He rushed over and knelt beside her.
"Oh god…Lana!"
Her breathing was shallow and she lay very still. She looked calm, almost peaceful. Like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White waiting for her prince to come rescue her. The rest of the chaotic scene looked less like a fairy tale and more like the an episode of "C.S.I." Lana's crumpled body lay on the floor between the wall and the counter. Blood spattered the wall behind her where she'd been hit, and then fallen. Shards of glass from the broken vase littered the ground, clung to her clothes, and caught in her hair. The red roses he'd sent her were scattered around, another piece of evidence amid the messy debris field. Lana's cell phone was on the ground, a few feet from her outstretched hand. The last number dialed on it was 911 and it was still connected. Clark heard a voice on the line and picked it up.
"Hello? Miss? Are you all right? Do you require medical assistance? Are you there?"
"I need an ambulance sent to The Talon on Main Street right away!" Clark said, rushed.
"One will be dispatched immediately sir. Please stay on the line."
He dropped the phone anyway, and it stayed on the floor.
Clark picked her up carefully, cautiously, and held her in his arms. Her thin body shuddered violently and her eyes shot open. They were filled with pain and terror. Her mouth opened and closed again, as if she was trying to say something, but no words came out. Clark knew that she was going into shock. She put her hand to her head, and pulled it away quickly. Blood trickled down her face like crimson tears. She weakly grabbed his shirt. Her grip tightened on it for a moment. She was panicked; disoriented and confused.
"Clark…" she whispered, her eyes pleading.
He held her closer and tried to keep her warm. She was so cold.
"Clark," she said again.
"Shh…" he said soothingly. He put a finger to her lips to silence her. "You're going to be okay. You're going to be fine…you're going to be fine," he repeated. He was saying this more for his own sake than hers. He didn't believe it and he was sure she didn't either. The truth was, she looked pretty dazed. He wasn't even sure if she could actually hear him.
He heard sirens in the distance, getting closer. Her grip on his shirt loosened and her hand went limp. It left behind a smudged, bloody handprint.
Lana's eyes were still open, but they wouldn't focus and her breathing becoming increasingly labored. Clark used his x-ray vision to look outside. The ambulance was approaching. Time moved slowly. It seemed as if he had been waiting on the floor of The Talon with Lana forever, but it had really only been a couple minutes since he's arrived and found her.
Lana's eyes rolled back in her head. He touched her face and smoothed her hair.
"Hey," he whispered. His heart pounded loudly in his chest. He wondered if she could feel it. "Lana…come on…they're almost here." She didn't respond. Her head fell back and she was unconscious again. Clark didn't know if he should move her. He scanned her body for broken bones. There didn't appear to be any. He supported her head on his shoulder.
"Lana…hold on." He lifted her up and carried her outside, as the ambulance pulled up in front of The Talon.
Two EMT's jumped out of the back and wheeled out a stretcher. They silently took Lana from Clark's arms, placed her swiftly on the stretcher, and loaded it into the ambulance. Finally one of them said, "Are you coming?"
Clark nodded and climbed in back. The EMT's worked on Lana, while a third drove to the hospital. One of them, a woman, checked her blood pressure. "BP is eighty over fifty-five and dropping." The man threw a blanket over Lana and grabbed an IV bag. "Tube her," he instructed his colleague. She nodded and fed a line through Lana's arm.
Clark spoke. "What are you doing to her? Is she going to be okay?"
"She's in severe shock due to head trauma. We're trying to keep her blood pressure up by giving her fluids," she said, pointing at the intravenous line.
His breath caught in his throat. "Is she going to be okay?" he repeated.
She shook her head. "I don't know. It's too soon to tell."
They pulled into the hospital emergency care drop-off. A doctor met them outside and guided them through the busy hallway.
"What have we got?"
The woman EMT answered. "Caucasian female, mid-teens, suffered severe trauma to the head, possible internal bleeding as well. Her blood pressure's dropped and her pulse is weak. She's in shock."
The doctor nodded. "Take her up to the OR, room fourteen and prep Doctor Olsen."
Clark gripped Lana's hand tightly, but reluctantly let go when the accompanying nurse gave him a harsh look. The doctor turned to him. "Hi, I'm Doctor Sykes, you're going to have to wait out here." He motioned to the waiting room. Clark sighed and took a seat. Doctor Sykes hurriedly ran into the OR, leaving Clark by himself.
