Lana.
I was hoping that you were up.
Is everything all right?
It's about Jason.
I think I made a horrible mistake.
Jason.
Lana, I'm not sure I'm the one you should be talking to about this.
Actually, I think that you're exactly who I should be talking to.
I've been thinking about it. The way we met.
The way he followed me here. The way he got a job at my school.
I think that everything that Jason has told me has been a lie.
I'm starting to wonder if there's another reason he came to Smallville besides me.
Like what?
I don't know.
But he's really starting to scare me.
Don't worry, Lana.
I'd never let anything happen to you.
I know.
And it's made one thing very clear.
I never should have given up on us.
I can lie to myself as much as I want,
but I've always been in love with you.
- I knew I couldn't trust you, Clark. - Jason, no!
Haven't you hurt her enough already?
Jason!
Clark can't protect you from me.
Nobody can.
Oh, my gosh.
Jason!
Someone call an ambulance.
Jason. Jason, can you hear me?
J“ somebody save me j“
j“ let your warm hands break right through it j“
j“ somebody save me j“
j“ I don't care how you do it j“
-j“ just stay, stay j“ -j“ stay with me j“
j“ come on, I've been waiting for you j“
j“ to stay with me j“
j“ I made this whole world shine for you j“
j“ stay, stay j“
j“ come on j“
Hey.
How's he doing?
The doctors don't know.
His heart's beating a mile a minute and they can't get his blood pressure down.
That's a little odd for someone who's unconscious, isn't it?
They said he's in some sort of a panic mode.
Like he's having a severe nightmare.
What happened?
He came by the Talon to pick me up for lunch
and I ran upstairs to grab a jacket.
And?
And I heard a crash. You know, that's it.
He's been... he's been perfectly healthy.
But the doctors say that if they can't get his heart rate down,
he could have a heart attack.
They must have some idea of what caused this.
Well, I wish I could help them.
But he was just studying all morning before he came to the apartment.
The first time I saw him he was lying on the Talon floor.
Well, let us know if there's anything we can do to help, okay?
They need his insurance card. It's in my apartment.
Could you guys get it? I don't wanna leave his side.
Yeah. Okay.
I don't mean to go all Dr. Phil on you,
but don't you think you should admit they're in a relationship?
Come on, Chloe. I'm past that.
Yeah. I should've known by that crippling stare on your face
ever since you walked in the apartment.
I just could've used some more time to ease into it, you know?
Clark, you were in love with her.
That's not something you just ease out of.
It's just by the time that I found out, they were already this serious thing.
Yeah, but we all keep secrets for our own reasons.
I don't think I have to tell you that.
Going through Jason's things doesn't fall under your snoop jurisdiction.
I'll take my chances with the jury.
I think maybe if we backtrack through Jason's last couple of days, it might help.
Jason had a meeting at LuthorCorp this morning.
Why didn't Lana say something?
Maybe she didn't know.
This place seems dead.
Yeah, my dad used to work the overtime shifts on Saturdays.
This lot should be full by now.
Where do you think everybody is?
I don't know. While you're talking to Lex, I'm gonna give myself a backstage tour.
Clark
how the hell did you get in here?
The, uh... the gate was open.
- Your security seems a little Mia. - Obviously, but this is a restricted area.
This will only take a second.
I need someone to escort a guest out.
Clark, I'm sorry, but I just got in from Metropolis. I've got a lot to do.
Just now?
I thought you had a meeting with Jason this morning.
Not with me. He was meeting with the head of my hr department.
You giving him a job?
Just some leads.
I felt guilty for getting Jason fired from the school.
He didn't want Lana to know. I'm surprised he told you.
Jason's lying unconscious at the hospital.
Some sort of neurological stress.
- Do they know what happened? - No.
But your hr guy might've been the last person to talk to him.
I'll track him down, but there could be a lot of reasons for Jason's condition.
Could also be a lot of reasons this place is deserted halfway through a Saturday.
I'll call in a specialist from Metropolis to take a look at him.
Assure Lana I'm doing everything I can for him.
I've been waiting for you, Chloe.
- Mom? - You can't escape this, Chloe.
None of the women in our family ever have.
Oh, no!
Security to iand/ine. No incoming.
Stand by.
With all our safety precautions,
how the hell does a lab explode?
When you're dealing with meteor rocks
it's very difficult to predict how our chemicals will react.
Mr. Luthor, we're doing everything we can.
After the alarm sounded, we sealed the room.
All affected personnel have been quarantined
and we're trying to fix the damaged pipes.
You mean the bacteria is still leaking out?
Only in that room.
Once the situation is under control, I want the project dismantled.
But, Mr. Luthor...
Your father negotiated this contract with the military
and we stand to make a lot if we can ever market the compound.
And exactly what is the market
for toxins that invoke a person's worst nightmare before they fall unconscious?
Think of the good. We could disable the enemy without ever using violence.
- We have statistics to prove... - Statistics aren't lying in those beds.
My employees are.
And I'm afraid they're not the only ones.
What do you mean?
Someone who was visiting this morning is at the hospital with the same symptoms.
