Chapter 4
Two hours later, Dr. Brian of Smallville Medical emerged into the waiting room to talk about Lex's condition. "Mr. Luthor," he began, as Lionel and Katie stood, "we ran a CAT-Scan on your son. It appears that some of the nerves in his brain have been deadened, inactive for quite some time. This may have led to his black-out earlier today. We've put him on some medication, and he'll need to stay here for at least 24 hours after he regains consciousness. But he should be fine." "Doctor, what could have caused the inactivity in those nerves?" Lionel asked. "Well," Dr. Brian began, "that's actually what concerns us most, Mr. Luthor. This type of inactivity is usually only caused by electric shock." Lionel stood motionless, his eyes side open as if he had seen some ghastly creature. "Mr. Luthor," the doctor continued, "has your son been exposed to any type of high-voltage electricity that you know of?" Lionel remained silent. Katie spoke up, "Doctor, I'm sure that Lex would have mentioned something to me if he were electrocuted. He hasn't said anything about it." "Okay then," Dr. Brian said as he prepared to leave, "he should be awake within the next few hours." When Dr. Brian departed, Katie turned to Lionel. "Mr. Luthor?" she touched his shoulder, "Mr. Luthor, I'm going in to see Lex now. Care to join me?" He stared at the floor, trying to free himself from the doctor-induced state of shock. He rubbed his eyes. "Yes," he answered, "lead the way." Katie began walking quickly toward Lex's room. Lionel followed slowly after her. When she reached the window looking into his room, she stopped to wait for Lionel, staring lovingly at Lex through the plate glass. Lionel joined her, this time in his normal mood. "Ms. Grant," he spoke to her softly, "I'm sure that Lionel has informed you that I have not been the best father to him. I admit that. But I want you to understand, her and now, as we both look on him in that hospital bed, that I would never, ever do anything to hurt my son." She sighed, "I know, Mr. Luthor, but don't you think that it's a bit too late for that?" "Look, I know that I didn't show my love for Lex in all the ways a good father should..." "Mr. Luthor," Katie seemed frustrated, "why are you telling me this?" Lionel raised his hands toward her. "Listen to me now, Ms. Grant, Lex is searching for someone to love him in the ways that I never did. Now, he thinks that someone is you and, if I understand correctly, he met you roughly 48 hours ago. That seems a little unhealthy to me. I just ask that you be very careful around my son." Katie crossed her arms and let out a deep breath. Just then, Clark Kent walked down the hall. "Mr. Luthor!" he called, "I heard about what happened. Is everything alright?" "Yes it is, Mr. Kent. Thank you for stopping by. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of at the mansion." "Sure," Clark replied. "Ms. Grant?" "I'll stay with him, Mr. Luthor," she answered. He nodded and walked away. Clark's eyes questioned Katie. "You're Katharine Grant?" he inquired. "Yes," she smiled, "and you're Clark Kent. I've heard a lot about you." She shook his hand. He shrugged and raised his eyebrows. In his mind, he thought, That was quick. "So," Clark began, "do they know what caused this?" "Something about deadened nerves in the brain made inactive by electric shock. But that seems strange..." she answered. "Electric shock?" Clark sounded worried. "Yeah," Katie's remarked in a puzzled tone. "Um, listen, Katie," Clark told her, "something just came up. When Lex wakes up, tell him I stopped by." "Okay..." Katie said, confused. Clark turned and ran out. He arrived at The Torch office shortly afterward to speak with Chloe. His voice was defiant. "Chloe, it's Lex..." "Clark!" she said, "I heard about what happened. I was going to stop by, but..." "Well, I just found out why it happened...sort of," interrupted Clark. "Shoot," Chloe replied. "Lex blacked out because nerves in his brain were rendered inactive by Lionel's electro-shock therapy." "You're kidding!" Chloe sounded surprised. "Then why is this happening now? I mean, shouldn't something like this have happened a little sooner?" "I thought so, too," Clark remarked, "which is why I want you to do some site research at the LuthorCorp plant where Lex collapsed." "LuthorCorp has dabbled in this kind of...well...activity before." "Yeah," Clark said, "and I also want you to look up his new girlfriend, Katharine Grant." "Katharine Grant? Girlfriend?" inquired Chloe. "Lex knew her for a whole day before she was spending the night at the mansion," added Clark. "That doesn't sound like Lex...I'll definitely look into it." "You'll have it to me by tomorrow?" Clark asked with a grin. Chloe smiled brightly. "Of course!"
