7.11 Cure by MR & AM (Part IX)

as retold by RepairmanBob

MR: So, back to the script.
TW: Clark is driving his new Yar – Tundra. He checks his cell phone. There is a text message with an address and a time. Underneath it is a short note. Please be there – CS
ED: Counterstrike?
AoT: (Raises hand to hit ED, then puts it down) Wouldn’t do any good. (Smiles, hits ED anyway)
ED: Owww! Why did you hit me?
AoT: Why the hell not?
TW: Clark pulls up to a large building with the Operation Salvation logo. He sees Lois leaning against her Yaris in the parking lot. Clark pulls up next to her and gets out. “You got my text message?” Hey, what is with all the text messages?
AM: Motorola promo dollars.
MR: And a year of free calls of the cast!
(AM+ED+TW+KK+JG+AoT) Hurray!
MR: Except you, Allison, since you are fired.
AM: Fuck! (Hands MR and brand new phone.) OK, back on task, people. Erica, if you would?
ED: Lois looks annoyed and anxious. “Obviously, since I am here.”
TW: Clark walks towards Lois. “Thanks for coming. I know it will mean a lot of Chloe that you are –“
ED: Lois walks up to Clark, and starts yelling. “What the hell did you do, Smallville?”
TW: Clark looks shocked. “Excuse me?”
ED: “I sent you to talk to Chloe! To make her understand how stupid this is!”
TW: “Lois, I –“
ED: “I know what Chloe thinks of me. I know she never listens to me. But Godamnit it, she think you walk on water!”
TW: “You know how stubborn Chloe is. Once she makes up her mind –
ED: “And you couldn’t convince her?” Lois starts to poke him in the chest with a finger. “Chloe has loved you since she came to this meteor infested hell-hole! She would do anything for you! And when I ask you to do one simple thing and convince her to not throw her life away, you manage to screw it up?”
TW: Clark looks like he has been slapped.
ED: Lois gets right in Clark’s face. “What, do you only care about women named Lana? Were you too busy milking the cows to spend a few minutes explaining what huge mistake this is to a girl that does not have shiny black hair?”
TW: Clark finally responds. He yells back, “You don’t think I tried? Do you really think I did nothing? That I did not try to explain what a bad decision this is? How stupid this is?”
ED: “Then–“
TW: “Do you think I did not do everything I could to talk her out of this? Chloe is so desperate she is going to Lex for help – how do you think that makes me feel? This is killing me! I would lock her up and make her listen to reason, but we both know that would not have worked even before she got powers!”
KK: Wait, why is Clark being such a dick?
MR: He is worried about Chloe.
TW: Still not seeing it.
AM: Clark is scared that Chloe will die, and he is powerless to prevent it.
MR: All of his powers are useless here. He cannot protect Chloe, he cannot make her change her mind, he can’t even dump her at the Fortress and try to talk her out of this.
AM: He is scared of losing another person he cares about. More than his parents or Lana, Clark has always been closest to Chloe.
AoT: I disagree!
KK: I don’t.
AM: Clark and Chloe completely trust each other. The thought of losing his emotional support system, and being helpless to do anything about it, is terrifying and frustrating.
AoT: Martha loves Clark! He can go to her!
ED: The woman who is banging Lionel? Not so much.
JG: She has a point.
MR: Tom, you will need to be subtle on this one. Clark is under a lot of pressure. He is scared and frustrated, and trying to put on a brave front for Lois and Chloe. When Lois pushes him too far, he just snaps for a second.
ED: “Then what are we supposed to do?”
TW: Clark looks away, then back at Lois. All the anger is gone – he just looks tired. He leans against his Tundra. “We wait. We go with her. We are there for her.”
ED: Lois frowns, then leans back on the Tundra next to Clark. “I hate waiting.”
TW: “Me too.”
AM: Chloe flies in.
TW: Have I mentioned that it sucks that Chloe flies before Clark?
AM: Yes. She sees Clark, and smiles. “I did not know if you would come." She looks next to him and sees her cousin. "Lois?"
ED: Clark and Lois look at each other, and visible change their expressions. “Hi Chlo. Did you really think I was going to let you go in there without me?”
TW: Clark smiles. “Your personal bomb squad is ready and waiting.”
AM: Chloe looks like she is going to cry. She hugs them both. “Thank you.”
JG: (Yawns)

MR: Lex and Dr. Richards are in a large operating room. Several of the machines Hassad delivered earlier in the episode are visible, surrounding an operating table. Lex appears slightly nervous, and he is taking it out on his minion. “I cannot stress how important this is – Chloe must be protected at all costs. Salvation, the PAS – they are al secondary to her well being.”
AM: “Mr. Luthor, I will be careful. I know how important –“
MR: “You have no idea how important this operation is. I do not want your best. Dr. Richards. I want this procedure to go flawlessly. Nothing else is acceptable.”

AM: Add in a quick montage of Chloe getting her blood tested by Dr. Richards. We can thow in some crappy music the CW wants promoted.
KK: “Music to donate blood by.” Wow, that will sell CDs.

MR: Chloe, Clark and Lois enter the operating room.
AoT: What?
MR: I said Chloe, Clark and -
AoT: Allison, what happened to my song?
AM: I am sorry, Annette, I really am.
JG: What is going on?
AoT: I was going to sing over the last scene!
MR: We had that planned when we thought Chloe might be coming back. But Bryan and Dawn said they wanted a clear on-screen death.
AM: (sobs)
MR: And then Bryan started talking about House, and asked me to make the scene more like a medical show. Then we started talking about pizza, and went out to grab a bite to eat.
AM: I tried, Annette, I really did, but - (breaks into tears.)
AoT: It's all right dear. It was that damn Singer, after all.
AM: (mouths to KK) So easy to manipulate.
KK: (mouths to AM) So easy.
MR: OK, this is going to get complicated. Tom, please keep doing Clark. John, can you do Dr. Richards?
JG: If I must. “Hello, Ms. Sullivan. Has Mr. Luthor gone over the procedure?”
AM: “I know all about Salvation. Give me the damn shot, and be done with it.”
JG: Dr. Richards looks concerned. “Ms. Sullivan, I am afraid it will not be that simple. Based on the tests we did of your blood, a standard injection of Salvation will not be effective. Your enhanced immune system will simply treat it is a poison and neutralize it. We will need to take more dramatic steps.
ED: Lois steps forward. “Dramatic how?”
JG: “We will need to filter your blood, to remove as much meta-human material as possible. We will also need to remove portions of several glands that seem to be responsible for regulating the production of meta-human material. Protein inhibitors will be injected into your brain to hinder the portions of the frontal lobes the control meta-human abilities. Finally, we will inject nano-machines that will maintain a stable level of Salvation in your blood stream."
AM: Chloe has turned pale. Lois looks like she is about to be sick. Clark looks pissed, and is glaring at Lex.
ED: “No. Now way. This is way too dangerous. Let’s go, Chloe. I can call Oliver, he must have someone on his payroll we can talk to-”
AM: Chloe swallows. “This is the only way, Lois. I have looked into every other option. Salvation is my only choice. If this is what is necessary, then so be it.”

continued...