A/N: I am so incredibly sorry that it has been so long since I have updated. I was busy most of the summer and when I wasn't, I had no inspiration to write. I am going to try and set down a schedule and stick to it when it comes to this story.

Deb paced in the hallway of the hospital outside the room where Kaitlyn was being examined. Lana burst through the doors leading to the waiting area with Chloe and Clark on her heels.

"Deb, Whitney called and told me what happened. Is she alright?"

"I don't know. The doctors haven't finished yet. I should have checked on her earlier. Lex said he thought she may have had a fever. I should have…"

Lana reached out and touched Deb's arm.

"Deb, it's not your fault. There wasn't any way you could have known that she was sick."

The door opened to the room and the group turned to the doorway. The doctor came out and approached the group.

"I'm pleased to tell you that Kaitlyn will be alright. When she was here before, she caught an infection and in her vulnerable state after her surgery it became more serious than it normally would have. She'll need to stay here until the infection has run its course so we can keep an eye on her."

Deb let out a sigh of relief and the doctor patted her on the shoulder, smiling as he walked away. Lana reached out and hugged Deb, a large smile of relief covering her face. She was glad that there was some good news in the Fordman family.

Clark pulled his phone out of his pocket and started dialing.

"I better call Lex and let him know what happened. Hopefully I can get to him before he leaves on his trip."

Lex was walking out of the mansion to his helicopter when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw that Clark was calling him. He flipped open his phone and held it to his ear.

"Hey Clark, I'm just about to get on the helicopter so now isn't the best time…"

Clark interrupted his sentence before he could finish.

"You haven't left yet? Good, I wanted to catch you before you left. Kaitlyn is in the hospital again. She picked something up after her surgery and they want to keep her here until she gets better. I just thought you would want to know before you left in case you wanted to stop in and see her before you left."

Lex stood still in his tracks with his phone still at his face, not saying anything.

" ? Is everything alright?" His assistant asked with concern.

"Lex? Are you there?" Clark continued on the phone.

"Yeah, I'm still here. I'll be there as soon as I can, Clark," he replied before hanging up the phone. "Change of plans. Take me to the hospital," he commanded his pilot as he got on the helicopter.

Kaitlyn stared at the ceiling of her hospital room in boredom. She had had about enough of hospital rooms. She turned her head to look at her mother sitting in the chair next to her bed reading a book. She knew her poor mother probably was more sick of this hospital then she was. After losing her husband and her son, she had to deal with the scary thought that she might lose her daughter as well. Kaitlyn reached out and touched her mom's knee.

"Hey mom, why don't you go get some coffee or something. You look worn out."

Deb closed her book and smiled at her daughter.

"Alright sweetie, I'll do that."

Deb got out of her chair and started heading to the door when Lex showed up in the doorway. Kaitlyn smiled when she saw him and gave him a little wave.

"I thought you were supposed to be on a helicopter right now. What are you doing here?"

"Clark called me and told me what happened. I came to see how you were doing," Lex replied taking the seat her mother had just vacated.

"I'm not dying Lex. You didn't have to rush here as soon as you heard. A phone call would have sufficed."

"That may be true, but still I wanted to see for myself that you are alright."

Kaitlyn smiled at Lex again before breaking out in a coughing fit. Lex's smile turned into a frown as he reached for a glass of water on the table next to the bed and handed it to Kaitlyn. She took a greatly sip and her coughing subsided. She quietly laughed at Lex's sour expression.

"I promise that I'm not dying Lex. Don't look so down. It's just an infection that will pass. I'll be better in no time. In order for me to get better though, I've got to rest. You should go do whatever it is you fancy businessmen do and let me rest."

Lex let out a sigh and patted Kaitlyn's hand as he stood up.

"I guess you're right. Rest well and get better as fast as you can. We never actually set up an interview for the Luthor grant, so we need to do that as soon as possible."

He winked at Kaitlyn and laughed at her exasperated expression.

"I'm just kidding. I'm not leaving for my trip until tomorrow so I will come see you again soon."

He left the room and closed the door behind him. Walking down the hallway, he didn't get very far before he saw his father storm around the corner, steam practically coming out of his ears.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at his father.

"I could ask you the same thing. You are supposed to be in Metropolis right now. What are you still doing here in Smallville?"

