Smallville (2001–2011): Season 1, Episode 15 - Nicodemus - full transcript
After stealing an experimental flower laced with meteor-rock pollen from Dr. Steven Hamilton, the employee of the Luthor Corp, James Beales has a truck accident on the road and is rescued by Jonathan Kent. However, the flower releases its pollen on Jonathan faces, and he unleashes his innermost repressed desires first with Martha and his anger towards the Luthors. He enters in coma later. Then Lana becomes affected and tries to seduce Clark. Pete also becomes affected by the Nicodemus flower in the same way. While Clark helps Lex track down the source, Lex hides from Clark that Dr. Steven Hamilton is working for him, but they find the cure in an old book.
Yeah.
It's James Beels.
Lionel Luthor. He's expecting my call.
So how about this: I don't care
if he's in a meeting, get him out of it!
Tell him I found something!
No, I won't hold! Get him!
What's your hurry, pal?
Hey.
Move it, already!
Get out of my way!
Hey, in the truck! You all right?
Hey, hey!
Come on. Gotta get you out of here.
Smoke. Smoke.
I'm gonna put you down.
All right, come on, now.
Can you hear me? Are you okay?
We gotta get you out of here.
Dr. Hamilton.
I thought part of our arrangement
was that you don't drop in on me.
A situation's come up in my lab.
Don't you mean your barn?
One of my experiments was stolen
by one of your employees.
Why would anyone at LuthorCorp
know about your work?
- He was helping me install new equipment.
- What'd he steal?
A flower.
You're kidding.
It's called the Nicodemus.
It's been extinct for a hundred years.
I hired you to study the effects
of meteors on this town.
That is your focus. You're a geologist.
Why are you wasting time bringing
flowers back from the dead?
I irradiated the dormant seeds
with meteor fragments.
I want to know the effects on people,
not plants.
It's a first step. That's what science is.
It's a process, a journey. You know what?
Either you understand that,
or you find someone else.
What's his name?
James Beels. I just found out he was in
a car accident. He almost didn't make it...
...but another driver pulled him out.
- Don't tell me it was Clark Kent.
- Actually it was his father, Jonathan.
Mom? Dad?
I just heard about the...
I did not need to see that.
Hey, son. Just getting the old hero's
welcome, you know what I mean?
What's going on with Dad?
I don't know. He's been acting
strange ever since he got home.
Hey, Clark, football game on TV.
You want to watch it with me?
Don't you have work to do?
Chores can wait.
Besides- Whoa!
I earned a rest. You can
pick up the slack for me, can't you?
Jonathan.
It's good to see this whole hero thing
didn't go to your head.
- Hope I'm not interrupting.
- Hi, Lex. Come in.
What's up, Lex?
- I'm looking for Mr. Kent.
- What do you want?
I heard you pulled my employee out of a car,
I wanted to see if you were okay.
No, you didn't. You wanted to see
if I was gonna sue you or not.
That would put an end to all
my financial difficulty, wouldn't it?
- Jonathan, that's enough.
- No, it's not enough, Martha.
You see, I don't like Lex Luthor...
...I don't like Lionel Luthor, and I don't
like your friendship with my son.
In fact, if all of you Luthors were to
dry up and die, I wouldn't shed a tear.
Dad, that's enough.
I think I'll take a nap.
Lex...
Wow. Drinking beer, mouthing off
and counter-macking with your mom?
Congratulations, Clark, your dad's
regressed back to being a teenager.
He's been under a lot of stress,
but I wonder if he's beginning to crack.
Who takes a three-hour nap
in the afternoon?
I don't know, but I still like
the part where he dissed Lex.
Why? What do you have against Lex?
Let's see. He screwed my family
out of the creamed-corn factory.
Well, that was 12 years ago.
And it was his father.
- I've never been crazy about him.
- Why haven't you said something?
I was hoping you'd see he was bad news.
What's your deepest desire?
If nothing was holding you back,
what would you do?
Hello, Chloe, nice to see you too.
What's up?
Principal Kwan thinks I need to get
in touch with the pulse of the student body.
So I've decided to do a poll. Now, if you
would both please do your statistical duty.
I'd go over and make out
with that girl right now.
You know, every answer I've gotten so
far has been either sex- or violence-related.
That's human nature, Chloe. Later.
Hi.
Did you know that Pete doesn't like Lex?
Yeah, he's totally jealous
of your friendship with him.
He feels you aren't
as close as you used to be.
Hey.
Hi.
What about you, Lana? Got one?
I would climb the windmill
out in Chandler's field.
Really? That's your deepest desire.
Somebody told me you could see
the Metropolis skyline from there.
I haven't got the guts
to climb up and see for myself.
Okay.
- I can always make something up.
- No, it's good. It's good, I like it.
It's unleashing the inner Lana.
Okay.
Okay, Clark, you're up.
Clark. Remember, it's a PG-13 poll.
Since Whitney's dad has been in the hospital,
there's been a no-fly zone over Lana.
You know, there are other girls out there that
don't require crossing an emotional minefield.
But I can't just turn off my feelings for her.
You know, the choice is yours.
You can either sit in your loft
and play with your telescope, or move on.
- Hi.
- Hi.
What do you say you and I go up into
the hayloft and have us a little fun, huh?
Not now. Somebody's gotta
do some work around here.
Maybe you would like
to call Lex Luthor and apologize.
