Chapter 10
Martha Kent was planting in her garden when the Porsche drove up. She stood up in surprise when Pete Ross got out of the driver's seat and looked around him with a worried expression. He had not seen her kneeling in the garden. Martha took off her gardening gloves and approached the car.
"Pete, what's going on? Where'd you get that car?" Pete turned at the sound of her voice and looked sheepishly to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Kent but I wasn't sure what to do. Lex looks sick."
Martha's eyes widened in surprise. Pete walked to the passenger side and opened the door so that Martha could see Lex apparently unconscious in the beautifully upholstered leather seat. Martha crouched down to check him. Holding a hand to his forehead, he did not seem particularly feverish. She patted his face gently. "Lex... Lex wake up." A groan caused Martha immediate concern. Turning to Pete she asked "What happened?"
"I was just in town and saw Lex surrounded by some of the tough football players. I stepped up to find out what was happening but it was cool because they left, no harm done. Then Lex looked sick so I offered to drive him home. I think he passed out. I didn't want to take him to the mansion and this is the first place I thought of on the way. If you think he's OK, I'll take him home but I wasn't sure if maybe he should go to a hospital." Pete looked at Lex with concern.
"It was good of you to help, Pete." Martha's smile was warm, proud of Pete's good sense and kindness. She was aware of the Ross/Luthor history. She turned her attention back to the young man in the car. "Perhaps, with your help I can get him inside."
***
Lex woke to the surprising vision of two beautiful blue eyes approximately six inches in front of his nose. He gasped and tried to pull back but there was no place to go. Martha Kent also startled and moved back. She had been trying to get her arms around Lex to pull his shoulders out of the car when he woke.
Martha straightened smiling at the blush burning on the cheeks of the normally inscrutable Lex Luthor. "Well, it's good to have you with us, Lex. You had me worried for a moment."
Lex was actually flustered and his eyes could only meet hers briefly before searching through the car, taking in the house and most shocking of all, Mr. Pete Ross also leaning over him with a look of concern. "How...."
Pete spoke up. "I drove you. After your encounter with Troy, you looked sick. Then when you passed out, I came here."
Lex studied the dashboard in front of him remembering everything and swallowing his embarrassment. "Thank you. I apologise for any trouble this has put you through..." shifting uncomfortably, "I should go. I'll send a driver to give you a lift home, Pete. I'm sorry I caused you concern." Lex bit his lip, realising he was babbling. He looked at the two before him and wished to God he could just disappear. Loss of control was beyond mortifying.
Martha, empathising with his obvious discomfort put a hand on his shoulder. "Lex, I think you should come in for some hot tea before you go anywhere. You still look pale and I need to know you'll be OK before you get behind the wheel of a car."
Lex immediately straightened "I haven't taken anything." His ramrod spine showed hurt pride and Martha blinked in surprise at his defensive reaction, not having meant that at all. "I've just been overtired with all the excitement at the plant." He looked her directly in the eye and Martha tilted her head understanding the last to be an evasion.
"Well then, a moment of rest and some strengthening tea is just the thing. Pete, why don't you come in too." Lex was not up to an argument. Hoping to make this quick and escape home, he agreed and lifted himself gingerly from the car.
Martha indicated that they preceed her into the house and she observed Lex walking with such forced casualness it was almost funny. Unfortunately, he appeared deadly earnest in his attempt to cover up some sort of physical discomfort. Walking up the porch steps, his knuckles whitened as he gripped the rail and Martha had had enough. She stepped up beside him and put a hand to his waist, unprepared for the jerk of his body at her touch. They both stopped and she looked into Lex's eyes. "Let me help you."
Lex felt the stress of the last two weeks overwhelm him. The caring in her voice almost undid him. Almost. "I can fend for myself. I'll survive this." He seemed to mean more than just what was ailing him.
