Chapter 4 - Shot
"But how could he be shot?" asked Martha for the 50th time since they'd heard the news.
Jonathon was now careering down the road as fast as the truck would go.
"I don't know Martha, maybe it has something to do with the meteor rocks," he said, "he's strong, he'll get through this."
He was trying to reassure her but in his own mind he was worried crazy. They had never been able to have a child of their own, so when Clark came it had seemed like a blessing. They had decided to give him a normal life so that one day he could choose what his purpose was, instead of being stuck up like a lab rat. What if they had to take him to a hospital? Then all they're efforts would have been in vein. It just didn't bear thinking about. He cared for nothing, more than his family.
* * * *
*
Clark was no longer in pain. In fact his whole body was quite pleasantly numb. Lex was sitting to the right of him watching him and looking extremely anxious. Then he was aware of someone else entering the room, though he could not see whom, as his vision had become slightly blurred and his eyelids were so heavy that he had to fight to keep them open at all. It was, In fact, Jonathon and Martha. They rushed to his side and made Lex explain the whole thing again. Then he could bear it no longer.
"He has to get medical treatment right away," he said desperately, "this is ridiculous."
"Look Lex, I know you're worried, but trust me. If he goes to a hospital he may as well be dead," said Jonathon, tying to avoid telling the whole truth.
"But Jonathon, if we do nothing he just might."Martha stopped herself before she burst into tears and Mr Kent took her in a tight embrace. Lex wasn't at all happy with the cryptic explanations but he trusted that he would find out in the end.
"There may be a way," he said, "I know a doctor, Toby Matthews, who deals in delicate circumstances. He appreciates discretion and will ask no questions."
The Kent's looked at each other, then at Clark. He had started to mumble to himself.
"Do it," they said in unison.
* * * * *
*
After an excruciatingly long 5-minuite wait, the doctor finally arrived. Lex's people had been told to let him in. They had all believed that a gas leak had caused them to fall asleep and were making jokes about each other's snoring. None of the had any idea of the potential catastrophe going on upstairs. The doctor got straight to work, taking his pulse and going over possible scenarios to himself. Martha sat next to Clark with her hand in his. They had transferred him to the bed moments earlier and the movement had seemed to make things worse. She hoped that human contact might keep him with them. Each one of them looked intently at the doctor.
"Can you help him?" asked Lex.
"I don't know," he said, not exactly making them feel hopeful. "He bled a lot back there. And it seems as though his body is having an allergic reaction of some sort to whatever this bullet is made of. I'm going to have to operate, but it will be dangerous without a transfusion. Do you know his blood type?"
"Well. he has a very unusual type. I don't think anyone here would have it," said Jonathon quietly.
"Okay, I guess I'll just have to do my best," Said the doctor doubtfully.
"But how could he be shot?" asked Martha for the 50th time since they'd heard the news.
Jonathon was now careering down the road as fast as the truck would go.
"I don't know Martha, maybe it has something to do with the meteor rocks," he said, "he's strong, he'll get through this."
He was trying to reassure her but in his own mind he was worried crazy. They had never been able to have a child of their own, so when Clark came it had seemed like a blessing. They had decided to give him a normal life so that one day he could choose what his purpose was, instead of being stuck up like a lab rat. What if they had to take him to a hospital? Then all they're efforts would have been in vein. It just didn't bear thinking about. He cared for nothing, more than his family.
* * * *
*
Clark was no longer in pain. In fact his whole body was quite pleasantly numb. Lex was sitting to the right of him watching him and looking extremely anxious. Then he was aware of someone else entering the room, though he could not see whom, as his vision had become slightly blurred and his eyelids were so heavy that he had to fight to keep them open at all. It was, In fact, Jonathon and Martha. They rushed to his side and made Lex explain the whole thing again. Then he could bear it no longer.
"He has to get medical treatment right away," he said desperately, "this is ridiculous."
"Look Lex, I know you're worried, but trust me. If he goes to a hospital he may as well be dead," said Jonathon, tying to avoid telling the whole truth.
"But Jonathon, if we do nothing he just might."Martha stopped herself before she burst into tears and Mr Kent took her in a tight embrace. Lex wasn't at all happy with the cryptic explanations but he trusted that he would find out in the end.
"There may be a way," he said, "I know a doctor, Toby Matthews, who deals in delicate circumstances. He appreciates discretion and will ask no questions."
The Kent's looked at each other, then at Clark. He had started to mumble to himself.
"Do it," they said in unison.
* * * * *
*
After an excruciatingly long 5-minuite wait, the doctor finally arrived. Lex's people had been told to let him in. They had all believed that a gas leak had caused them to fall asleep and were making jokes about each other's snoring. None of the had any idea of the potential catastrophe going on upstairs. The doctor got straight to work, taking his pulse and going over possible scenarios to himself. Martha sat next to Clark with her hand in his. They had transferred him to the bed moments earlier and the movement had seemed to make things worse. She hoped that human contact might keep him with them. Each one of them looked intently at the doctor.
"Can you help him?" asked Lex.
"I don't know," he said, not exactly making them feel hopeful. "He bled a lot back there. And it seems as though his body is having an allergic reaction of some sort to whatever this bullet is made of. I'm going to have to operate, but it will be dangerous without a transfusion. Do you know his blood type?"
"Well. he has a very unusual type. I don't think anyone here would have it," said Jonathon quietly.
"Okay, I guess I'll just have to do my best," Said the doctor doubtfully.
