ok, ok. everybody hate me. it's just that i haven't been able to update as much as i'd like. but, you know that stupid little thing called life keeps trying to butt itself in. but, don't worry, i'm working on keeping it at bay. so, the next chapter will be up. eventually. maybe...2 days. at the most. cause, hey, i just figured out what was gonna happen in the next chapter. gotta go. bye.
oh, don't own anything. not the show, characters, yadda, yadda, yadda. notta. i don't even own this computer...well, that's all.
except for my now traditional little word...enjoy...
why me?
"Pull over, pull over," Lex demanded.
"Okay, okay."
Chloe slowed the car down, and pulled into the hospital's parking lot. The entire trip she had been going at least 90. If not faster. Now Lex, being a rather care- free driver himself, couldn't help but be shaken. Having no seatbelt on, any pressure on his chest at this time might very well cause him to scream again, increased his anxiety a great deal.
Lex let out a sigh of relief as he slowly got out of the car. Chloe was already at his side once he'd completely removed himself from the passenger side.
"I am so sorry, Lex," Chloe said apologetically, "It's just, I couldn't help myself."
"I understand," Lex assured, he himself was sometimes overwhelmed by power of some of his beauties.
They made the journey into the hospital with little difficulty. It wasn't crowded, and those who were there, payed no attention to them, for which Lex was grateful. He didn't want someone calling the nearest tabloid with mindless rumors. Lex could see the headlines now, "Lex Luthor, caught in the blast...On Saturday, Mr. Luthor decided he'd experiment with a lighter. He set a Miss Chloe Sullivan's car on fire, but, being drunk as he was, set himself on fire as well, permanently leaving his once unblemished chest a sight only seen in horror movies..."
Once they'd almost reached the receptionist's desk, Chloe motioned for him to take a seat, and he did as he was told. Chloe then walked the remainder of the way to the desk, and after a few moments, as well as a few curious and excited looks his way from the overly dressed woman behind the desk, Chloe walked back over with papers in hand. After about 5 minutes, the papers were partially filled, with much bickering from both parties, seeing as to how Lex didn't want to use his insurance because then his father would know.
"Well, there's really no way of getting around it," Chloe said, trying to sound logical.
"Maybe for you," Lex replied stubbornly.
"Is that right? Well, what do you plan to do? Go to the nearest ATM and withdrawal a few thousand dollars?"
Lex thought for a moment, then turned to Chloe, "Yes."
Grabbing her hand, Lex walked up to the desk.
"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Lex asked curtly.
Looking up from her computer, her eyes widened, "Mr. Luthor, hi, how can I help you?" she asked, almost giddy.
"Well, I'm very sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if there was an ATM machine somewhere in the hospital?" Lex asked, giving the receptionist a charming smile.
"Oh, it's no bother, really," the woman, blushing fiercely, was positively beaming, "you just go down the hall right there, and turn to your left. They just delivered another new one a few days ago."
"Thankyou so much," Lex said, giving her another smile that made her look about to melt, "I really appreciate it."
Lex began to lead an astounded Chloe down the hall the woman had told them, him, to go down. After a minute, they arrived at their destination. Letting go of Chloe's had he began to withdrawal from his account.
"I can't believe you're really going to pay cash just so your Father doesn't know you went here," Chloe asked, disbelieving.
"Hey, I have my reasons." Reasons being that if his father found out that he had been with Chloe during his little accident, then that would only fuel his father's suspicions of Lex's feelings for Chloe.
"Which would be...?" Chloe prodded.
"Mine."
Chloe sighed. Lex punched in some numbers, and within moments, was rewarded with some of his "well-earned" money.
"Damn, how much did you take?" Chloe asked, gawking at the money in his hands.
"Enough."
"Are you being vague just to piss me off, or is the pain causing your brain to malfunction?"
Lex laughed. "I'm not sure."
As they walked back to the emergency room, Lex gently wrapped the jacket he'd grabbed out of his car around his body. As he did so, he noticed Chloe watching him out of the corner of his eye.