Why? All I did was tell him the truth.
I know I said you should let your feelings
out, but you're taking this too far.
What's wrong with you?
Nothing.
- I feel free.
- Well, you don't look well.
You're burning up. Why don't you go back
to bed. I'll make you soup when I get back.
Hey.
- I know a much better way to break a fever.
- Sweetheart, I have to go, really.
This is the Kents, leave a message.
Jonathan, it's Jim Alexander
over at the bank.
I'm gonna be straight with you. I'm afraid
we're going to have to turn down your loan.
Hello, Jim? Yeah, listen to me.
I have done nothing
but give back to this community...
...and all anyone has ever done
for me is screw me over.
So I'm gonna come down to that bank...
...and you are going to have to
turn my loan down right to my face.
That way I can see whether you have a pair
or whether your wife keeps them in a drawer.
Where did you learn to drive, you jerk?
Slow down!
Dad, what are you doing?
I've done nothing but give to this town,
and they screw me over.
They've pushed me too far,
and I'm pushing back.
Not with a shotgun.
- You gotta slow down. You're not thinking.
- I'm thinking just fine, son.
Now get out of my way!
Clark.
Dad.
Dad.
His symptoms indicate
a severe anaphylactic shock.
- But we can't detect any known antigens.
- What is it then?
Truth is, if he'd come in just yesterday,
I'd say I'd never seen anything like it.
But we admitted a car-crash victim
this morning, a James Beels?
Showed identical symptoms.
That's the guy Dad saved. How's he doing?
Not good.
He fell into a coma an hour ago.
Okay, so, what are we doing out here?
Mr. Kent and Mr. Beels both have the same
symptoms. This is the only place they've...
...been together, so I think what happened
to Mr. Kent was caused by something here.
- What are we looking for?
- Anything.
Wow. The debris starts from way
over there and ends over in that ditch.
That's some serious road rage.
I think I found something.
What you got?
Sorry.
That's all right. Let's get out of here.
This place is a dead end.
Gesundheit.
Seems you haven't been
completely honest with me, Dr. Hamilton.
I told you, it's under control.
Two men with an unexplained illness...
...for which no one seems to know
the cure isn't my idea of under control.
I did a little research of my own into
your unauthorized botany experiment.
Apparently, in 1871 a strange contagion
struck the Morley settlement...
...and 200 people died almost overnight.
A priest who witnessed
the scene left a diary.
His last entries describe how
the settlers began acting out of character.
He claimed a local flower was to blame.
"On God's green earth,
this flower was the thief in the temple.
The silent temptress that, with a single
sneeze, brought out the basest instincts...
...in men and drove them to violence."
That's been relegated
to folklore in scientific circles.
If you don't believe in this, you won't
mind if I lift the lid and smell the flower?
Why'd you bring it back?
These flowers were believed
to have toxins that, while deadly...
...might have other applications.
I'm not here to bankroll your pet projects.
I'm only interested in the meteors.
You wanted to know what they could do.
Putting people in the hospital
wasn't the plan.
Every discovery has their consequences.
If Jonathan Kent dies, you're gonna lose
something more valuable than your tenure.
Pack up a flower. I've got a team of
specialists in Metropolis to work on it.
- It's my research.
- I don't give a damn about your research.
I just want to find a cure.
Wow.
What's the occasion?
Nothing. I just thought
we'd blow off class today.
I...
I can't.
I'm barely keeping ahead,
and I gotta go to the store...
...and then run by the hospital
and see my dad.
You know what?
I am tired of your excuses.
Ever since your dad got sick,
you haven't been any fun at all.
I'm sorry, Lana, but it's kind of a big deal.
Whatever. I feel like I'm locked
in this relationship out of guilt.
Lana. What's wrong with you?
Nothing. I'm just not
keeping it inside anymore.
If that's how you feel, maybe
we need to reconsider this relationship.
Okay, fine.
It's over, Whitney.
- Hey, Jimmy.
- Oh, Lana.
Nice.
Not going to class, Clark?
I'm not really up... to it.
What's the matter?
Nothing. It's just a change.
You like it?
I think the operative word is "gulp."
Listen.
I know things are rough,
but you can't let them get you down.
It's kind of hard not to.
The key is to keep your mind off it.
Let your friends be your friends.
Let them distract you.
Trust them.
I do trust you, Lana.
Good.
Then follow me.
What are we doing in here?
It's quiet.
It's also completely...
...off-limits.
Lana, I don't think I'm really up for this.
You think too much, Clark.
Right now I'm thinking
you don't seem like yourself.
Or maybe...
...I'm more me than ever.
Lana, this is crazy.
That's the point.
If life doesn't make you crazy,
then why bother living it?
I know that's how I want it.
Question is:
Do you want what I want?
Lana!
Don't you want to come in, Clark?
I don't think so.
I know you want me, Clark.
Just stop holding back. Come on.
You're not made of steel.
Or are you?
Wait.
Aren't you tired of waiting?
Need a little help warming up?
She just stripped down in front of you.
Lana Lang, in all her glory.
Most of her glory. Not that Kwan saw it.
Well, at least you'll have a nice picture
to daydream about in Saturday detention.
She said everything
I wanted to hear...
...but it didn't seem like she knew
what she was doing.
What do you think made Lana go soft-core?
First my dad, now Lana.
