He can't speak, even if he could do so without giving her away, but sends a wave of gratitude in return. It makes it a lot more bearable when Zod removes his boot from Clark's chest and replaces it with a save stomp to the leg, breaking it. It still hurts, though not as much as it would, and Clark gasps in slightly over-exaggerated pain.

Zod grabs Clark's good leg and begins to drag him through the destroyed city, towards the solar tower. "I should've guessed you'd come after me. All to save a doomed race. When faced with a crumbling world, these humans, they'd rather die than unite under a single leader and do what's required to build a glorious new world."