"What?" he asked apprehensively. He wasn't exactly sure what she was thinking at the moment, and that worried him. What also worried him was that she may very well choose to leave him here, alone, in one of the only places that even remotely caused him to feel...uncomfortable. Hospitals are where sick and injured people go. And sick and injured people die. And death always seems to remind him of his mother. Lex decided that if she said she was leaving, so would he. He couldn't stay here by himself, not right now.
"You're not going to leave are you?" Lex almost pleaded. Shocked that he had just come right out and asked her, he just stared down at the floor as they stopped walking. Chloe stared at him for a moment, obviously equally shocked by his question and attitude, as well as his tone.
"Oh, no, no," Chloe began, after finding her voice, "I'm not leaving, don't worry."
"Oh, okay," Lex blushed, at least, he thought he blushed, which made him feel even more pathetic, "I'm sorry, it's just...I was just wondering..."
"Lex. Chill. Okay?" Chloe assured, "It's fine. I understand. I don't like this place either," she added silently.
They stood there for a moment, until someone walking down the hall asked if they'd move aside. Snapping out of their somewhat daze, they began walking again.
"So..." Lex started, "What were you going to say before I...?"
"Oh, I was just wondering whether or not it still hurt."
"Oh," Lex said, trying to hide his embarrassment, "It's better than it was before."
"Again with the vague bit," Chloe observed.
"I didn't even realize it this time. I'll try and work on that."
"At least around me. You know how much I hate being in the dark."
"That I do."
They'd reached the desk once again. Lex smiled at the woman again, who looked as if she'd reapplied her make-up in his absence. Chloe put the papers on the desk, filled in the blanks, and then handed the paper to Lex. He looked it over, and then, in turn, after seeing no mistakes, handed it over to the receptionist.
She looked it over as well, and then began typing on her computer. After a few minutes of endless clicking, she was done.
"So, you'll be paying with cash?" she asked, directing all of her attention to Lex, not even acknowledging Chloe's prescence.
"Yes," Chloe said, apparently upset that she was being completely ignored.
The woman glanced over at Chloe for a moment, and then redirected her attention back to Lex.
Lex smiled. "Yes, we'll be paying with cash."
After some more formalities and such, she told Lex to take a seat, and she'd get him into a doctor as soon as possible.
"Alright, thankyou," Lex said. He was about to turn around when he felt a small hand on his arm. He looked down and saw Chloe wrap her arm around his.
"Come on, Lexie, let's go wait," as they walked back to the same chairs in which they had previously occupied, Chloe threw a look back at the receptionist which could almost be contrued as...marking her territory.
Sitting down, she took hold of his hand, and intwined her fingers with his. Lex looked down, a look of pure shock and amazement on his face.
"Don't look so surprised," Chloe demanded, and Lex immediately wiped the look off his face.
"What's all this," Lex taunted, taking great joy in the situation. Chloe was obviously trying to get back at the woman who so rudely ignored her.
"Just...looking out for your well-being," Chloe lied.
"My well-being?" Lex repeated in a faraway voice, "Really? Cause if I didn't know any better I'd say you were jealous."
"Jealous!" Chloe yelled. Lex laughed. Several people turned in their seats and stared at them, hoping and wondering whether or not they were about to witness a fight.
"You know you are such a jerk sometimes," Chloe said, sinking into her chair, giving everyone dirty looks, and giving the woman at the desk a glare that would even intimidate Lex himself.
"Hey, I just said that's what it looked like, you were the one who yelled," Lex pointed out.
Chloe just stared ahead of her. She was mad, furious even, and the feeling Lex now had was one he rarely did, even in the wake of all the feelings Chloe had stirred up. This was guilt. Pure and simple guilt.
The audience that they had collected after Chloe's outburst had now dispersed, back to reading the two-year-old magazines, featuring how to lose 10 pounds in two weeks and such non-sense.
Lex chanced a glance at Chloe, and saw that she seemed to have mellowed out alittle. But, mellowed out or not, he decided that now was probably not the time to start up a conversation with her. So, instead, he decided to just wait for his turn with the doc. Which didn't take long. Perhaps five seconds after he decided to wait patiently, his name was called. Lex looked up to see the woman once again smiling at him, and he once again felt Chloe's hand on his arm, pulling him to his feet, reluctantly. Yeah, Lex was there, but that didn't mean that he was looking forward to being poked and prodded by a man in a blue smock.
