Clark's parents arrived and spoke to Lex and Nell in hushed voices as
Clark looked on. It didn't matter. He couldn't hear them anyway. His
mind was foggy and he felt like the volume in his head had been turned
down, so the only thing he could hear were his own thoughts. But there was
only one thought, and it came through crystal clear. Lana.
Martha came over to him and hugged him tightly. She whispered
comforting words in his ear, and he stood stiffly as his father came over
and gave him the same treatment. He tried to focus in and listen to what
they were saying.
His mother's teary eyes, his father's dark expression. Not a good sign.
"Lex got special permission from the hospital to let you stay here overnight with Nell, even though you're not immediate family. We'll be back in the morning."
He nodded to his mother.
"If you need anything, call us," Jonathan said.
"Okay."
Nell came up behind Clark and put a hand on his shoulder.
"They'll let us in to see her now," she said softly.
Clark glanced at his parents and Lex, and then turned to follow Nell into the elevator. The ride up to the third floor was quiet and a heavy silence loomed in the air. They arrived at her room. Nell stood at the window and looked in at her niece, tears welling up in her eyes, an unexpected show of emotion. Clark awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and nodded, signaling that it was all right for him to enter. He opened the door. The room was your typical, standard hospital room. There was an empty cot next to the bed, and a TV high up in the far left corner. Clark walked slowly over to Lana's bed. She lay perfectly still. Deathly still. He resisted the urge to yell and punch a hole through the wall when he saw the dark purple bruises that lined her neck. They were of Joel's handprints. Clark felt slightly nauseous looking at what Joel had done to her. She was pale, her face devoid of make-up. They were scratches on her cheeks and chin, but most of the damage was hidden, covered underneath thick bandages on her head. Nell came up behind him and stood silently. They both watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, the unnatural steadiness, her life now sustained by machines. After a while, it was made obvious to them that she wasn't just going to magically sit up and greet them. Clark looked deflated and Nell's face had returned to a blank stare.
"You can have the bed," Clark offered kindly, and gestured to the cot next to Lana.
She nodded and gave him a weak smile, mouthing her thanks, too tired to make an effort anymore. She gave Lana's hand a squeeze and sat down wearily on her own bed. She pulled the curtain to separate the room in two, leaving Clark alone with Lana. He sat down next to her and stared for a moment. He held her small hand in his own. It was cold and when he dropped it, it fell back to the bed with a soft thud. Clark winced, but leaned over and kissed her very lightly on the forehead. Then he sighed and sat down in the chair adjacent to her bed, knowing full well that he wouldn't be getting much sleep. Clark felt someone nudging him awake. He opened his eyes groggily and let them adjust to the light. Chloe was standing in front of him, an impatient look on her face.
"Hi," he mumbled, and glanced over at Lana, who was still unconscious. It was morning already and a thin strand of sunlight peaked out from closed curtains and made a line through the room. Clark got up and walked into the hallway, Chloe trailing behind him.
"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad to see you," he added quickly.
She smiled briefly, and then remembered why she was there. "I called early this morning to talk to you. Your mom told me where you were, so I came right over. Well, actually, I took a quick detour first." She handed him a small bundle of pink and violet carnations. "The hospital gift shops sells them, so I figured, you know, spring colors." She laughed nervously. "I, uh, didn't have time to get a vase."
"No, they're great Chloe, thanks. I'm sure she'll love them."
She nodded. "Oh uh, and your parents said to tell you that they'll be in as soon as the chores are done. And I saw Lex in the hallway. He gave everyone at The Talon the day off, although the outside of it is practically Lana central. You should see it Clark; it's a shrine. It's like she already--."
Clark grimaced and took a deep breath. "She's not going to die Chloe," he said calmly.
Her eyes widened. "No," she whispered. "Of course not. I'm sorry, I didn't know what I was saying, I just."
"It's okay Chloe," he said, and forced a smile on his face. But it was evident that what she had said bothered. "Uh, anything else?"
"Yeah," she said, staring at the floor. "Um, Pete's coming later on. I called him, to let him know what was happening. This is big news. It's all over the papers."
"Do they have him yet?"
"Joel? No, not yet. But they will Clark, I know they will."
He nodded, but didn't look very reassured.