'This can't be happening,' Clark thought. Two weeks ago he was dating the girl of his dreams and life was almost perfect. How quickly that life had unraveled. He recalled the events of the last couple months. The incident with Whitney that had turned Lana into front-page news for The Torch. That first night, after he'd walked her home, when she kissed him. The following evening, when he asked her to Spring Formal and then to be his girlfriend. Things, even then, had seemed so much simpler. He'd never imagined that in such a short amount of time, so much could be changed.
The dance had been an obvious disaster, and the aftermath was even worse. And now that he knew what had really happened, he felt horribly guilty about the way he'd treated Lana. She had tried to tell him, but he wouldn't hear her. And now, he was sitting in the hospital emergency room.
He kept telling himself that it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help imagining different scenarios in which he had tried harder or run faster to get to her. Maybe he would have gotten there in time to prevent it. Thinking about it didn't help. It only made it worse.
After an hour a nurse came in to talk to Clark. He was sitting there, dazed and had not noticed her approach him. She tapped him three times before he finally looked up.
"Sorry," he muttered apologetically.
"Were you the young man who came in with the pretty brunette a little while ago?"
Clark stood up. "Yes, is she okay?" he asked urgently.
"She's still in surgery. I'm going to need to ask you a few questions. The police are already investigating the matter, and they'll be by soon to speak with you. I just need to ask you some basic questions. The young lady--."
"Lana Lang."
She nodded. "I need contact numbers for her parents."
"She lives with her aunt. Nell is on business in Metropolis. I don't have any way to reach her." He thought for a moment. "I think I might know someone who would have her cell number. Let me make a call."
"The pay phone is over there."
Clark took a quarter out of his pocket and dialed the number of the only person who might be able to contact Nell. Lex Luthor. He picked up on the first ring, not surprising since at eleven o'clock at night, Lex was probably still working.
"Lex?" he choked.
"Clark?" he replied, sounding alarmed. "What's wrong?"
"It's Lana. I'm at the hospital. There's been an accident. I need Nell's number."
"Slow down! What kind of accident?"
"I don't really know…I think it's pretty bad."
"Okay Clark, I'll take care of it. Have you called your parents?"
"No."
"They're probably worried. I'll call them."
"Thanks Lex."
"I'll be there in half an hour."
Clark hung up the phone and returned to the waiting room, where two grim looking police officers were waiting to take his statement.
Lex went through his palm pilot and made a few calls. Nell was asleep in her hotel room in Metropolis. She got dressed and left to meet the helicopter that would be picking her up and transporting her to Smallville. Next he called the Smallville Medical Center and used his pull to bribe one of the attendants into giving him information on Lana's condition. With this new information, Lex arranged for a team of neurologists from Metropolis General to be flown out by private jet. It was the middle of the night, but he was a Luthor and people rarely refused his requests. Finally, he called the Kent's and filled them in. They were still up, worrying about their son, when Lex called to give them the news. They left for the hospital around the same time Lex did. He got into his silver Porsche and drove, speeding towards the hospital. On the way there, he passed The Talon. Police cars lit up the usually quiet street. Caution tape blocked off the entrance.
Lex lowered the window and motioned for one of the officers to approach the car.
"Mr. Luthor, what are you doing here?"
"I'm on my way to visit a friend. What happened here? Why wasn't I notified immediately?"
"Uh, sir, it's almost midnight. We didn't want to disturb you. You were to be notified in the morning. It looks as if it may have been an attempted robbery, although there's no money missing."
"Nope. Not a robbery." Another police officer came up behind him and approached the car. "I just got back from the medical center. Took the statement of the young man who brought Lana in. He thinks it was some sort of intentional attack, some boy from her school. His parents have been contacted, but he hasn't been home since this afternoon. He may be looking to skip town. We're notifying the bus and train stations right now to be on the look out."
"Thank you officers."
"No problem Mr. Luthor."
Lex rolled up his window and sped off.
Clark had spent the last half hour filling out forms for the hospital and giving the police what little information he knew. They had been patient, but obviously, rushed. Finally, Lex arrived. He walked straight up to Clark and started talking.
"Any word on Lana?"
Clark shook his head sadly and avoided looking into his eyes.
Lex looked around and checked his watch. "Is my team here yet?"
"What team?" Clark asked quizzically.
"I had a team of specialists flown in from Metropolis General to treat Lana. They're the best in the state Clark."
