Chapter 4: Helpless
~~~
"Jonathan, what about Luke?"
"Luke, cousin Luke? He's a family doctor, Martha, I don't think he could really help us."
"I don't think anyone can." replied Lana, "except maybe... there's only one person I can think of who could keep this all a secret and has the resources to help Clark."
"No way. We are not trusting Lex Luthor with *this.* Even if we could, he'd need to get a whole team of scientists and doctors, and you can't keep a secret this big with so many people involved."
"So what do we do?" asked Pete.
The four looked at each for answers, but came up with none.
"Martha, call cousin Luke. Tell him to get here as soon as he can. Other than that, for now there's nothing we can do but try to keep him warm and safe. And we definitely need to get him into the house. Pete, Lana, grab his legs."
The three awkwardly carried Clark's large frame down the ladder, into the house, and up to his room. Pete and Jonathan went down the hall to meet Mrs. Kent who had just come up the stairs after placing the phone call.
"Did you get a hold of cousin Luke?" asked Pete.
"Yes, he's on his way. I still don't know how we're going to explain this all to him."
"Luke's a good man, Martha, I think we can trust him. I'm sure he'll understand. I just hope he can help, cause if he can't, we're down the river without a paddle."
"But, we're not Jonathan. If he can't help Clark, we'll have to call Lex."
"Ever since Clark saved him on that bridge, they've been best friends and you know I don't think he'll take lightly to Clark lying to him all this time. We aren't calling Lex! This is Clark's life we're talking about. I'm not going to risk his life, hell, all our lives on Lex Luthor."
"The way things are, we might not have a life to risk! Is it really worth it? To let him die, rather than let his secret out? I won't do it, I'll tell the whole world Clark's secret if it meant someone, anyone could save my son!" cried Martha.
As Jonathan moved to comfort his wife, Pete took a seat on the stairs, placed his hands in his head before looking up at the ceiling. A disturbing silence fell over hall.
~~~
Relieved with finally being alone with him, Lana slipped into Clark's bed and wrapped her arm around his chest, the revelations she had uncovered about him still weighing heavy on her mind. Everything made sense now, how Clark always saved the day, how he rushed into danger whenever someone's live was a stake, how he made her feel so safe. All those years, thinking Clark was just shy... it was her meteor rock necklace that kept him at bay for so long. Not to mention the red class ring responsible for his unspeakable behaviour the other day. She felt horrible for all the pain she had caused him, and as she clutched him closer to her, she beseeched the powers that be to bring Clark back. 'I'll make it up to you, just come back to me. Come home.'
~~~
At first Dr. Luke Hogg was in awe of his cousin's son, but as the gravity of the situation was explained to him, he began examining Clark in earnest. He quickly realized he was in way over his head. Upon completion, the frustration was evident on his face.
"Well I'm at a loss for words. If he were human, I'd say he was in coma, but his core temperature is much too low, and his heartbeat has slowed to almost three beats a minute! I can't take a blood test, and from the tissue samples I've collected - well I'm not qualified to do any in-depth analysis of it. From what you've all told me about recent events, I can only give you one theory, but it's a big long shot at best."
"Alright, let's hear it." Jonathan said, his disappointment evident.
"A severe psycho-somatic response, possibly brought on by stress or emotional trauma."
"What?"
"His mind brought this on himself."
"Wait, so you're saying he put himself in a coma?" asked Lana, in disbelief.
"The mind is a very powerful thing, people with split-personalities for example, can develop different physiological responses depending on which personality is in control - one personality could be severely allergic to peanut butter, while the other would not. Now, case studies show people subjected to emotional stress have been known to develop physical symptoms like migraines, ulcers, even paralysis, but I've never heard of a psychosomatic coma. However, Clark is not human, so there's no way I can know for sure, I'm not sure anyone can."
"Do - do you think he can hear us?"
"I don't know."
~~~
Darkness surrounded him as he called out into the abyss. He was all alone in the night. He strained to hear what he thought were voices in the distance, but could not make them out. Resigned to the fact that he was indeed alone, he took stock of his surroundings. The ground was hard and frigid, and no matter how far he walked in any direction, there was no light, there was no life. This place was cold and barren, but for some reason felt much better now. Lying down on the ground he was glad to see there weren't any stars in the sky. There were no hopes and no dreams here, but also no one to hurt, and no one to disappoint.
