No. No. No. No. No. The word dominated Lex's thoughts as he rushed
through the emergency room doors. Chloe was fine. She and the baby
were fine. He tried to ignore the feeling that this had been
inevitable, that he didn't deserve Chloe and the baby and so they were
going to be taken away from him.
"Chloe Sullivan Luthor," Lex frantically addressed the nurse at the
registration desk even though it unnecessary - she was already leading
the way down the hall. "Is she okay?"
"You really should speak to the doctor, Mr. Luthor." The woman avoided
meeting his eyes. It wasn't an uncommon action in his presence, but
this time it filled Lex with a sense of dread. "Wait here." She
disappeared through a pair of swinging doors.
Clark was sitting slumped in a chair behind him. Some part of Lex's
cognitive processes registered his presence although he didn't
acknowledge his former best friend. The front of Clark's shirt was
covered in blood. The doctor stepped out into the waiting room.
"Mr. Luthor." The doctor looked grave and slightly nervous. He
cleared his throat before continuing in an authoritative manner.
"Your wife sustained numerous internal injuries that caused major
hemorrhaging. The most serious injury was a skull fracture that caused
intra cranial bleeding. I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor, we tried everything
medically possible, but your wife's injuries were too severe."
Lex heard the doctor's voice. He understood the words he was saying.
It wasn't real. They were just words. He pushed past the man and
walked through the swinging doors. Chloe lay on a table, a clean
white sheet was covering her body. Blood spattered sheets were in a
laundry bag in the corner. The floor was still smeared with blood.
Lex approached his wife. She was so still. Her eyes were closed,
dark bruises circled around them and marred her creamy skin. That
stubborn strand of hair was pasted to her cheek with drying blood.
Lex reached out and carefully peeled it away to sweep in back behind
her ear the way she liked it.
"Chloe." It was barely a whisper. She didn't open her eyes. Lex
rested his head on her chest and gathered her in his arms. The soft
thump of her heart was absent. The tears wouldn't come. Lex wanted
desperately to cry for Chloe, to yell and scream and sob his grief,
but he couldn't. He couldn't feel anything. This was real. Chloe
was gone.
Continued...
through the emergency room doors. Chloe was fine. She and the baby
were fine. He tried to ignore the feeling that this had been
inevitable, that he didn't deserve Chloe and the baby and so they were
going to be taken away from him.
"Chloe Sullivan Luthor," Lex frantically addressed the nurse at the
registration desk even though it unnecessary - she was already leading
the way down the hall. "Is she okay?"
"You really should speak to the doctor, Mr. Luthor." The woman avoided
meeting his eyes. It wasn't an uncommon action in his presence, but
this time it filled Lex with a sense of dread. "Wait here." She
disappeared through a pair of swinging doors.
Clark was sitting slumped in a chair behind him. Some part of Lex's
cognitive processes registered his presence although he didn't
acknowledge his former best friend. The front of Clark's shirt was
covered in blood. The doctor stepped out into the waiting room.
"Mr. Luthor." The doctor looked grave and slightly nervous. He
cleared his throat before continuing in an authoritative manner.
"Your wife sustained numerous internal injuries that caused major
hemorrhaging. The most serious injury was a skull fracture that caused
intra cranial bleeding. I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor, we tried everything
medically possible, but your wife's injuries were too severe."
Lex heard the doctor's voice. He understood the words he was saying.
It wasn't real. They were just words. He pushed past the man and
walked through the swinging doors. Chloe lay on a table, a clean
white sheet was covering her body. Blood spattered sheets were in a
laundry bag in the corner. The floor was still smeared with blood.
Lex approached his wife. She was so still. Her eyes were closed,
dark bruises circled around them and marred her creamy skin. That
stubborn strand of hair was pasted to her cheek with drying blood.
Lex reached out and carefully peeled it away to sweep in back behind
her ear the way she liked it.
"Chloe." It was barely a whisper. She didn't open her eyes. Lex
rested his head on her chest and gathered her in his arms. The soft
thump of her heart was absent. The tears wouldn't come. Lex wanted
desperately to cry for Chloe, to yell and scream and sob his grief,
but he couldn't. He couldn't feel anything. This was real. Chloe
was gone.
Continued...