Yeah, and don't forget that Beels guy.
Remember the one that your dad helped?
You must have missed something
at the accident site.
No, I didn't.
Because I was there and I'm fine.
It just doesn't make any sense.
Wait. Looks like we weren't
the only ones out there.
Who's that?
I think it's Dr. Hamilton.
- The meteor freak?
- Yeah.
What's he doing
skulking around in the woods?
I don't know, but I have
a feeling it's not just a coincidence.
- I'm gonna go talk to him.
- I'm gonna go talk to Lana.
I think whatever happened
to my father is about to happen to her.
I want something better than progress.
I was just at the hospital,
they're getting worse.
Where have you been? Monique called
in sick, and we haven't got anyone to cover.
Why is this my problem?
Because Nell's in Metropolis
and you're the assistant manager.
Well, I'm taking the afternoon off,
so I guess we're closing early.
Listen up. We're closing early,
so coffee's on the house. Drink up.
I'll call back.
Lana.
The Talon closes at 9.
Not today.
You're not impressing anyone
with the attitude, Lana.
You're talking to someone who
set the bar for adolescent rebellion.
That's right. I heard you were quite the bad
boy before you joined us here in Smallville.
It's nothing I'm proud of.
Please.
You don't really care about the Talon.
You only invested because I asked you to.
Now, why would you go
and do a thing like that?
The Luthors are famous
for their ulterior motives.
So tell me, Lex,
was it really about profit?
I'm not sure what this is, but it isn't
you, Lana. Are you feeling okay?
Actually...
I'm a little nervous.
I might need some guidance, you know...
...from someone
with a little more experience.
What do you say, boss?
Lana, where have you been
in the last 24 hours?
It's none of your business.
What's your problem?
This isn't you.
Why, because I'm not
doing exactly as I'm told?
Because I'm not sitting
in a corner hiding in a book?
For once I'm not scared of life,
and no one can handle it...
...because you all prefer
the insecure little girl.
Well, I'm sick of her
and all her talk about her dead parents.
Lana!
Dr. Hamilton, hello.
Chloe Sullivan, Smallville Torch.
We spoke on the Internet
about the meteors?
Chloe.
Can you tell me what you were
doing in the woods last night?
What I do there most nights.
Search for meteor samples.
I find it easier to spot them with flashlights.
So you didn't see me and my friend.
I heard voices, I saw flashlights,
I know that kids like to party...
...and as you know, I don't like company.
- You weren't looking at the accident scene?
- What accident?
I must be mistaken.
Sorry to have bothered you.
And what were you doing
in the woods last night?
Partying with my friends.
Lana, what's going on?
Does Lex know you have his car?
He should by now.
Something happened to you,
I just don't know what.
It's called self-confidence. For the first time,
I'm not repressing my feelings. I'm free.
No, you're not.
You should talk. You had me in the pool,
and you didn't take your chance.
I see the way you look at me.
Why don't you tell me how you feel?
Lana, you're sick.
I need to get you to a hospital.
Don't avoid the question, Clark.
Are you in love with me?
Lana...
Such a coward.
Can't even answer a simple question.
You want me? Come and get me.
Lana, stop!
What's the matter, Clark? Afraid of heights?
What are you doing? Come down!
Lana!
Lana!
Clark.
Coming through.
What happened?
She's got the
same symptoms as Dad and Beels.
How's Dad?
He slipped into a coma.
The doctors don't know how long he'll last.
I've got doctors flying in from Metropolis.
I'm going to do everything I can for Mr. Kent.
Clark, I'm sorry.
It's not your fault, Lex.
- Dr. Hamilton had a copy of this in his barn.
- Nicodemus Diary.
It's a first-hand account
of Smallville's first mystery.
In 1871, the whole settlement went
postal before they even had a post office.
Nice to know Smallville was
whacked before the meteors.
Yeah. In the diary, they talk about a flower.
The settlers called it Nicodemus.
They said it liberated repressed feelings,
sent them into rages, then fever and finally-
Well...
Well, where can we find this flower?
You see, that's the glitch.
After the massacre,
the cavalry torched the settlement.
They didn't want
whatever caused it to spread.
The flower's been extinct for 100 years.
How is Hamilton involved in this?
He's a geologist.
With a meteor fixation.
We tracked down this paper
he wrote six years ago.
- Metropolis University Press.
- I think this is the last straw.
In it, he postulates that meteor rocks
can be used to irradiate dormant plant cells.
So you think Hamilton
brought back the Nicodemus.
- And now he's trying to cover it up.
- Let's go talk to him.
Wait, there's more. Dr. Hamilton didn't
check out The Nicodemus Diary. Lex did.
You think he's involved?
I told you all along he was bad news.
Pete, we don't know anything yet.
Good.
I'll call back. I just got off the phone with
the doctors. They've isolated the problem.
Does it have to do with
the Nicodemus flower?
I know you checked
the diary out of the library.
- Yes, I did, Clark.
- Why?
Because my property was built on
the site of the original settlement.
I always thought it was an interesting story.
When I heard about your dad...
- ... I tracked it down to see if it could help.
- Why didn't you tell me?
Clark, it's a crackpot story.
I was grasping at straws.
- Do you know Dr. Steven Hamilton?
- Who's that?
Don't lie to me!
Clark, calm down.
I know you're worried
about your dad and Lana...