"Sometimes, it's best not to have to do things alone. Come and sit down." She took his arm and lead him to a chair. Pete watched the exchange with fascination. Seeing a very human Lex Luthor unable to stand against the caring ministrations of Clark's mom. Martha crossed her arms. "Open your shirt." Lex finally understood by her tone why two large men like Clark and Jonathan Kent could be subdued by this woman. Not one to give in to direct orders he looked her in the eye, prepared to refuse when she smiled at him the way he'd seen her smile at Clark. Affection and concern, a look he had envied.
Lex moved to undo the first few buttons, then hesitated, looking at Pete. Martha stepped forward. "Surely you're not shy." she teased. Lex looked down again and opened his shirt. Martha gasped at the livid bruises. She helped him take the shirt off and was surprised that they extended all the way around the trunk of his body. Purple and red and blue, showing the beginnings of healing to yellow. "Lex, you should see a doctor."
"I have. This will heal with time." He started to shrug one shoulder but stopped when it hurt. "I've had worse." Lex's blue eyes held the assurance of experience. Martha swallowed the nausea that thought brought on.
"Well, you should be resting. I can put on some ointment that should ease the discomfort."
Lex lay his forearms on the kitchen table and buried his face in them, hiding from Pete's shocked look and closing out everything but the soothing sound of Martha's voice. He was so tired. He could take just a few moments to soak up the feeling of comfort. He knew he was too old for this... but if he tried, he could pretend she was his mother. It felt like a lifetime since someone had taken care of him. For just a little while, he wanted to pretend it was love and more than the kindness he knew she would show for any wounded animal.
Martha got out her healing ointment avoiding the obvious question. Pete was not so silent. "Who did this to you?!" his outrage was heartwarming but Lex did not have the energy to answer. Martha interrupted.
"Pete, Jonathan's in the back pasture. Please get him for me."
Once alone with Lex, Martha began to smooth ointment over his sides with a gentle touch, not repeating the obvious question. The cooling smell of eucalyptus filled the air. Lex let himself rest knowing the arrival of Jonathan Kent would require all his energy and concentration. The smart thing to do would be to escape to the mansion. For some reason, possibly masochistic, he wanted to stay.
Martha Kent was planting in her garden when the Porsche drove up. She stood up in surprise when Pete Ross got out of the driver's seat and looked around him with a worried expression. He had not seen her kneeling in the garden. Martha took off her gardening gloves and approached the car.
"Pete, what's going on? Where'd you get that car?" Pete turned at the sound of her voice and looked sheepishly to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Kent but I wasn't sure what to do. Lex looks sick."
Martha's eyes widened in surprise. Pete walked to the passenger side and opened the door so that Martha could see Lex apparently unconscious in the beautifully upholstered leather seat. Martha crouched down to check him. Holding a hand to his forehead, he did not seem particularly feverish. She patted his face gently. "Lex... Lex wake up." A groan caused Martha immediate concern. Turning to Pete she asked "What happened?"
"I was just in town and saw Lex surrounded by some of the tough football players. I stepped up to find out what was happening but it was cool because they left, no harm done. Then Lex looked sick so I offered to drive him home. I think he passed out. I didn't want to take him to the mansion and this is the first place I thought of on the way. If you think he's OK, I'll take him home but I wasn't sure if maybe he should go to a hospital." Pete looked at Lex with concern.
"It was good of you to help, Pete." Martha's smile was warm, proud of Pete's good sense and kindness. She was aware of the Ross/Luthor history. She turned her attention back to the young man in the car. "Perhaps, with your help I can get him inside."
***
Lex woke to the surprising vision of two beautiful blue eyes approximately six inches in front of his nose. He gasped and tried to pull back but there was no place to go. Martha Kent also startled and moved back. She had been trying to get her arms around Lex to pull his shoulders out of the car when he woke.
Martha straightened smiling at the blush burning on the cheeks of the normally inscrutable Lex Luthor. "Well, it's good to have you with us, Lex. You had me worried for a moment."
Lex was actually flustered and his eyes could only meet hers briefly before searching through the car, taking in the house and most shocking of all, Mr. Pete Ross also leaning over him with a look of concern. "How...."
