Author: MitchPell
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything that has to do with Smallville, it’s characters, DC comics, or the WB. I’m just using their stuff for a little bit of non-profitable fun. Nor do I own any of the poems. They all belong to their respective authors and publishers or whatever.
Authors Notes: My thanks go out to Adri, the best Beta Reader in the whole wide world, and the one who has helped me since the get go!!! And to my new Beta Reader, Gravity, as well. First off let me apologize for the extreme delay in posting. But after quite a few things have interrupted the writing of this chapter, including: finals, a family member being extremely since the 13th of December, work, another fic I was writing, and a little writers block. All in all, it hasn’t been a good month for me. And I apologize. I’m still waiting for some feedback for my poll. As I’ve said I’ve noticed that my author feed back section is getting rather long. So, would you guys prefer me to move it to the end of the chapter, or keep it here at the beginning? Just let me know in a review. This is taking place shortly after Rogue, right were chapter 10 left off. And just as a little review, chapter 10 ended with Chloe getting the torch back and Lex going into the hospital. I hope that helps you guys know when things are going on. Like I’ve said before I’ve done a lot of research about the medical stuff, but if I’ve made any huge errors let me know. After all, I’m not an expert. I’m going to be using any and all spoilers, so read at your own risk. This story is going to be a long one. I already know that it is going to span the course of 7 years, and probably longer. I appreciate any and all feedback. Tell me whatever you think: the good, the bad, the ok, the grammar errors, etc… Trust me, I need the help!!
Summary: Lex and Chloe just seem right for each other. I don’t know why, they just do.
Email: mitchpell@yahoo.com
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Chapter 11
Gabby could hear the crackling in Lex’s chest beneath his wheezing. She took her eyes off the road in order to glance over at him. He was leaning back in the seat beside her with his eyes closed, concentrating on breathing. Gabby quickly looked away and glared at the road in front of her. She should have caught this earlier. She should have noticed something was wrong. But she hadn’t. She couldn’t even remember what she had been doing all day. It was probably something trivial, something that held no significance whatsoever, something that merely took her attention away from what was important, her job. She was always so short with Lex when she felt that he was doing something that would put him at risk. But this time it wasn’t Lex who wasn’t doing what they were supposed to, it was her. Her mental berating was halted, however, when Lex’s pained voice cut through the silence.
“God, this hurts worse than an asthma attack.” Lex told her in a raspy breathless voice.
“Just concentrate on taking deep breaths.” She said. “In and out, in and out.”
“I know how to fucking breathe, Gabby!” Lex snapped, his outburst making his breathing more strained.
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to help.”
“You can help by getting us there faster. I know this isn’t a European sports car, but it has…” He was cut off by another violent coughing fit, which lasted for a minute or two. “God, that’s disgusting.” He muttered. “Do you have any Kleenex?” He asked.
“Yeah, in the glove box. Did you cough something up?” She asked.
“Yes, hence the need for a tissue.” He replied.
“What color is it?”
“A dark yellow-green color.”
“There’s no sign of blood right?” She asked.
“No, no blood.” He said. Lex sat there looking down at the junk he had just wiped off his hand. He couldn’t shake the intense fear that had suddenly gripped him. He knew that the majority of leukemia patients died from infection. He knew the risks, yet he had ignored them. He had ignored them because he didn’t want to change certain things, he didn’t want to face the truth. Now he was sick, and that fact wasn’t sitting to well. “I think I’m going to throw up.” He told her.
Gabby immediately pulled over to the side of the road, and got out of the car. She ran around to the passenger’s side to help Lex. They took about two steps before Lex bent over and threw up onto the berm. Gabby held on to his arm with one hand while she rubbed soothing circles on his back with the other.
“This is going to kill me isn’t it?” Lex asked her, while keeping his gaze fixed on the ground.
“No.” She assured him. “Infections can be serious but you’re strong, Lex. And I know you’ll pull through this.” When he didn’t say anything she lifted his chin up to face her. “You’re not going to die, Lex. Not while you’re under my care. I promise. Now, come on.” With that she helped him back to the car.
******************************************************************
The rest of the ride passed quickly and quietly. Once they arrived, Lex followed Gabby over to triage. The triage unit of Smallville Memorial Hospital was small. In fact, it was the size of a small cubicle, with barely enough room for a desk, a couple cabinets, and two chairs. The middle-aged nurse behind the desk motioned Gabby in, once she saw her standing in the doorway. Gabby entered the office and sat in the chair that was off to the side leaving Lex, who trailed in behind her, to sit in the chair that was setting along side the desk. Without looking up from where she had started a fresh chart, the nurse asked for a name.
“Lex Luthor.” Lex replied.
At the mention of his name, the nurse snapped her head up to look at him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Luthor, I didn’t see you come in. I thought we were going to be treating this young woman here.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” Lex leaned toward the desk to read her nametag, “Marie.” He tried to use his usual suave voice, but wasn’t quite able to pull it off through his wheezing.
“Right, well what seems to be the problem?” She asked after recovering from her initial shock.
“Well, he’s having trouble breathing, his upper respiratory tract sounds congested, and before we left the house he had a temperature of one hundred and three. He’s coughing up yellow-green mucous, and he also threw up on the way here.” Gabby informed her. She glanced over at Lex and found him giving her a strange look, which she ignored.
