|
Clark: Yeah. But for a moment, I lost all my strength.
Neil, who is standing nearby, is talking on his walkie-talkie.
Man: (On the walkie-talkie) Dr. Moore.
Neil: Go ahead.
CUT TO the storm cellar where the man is waving a meter over the ground.
Man: I'm getting a hit in the storm cellar. I'm registering a positive for organic particulate matter. Looks like someone was digging around and kicked up some sort of irradiated spore.
Neil: Get a surface sample, 10 centimeters and 50 centimeters.
The man's assistant starts to dig into the dirt. Soon he hits the flour can.
CUT TO Neil showing Jonathan and Clark the octagonal disk in a plastic bag.
Neil: Mr. Kent, we found this in a tin buried inside your storm cellar. Have you ever seen it before?
Jonathan: No.
Neil: Has Mrs. Kent been down in that cellar recently?
Jonathan: Not that I know of. We usually keep it locked.
Clark: Actually, Dad, she was down there this morning.
Neil: (Into his walkie-talkie as he walks away) This is Moore. I want a cleanup team to sterilize every inch of that storm cellar.
Clark: Dad, I don't get it. We've been searching for that key for months. How'd it end up in the storm cellar?
Jonathan: When I went to fix the leak under the sink I noticed the flour jar was there. Your mother must have moved it when we went to the hardware store.
Clark: Why didn't she tell us she had it?
Jonathan: She must have her reasons, Clark. Right now I'm more concerned about her health.
Clark: Me too. What do you think those spores are?
Jonathan: I don't know, but whatever they are, you were exposed to them too. Maybe that's why you lost your strength.
Clark: No, Dad, I just had a glitch. I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. We need to think about Mom.
Act 2 Scene 2
Jonathan enters Martha's hospital room where she is still sleeping. Day.
Jonathan: Sweetheart? (Martha opens her eyes) How are you feeling?
Martha: I should have told you about the baby. I'm so sorry.
Jonathan: Why didn't you tell me?
Martha: I was worried if I said it out loud it would go away.
She coughs. Jonathan pulls up a chair and sits next to her.
Jonathan: Martha, how is it even possible?
Martha: The day of the tornado, when Nixon opened Clark's ship, something strange happened. There was a blinding light, and I felt a surge of energy go through my body.
Jonathan: Are you saying you think the ship has the power to heal?
Martha: The ship made it possible for me to get pregnant.
Jonathan: However it happened, Martha, it's a miracle. (Pause) Uh... they found the key in the storm cellar. Why did you hide it from us?
Martha: I knew it was wrong, but... I was afraid if Clark opened the ship and found out the truth about his origins, he... he would want to leave us. (She starts to cry)
Jonathan: Martha, Martha, that's not going to happen.
She starts to cough again and Jonathan kisses her hand.
Act 2 Scene 3
Lana comes to Clark's house where he is standing on the porch. Night.
Lana: Clark.
Clark: Hey, Lana.
Lana: I just wanted to make sure you were okay.
Clark: It's weird how random memories can just pop into your head, huh? When I was in second grade, I was afraid to go to school because I thought my mom would disappear while I was gone and never come back. I wouldn't even get on the bus in the morning until she promised she'd be there when I got home. Sure enough, every day, there she was when I walked in the door.
Lana: Don't worry, Clark. In a few days, you'll walk through that door and your mom will be there again.
Clark nods and then starts to hunch over.
Lana: Clark? Are you okay? Clark.
Clark falls backwards down the stairs.
Lana: Clark! (She runs down the stairs and turns him onto his back) Clark.
CUT TO Helen entering the Kents' living room where Clark is lying on the couch unconscious and Jonathan and Lana are standing over him.
Helen: What happened?
Jonathan: Uh, Lana, would you-- would you excuse us, please?
Lana: Yeah.
Lana goes to the door and stops to look back at Clark one more time before leaving. Helen listens to Clark's heartbeat.
Jonathan: Clark was exposed to the same toxin his mother was.
Helen: You should've called an ambulance. We need to inform the DCA immediately.
Jonathan: I'm sorry, I can't let you do that.
Helen: Why the hell not?
Jonathan: Look, I need you to promise me that you won't tell anybody about this, and I mean anybody.
Helen: (Tying a tourniquet onto Clark's arm) Mr. Kent, I take my doctor/patient confidentiality very seriously. But Clark needs proper care
Jonathan: Doctor, Clark isn't exactly what you'd call a normal boy.
Helen: (Taking out a needle) I need to get a blood sample.
Jonathan: Listen, Dr. Bryce, you can't do that.
Helen: Is this some sort of religious thing?
Jonathan: No, I mean literally, you can't do that.
Helen pokes the needle into Clark's arm and it goes in without any resistance. The vial starts to fill with blood. Jonathan leans over to get a closer look as Helen finishes.
Jonathan: You can't take that sample to a lab.
Helen: Mr. Kent, I am trying to help your son, but I can't do that unless you tell me what's going on.
She starts to get up and Jonathan stops her.
Jonathan: You need to promise me that you will do the lab work on this blood yourself. If you do the blood work yourself, I think you'll understand why you can't tell anyone about Clark.
Helen looks at Clark and then back at Jonathan.
Act 2 Scene 4
Helen puts a smear of blood under the microscope in her office and studies it. Night.
Helen: Oh, my God.
There is a knock at the door and Lex enters.
Helen: Lex.
