Chapter 8
Lex sat in the Talon enjoying the late Monday lack of customers. He'd come at this time deliberately knowing it would be slow and the teenage crowd that he currently wished to avoid would be absent. The weekend had been busy. He'd cleaned up his staff and reorganised his personal finances. He'd reassessed his net worth and moved monies to more accessable venues in anticipation of a battle with his father. Thank heavens his father's discovery of the lab had not led him to all of Lex's projects. Investment in scientific discovery was the foundation of Lex's dreams for a future empire of his own. Crap factories could remain in his father's portfolio. Lex's chemical engineering degree had been hard won. With his father's insistance he majored in business, the minor in a scienctific field had had to be earned while fighting Lionel's disapproval. Smallville and its interesting meteor history was dripping with lucrative potential.
Lex finished his coffee and left money on the table. He walked out into the late spring air that still held some crispness before summer's heat. Walking down the sidewalk towards his Porsche he felt a sudden pull on the back of his jacket and stumbled into the alley at the side of the building. A quick blow to his stomach caused him to double over in pain and nearly taking his ability to breathe. Fiery agony shot up his back as he took another hit in the area of his kidneys. A strong hand gripped him by the throat and pushed his back against the wall.
Recognition was immediate. "Dominic." The grip on his throat allowing little more than a whisper.
"Hello, Lex. Just dropping by to give you my warmest regards." Lex took another blow to the stomach as two more assailants held his arms.
"What, no word from your sister?" Lex sneered and the hand on his throat tightened uncomfortably.
"She doesn't care the way I do, Lex. I came to warn you that you might get hurt." Dominic's pale features held a self-satisfied, sarcastic smile.
"How touching. I'll be sure to mention your concern to my father." Lex tried to maintain his sarcastic tone but the attempt was feeble with pain flaring up his sides.
"Don't bother, Lex. He's well aware of my feelings for you and has removed his protection as a method of persuasion. Apparently you haven't been a good boy." Dominic barely contained his glee.
"At least I'm not a mindless, ass-kissing drone. I'm surprised my father ever let you out of that trunk." Another blow. Note to self, Lex, shut up.
"That was most unkind, Lex. But I have an excellent way to work out my trauma." Dominic fisted him in the side and Lex hissed with the pain. "Go home and think about this. I haven't touched your face but that can be arranged at a later date if you continue to be obstinate. Your father said to tell you he'd be flying in to make an announcement at the plant on Wednesday and wants all the workers assembled. Be ready." Dominic kneed Lex in the groin and walked casually out of the alley followed by his two thugs. Stopping at the entrance of the alley he admired his handywork as Lex knelt on the ground. "See you around, Lex."
***
God, that hurt. Lex tried to swallow back the bile that wanted to follow the contents of his newly emptied stomach. The room swirled and he leaned his head against the cold tiles on the bathroom wall enjoying the tiny relief it gave his pounding temples. He was amazed he had made it home. One of his discreet servants had immediately called for Toby. Lex made it to the bed and collapsed just as the lanky former surgeon entered the room.
"You look like shit, Lex."
"Thank you. How much is that medical opinion going to cost me?"
"As much as I can get." Toby grinned with satisfation. After burning out as a doctor in military service, he took perverse pleasure in screwing the establishment in any way he could, particularly the rich. The unique relationship of Lionel and Lex Luthor had been lucrative and quite honestly nothing shocked him any more. "You want to tell me what happened?"
"No, just patch me up as best you can and give me something for the pain that won't make me drowsy or stupid." Lex hissed as Toby prodded with gentle fingers. Grunting with satisfaction, Toby nodded to himself and made Lex turn over to examine his back.
"I should send you in for x-rays, Lex. Field medicine is my forte but I can't be sure you don't have some internal bleeding. I think you may have a cracked rib or two but nothing is obviously broken. That's a major relief. Nothing should be lacerated by broken bones but that doesn't rule out the possibility. At least your blood pressure and colour are good. Your kidney area is a real mess."
"I don't want to use the hospital unless absolutely necessary. You know I won't want a medical record on this." Lex's eyes were half closed with exhaustion.
"Yeh, yeh.. I know the drill but I have to try for your own good."
"Thanks, Toby." For once Lex's smile was sincere and grateful. Toby figured he was too sick to keep his usual attitude.
"Look, Lex, I'll give you something powerful for tonight so you can sleep but by tommorrow there's nothing for this that will keep you alert and not let the pain come through like a freight train. You're going to hurt for a while."
"OK, I can take tonight and tomorrow but I need to be alert for Wednesday." Lex again felt his bearings tilt as another wave of pain shook him. Toby pulled out a needle and gave Lex a shot, sending him into blissful oblivion. He stood to leave placing some pills and written instructions on the night table. Lex Luthor was a complicated young man and Toby admitted to himself he liked him quite a bit. He'd help any way he could. He enjoyed flying in the face of that bastard Lionel Luthor.
***
Author's note : Thank you again for all the kind reviews. I have discovered they are addicting and spur me on to write when I really have chores to do.
Swatting at my real life....Go away!
I would be remiss not to thank LaCasta again for all her help as a beta, keeping me on the straight and narrow. You are wonderful.