“Alright, Lex, I need to get your blood pressure, and take your temperature. So I need you to take off your coat, pull up your sleeve, and place your arm up here on the desk.” Marie told him as she turned to pull an electric thermometer out of one of the cabinets.
Lex shrugged out of his coat, and pulled the sleeve of his long sleeved t-shirt up as high as it would go before setting his arm on the desktop. Marie turned back around and shook her head. “I’m going to need better access to your upper arm, so if your shirt won’t go any higher you’re going to have to take your arm out of that sleeve.” She said as she reached over and stuck the thermometer in Lex’s ear.
Lex rolled his eyes as he removed his arm from his sleeve and pulled it out from underneath the hem of his shirt. Marie was starting to grate on his nerves.
The thermometer in his ear beeped, and Marie sat back down at her desk. “Almost one hundred and three.” She informed them, strapping the pressure cuff around Lex’s upper arm. “Blood pressure and pulse are normal.” She then came around the desk and waited until Lex had put his arm back in his sleeve before instructing him to lift up his shirt. She blew a little warm air on her stethoscope and began listening to his breathing. As she took in his pale torso, she caught sight of the small bandage in the center of his chest. “What happened there?” She asked.
“He just had a central line removed.” Gabby said, which earned her a glare from Lex.
After Marie was finished listening to his chest, she returned to her desk. “So, I take it there have been some recent medical problems.” She said.
“Actually, until tonight, things have been going quite smoothly.” Gabby replied as she handed Marie Lex’s medical files. “That’s a record of the past two months.”
Marie’s scanned over the file quickly, her eyes widening when she did so.
Lex narrowed his eyes at the woman who was currently reading a very detailed description of something that he had kept hidden for the past two months. The look on her face was making him nervous, as if she might not be able to keep what she had just learned to herself. “I’m sure I don’t have to remind you about patient confidentiality, Marie.” Lex said, the warning clear in his voice.
Marie cleared her throat. “Of course not, Mr. Luthor. I think that’s all the information I need. So, you both can head over to registration then have a seat in the waiting room, and the doctor will be right with you.”
The stop in registration went quickly, and Lex and Gabby soon found themselves sitting in a corner of the waiting room. Lex chose to sit as far from the other occupants of the room as possible, for several reasons. He didn’t want to be close to anyone who was sick, in order to limit the risk of exposing himself to something else. And he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. But despite his efforts, Lex could still feel several pairs of eyes on him. He ran a self-conscious hand over his naked scalp before turning to glare at Gabby.
“Stop looking at me like that, Lex.” Gabby told him as she sorted through a stack of magazines. “They need to know your medical history in order to treat you properly.”
Lex sighed as he slumped down in his seat. “I understand that, Gabby. I just have this sickening feeling that the whole town of Smallville is going to be aware of my situation by morning.”
Gabby turned away from the copy of “People” she had picked up and looked at him. “Would that be such as horrible thing?” She asked.
“Yes, it would.” He replied, completely deadpan.
“And why is that, Lex? Please tell me.”
“It just would be, Gabby. Trust me.” With that Lex leaned his head back on his chair and stared at the ceiling.
Frustrated, Gabby went back to her magazine.
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Lex wasn’t sure how long they had been waiting. All he knew was that he was exhausted, and that the plastic chair he was sitting on was digging into the back of his neck. He still couldn’t breathe properly, there was a dull throbbing in his temples, and the rest of his body was just one giant ache. He sighed as he continued to stare at the ceiling tiles.
“Lex, your sighing isn’t going to make the time pass any quicker.” Gabby said as she returned from the vending machine and plopped back down in her chair. “I know you said you didn’t want anything, but I brought you a water. You should have some fluids.”
Lex took the offered water bottle and set it in the chair beside him. “My neck is killing me.” He informed her.
Gabby chuckled. “Really? I wonder if it has anything to do with the way you’ve been sitting for the past hour?”
He sat up and began to massage his neck, just before a coughing fit hit him. “God, what is taking so long?” He asked once the fit had subsided. “Don’t they realize that I’m dying here? I’m Lex Luthor for Christ’s sake. I should have been treated as soon as I walked in the door.” He muttered.
Gabby raised her eyebrows and looked at him. “Are you saying that just because you’re rich, you should be more of a priority?” She asked, slightly mocking him.
“No!” He said a little to loudly, causing the few people in the waiting room to glance over at them. He lowered his voice, before continuing. “No, I just…I just feel awful.” He all but whined, while looking at her with what could only be described as a desperate expression. Somewhat embarrassed, he dropped his head onto his knees.
“I know, Lex.” Gabby said, as she rubbed circles on his back. “It shouldn’t be too much longer.”
He let out a groan, which turned into a little giggle. “I’m wearing my bedroom slippers.”
“What?” Gabby asked.
Lex looked up at her with a stupid grin on her face. “I’m wearing my bedroom slippers.” He repeated.
Gabby rolled her eyes. “Here, Lex, lie down.” She said as she patted her thigh.
Lex looked at her for a minute then, to her surprise, he curled up on the neighboring two chairs and laid his head on her lap.