- Is he contagious? - Oh, no, sir. No, sir.
The bacteria can't be transmitted from one person to another.
It has to be inhaled directly.
Then there's no need to call the CDC and panic the entire town.
Where are we with the antidote?
This will clarify when it reaches 1000 degrees kerin
- and then we can test it. - What's the eta?
Another five hours.
Eight other people have come down with the condition that Jason and Chloe have.
The doctors haven't found anything in common?
You say Jason and Chloe were at LuthorCorp?
Yeah, but half the victims at the hospital weren't.
Whatever this is, it seems to strike completely at random.
There's no way to tell who's next.
That sounds contagious, in the air or the water.
Hey, maybe it'll show up in some environmental quality report.
- Lana. - Come on in.
Sorry to show up like this, I didn't know where else to go.
Clark told us about Jason. Has something happened?
One of the other infected people just died.
Lana, do the doctors have any idea at all what's going on?
Just that a person's body can only sustain a level of panic for so long
before their heart gives out.
I can't... I can't just sit in that hospital anymore,
just watching Chloe and Jason die.
I wanna help.
I hope I didn't separate you from your flock.
I understand your cynicism, warden, but I assure you, I am a changed man.
Oh. Or just a smart one.
Ever since you proclaimed this sudden conversion to our resident St. Paul,
there hasn't been an attempt on your life.
I want only to be of help to others.
What is the value of my sinful life,
unless I use it as an example to Shepherd fellow sinners.
To lead them away from the allure of hedonism and mistrust and greed.
To follow a better way.
Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to change congregations.
- What do you mean? - The court overturned your conviction.
My appeal doesn't come up for months. It's not possible.
You'd be surprised what's possible in this judicial system.
You know, I've done everything to work this system.
I hired the best lawyers in the world.
I tried to pay off everyone from the bailiff
to the president of the United States, and I was told, categorically,
I was never gonna see life outside these walls again.
You do not wanna be telling me things of this nature.
Yes, I do. I'm guilty.
Not of the crime I've been imprisoned for, but...
For so many other crimes
which should've landed me in here years ago.
This is where I belong. It's where I can do the most good.
You wanna stay in prison?
Yes. I do. I've found my...
My mission in life.
Contrary to your deluded point of view,
this is not the ritz-Carlton
where you can check in and check out at your leisure.
Somebody did you a favor getting you out of this place.
I'd say be grateful.
But who? Who could do that?
Obviously, someone more powerful than you.
As soon as this papenrvork is finished, you're a free man.
We know that Jason was in town by 9:00.
According to hourly satellite images, we had clear skies all morning.
Hourly? Can you get a bit more specific than that?
|'|| try.
I just don't understand why Jason wouldn't tell me
that he had a meeting at LuthorCorp.
It might have been a blow to his pride accepting Lex's offer.
Well, maybe that's what all this has been about.
I've been getting this feeling there's something he hasn't been telling me.
Maybe he thought you'd see him differently if you found out.
Do you really think that I'm that shallow, Clark?
It might take him a while to get to know you as well as I do.
Look at that.
Looks like that cloud came out of nowhere.
And then it's completely gone five minutes later.
It covered two miles before it dissipated.
- Why would a cloud just appear? - Maybe it's not a cloud.
Maybe it's pollution or smoke or something.
If that's the county line, Chloe's house is right in the middle of it.
So is LuthorCorp.
Dad.
Jason.
Lana.
They're all going to leave you
and there's nothing you can do about it.
Lana.
- I can't hold him. Get over here. - Yes, sir.
- You've got it. - Yeah, I've got it. Got it.
Mr. Luthor, we have never tested this antidote.
I urge you to try it on one of our lab animals first.
One of my employees is about to die.
Do you see any other options for us right now?
No, sir. I don't.
But, please, remember, this is like a flu inoculation.
It contains traces of the infectious element.
Is that your way of saying the patient's gonna get worse before he gets better?
Assuming it works.
Mr. Luthor, you can't go in there.
We must keep the exposure to the toxin to a minimum.
I'm responsible for this plant and everyone who works here.
I'm going with you.
I understand you're treating a patient named Jason teague.
Lex, I've got my hands full right now.
We're watching Mr. Teague along with all the others in his condition.
The others? Are you telling me all these people have the same symptoms?
Unfortunately.
We have no idea what we're dealing with.
It's a synthetic toxin.
A pressure tank exploded this morning at my plant.
We thought we had it contained, but it must've escaped into the atmosphere.
It's possible all these people were exposed at the time.
You're just telling me this now? I have to call the center for disease control.
I don't know how much they can do.
There's an antidote that my manager has been modifying.
- How close is it? - First trial was unsuccessful.
But I assure you we'll have it under control.
- It's too late for that. - I need a doctor!
I need a doctor!
- Did you know this when I talked to you? - Clark, other than Jason,
I had no idea anyone outside of LuthorCorp was exposed.
You have to believe me.
What is this stuff?
It all makes sense.
Lana, help me.
The meteor shower...
You came the same day.
