Downward Spiral Part X: Sequel to The Sins of the Father
A Smallville story by Merrie
Disclaimer: I do own them, didn't you know? At least, that's what the little voice in my head tells me anyway. I like that voice.
Summary: Sequel to The Sins of the Father. Lex needs Chloe's help in a big way, but will she be around when he needs her?
Characters: Any and all, including Lance Thorne and Dr. Ryan Kendomere, OFCs.
Author's Note: Hey, remember me? Please don't be mad at me. I lay myself before your feet, begging for your forgiveness. I am so very sorry for not posting this chapter sooner!!!! Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry.
Rating: This story is rated PG-13 for language, angst-filled dramatic scenes and drug use.
Chapter Ten: Withdrawal III
Chloe couldn't help the frown on her face as she witnessed the one man she loved above all others save family suffer like this. 'Oh Lex, why did you do this to yourself? Why did you think that you were alone and that no one could understand what you are going through? Why didn't you trust me to help you through this?' Chloe's frown grew deeper and a tear dropped onto her hand. She quickly wiped her face, not wanting Lex too see her cry. He was so fragile right now after the events of the last few hours, that Chloe knew it would probably cause more harm than good for him to see her weak. He needed to see her strong. He needed to get it through his mind that she was alive and relatively uninjured. Chloe knew somehow that getting him to forgive himself for what he had done would take a bit longer, but they had time. They would get through this, she knew they would. 'I just hope this doesn't last much longer. I don't think Lex can take any more of this.' Thankfully the convulsions he had been going through had stopped after a few minutes, but Chloe knew that they would come back. She hadn't been lying when she had said that she looked up the effects of heroin on the human body after Lex had been taken. She had done it in the hopes that she might better understand what Lex had gone through. There was no way to prepare her for the reality of heroin withdrawal, however. Reading about it was one thing, seeing the effects ravage through someone you loved right before your eyes was another thing entirely. 'Damn you, Lex, for putting me through this! How could you!' Chloe thought angrily to herself. As soon as she took another look at the tears on Lex's cheeks and at the corners of his firmly shut eyes, she felt her anger fade away. It was replaced by a mixture of emotions; worry, pity and an overwhelming sense of unconditional love. She leaned over him and placed a gentle kiss on his sweaty forehead. As soon as she did, his eyes snapped open, and his gaze settled on her. "Chloe?" he whispered, his voice a bit hoarse.
Her heart melted at the clearly un-Lex-like pleading tone to his voice. She knew he had to keep reassuring himself that she was still there, and not a figment of his still drug-addled and panicky mind. She grabbed his face in both hands and brought his eyes to hers. "I'm here, Lex. I won't leave you again, I promise." To help reinforce this, she leaned in and kissed him soundly on the mouth. Pulling away, Chloe couldn't help but smile in near absolute joy when she saw the look on Lex's face. It was a look of love and recognition.
"Chloe," his voice trembled along with his body, nearly ruining the moment by reminding her that he was not out of the woods yet. "I love you, Chloe."
"I love you-" Chloe was cut off by a low groan from Lex. Chloe immediately shot to her feet at the sound. Lex was going through another set of tremors. His hands curled into fists and turned white from lack of circulation as the straps around his wrists tightened as he flexed his arms.
Clark turned his eyes away from the scene before him, unable to watch Lex suffer any longer when he knew that there was nothing he could do to help him. He noticed that most everyone in the room did the same. In fact, the only people still looking at Lex were Chloe and Lionel Luthor. Clark knew in his mind that Lionel was blind, but it was all too easy to forget that fact as he watched him stare down at Lex like a hawk. 'He seems to have gotten over whatever he was feeling earlier.' Clark thought with a suspicious frown. Although he considered Lex somewhere between a best friend and an older brother, he didn't trust Lex's father further than he could throw him while sucking on a meteor rock lollipop. He, like everyone else in the room, had been almost overcome with shock to the extremely uncharacteristic display of emotion from the elder Luthor earlier. The more Clark thought about it, however, the more he was convinced it had all been an act. Although Clark had never been witness to any of the acts which made Lionel Luthor somewhat of a pariah in Smallville, save the closing of the LuthorCorp plant, he didn't doubt the word of so many people he had come to trust throughout his life. He knew this made him a bit of a hypocrite in the fact that he had defended Lex's reputation from people who had heard and believed some of the same things he believed about Lex's father. 'But Lex is different. I've taken the time to get to know him. And there is just something I don't trust about Lionel. But Lex.' He glanced back at his suffering friend and frowned. Although he knew that Lex wasn't always completely truthful with him, Clark trusted him. Or at least he had tried too.
