Chapter 8 – Diagnosis
Doctors poured into the small ICU room as Chloe stirred. Waking Lex, she quietly said goodbye and let the doctors discuss Lex's latest bout with the hospital.
Hours passed as Lex went from test to test with the doctors to diagnose his problem. Chloe and Clark waited patiently in the waiting room until they saw Lex wheeled back in to the ICU. He waved as he passed the two but told them to stay put for the time being. Going back to the room, a team of physicians followed him into the tiny room.
"My name is Dr. Bonner. I'm a neurologist from Metropolis. You have given us quite a scare Mr. Luthor. Dr. Hammond called me in when he had determined that you were well enough to discuss your condition. Dr. Hammond tells me that you thought the year was 2000 besides a couple of random memories from the last few years. Is there anything else you can add?"
Lex shifted uncomfortably in the bed and looked the men in white coats over. "I just have instant memory jogs. For example, I saw Senator Kent and remembered arguing with him in front of a podium. He told me I ran against him for Senate and lost. I saw their son, Clark, and remembered giving him my lead box that I got for a birthday. It's all very fuzzy."
"What are the last chronologically correct memories that you remember?" The doctors continued scribbling on clipboards as Lex spoke. From outside the room, Chloe and Clark watched as Lex seemed to stay calm, almost complacent.
"What are they talking about?" Chloe halfway tilted her head to the glass in a motion to have Clark listen.
"Fine." Clark begrudgingly turned his head slightly and waited for the doctors.
"I remember my father enrolling me in Wharton School of Business. He said it was the best; it was, but I think it was more just to send me to yet another place no one knew me. I spent a semester there to appease my father. When my grades went south in favor of alcohol, I came back to Metropolis and dawdled in random business classes at Met U. while I followed dad around. So, I guess that puts me about at 2000. I remember a fight in this club that some girl I was with shot her fiancée but the paper never mentioned me even there."
"You remember coming to Smallville at all?"
"No, none except for what people have filled me in on unless you're counting when I was a kid in the meteor shower. Where this all leading if you don't mind me asking a couple of questions?"
The doctors all looked at each other and at Dr. Bonner. "Mr. Luthor, you have we call retrograde amnesia. This is a case where memories before an event that caused the amnesia are forgotten. Typically what we see is like your case where amnesia is often temporally graded, meaning that remote memories are more easily accessible than events occurring just prior to the trauma. You could possibly lose all memories right before the incident."
Clark and Chloe watched as Lex interlaced his fingers and sat motionless except for slightly biting on his thumbnail. Lex let out a huge sigh and sat back in the bed.
"What is it?"
"He has retrograde amnesia – he may never remember the incident in the mansion."
"Clark, has anyone actually been over there to see if things there have been taken care of as far as his office?"
"Yeah, my dad went and checked in with the staff. Everything is back to normal."
Back in the room, the doctors continued informing Lex of his possible progress and rehabilitation. "We suggest that you continue talking to people that you know or knew. Read the papers, watch television, when released, go home and go back to your work. The more exposure you have to what you were before will help in your memory hopefully returning. My suggestion is to try to catch up on your life in order." Lex shook his head and rubbed his hand across his chin in thought. Rolling his eyes, he pondered the task ahead of him.
"Can I go back to work?"
"Absolutely, Martha Kent is taking care of informing your business partners of your condition and will keep you informed as well I'm sure." The doctors waited patiently for any other questions but watched as Lex looked tired. Rubbing his eyes with his hand, Dr. Bonner finished, "We'll move you this evening out of ICU and into a private room. If you are up to it, you can leave in a couple of days."
"Thank you." Lex shook the doctor's hand and leaned back in bed. Closing his eyes, he heard the door close and open again. He turned his head and saw Clark and Chloe standing, smiling. "Hey, I wondered where my new best friends were. I didn't mean to send you away but I needed to get with the doctors."
Clark and Chloe looked at each other and then at Lex. Best friends? "Go with it," Clark whispered to Chloe as a bigger smile crept across her face. Clark looked at Chloe as she moved across the room and slid her hand into Lex's.
"I guess you probably knew that I lost my mind – literally. Isn't that funny?" Clark and Chloe both tried a fake laugh, but Lex saw through it. "Oh come on; I was making fun of myself! I thought at least after reading about some of the awful crap I've evidently done that you two would at least get a laugh out of it." Clark walked over to the bed and shook Lex's hand as Lex slapped him on the arm. "Clark you need to loosen up," Lex chided as he shook his hand out.
"Lex, you're never … loose." Clark turned his lip up in confusion and shook his head in disbelief.
Letting go of Chloe's hand, he pulled the covers back to reveal the stack of articles that Chloe had written about him in the early years in Smallville. "Well, let's see," he laughingly said as he picked up one article, "I've been married twice and don't care to remember either one of those mistakes." Picking up another paper, he slapped it and smiled at Chloe. "Here, I got you killed. Brilliant of me, and yet you're still here. And Clark, "Lex sifted through the pile, "you helped me get out of a murder charge," he stated as he pointed at Clark. "But my favorite is that your father is talking to me even after the crappy way I ended the Senate race. I mean what kind of a bastard doesn't even call and congratulate the winner." Lex threw the pile of Torch and Daily Planet articles on the floor and folded his arms in disgust.
"Lex, don't beat yourself up – I mean you're not exactly the same as before." Chloe asserted as she tried to comfort him as Clark picked up the papers off the floor.
"Well, you know what," Lex grabbed Chloe around the waist and Clark's hand. Clark shot a glance at Chloe and she shrugged not knowing what to do. "I obviously was meant start over, and this time it's going to be different."
Chloe leaned against his shoulder and smiled as Clark patted Lex on the back. The three nodded and laughed about the rant that Lex just went through. Hearing the creak of the door, all three looked up as the brunette entered the room with flowers.
Any ideas on what will transpire next? I know, but I'm always curious where people think things will go.