Gabby laid a hand on his fevered head, causing a small shiver to travel down his body. He didn’t feel any warmer, but then her hand wasn’t the best thermometer either. She was getting a little worried. Of course she had be worried earlier, but some of her concerns had subsided once they had reached the hospital. Gabby cast an eye around the room. There were only a few other people who were waiting, all of whom had been there before them. None of them seemed to be in too bad of shape, and no emergency had come in after them. She had to wonder what the hold up was. Of course, she thought, this is a small rural hospital that most likely has a very minimal night staff. This is probably pretty busy for them.
With a sigh, she picked up yet another magazine. If they weren’t seen in half an hour she would start making a fuss. She figured Lex would be all right for at least another hour. But she thought it best to start pushing a little sooner. Until then she’d brush up on her reading of old celebrity magazines.
As she opened the cover, she idly wondered if Lex had ever been featured in one of them. She knew that he had been the victim of many tabloids, but she was curious if he had ever been featured in “People” or some teen magazine like “Jane” or “Teen Magazine.” But then knowing him, even if an offer had been made, he would have denied it. She’d never seen someone quite as secretive as Lex Luthor. It seemed to be his life’s mission to remain aloof. Ok, so maybe his life’s mission was to destroy his father, or at least that is what she had gathered after living with him for almost two months. But aloofness was right up there on the list of his life’s ambitions, that and generally wanting to take over the world.
Gabby laughed to herself. She had to say one thing about Lex, though; he refused to let anything stand in his way. He was a fighter through and through. If anything, the past two months had revealed that much.
She glanced up at the clock on the wall. Only fifteen minutes had passed. She leaned over a little and looked at the man lying on her lap. It appeared that he had fallen asleep. Fifteen minutes, she thought, I’ll give them fifteen more minutes.
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Half an hour later, a nurse stepped into the room and announced Lex’s name. Gabby sighed with relief. “Finally,” she muttered. Her plan to go harass the hospital staff was aborted when she couldn’t bring herself to wake Lex. “Wake up, Lex,” she said as she gently shook his shoulder. Lex merely groaned and turned slightly away from her. She shook his shoulder a little harder. “Come on, Lex, wake up. They’re ready to see you.”
“Gabby, you are one of the cruelest people I know.” Lex mumbled.
Gabby could help but grin. “So you’ve told me, on several occasions. Now get up.”
Grudgingly, Lex pushed himself into a sitting position. He couldn’t believe how tired he was. The short doze had done nothing to improve his mood either. He still felt like shit.
“Mr. Luthor.” The nurse called again.
“We’re coming,” Gabby called as she stood up and picked up her purse.
Lex groaned as he got up, every muscle in his body protesting. He followed Gabby and the nurse out of the waiting room and into the examination room. The nurse gestured to an empty bed, and Lex gladly sat down on it. The nurse handed him a hospital gown then began to draw the curtain closed around them.
“Put that on,” she said, “and the doctor will be right with you.”
Lex glared with all his strength at the offensive garment that was setting beside him on the bed. He hated those things with a passion. They were by far the most embarrassing clothes on the face of the earth. A shudder ran through him at the mere thought of putting it on. With a sigh, Lex slowly shrugged off his coat and pulled off his shirt. The warm hospital air was cold against his fevered skin, and he shivered. He slipped the hospital gown on then reached around to tie the two ties in the back. He flipped his slippers off and folded his jacket and shirt, before lifting his legs up onto the bed and leaning back into the pillow. “Much more comfortable,” he whispered as he closed his eyes.
“They’ll probably want you to take your pants off you know, Lex?” Gabby said from the seat she had taken by his bed.
“I don’t care.” Lex replied. “I’m not taking them off. I’ll freeze to death if I do.”
Gabby grinned. “There are blankets you know.”
“Yes, I know. But I’m still not taking them off.”
“You’re not wearing anything underneath them are you?” She asked.
“Nope. And I’m not going to have my bare ass blowing in the wind.”
Gabby chuckled. “Alright.” She replied as the doctor pulled the curtain back and entered the area.
“Mr. Luthor,” he said, quite jovially. “I’m Dr. Brummel.” He scanned over the chart in his hand for a minute then approached Lex. “How are you feeling, tonight?” He asked as he brandished his stethoscope and began listening to Lex’s chest.
“Wonderful.” Lex replied dryly. “Why else would I be here?”
“Hhmm, good to see you still have a sense of humor.” Brummel said. “Lean forward for me please.” After listening to Lex’s breathing, he announced, “you sound quite congested.” He then took a look in both of Lex’s ears. “Well, first we’re going to put you on some oxygen to try to help you breathe a little. Then we’ll run a few tests, and get a chest x-ray. Alright.” And with that the doctor left the room.
“Sounds like fun.” Lex muttered.
Shortly after Dr. Brummel left, the nurse came back and took a sample of Lex’s saliva and drew some blood. He was then put in a wheelchair and shipped off to get a chest x-ray, after which he was returned to the bed and placed on oxygen. Then they were left to wait, once again.
“I hate waiting.” Lex said. “It’s one of the perks to being rich. You don’t have to wait for anything. You just flash a little money around and, voilà, instant service. But here, everyone waits and waits and waits and waits some more. It’s annoying.”
Gabby stifled a yawn. “Yeah, well it takes time to run the blood work and develop x-rays whether you’re rich or poor. Don’t take it personally, Lex.”