Lex: I came by to see how Mrs. Kent was doing. (Lex turns to close the door and Helen turns the file on her table so it's facing down) I saw the DCA. It must be serious.
Helen: You know I'm not allowed to discuss my patients.
Lex: The Kents are like family to me, more than my own.
Helen: I know, and I would tell you everything if I could.
Lex: I understand. I just wish there was something I could do to help.
Helen: Unfortunately, modern medicine doesn't always have the answers.
Lex: I guess that's the attraction of a research fellowship. A chance to help unlock the mysteries of science.
He puts his hand on the table next to the file. Helen takes it away.
Helen: I better get back to work.
Lex goes to the door and stops.
Lex: Helen... Johns Hopkins will be lucky to have you.
He leaves and Helen looks back to the smear of blood under the microscope.
Fade to black.
Act 3 Scene 1
Chloe drives up to the Kent house. Day. She gets out of the car and walks up to the door. She knocks and Jonathan answers.
Chloe: Hi, Mr. Kent, um, Lana told me what happened. Is Clark okay?
Jonathan: Uh, yeah, he's um, he's just resting on the-- on the couch. I'll be sure and tell him you stopped by to say hello.
Chloe: Actually, I'm sorry. I must be more annoying than a door-to-door salesman, but I was wondering if I could just sit with him for a while.
Jonathan: Uh, yeah, yes. Chloe, I'm sorry, yeah, uh, sure. Go on in. I'll-- I'll wait upstairs.
Chloe: Okay, thanks.
Chloe comes inside and Jonathan goes up the stairs. Chloe sits in the rocking chair next to the couch where Clark is still lying unconscious.
Chloe: Hi, Clark. (She squeezes his shoulder) Well, this is gonna make quite a story. "Clark Kent ends record-breaking perfect attendance streak." (Silently grins at her own by-line joke) Sorry. I'm doing it again. I just-- I've never seen you sick before, and it just got me thinking, you know? What if something did happen to you? And I-I never got to... (Pause) So in yet another classic maneuver to avoid emotional intimacy, I wrote my feelings down so that I could read them to you, thereby eliminating embarrassing eye contact.
She pulls a pink piece of paper out of her purse and starts to read.
Chloe: I want to let you in on a secret. I'm not who you think I am. In fact, my disguise is so thin, I'm surprised you haven't seen right through me. I'm the girl of your dreams masquerading as your best friend. Sometimes I want to rip off this facade like I did at the Spring Formal, but I can't because you'll get scared and you'll run away again. So I decided that it's better to live with a lie than expose my true feelings.
(She starts to get choked up and stops reading for a second)
Chloe: This is so much easier when you're unconscious.
(She runs her fingers through his hair brushing Clark's bangs to one side of his head and starts to read again)
Chloe: My dad told me there are two types of girls. The ones you grow out of and the ones you grow into. I really hope I'm the latter. I may not be the one you love today, but I'll let you go for now, hoping one day you'll fly back to me because I think you're worth the wait. (She puts the paper down on her lap and runs her fingers through his hair again. He stirs) Clark?
Clark: (Quietly Still out of it and eyes closed, groans) Lana?
A tear slides down Chloe's cheek. She quickly puts the paper back in her hand bag and quickly gets up and starts leaving. When she gets to the door she looks back at where Clark is laying still asleep. She walks out and closes the door before starting to cry.
Act 3 Scene 2
Jonathan leaves the house. Night. Clark comes out after him with a blanket over his shoulders. His face is pale.
Clark: Dad.
Jonathan: Clark, you shouldn't be up.
Clark: Where are you going?
Jonathan: I'm going to Pete's to get the ship.
Clark: Now? How's Mom? (Jonathan doesn't answer) Dad?
Jonathan: Clark, Helen says that your mother probably won't make it through the night. And now you, too.
Clark: You-- you can't think about me. We gotta help Mom.
Jonathan: I'm not gonna lose my family, not without a fight. Now, if it takes another miracle, I just have to go out and find one.
Clark: The ship. Do you think it can cure me and Mom?
Jonathan: I don't know, Clark. I'm just grasping at straws here. The doctors can't help you, and your mother thinks the ship helped her get pregnant. I don't know, maybe it's crazy.
Clark: The only way to get it to work is with that key.
Jonathan: I know that, son. I also know exactly where the DCA took everything. I'm going there to get it right now.
Clark: I'll go with you.
Jonathan: No. I want you to stay right here. You're too sick. Go to bed, son.
Jonathan drives away in the truck and Clark pulls the blanket tighter around himself.
Act 3 Scene 3
We see an armed guard patrolling the government grounds of the DCA. Night. He walks past a chain link fence and doesn't notice Jonathan crouched there. Using wire cutters, Jonathan cuts a hole in the fence wide enough to squeeze through.
On the inside, he runs to a parked truck and hides behind it as another truck drives by. Jonathan runs to a second parked truck to get closer to the building, but as he peeks around the corner, he sees another guard coming toward him and runs away. The guard comes around the side of the truck and passes it. Jonathan is nowhere in sight until the guard is gone. Then Jonathan comes out of the cab of the truck and heads for the building again.
A garage door opens, letting out another truck. As it starts to close, Jonathan goes toward it at a dead run, just barely rolling in underneath it before it is completely closed. Inside is a warehouse with rows of stacked boxes dimly lit with yellow lighting. In the corner, there is an enclosed room with more shelves and he sees people walking around inside through the windows.
|