The next morning, Chloe met Clark at The Torch. "Clark!" she called, out of breath and carrying a handful of papers, "I found out something juicy about that LuthorCorp plant." She tossed a folder onto the desk where Clark was sitting. He opened it and browsed through the information. "What is it?" he asked. "You remember Level Three, right? The LuthorCorp experiments with meteor- rich soil? Well, it turns out that Level Three moved to the LuthorCorp plant where Lex collapsed yesterday. The meteor rocks used to stimulate the growth of the corn must have somehow affected those nerves in Lex's brain, causing the black-out." "Sort of like the effect they had on Earl Jenkins?" asked Clark. "Exactly." Clark sighed. "So, again, this is all Lionel's fault..." "Not all of it," Chloe said, "That's where Katharine Grant comes in." Clark's eyebrows furrowed as if he were confused. "She was all over the Smallville papers several years ago." Chloe threw a copy of The Ledger onto Clark's desk and continued, "Metropolis Youth Goes to State Science Fair for Meteor Rock Research." Clark sat straight up in his chair and looked at Chloe with concern. "Katharine Grant started the research that Lionel Luthor intends to finish..." "Yep," Chloe told him, "and that explains her interest in the Wall of Weird. Not to mention Lex's interest in her." Clark sighed. Chloe added, "I guess it makes perfect sense. I mean, it's a classic headline: 'Smallville's Heartbroken Bald Boy Falls For Girl In Love With Meteor Rocks...'"
Meanwhile, back at Smallville Medical, Lex awoke. Katie was sitting at his bedside, holding his hand. "Hi," she whispered to him. He grinned sleepily. "Hi..." Katie leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "You scared me to death, Lex," she told him, "What happened to you out there?" He thought for a while. "I don't remember." "Well, your father was the first to get to you when you collapsed. He was very worried. He cares deeply for you, Lex." "Yeah," Lex said with a dry gulp. Katie poured some water for him and lifted to the cup to his lips. "Clark Kent came by," she said. Lex grinned. "I'm sorry I missed him," he said. "Well," Katie told him, "I'm sure he'll be back later. The doctor said your medication might make you sleepy. Maybe you should get some rest." She ran her fingers over the top of his head. He was still, silent, his eyes wide open. Everything was red and green, just like it had been before his collapse. Then the flash of light came. He saw himself much like he was at that very moment, in what appeared to be a type of hospital. He wore a blue uniform, like scrubs, and he sat at an easel, painting his portrait. In the picture, his head was on fire. Then he saw three pills being dropped into little vats of paint. "Lex?" he heard Katie say, her voice distant. He came suddenly out of his daze with a gasp. "Lex?" he heard her say again, this time closer. He shut his eyes tightly and reopened them so that he could see more clearly. "Are you alright, Lex?" Katie sounded concerned. "Yeah," he answered with a grin, "I'm just tired." Katie leaned over and kissed him again. "Okay," she said, "now get some rest." She stood and gently let go of his hand. He watched admiringly as she walked out of the room. When she was out of sight, he rolled over and closed his eyes.
Katie ran into Clark on her way out of the hospital. "Oh, Clark," she said, "you just missed Lex. He's sleeping now." She continued walking. Clark grabbed her arm to stop her. "Excuse me, Clark! Is there a problem?" she raised her voice. "Katharine," he said, "we need to talk." "About what, exactly?" she asked. She could feel her upper arm grow red and hot. Clark pulled her outside. "Lex collapsed because the soil in that plant has been enriched with meteor rocks...the experiment that you started in the 9th grade led to agricultural breakthroughs throughout the state and was adopted by LuthorCorp's Level Three until it was forced to shut down." "Oh my God," Katie spoke quietly, "This is all my fault..." "You mean you didn't know about this?" "Of course not, Clark! That was a long time ago...I've given up on meteor research since then! Now let go...you're hurting me!" "If you gave up on it then why have you been collecting information about meteor rocks to write about in The Ledger?" Clark asked forcibly, loosening his grip. "Haven't you heard the rumors, Clark?" He looked puzzled. She continued, "People have been saying that more than just meteors fell from the sky that day..."
