Chapter Seventeen: Mortality
Lana gasped as she watched Clark's form collapse onto the ground as the Stargate deactivated.
"Someone get Carson down here, ASAP!" She yelled, standing up and running over to the shaking body on the floor.
"Already here." Carson commented calmly, emerging from the crowd with some other medical doctors. "This is the Ancient?" He asked as he kneeled down beside them.
Lana nodded silently as she used her small hands to try and grasp the tiny piece of kryptonite that wasn't buried inside of Clark. "I think I've...I can't get a hold of it!" She whispered to Carson in frustration, after a few seconds of trying.
Carson took his pen out of his pocket and put it against the piece of rock, pressing down against the skin to create more space for Lana to grasp it.
Clark groaned, eyes squeezing shut in pain, his body continuing to shake in a fit-like episode.
"Relax your muscles, Clark..." Lana told him as her fingers brushed the Kryptonite, causing it to irritate the split skin.
"I...can't!" He grunted out as his eyes slid closed again, the green hue now having spread throughout his entire body, lighting up his veins in a strange glow.
"Stay with me, Clark!" She said, tears prickling her eyes as she became even more infuriated with herself for not being able to pull out the rock.
"Lana; we need to get him to the Infirmary. We don't have the equipment to do this here." Carson told her gently as some more Doctors came rolling through with a gurney.
"No!" She yelled, "We don't have enough time! If we don't get it out now, Clark's going to die! I heard what Zod said! It's a radioactive mineral, Carson! It's taking what little energy he has left!" She said as she continued her attempt.
Clark's body slowly stopped shaking, becoming deathly still. Lana gasped for breath, trying to stop the tears from falling down her face, before giving up. She slammed the palm of her hand on Clark's back in frustration.
"Damn it!" She yelled, "Don't give up on me, Clark!" She told him, hoping he could still hear her. After a few more seconds of fumbling with the piece of rock that was poking out, her hands, being the first part of her body to know that it was now pointless, slowly stopped their movements, going up to her mouth.
She gasped again, shaking her head as she was pulled away from the body by Carson.
"No, no, no, no...!" She mumbled, tears running down her face as she tried to get back to Clark's side.
"Lana! We'll do everything we can! There's nothing you can do in the state you're in." Carson whispered sadly, arms wrapped around her shoulders as members of the Medical Team heaved Clark up onto the gurney. They then began to roll him quickly to the Infirmary to see if there was anything else they could do for him.
Lana continued to shake her head as she sat between Carson's legs, "No...it wasn't supposed to be like this..." She whispered to herself, arms wrapping themselves around her small frame.
"I need to go and see if there's anything I can do, Lana." Carson said as the gurney rolled out of sight. "I'll come and get you once we've tried everything." He added, before giving her a one armed hug. Standing up, he jogged after the rest of the Medical Team, leaving Lana sobbing on the floor of the Gate Room.
