Synopsis - There's a strange family reunion in store for Jimmy
Chapter Three
“You want me to go in there with you son?” Perry asked Jimmy.
Jimmy didn't want to insult Perry, after all, Perry was more of a father to him than Jack Olsen had ever been, but Jimmy knew how private a man Jack was. He would only have asked for Jimmy if he knew he might not make it.
Jimmy was saved from saying no when Perry's phone rang.
“Hello?”
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“Hi Perry...It's Lois...I need to ask a big big favour of you,”
“What is it Lois?”
“Lucy crashed my car,” Lois sighed, and Jonathan and Martha's flight got delayed and they've missed their connection, so there's no-one to pick up Jon from school and Jonathan and Martha are stranded at the airport...I was going to ask you if I could borrow your car but then I saw you and Jimmy leave...”
“Relax Lois...I'll pick them up. You need to tell Clark to start driving. It's not like you can't afford another car...I know how much money you two make...Why is your husband so damned phobic of driving anyhow?” Perry teased.
“Don't ask me,” Lois chuckled before adding, “You really don't mind?”
“It's not a problem Lois...Anytime.”
Lois hung up and phoned Clark only to get his voicemail – a telltale sign he was out on a mission. As the standard message played out, she looked at the Daily Planet Website news ticker on her monitor – Mudslide in Peru.
The message beeped. “Hi Clark, just to let you know that Lucy wrecked the Jeep and that Perry's picking up Jon and your parents...Hope everything's alright in Peru...Love you, bye.”
Lois put the phone down and sighed. Sometimes these days she felt utterly helpless and useless.
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Jimmy walked briskly through the hospital corridors looking for Ward Four. He made it to the nurses' station and tried to slow his heart, which felt like it might pound out of his chest at any minute.
“Hi there, I'm wanting to see Jack Olsen...I'm his son Jimmy.”
“Hello Mr Olsen...I'm afraid your father was discharged half an hour ago,” responded the nurse, sounding concerned.
“He was what? I was the under the impression that he was gravely ill!”
The nurse looked to the ground, “He is, but your mother wouldn't change her mind.”
“My mom? My mom hasn't talked to my dad in years!”
“Well we have a signature here from an Arlene Olsen,” the nurse said, handing over a pile of paperwork. “Your father asked us to call her right after we called you.”
Jimmy looked at the signature. It was definitely his mother's, but the address wasn't. He quickly memorized the address and handed the form back to the nurse.
“Thank you...I don't know why she got him discharged, or why she was even here. If I can, I'll bring him back in.”
“Thank you Mr. Olsen.”
Jimmy quickly turned and ran back down the corridor, still running the new address through his mind.
11 Finley Street.
Luckily that was on a short walk away...
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Within fifteen minutes Jimmy found himself at the door of 11 Finley Street. Tentatively he rang the bell and waited for an answer. He didn't have to wait long as his mother opened the door only a second later.
“Mom...Is dad?”
“You're father's fine Jimmy,” Arlene Olsen smiled calmly.
“But the hospital thinks he'll die without treatment-”
“-We've been waiting for you,” his mother smiled knowingly, “Come on in.”
Jimmy pushed past Arlene and into the small apartment. Jack Olsen sat on the sofa. He was very pale, but looked more shell-shocked than ill.
“Dad?” Jimmy ran to his father.
“He's going to be fine Jimmy,” Arlene said.
“Your mother had to get me out of there son,” Jack responded quietly, “I didn't know why until just a few minutes ago, but now I do.”
Jimmy was confused, but relieved to see his father alive. He sat down and put his arm around Jack's shoulder.
“You're going to fine? That's great! But why did you have to get out of the hospital-”
Jimmy stopped when he saw the large puncture mark in Jack's neck.
“What the hell's going on?”
Suddenly Jimmy felt a searing hot pain in the back of his neck – a needle.
“What...what are you doing to-”
The next thing Jimmy knew was darkness...
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“What on earth?” Martha Kent proclaimed loudly as she, Jonathan, Perry and Jon arrived at Lois and Clark's house.
There were muddy footprints all over the living room. Martha, Jonathan and Jon all gave each other knowing looks. They'd all heard the news of the mudslide and Martha hoped that Clark had heard her yelling. It was a sort-of family code for whenever there was someone in the house that didn't know The Secret.
So Martha was relieved when Clark came downstairs wearing his glasses.
Martha immediately pointed to the mess, to which Clark responded, “Don't ask.”
This earned him a giggle from his bemused son.
“Well Jon,” Martha began, “if you think it's so funny, you can help your dad clean up this mess before your mom gets home.”
“But gran...Yes gran,” Jon huffed.
Perry looked on in amusement as Clark and his son disappeared into the kitchen.
“Well I'd better get back to the Planet. I need to call Jimmy...see how his father's doing.”
Jonathan nodded, “Tell Jimmy if he needs anything that well...we're here for him.”
“I'll tell him,” Perry replied quietly before leaving.
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Safely back in his car, Perry picked up his phone to contact Jimmy. He was worried about the boy.
Perry chuckled despite the circumstances. Jimmy was 32 and still Perry considered him to be a kid. Perception was a funny animal.
Perry felt his stomach tighten into a knot as the phone continued to ring with no answer. Letting go of a nervous breath he hung up.
With there being nothing else he could do, Perry simply started up his engine and drove away, hoping that Jimmy would contact him, and soon.
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The phone ringing forced Jimmy to blink back to consciousness.
What the hell?
He had a splitting headache, and it took Jimmy quite some time to localize his phone's location. After two or three aborted attempts at standing, Jimmy crawled over to his backpack, which was propped up against the wall next to the front door. By the time he reached his bag the ringing had stopped.
Typical
With his phone no longer occupying his thoughts, Jimmy turned around to take in his surroundings.
He was in a dirty, empty studio apartment, devoid of everything but the most spartan furniture.
“Hello? Anyone there?”
Jimmy finally managed to stand up. After surveying the bathroom he was satisfied he was alone.
But why was he here? Where was here?
He peered out of the apartment window and onto the street. The architecture was unmistakeable, and different from the rest of the downtown area. Finley street looked like it belonged somewhere in Europe rather than in Metropolis.
Finley Street? What was he doing in Finley street?
His head felt like it might explode as images filled his mind. He felt panic and a tightness in his chest as though something was very wrong. As he grew breathless he remembered a car, Perry's concerned face, Cat, a corridor, paperwork and a form.
He remembered running down a corridor, remembering an address. He remembered the form again. 11 Finley Street. and suddenly he remembered...
“Dad!”
He'd been visiting is dad. But where had he read the address, and why had it been so important for him to get there? Why wasn't he with his dad?
Panicking, he retrieved his phone and after dropping it, he managed to dial Metropolis General.
“Hello...Ward Four please,”
Jimmy paced anxiously as he waiting for his call to be transferred.
“Hi...I'm calling with regards to Jack Olsen? He was transferred from a military hospital with a bullet wound? He was discharged? By who? I see...Thank you.”
Jimmy hung up, confusing engulfing his already clouded mind.
Why had his mom cared enough to visit his father? And why had she helped him to get discharged? Jimmy didn't get on his mother, so he really didn't want to talk to her in his current state of mind.
She wouldn't have gotten him discharged unless he was okay. And he was conscious, wasn't he? He wouldn't have left unless he was really okay.
Would he?
