Chapter 10- I'm Ready To Go Home
"Mr. Ross?" a woman asked.
"Yes?" Pete answered into his cell phone.
"I'm a nurse at the Metropolis General Hospital. Do you know a Lynnsey Lee?"
"No, I don't," Pete said forgetting Chloe's alternate identity. "Wait! Yes, I do. Please excuse me."
"She was admitted to the ER this afternoon and listed you as someone to call in the case of an emergency. Could you come down here?"
"I'm in Smallville, so it will be a few hours, but I'll be there as soon as possible," Pete answered. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"All I can tell you is that she was severely beaten."
"I'm on my way," Pete answered rushing out the door.
"Pete, what is it?" Lana asked as she and Clark walked up.
"Chloe's in the emergency room. They need me to go there," Pete answered.
"We're going with you," Clark said.
"Fine, but stay out of the way," Pete said, directing the comment to Clark.
Clark nodded as the three piled into Pete's car. They were silent on the way to Metropolis. The only sound was the low hum of the engine as it was pushed to its limits. Pete was out of the car before the engine died. He ran inside, leaving Lana and Clark to catch up.
"I'm Pete Ross. I was called to come in for Lynnsey Lee," Pete told the nurse.
"Yes, this way," the nurse said directing him down a hallway.
"Stay here," Pete told Lana and Clark.
"This is it. Try not to get her too excited, she's been through a lot," the nurse said before walking off.
Pete hurriedly opened the door. When he saw Chloe his heart fell to the floor. 'Severely beaten' was an understatement. Both of her eyes were black, one was swollen. She had a gash on her right cheek. There were bruises up and down her pale arms. She looked like she was in an incredible amount of pain.
"Chloe?" Pete asked, trying to make sure she wasn't asleep.
"Pete," Chloe said opening her eyes.
"What happened, sweetheart?" Pete asked sitting on the bed next to her.
"I was taught a lesson," Chloe said simply.
"What?" Pete asked.
"Because I was at Lex's I missed two appointments. This was my punishment. To show me not to do it again," Chloe said weakly.
"Oh, Chloe. That's horrible," Pete exclaimed.
"It's the way it works," Chloe replied sadly.
"What about." Pete trailed off.
Chloe's hands flew to her stomach. "The doctor said everything's fine."
Pete reached out to hold her hand.
"Can I talk to Clark? Please?" Chloe asked, her voice shaking.
"I'll get him," Pete said kissing her forehead and leaving the room.
A moment later Clark came in. He immediately went to her side.
Chloe began to cry. "I'm ready to come home now," she said as the tears fell down her cheeks.
Clark sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. "I didn't want it this way. I wouldn't have wished this on anyone," Clark whispered.
"Will you take me home?" Chloe asked, her breath on Clark's neck.
"Yes," Clark said rocking her gently. "Yes."
"Mr. Ross?" a woman asked.
"Yes?" Pete answered into his cell phone.
"I'm a nurse at the Metropolis General Hospital. Do you know a Lynnsey Lee?"
"No, I don't," Pete said forgetting Chloe's alternate identity. "Wait! Yes, I do. Please excuse me."
"She was admitted to the ER this afternoon and listed you as someone to call in the case of an emergency. Could you come down here?"
"I'm in Smallville, so it will be a few hours, but I'll be there as soon as possible," Pete answered. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"All I can tell you is that she was severely beaten."
"I'm on my way," Pete answered rushing out the door.
"Pete, what is it?" Lana asked as she and Clark walked up.
"Chloe's in the emergency room. They need me to go there," Pete answered.
"We're going with you," Clark said.
"Fine, but stay out of the way," Pete said, directing the comment to Clark.
Clark nodded as the three piled into Pete's car. They were silent on the way to Metropolis. The only sound was the low hum of the engine as it was pushed to its limits. Pete was out of the car before the engine died. He ran inside, leaving Lana and Clark to catch up.
"I'm Pete Ross. I was called to come in for Lynnsey Lee," Pete told the nurse.
"Yes, this way," the nurse said directing him down a hallway.
"Stay here," Pete told Lana and Clark.
"This is it. Try not to get her too excited, she's been through a lot," the nurse said before walking off.
Pete hurriedly opened the door. When he saw Chloe his heart fell to the floor. 'Severely beaten' was an understatement. Both of her eyes were black, one was swollen. She had a gash on her right cheek. There were bruises up and down her pale arms. She looked like she was in an incredible amount of pain.
"Chloe?" Pete asked, trying to make sure she wasn't asleep.
"Pete," Chloe said opening her eyes.
"What happened, sweetheart?" Pete asked sitting on the bed next to her.
"I was taught a lesson," Chloe said simply.
"What?" Pete asked.
"Because I was at Lex's I missed two appointments. This was my punishment. To show me not to do it again," Chloe said weakly.
"Oh, Chloe. That's horrible," Pete exclaimed.
"It's the way it works," Chloe replied sadly.
"What about." Pete trailed off.
Chloe's hands flew to her stomach. "The doctor said everything's fine."
Pete reached out to hold her hand.
"Can I talk to Clark? Please?" Chloe asked, her voice shaking.
"I'll get him," Pete said kissing her forehead and leaving the room.
A moment later Clark came in. He immediately went to her side.
Chloe began to cry. "I'm ready to come home now," she said as the tears fell down her cheeks.
Clark sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. "I didn't want it this way. I wouldn't have wished this on anyone," Clark whispered.
"Will you take me home?" Chloe asked, her breath on Clark's neck.
"Yes," Clark said rocking her gently. "Yes."