"I was visiting a sick friend. I plan on leaving tomorrow. The actually business doesn't start for another few days so one day won't affect anything."

Lionel fumed and looked in the window of Kaitlyn's room and pointed in her direction.

"Are you here to see that Fordman girl? What is going on between you two? Do you know how many media rumors are starting about you and this girl? Every time something happens to her, you are there rushing to her aid. It's not showing well in the news Lex. She isn't someone that people like us end up with unless it is an under the radar fling. Also, don't you think she's too young for you."

Lex held up his hands to stop his father's ranting.

"Whoa Dad, slow down. First of all, Kaitlyn and I are just good friends and I like to be there for my friends, considering I don't have many. So what if I am there to help her when she needs it? Clark can't save every damsel in distress! Tell the media to mind their own damn business! And on another note, she's only a few years younger than me."

Lionel raised his finger and pointed it at Lex's face.

"Ahhh, see? I knew there was something going on. Why else would you defend the age gap?"

Lex rolled his eyes and walked past his father down the hallway towards the waiting room.

"Give it a rest dad. There's nothing to get excited about."

Lionel caught up with Lex and grabbed his shoulder.

"So there really is nothing romantic between you and her?"

"No, dad there isn't. And even if there was, I frankly don't see how it's any of your business."

At that, Lionel walked away and left Lex standing in the hallway by himself. Lex rubbed his hand over his head and sighed heavily. He really needed to think what he had just said to his father through. Was there really nothing between them? He wasn't sure. He knew Kaitlyn had a crush on him when they met, but that could have ended and it could have been nothing serious. He poured himself a cup of coffee before heading back towards Kaitlyn's room. He had said he would let her rest, but he didn't feel like sitting in the waiting room.

Pushing open the door, he peered into the room. The lights had all been turned off apart from a lamp in the corner and Kaitlyn looked like she was asleep. Lex sat back down in the chair he had left earlier and looked at her sleeping face.

"My dad just yelled at me for not going on my business trip. That makes two people today."

He quietly chuckled to himself. He found it easier to think things out of he had someone to talk to, even if that person was asleep.

"He said our friendship has caught the attention of the media. Apparently they and he think that we aren't good for each other. I find that amusing, considering we aren't even a couple. Other than Clark, I think you are my best friend. You keep things interesting. Always keeping me on my toes. Even when we met, you were causing chaos by running into me all the time. You got so embarrassed by such a little thing. It was adorable. I always did things just to see you blush because it made me laugh. Now that I think of it, I think I may have just lied to my father out there."

Lex's single sided conversation was interrupted by a small cough from the doorway. He looked up to see Deb standing there. He stood up from the chair to let her sit down but she shook her head and closed the door behind her.

"Can I ask you a question Lex?" Deb asked as she took a seat in another chair across the room.

Lex nodded his head in response.

"Are you in love with my daughter?"

Lex turned his eyes away from Deb to Kaitlyn's restful face and sighed.

"In fact Deb, I think I may be. I think I fell in love with her the day that I met her in the school hallway when she ran into me."

"So why don't you tell her how you feel?"

"I don't want to put our friendship in jeopardy. She is an amazing girl and a great friend. I wouldn't want to lose that because we rush into a relationship that could go south. I know that my feelings are strong. I feel that we have a special connection. I don't know if she feels the same way though. I know she has a crush on me, but that might be all she feels. I would rather keep my friend than have a short fling that tears us apart."

Deb nodded her head in understanding.

"I understand that. There may come a time when you realize that you two could have something great together. I hope one of you realizes that before it is too late."

Lex stood up and bent over to kiss Kaitlyn's forehead.

"I hope the day comes when I can tell her how I feel about her. I have to go now though. I have an early morning tomorrow so I need to go home to bed. When she wakes up, tell her I stopped to say goodnight and goodbye. Please don't tell her anything that I just said though."

Deb smiled at him and followed him to the door.

"I promise I won't tell her anything. Have a good trip Lex."

She closed the door behind him and waved through the window as he walked by. Once he was out of sight, she turned to her daughter and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Alright Kaitlyn, I know you're awake. How much of that did you hear?"

Kaitlyn opened her eyes and the happy tears she had been holding back were allowed to flow freely down her face.

"Everything…" she said smiling dreamily.

A/N: Alright, so here's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and I promise that I will try to update again soon. Please review!