“I’ll try not to.” He said before he was hit with a coughing fit. After it subsided, Lex took the little oxygen tubes out of his nose and rubbed it thoroughly.
“Would you stop taking that off?” Gabby scolded.
“I’m sorry, but it’s tickling my nose.” He scratched his nose one last time then replaced the little tubes.
The curtain was drawn back, and Dr. Brummel stepped into the curtained area. “Well, Mr. Luthor, it appears that you have a pretty severe case of bacterial bronchitis.”
“Lovely.” Lex replied.
“As I’m sure you’re aware, for someone in your condition there’s a greater chance for this to escalate into pneumonia. So, we feel it’s for the best to admit you for a few days, until the infection subsides.” He told Lex before turning towards Gabby. “You’re Mr. Luthor’s personal physician, right?”
“Yes, I am. Dr. Gabriella Mai.” Gabby replied as she stood up to shake the man’s hand.
“Mr. Luthor’s in the middle of his second round of chemo, correct?”
“That’s correct. He’s scheduled to have a dose of cytarabine tomorrow morning.” Gabby told him.
“Ok, I’m going to suggest that we hold off on any chemotherapy until we can get a hold of his Oncologist.” Brummel told her.
“I agree with you there. Dr. Gatemen will probably want to stop the chemo until his infection is under better control. Then he’ll probably put him on a decreased dose.” Gabby said.
“Alright. Well, we’ll get you set up in a room shortly, Mr. Luthor. Dr. Mai, could you come with me and fill out some admissions forms?”
“Sure. I’ll be right back, Lex.”
“Don’t rush on my account.” Lex replied, his voice laden with fatigue. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Gabby patted his arm, before standing up and following Dr. Brummel out of the curtained area.
******************************************************************
Chloe was bored out of her mind. It was Saturday and she was stuck in her house because she was still grounded for breaking curfew. Currently, she was lying on her bed, counting her ceiling tiles. “Only two more days to go,” she told her ceiling. “Then I’ll be free.” She let out a sigh. There was absolutely nothing to do. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There were plenty of things to do, but nothing that could be considered fun.
Then it hit her. She couldn’t believe that she had forgotten all about them. She hoisted herself off her bed and dropped to the floor. She flipped up the dust ruffle and the curtain of blankets hanging over the side of her bed then pulled a small box out from underneath it. After removing the lid, Chloe removed the pair of black and white saddle shoes. She considered putting them on, but then decided just to remain in her socked feet. Therefore, she slid the shoes back under her bed, before pulling out the package of cutout feet and the CD’s.
Chloe opened the package of feet and pulled one out. She took one look at it then her floor and decided she’d have to move this party to a non-carpeted area. So, she shoved everything back in the box, grabbed her small portable stereo and headed for the basement.
Once downstairs, she plugged in her stereo the proceeded to look over the different dances. After choosing the Tango, she followed the instructions in the manual that came with the feet and got to work. It took her a few minutes to set up the cutouts, but soon she was well underway. She started out without the music, using the manual as a guide to follow the imaginary beat. Then after she felt she had gotten the basic steps down, she turned on the CD.
She was so engrossed in what she was doing, or maybe it was just the volume to which she had the music set, that she didn’t hear the phone ring. Nor did she see her father came down the stairs. However, she did notice when he turned off her radio.
Gabe looked quizzically, yet bemusedly, at his daughter. “Chloe, what are you doing?” He asked.
Chloe grinned up at him. “Teaching myself how to dance.” She replied.
Gabe picked up one of the CDs setting by the stereo; he recognized the handwriting on the three-by-five card that accompanied it. “Where did you get all this stuff?” He asked. He knew the answer, but he wanted to see whether or not she’d tell him the truth.
Chloe shrugged. “Lex gave it to me as a Christmas gift.” She told him.
Gabe looked at his daughter and frowned. “You didn’t tell me that Lex got you something for Christmas.”
Chloe walked over to her father and took the CD he was holding out of his hands. “Well, that’s because you didn’t seem too thrilled with the fact that Lex and I were becoming friends. And I didn’t want you to make me give it back.” She replied. Chloe watched as her dad frowned over the pile of CDs. She then noticed the phone in his hand and asked, “Is that for me?”
Startled out of his thoughts, Gabe handed her the phone. “Yeah, it’s Clark.”
Chloe took the phone from her father and placed it by her ear. “Clark,” she said into the receiver. “What’s up?”
“Hey, Chloe.” Clark answered. “Are you doing anything today?” He asked.
“No.” She replied. “I’m still grounded. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I just got back from Lex’s.” Clark told her. “And his housekeeper, Ann, told me he was admitted to the hospital last night.”
“Is he alright?” Chloe asked, her voice laced with concern.
“I don’t really know. All Ann would tell me is that he got sick last night and that his new assistant, Gabby, took him to the hospital.”
Chloe rolled her eyes in disbelief. That liar, she thought. “I don’t get sick my ass,” she muttered.
“What was that?” Clark asked.
“Nothing,” she quickly replied.
“Right, well anyway, my mom and I were thinking about heading over to the hospital and we wanted to know if you wanted to join us.”
“Oh, yeah, I’d love to. Just let me check with my dad first.” Chloe placed her hand over the receiver and turned to her dad. “Dad, would it be alright if I went in to the hospital with Clark and Mrs. Kent? Apparently, Lex was admitted last night and they’re going to stop by and pay him a visit.”