Lex gasped in relief as the second wave of tremors finally passed. He looked up at Chloe and felt for a second that perhaps she was being more hurt by his withdrawal than he was. He started to raise a hand to caress her face, but cursed when his arm was stopped by the strap that held him to the bed. Sensing what he wanted to do, Chloe moved in closer to him so he could reach her. He slowly ran a shaky hand through Chloe's short hair. "You-you are so beautiful, Chloe. I-" Lex took a moment to try and calm his shaking voice, and began again. "I'm so sorry for putting you through this. I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me again." He added quietly, dropping his outstretched hand back to his side.
Chloe backed away as if he had slapped her rather than passed his hand through her hair, and glared at him. "Don't you dare start that, Lex. Don't you dare. Yes, you screwed up. Yes, you should have trusted me enough to tell me about your addiction. Yes, you are even the reason I'm in the hospital. But don't for one second think that doesn't mean that I don't love you anymore or that I never want to see you again. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, Lex, and the last thing before I fall asleep. I love you, you big idiot." Chloe said, reaching out to grab the sides of Lex's head. He had opened his eyes again, and they were focused intently on her own. "Don't ever doubt it again, you hear me? We're going to get through this. It won't be easy or quick, but we'll get through this. I promise you." Lex gave a small smile and nodded.
"You're the most beautiful, caring, forgiving and most stubborn person I've ever met Chloe. I don't deserve a person like you." Lex said with a small frown.
"No you don't, but you're stuck with me now so you'd better get used to it. And wipe that frown off of your face." She leaned in close to him and whispered conspiratorially. "When you frown you look just like your father." Chloe said with a mischievous grin. Lex's eyes grew wide, and if anything, his frown deepened.
"I do not." Lex said stubbornly, his eyes narrowing.
"Oh yes you do. You really should see yourself. All you'd need was some scruffy long hair and a beard and people wouldn't be able to tell you two apart."
"Sullivan, if my damn hands were free I'd strangl---" He was cut off in mid sentence by anther sound kiss from Chloe. They finally broke apart at the sound of someone clearing their throat in the room. Glancing in the direction of the sound, Chloe felt her cheeks warm and new that she was probably beet red. She had forgotten that there were other people in the room with her.
"I see our patient is feeling better." Dr. Kendomere said with a small smile. "He's not out of the woods yet, but I think we can at least remove these straps. Is that ok with you, Mr. Luthor?"
"Oh God yes," Lex stated with as much force as he could muster in his current condition.
Dr. Kendomere gave a small smile at Lex's tone and did as he was asked. "Now you do understand that you are not to leave this bed, don't you Mr. Luthor?" Once Lex nodded he turned to the other people in the room. "I know you all want to stay and offer Mr. Luthor your support, but once again, you don't all have to be here. I'm sure we could manage without you for at least a little while." He checked his wristwatch and grimaced slightly. "It's very late, and I'm sure you would all like to get some sleep. I know I would, but unfortunately for me I can't just yet. So why don't some of you go to your homes and get some rest. If you'll leave your numbers I'll be sure and have someone call you if anything changes."
The large group of people looked at one another, down to Lex and Chloe, and back again. Not a one of them moved. Dr. Kendomere looked about to let out a long sigh of defeat before Lionel Luthor rose to his feet. "Mr. Luthor?" he asked.
"You say Lex should be fine in a day or two?" Lionel asked in the doctor's direction.
