-- Chapter 7 -- Found --

Sterile white and the smell of bleach, Clark hated the Smallville Hospital's waiting room. The last time he'd spent any time there his dad had been occupying an intensive care bed fighting for his life. Today wasn't any pleasanter.

"Clark? Where's Chloe? What happened?" Mr. Sullivan said.

Clark didn't want to turn, to face Chloe's dad. Calling him had been bad enough. "Sir, I found her in the woods, at the Martin's. She was a little confused. I don't know what happened." Clark said. "The doctor is in with her now." Mr. Sullivan was almost shaking and he sank into one of the faded plastic chairs next to Clark.

"You knew where to find her though? What was she doing out in those woods? Was she okay? You could tell that she was okay right?" Mr. Sullivan said.

Clark tried to think of a way to answer that question that wouldn't panic Chloe's dad. Describing the ramblings and the confusion of the woods wasn't something Clark wanted to attempt. Chloe had been improving steadily, and her dad didn't need to know how bad things had been. "She was out there following up on a story for the Torch. I should have went with her, normally I would..."

"Mr. Sullivan?" a man in a white starched lab coat said.

Clark trailed away and watched doctor and father leave to discuss Chloe. More than anything in the world he wanted to eavesdrop on that conversation. Unfortunately, eavesdropping wasn't exactly an option. Instead, Clark made for the door to Chloe's room. He could check on her in person.

There she was, scrubbed clean by the orderlies and tied up in a voluminous green gown. She looked small against the starched white sheets. Not asleep though, two gray eyes under drooping lids were staring at him. "Clark? Get in here." Chloe rolled her head to the side and stared up at the IV dripping in her arm. "I think they're trying to sedate me. I feel all loopy anyway."

Clark smiled and came over to the bedside. He felt awkward and misplaced, but infinitely relieved. Chloe sounded like Chloe, if a little doped up. "Believe it or not, you sound pretty un-loopy to me right now."

"Really?" Chloe yawned dramatically and patted one of Clark's hands with her own. "I think I should sleep. Chloe snuggled down under the white hospital linens and let her heavy eyelids drift shut. "I had the strangest dream... the world was moving so fast. It felt like flying, and you were there. I was safe."

Clark winced and nodded. He had run to the hospital with Chloe in his arms. He hadn't dared wait until some ambulance could make their way out to help. He'd been too panicked. Clark had hoped she wouldn't remember. "Just sleep Chloe. It'll all feel better in the morning." He wasn't sure how true that statement was but it sounded like the right thing to say.

Chloe frowned and gripped Clark's hand a little tighter. "Thank you, for protecting me."

"Don't thank me," Clark wanted to say. "I let this happen. Showing up to take you to the hospital isn't protection." Instead Clark held Chloe's hand silently, and waited for the IV bag to work its magic.


Martha smiled politely and nodded to her unexpected visitor, Lex. He had ideas, plans, possibilities, and endless capital to back him up. Because of Clark, he wanted to help their family. Lex wanted to save the farm, but it didn't matter. Jonathan would rather sell the entire spread than make a deal with a Luthor. Normally Martha would be the liberal when it came to Lex. She would argue Jonathan into making concessions, but today she'd decided that saving the farm might not be the right plan. Today she had no incentive to argue Lex's case to her husband.

"Lex," Martha interrupted. "Today really isn't a good day. Jonathan won't be happy if he comes out here and we're talking shop about the farm. It's our business. We can handle it."

Lex paused mid-pitch and sighed. Frustration boiled in him. At least Martha was usually open-minded enough to let him finish explaining how he'd like to help. "When would be a good day? When you lose your home?"

A shout from the kitchen prevented Martha from making a proper reply. "Martha, I couldn't get Sullivan on the phone, and Clark should already be back. I'm worried after that spell in the kitchen this afternoon. It wouldn't be overprotective to take the truck in to check the school to see if he made it?" Jonathan called.

Martha cringed internally and smiled at Lex. "That would be entirely too overprotective," Martha replied. She hoped silently that the nervous tension in her voice wasn't bleeding through. "Besides we have a guest."

In the kitchen, Jonathan dropped his truck keys on the table and sighed. He looked heavenward and silently prayed that their visitor wasn't who he imagined it was. This was not a good day. The storm cellar wasn't properly sealed up and Clark had his attack of catatonia. It was only symmetrical that a Luthor arrive on their porch step. Bad things were supposed to come in threes. Through the backdoor and into the light, Jonathan couldn't resist sighing again when he identified their guest. "Lex." Jon said the word as if it were slightly distasteful. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Lex looked from Martha to Jonathan and back again. They seemed nervous, jumpy. "I came to see Clark, but he wasn't around so I was just saying hello to Mrs. Kent. Is Clark okay? You said he had a spell today?"