Gabe was slightly shocked. He figured something was up when Chloe had asked if someone was all right. But he never would have guessed it was Lex. It was kind of hard to imagine someone like Lex Luthor ever being sick. He figured it had to do with the air of confidence and superiority that Lex gave off. Gabe looked down at his daughter and gave her a small smile. “Yeah, you can go.” He told her. He might not totally agree with this friendship with his boss, but he wasn’t about to begrudge the man a little company in his time of need. “And you might as well consider this an early termination of your grounding.” He added.
Chloe grinned. “Thanks, Dad.” She then put the phone back up to her ear. “Yeah, I can go. Are you going to come pick me up, or did you want me to meet you guys there?” She asked.
“Um, why don’t you meet us there.” Clark said. “That way if my mom wants to leave before we’re ready, she can and I’ll still have a way home.”
“Sounds good. When and where did you want to meet?”
There was a pause for a minute, before Clark said, “Well, it’s almost one now. So how about 1:30 in the main lobby?” He asked.
“Ok, I’ll see you then. Bye, Clark.” With that she hung up. “Well, I’m going to go get ready.” She told her father as she started heading up the stairs.
“Ok, Sweetheart.” Gabe replied. “Did you want something to eat before you go? I was going to make some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. But I don’t think you’ll have time for that. But how about a ham and egg sandwich?” He asked.
“That would be great.” Chloe said. “Thanks a lot, Dad.”
“No problem.” He told her as he followed her up the stairs. “You go get changed and I’ll work on lunch.”
“Alright.” She said then quickly climbed the stairs up to her room. Once there, she grabbed her bathrobe before heading to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she threw on her long denim skirt, a red long-sleeved shirt, and her knee-high black boots. Once she was dressed, she headed down the stairs to the kitchen, where her dad had lunch ready.
“Wow,” he said. “You’re a little dressed up for a trip to the hospital, aren’t you?” He asked.
Chloe merely shrugged her shoulders and continued to wolf down her sandwich.
“Or does this have something to do with who you’re going to the hospital with?” He teased.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dad. I’m trying to woo Mrs. Kent away from her husband. What do you think; do I have a shot? Or am I just fooling myself?”
Gabe chuckled. “Well, you certainly got your work cut out for you, Sweetheart.” He told her. “Personally, I think you might have a better chance winning Clark.”
“Yeah, if you say so.” Chloe replied, trying to mask the hurt she felt at the impossibility of that ever happening. “Well, Dad, I got to go. I’ll see you later.”
“Ok, Sweetheart. Tell Lex I hope he feels better.” Gabe told her.
“Will do. See you later.” She called before going out the door.
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Chloe arrived at Smallville Memorial Hospital a few minutes before Clark and Mrs. Kent, so she checked at the desk in the lobby and found Lex’s room number. She then headed over to the gift shop and picked out a get-well card, before returning to the lobby to wait. She had only been waiting for a few minutes when Clark and Martha showed up.
“Hey, guys!” Chloe called as she walked up them.
“Hi, Chloe.” Martha said. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”
“Nope, not at all.” She replied. “In fact, I just had enough time to find out where they’re holding Lex, and pick up a card for him.”
“Well, then lead on.” Clark said as he gestured her on.
The three of them started to make their way towards the elevators when Martha said, “Chloe, I didn’t realize you and Lex were friends.”
Chloe smiled at her. “Yeah, it’s kind of strange. But after the whole hostage situation at the Plant in December we’ve run into each other a few times. He’s actually seems like a normal guy once you get past the Luthor exterior.”
Clark raised an eyebrow at her. “A normal guy?” He asked as they got off the elevator.
“Ok, so maybe normal isn’t entirely accurate.” Chloe admitted as she walked down the hall of the hospital. “How about pleasant?” She asked.
Clark chuckled. “I guess pleasant fits.”
Martha merely rolled her eyes at the two. “Well, with friends like you two it’s no wonder the man isn’t normal.”
“Gee, thanks mom.” Clark replied before stopping behind Chloe.
“This is it,” Chloe told them. She knocked lightly on the door, before easing it open and sticking her head in. She took a quick look around then opened the door wide and entered. She furrowed her brow in confusion. The room was empty. The obviously slept in bed was vacant, and none of the chairs were being occupied.
Martha and Clark followed her into the room. They all kind of just hovered in the doorway for a minute before Clark spoke up. “I wonder where he is?”
Martha shrugged. “They might have him out for testing or something.”
“Well,” Chloe asked, “should we just leave or do you want to wait a few minutes to see if he comes back?” Her question was never answered, however, because at that moment a side door to the room opened and Lex shuffled out of the adjoining bathroom.
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Lex opened the door to the bathroom and stopped dead in his tracks. His previously vacant room had almost been filled to capacity in the few minutes he had been gone. He just stood there for a while, grasping the IV pole that was attached to his right hand, in shock. He hadn’t expected anyone to show up, let alone Chloe, Clark, and Mrs. Kent. He was touched and slightly embarrassed. At that moment, he wished he had a bathrobe or something else to wrap around himself besides the hospital gown he was wearing. He just thanked god that he still had his sweatpants.
“Hi, Lex!” Chloe called out to him.
