A/N: I do not own these characters or the shows they come from. I'm only borrowing them for a while.
Martha had bustled Clark to the bathroom where he removed his shirt. She took a wet washcloth and washed away the blood on his back. What remained were four pink lines, already healing. Clark looked over his shoulder.
"It's healing, right?" he asked his mom.
Martha replied, "Yes honey, but I don't know how you got hurt. Was there meteor rock nearby?"
"No, I think it was because the creature was from another planet. It's very strong and fast. It threw Lex's car at us. Those military people want me to go with them to their base because they think I might get an alien disease or something. You won't let them take me, will you?" Clark pleaded.
"Of course not, honey. Your father and I will think of something." Martha replied, but she was honestly at a loss.
If the creature had hurt Clark, maybe it was possible that he could get an alien disease. Her mind was reeling from the fact that another spaceship had landed nearby and an unfriendly creature had come from it. Clark had explained all that had happened too rapidly for her to process it all. She needed to speak to Jonathan.
Outside, Jonathan Kent was arguing with the pretty but determined doctor, trying to keep what Daniel Jackson had said in mind. Lex was watching, and noticed Major Carter glancing back and forth from Clark's father to Dr. Frasier to the house where Clark had gone in, a thoughtful look on her face. She seemed intelligent, and Clark had saved her life. Maybe…He found himself walking to her side.
"Maj. Carter, may I have a word with you?"
Sam turned around and found herself facing the young millionaire. "Uh, sure. What can I do for you?"
Lex paused, then said, "Major, I don't know how aware you are of Smallville and the strange things that have happened here, ever since the meteor strike. To be honest, this whole incident, while extreme, is not very different from what has happened here before."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked, intrigued.
"Well," Lex paused again, wondering how to phrase things that didn't end with half the town getting carted off for study, "When certain people in the town get exposed to meteor rock, they can change. Case in point." He said, running a hand over his bald head.
Sam shook her head. "What are you saying? That the rocks from the meteor strike can cause health problems?"
"Something like that." Lex muttered. "Actually, the reverse as well. Some people can have accelerated healing."
Sam cocked her head. "Accelerated? As in, not normal?"
"Yes." Lex replied. "Some people have even been known to develop certain abilities out of the norm as well. Understandably, such people, and their families, might not want them to be poked and prodded." Lex stopped, hoping Maj. Carter would get the gist of what he was saying.
Sam's mind was racing. She knew Clark was not Goa'uld, but he had moved impossibly fast to save her. His wounds also weren't as severe as they should have been. She stared directly at Lex. "Clark is one of those special people, isn't he?"
Lex swallowed. "I believe so, yes."
She looked at the young man in front of her, realizing that he cared about his friend. "Okay" she said. "But I need to see him myself. Don't worry, this whole incident, while extreme," she smiled, "is not too different from what I and my teammates and Dr. Frasier have dealt with before. I won't let anyone hurt your friend, but he does need to be looked at, and in a secure place. Will you try to convince his parents to let him come with us?"
Lex nodded, and then added, "How about you and your team and anyone that sees Clark also signs a confidentiality agreement? I think it would help to convince his parents to let him go with you. That way I know he'll be safe."
Sam smiled. With a friend sticking up for him this much, Clark had to be a good person. "Let me talk to the Colonel." She replied.
Clark had put on a fresh shirt, and he and Martha came out of the house. Before Dr. Frasier could launch into pleas with the boy's mother, Sam walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Janet, we need to talk." She jerked her head, pointing to where Col. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson were standing by the first van. With a final look at Jonathan, Dr. Frasier went with her.
"Son, are you all right?" Jonathan asked Clark.
"I'm fine Dad. I'm already healing. What did you talk about with the doctor?" Clark asked.
"She wants you to go with them to their base so they can use some fancy equipment and make sure you didn't get infected with any alien viruses. You don't feel any different, do you?" Jonathan hated asking, but he was afraid. Clark couldn't be hurt if he wasn't around the green meteor rock, but somehow he had been.
"No, I feel normal. For me, I mean" Clark added.
Martha looked worriedly at Jonathan. "He had bruises, Jonathan. I know he's been bruised before, but nothing should break his skin. This creature," and Martha looked like she wanted to kill it, "somehow hurt him twice. I saw marks on his chest as well." Martha turned to Clark. "I hate to say it, honey, but maybe the military is right. We don't know anything about this, and I don't think a normal doctor would be able to help you if anything went wrong."
Clark stared at his parents as if he hadn't seen them before. "You want me to go with them?" Lex chose that moment to stride up to them.
Sam had finished explaining Lex's theory to the rest of the team. Dr. Frasier was very interested. "That probably explains why Clark didn't want me to look at him. If he were already healing faster than he should, it would raise questions. Sir, I think you should agree to the confidentiality agreement. We should call General Hammond to be sure, but we need to get the young man to the base where I can examine him. Accelerated healing or not, he could still get infected. Though if the creature were like a Unas, its own fast healing would prevent it from carrying disease. I need to do some testing to make sure, though."
O'Neill looked at Daniel and Sam. She nodded, agreeing with Dr. Frasier. Daniel shrugged and nodded as well. "Okay, we'll call Hammond. Then we convince the locals to sign agreements and come with us. I don't think Clark's parents will let him go without them. This could get interesting." He said, shaking his head.
Lex had told the Kents about asking for a confidentiality agreement.
"For what?" Jonathan asked.
Lex looked directly at him. "For keeping Clark safe," he replied.
Clark swallowed, and Martha stared at him. "Lex?" she asked tentatively.
"I know, Mrs. Kent. Clark had to use his ability to save both Major Carter and me. You heal fast, too, don't you? That's why you didn't want the doctor to help you. You didn't need it." Lex finished, turning to his friend. "I'll protect you, I promise. I was changed by the meteor strike too. I don't get sick. I won't tell anyone else, but I think these people can help you. Major Carter hinted that there are even stranger things going on than what happens here in Smallville. They just want to make sure you stay healthy. They'll sign an agreement that when you check out okay, you can go home. I think it's the best way to get them off your case." Lex put his cards on the table, hoping he hadn't scared his friend off.
Clark looked at his parents, but he could see the answer in their eyes. He sighed. Maybe, if the military just believed he was a meteor mutant, as Lex now did, they wouldn't think him too strange. He didn't have to tell them the truth about being an alien. And his back still hurt a little. He just had to figure out how to explain the whole needles breaking on his skin thing convincingly.
First though—"Lex, are you really okay with this? I, I'm sorry but I couldn't tell you. Nobody else knows I'm different," he said, admitting that part at least. "I just wanted to be normal, to fit in. Are, are we still friends?"
Lex gazed into his eyes. He smiled. "Forever, Clark. We still have a destiny together. I can understand why you didn't tell anyone—and I don't want you to tell anyone else. Just don't hold back from me, okay? I can't protect you properly otherwise. Although, it's me you always seem to be saving." Lex grinned wryly, and held out his hand. Clark took it, and Martha looked at Jonathan and smiled, relieved.
To be continued.
P.S. Sorry I got a little maudlin at the end, it's late and my brain has stopped working. I hope to post something better than drivel next time. Everyone, thanks for your comments and I hope you are all enjoying this!