How could I be so stupid?
The meteor shower is the reason I'm here.
I'm from a planet called Krypton.
Lana, I wanted to tell you.
I didn't think you'd accept me.
You're not even human?
Lana, no.
Please,
that stuff makes me sick.
My parents are gone because of you.
I'm never gonna see them again.
You killed my parents.
- Hi, how are you feeling? - I need you.
- I need to find my parents. - They haven't been admitted.
You're the first patient to come out of this. Sit down.
- No. I feel fine. - Clark.
Dad?
Mom?
Lex.
- I'll keep you updated. - You're running out of time.
- How did you get past security? - It's okay.
I left you in the hospital. What happened?
My parents are in there now.
- Clark... - Lana, Chloe, Jason.
- They're all gonna die if you don't do something. - What do you suggest I do?
Use me.
I want you to use me.
I came out of this panic state, maybe there's something in me that can help.
I'll give you whatever samples you need.
Even if your immune system could offer us some insight...
I don't know, those kind of tests take months, years to analyze. No. No.
He's right, Clark.
We have a new antidote that we can test in a few hours.
There's no time.
The antidote needs to be heated to 1000 degrees Kelvin until it clears.
- Othen/vise, it's useless. - We're gonna test it first.
People's lives are at stake. We're running out of time.
Look at them, Mr. Luthor. You look at them.
Are you gonna point the finger and decide which one of them
is gonna take the potentially lethal injection?
Whoever it is, you could be killing them.
- Clark? - Thank god it worked.
I'm gonna get the antidote to the hospital.
Lex, you're gonna be okay.
I should have known.
Home.
Clark...
There something bothering you, son?
No. It'll just take a few days before I can walk into that room
and not get a flash of the two of you unconscious on the floor.
Well, thanks for cleaning everything up.
Yeah, somebody really did a number on that lamp back there.
Must've been some nightmare you had.
We woke up to find that it had almost come true.
Clark, you walked right into Lex's office and almost gave up your secret.
Who knows what they would've done to you.
I didn't see any other choice.
It's funny, because lately I've been thinking
I've gotten closer to being able to tell someone the truth about me...
But now I'm convinced more than ever that I can't tell anyone...
Especially not Lana.
I know how much it would mean to you to be able to share your secret with her.
As far apart as we've grown...
I think about it every day.
I hope our own fears haven't gotten in your way.
I'd hate for you to look back and regret not telling the people closest to you.
I mean, there is a chance Lana would understand.
There is.
But what if she didn't?
Clark, look, I'm not sure that it's Lana...
But I am sure that someday there will be someone you can tell.
J“ something about you draws me back again... j“
Egg foo Yung to the rescue.
J“ something about you pulls me in... j“
so if I'd waited around for the Peking duck,
you'd have what, been gone?
No. I would have been here,
trying to figure out what to say.
I don't understand.
Is this because of your mom?
You've been different since I met her.
No, I've been different ever since I came to Smallville.
I mean, six months ago, I would've never gone to someone like Lex
and groveled for a job that I don't even want.
And the worst part is I was too embarrassed to even tell you about it.
Since when have you ever been embarrassed around me?
Exactly.
I don't like this person that I'm becoming, Lana.
And I don't wanna wait around for you to resent me
as much as I resent myself, so...
That's not why you're leaving.
One thing I learned from my relationship with Clark
is when someone isn't being honest with me.
J“ and we're falling... j“
Jason, just tell me the truth.
J“ when I've almost had enough j“
be careful.
J“ when I'm almost given up... j“
J“ we 're falling j“
I can't get a statement from LuthorCorp.
A chemical explosion causes everybody to relive their nightmares. What is that?
And there's no sign of a lawsuit. I mean, it's like this whole thing is just
being completely forgotten about. What? What?
What?
I've seen you worked up before, but this is more than amped for you.
I guess it's just displaced anxiety.
I found my mom, Clark.
Wow, that's... Chloe, that's great.
Yeah, I put my feelers out for years and something
three months ago came through, so... I mean, turns out she's, um...
She's not exactly Mia, so to speak.
She's in a mental institution.
I'm sorry.
- The real kicker is, it's hereditary. - Listen...
Hey, if there's one thing that I've learned,
it's that you're not destined to follow in your parents' footsteps, all right?
So popular question of the day.
What is Clark Kent's worst nightmare?
When I woke up...
Everyone that I knew was gone.
I was completely alone.
I wish I could say that I'll always be there for you, but...
Somehow I get the feeling that may not be a promise I can keep.
You were the only one that came out of it, Clark.
And I don't think it's because you've been taking your vitamins.
- Chloe... - Look, you know what?
You don't have to tell me.
I know that I gave you my word
that I was going to stop all of this prying, but...
These last months I got a taste of what it was like to keep my mom's secret
and I've never felt more alone.
It's weird when people think they're close to you,
but have no idea what you're really going through.
I'd hate to live my whole life like this.
But after fessing up,
it's amazing how quickly that feeling of loneliness disappears.
I mean, if you can't tell your best friend, who can you tell?
Right, Clark?