“Miss Sullivan, Mrs. Kent, Clark.” He rasped, if you could even call the pitiful state of his voice a rasp. In fact, he barely had a voice left because of all the coughing he’d done. A few hours after he had been admitted to the hospital, the coughing fits had gotten significantly worse. They lasted longer and occurred more frequently. The doctors had refused to give him any cough suppressants, however, because they claimed that he needed to clear out his lungs. They didn’t seem to care too much about what was happening to his vocal cords. Lex cleared his throat. “You’ll have to excuse me, I kind of lost my voice.” He told them, the simple act of speaking irritating his throat, causing him to cough.
Martha started to rush over to his side, but Lex held up a hand and waved her off. After the fit subsided, he shuffled over to the bed and lowered himself down onto it. “What are you guys doing here?” He asked.
Chloe smiled. “Well, we were visiting a friend down the hall, and we overheard someone say you were here. So we thought we’d stop by on our way out.” She deadpanned.
“Chloe!” Clark exclaimed. “Ann told me you were in the hospital and we decided to drop by and see how you’re doing.”
Lex nodded his head. “I’ve been better.” He told them.
“Do they know what’s wrong?” Martha asked.
Lex lifted his feet into the bed and leaned back into the mattress. “Bronchitis.” He told her. “Apparently I have a very severe case of bronchitis.” He paused a moment to clear his scratchy throat. “They’re concerned that it might escalate into pneumonia.”
The room was quiet for a moment; no one really knowing what to say until Chloe finally spoke up. “Oh!” She exclaimed. “Here,” she said as she handed him the card she’d bought. “A little something I picked up at the gift shop.”
Lex took the card from her hands and opened the envelope it was in with his index finger. The front of the card depicted a cartoon man in a hospital bed with his leg done up in a cast and a surprised look on his face. The words going across the top read, “I’m not going to wish you a speedy recovery.”
Lex furrowed his brow ever so slightly before opening the card. The inside showed the same cartoon man, but this time his face wore a knowing smile. Also, in the picture, there was a scantly dressed nurse attending to him. Across the top the card read, “Because I know how much you enjoy being NURSE-ED back to good health.” And written across the bottom it said, “All joking aside, I hope you feel better soon.” Finally written in Chloe’s neat scrawl were the words, “Get well soon, Lex. Smallville needs its billionaire playboy back!” then her signature.
Lex’s light chuckle at the card quickly turned into a cough. After the fit passed, he gave Chloe a bemused look. “You obviously haven’t met my nurse.”
Chloe grinned. “You mean she isn’t a skimpily clad beauty?” She teased.
Lex smirked at her. “Not exactly.”
“Really?” Chloe mock gasped. “I would have sworn that Lex Luthor would have demanded the best looking nurse in the hospital.”
“In situations as these, Chloe, I tend to be more concerned with their intelligence rather than their looks.” He replied. “But, thank you for the card.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So,” Clark asked, feeling the a little left out and needing to cut in. “How long do they think they’ll make you stay?”
Lex stifled a yawn. “Excuse me.” He apologized. “I’m not sure, Clark. But I’ll probably be here for a couple of days.”
“Do you need anything?” Martha asked. “Can we get you some things from the mansion?”
Lex was contemplating the question when Gabby walked into the room. “Lex…” She started, trailing off when he saw Martha, Chloe, and Clark. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had visitors.”
“Everyone,” Lex said. “I would like you to meet Gabriella Mai, my assistant. Gabby, this is Martha Kent, her son Clark, and Chloe Sullivan.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mai.” Martha said, while extending her hand.
“Likewise, Mrs. Kent.” Gabby replied, shaking Martha’s hand. “But please, call me Gabby.”
“Have we met before?” Chloe asked Gabby.
“I don’t believe so.” Gabby replied.
“Are you sure?” Chloe asked. “You look familiar.”
Gabby smiled at her. “I’m sure.”
“Was there something you needed to tell me, Gabby?” Lex cut in.
“Yes, actually there was. But it can wait.” She said as she walked further into the room. She frowned as she made her way over to the bed. “Though perhaps you can tell me why you aren’t wearing your oxygen.”
Lex closed his eyes and sighed. “I just took it off for a minute.”
“Really?” She asked sternly. It seemed like every time she came in he had removed the oxygen tubes from his nose. “Why did you take it off at all?”
Lex gave her a very pointed look. “I had my reasons, Gabby.”
“Well, put it back on.” She told him.
Grudgingly Lex reached slightly behind him, retrieved the tubing that was hooked to his bed, and slipped it over his ears and into his nose.
Chloe wasn’t sure what she felt as she looked at Lex lying there in that hospital bed. In a way it was quite amusing to watch Mrs. Mai bossing him around. She didn’t think she’d ever see anyone telling Lex Luthor what to do. In fact, just the other day she’d been surprised to see her father giving him mere suggestions. But here was this little Asian woman calling all the shots. And that was almost enough to put a smile on her face.
However, that smile was kept at bay by the other thoughts running through her head. Lex looked so small and sickly lying there, with those plastic tubes sticking out of his nose, and the IV in his arm. It wasn’t a sight that one could easily associate with him. Sure his skin was pale, but it wasn’t supposed to be clammy or practically transparent. His icy blue eyes weren’t supposed to be outlined in red, and his voice wasn’t meant to be anything but silky. It was hard to believe that the person lying there was Lex Luthor.