Two hours later, Dr. Brian of Smallville Medical emerged into the waiting room to talk about Lex's condition. "Mr. Luthor," he began, as Lionel and Katie stood, "we ran a CAT-Scan on your son. It appears that some of the nerves in his brain have been deadened, inactive for quite some time. This may have led to his black-out earlier today. We've put him on some medication, and he'll need to stay here for at least 24 hours after he regains consciousness. But he should be fine." "Doctor, what could have caused the inactivity in those nerves?" Lionel asked. "Well," Dr. Brian began, "that's actually what concerns us most, Mr. Luthor. This type of inactivity is usually only caused by electric shock." Lionel stood motionless, his eyes side open as if he had seen some ghastly creature. "Mr. Luthor," the doctor continued, "has your son been exposed to any type of high-voltage electricity that you know of?" Lionel remained silent. Katie spoke up, "Doctor, I'm sure that Lex would have mentioned something to me if he were electrocuted. He hasn't said anything about it." "Okay then," Dr. Brian said as he prepared to leave, "he should be awake within the next few hours." When Dr. Brian departed, Katie turned to Lionel. "Mr. Luthor?" she touched his shoulder, "Mr. Luthor, I'm going in to see Lex now. Care to join me?" He stared at the floor, trying to free himself from the doctor-induced state of shock. He rubbed his eyes. "Yes," he answered, "lead the way." Katie began walking quickly toward Lex's room. Lionel followed slowly after her. When she reached the window looking into his room, she stopped to wait for Lionel, staring lovingly at Lex through the plate glass. Lionel joined her, this time in his normal mood. "Ms. Grant," he spoke to her softly, "I'm sure that Lionel has informed you that I have not been the best father to him. I admit that. But I want you to understand, her and now, as we both look on him in that hospital bed, that I would never, ever do anything to hurt my son." She sighed, "I know, Mr. Luthor, but don't you think that it's a bit too late for that?" "Look, I know that I didn't show my love for Lex in all the ways a good father should..." "Mr. Luthor," Katie seemed frustrated, "why are you telling me this?" Lionel raised his hands toward her. "Listen to me now, Ms. Grant, Lex is searching for someone to love him in the ways that I never did. Now, he thinks that someone is you and, if I understand correctly, he met you roughly 48 hours ago. That seems a little unhealthy to me. I just ask that you be very careful around my son." Katie crossed her arms and let out a deep breath. Just then, Clark Kent walked down the hall. "Mr. Luthor!" he called, "I heard about what happened. Is everything alright?" "Yes it is, Mr. Kent. Thank you for stopping by. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of at the mansion." "Sure," Clark replied. "Ms. Grant?" "I'll stay with him, Mr. Luthor," she answered. He nodded and walked away. Clark's eyes questioned Katie. "You're Katharine Grant?" he inquired. "Yes," she smiled, "and you're Clark Kent. I've heard a lot about you." She shook his hand. He shrugged and raised his eyebrows. In his mind, he thought, That was quick. "So," Clark began, "do they know what caused this?" "Something about deadened nerves in the brain made inactive by electric shock. But that seems strange..." she answered. "Electric shock?" Clark sounded worried. "Yeah," Katie's remarked in a puzzled tone. "Um, listen, Katie," Clark told her, "something just came up. When Lex wakes up, tell him I stopped by." "Okay..." Katie said, confused. Clark turned and ran out. He arrived at The Torch office shortly afterward to speak with Chloe. His voice was defiant. "Chloe, it's Lex..." "Clark!" she said, "I heard about what happened. I was going to stop by, but..." "Well, I just found out why it happened...sort of," interrupted Clark. "Shoot," Chloe replied. "Lex blacked out because nerves in his brain were rendered inactive by Lionel's electro-shock therapy." "You're kidding!" Chloe sounded surprised. "Then why is this happening now? I mean, shouldn't something like this have happened a little sooner?" "I thought so, too," Clark remarked, "which is why I want you to do some site research at the LuthorCorp plant where Lex collapsed." "LuthorCorp has dabbled in this kind of...well...activity before." "Yeah," Clark said, "and I also want you to look up his new girlfriend, Katharine Grant." "Katharine Grant? Girlfriend?" inquired Chloe. "Lex knew her for a whole day before she was spending the night at the mansion," added Clark. "That doesn't sound like Lex...I'll definitely look into it." "You'll have it to me by tomorrow?" Clark asked with a grin. Chloe smiled brightly. "Of course!"
