The monsoon rain fell heavily around them as they advanced through the
thick, muddy swamp. Clark looked to the men on his left, all people he
didn't know, but they all shared the same expression of determination. He
didn't understand why he was there, or where they were going. Suddenly, he
heard a voice from a man on his right.
"This is it. We're lost... We're never going to get home." The man's voice held a bitter, stale note of reality. Not necessarily sorrow, but had no hope left. He looked to Clark. "Man, you're so lucky. At least you'll leave a legacy behind."
Clark was shaken. Did he know about his powers? What was this guy talking about? Clark looked down into the opaque water and caught a glance at his reflection - but it wasn't him. It was Whitney's.
Clark awoke with a start to the sound of the phone ringing. It was only a dream. He had fallen asleep while completing an English assignment. A cold sadness overcame Clark as he remembered the fate of his friend. "Mom, you got that?" he called out and sat up on his bed. "Mom?" After no reply, Clark supersped down to the kitchen and grabbed the receiver off the hook before the 3rd ring. "Hello?"
"Clark! It's me!" Chloe said in an extremely chipper voice, even more so than usual.
Clark held the phone away from his ear in slight agony. She was practically shouting into the phone. "Hey Chloe, listen, I-"
"You'll never believe what's happened!" She exploded with excitement.
"What?" Clark smiled at this unusual, yet usual behaviour from Chloe.
Chloe seemed to make a dramatic pause as she talked quietly to someone else on her side. Clark heard a laugh, then she came back onto the phone.
"Whitney's back!! He's alive!!" She shouted happily, "He's at the Smallville Medical Centre. It's the craziest thing, you gotta come!"
Clark seemed to freeze as he held the phone away from his head. Did his dream mean something? Was it trying to tell him that Whitney was still alive? Mixed feelings crossed his mind as Clark thought of the possibilities.
After a moment, Chloe broke the silence, "Clark? Are you still there?" she asked.
Clark snapped out of his trance and stared at the phone for a second, then put it back to his ear. "Yeah, I'm here. That's really great news Chloe." For some reason, Clark didn't sound as enthusiastic as he should have. It wasn't that he was upset that Whitney lived, something else was bugging him, but he wasn't sure what.
Chloe's voice became somewhat icy, "Look Clark, I know you've had your eye on Lana while Whitney was away, but that's no reason to resent him for surviving. The man fought for the safety of our country, and all you can think of is his girlfriend? I can't believe you could be that shallow."
Before Clark had a chance to defend himself, Chloe hung up. He hadn't even really thought about Lana after Chloe told him the news. Even though Lana had broken up with Whitney, she would definitely be spending a lot of time with him now that he was home. Clark considered calling Chloe back, but wasn't certain where she was calling from, and probably needed some time to cool off. He just hoped she wouldn't stay mad at him for too long.
"This is it. We're lost... We're never going to get home." The man's voice held a bitter, stale note of reality. Not necessarily sorrow, but had no hope left. He looked to Clark. "Man, you're so lucky. At least you'll leave a legacy behind."
Clark was shaken. Did he know about his powers? What was this guy talking about? Clark looked down into the opaque water and caught a glance at his reflection - but it wasn't him. It was Whitney's.
Clark awoke with a start to the sound of the phone ringing. It was only a dream. He had fallen asleep while completing an English assignment. A cold sadness overcame Clark as he remembered the fate of his friend. "Mom, you got that?" he called out and sat up on his bed. "Mom?" After no reply, Clark supersped down to the kitchen and grabbed the receiver off the hook before the 3rd ring. "Hello?"
"Clark! It's me!" Chloe said in an extremely chipper voice, even more so than usual.
Clark held the phone away from his ear in slight agony. She was practically shouting into the phone. "Hey Chloe, listen, I-"
"You'll never believe what's happened!" She exploded with excitement.
"What?" Clark smiled at this unusual, yet usual behaviour from Chloe.
Chloe seemed to make a dramatic pause as she talked quietly to someone else on her side. Clark heard a laugh, then she came back onto the phone.
"Whitney's back!! He's alive!!" She shouted happily, "He's at the Smallville Medical Centre. It's the craziest thing, you gotta come!"
Clark seemed to freeze as he held the phone away from his head. Did his dream mean something? Was it trying to tell him that Whitney was still alive? Mixed feelings crossed his mind as Clark thought of the possibilities.
After a moment, Chloe broke the silence, "Clark? Are you still there?" she asked.
Clark snapped out of his trance and stared at the phone for a second, then put it back to his ear. "Yeah, I'm here. That's really great news Chloe." For some reason, Clark didn't sound as enthusiastic as he should have. It wasn't that he was upset that Whitney lived, something else was bugging him, but he wasn't sure what.
Chloe's voice became somewhat icy, "Look Clark, I know you've had your eye on Lana while Whitney was away, but that's no reason to resent him for surviving. The man fought for the safety of our country, and all you can think of is his girlfriend? I can't believe you could be that shallow."
Before Clark had a chance to defend himself, Chloe hung up. He hadn't even really thought about Lana after Chloe told him the news. Even though Lana had broken up with Whitney, she would definitely be spending a lot of time with him now that he was home. Clark considered calling Chloe back, but wasn't certain where she was calling from, and probably needed some time to cool off. He just hoped she wouldn't stay mad at him for too long.