But then she had to remember that despite what he tried to make people think, Lex was only human. And just like any other person, he was bound and determined to get sick.
She was jarred from her thoughts when Gabby announced that she would be back in a little while. Obviously, yet politely leaving Lex to his company. Chloe gave her a smile as she walked past. She could really get to like that woman. She heard Lex yawn and turned back towards him.
“I’m sorry,” he rasped. “I really appreciate you all coming, but I didn’t get much sleep last night. And truthfully, I’m exhausted.”
Martha smiled and nodded. “It’s ok, Lex. We understand.” Parental instinct taking control, she walked over to the bed and pulled the blankets up and tucked them around the thin man.
“Are you sure there isn’t anything you need from the mansion, Lex?” Clark asked.
Lex frowned, straining to keep his eyes open under the weight of his eyelids. “I wouldn’t want to be a bother.”
Martha placed a hang on his shoulder and continued to smile at him. “It won’t be any trouble.” She assured him. “Now what can we get you?”
“My bathrobe?” He asked, hopefully.
Martha chuckled. “Ok. What else?”
“There are some files on my desk that I need to look at, and if you could bring my laptop that would be great.”
“Absolutely not!” Martha scolded. “You need to be resting. Not worrying yourself with work.”
Lex sighed and allowed his eyes to drift shut. “Could you ask Ann, to pack me a few sets of clothes?” He asked, forcing his eyes back open.
“Sure. Anything else?” Martha asked.
“Yeah. There’s a large book of poetry in a glass case right inside my office door that I would really like to have.”
Martha smiled. “Of course,” she said as she patted his shoulder. She stepped away from the bed and pulled on her coat as Clark and Chloe did the same. “We’ll be back later on. You try to get some rest.”
Lex gave his three visitors a half smile, but didn’t bother to reply. He listened as Clark and Chloe said their goodbyes before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.
******************************************************************
The car might as well have been silent as Chloe followed the Kents to Lex’s mansion. The radio was playing idly in the background, but she wasn’t listening to it. She was too busy trying to place where she had seen Gabriella Mai before. She kept thinking back to all the places she had seen Lex recently. However now that she thought about it, Lex was rarely seen in town anymore, well except for that time she had run into him last week at the Beanery. But, he used to be more of a regular in town, especially whenever Clark was around.
Chloe frowned. She didn’t recall Clark mentioning that he and Lex had had an argument. But then she had been grounded for a while, and was a little out of the loop. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. No, there probably hadn’t been any fight. She was probably just reading too much into things. Besides, this had nothing to do with finding out who Gabriella Mai was, which was her primary mission. Well, that and gathering up some stuff for Lex’s stay at the hospital.
She parked her car behind the Kent’s, after they’d pulled up the mansion’s paved driveway. The three got out of their cars and walked up the front door. Clark reached up and rang the bell, and they waited for someone to answer the door. After a few minutes, Clark rang again, but still no one answered.
Chloe glanced over at Clark. “I thought you said you talked to Ann earlier today.”
Clark shrugged. “Yeah, well that was this morning, when she was still doing housekeeper stuff.”
Chloe sighed. “So how do we get in?” She asked.
“I suppose we’ll have to just wait and come back later.” Martha told them.
Clark cleared his throat and shuffled his feet a little. “I know the key code for the kitchen entrance.” He mumbled.
“Why do you have a key to Lex’s house?” Martha demanded.
Clark shrugged again. “I don’t know, because he wanted me to have it.”
“Wow, Clark.” Chloe teased. “You must be pretty high up on Lex’s list of favorite people.”
Clark grinned at her. “Yeah, I must be.” He said. “Jealous?”
“No!” Chloe quickly replied. “Why would I be?”
Clark shrugged yet again, before heading off to the servants’ entrance. “I don’t know. Maybe because he’s one of the most interesting people in Smallville, and you haven’t been able to land an interview with him.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Please. I’ve had more than four different chances of getting an interview with him. I simply haven’t wanted one.”
“Really?” Clark asked, obviously not believing her.
“Yes, Clark, really. I mean, in all honesty, he hasn’t done anything particularly worth writing about.” She explained.
“You don’t think that freeing our class from a hostage situation is worth writing about?”
“Clark, I was there, remember? I didn’t need Lex’s insight, I had my own.” She said. “Besides, the big mystery there isn’t why Lex went in after us, but whether or not Level Three really exists. And if so, then what were they doing down there.”
Clark frowned as he entered the key code into the kitchen entrance door. “Do you actually think Lex would have the answer to those questions?” He asked.
“To the first one, definitely.” Chloe replied, following Clark into the stone house. “To the second, I’m not so sure.”
“Well,” Martha interjected. “I don’t believe that it matters either way, as long as no one else is hurt.” She told them. At the looks her son and his friend gave her, she continued. “Corporations like LuthorCorp, have a need to keep developing new products. In order to do that, they’ll need to do some experimenting. And you have to remember that every new product they make and test isn’t going to be successful. In some cases, it may even produce negative or harmful results. Now, the fact that Lionel tried to cover up and hide from the public what he was doing at the Smallville plant makes me a little suspicious about what was going on. However, as long as no one else is harmed, I don’t see any sense in worrying about it.” She paused for a minute to let her words sink in. “Now, lets see if we can’t find these few things Lex needs.”