Chloe fumbled with her purse and eventually pulled out her cell phone. "Here, I want you to use this. That way, I'll be able to call you if I hear anything else."
"Who would have thought? Chloe Sullivan playing secretary, filling me in on everything I missed. Remind me not to fall asleep again." He took the phone from her hand and slipped it in his jeans pocket. "Thanks."
She nodded and sighed sadly. "I'm sorry."
"For what? It's not your fault."
"For unleashing Jackass Joel on the unsuspecting public. It feels like every time I so much as talk to a guy they end up stalking your girlfriend. I guess I don't have the best taste in men."
"Hey!" he said in mock hurt. "You like me!"
"Yeah," she said rolling her eyes, "And you love Lana. Not exactly an ideal situation." She shrugged it off. "Anyway, I'm going down to the police station to see if I can use my excellent journalistic skills to get them to give me the dirt on the investigation. And if that doesn't work, I'll just have to resort to flirting. At least I know none of those guys are psychos."
He grinned. "Well.you know where to reach me."
She smiled and confidently walked down the hallway towards the elevator. She was a girl on a mission. Clark stumbled back into Lana's room and sat wearily on the bed next to hers. It was unmade where Nell had slept in it the night before. He pulled the curtain back to reveal Lana's petite frame. He stood over her and stroked her hair.
"Hey Lana," he whispered awkwardly.
Clark was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. "Come in," he called and stood up.
It was Whitney, carrying a bouquet of flowers. He looked unsettled, like he was picking up a girl for their first date and had to have "the talk" with her father first. He stood in the doorway a moment before coming inside.
"Whitney.what are you doing here?"
"Chloe told me. I ran into her a few minutes ago outside The Talon. There are cop cars all over town. It's on the news. It was kind of unavoidable. I just came to uh.give my respects."
"It's not like she's dead," he said bitterly. "Do you know something I don't?"
Whitney shrugged and stared at him sadly. "On the news.they said, the doctors said.she was in critical condition, that she might not make it."
Clark slumped into the chair by the bed and put his head in his hands. "Oh god." he muttered to himself, as if he'd forgotten that Whitney was still in the room.
"Sorry man, I thought you knew," he said. The look on Clark's face made him regret ever coming to the hospital in the first place.
"I should go." He set the flowers next to Chloe's on the table, glanced quickly at Lana, and strode out of the room, grateful to be out of there and away from Clark.
Lex almost ran into him in the hallway. He was carrying a huge bouquet of white, dainty flowers. Flowers Whitney assumed Lana would like, had she been awake to see them.
"Uh.Lex?"
"The quarterback, right?"
"Yeah, Whitney Fordman. Listen man, I think you should go check on Clark. He's not looking too good."
Lex nodded and made it to Lana's room in record time. Clark was seated next to Lana on her bed, staring up at the TV screen with dull eyes.
"So, it's true then?" he asked, acknowledging Lex's presence.
"What?"
"About Lana. That she could die."
Lex inhaled sharply. "Yeah," he said finally. "It's true."
"No one told me." He sounded strange, almost robotic.
"Nell was going to. She checked in with the doctors and notified the police. She's on her way back now."
"It's all over the news," Clark stated.
"There aren't a lot of attempted homicides in a town like Smallville. Besides, everyone knows her. It's important news. The cops think that if they can get enough information out there, someone might recognize Joel and report him to the authorities."
"Oh.good. That's good. What are the doctors saying?"
Clark saw a flash of something on Lex's face before he answered. Apprehension maybe.
"They're hopeful.but not very optimistic. The longer she's unconscious, the.well, you've heard all this before."
Clark nodded. "She has to get better Lex. She has to," he said desperately. His chest ached at the thought of losing her. Tears threatened to leak from his eyes but he swallowed his pain and put on a brave face.
"More flowers?" he commented.
Lex smirked. "Belladonna. They're highly poisonous."
"And you're giving them to my girlfriend, why?"
"I'll just set them with the others." No sooner did he put them on the table, than his cell phone rang. Lex reached for it in his jacket pocket and opened it.
"Yes?" he snapped, authoritatively. He glanced at the TV. "Turn it to channel five Clark," he instructed, before ending the call.
As he did so, Chloe's cell phone rang on the table. He leaned over Lana and reached for it.
"Hello?"
