Chapter 4

[Kent Farm]

Even as everything unfolded in town, Martha planned dinner's next stage. In addition to the baking ham and scalloped potatoes, she shredded lettuce and some carrots for a salad. Glad Lana's getting interested in this. Wonder what sparked the sudden idea? She considered the cooling apple pie resting on its wire rack enjoying the wonderful fruit and cinnamon aromas filling the air. At the risk of getting apple crazy, maybe she might appreciate something else too. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out three apples—two Macintoshes and one red delicious—from the bottom tray. She cored and sliced them before setting the pieces with the other salad ingredients. Finally she dressed the salad in a light vinaigrette. "There." She ran her hand across her forehead. "Glad that's all done. That'll have a couple of hours to chill before dinner." She set the salad back in the fridge and closed the door.

Before she could do anything else however, the phone interrupted her train of thought. "Hope Jonathan's all right." She sighed knowing how much the grange's future meant to them all. The grain prices really need to come up. I just hope he won't need to stay overnight. "Good afternoon, Kent Farm."

"Hi, Mrs. Kent?" Miranda queried in the Talon's back room anxiously. She peered back out in the main area to where Lex talked to the still-angry girl.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"Sorry. I'm Miranda Arighatto. I'm a waitress at the Talon. So sorry to disturb you. Are either Clark or Lana there?" Miranda clarified.

Martha felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She could hear the fear and trepidation in the caller's voice. "They aren't expected back here until 6. Why? I thought Clark was there. Has something happened?"

"Uh…you might say that." Miranda bit her lip. "Clark had an accident here this afternoon. He was heading toward the corner booth from the counter. I guess he had a lot on his mind. He was also carrying a muffin and a coffee mug. No big deal except…."

"Except…except what?" Instinctual anxiety blossomed in her heart along with a touch of Jonathan's paranoia. "Miranda, what happened? Is he all right?"

The waitress grimaced. "That's…just it….I don't know. I'm sorry." She ran her hands through her dark brown hair nervously. "Anyhow this girl was sitting at one of the tables in front of him. Just as he passing by her, she shoves her chair out and gets up. She was talking away on her cell phone and not watching around herself. She rammed right into him. The coffee spilled on them both. He fell to the floor but got up. Lana and I got him to the booth. I got him a towel and some ice for his hand. I know he was really distraught over it but then he started freaking out."

"Freaking out?" Several possible scenarios ran through Martha's mind…none of them good.

"Clark started squinting. He had his hands over his face. One of the other customers noticed that he was looking at the napkin holder. Maybe there was something about his face? Anyhow he ran out of here. Lana ran after him. We haven't seen either of them since," Miranda continued. "Mrs. Kent, when they get there, can you have them call me? Lana has my cell. I just want to know if they're okay."

Martha shook her head. She knew that Clark had endured an extraordinary gauntlet for most of that year. Both she and Jonathan had hoped that his life was returning to normal. His grades had settled into their normal grove. For the most part, his friendships with Pete, Chloe, Lana and Lex were back on track. He'd even made a new friend in Sarah Conroy, the new "girl next door," who lived at the former Lang farm with her cousin, Nancy Rogers. He had resumed working on the Torch. He accomplished a great deal on the farm….

…Jor-El and Lionel had been practically invisible….

Everything had seemed to be going great.

Until now….

"Mrs. Kent?" Miranda queried jarring her from her mental ruminations.

Martha cleared her throat. "Sorry, Miranda, just considering some things. No, they haven't arrived yet." She exhaled deeply trying to collect her jangled nerves. "How is the girl?"

"She's got an ice pack on her hand. She's upset with Clark for bumping into her. I don't know why. She was obsessed with her phone and…." Miranda saw Sheriff Adams strutting into the café. "Oh terrific."

"Miranda?"

"Gotta go. Sheriff Adams just walked in. Can you have Lana call me please? Thank you. I'm sorry to trouble you with this. Sorry," Miranda concluded before hanging up.

And now Sheriff Adams? Martha rolled her eyes as she hung up the phone. Clark, what happened? She leaned against the wall; her brain frantically grasping at the facts from the phone call and piecing them back together.

Clark had a muffin and a coffee and was heading toward a booth…more than likely to read or something.

The girl in question wasn't paying attention and shoved her chair into him tripping him in the process.

Probably to protect his secret, he tried to act natural, hit the floor and act as if he'd burned his hand.

Lana helped him to sit down. That girl, Miranda, gave him an ice pack for the burn.

Clark's considering of his face and grabbing at the latter especially under the stressful circumstances reminded her of the circumstances under which his heat vision had manifested.

If he was about to lose control with the heat vision, that's why he ran out of there. So where is he now? And where's Lana? Martha sighed and dialed the phone. Given this turn of events, she knew Jonathan needed to know immediately.

"Hi, Sweetheart! This is a surprise!" Jonathan answered. "I'm just leaving the grange hall. We've got great news!"

"That's wonderful. Jonathan, how…soon…can you be back here?" Martha inquired anxiously. She hated to rain on his parade knowing how hard he'd worked to prepare for that meeting. Still with Clark being potentially in the Sheriff's and Lex's crosshairs again, it was necessary.

The farmer knew the anxious tone in his wife's voice well. He instinctively hustled to his truck and climbed quickly into the cab. "All right, Martha, what happened? Is Clark all right?"

"We…don't know."

"Don't know?" His frustration, fear and paranoia churned into a destructive mix. His stomach burned. He'd forgotten about the grange results. "Where was he?"

"He was at the Talon. He had an accident. Nothing major happened. Still he…may have had an incident with his heat vision. According to one of the waitresses, he was acting like he does when it's about to happen. He rushed out of the café normally before he burned the walls again in there. Still…." she started to explain.

"Still…what?" Jonathan grimaced while feeling a slight twinge in his chest. "Martha, did somebody see him?"

"Lana ran after him. Neither of them have been seen since," Martha reported. "Apparently Lex was talking with the girl who bumped into Clark. Sheriff Adams just showed up."

"Lex and Sheriff Adams? Terrific," Jonathan gruffly muttered. "Martha, I'll be there as soon as I can. Call the Rosses. Maybe Pete can help look for Clark. Last thing I want is for Clark to be on their radar again. If the kids show up, we need to make sure they're okay. I'll be there soon. Thanks for letting me know."

"You're welcome. Just be careful. You getting into an accident isn't going to help Clark either," she reminded him.

"I will. See you in about forty-five minutes," he concluded before hanging up. He turned the key in his truck and pulled out of the lot onto Route 90.

She hung up the call before dialing Pete's cell phone.

"Hey, Mrs. Kent! Everything all right?" Pete answered.

"Hi, Pete. Can you come over? We may need you." Through the front window, she saw Lana's blazer coming up the dirt driveway toward the house. Thank God! She exhaled in relief.

"Come over? Is it Clark? What's going on? Is he okay?" Pete wondered anxiously.

"I don't know. I'm sorry, Pete. If you can come over, we can find out together. Lana drove him back here. Thank you. I'll have dinner ready for everyone," Martha apologized.

"No sweat, Mrs. Kent. You know I've got Clark's back. Be right there," Pete assured her before hanging up.

As she set the phone down, another glance through the glass saw Lana supporting Clark as they walked tentatively toward the house. What happened? She headed for the door.

Time to get some answers….So much for apple night…..