"Correct. With enough rest---"
Lionel cut him off with a wave of his hand. "That's all I needed to know, doctor. Now if you all will excuse me. I have some work I need to attend to." With that, he made his way out of the room and down the hall without even a second glance.
The room was near deathly silent before Chloe let out a low curse. "Why, that vile bastard! How dare he leave you like this, Lex?!" More than a few people were heard to let out gasps of surprise and shock at Chloe's exclamation.
Lex smirked weakly, and laid a hand on top of hers. "It's alright, Chloe. I'm used to that kind of thing, really."
"That doesn't make it right, Lex." Clark spoke up. "I mean, you know I would never try and interfere with the way your family works, but has it always been like this between you and your father?"
Lex looked around at the group of people, their eyes focused on him and ears perked as to what he would say. He didn't really want to talk about his family in front of them, but it looked like neither Chloe nor Clark was going to give him any choice in the matter. Lex sighed. "Since my mother died, Clark, relations between my father and I have been somewhat." he searched for a word, "strained. When I was younger I did everything I could to make him angry. I'm sure you all have heard of my rather colourful past in Metropolis." He waited for a few nods. "Well, I didn't care about anything about embarrassing him. I got kicked out of school. I was arrested more than once. And I," he gestured to the hospital room, "spent my fair share of time in hospitals like this one, for the same reasons. I genuinely didn't care about my life. There wasn't any drug or drink I wouldn't and couldn't take. No matter what the cost. Finally something happened; I won't get into the details, which made me turn my life around. I've been clean.well, up until now that is, ever since."
"You'll be ok again, Lex. We'll be ok again, Lex." Chloe said with a smile."
"I don't know, Chloe. I would like to believe that, I really would. But I just don't know."
TBC
A/N: Finally!! Wow, this chapter did not want to get finished! My muse had to be pulled kicking and screaming out of Spelling Out Love. If you're still reading this monster of a story, be assured that there are only a few more parts, and that I won't wait nearly as long to post them. Also, please post your reviews. They really help to keep me motivated to write. Thank you.
A Smallville story by Merrie
Disclaimer: I do own them, didn't you know? At least, that's what the little voice in my head tells me anyway. I like that voice.
Summary: Sequel to The Sins of the Father. Lex needs Chloe's help in a big way, but will she be around when he needs her?
Characters: Any and all, including Lance Thorne and Dr. Ryan Kendomere, OFCs.
Author's Note: Hey, remember me? Please don't be mad at me. I lay myself before your feet, begging for your forgiveness. I am so very sorry for not posting this chapter sooner!!!! Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry.
Rating: This story is rated PG-13 for language, angst-filled dramatic scenes and drug use.
Chapter Ten: Withdrawal III
Chloe couldn't help the frown on her face as she witnessed the one man she loved above all others save family suffer like this. 'Oh Lex, why did you do this to yourself? Why did you think that you were alone and that no one could understand what you are going through? Why didn't you trust me to help you through this?' Chloe's frown grew deeper and a tear dropped onto her hand. She quickly wiped her face, not wanting Lex too see her cry. He was so fragile right now after the events of the last few hours, that Chloe knew it would probably cause more harm than good for him to see her weak. He needed to see her strong. He needed to get it through his mind that she was alive and relatively uninjured. Chloe knew somehow that getting him to forgive himself for what he had done would take a bit longer, but they had time. They would get through this, she knew they would. 'I just hope this doesn't last much longer. I don't think Lex can take any more of this.' Thankfully the convulsions he had been going through had stopped after a few minutes, but Chloe knew that they would come back. She hadn't been lying when she had said that she looked up the effects of heroin on the human body after Lex had been taken. She had done it in the hopes that she might better understand what Lex had gone through. There was no way to prepare her for the reality of heroin withdrawal, however. Reading about it was one thing, seeing the effects ravage through someone you loved right before your eyes was another thing entirely. 'Damn you, Lex, for putting me through this! How could you!' Chloe thought angrily to herself. As soon as she took another look at the tears on Lex's cheeks and at the corners of his firmly shut eyes, she felt her anger fade away. It was replaced by a mixture of emotions; worry, pity and an overwhelming sense of unconditional love. She leaned over him and placed a gentle kiss on his sweaty forehead. As soon as she did, his eyes snapped open, and his gaze settled on her. "Chloe?" he whispered, his voice a bit hoarse.