"It's me." Clark recognized Chloe's voice.
"I hope you're watching the news." As she spoke, a reporter's interview was interrupted for a breaking news story. A picture of Lana filled the screen.
"Chloe, what is it?" Clark asked impatiently.
"They've found Joel."
His mother's teary eyes, his father's dark expression. Not a good sign.
"Lex got special permission from the hospital to let you stay here overnight with Nell, even though you're not immediate family. We'll be back in the morning."
He nodded to his mother.
"If you need anything, call us," Jonathan said.
"Okay."
Nell came up behind Clark and put a hand on his shoulder.
"They'll let us in to see her now," she said softly.
Clark glanced at his parents and Lex, and then turned to follow Nell into the elevator. The ride up to the third floor was quiet and a heavy silence loomed in the air. They arrived at her room. Nell stood at the window and looked in at her niece, tears welling up in her eyes, an unexpected show of emotion. Clark awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and nodded, signaling that it was all right for him to enter. He opened the door. The room was your typical, standard hospital room. There was an empty cot next to the bed, and a TV high up in the far left corner. Clark walked slowly over to Lana's bed. She lay perfectly still. Deathly still. He resisted the urge to yell and punch a hole through the wall when he saw the dark purple bruises that lined her neck. They were of Joel's handprints. Clark felt slightly nauseous looking at what Joel had done to her. She was pale, her face devoid of make-up. They were scratches on her cheeks and chin, but most of the damage was hidden, covered underneath thick bandages on her head. Nell came up behind him and stood silently. They both watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, the unnatural steadiness, her life now sustained by machines. After a while, it was made obvious to them that she wasn't just going to magically sit up and greet them. Clark looked deflated and Nell's face had returned to a blank stare.
"You can have the bed," Clark offered kindly, and gestured to the cot next to Lana.
She nodded and gave him a weak smile, mouthing her thanks, too tired to make an effort anymore. She gave Lana's hand a squeeze and sat down wearily on her own bed. She pulled the curtain to separate the room in two, leaving Clark alone with Lana. He sat down next to her and stared for a moment. He held her small hand in his own. It was cold and when he dropped it, it fell back to the bed with a soft thud. Clark winced, but leaned over and kissed her very lightly on the forehead. Then he sighed and sat down in the chair adjacent to her bed, knowing full well that he wouldn't be getting much sleep. Clark felt someone nudging him awake. He opened his eyes groggily and let them adjust to the light. Chloe was standing in front of him, an impatient look on her face.
"Hi," he mumbled, and glanced over at Lana, who was still unconscious. It was morning already and a thin strand of sunlight peaked out from closed curtains and made a line through the room. Clark got up and walked into the hallway, Chloe trailing behind him.
"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad to see you," he added quickly.
She smiled briefly, and then remembered why she was there. "I called early this morning to talk to you. Your mom told me where you were, so I came right over. Well, actually, I took a quick detour first." She handed him a small bundle of pink and violet carnations. "The hospital gift shops sells them, so I figured, you know, spring colors." She laughed nervously. "I, uh, didn't have time to get a vase."
"No, they're great Chloe, thanks. I'm sure she'll love them."
She nodded. "Oh uh, and your parents said to tell you that they'll be in as soon as the chores are done. And I saw Lex in the hallway. He gave everyone at The Talon the day off, although the outside of it is practically Lana central. You should see it Clark; it's a shrine. It's like she already--."
Clark grimaced and took a deep breath. "She's not going to die Chloe," he said calmly.
Her eyes widened. "No," she whispered. "Of course not. I'm sorry, I didn't know what I was saying, I just."
"It's okay Chloe," he said, and forced a smile on his face. But it was evident that what she had said bothered. "Uh, anything else?"
"Yeah," she said, staring at the floor. "Um, Pete's coming later on. I called him, to let him know what was happening. This is big news. It's all over the papers."
"Do they have him yet?"
"Joel? No, not yet. But they will Clark, I know they will."
He nodded, but didn't look very reassured.
Chloe fumbled with her purse and eventually pulled out her cell phone. "Here, I want you to use this. That way, I'll be able to call you if I hear anything else."
"Who would have thought? Chloe Sullivan playing secretary, filling me in on everything I missed. Remind me not to fall asleep again." He took the phone from her hand and slipped it in his jeans pocket. "Thanks."
