Martha sat up in the hospital bed, staring at her hands. She tried not to
think, thinking led to thoughts of the baby, thoughts of the baby led to
tears. She just tried to think of nothing. However, it wasn't working.
Jonathan sat in the chair by the bed, where he had been for hours. He kept glancing at Martha, wondering what was going through her head. He did not want to leave her side, he knew he had to be there for her as they both dealt with the loss of the baby. But he did not what to be there when she asked about Clark. Because he knew if she knew he had run away, she would be once again heartbroken. And he wanted to die for it.
Pete hurried to the hospital room. He cautiously turned the corners in the wing, not too anxious to get to his destination. Pete was ridden with guilt, for stealing the Kryptonite key, for letting Clark run. But he had to learn how Mrs. Kent was doing. Although Clark hadn't said to, Pete felt it was his duty to take care of Clark's parents. It was the least he could do.
Lionel found himself staring at the front of the Smallville hospital. He had left money on the table for his coffee and walked out. He had just walked around, not thinking where he was going, only thinking of Lex. Thinking of Lex led to thinking of Lillian, and Julian, and death. And death led to the thought of Lex, abandoned on the plane. He had read in the paper that Helen and the pilot had been found on a small island, and Lex was said to be in the missing plane. Helen admitted nothing, but the pilot, in a moment of stress, had told police everything; how Helen had been hired to be close to Lex, how she and him had cut the wires once Lex had been drugged, and how they had parachuted out of the plane, leaving Lex in it. Lionel was in shock, and was in no hurry to get out of it. He looked up at the hospital sign, and sighed. The thought of the Kents and Clark re- entered his mind. Slowly, he entered the building.
Pete walked down the hall, looking at the doors to the rooms. Martha's cry preceded the sight of the room. Pete looked to the floor and shook his head. Never in a thousand years did the Kents deserve this. When he looked up, he was in for an even bigger shock. Lionel Luthor, looking as if he hadn't slept in days, was at the window to the room, looking in upon Jonathan and Martha.
"Hello, young Mr. Ross," Lionel said wearily, not looking at Pete.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Luthor." Pete replied, as he stood next to Lionel at the window. "What brings you here?"
"I was told by your friend Ms. Lang that the Kents were here. I heard of their losses, and wanted to come and see what I could do."
"How.unlike you." Pete muttered. Even in this time of tragedy for the Kents and Lionel, Pete still could not help being rude to the man who had ruined his family's life.
"Yes, as I was explaining to Ms. Lang, I have never been a comfort to anyone, but in my wanderings, I found myself outside the hospital." Lionel said, accepting Pete's comment.
"I heard about Lex." He replied.
"Yes, I believe the whole town has. And I know what they think. Believe what you will, young Mr. Ross, but I did not do this. I would never kill my own son." And maybe it was the sound in his voice, or the tear in his eye, but Pete, as an observant man, knew Lionel spoke the truth. And for a moment, Pete looked beyond the rightful hatred he held for Lionel, and saw a father, very worried about his son, as Jonathan as a father was very worried about Clark, and as his father would be if anything ever happened to him.
So they stood there, a Luthor and a Ross, not fighting, not speaking; just standing and looking in at a couple who meant the world to them. Pete saw a man who was like a second father to him, the father of his best friend. He saw a woman who was like a second mother, always there to comfort Clark and him, when they were younger to talk to them and dry their tears, and when they grew older, to listen to them, and have faith in what they said. Lionel saw two forces in his life, the people who had saved his son all those years ago. He saw a man, who, for all the differences and hatred between them, was in a similar boat to him- both without their children. He saw a woman who had meant something to him, those months she was his assistant. She had grown more and more like his beloved Lillian each day to him, until that fateful day in Metropolis. A woman, who made him care a little more, made him, not a better man, but more of how he was years ago, when he still had Lillian beside him. And so the sworn enemies stood there together, and looked at Jonathan, silently weeping, holding Martha while she cried. A couple, who meant so much to many, who still had nothing in the world but each other, no son, and no baby, just each other.
Lionel and Pete stood there for quite awhile; both absorbed in private thoughts. Then, Pete said,
"I don't believe he has told her yet."
"Told her what?" Lionel asked, knowing immediately what they were talking about.
"That Clark ran away." Pete whispered. Lionel nodded, and looked ahead. Jonathan caught sight of them, whispered something to Martha, kissed her on the head, and went to the door. He quickly ushered Pete in, but stood and looked at Lionel.
"Can we help you, Mr. Luthor?" Jonathan asked, inquisitively.
"Mr. Kent, I heard of your loss through Ms. Lang. I too, have suffered this past night. You may not have heard, but Helen abandoned my son on a plane, and cut the power lines. He has probably died. Everyone in the town believes that I am responsible. I heard about your wife and you, and, I found myself outside the window." Lionel said. Jonathan nodded. Jonathan too, as a very observant man, saw that Lionel was speaking the truth that he did not cause the plane accident. Jonathan saw the same feeling in him that he felt himself; utter helplessness. No way to help the people that they loved, and the feeling of wanting to die.