...but I checked the book
out of the library, that's it.
I'm not responsible for what happened, and
I'm doing everything in my power to fix it.
That's the truth, Clark.
Okay, keep your flashlight low.
You're an expert on breaking
and entering now?
Be careful!
Pete, what happened?
Pete? You okay?
Pete?
- You looking for me?
- Oh, no.
Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?
Okay, Pete, you've been infected.
We've gotta get you to the hospital.
That's right.
Ignore Pete, he's just the funny guy.
You don't sweat his feelings,
because you've got eyes for Clark.
Calm down, Pete.
I'm going to call Clark.
He's probably hanging out with
his new best friend, Lex Luthor.
Give me your keys.
Why, where are you going?
I'm serious, Chloe.
Give me the damn keys!
How is he?
Not good.
Clark, Mr. Beels died half an hour ago.
With all my abilities,
there's nothing I can do.
What will we do if Dad-?
I don't know.
Did I ever tell you about
the first time I ever saw him?
No.
He came to Metropolis U to take a finance
course, and he was sitting by a fountain...
...all denim and flannel, eating an apple.
And I asked to borrow his notes.
He didn't know that I was
the note-taker for the class. He still doesn't.
You're sly, Mom.
He was so cute.
So I asked him for his notes,
and he just handed over his notebook...
...without even asking my name, and I said:
"How can you be sure I'll bring it back?"
And he said:
"I prefer to believe in people."
It sounds like Dad.
And I remember looking at him,
completely embarrassed...
...because I was thinking the dumbest thing.
I was thinking:
"God, I hope he marries me."
I still think that.
Every day there's a part of me that says,
"God, I hope he marries me."
I'm sorry, Mrs. Kent.
Can I talk to you for a second, Clark?
Go.
I'm so sorry.
Dr. Hamilton was lying.
I found the Nicodemus flower in the barn.
One got Pete,
and he took a quick turn to scary.
- Where'd he go?
- He grabbed a gun...
...and he said he was going after Lex.
This flower has existed for-
For hundreds of years.
Now, the Native Americans must have
developed some sort of herbal antidote...
...and these are the instructions.
- Where'd you find it?
- Collecting dust in a museum.
- It's a one of a kind, so they want it back.
- I'll get it to my team in Metropolis.
Nobody's going anywhere.
Pete.
What are you doing here?
I knew you were behind this. You pretended
to be Clark's friend, but you're not.
And now his dad's gonna die.
Because of you.
- What's this about?
- Do not pretend you don't know.
I went to your barn!
He's infected.
Pete, we have the cure.
We're going to make everyone better.
You're nothing but a liar. Clark can't see it,
but I can. And now you're gonna pay.
No!
Pete, if that book is destroyed,
you and Lana and Mr. Kent will all die.
You're lying.
Pete, I want to help you.
You don't want to help anybody but yourself!
You come to town and suddenly
you're Clark's new best friend!
- I thought he was a good judge of character.
- Lex, the book?
Pete, I'm going to reach in there
and grab that book.
If you want to shoot me...
...go ahead.
No problem.
Get out.
Say goodbye, Lex.
Pete! Don't do it.
We used to be best friends.
His dad screwed over my dad, and now
he's trying to screw up things between us.
The world's a better place without him.
Pete, put the gun down.
He's behind all this. I saw Hamilton here.
They're working on this together!
- Is that true?
- Clark. He's delusional.
I don't believe you. You're right,
Pete, he's been lying to everyone.
I know who my true friends are.
I knew you'd see the light.
Clark, what are you doing?
Can't talk your way out of this one, Lex.
I see you how you really are.
The friendship is over.
Nice one.
I'll finish him.
How'd you do that?
Don't worry, Pete,
we'll get you to the hospital.
Clark, what the hell?
I'm sorry, Lex.
So that was an act?
I didn't know what else to do.
He was gonna shoot you.
You had me for a moment.
I thought you were serious.
What do they feed you on that farm?
Was Hamilton really here?
What do you think, Clark?
Morning, sleepyhead.
Dad, you're okay.
Yeah. Clark.
Clark, what am I doing here?
Jonathan! Oh, sweetheart!
- Martha.
- Oh, sweetheart!
The doctors in Metropolis found a cure last
night. It was an old Native American remedy.
- How are Pete and Lana?
- They're already up.
- Dad, do you remember anything?
- No.
- The doctors think it's because of the fever.
- Trust me, it's better that way.
- Come on, what are you talking about?
- Oh, sweetheart.
Dr. Hamilton, hello?
- What'd you do with my lab?
- Destroyed it.
- How dare you!
- You're lucky you found a cure...
...and nobody infected
can remember anything.
But people are talking.
Beels worked for my father,
and then there's Chloe Sullivan.
I'm sensing this relationship is over.
No, doctor, I think you're very talented.
You just need closer supervision.
I recently acquired a small
research facility outside Metropolis.
Cadmus Labs? I'm gonna hide you out there.
Remember, Lex,
you're the one opening Pandora's box.
I'm just the key, Dr. Hamilton.
Okay, open your eyes, Lana.
There's Metropolis.
It's beautiful.
I can't believe we're up here.
It's actually getting down which
is gonna be the interesting part.
It's good to have you back, Lana.
I spent the entire day apologizing to
the Talon staff and to Lex and to Whitney.
I just wish I could remember what happened.