So, breathing in deeply, he allowed Chloe to pull him into a standing position. He wrapped his jacket around him, tighter this time. Feeling a thousand needles stab into his chest, he pulled the jacket away from himself alittle. Obviously, the pain had returned full force.
Once they'd reached the desk, the woman behind it stood up, motioned for another woman, younger than herself, to take her place. She then led them the rest of the way. After a minute they had arrived, and she told him to go on inside and that the doctor would be with him in a minute. Then she left. With a last look at Lex, and a glare at Chloe, whom she probably assumed to be his girlfriend, from the little show Chloe just put on.
Lex grabbed the knob, and turned it slowly. As he entered the overly sterile hellwhole, with Chloe close behind, he wondered how many people might have died there.
"How ya doin'?" Chloe asked shakily. Her eyes were darting all over the place. The anxiety that Lex was trying hard to fight, was equally mirrored on Chloe's face.
"Fine, I guess," Lex answered, or lied. Because in all honesty, he wasn't, which was kinda weird. Lex had been in hospitals before, since his mother had died, why was he reacting like this now.
Maybe because he could. Before he hadn't let himself because he wasn't allowed to. He wasn't allowed to react to what he was feeling. Fear. But, with Chloe right next to him, that wasn't a problem anymore. She let him feel. Whatever he wanted in fact. She probably didn't know that she had the power to do this, but she did. He felt comfortable enough around her to act...human.
And that's when he knew things had changed. This was no longer just some stupid little crush he'd developed in his head to occupy himself. He didn't know what it was exactly just like before, but he knew he would. Soon.
***
oh, ah. well, did ya like. i hope so. really really. i do. everybody who has reviewed. thankyou. thankyou. thankyou. i've said it once and i'll say again. i love them. and there aren't many things i can say that about. reviews to me are like little rays of hope(little rays of hope? corny i know, but hey...) that people actually read this story. and like it for that matter. so thankyou. even those of you who don't review, because i know how difficult it is to review every. single.story.you.read. it's too time-consuming.
ok, i'll stop my bantering, which seems to go on and on nowadays. so, sorry. i'll go write now. bye all.
oh, don't own anything. not the show, characters, yadda, yadda, yadda. notta. i don't even own this computer...well, that's all.
except for my now traditional little word...enjoy...
why me?
"Pull over, pull over," Lex demanded.
"Okay, okay."
Chloe slowed the car down, and pulled into the hospital's parking lot. The entire trip she had been going at least 90. If not faster. Now Lex, being a rather care- free driver himself, couldn't help but be shaken. Having no seatbelt on, any pressure on his chest at this time might very well cause him to scream again, increased his anxiety a great deal.
Lex let out a sigh of relief as he slowly got out of the car. Chloe was already at his side once he'd completely removed himself from the passenger side.
"I am so sorry, Lex," Chloe said apologetically, "It's just, I couldn't help myself."
"I understand," Lex assured, he himself was sometimes overwhelmed by power of some of his beauties.
They made the journey into the hospital with little difficulty. It wasn't crowded, and those who were there, payed no attention to them, for which Lex was grateful. He didn't want someone calling the nearest tabloid with mindless rumors. Lex could see the headlines now, "Lex Luthor, caught in the blast...On Saturday, Mr. Luthor decided he'd experiment with a lighter. He set a Miss Chloe Sullivan's car on fire, but, being drunk as he was, set himself on fire as well, permanently leaving his once unblemished chest a sight only seen in horror movies..."
Once they'd almost reached the receptionist's desk, Chloe motioned for him to take a seat, and he did as he was told. Chloe then walked the remainder of the way to the desk, and after a few moments, as well as a few curious and excited looks his way from the overly dressed woman behind the desk, Chloe walked back over with papers in hand. After about 5 minutes, the papers were partially filled, with much bickering from both parties, seeing as to how Lex didn't want to use his insurance because then his father would know.
"Well, there's really no way of getting around it," Chloe said, trying to sound logical.
"Maybe for you," Lex replied stubbornly.