He nodded. "Thanks Lex," he said softly. "You didn't have to do that." He paused. "But, I'm glad you did."
"Nell is being choppered in. Your parents are on their way."
Clark nodded again. They were both silent for a moment, taking it all in. There was nothing else to say.
"I'm going to go get an update," Lex announced after a moment.
He returned after a few minutes. "Nothing new."
"Okay," Clark responded.
A nurse came up behind Lex and tapped him on the shoulder. "Sir, your team is here."
Lex nodded.
"Should I have them prepped for surgery?"
"Yes. And I want updates every half hour," he instructed.
"I think I can arrange that Mr. Luthor."
"Thank you." She turned and walked away and a few minutes later, four men in white coats rushed hurriedly passed them into the OR.
"Where's Nell?" Clark asked inquisitively.
"I don't know. She should be here any minute now."
As if on cue Nell came through the sliding doors.
"Where is she? Where's Lana? What happened?" Her voice was panicky, her cheeks flushed.
"She's in the OR right now. I've had a team of neurologists flown in from Metropolis; they just got here. We haven't heard anything in a while though."
"I don't understand. Why neurologists?"
"I'm not sure. All they're saying is that there's been severe head trauma. I called in the best people I could get."
"Thank you Lex," she said wearily. "I appreciate that."
One of the Metropolis doctors walked out and joined the three of them.
"Well?"
He sighed. "Right now we're looking at a severe skull fracture, caused by blunt trauma to the head—."
"It was a vase," Clark said, interrupting.
The doctor nodded. "That's plausible. It's consistent with the wound pattern."
"Is she going to be alright?" Nell asked.
"Well, she lost a lot of blood before she got here, although a transfusion shouldn't be necessary. That's the good news. The bad news is that with these sorts of injuries, there's no way of telling the extent of the damage until she wakes up. There could be possible brain damage. Also, her auto immune system has been weakened by the blood loss, which will lessen her chances of a fast recovery. Right now though, she's no longer in shock, and her blood pressure and pulse are back to normal. That's good. She's stable for the moment. She'll be in Room Nineteen, Third Floor within the hour if you want to see her."
Nell nodded thankfully. "Thank you Doctor…"
"Kaysen. Doctor Kaysen." He shook her hand.
Nell sat down, exhausted.
"Oh god…Lana!"
Her breathing was shallow and she lay very still. She looked calm, almost peaceful. Like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White waiting for her prince to come rescue her. The rest of the chaotic scene looked less like a fairy tale and more like the an episode of "C.S.I." Lana's crumpled body lay on the floor between the wall and the counter. Blood spattered the wall behind her where she'd been hit, and then fallen. Shards of glass from the broken vase littered the ground, clung to her clothes, and caught in her hair. The red roses he'd sent her were scattered around, another piece of evidence amid the messy debris field. Lana's cell phone was on the ground, a few feet from her outstretched hand. The last number dialed on it was 911 and it was still connected. Clark heard a voice on the line and picked it up.
"Hello? Miss? Are you all right? Do you require medical assistance? Are you there?"
"I need an ambulance sent to The Talon on Main Street right away!" Clark said, rushed.
"One will be dispatched immediately sir. Please stay on the line."
He dropped the phone anyway, and it stayed on the floor.
Clark picked her up carefully, cautiously, and held her in his arms. Her thin body shuddered violently and her eyes shot open. They were filled with pain and terror. Her mouth opened and closed again, as if she was trying to say something, but no words came out. Clark knew that she was going into shock. She put her hand to her head, and pulled it away quickly. Blood trickled down her face like crimson tears. She weakly grabbed his shirt. Her grip tightened on it for a moment. She was panicked; disoriented and confused.
"Clark…" she whispered, her eyes pleading.
He held her closer and tried to keep her warm. She was so cold.
"Clark," she said again.
"Shh…" he said soothingly. He put a finger to her lips to silence her. "You're going to be okay. You're going to be fine…you're going to be fine," he repeated. He was saying this more for his own sake than hers. He didn't believe it and he was sure she didn't either. The truth was, she looked pretty dazed. He wasn't even sure if she could actually hear him.
He heard sirens in the distance, getting closer. Her grip on his shirt loosened and her hand went limp. It left behind a smudged, bloody handprint.
Lana's eyes were still open, but they wouldn't focus and her breathing becoming increasingly labored. Clark used his x-ray vision to look outside. The ambulance was approaching. Time moved slowly. It seemed as if he had been waiting on the floor of The Talon with Lana forever, but it had really only been a couple minutes since he's arrived and found her.
