Smallville

Son of a gun!

Don't use the upstairs bathroom. It's backed up. I have to snake the pipes.

- Where's the leftover pizza? - Second shelf.

Or you could nuke the chili for dinner.

Clark?

Some clue you actually heard me.

Upstairs bathroom off-limits after nuclear chili dinner.

Glad to see your hearing hasn't changed.

Clark, can I get a hand out here, please?

Hi.

Son, would you, uh...?

-Sure. -Thanks.

Sure picked one heck of a day to snap an exhaust hanger.

I left the number of our hotel on the nightstand. I think that's everything.

That ought to do it. I'm definitely raising your allowance.

- If you need anything-- - Call.

Mom, it's a couple of nights in Metropolis. I'll be fine.

I'm sure he'll be fine. And soon, madame, so shall we be.

Oh. I almost forgot.

Sorry.

Happy anniversary.

Sweetheart, bye-bye.

Clark, thanks for the card.

Think fast!

Good night, little one. Shh.

Don't worry.

Daddy's gonna get better.

Hello?

Is someone there?

It's okay, honey. It's just thunder.

Will!

Earl? What are you doing here?

I need to see Lionel Luthor.

-I know he's here. -Sorry, man, you know I can't let you in.

They did something to me at his plant in Smallville.

See, that's the talk that got yourself canned, all right?

-If you've got a problem, get some help. -I've tried. They can't do anything.

It's getting worse.

Please, let me in.

Earl, don't make me call security, all right?

Just go home and dry off.

What the hell? Earl?

What the hell you doing, Earl?!

-If I don't get an answer, I'll die. -No, we gotta get you to a doctor!

Look, they can't do anything. Nobody can.

What will you do now that you're officially home alone?

I was thinking of having a few people over.

Do my ears deceive me or is Clark Kent actually suggesting a party?

Small gathering. You guys, a few other people, maybe Lana.

With or without her posable action-figure boyfriend?

Eight o'clock.

-And remember, the keyword is "small." -Small.

So this is what you'd call a small gathering, right?

Do you even recognize half these people?

Watch the glass--

Dude, I think I'm gonna hurl.

Thanks.

Pretty cool party!

Lana. Thanks.

It's kind of impromptu.

Sometimes you just have to kick back and blow off some steam.

If I had a hundred people trashing my house, I'd be a bit freaked out.

After the first few dishes, you get used to it.

I don't think I'd be brave enough to risk it.

I don't know, Lana. I bet you're braver than you think.

You flying solo tonight?

You mean, what am I doing here without Whitney?

I am capable of enjoying myself without him.

Fireworks!

-You're full of surprises tonight, Clark. -Tell me about it.

- Whoa. - Clark, man, how cool is this?

Pete, why didn't you just call the cops? It'd be easier.

I can't claim credit. It wasn't my idea.

It was mine.

Call it a party gift. I hope you like it.

-It's great, it's just-- -Forget the police. It's covered.

This kind of party can make or break a reputation.

I wanted to make sure yours was a hit.

-I hear you're taking a tour of my plant. -It's a class field trip.

-What'd you do wrong? -It's that bad, huh?

Sorry I took so long. Someone overflowed the bathroom.

I'm officially dead.

There's no answer.

He's fine, he's fine. We have to trust him, Martha.

-I do, but I still worry. -I know.

Metropolis...

Do you--? Do you miss it?

-Sometimes. -Yeah?

But I didn't move to Smallville for action and glamour.

I moved because a certain man told me we'd never be rich

or travel the world, but he'd always love me.

How could I pass up an offer like that?

Hey.

- Whitney, what are you doing here? - Looking for you.

Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?

It was kind of last-minute. I didn't realize I needed your permission.

Lana, can we talk outside?

Oh, my gosh! Did--?

Lana, what's going on?

I told you when we got back together that I needed some breathing room.

So you sneak off to a party without me?

I didn't sneak. I walked.

And why are you mad at me?

Is it because it's Clark's party?

I'm starting to get the feeling that you don't trust me.

Clark! Clark!

You better get out here.

Kent, get up here.

- Got him! - Earl.

Back off, I know him.

Earl, what are you doing here?

I came to see your dad. He's the only one I can trust.

He's out of town.

What's wrong with you?

Call an ambulance.

-This guy should be in a detox center. -He's not on drugs, Chloe.

Then why was he shaking like a junkie?

Earl worked on the farm for six seasons.

I spent twelve hours a day with the guy in the fields.

He even tried to teach me how to play guitar. He says it impresses women.

We're all a sucker for a guy with a six-string.

How come I've never heard you play?

I kept snapping the guitar strings. I think Earl got sick of replacing them.

Just because you spend time with someone

doesn't mean you know their darkest secrets.

-He was like family. -Then why'd he leave?

He took a job at the LuthorCorp plant.

It was full-time and the pay was better.

- Where can we find Earl Jenkins? - Exam Room 3, down the hall.

Excuse me. I'm a friend of Earl's. Is he in some kind of trouble?

Oh, yeah.

We need help in here!

Earl!

Hi. You're home early.

We called six times last night, spoke with six different people,

none of whom knew who you were.

It was supposed to be an intimate occasion.

-Clark, where have you been? -The hospital.

-I'm never leaving home again. -Who got hurt?

Nobody, but I found Earl Jenkins hiding in the loft.

He was looking for you, Dad. He's all messed up.

-What's the matter with Earl? -I don't know. He's wanted for murder.

Earl?

What'd he say for himself?

-I couldn't get close. -How come, the police?

No.

Because when I got near him, I got sick.

It was weird.

Every time I stood next to him, it got worse. It's kind of like--

Like what?

It's kind of like the way I feel around meteor fragments.

What's wrong with him?

Well, to be honest, I haven't the faintest idea.

It's amazing his body's been able to survive the seizures this long.

Here. Take a look at the x-rays.

It looks like mineral poisoning, but it's not a mineral I've seen before.

Is that why he's shaking so hard?

Mineral fragments are embedded under his skin.

-His body is trying to push them out. -How did they get there?

He claims there was an explosion at the LuthorCorp plant six months ago.

-I didn't hear about that. -That's because it didn't happen.

I pulled the plant's safety records. I checked with OSHA and the EPA.

-Can I go in and talk to him by myself? -Better hurry up.

Metropolis PD will be here any minute to transfer him back to the city.

Thanks.

-I wanna go with you. -No.

Listen, you said that you felt sick when you got around him, right?

I bet what he was exposed to has to do with those meteor rocks.

I don't want you passing out around here.

It'd bring us a whole other set of problems.

Jonathan.

Am I glad to see you.

Hey, look.

Clark. Can you hear me?

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--

I'm fine. Don't worry about it.

All right, Earl, what's going on? I can't believe you'd wanna kill anybody.

It was an accident. I was trying to see Lionel Luthor.

-Why? -Find out what they used on Level 3.

Earl, you're not making any sense.

When I got that job at the Smallville plant,

I was assigned to clean Level 3.

They were doing these hush-hush crop experiments.

A new kind of fertilizer supposed to make corn grow twice as fast.

There was something unstable in that fertilizer.

There was a huge explosion. I was cleaning at the time.

This stuff, it got under my skin.

And the next thing I know,