Lex sat in the Talon enjoying the late Monday lack of customers. He'd come at this time deliberately knowing it would be slow and the teenage crowd that he currently wished to avoid would be absent. The weekend had been busy. He'd cleaned up his staff and reorganised his personal finances. He'd reassessed his net worth and moved monies to more accessable venues in anticipation of a battle with his father. Thank heavens his father's discovery of the lab had not led him to all of Lex's projects. Investment in scientific discovery was the foundation of Lex's dreams for a future empire of his own. Crap factories could remain in his father's portfolio. Lex's chemical engineering degree had been hard won. With his father's insistance he majored in business, the minor in a scienctific field had had to be earned while fighting Lionel's disapproval. Smallville and its interesting meteor history was dripping with lucrative potential.
Lex finished his coffee and left money on the table. He walked out into the late spring air that still held some crispness before summer's heat. Walking down the sidewalk towards his Porsche he felt a sudden pull on the back of his jacket and stumbled into the alley at the side of the building. A quick blow to his stomach caused him to double over in pain and nearly taking his ability to breathe. Fiery agony shot up his back as he took another hit in the area of his kidneys. A strong hand gripped him by the throat and pushed his back against the wall.
Recognition was immediate. "Dominic." The grip on his throat allowing little more than a whisper.
"Hello, Lex. Just dropping by to give you my warmest regards." Lex took another blow to the stomach as two more assailants held his arms.
"What, no word from your sister?" Lex sneered and the hand on his throat tightened uncomfortably.
"She doesn't care the way I do, Lex. I came to warn you that you might get hurt." Dominic's pale features held a self-satisfied, sarcastic smile.
"How touching. I'll be sure to mention your concern to my father." Lex tried to maintain his sarcastic tone but the attempt was feeble with pain flaring up his sides.
"Don't bother, Lex. He's well aware of my feelings for you and has removed his protection as a method of persuasion. Apparently you haven't been a good boy." Dominic barely contained his glee.
"At least I'm not a mindless, ass-kissing drone. I'm surprised my father ever let you out of that trunk." Another blow. Note to self, Lex, shut up.
"That was most unkind, Lex. But I have an excellent way to work out my trauma." Dominic fisted him in the side and Lex hissed with the pain. "Go home and think about this. I haven't touched your face but that can be arranged at a later date if you continue to be obstinate. Your father said to tell you he'd be flying in to make an announcement at the plant on Wednesday and wants all the workers assembled. Be ready." Dominic kneed Lex in the groin and walked casually out of the alley followed by his two thugs. Stopping at the entrance of the alley he admired his handywork as Lex knelt on the ground. "See you around, Lex."
***
God, that hurt. Lex tried to swallow back the bile that wanted to follow the contents of his newly emptied stomach. The room swirled and he leaned his head against the cold tiles on the bathroom wall enjoying the tiny relief it gave his pounding temples. He was amazed he had made it home. One of his discreet servants had immediately called for Toby. Lex made it to the bed and collapsed just as the lanky former surgeon entered the room.
"You look like shit, Lex."
"Thank you. How much is that medical opinion going to cost me?"
"As much as I can get." Toby grinned with satisfation. After burning out as a doctor in military service, he took perverse pleasure in screwing the establishment in any way he could, particularly the rich. The unique relationship of Lionel and Lex Luthor had been lucrative and quite honestly nothing shocked him any more. "You want to tell me what happened?"
"No, just patch me up as best you can and give me something for the pain that won't make me drowsy or stupid." Lex hissed as Toby prodded with gentle fingers. Grunting with satisfaction, Toby nodded to himself and made Lex turn over to examine his back.
"I should send you in for x-rays, Lex. Field medicine is my forte but I can't be sure you don't have some internal bleeding. I think you may have a cracked rib or two but nothing is obviously broken. That's a major relief. Nothing should be lacerated by broken bones but that doesn't rule out the possibility. At least your blood pressure and colour are good. Your kidney area is a real mess."
"I don't want to use the hospital unless absolutely necessary. You know I won't want a medical record on this." Lex's eyes were half closed with exhaustion.
"Yeh, yeh.. I know the drill but I have to try for your own good."
"Thanks, Toby." For once Lex's smile was sincere and grateful. Toby figured he was too sick to keep his usual attitude.
"Look, Lex, I'll give you something powerful for tonight so you can sleep but by tommorrow there's nothing for this that will keep you alert and not let the pain come through like a freight train. You're going to hurt for a while."
"OK, I can take tonight and tomorrow but I need to be alert for Wednesday." Lex again felt his bearings tilt as another wave of pain shook him. Toby pulled out a needle and gave Lex a shot, sending him into blissful oblivion. He stood to leave placing some pills and written instructions on the night table. Lex Luthor was a complicated young man and Toby admitted to himself he liked him quite a bit. He'd help any way he could. He enjoyed flying in the face of that bastard Lionel Luthor.
***
Author's note : Thank you again for all the kind reviews. I have discovered they are addicting and spur me on to write when I really have chores to do.
Swatting at my real life....Go away!
I would be remiss not to thank LaCasta again for all her help as a beta, keeping me on the straight and narrow. You are wonderful.