Lana's eyes rolled back in her head. He touched her face and smoothed her hair.
"Hey," he whispered. His heart pounded loudly in his chest. He wondered if she could feel it. "Lana…come on…they're almost here." She didn't respond. Her head fell back and she was unconscious again. Clark didn't know if he should move her. He scanned her body for broken bones. There didn't appear to be any. He supported her head on his shoulder.
"Lana…hold on." He lifted her up and carried her outside, as the ambulance pulled up in front of The Talon.
Two EMT's jumped out of the back and wheeled out a stretcher. They silently took Lana from Clark's arms, placed her swiftly on the stretcher, and loaded it into the ambulance. Finally one of them said, "Are you coming?"
Clark nodded and climbed in back. The EMT's worked on Lana, while a third drove to the hospital. One of them, a woman, checked her blood pressure. "BP is eighty over fifty-five and dropping." The man threw a blanket over Lana and grabbed an IV bag. "Tube her," he instructed his colleague. She nodded and fed a line through Lana's arm.
Clark spoke. "What are you doing to her? Is she going to be okay?"
"She's in severe shock due to head trauma. We're trying to keep her blood pressure up by giving her fluids," she said, pointing at the intravenous line.
His breath caught in his throat. "Is she going to be okay?" he repeated.
She shook her head. "I don't know. It's too soon to tell."
They pulled into the hospital emergency care drop-off. A doctor met them outside and guided them through the busy hallway.
"What have we got?"
The woman EMT answered. "Caucasian female, mid-teens, suffered severe trauma to the head, possible internal bleeding as well. Her blood pressure's dropped and her pulse is weak. She's in shock."
The doctor nodded. "Take her up to the OR, room fourteen and prep Doctor Olsen."
Clark gripped Lana's hand tightly, but reluctantly let go when the accompanying nurse gave him a harsh look. The doctor turned to him. "Hi, I'm Doctor Sykes, you're going to have to wait out here." He motioned to the waiting room. Clark sighed and took a seat. Doctor Sykes hurriedly ran into the OR, leaving Clark by himself.
'This can't be happening,' Clark thought. Two weeks ago he was dating the girl of his dreams and life was almost perfect. How quickly that life had unraveled. He recalled the events of the last couple months. The incident with Whitney that had turned Lana into front-page news for The Torch. That first night, after he'd walked her home, when she kissed him. The following evening, when he asked her to Spring Formal and then to be his girlfriend. Things, even then, had seemed so much simpler. He'd never imagined that in such a short amount of time, so much could be changed.
The dance had been an obvious disaster, and the aftermath was even worse. And now that he knew what had really happened, he felt horribly guilty about the way he'd treated Lana. She had tried to tell him, but he wouldn't hear her. And now, he was sitting in the hospital emergency room.
He kept telling himself that it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help imagining different scenarios in which he had tried harder or run faster to get to her. Maybe he would have gotten there in time to prevent it. Thinking about it didn't help. It only made it worse.
After an hour a nurse came in to talk to Clark. He was sitting there, dazed and had not noticed her approach him. She tapped him three times before he finally looked up.
"Sorry," he muttered apologetically.
"Were you the young man who came in with the pretty brunette a little while ago?"
Clark stood up. "Yes, is she okay?" he asked urgently.
"She's still in surgery. I'm going to need to ask you a few questions. The police are already investigating the matter, and they'll be by soon to speak with you. I just need to ask you some basic questions. The young lady--."
"Lana Lang."
She nodded. "I need contact numbers for her parents."
"She lives with her aunt. Nell is on business in Metropolis. I don't have any way to reach her." He thought for a moment. "I think I might know someone who would have her cell number. Let me make a call."
"The pay phone is over there."
Clark took a quarter out of his pocket and dialed the number of the only person who might be able to contact Nell. Lex Luthor. He picked up on the first ring, not surprising since at eleven o'clock at night, Lex was probably still working.
"Lex?" he choked.
"Clark?" he replied, sounding alarmed. "What's wrong?"
"It's Lana. I'm at the hospital. There's been an accident. I need Nell's number."
"Slow down! What kind of accident?"
"I don't really know…I think it's pretty bad."
"Okay Clark, I'll take care of it. Have you called your parents?"
"No."
"They're probably worried. I'll call them."
"Thanks Lex."