Her heart melted at the clearly un-Lex-like pleading tone to his voice. She knew he had to keep reassuring himself that she was still there, and not a figment of his still drug-addled and panicky mind. She grabbed his face in both hands and brought his eyes to hers. "I'm here, Lex. I won't leave you again, I promise." To help reinforce this, she leaned in and kissed him soundly on the mouth. Pulling away, Chloe couldn't help but smile in near absolute joy when she saw the look on Lex's face. It was a look of love and recognition.
"Chloe," his voice trembled along with his body, nearly ruining the moment by reminding her that he was not out of the woods yet. "I love you, Chloe."
"I love you-" Chloe was cut off by a low groan from Lex. Chloe immediately shot to her feet at the sound. Lex was going through another set of tremors. His hands curled into fists and turned white from lack of circulation as the straps around his wrists tightened as he flexed his arms.
Clark turned his eyes away from the scene before him, unable to watch Lex suffer any longer when he knew that there was nothing he could do to help him. He noticed that most everyone in the room did the same. In fact, the only people still looking at Lex were Chloe and Lionel Luthor. Clark knew in his mind that Lionel was blind, but it was all too easy to forget that fact as he watched him stare down at Lex like a hawk. 'He seems to have gotten over whatever he was feeling earlier.' Clark thought with a suspicious frown. Although he considered Lex somewhere between a best friend and an older brother, he didn't trust Lex's father further than he could throw him while sucking on a meteor rock lollipop. He, like everyone else in the room, had been almost overcome with shock to the extremely uncharacteristic display of emotion from the elder Luthor earlier. The more Clark thought about it, however, the more he was convinced it had all been an act. Although Clark had never been witness to any of the acts which made Lionel Luthor somewhat of a pariah in Smallville, save the closing of the LuthorCorp plant, he didn't doubt the word of so many people he had come to trust throughout his life. He knew this made him a bit of a hypocrite in the fact that he had defended Lex's reputation from people who had heard and believed some of the same things he believed about Lex's father. 'But Lex is different. I've taken the time to get to know him. And there is just something I don't trust about Lionel. But Lex.' He glanced back at his suffering friend and frowned. Although he knew that Lex wasn't always completely truthful with him, Clark trusted him. Or at least he had tried too.
Lex gasped in relief as the second wave of tremors finally passed. He looked up at Chloe and felt for a second that perhaps she was being more hurt by his withdrawal than he was. He started to raise a hand to caress her face, but cursed when his arm was stopped by the strap that held him to the bed. Sensing what he wanted to do, Chloe moved in closer to him so he could reach her. He slowly ran a shaky hand through Chloe's short hair. "You-you are so beautiful, Chloe. I-" Lex took a moment to try and calm his shaking voice, and began again. "I'm so sorry for putting you through this. I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me again." He added quietly, dropping his outstretched hand back to his side.
Chloe backed away as if he had slapped her rather than passed his hand through her hair, and glared at him. "Don't you dare start that, Lex. Don't you dare. Yes, you screwed up. Yes, you should have trusted me enough to tell me about your addiction. Yes, you are even the reason I'm in the hospital. But don't for one second think that doesn't mean that I don't love you anymore or that I never want to see you again. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, Lex, and the last thing before I fall asleep. I love you, you big idiot." Chloe said, reaching out to grab the sides of Lex's head. He had opened his eyes again, and they were focused intently on her own. "Don't ever doubt it again, you hear me? We're going to get through this. It won't be easy or quick, but we'll get through this. I promise you." Lex gave a small smile and nodded.
"You're the most beautiful, caring, forgiving and most stubborn person I've ever met Chloe. I don't deserve a person like you." Lex said with a small frown.