It sounds like
I got a little out of control there.
You spoke your mind, and you did what
you wanted. Kind of an alpha Lana.
I couldn't believe what I was wearing.
I kind of liked it.
I didn't say or do anything embarrassing
to you that I should know about...
...did I?
No.
Good. Good.
So how does it feel
to be on top of the world?
Or at least Smallville?
I feel free.
It's James Beels.
Lionel Luthor. He's expecting my call.
So how about this: I don't care
if he's in a meeting, get him out of it!
Tell him I found something!
No, I won't hold! Get him!
What's your hurry, pal?
Hey.
Move it, already!
Get out of my way!
Hey, in the truck! You all right?
Hey, hey!
Come on. Gotta get you out of here.
Smoke. Smoke.
I'm gonna put you down.
All right, come on, now.
Can you hear me? Are you okay?
We gotta get you out of here.
Dr. Hamilton.
I thought part of our arrangement
was that you don't drop in on me.
A situation's come up in my lab.
Don't you mean your barn?
One of my experiments was stolen
by one of your employees.
Why would anyone at LuthorCorp
know about your work?
- He was helping me install new equipment.
- What'd he steal?
A flower.
You're kidding.
It's called the Nicodemus.
It's been extinct for a hundred years.
I hired you to study the effects
of meteors on this town.
That is your focus. You're a geologist.
Why are you wasting time bringing
flowers back from the dead?
I irradiated the dormant seeds
with meteor fragments.
I want to know the effects on people,
not plants.
It's a first step. That's what science is.
It's a process, a journey. You know what?
Either you understand that,
or you find someone else.
What's his name?
James Beels. I just found out he was in
a car accident. He almost didn't make it...
...but another driver pulled him out.
- Don't tell me it was Clark Kent.
- Actually it was his father, Jonathan.
Mom? Dad?
I just heard about the...
I did not need to see that.
Hey, son. Just getting the old hero's
welcome, you know what I mean?
What's going on with Dad?
I don't know. He's been acting
strange ever since he got home.
Hey, Clark, football game on TV.
You want to watch it with me?
Don't you have work to do?
Chores can wait.
Besides- Whoa!
I earned a rest. You can
pick up the slack for me, can't you?
Jonathan.
It's good to see this whole hero thing
didn't go to your head.
- Hope I'm not interrupting.
- Hi, Lex. Come in.
What's up, Lex?
- I'm looking for Mr. Kent.
- What do you want?
I heard you pulled my employee out of a car,
I wanted to see if you were okay.
No, you didn't. You wanted to see
if I was gonna sue you or not.
That would put an end to all
my financial difficulty, wouldn't it?
- Jonathan, that's enough.
- No, it's not enough, Martha.
You see, I don't like Lex Luthor...
...I don't like Lionel Luthor, and I don't
like your friendship with my son.
In fact, if all of you Luthors were to
dry up and die, I wouldn't shed a tear.
Dad, that's enough.
I think I'll take a nap.
Lex...
Wow. Drinking beer, mouthing off
and counter-macking with your mom?
Congratulations, Clark, your dad's
regressed back to being a teenager.
He's been under a lot of stress,
but I wonder if he's beginning to crack.
Who takes a three-hour nap
in the afternoon?
I don't know, but I still like
the part where he dissed Lex.
Why? What do you have against Lex?
Let's see. He screwed my family
out of the creamed-corn factory.
Well, that was 12 years ago.
And it was his father.
- I've never been crazy about him.
- Why haven't you said something?
I was hoping you'd see he was bad news.
What's your deepest desire?
If nothing was holding you back,
what would you do?
Hello, Chloe, nice to see you too.
What's up?
Principal Kwan thinks I need to get
in touch with the pulse of the student body.
So I've decided to do a poll. Now, if you
would both please do your statistical duty.
I'd go over and make out
with that girl right now.
You know, every answer I've gotten so
far has been either sex- or violence-related.
That's human nature, Chloe. Later.
Hi.
Did you know that Pete doesn't like Lex?
Yeah, he's totally jealous
of your friendship with him.
He feels you aren't
as close as you used to be.
Hey.
Hi.
What about you, Lana? Got one?
I would climb the windmill
out in Chandler's field.
Really? That's your deepest desire.
Somebody told me you could see
the Metropolis skyline from there.
I haven't got the guts
to climb up and see for myself.
Okay.
- I can always make something up.
- No, it's good. It's good, I like it.
It's unleashing the inner Lana.
Okay.
Okay, Clark, you're up.
Clark. Remember, it's a PG-13 poll.
Since Whitney's dad has been in the hospital,
there's been a no-fly zone over Lana.
You know, there are other girls out there that
don't require crossing an emotional minefield.
But I can't just turn off my feelings for her.
You know, the choice is yours.
You can either sit in your loft
and play with your telescope, or move on.
- Hi.
- Hi.
What do you say you and I go up into
the hayloft and have us a little fun, huh?
Not now. Somebody's gotta
do some work around here.
Maybe you would like
to call Lex Luthor and apologize.
Why? All I did was tell him the truth.
I know I said you should let your feelings
out, but you're taking this too far.
What's wrong with you?
Nothing.
- I feel free.
- Well, you don't look well.
You're burning up. Why don't you go back
to bed. I'll make you soup when I get back.
Hey.
- I know a much better way to break a fever.
