Title: Surprises

Rating: PG

Spoilers: For episode # 12 "Leech" and some speculation.

Disclaimer: I do not own Clark…oh, come on guys, can't I just…*men behind her threaten her with scalpel* Ok, ok, I don't own them! But I own Jared, Mr. Robins, Nurse Kelley, and Julie!



Clark shook. He opened his eyes. Everything was blurry and he was wet. He could hardly remember what had happened…oh yes, it was raining, Jared had asked him to help him get something out of his truck…it all came rushing back to him. He sat up. It was still pouring. He looked to his left. He looked to his right. Jared wasn't there. Where could he be? Clark wondered why Jared had just left him there. He got up and shook his head. He felt very weak. He stumbled. He walked over to a car and leaned against it, holding his head in his hands. His head was killing him, as were his back and stomach. He stood up straight and shook his head again. He slowly made his way back inside the school. He walked to his class and walked in. Mr. Robins looked up.

"Clark? Why are you so late? And why are you soaking wet?" he inquired.

"Um," Clark stammered, "I uh…I was helping Jared with something. We were getting something from his truck."

"OK…well, would you like to have a seat or are you going to stand there looking like you just got struck by lighting?"

Clark raised his eyebrows. Oh, the irony. A few of his classmates laughed. He made his way to his seat, but his head was still pounding. He lay it down on his desk.

Julie McGurk looked at Clark, concerned. She leaned over and whispered, "Clark, are you OK? You look terrible."

Clark looked at her. "Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine, Julie, thanks."

Julie looked skeptical. She shrugged and went back to reading her book. Clark sighed and lay his head back down. The bell rang. It made his head feel as if a thousand needles were being shoved into his brain. He groaned.

"OK, people, pages 201-209 and do question one through eight on page 207, got it?" Mr. Robins ordered as students shuffled out of the class for lunch. Clark trudged through the hallway, making his way to the lunchroom. Two pairs of feet ran up next to him to join him.

"Clark, are OK? You look like crap!" Chloe said.

"Yeah, man, you look sick," Pete added.

"Gee, thanks, guys. I don't know, it's my head, I…" Clark began. He couldn't take it anymore. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out, falling unconsciously to the floor.

"Oh, my God! Help, somebody call the nurse or something!" Chloe yelled, as she and Pete dropped to the floor to check on Clark. Students ran to find the nurse and some teachers while Chloe and Pete asked Clark if he could hear them, without successful results. Mr. Robins, Principal Kwan, and the school nurse came running up.

"What happened?" Principal Kwan inquired.

"I…I don't know, he just collapsed and…I don't know…" Chloe stammered as Pete looked on, concerned. The nurse bent down and checked his pulse. Principal Kwan and Mr. Robins bent down to help the nurse pick Clark up and took him to the nurse's office. Chloe and Pete followed.

Thirty minutes later, Chloe, Pete, and Lana were sitting outside the nurse's office waiting for an update on Clark.

"So, he just…collapsed?" Lana asked.

"Yeah, he was saying something about his head and he just went down," Pete replied.

Chloe and Lana exchanged glances. They were both extremely worried about their friend. Nurse Kelley opened the door and walked out.

"He woke up, you can come in and see him if you'd like," she said, with a comforting smile. Lana, Chloe, and Pete got up and walked in. Clark was lying on the bed, his legs hanging off the edge a little as a result of his tallness. Mr. Robins was leaning against a wall.

"Hey, Clark, how are you feeling?" Lana asked.

Clark shrugged. "I feel fine. I just want to get out of here, nurse's offices aren't really my thing."

Lana laughed. "So, what happened?"

"I, uh…I don't know, really," Clark replied.

"Clark, you said you were outside before you fainted," Mr. Robins put in, "did anything happen out there?"

"I was helping Jared get something out of his truck, it was pouring and…and then…there was lighting and it hit me…" Clark said, straining to remember exactly what had happened.

