jmc

Let $c$ represent the length of the hypotenuse. We're told that $\sqrt{c}=2$, so $c=4$. By the Pythagorean Theorem, the sum of the squares of the length of the two other sides equals the square of the length of the hypotenuse ($a^2+b^2=c^2$), so our answer is $c^2=\boxed{16}$.