~~~
~~~
"Jonathan, what about Luke?"
"Luke, cousin Luke? He's a family doctor, Martha, I don't think he could really help us."
"I don't think anyone can." replied Lana, "except maybe... there's only one person I can think of who could keep this all a secret and has the resources to help Clark."
"No way. We are not trusting Lex Luthor with *this.* Even if we could, he'd need to get a whole team of scientists and doctors, and you can't keep a secret this big with so many people involved."
"So what do we do?" asked Pete.
The four looked at each for answers, but came up with none.
"Martha, call cousin Luke. Tell him to get here as soon as he can. Other than that, for now there's nothing we can do but try to keep him warm and safe. And we definitely need to get him into the house. Pete, Lana, grab his legs."
The three awkwardly carried Clark's large frame down the ladder, into the house, and up to his room. Pete and Jonathan went down the hall to meet Mrs. Kent who had just come up the stairs after placing the phone call.
"Did you get a hold of cousin Luke?" asked Pete.
"Yes, he's on his way. I still don't know how we're going to explain this all to him."
"Luke's a good man, Martha, I think we can trust him. I'm sure he'll understand. I just hope he can help, cause if he can't, we're down the river without a paddle."
"But, we're not Jonathan. If he can't help Clark, we'll have to call Lex."
"Ever since Clark saved him on that bridge, they've been best friends and you know I don't think he'll take lightly to Clark lying to him all this time. We aren't calling Lex! This is Clark's life we're talking about. I'm not going to risk his life, hell, all our lives on Lex Luthor."
"The way things are, we might not have a life to risk! Is it really worth it? To let him die, rather than let his secret out? I won't do it, I'll tell the whole world Clark's secret if it meant someone, anyone could save my son!" cried Martha.
As Jonathan moved to comfort his wife, Pete took a seat on the stairs, placed his hands in his head before looking up at the ceiling. A disturbing silence fell over hall.
~~~
Relieved with finally being alone with him, Lana slipped into Clark's bed and wrapped her arm around his chest, the revelations she had uncovered about him still weighing heavy on her mind. Everything made sense now, how Clark always saved the day, how he rushed into danger whenever someone's live was a stake, how he made her feel so safe. All those years, thinking Clark was just shy... it was her meteor rock necklace that kept him at bay for so long. Not to mention the red class ring responsible for his unspeakable behaviour the other day. She felt horrible for all the pain she had caused him, and as she clutched him closer to her, she beseeched the powers that be to bring Clark back. 'I'll make it up to you, just come back to me. Come home.'
~~~
At first Dr. Luke Hogg was in awe of his cousin's son, but as the gravity of the situation was explained to him, he began examining Clark in earnest. He quickly realized he was in way over his head. Upon completion, the frustration was evident on his face.
"Well I'm at a loss for words. If he were human, I'd say he was in coma, but his core temperature is much too low, and his heartbeat has slowed to almost three beats a minute! I can't take a blood test, and from the tissue samples I've collected - well I'm not qualified to do any in-depth analysis of it. From what you've all told me about recent events, I can only give you one theory, but it's a big long shot at best."
"Alright, let's hear it." Jonathan said, his disappointment evident.
"A severe psycho-somatic response, possibly brought on by stress or emotional trauma."
"What?"
"His mind brought this on himself."
"Wait, so you're saying he put himself in a coma?" asked Lana, in disbelief.
"The mind is a very powerful thing, people with split-personalities for example, can develop different physiological responses depending on which personality is in control - one personality could be severely allergic to peanut butter, while the other would not. Now, case studies show people subjected to emotional stress have been known to develop physical symptoms like migraines, ulcers, even paralysis, but I've never heard of a psychosomatic coma. However, Clark is not human, so there's no way I can know for sure, I'm not sure anyone can."
"Do - do you think he can hear us?"
"I don't know."
~~~
Darkness surrounded him as he called out into the abyss. He was all alone in the night. He strained to hear what he thought were voices in the distance, but could not make them out. Resigned to the fact that he was indeed alone, he took stock of his surroundings. The ground was hard and frigid, and no matter how far he walked in any direction, there was no light, there was no life. This place was cold and barren, but for some reason felt much better now. Lying down on the ground he was glad to see there weren't any stars in the sky. There were no hopes and no dreams here, but also no one to hurt, and no one to disappoint.
~~~