Pete spoke up. "I drove you. After your encounter with Troy, you looked sick. Then when you passed out, I came here."
Lex studied the dashboard in front of him remembering everything and swallowing his embarrassment. "Thank you. I apologise for any trouble this has put you through..." shifting uncomfortably, "I should go. I'll send a driver to give you a lift home, Pete. I'm sorry I caused you concern." Lex bit his lip, realising he was babbling. He looked at the two before him and wished to God he could just disappear. Loss of control was beyond mortifying.
Martha, empathising with his obvious discomfort put a hand on his shoulder. "Lex, I think you should come in for some hot tea before you go anywhere. You still look pale and I need to know you'll be OK before you get behind the wheel of a car."
Lex immediately straightened "I haven't taken anything." His ramrod spine showed hurt pride and Martha blinked in surprise at his defensive reaction, not having meant that at all. "I've just been overtired with all the excitement at the plant." He looked her directly in the eye and Martha tilted her head understanding the last to be an evasion.
"Well then, a moment of rest and some strengthening tea is just the thing. Pete, why don't you come in too." Lex was not up to an argument. Hoping to make this quick and escape home, he agreed and lifted himself gingerly from the car.
Martha indicated that they preceed her into the house and she observed Lex walking with such forced casualness it was almost funny. Unfortunately, he appeared deadly earnest in his attempt to cover up some sort of physical discomfort. Walking up the porch steps, his knuckles whitened as he gripped the rail and Martha had had enough. She stepped up beside him and put a hand to his waist, unprepared for the jerk of his body at her touch. They both stopped and she looked into Lex's eyes. "Let me help you."
Lex felt the stress of the last two weeks overwhelm him. The caring in her voice almost undid him. Almost. "I can fend for myself. I'll survive this." He seemed to mean more than just what was ailing him.
"Sometimes, it's best not to have to do things alone. Come and sit down." She took his arm and lead him to a chair. Pete watched the exchange with fascination. Seeing a very human Lex Luthor unable to stand against the caring ministrations of Clark's mom. Martha crossed her arms. "Open your shirt." Lex finally understood by her tone why two large men like Clark and Jonathan Kent could be subdued by this woman. Not one to give in to direct orders he looked her in the eye, prepared to refuse when she smiled at him the way he'd seen her smile at Clark. Affection and concern, a look he had envied.
Lex moved to undo the first few buttons, then hesitated, looking at Pete. Martha stepped forward. "Surely you're not shy." she teased. Lex looked down again and opened his shirt. Martha gasped at the livid bruises. She helped him take the shirt off and was surprised that they extended all the way around the trunk of his body. Purple and red and blue, showing the beginnings of healing to yellow. "Lex, you should see a doctor."
"I have. This will heal with time." He started to shrug one shoulder but stopped when it hurt. "I've had worse." Lex's blue eyes held the assurance of experience. Martha swallowed the nausea that thought brought on.
"Well, you should be resting. I can put on some ointment that should ease the discomfort."
Lex lay his forearms on the kitchen table and buried his face in them, hiding from Pete's shocked look and closing out everything but the soothing sound of Martha's voice. He was so tired. He could take just a few moments to soak up the feeling of comfort. He knew he was too old for this... but if he tried, he could pretend she was his mother. It felt like a lifetime since someone had taken care of him. For just a little while, he wanted to pretend it was love and more than the kindness he knew she would show for any wounded animal.
Martha got out her healing ointment avoiding the obvious question. Pete was not so silent. "Who did this to you?!" his outrage was heartwarming but Lex did not have the energy to answer. Martha interrupted.
"Pete, Jonathan's in the back pasture. Please get him for me."
Once alone with Lex, Martha began to smooth ointment over his sides with a gentle touch, not repeating the obvious question. The cooling smell of eucalyptus filled the air. Lex let himself rest knowing the arrival of Jonathan Kent would require all his energy and concentration. The smart thing to do would be to escape to the mansion. For some reason, possibly masochistic, he wanted to stay.