into the newborn's ears, but he does frown at what he sees. He checks the other ear, just to be sure. "Normally with an ear infection, the eardrum becomes reddened and inflamed," he tells April, keeping his voice low and even, to help keep the baby at ease. "I don't see any signs of infection."

[slayers_desire]

"So it is not an infection." But Jonathan still rubs his ears and whimpers.

"What else could it be?"

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Emil might suggest perhaps it's a noise, but all he hears besides the usual apartment sounds is a music box, and that's normally a soothing sound for young children. So he doesn't think to mention it. "I'm not sure. Perhaps an itch he doesn't know how to scratch..."

While the exam is happening, Clark arrives downstairs, making his way to the elevator.

[slayers_desire]

"An itchy ear causes such a painful reaction?"

Once Clark arrives on their floor, he will note a slight pain himself from the musical sounds from inside the apartment.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Not normally, no. But most infants don't have a mother who can tell exactly how they're feeling." Emil's only guessing as he tries to narrow down what the problem might be.

Clark doesn't draw the connection between the music and the pain right away, although it confuses him. The last time his ears hurt was the first time he heard Black Canary's sonic scream, and there's nothing like that here. It's inducing a mild headache though, as he opens the apartment door. "April?"

[slayers_desire]

"Hi Clark." April is still worried. She doesn't have any answers. And doesn't seem to be affected by the painful sound created by the music, which is coming from the nursery.

"Dr. Hamilton ruled out an ear infection."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

His frown deepens. "It's his ears that are hurting... When did this start?"

[slayers_desire]

"About half-an-hour ago, after we came home from shopping."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"What did you buy?" He doesn't recognize the music, and that has his attention. Still, there's no reason to suspect it above all else... maybe Jonathan has an allergy or something.

[slayers_desire]

"A few groceries, some clothing, and a music box." April doesn't know why he asked. But figured he thinks it might have a connection.

Jonathan gives a whimpering cry to his father.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"I know, buddy, I feel it too," Clark tells his son sympathetically, and gives a significant look to April. "Something must have changed between buying them and bringing them back... is that the music box I'm hearing?" He starts heading towards the nursery, seeking out the source of the sound.

"You think it's the music?" Emil asks with a puzzled look.

[slayers_desire]

April starts walking towards the nursery too, but Jonathan's cries get louder and she has to stop following her husband.

The music box looks innocent enough. But Clark will feel that sickening feeling from it.

"It was the nursery where he started crying, after I started playing it."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark recognizes that familiar twist of nausea, and it burns more intensely as he gets close to the music box. He has to back off before he gets close to it. "Emil... can you turn it off please?"

"Of course." The doctor doesn't feel a thing, naturally, and is easily able to switch off the gentle tune.

[slayers_desire]

April recognized that pain from her husband, since he has felt it enough. "Kryptonite? There is kryptonite in the music box?"

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"There has to be. I can't get near it." And when the music stops, so does the pain in his ears, though he still can't approach the box without feeling the familiar burn.

He hadn't known that kryptonite could be transmitted through sound... but it does make sense. After all, he once managed to blind himself by reflecting his own heat vision off of kryptonite.

[slayers_desire]

Jonathan also stops crying when the music stops. But he still whimpers softly, as if trying to figure out what happened.

April looks down at their child. "Jonathan was reacting to the Kryptonite." It makes sense. She couldn't be around the meteor rock while pregnant.