"Please, come in." Jonathan said gruffly, and held the door open for Lionel, who slowly shuffled in.
Jonathan sat in the chair by the bed, where he had been for hours. He kept glancing at Martha, wondering what was going through her head. He did not want to leave her side, he knew he had to be there for her as they both dealt with the loss of the baby. But he did not what to be there when she asked about Clark. Because he knew if she knew he had run away, she would be once again heartbroken. And he wanted to die for it.
Pete hurried to the hospital room. He cautiously turned the corners in the wing, not too anxious to get to his destination. Pete was ridden with guilt, for stealing the Kryptonite key, for letting Clark run. But he had to learn how Mrs. Kent was doing. Although Clark hadn't said to, Pete felt it was his duty to take care of Clark's parents. It was the least he could do.
Lionel found himself staring at the front of the Smallville hospital. He had left money on the table for his coffee and walked out. He had just walked around, not thinking where he was going, only thinking of Lex. Thinking of Lex led to thinking of Lillian, and Julian, and death. And death led to the thought of Lex, abandoned on the plane. He had read in the paper that Helen and the pilot had been found on a small island, and Lex was said to be in the missing plane. Helen admitted nothing, but the pilot, in a moment of stress, had told police everything; how Helen had been hired to be close to Lex, how she and him had cut the wires once Lex had been drugged, and how they had parachuted out of the plane, leaving Lex in it. Lionel was in shock, and was in no hurry to get out of it. He looked up at the hospital sign, and sighed. The thought of the Kents and Clark re- entered his mind. Slowly, he entered the building.
Pete walked down the hall, looking at the doors to the rooms. Martha's cry preceded the sight of the room. Pete looked to the floor and shook his head. Never in a thousand years did the Kents deserve this. When he looked up, he was in for an even bigger shock. Lionel Luthor, looking as if he hadn't slept in days, was at the window to the room, looking in upon Jonathan and Martha.
"Hello, young Mr. Ross," Lionel said wearily, not looking at Pete.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Luthor." Pete replied, as he stood next to Lionel at the window. "What brings you here?"
"I was told by your friend Ms. Lang that the Kents were here. I heard of their losses, and wanted to come and see what I could do."
"How.unlike you." Pete muttered. Even in this time of tragedy for the Kents and Lionel, Pete still could not help being rude to the man who had ruined his family's life.
"Yes, as I was explaining to Ms. Lang, I have never been a comfort to anyone, but in my wanderings, I found myself outside the hospital." Lionel said, accepting Pete's comment.
"I heard about Lex." He replied.
"Yes, I believe the whole town has. And I know what they think. Believe what you will, young Mr. Ross, but I did not do this. I would never kill my own son." And maybe it was the sound in his voice, or the tear in his eye, but Pete, as an observant man, knew Lionel spoke the truth. And for a moment, Pete looked beyond the rightful hatred he held for Lionel, and saw a father, very worried about his son, as Jonathan as a father was very worried about Clark, and as his father would be if anything ever happened to him.
So they stood there, a Luthor and a Ross, not fighting, not speaking; just standing and looking in at a couple who meant the world to them. Pete saw a man who was like a second father to him, the father of his best friend. He saw a woman who was like a second mother, always there to comfort Clark and him, when they were younger to talk to them and dry their tears, and when they grew older, to listen to them, and have faith in what they said. Lionel saw two forces in his life, the people who had saved his son all those years ago. He saw a man, who, for all the differences and hatred between them, was in a similar boat to him- both without their children. He saw a woman who had meant something to him, those months she was his assistant. She had grown more and more like his beloved Lillian each day to him, until that fateful day in Metropolis. A woman, who made him care a little more, made him, not a better man, but more of how he was years ago, when he still had Lillian beside him. And so the sworn enemies stood there together, and looked at Jonathan, silently weeping, holding Martha while she cried. A couple, who meant so much to many, who still had nothing in the world but each other, no son, and no baby, just each other.
Lionel and Pete stood there for quite awhile; both absorbed in private thoughts. Then, Pete said,
"I don't believe he has told her yet."
"Told her what?" Lionel asked, knowing immediately what they were talking about.
"That Clark ran away." Pete whispered. Lionel nodded, and looked ahead. Jonathan caught sight of them, whispered something to Martha, kissed her on the head, and went to the door. He quickly ushered Pete in, but stood and looked at Lionel.
"Can we help you, Mr. Luthor?" Jonathan asked, inquisitively.
"Mr. Kent, I heard of your loss through Ms. Lang. I too, have suffered this past night. You may not have heard, but Helen abandoned my son on a plane, and cut the power lines. He has probably died. Everyone in the town believes that I am responsible. I heard about your wife and you, and, I found myself outside the window." Lionel said. Jonathan nodded. Jonathan too, as a very observant man, saw that Lionel was speaking the truth that he did not cause the plane accident. Jonathan saw the same feeling in him that he felt himself; utter helplessness. No way to help the people that they loved, and the feeling of wanting to die.
"Please, come in." Jonathan said gruffly, and held the door open for Lionel, who slowly shuffled in.