"Is that right? Well, what do you plan to do? Go to the nearest ATM and withdrawal a few thousand dollars?"
Lex thought for a moment, then turned to Chloe, "Yes."
Grabbing her hand, Lex walked up to the desk.
"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Lex asked curtly.
Looking up from her computer, her eyes widened, "Mr. Luthor, hi, how can I help you?" she asked, almost giddy.
"Well, I'm very sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if there was an ATM machine somewhere in the hospital?" Lex asked, giving the receptionist a charming smile.
"Oh, it's no bother, really," the woman, blushing fiercely, was positively beaming, "you just go down the hall right there, and turn to your left. They just delivered another new one a few days ago."
"Thankyou so much," Lex said, giving her another smile that made her look about to melt, "I really appreciate it."
Lex began to lead an astounded Chloe down the hall the woman had told them, him, to go down. After a minute, they arrived at their destination. Letting go of Chloe's had he began to withdrawal from his account.
"I can't believe you're really going to pay cash just so your Father doesn't know you went here," Chloe asked, disbelieving.
"Hey, I have my reasons." Reasons being that if his father found out that he had been with Chloe during his little accident, then that would only fuel his father's suspicions of Lex's feelings for Chloe.
"Which would be...?" Chloe prodded.
"Mine."
Chloe sighed. Lex punched in some numbers, and within moments, was rewarded with some of his "well-earned" money.
"Damn, how much did you take?" Chloe asked, gawking at the money in his hands.
"Enough."
"Are you being vague just to piss me off, or is the pain causing your brain to malfunction?"
Lex laughed. "I'm not sure."
As they walked back to the emergency room, Lex gently wrapped the jacket he'd grabbed out of his car around his body. As he did so, he noticed Chloe watching him out of the corner of his eye.
"What?" he asked apprehensively. He wasn't exactly sure what she was thinking at the moment, and that worried him. What also worried him was that she may very well choose to leave him here, alone, in one of the only places that even remotely caused him to feel...uncomfortable. Hospitals are where sick and injured people go. And sick and injured people die. And death always seems to remind him of his mother. Lex decided that if she said she was leaving, so would he. He couldn't stay here by himself, not right now.
"You're not going to leave are you?" Lex almost pleaded. Shocked that he had just come right out and asked her, he just stared down at the floor as they stopped walking. Chloe stared at him for a moment, obviously equally shocked by his question and attitude, as well as his tone.
"Oh, no, no," Chloe began, after finding her voice, "I'm not leaving, don't worry."
"Oh, okay," Lex blushed, at least, he thought he blushed, which made him feel even more pathetic, "I'm sorry, it's just...I was just wondering..."
"Lex. Chill. Okay?" Chloe assured, "It's fine. I understand. I don't like this place either," she added silently.
They stood there for a moment, until someone walking down the hall asked if they'd move aside. Snapping out of their somewhat daze, they began walking again.
"So..." Lex started, "What were you going to say before I...?"
"Oh, I was just wondering whether or not it still hurt."
"Oh," Lex said, trying to hide his embarrassment, "It's better than it was before."
"Again with the vague bit," Chloe observed.
"I didn't even realize it this time. I'll try and work on that."
"At least around me. You know how much I hate being in the dark."
"That I do."
They'd reached the desk once again. Lex smiled at the woman again, who looked as if she'd reapplied her make-up in his absence. Chloe put the papers on the desk, filled in the blanks, and then handed the paper to Lex. He looked it over, and then, in turn, after seeing no mistakes, handed it over to the receptionist.
She looked it over as well, and then began typing on her computer. After a few minutes of endless clicking, she was done.
"So, you'll be paying with cash?" she asked, directing all of her attention to Lex, not even acknowledging Chloe's prescence.
"Yes," Chloe said, apparently upset that she was being completely ignored.
The woman glanced over at Chloe for a moment, and then redirected her attention back to Lex.
Lex smiled. "Yes, we'll be paying with cash."
After some more formalities and such, she told Lex to take a seat, and she'd get him into a doctor as soon as possible.
"Alright, thankyou," Lex said. He was about to turn around when he felt a small hand on his arm. He looked down and saw Chloe wrap her arm around his.