"No you don't, but you're stuck with me now so you'd better get used to it. And wipe that frown off of your face." She leaned in close to him and whispered conspiratorially. "When you frown you look just like your father." Chloe said with a mischievous grin. Lex's eyes grew wide, and if anything, his frown deepened.
"I do not." Lex said stubbornly, his eyes narrowing.
"Oh yes you do. You really should see yourself. All you'd need was some scruffy long hair and a beard and people wouldn't be able to tell you two apart."
"Sullivan, if my damn hands were free I'd strangl---" He was cut off in mid sentence by anther sound kiss from Chloe. They finally broke apart at the sound of someone clearing their throat in the room. Glancing in the direction of the sound, Chloe felt her cheeks warm and new that she was probably beet red. She had forgotten that there were other people in the room with her.
"I see our patient is feeling better." Dr. Kendomere said with a small smile. "He's not out of the woods yet, but I think we can at least remove these straps. Is that ok with you, Mr. Luthor?"
"Oh God yes," Lex stated with as much force as he could muster in his current condition.
Dr. Kendomere gave a small smile at Lex's tone and did as he was asked. "Now you do understand that you are not to leave this bed, don't you Mr. Luthor?" Once Lex nodded he turned to the other people in the room. "I know you all want to stay and offer Mr. Luthor your support, but once again, you don't all have to be here. I'm sure we could manage without you for at least a little while." He checked his wristwatch and grimaced slightly. "It's very late, and I'm sure you would all like to get some sleep. I know I would, but unfortunately for me I can't just yet. So why don't some of you go to your homes and get some rest. If you'll leave your numbers I'll be sure and have someone call you if anything changes."
The large group of people looked at one another, down to Lex and Chloe, and back again. Not a one of them moved. Dr. Kendomere looked about to let out a long sigh of defeat before Lionel Luthor rose to his feet. "Mr. Luthor?" he asked.
"You say Lex should be fine in a day or two?" Lionel asked in the doctor's direction.
"Correct. With enough rest---"
Lionel cut him off with a wave of his hand. "That's all I needed to know, doctor. Now if you all will excuse me. I have some work I need to attend to." With that, he made his way out of the room and down the hall without even a second glance.
The room was near deathly silent before Chloe let out a low curse. "Why, that vile bastard! How dare he leave you like this, Lex?!" More than a few people were heard to let out gasps of surprise and shock at Chloe's exclamation.
Lex smirked weakly, and laid a hand on top of hers. "It's alright, Chloe. I'm used to that kind of thing, really."
"That doesn't make it right, Lex." Clark spoke up. "I mean, you know I would never try and interfere with the way your family works, but has it always been like this between you and your father?"
Lex looked around at the group of people, their eyes focused on him and ears perked as to what he would say. He didn't really want to talk about his family in front of them, but it looked like neither Chloe nor Clark was going to give him any choice in the matter. Lex sighed. "Since my mother died, Clark, relations between my father and I have been somewhat." he searched for a word, "strained. When I was younger I did everything I could to make him angry. I'm sure you all have heard of my rather colourful past in Metropolis." He waited for a few nods. "Well, I didn't care about anything about embarrassing him. I got kicked out of school. I was arrested more than once. And I," he gestured to the hospital room, "spent my fair share of time in hospitals like this one, for the same reasons. I genuinely didn't care about my life. There wasn't any drug or drink I wouldn't and couldn't take. No matter what the cost. Finally something happened; I won't get into the details, which made me turn my life around. I've been clean.well, up until now that is, ever since."
"You'll be ok again, Lex. We'll be ok again, Lex." Chloe said with a smile."
"I don't know, Chloe. I would like to believe that, I really would. But I just don't know."
TBC
A/N: Finally!! Wow, this chapter did not want to get finished! My muse had to be pulled kicking and screaming out of Spelling Out Love. If you're still reading this monster of a story, be assured that there are only a few more parts, and that I won't wait nearly as long to post them. Also, please post your reviews. They really help to keep me motivated to write. Thank you.