Jonathan could have kicked himself for allowing Lex to overhear about Clark's brief illness. "Clark's just fine."

Martha nodded quickly, backing up Jonathan's assertion. "He had an allergy thing. Sometimes when my butterfly bush is in bloom, it gets to Clark."

Lex couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this

spell than the Kents were willing to let on. An uneasy feeling lurched through his stomach. Lying wasn't something he'd ever pictured the self-righteous Jonathan Kent practicing. "Right, well tell Clark I hope he's feeling better. I've had my fair share of experience with hypersensitivity, and it isn't much fun."

Jonathan had to bite his lip to contain a sarcastic comment. It was just like Lex to try and make "allergies" into a twenty-letter word that proved his college education. "We'll be sure and tell him."

Martha stood up and managed to muster a warm smile. "I know Clark will be sorry he missed you."


The Eradicator moved through clear crisp night air, oblivious to the smell of ripe corn or the sounds of life around her. Her first sight of the Kent homestead was from above. To say that she wasn't impressed would have been an understatement. "Squalor, uncivilized, what will I find?" Coming to land and gaining proximity on the dwelling didn't improve her impression. It was unimaginably small, and the sealant, paint, was falling off in ragged flakes.

There were voices, three distinct individuals. One she recognized already, Lex Luthor. The other two were unknowns. Her Kryptonian? Maybe. Around the dwelling and to the back, the Eradicator scanned the new beings critically. Too old, these would be the surrogate parents.

"I'll see you later then." Lex could tell when he was being asked politely to leave, and he'd never been one to linger beyond his welcome. Turning, he strolled around the side of the house and came face to face with the insane goddess responsible for the neat bandage around his right hand. "You again?" Lex said. "I thought you were over me."

"Approaching you was a mistake, Mr. Luthor. You aren't whom I seek. Where is Clark Kent?" the Eradicator asked.

Lex groaned internally. The insane sex kitten was strong and dangerous. As if Clark didn't have enough trouble at the moment. "You've changed obsessions then. Good for me, bad for Clark," Lex said.

"Who's there?" Jonathan said. More visitors? It was turning into a regular party. He and Martha came down off the porch and joined Lex across from their new visitor.

"Be careful," Lex said. He blocked the Kents from getting too close. "She's strong and not terribly sane."

"I take it you're acquainted, Lex. What did you do to her?" Jonathan said.

"Jonathan," Martha scolded. She whacked him in the arm and gave him a hard look. There wasn't any reason to be rude.

"Where is Clark Kent? I have come for him," the Eradicator asked. This time she took a step toward Lex. He would answer her, or she'd inflict pain upon him until he did.

Martha winced and exchanged a quick look with Jonathan. This woman had come for Clark? Who was she? How did she know their son? "Who are you?" Martha asked. "What could you possibly want with Clark?" Did she know? Was she the one who'd been in their cellar? What did she know?

"Where is Clark Kent?!" the Eradicator screamed. "I will not be ignored." A lock of her curls had fallen forward into her face giving her a wild disheveled look, and she grabbed Lex by the arm.

Jonathan pushed Martha back a step behind him and felt a rush of fear. Strong and insane, she sounded like your typical meteor-rock mutant. Whatever she wanted with Clark, at least he wasn't here. Now if he could just keep everybody else safe. "Look Clark isn't here. He's out with a friend and he won't be back any time soon."

"Don't bother trying to lie. You aren't very good at it. Your heart speeds up, I can hear it," the Eradicator said. "He will be returning soon then?" She began squeezing Lex's arm, quite gently by her standards. She didn't want to rip it off.

Lex clenched his teeth and tried not to scream. The dull pressure she'd been applying gave way quickly to crushing compression, like a steel vise being gradually tightened. "I don't have any idea where Clark is!" Lex lied.


Clark surrendered himself to the motion, the speed, as he raced through the fields of corn for home. Getting away from the hospital hadn't been easy. He felt so guilty, and there hadn't been any chance to apologize. It didn't seem fair that he just go home. His parents were probably worried though, and Mr. Sullivan was there to hold Chloe's hand and wait for her to wake up.

Out of the corn and into the open, Clark stopped running. A frown creased his brow and he turned toward the back of the house. People were screaming. They were screaming about him? With a slight burst of super-speed Clark headed for the conflict. There was a woman. She looked insane, and Lex seemed to be getting the bad end of her anger.

"Someone looking for me?" Clark asked. He stepped between Lex and the woman who had him by the arm. "I'm right here."