- Sweetheart, I have to go, really.
This is the Kents, leave a message.
Jonathan, it's Jim Alexander
over at the bank.
I'm gonna be straight with you. I'm afraid
we're going to have to turn down your loan.
Hello, Jim? Yeah, listen to me.
I have done nothing
but give back to this community...
...and all anyone has ever done
for me is screw me over.
So I'm gonna come down to that bank...
...and you are going to have to
turn my loan down right to my face.
That way I can see whether you have a pair
or whether your wife keeps them in a drawer.
Where did you learn to drive, you jerk?
Slow down!
Dad, what are you doing?
I've done nothing but give to this town,
and they screw me over.
They've pushed me too far,
and I'm pushing back.
Not with a shotgun.
- You gotta slow down. You're not thinking.
- I'm thinking just fine, son.
Now get out of my way!
Clark.
Dad.
Dad.
His symptoms indicate
a severe anaphylactic shock.
- But we can't detect any known antigens.
- What is it then?
Truth is, if he'd come in just yesterday,
I'd say I'd never seen anything like it.
But we admitted a car-crash victim
this morning, a James Beels?
Showed identical symptoms.
That's the guy Dad saved. How's he doing?
Not good.
He fell into a coma an hour ago.
Okay, so, what are we doing out here?
Mr. Kent and Mr. Beels both have the same
symptoms. This is the only place they've...
...been together, so I think what happened
to Mr. Kent was caused by something here.
- What are we looking for?
- Anything.
Wow. The debris starts from way
over there and ends over in that ditch.
That's some serious road rage.
I think I found something.
What you got?
Sorry.
That's all right. Let's get out of here.
This place is a dead end.
Gesundheit.
Seems you haven't been
completely honest with me, Dr. Hamilton.
I told you, it's under control.
Two men with an unexplained illness...
...for which no one seems to know
the cure isn't my idea of under control.
I did a little research of my own into
your unauthorized botany experiment.
Apparently, in 1871 a strange contagion
struck the Morley settlement...
...and 200 people died almost overnight.
A priest who witnessed
the scene left a diary.
His last entries describe how
the settlers began acting out of character.
He claimed a local flower was to blame.
"On God's green earth,
this flower was the thief in the temple.
The silent temptress that, with a single
sneeze, brought out the basest instincts...
...in men and drove them to violence."
That's been relegated
to folklore in scientific circles.
If you don't believe in this, you won't
mind if I lift the lid and smell the flower?
Why'd you bring it back?
These flowers were believed
to have toxins that, while deadly...
...might have other applications.
I'm not here to bankroll your pet projects.
I'm only interested in the meteors.
You wanted to know what they could do.
Putting people in the hospital
wasn't the plan.
Every discovery has their consequences.
If Jonathan Kent dies, you're gonna lose
something more valuable than your tenure.
Pack up a flower. I've got a team of
specialists in Metropolis to work on it.
- It's my research.
- I don't give a damn about your research.
I just want to find a cure.
Wow.
What's the occasion?
Nothing. I just thought
we'd blow off class today.
I...
I can't.
I'm barely keeping ahead,
and I gotta go to the store...
...and then run by the hospital
and see my dad.
You know what?
I am tired of your excuses.
Ever since your dad got sick,
you haven't been any fun at all.
I'm sorry, Lana, but it's kind of a big deal.
Whatever. I feel like I'm locked
in this relationship out of guilt.
Lana. What's wrong with you?
Nothing. I'm just not
keeping it inside anymore.
If that's how you feel, maybe
we need to reconsider this relationship.
Okay, fine.
It's over, Whitney.
- Hey, Jimmy.
- Oh, Lana.
Nice.
Not going to class, Clark?
I'm not really up... to it.
What's the matter?
Nothing. It's just a change.
You like it?
I think the operative word is "gulp."
Listen.
I know things are rough,
but you can't let them get you down.
It's kind of hard not to.
The key is to keep your mind off it.
Let your friends be your friends.
Let them distract you.
Trust them.
I do trust you, Lana.
Good.
Then follow me.
What are we doing in here?
It's quiet.
It's also completely...
...off-limits.
Lana, I don't think I'm really up for this.
You think too much, Clark.
Right now I'm thinking
you don't seem like yourself.
Or maybe...
...I'm more me than ever.
Lana, this is crazy.
That's the point.
If life doesn't make you crazy,
then why bother living it?
I know that's how I want it.
Question is:
Do you want what I want?
Lana!
Don't you want to come in, Clark?
I don't think so.
I know you want me, Clark.
Just stop holding back. Come on.
You're not made of steel.
Or are you?
Wait.
Aren't you tired of waiting?
Need a little help warming up?
She just stripped down in front of you.
Lana Lang, in all her glory.
Most of her glory. Not that Kwan saw it.
Well, at least you'll have a nice picture
to daydream about in Saturday detention.
She said everything
I wanted to hear...
...but it didn't seem like she knew
what she was doing.
What do you think made Lana go soft-core?
First my dad, now Lana.
Yeah, and don't forget that Beels guy.
Remember the one that your dad helped?
You must have missed something
at the accident site.
No, I didn't.
Because I was there and I'm fine.
It just doesn't make any sense.
Wait. Looks like we weren't
the only ones out there.
Who's that?
I think it's Dr. Hamilton.
- The meteor freak?
- Yeah.
