Chapter 2

(It is night outside.  Jonathan is seen on a gurney.  Several nurses and a doctor are pushing him down the hall hurriedly.  Martha is at his side holding his hand as they quickly move.  He stirs.)

Jonathan (Squinting his eyes, speaking beneath an oxygen mask): "Mm...Mar..."

Martha: "I'm here Jonathan."

Jonathan: "Ww...Wha...uhh..."

Martha (Squeezing his hand tightly): "You're going to be fine, honey, just hold on." 

(Jonathan opens his eyes and makes contact with his wife.  For a moment, they stare into each other's eyes before he is swept away.  The gurney goes through a pair of swinging doors and an orderly stops Martha from coming any further.)

Orderly (Speaking calmly): "It's going to be alright, maim, but you have to let the doctors do their job now.  Come on, I'll take you to the reception area."

(Watching the swinging doors Jonathan just went through Martha slowly walks backwards.  After several steps, she turns around and quietly follows the orderly to a chair that is awaiting her.  The woman behind the desk looks up and walks towards Martha.  She is an older woman who was not young enough to keep up with the rigors of being a nurse anymore.  It is apparent that she is new to the small town.)

Lady: "Hello, could I get you something to drink, maybe?"

Martha (Carefully controlling her face): "No, no thanks.  I'll be fine."

(The woman sits down beside Martha.)

Lady: "I'm Irene."

Martha (Whatever measure of control she had is fading quickly): "Hi."

Irene: "I know this is hard for you, but I want you to talk to me.  Sometimes it's the only thing that can make you feel better."

Martha (A tear rolling down her cheek): "I don't see how things can get better."

Irene (Smiling sympathetically): "He's going to be just fine, dear, don't you worry."

(She pats Martha on the knee.  Martha attempts a smile and looks up.)

Martha (Wiping a tear from her eye): "Thank you."

(Irene smiles sympathetically.)

Irene: "So, how about children.  Do you have any?"

Martha (Regaining her composure): "Yes, we have one, Clark."

Irene: "What a nice name.  What's he like?"

Martha: "I thank God for him everyday, I do.  Our lives just, wouldn't be the same, without Clark..."

(There is a slight pause as Martha looks back down at the ground.)

Irene: "Where is he now?"

Martha (Hesitating): "I'm not sure..."

(She looks back up at Irene.)

Martha (A measure of unease can now be heard in her voice): "Do you have a phone I could use?"

Irene: "Sure, right behind the desk."

(They stand and Irene guides Martha around the desk to the phone.  Martha picks up the phone, thinks for a second, and then dials.  The phone rings.)

Chloe (On the phone, sniffing quietly before answering): "Hello?"

Martha: "Chloe!  Hi."

Chloe (Trying to sound more cheery):  "Oh hi Mrs. Kent!  How are you?"

Martha: "Jonathans in the E.R."

Chloe: "Oh my God!  I'll be right over."

Martha: "Chloe, wait, is Clark with you?"

(There is a long pause before Chloe responds.)

Chloe: "No.  He and Lana left awhile ago."

(A doctor approaches and Martha lowers the phone, but we can still faintly hear it.  She steps out from behind the counter, gripping the phone tightly in her hand.)

Chloe (Her voice distant): "Mrs. Kent?  Is everything alright?  ...Mrs. Kent?"

Martha (Speaking to the doctor, her eyes wide):  "Is everything alright?"

Doctor:  "We have your husband stabilized, but in the condition he is currently in, we just don't know if he'll maintain it."

(He hesitates.)

Doctor: "Mrs. Kent, we don't know if he'll make it through the night."

(Martha loosens her hold on the phone and it crashes to the ground.  Slowly, she turns to sit back down, but stumbles.  The doctor arrests her fall, and guides her over to where she was sitting before.  Irene is at her side and sits down with her.  The doctor quickly walks back in the direction he came from.  They sit in silence for several minutes.)

Irene (Standing): "I'll be right back.  I'm going to get you something nice and warm to drink."

(Irene stands and walks down the hall, disappearing around a corner.  Chloe walks in the hospital door, cell phone still clutched in hand.  She sees Martha and rushes over, taking her hand and sitting down next to her.)

Chloe (Worried): "Mrs. Kent, is everything alright?"

(Martha shakes her head and looks over at Chloe.  She mouths 'I don't know' and tears well up in her eyes.)

Chloe: "Come here."

(Chloe embraces her.  Martha puts her hand on Chloe's back and cries into Chloe's shoulder.  After a time they slowly separate.  Chloe looks directly into Mrs. Kent's eyes.) 

Chloe: "Mrs. Kent, your husband's a strong man.  He'll be alright."

(Chloe smiles tenderly.  After several seconds of silence, she continues.)

Chloe: "If you don't want to talk about it, I'll totally understand.  But what happened?"

Martha (Looking back down at the ground): "He just... collapsed.  I got him in the truck and drove here as fast as I could..."

(Martha looks up at Chloe, and 'sees' her for the first time since she entered.  Martha instantly looks twice as concerned as before.)

Martha: "Chloe, you're soaked!  And what'd you do to your head?"

(Chloe gingerly puts her hand to the cut on her forehead from being knocked into her porch railing.  Irene walks back with a hot mug of cocoa for Martha.  She sees Chloe and quickly picks up the intercom.)

Irene (Her voice, amplified, echoes through the hospital): "Any nurse on hand to reception hall, nurse to reception hall.  Thank you."

(Irene quickly walks over to Chloe, setting the steaming mug down on the ground beside her.  A nurse is seen rushing down the hall in the distance.)

Irene: "You're shivering, young lady.  Have you been out in the rain?"

Chloe: "I'm fi-"

Irene: "We need to get you into some dry clothes, and treat that nasty little scrape on your head, too."

(The nurse reaches them.  Irene looks up.)

Irene: "Could you take her and get her cleaned up, Abigail?"

Abigail: "Certainly.  Follow me, please."

(Chloe reluctantly stands and follows the nurse down several halls.  They pass by a room that has the shades half-closed.  Chloe looks in and sees Jonathan.  He is hooked up to multiple machines.  A tube is going into his mouth and down his throat.  Chloe bites her lip.  Abigail looks back.)

Abigail: "Something wrong?"

Chloe (Looking away from Jonathan): "No...  Just, a friend..."

Abigail (Looking over into the window): "He came in a little while ago.  Poor guy...  It's so unusual for someone his age to go into full cardiac arrest."

(They both look in the window for several seconds.)

Abigail: "Come on; let's get you in something dry."

(They walk down the hall and enter a room.  As they do, the camera leaves them and slowly pans back in on Jonathan.  The slight beep of a heart monitor is heard.  It sounds every few seconds, much less then what is regular as his heart strains to support him.  The camera gets closer and closer to Jonathan until it shows only his face.  The camera flashes white, entering Jonathan's mind.  An image of Jor-El is standing in the center of his mind.  Jonathan is in front of him on the ground, grimacing in severe pain, clutching his sides.)

Jor-El: "You cannot protect him forever."

Jonathan (Pain interrupting him periodically): "I'll never, let, you destroy my family!"

Jor-El: "You have no family.  Kal-El is not your son."

Jonathan (Standing up, ignoring the immense pain): "You may be his blood parent, but you'll never be his father!"

Jor-El (An imperceptible smile flashes across his lips and then disappears): "We will see.  But your time has yet to come."

(He raises his hand and points it directly at Jonathan's chest.)

Jor-El: "Awaken."

(Back in the hospital bed, Jonathan's eyes shoot open.)