Lana gasped. "Clark, how are you still here?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah, you should have been burned to a crisp!" Chloe said.

"Thanks for the comforting thought, Chloe," Clark said, "but I don't know. I don't really remember what happened." He looked at Mr. Robins, who looked worried. "What's wrong? I…I'm OK, aren't I?" he asked.

"I think we're going to leave that decision to the doctors, Clark," Mr. Robins started.

"Doctors? No, I…I can't go to the hospital!" Clark exclaimed.

"Calm down, Clark, I'm going to go call your parents to come down and we'll take it from there, OK?" Mr. Robins said. He didn't wait for a reply and left the office, leaving Clark open-mouthed and confused.

"What's the matter, Clark? Afraid of the doctor?" Chloe asked, teasingly. Clark didn't give her an answer. He just sat on the bed, thinking about what would happen if he went to the doctor and they found out what he was.

"Clark?" he heard Lana ask, bringing him back to reality. He looked up.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"Um, yeah, I'm…I'm fine. Hey, where's Jared?" he asked urgently, shaken by the sudden thought of Jared, remembering that he had been struck by the stray lighting as well.

"Oh, well, I don't know. I'm sure he's fine, Clark, look at you, you're going to be OK." Clark looked at the ground. "Yeah…yeah, right," he said, quietly. He sighed. He tried to get up, but he stumbled and Pete ran to help him as he steadied himself. Clark held a hand up.

"I'm fine, Pete, don't worry," he told him.

Mr. Robins walked back into the office. "Well, Clark, your parents will be here to pick you up. I told them they should take you to a doctor, but they figure you're a strong kid and they're not going to take you unless you have another dizzy spell."

Clark felt relieved. "Thanks, Mr. Robins," he said. The teacher smiled and left the office once again, to teach his class.

"Oh, my baby!" Martha exclaimed as she ran into the nurse's office to hug her son. She kissed him on the cheek a few times.

"Mom," Clark mumbled, embarrassed.

"No, don't you 'mom' me, young man, you scared me!" Martha replied, firmly.

Clark smiled. "Don't worry mom, I'm OK."

"You sure about that, son?" his dad's booming voice asked. Clark looked up to see his father standing in the doorway.

"Positive, dad," he said. Jonathan walked to his son, saying a quick hello to Lana, Chloe, and Pete. He ruffled his son's hair. He had been worried because Clark, the kid who had never been sick or remotely injured before, the kid who could walk through fire, unscathed, had been hit by lighting. His only son had been hit by lighting and passed out. He had been so afraid, but looking at him now, he seemed fine and untouched as if it had never happened.

"You ready to go home, son?" he asked.

"Yeah, dad, ready and waiting," Clark said, his mother still kissing his scrunched up face.

"Alright, let's get a move on…Martha, this is the part where you let him free and we help him to the truck," Jonathan said, teasing Martha. She glared at him, but couldn't keep it and broke into a smile. She looked at her son.

"Let's go, honey," she said, lovingly. Clark got up and started to walk with his parents, who were ready to catch him if he tripped, but turned to his friend.

"Thanks, guys, for waiting here. You didn't have to."

"Hey, Clark, that's what friends are for," Chloe said.

"Yeah, man, we weren't going to leave our best friend in here without anyone to hang out with," Pete added. Clark smiled. He started to walk again.

"Clark," he heard Lana say. He turned. "Get better soon, OK?"

He smiled again. "Thanks, Lana, I will."

Martha and Jonathan led Clark to the car and drove him home.



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Jared sat behind the school examining his hands. He had seen Julie a moment before and had told her to meet him there.

"Jared?" he heard her call.

"Julie, I'm over here," he whispered.

She walked around the corner. "Jared? Whatcha doin? Why are you whispering?"

Jared continued to look at his hands. They seemed to him to be…glowing.

"Jared?" Julie whispered.

"Julie…I think I have a new secret." Jared said as his face broke into a seemingly evil smile.







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