What's he doing
skulking around in the woods?
I don't know, but I have
a feeling it's not just a coincidence.
- I'm gonna go talk to him.
- I'm gonna go talk to Lana.
I think whatever happened
to my father is about to happen to her.
I want something better than progress.
I was just at the hospital,
they're getting worse.
Where have you been? Monique called
in sick, and we haven't got anyone to cover.
Why is this my problem?
Because Nell's in Metropolis
and you're the assistant manager.
Well, I'm taking the afternoon off,
so I guess we're closing early.
Listen up. We're closing early,
so coffee's on the house. Drink up.
I'll call back.
Lana.
The Talon closes at 9.
Not today.
You're not impressing anyone
with the attitude, Lana.
You're talking to someone who
set the bar for adolescent rebellion.
That's right. I heard you were quite the bad
boy before you joined us here in Smallville.
It's nothing I'm proud of.
Please.
You don't really care about the Talon.
You only invested because I asked you to.
Now, why would you go
and do a thing like that?
The Luthors are famous
for their ulterior motives.
So tell me, Lex,
was it really about profit?
I'm not sure what this is, but it isn't
you, Lana. Are you feeling okay?
Actually...
I'm a little nervous.
I might need some guidance, you know...
...from someone
with a little more experience.
What do you say, boss?
Lana, where have you been
in the last 24 hours?
It's none of your business.
What's your problem?
This isn't you.
Why, because I'm not
doing exactly as I'm told?
Because I'm not sitting
in a corner hiding in a book?
For once I'm not scared of life,
and no one can handle it...
...because you all prefer
the insecure little girl.
Well, I'm sick of her
and all her talk about her dead parents.
Lana!
Dr. Hamilton, hello.
Chloe Sullivan, Smallville Torch.
We spoke on the Internet
about the meteors?
Chloe.
Can you tell me what you were
doing in the woods last night?
What I do there most nights.
Search for meteor samples.
I find it easier to spot them with flashlights.
So you didn't see me and my friend.
I heard voices, I saw flashlights,
I know that kids like to party...
...and as you know, I don't like company.
- You weren't looking at the accident scene?
- What accident?
I must be mistaken.
Sorry to have bothered you.
And what were you doing
in the woods last night?
Partying with my friends.
Lana, what's going on?
Does Lex know you have his car?
He should by now.
Something happened to you,
I just don't know what.
It's called self-confidence. For the first time,
I'm not repressing my feelings. I'm free.
No, you're not.
You should talk. You had me in the pool,
and you didn't take your chance.
I see the way you look at me.
Why don't you tell me how you feel?
Lana, you're sick.
I need to get you to a hospital.
Don't avoid the question, Clark.
Are you in love with me?
Lana...
Such a coward.
Can't even answer a simple question.
You want me? Come and get me.
Lana, stop!
What's the matter, Clark? Afraid of heights?
What are you doing? Come down!
Lana!
Lana!
Clark.
Coming through.
What happened?
She's got the
same symptoms as Dad and Beels.
How's Dad?
He slipped into a coma.
The doctors don't know how long he'll last.
I've got doctors flying in from Metropolis.
I'm going to do everything I can for Mr. Kent.
Clark, I'm sorry.
It's not your fault, Lex.
- Dr. Hamilton had a copy of this in his barn.
- Nicodemus Diary.
It's a first-hand account
of Smallville's first mystery.
In 1871, the whole settlement went
postal before they even had a post office.
Nice to know Smallville was
whacked before the meteors.
Yeah. In the diary, they talk about a flower.
The settlers called it Nicodemus.
They said it liberated repressed feelings,
sent them into rages, then fever and finally-
Well...
Well, where can we find this flower?
You see, that's the glitch.
After the massacre,
the cavalry torched the settlement.
They didn't want
whatever caused it to spread.
The flower's been extinct for 100 years.
How is Hamilton involved in this?
He's a geologist.
With a meteor fixation.
We tracked down this paper
he wrote six years ago.
- Metropolis University Press.
- I think this is the last straw.
In it, he postulates that meteor rocks
can be used to irradiate dormant plant cells.
So you think Hamilton
brought back the Nicodemus.
- And now he's trying to cover it up.
- Let's go talk to him.
Wait, there's more. Dr. Hamilton didn't
check out The Nicodemus Diary. Lex did.
You think he's involved?
I told you all along he was bad news.
Pete, we don't know anything yet.
Good.
I'll call back. I just got off the phone with
the doctors. They've isolated the problem.
Does it have to do with
the Nicodemus flower?
I know you checked
the diary out of the library.
- Yes, I did, Clark.
- Why?
Because my property was built on
the site of the original settlement.
I always thought it was an interesting story.
When I heard about your dad...
- ... I tracked it down to see if it could help.
- Why didn't you tell me?
Clark, it's a crackpot story.
I was grasping at straws.
- Do you know Dr. Steven Hamilton?
- Who's that?
Don't lie to me!
Clark, calm down.
I know you're worried
about your dad and Lana...
...but I checked the book
out of the library, that's it.
I'm not responsible for what happened, and
I'm doing everything in my power to fix it.
That's the truth, Clark.
Okay, keep your flashlight low.
You're an expert on breaking
and entering now?
Be careful!
Pete, what happened?
Pete? You okay?
Pete?
- You looking for me?
- Oh, no.
Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?