She nodded and sighed sadly. "I'm sorry."
"For what? It's not your fault."
"For unleashing Jackass Joel on the unsuspecting public. It feels like every time I so much as talk to a guy they end up stalking your girlfriend. I guess I don't have the best taste in men."
"Hey!" he said in mock hurt. "You like me!"
"Yeah," she said rolling her eyes, "And you love Lana. Not exactly an ideal situation." She shrugged it off. "Anyway, I'm going down to the police station to see if I can use my excellent journalistic skills to get them to give me the dirt on the investigation. And if that doesn't work, I'll just have to resort to flirting. At least I know none of those guys are psychos."
He grinned. "Well.you know where to reach me."
She smiled and confidently walked down the hallway towards the elevator. She was a girl on a mission. Clark stumbled back into Lana's room and sat wearily on the bed next to hers. It was unmade where Nell had slept in it the night before. He pulled the curtain back to reveal Lana's petite frame. He stood over her and stroked her hair.
"Hey Lana," he whispered awkwardly.
Clark was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. "Come in," he called and stood up.
It was Whitney, carrying a bouquet of flowers. He looked unsettled, like he was picking up a girl for their first date and had to have "the talk" with her father first. He stood in the doorway a moment before coming inside.
"Whitney.what are you doing here?"
"Chloe told me. I ran into her a few minutes ago outside The Talon. There are cop cars all over town. It's on the news. It was kind of unavoidable. I just came to uh.give my respects."
"It's not like she's dead," he said bitterly. "Do you know something I don't?"
Whitney shrugged and stared at him sadly. "On the news.they said, the doctors said.she was in critical condition, that she might not make it."
Clark slumped into the chair by the bed and put his head in his hands. "Oh god." he muttered to himself, as if he'd forgotten that Whitney was still in the room.
"Sorry man, I thought you knew," he said. The look on Clark's face made him regret ever coming to the hospital in the first place.
"I should go." He set the flowers next to Chloe's on the table, glanced quickly at Lana, and strode out of the room, grateful to be out of there and away from Clark.
Lex almost ran into him in the hallway. He was carrying a huge bouquet of white, dainty flowers. Flowers Whitney assumed Lana would like, had she been awake to see them.
"Uh.Lex?"
"The quarterback, right?"
"Yeah, Whitney Fordman. Listen man, I think you should go check on Clark. He's not looking too good."
Lex nodded and made it to Lana's room in record time. Clark was seated next to Lana on her bed, staring up at the TV screen with dull eyes.
"So, it's true then?" he asked, acknowledging Lex's presence.
"What?"
"About Lana. That she could die."
Lex inhaled sharply. "Yeah," he said finally. "It's true."
"No one told me." He sounded strange, almost robotic.
"Nell was going to. She checked in with the doctors and notified the police. She's on her way back now."
"It's all over the news," Clark stated.
"There aren't a lot of attempted homicides in a town like Smallville. Besides, everyone knows her. It's important news. The cops think that if they can get enough information out there, someone might recognize Joel and report him to the authorities."
"Oh.good. That's good. What are the doctors saying?"
Clark saw a flash of something on Lex's face before he answered. Apprehension maybe.
"They're hopeful.but not very optimistic. The longer she's unconscious, the.well, you've heard all this before."
Clark nodded. "She has to get better Lex. She has to," he said desperately. His chest ached at the thought of losing her. Tears threatened to leak from his eyes but he swallowed his pain and put on a brave face.
"More flowers?" he commented.
Lex smirked. "Belladonna. They're highly poisonous."
"And you're giving them to my girlfriend, why?"
"I'll just set them with the others." No sooner did he put them on the table, than his cell phone rang. Lex reached for it in his jacket pocket and opened it.
"Yes?" he snapped, authoritatively. He glanced at the TV. "Turn it to channel five Clark," he instructed, before ending the call.
As he did so, Chloe's cell phone rang on the table. He leaned over Lana and reached for it.
"Hello?"
"It's me." Clark recognized Chloe's voice.
"I hope you're watching the news." As she spoke, a reporter's interview was interrupted for a breaking news story. A picture of Lana filled the screen.
"Chloe, what is it?" Clark asked impatiently.
"They've found Joel."