"Sweetheart, you only had two helpings at dinner," his mom said, coming up the loft steps with a slice of cake roughly the size of her head.
Clark sped over and took the plate and gestured to the sofa. "Mom, you've been sick. You shouldn't be carrying stuff aroud for me."
She waved her hand and leaned against his desk. "I feel amazing. I don't know what your ship did, baby, but I feel so much better than I have in years."
He sighed and started digging into his slice of chocolate chocolate cake. "I'm glad. I'm so sorry-"
"The spores can't be your fault too. I was the one getting preserves in the storm cellar. It was my fault."
He frowned. "Mom? Why were you getting jam out of there anyway? It's not like anyone has eaten any of that stuff in over a year."
His mom sighed and looked away. "I just thought it would be a nice change of pace."
"Well it was in a way," he replied. "Just try and be more careful. We know now that there is more around the farm that can be dangerous for all of us."
"You too. I was so worried when I heard you'd been sick. I never thought there'd be something out there that could hurt you too."
"Yeah, but luckily Chloe healed me."
"Clark-"
"Mom," he insisted, setting down his plate. "I'm serious. I know I can't prove it exactly, but I know I was dying, Chloe came in, I got instantly better."
"Do you think you were dying?" his mom asked, concern coloring her words.
"I honestly don't know. I had the highest fever I've ever had, the only one I've ever had outside of green meteor rocks, and you flatlined. I think without Chloe that I'd be dead. I really do."
"You've saved her life so many times."
"This isn't about evening stuff out or being even."
"I know this. I meant that you've been where she is, if you're right. You've been in that place, where you had to hope she'd let it go. I know she's had her bumps along the way, but she has dropped it when it mattered to you."
"I know and I know now I ower her, but I can't stop thinking about things. Mom, I really think Chloe's in trouble."
She started to stand and sighed. "How do you mean?"
"I think someone's after her."
"Why would you...oh, goodness," his mom said, swaying and passing out. She'd have fallen if not for him catching her with his speed.
Clark's mind was spinning. His world was shifting, unsteady as sand dunes. His mother wasn't feverish but she couldn't be woken up. He'd tried and when he couldn't, he'd taken her to the sofa in the living room and had his dad try. Neither of them could tell what it was but they were scared that the ship hadn't cured her after all. Considering the alien nature of both her ailment and her vaunted cure, neither of them thought it was safe to take her back to the hospital.
But he was sent to get Dr. Bryce.
Dr. Bryce who his dad was only now just informing him had seen his blood. Dr. Bryce who had to know what he was.
His mom could be dying. His best friend might be some dead girl named Lois Lane, and a doctor had seen his blood. Hell, suddenly his dad wasn't so anti-doctor. How did any of this make sense. His heart hammering in his chest, Clark knocked on the door and waited for Helen to answer.
"Not now! I said no residents!"
"Dr. Bryce...Helen? It's me Clark?"
The door opened immediately and he tried to ignore the predatory grin on her face. "Clark. I'd been dying to see you. How are you feeling? Your recovery and your mom's are nothing short of remarkable."
"Can I come in? I don't want to talk outside."
Her grin widened. "Of course you wouldn't. Come right in. There's a stool by the table."
He nodded and slung one leg over the metal stool and sat down. "Dr. Bryce, I don't know what you saw about me, but I can assure you that Smallville has always had oddities since the shower. There are people out there, no matter what the CDC and EPA say, who have been changed."
"Oh I'm aware. I've had patients with different abilities and Lex's own white blood cell count is astronomical, even beyond what you'd expect from a meteor mutant. Well, of course, except for one, but he's a special case indeed."
"Lex?"
"Everyone knows he's been changed because of how he lost his hair. A friend as close as you, has to know how many things he's survived, how many incidents."
"I do, but does Lex know what you're doing?"
"We're looking into it together. It's a project. I want to know more about the rocks and he wants to know more about what has happened to him. It's mutual fascination."
"He likes you poking around in his DNA?"
"His blood, actually. Of course he approved it. Fringe benefit of dating a Harvard-trained doctor."
Clark swallowed and suddenly it felt really warm in there. "I...look I can explain. If you know about the meteor infection then that's me."
"No," Helen answered, sauntering towards him. This time Clark tried to stand back up and tripped instead, landing backwards onto the floor. Groaning, he picked himself up and blushed at the huge crack he'd left in the tile of the office floor. She nodded. "That's quite an ability you have there, but I doubt that's all of what you can do."
"Look, you can't control how the rocks work, they just do."
"You're not a mutant. In fact, you were never human."
Every nightmare he'd ever had started with a person in a white coat glaring at him like this. "I was...I am."
She snorted and tossed him a slide. "This is all I have left of your blood sample. I destroyed the rest when I realized I couldn't help you. I have no idea what saved you, but it wasn't anything modern science can do. I know from Lex that you prefer astronomy-and I have no doubt why now-but how much biology do you know."
"It's actually my worst subject. I really don't like it."
"I suppose you wouldn't. You can feel free to destroy the evidence. I would and have all else I had. I was saving this for you in case you ever wanted to know a little bit more about yourself."
"I really don't."
"You're not human."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
She nodded. "Understood, I know you'd never cop to it, but we both know that I know and we both shouldknow that I'll never say a word, but take a look on the slide."
"I'd rather not."
"I know you're adopted. Even if I didn't, I've seen both your parents' bloodwork. They don't have chloroplasts."
Clark blinked. He'd had a little bit of cell biology this semester. He wasn't great at it or overly interested by he must have been mistaken. "I'm sorry; I don't understand."
Helen took the slide back from him. Pulling out a lighter, she burned underneath the slide, letting it go black and singed, ruining it for him. "Neither do I. You, Clark Kent, process sunlight like a plant. Now tell me again how human you are."