"Come on, Lexie, let's go wait," as they walked back to the same chairs in which they had previously occupied, Chloe threw a look back at the receptionist which could almost be contrued as...marking her territory.
Sitting down, she took hold of his hand, and intwined her fingers with his. Lex looked down, a look of pure shock and amazement on his face.
"Don't look so surprised," Chloe demanded, and Lex immediately wiped the look off his face.
"What's all this," Lex taunted, taking great joy in the situation. Chloe was obviously trying to get back at the woman who so rudely ignored her.
"Just...looking out for your well-being," Chloe lied.
"My well-being?" Lex repeated in a faraway voice, "Really? Cause if I didn't know any better I'd say you were jealous."
"Jealous!" Chloe yelled. Lex laughed. Several people turned in their seats and stared at them, hoping and wondering whether or not they were about to witness a fight.
"You know you are such a jerk sometimes," Chloe said, sinking into her chair, giving everyone dirty looks, and giving the woman at the desk a glare that would even intimidate Lex himself.
"Hey, I just said that's what it looked like, you were the one who yelled," Lex pointed out.
Chloe just stared ahead of her. She was mad, furious even, and the feeling Lex now had was one he rarely did, even in the wake of all the feelings Chloe had stirred up. This was guilt. Pure and simple guilt.
The audience that they had collected after Chloe's outburst had now dispersed, back to reading the two-year-old magazines, featuring how to lose 10 pounds in two weeks and such non-sense.
Lex chanced a glance at Chloe, and saw that she seemed to have mellowed out alittle. But, mellowed out or not, he decided that now was probably not the time to start up a conversation with her. So, instead, he decided to just wait for his turn with the doc. Which didn't take long. Perhaps five seconds after he decided to wait patiently, his name was called. Lex looked up to see the woman once again smiling at him, and he once again felt Chloe's hand on his arm, pulling him to his feet, reluctantly. Yeah, Lex was there, but that didn't mean that he was looking forward to being poked and prodded by a man in a blue smock.
So, breathing in deeply, he allowed Chloe to pull him into a standing position. He wrapped his jacket around him, tighter this time. Feeling a thousand needles stab into his chest, he pulled the jacket away from himself alittle. Obviously, the pain had returned full force.
Once they'd reached the desk, the woman behind it stood up, motioned for another woman, younger than herself, to take her place. She then led them the rest of the way. After a minute they had arrived, and she told him to go on inside and that the doctor would be with him in a minute. Then she left. With a last look at Lex, and a glare at Chloe, whom she probably assumed to be his girlfriend, from the little show Chloe just put on.
Lex grabbed the knob, and turned it slowly. As he entered the overly sterile hellwhole, with Chloe close behind, he wondered how many people might have died there.
"How ya doin'?" Chloe asked shakily. Her eyes were darting all over the place. The anxiety that Lex was trying hard to fight, was equally mirrored on Chloe's face.
"Fine, I guess," Lex answered, or lied. Because in all honesty, he wasn't, which was kinda weird. Lex had been in hospitals before, since his mother had died, why was he reacting like this now.
Maybe because he could. Before he hadn't let himself because he wasn't allowed to. He wasn't allowed to react to what he was feeling. Fear. But, with Chloe right next to him, that wasn't a problem anymore. She let him feel. Whatever he wanted in fact. She probably didn't know that she had the power to do this, but she did. He felt comfortable enough around her to act...human.
And that's when he knew things had changed. This was no longer just some stupid little crush he'd developed in his head to occupy himself. He didn't know what it was exactly just like before, but he knew he would. Soon.
***
oh, ah. well, did ya like. i hope so. really really. i do. everybody who has reviewed. thankyou. thankyou. thankyou. i've said it once and i'll say again. i love them. and there aren't many things i can say that about. reviews to me are like little rays of hope(little rays of hope? corny i know, but hey...) that people actually read this story. and like it for that matter. so thankyou. even those of you who don't review, because i know how difficult it is to review every. single.story.you.read. it's too time-consuming.
ok, i'll stop my bantering, which seems to go on and on nowadays. so, sorry. i'll go write now. bye all.