The next morning, Chloe met Clark at The Torch. "Clark!" she called, out of breath and carrying a handful of papers, "I found out something juicy about that LuthorCorp plant." She tossed a folder onto the desk where Clark was sitting. He opened it and browsed through the information. "What is it?" he asked. "You remember Level Three, right? The LuthorCorp experiments with meteor- rich soil? Well, it turns out that Level Three moved to the LuthorCorp plant where Lex collapsed yesterday. The meteor rocks used to stimulate the growth of the corn must have somehow affected those nerves in Lex's brain, causing the black-out." "Sort of like the effect they had on Earl Jenkins?" asked Clark. "Exactly." Clark sighed. "So, again, this is all Lionel's fault..." "Not all of it," Chloe said, "That's where Katharine Grant comes in." Clark's eyebrows furrowed as if he were confused. "She was all over the Smallville papers several years ago." Chloe threw a copy of The Ledger onto Clark's desk and continued, "Metropolis Youth Goes to State Science Fair for Meteor Rock Research." Clark sat straight up in his chair and looked at Chloe with concern. "Katharine Grant started the research that Lionel Luthor intends to finish..." "Yep," Chloe told him, "and that explains her interest in the Wall of Weird. Not to mention Lex's interest in her." Clark sighed. Chloe added, "I guess it makes perfect sense. I mean, it's a classic headline: 'Smallville's Heartbroken Bald Boy Falls For Girl In Love With Meteor Rocks...'"
Meanwhile, back at Smallville Medical, Lex awoke. Katie was sitting at his bedside, holding his hand. "Hi," she whispered to him. He grinned sleepily. "Hi..." Katie leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "You scared me to death, Lex," she told him, "What happened to you out there?" He thought for a while. "I don't remember." "Well, your father was the first to get to you when you collapsed. He was very worried. He cares deeply for you, Lex." "Yeah," Lex said with a dry gulp. Katie poured some water for him and lifted to the cup to his lips. "Clark Kent came by," she said. Lex grinned. "I'm sorry I missed him," he said. "Well," Katie told him, "I'm sure he'll be back later. The doctor said your medication might make you sleepy. Maybe you should get some rest." She ran her fingers over the top of his head. He was still, silent, his eyes wide open. Everything was red and green, just like it had been before his collapse. Then the flash of light came. He saw himself much like he was at that very moment, in what appeared to be a type of hospital. He wore a blue uniform, like scrubs, and he sat at an easel, painting his portrait. In the picture, his head was on fire. Then he saw three pills being dropped into little vats of paint. "Lex?" he heard Katie say, her voice distant. He came suddenly out of his daze with a gasp. "Lex?" he heard her say again, this time closer. He shut his eyes tightly and reopened them so that he could see more clearly. "Are you alright, Lex?" Katie sounded concerned. "Yeah," he answered with a grin, "I'm just tired." Katie leaned over and kissed him again. "Okay," she said, "now get some rest." She stood and gently let go of his hand. He watched admiringly as she walked out of the room. When she was out of sight, he rolled over and closed his eyes.
Katie ran into Clark on her way out of the hospital. "Oh, Clark," she said, "you just missed Lex. He's sleeping now." She continued walking. Clark grabbed her arm to stop her. "Excuse me, Clark! Is there a problem?" she raised her voice. "Katharine," he said, "we need to talk." "About what, exactly?" she asked. She could feel her upper arm grow red and hot. Clark pulled her outside. "Lex collapsed because the soil in that plant has been enriched with meteor rocks...the experiment that you started in the 9th grade led to agricultural breakthroughs throughout the state and was adopted by LuthorCorp's Level Three until it was forced to shut down." "Oh my God," Katie spoke quietly, "This is all my fault..." "You mean you didn't know about this?" "Of course not, Clark! That was a long time ago...I've given up on meteor research since then! Now let go...you're hurting me!" "If you gave up on it then why have you been collecting information about meteor rocks to write about in The Ledger?" Clark asked forcibly, loosening his grip. "Haven't you heard the rumors, Clark?" He looked puzzled. She continued, "People have been saying that more than just meteors fell from the sky that day..."