The three fell into a comfortable silence, each busy with their own thoughts, as they headed through the kitchen, dinning room, and the main corridor. Clark led them into Lex’s study. And upon entering the room, Chloe spotted the glass case Lex had told them about. She reached in and pulled out the large, red-leather bound book, and ran her hand over it. She opened the front cover and read the inscription.
Lex,
May these simple words bring you peace in your hour of need.
Love always,
Your loving mother,
Lillian Luthor
Chloe smiled at the inscription, before closing the cover and tucking the book under her arm. “I think this is the only thing we needed from his study.” She said. “Do either of you know where his bedroom is?”
******************************************************************
It took a while before any of them were able to locate Lex’s bedroom. Eventually, though, Clark triumphantly called out that he’d found it. Chloe followed Martha into the room Clark had called from and stopped to take in her surroundings.
The size of the room was absolutely overwhelming. There was an enormous bed with its headboard pressed up against the right wall. It was covered with a light blue comforter. A dark blue blanket was neatly folded at the foot of the bed. And the head was littered with matching dark blue pillows. Beside the bed was a nightstand that held an alarm clock and a small lamp.
There was a large armoire against the center of the far wall. And to the right of the armoire there was a door. Chloe walked over to the door and opened it. The room was dark, so she ran her hand up and down the wall just inside the door to find a switch. Her hand brushed over the light switch, illuminating the room. “Holy cripes!” She exclaimed as she disappeared into the walk-in closet. “Clark, come look at this!”
Clark poked his head into the closet and looked around. “Um, it’s a closet.” He said, obviously not getting what Chloe found so important.
“Yeah, one almost the size of my bedroom.” She pointed out.
Clark shrugged. “Well Lex has a lot of clothes.”
Chloe snorted. “Yeah, a lot of the same clothes. Look at all these pants.” She said while gesturing to multiple pairs of neatly hung black slacks. “I bet if we looked closely, they’d all be exactly the same.” She let her eyes scan further around, and gasped at what she discovered. “Check out all the shoes!” She exclaimed. “He’s worse than a girl.”
“Chloe!” Clark scolded.
“Clark, come on. You have to admit that that is a lot of shoes. I don’t even have that many shoes. And I bet your mom doesn’t either.”
Clark just sighed, and pulled Chloe out of the closet.
“Wait! We didn’t pick out any clothes for him.” She protested.
“I don’t think Lex will want his designer suits while he’s in the hospital, Chloe.” Martha commented when the two reemerged into the bedroom. She had already laid out three pairs of sweat pants, a couple of long sleeved t-shirts, a few pairs of boxers, and some socks on the bed. She walked back over to the armoire, where she had retrieved the clothes and shut the drawers. “Did you two find any bags in there by any chance?” She asked.
“Let me go look.” Clark said. “I don’t think we can trust Chloe not to drool all over his stuff.”
“I wasn’t drooling.” Chloe protested.
“Sure you weren’t, Chloe.” Clark replied as he slipped back into the closet.
Chloe shook her head as she wandered around. There wasn’t much more in the room. There was a large flat screen TV, like the two in the entertainment room, which was setting above of a small cabinet, which was against the wall across from the bed. There was also a small mini fridge stuffed in one of the corners.
As she continued to scan the room, she noticed another door along the left wall and went over and opened it. This second door she discovered led into Lex’s bathroom. Chloe entered the room and looked around. The only word to describe the tub was massive. Besides that, it was just like any other bathroom she had been it. Well, except for how big it was. Unable to resist, Chloe checked to see if there was a medicine cabinet behind the large mirror that was hanging above the sink. And she couldn’t keep the grin off her face when she discovered that there indeed was one.
She looked over the contents of the cabinet, and frowned. There was nothing interesting. In fact, there were pretty much the same things in this cabinet as in the one she had snooped in at Lex’s plant office. But as she looked over the shelves, something dawned on her.
Clark walked into the bathroom and found Chloe staring into Lex’s medicine cabinet. “Chloe, what are you doing?” He demanded.
Chloe turned to face him. “Have you ever wondered if Lex was bald everywhere?” She asked.
“Chloe!” Clark exclaimed, his face bright red with embarrassment.
“Well, think about it.” She said. “Every time you see him, he’s always very clean shaven. He always keeps most of his body hidden under his clothes. And there are no razors.” She told him, while gesturing towards the cabinet.
Clark rolled his eyes. “Chloe, what’s gotten into you today?” He asked. “First the thing with the closet and now the razors.”
“Come on, Clark, aren’t just a little bit curious?”
“No, Chloe.” He told her. “I happen to find Lex’s other qualities much more interesting.”
Chloe grinned at him. “Oh, really? Just want kind of qualities are we talking about here?” She teased.
“Chloe!”
Chloe just laughed. At that time Martha entered the room. “How long does it take to grab a toothbrush?” She asked her son, as she opened the cabinet, did a quick look, and grabbed the two items she wanted. She gave them both a knowing look before grabbing the bathrobe hanging off the back of the door and leaving the room, Clark and Chloe trailing behind her. She stuffed the toothbrush, toothpaste, and bathrobe in the bag Clark had found in the closet and zipped it shut. “I think that’s everything.” She told them. “Let’s go.”
TBC...
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