"I'll be there in half an hour."
Clark hung up the phone and returned to the waiting room, where two grim looking police officers were waiting to take his statement.
Lex went through his palm pilot and made a few calls. Nell was asleep in her hotel room in Metropolis. She got dressed and left to meet the helicopter that would be picking her up and transporting her to Smallville. Next he called the Smallville Medical Center and used his pull to bribe one of the attendants into giving him information on Lana's condition. With this new information, Lex arranged for a team of neurologists from Metropolis General to be flown out by private jet. It was the middle of the night, but he was a Luthor and people rarely refused his requests. Finally, he called the Kent's and filled them in. They were still up, worrying about their son, when Lex called to give them the news. They left for the hospital around the same time Lex did. He got into his silver Porsche and drove, speeding towards the hospital. On the way there, he passed The Talon. Police cars lit up the usually quiet street. Caution tape blocked off the entrance.
Lex lowered the window and motioned for one of the officers to approach the car.
"Mr. Luthor, what are you doing here?"
"I'm on my way to visit a friend. What happened here? Why wasn't I notified immediately?"
"Uh, sir, it's almost midnight. We didn't want to disturb you. You were to be notified in the morning. It looks as if it may have been an attempted robbery, although there's no money missing."
"Nope. Not a robbery." Another police officer came up behind him and approached the car. "I just got back from the medical center. Took the statement of the young man who brought Lana in. He thinks it was some sort of intentional attack, some boy from her school. His parents have been contacted, but he hasn't been home since this afternoon. He may be looking to skip town. We're notifying the bus and train stations right now to be on the look out."
"Thank you officers."
"No problem Mr. Luthor."
Lex rolled up his window and sped off.
Clark had spent the last half hour filling out forms for the hospital and giving the police what little information he knew. They had been patient, but obviously, rushed. Finally, Lex arrived. He walked straight up to Clark and started talking.
"Any word on Lana?"
Clark shook his head sadly and avoided looking into his eyes.
Lex looked around and checked his watch. "Is my team here yet?"
"What team?" Clark asked quizzically.
"I had a team of specialists flown in from Metropolis General to treat Lana. They're the best in the state Clark."
He nodded. "Thanks Lex," he said softly. "You didn't have to do that." He paused. "But, I'm glad you did."
"Nell is being choppered in. Your parents are on their way."
Clark nodded again. They were both silent for a moment, taking it all in. There was nothing else to say.
"I'm going to go get an update," Lex announced after a moment.
He returned after a few minutes. "Nothing new."
"Okay," Clark responded.
A nurse came up behind Lex and tapped him on the shoulder. "Sir, your team is here."
Lex nodded.
"Should I have them prepped for surgery?"
"Yes. And I want updates every half hour," he instructed.
"I think I can arrange that Mr. Luthor."
"Thank you." She turned and walked away and a few minutes later, four men in white coats rushed hurriedly passed them into the OR.
"Where's Nell?" Clark asked inquisitively.
"I don't know. She should be here any minute now."
As if on cue Nell came through the sliding doors.
"Where is she? Where's Lana? What happened?" Her voice was panicky, her cheeks flushed.
"She's in the OR right now. I've had a team of neurologists flown in from Metropolis; they just got here. We haven't heard anything in a while though."
"I don't understand. Why neurologists?"
"I'm not sure. All they're saying is that there's been severe head trauma. I called in the best people I could get."
"Thank you Lex," she said wearily. "I appreciate that."
One of the Metropolis doctors walked out and joined the three of them.
"Well?"
He sighed. "Right now we're looking at a severe skull fracture, caused by blunt trauma to the head—."
"It was a vase," Clark said, interrupting.
The doctor nodded. "That's plausible. It's consistent with the wound pattern."
"Is she going to be alright?" Nell asked.
"Well, she lost a lot of blood before she got here, although a transfusion shouldn't be necessary. That's the good news. The bad news is that with these sorts of injuries, there's no way of telling the extent of the damage until she wakes up. There could be possible brain damage. Also, her auto immune system has been weakened by the blood loss, which will lessen her chances of a fast recovery. Right now though, she's no longer in shock, and her blood pressure and pulse are back to normal. That's good. She's stable for the moment. She'll be in Room Nineteen, Third Floor within the hour if you want to see her."
Nell nodded thankfully. "Thank you Doctor…"
"Kaysen. Doctor Kaysen." He shook her hand.
Nell sat down, exhausted.