Okay, Pete, you've been infected.
We've gotta get you to the hospital.
That's right.
Ignore Pete, he's just the funny guy.
You don't sweat his feelings,
because you've got eyes for Clark.
Calm down, Pete.
I'm going to call Clark.
He's probably hanging out with
his new best friend, Lex Luthor.
Give me your keys.
Why, where are you going?
I'm serious, Chloe.
Give me the damn keys!
How is he?
Not good.
Clark, Mr. Beels died half an hour ago.
With all my abilities,
there's nothing I can do.
What will we do if Dad-?
I don't know.
Did I ever tell you about
the first time I ever saw him?
No.
He came to Metropolis U to take a finance
course, and he was sitting by a fountain...
...all denim and flannel, eating an apple.
And I asked to borrow his notes.
He didn't know that I was
the note-taker for the class. He still doesn't.
You're sly, Mom.
He was so cute.
So I asked him for his notes,
and he just handed over his notebook...
...without even asking my name, and I said:
"How can you be sure I'll bring it back?"
And he said:
"I prefer to believe in people."
It sounds like Dad.
And I remember looking at him,
completely embarrassed...
...because I was thinking the dumbest thing.
I was thinking:
"God, I hope he marries me."
I still think that.
Every day there's a part of me that says,
"God, I hope he marries me."
I'm sorry, Mrs. Kent.
Can I talk to you for a second, Clark?
Go.
I'm so sorry.
Dr. Hamilton was lying.
I found the Nicodemus flower in the barn.
One got Pete,
and he took a quick turn to scary.
- Where'd he go?
- He grabbed a gun...
...and he said he was going after Lex.
This flower has existed for-
For hundreds of years.
Now, the Native Americans must have
developed some sort of herbal antidote...
...and these are the instructions.
- Where'd you find it?
- Collecting dust in a museum.
- It's a one of a kind, so they want it back.
- I'll get it to my team in Metropolis.
Nobody's going anywhere.
Pete.
What are you doing here?
I knew you were behind this. You pretended
to be Clark's friend, but you're not.
And now his dad's gonna die.
Because of you.
- What's this about?
- Do not pretend you don't know.
I went to your barn!
He's infected.
Pete, we have the cure.
We're going to make everyone better.
You're nothing but a liar. Clark can't see it,
but I can. And now you're gonna pay.
No!
Pete, if that book is destroyed,
you and Lana and Mr. Kent will all die.
You're lying.
Pete, I want to help you.
You don't want to help anybody but yourself!
You come to town and suddenly
you're Clark's new best friend!
- I thought he was a good judge of character.
- Lex, the book?
Pete, I'm going to reach in there
and grab that book.
If you want to shoot me...
...go ahead.
No problem.
Get out.
Say goodbye, Lex.
Pete! Don't do it.
We used to be best friends.
His dad screwed over my dad, and now
he's trying to screw up things between us.
The world's a better place without him.
Pete, put the gun down.
He's behind all this. I saw Hamilton here.
They're working on this together!
- Is that true?
- Clark. He's delusional.
I don't believe you. You're right,
Pete, he's been lying to everyone.
I know who my true friends are.
I knew you'd see the light.
Clark, what are you doing?
Can't talk your way out of this one, Lex.
I see you how you really are.
The friendship is over.
Nice one.
I'll finish him.
How'd you do that?
Don't worry, Pete,
we'll get you to the hospital.
Clark, what the hell?
I'm sorry, Lex.
So that was an act?
I didn't know what else to do.
He was gonna shoot you.
You had me for a moment.
I thought you were serious.
What do they feed you on that farm?
Was Hamilton really here?
What do you think, Clark?
Morning, sleepyhead.
Dad, you're okay.
Yeah. Clark.
Clark, what am I doing here?
Jonathan! Oh, sweetheart!
- Martha.
- Oh, sweetheart!
The doctors in Metropolis found a cure last
night. It was an old Native American remedy.
- How are Pete and Lana?
- They're already up.
- Dad, do you remember anything?
- No.
- The doctors think it's because of the fever.
- Trust me, it's better that way.
- Come on, what are you talking about?
- Oh, sweetheart.
Dr. Hamilton, hello?
- What'd you do with my lab?
- Destroyed it.
- How dare you!
- You're lucky you found a cure...
...and nobody infected
can remember anything.
But people are talking.
Beels worked for my father,
and then there's Chloe Sullivan.
I'm sensing this relationship is over.
No, doctor, I think you're very talented.
You just need closer supervision.
I recently acquired a small
research facility outside Metropolis.
Cadmus Labs? I'm gonna hide you out there.
Remember, Lex,
you're the one opening Pandora's box.
I'm just the key, Dr. Hamilton.
Okay, open your eyes, Lana.
There's Metropolis.
It's beautiful.
I can't believe we're up here.
It's actually getting down which
is gonna be the interesting part.
It's good to have you back, Lana.
I spent the entire day apologizing to
the Talon staff and to Lex and to Whitney.
I just wish I could remember what happened.
It sounds like
I got a little out of control there.
You spoke your mind, and you did what
you wanted. Kind of an alpha Lana.
I couldn't believe what I was wearing.
I kind of liked it.
I didn't say or do anything embarrassing
to you that I should know about...
...did I?
No.
Good. Good.
So how does it feel
to be on top of the world?
Or at least Smallville?
I feel free.