Despair *Chapter Five*
A/N: Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews, without them, I'm sure I would have given up on this already. As is the custom, I beg you to review. It only takes about a minute or so of your time and it lets me know that there are people out there reading this.
This one's for Jules. You said 'Pwease'. How could I refuse? (Now about that cake...*g*)
It's also for Kathy. Thanks for pestering me... I mean *requesting* for more. *g*
*Holds up drink* Here's to hoping this lives up to your expectations. *Takes a swig* And this is in case it doesn't. ;)
*****
Lex sped down the winding road, mentally cursing himself for being so stupid, for falling for her little act. His hands were shaking on the wheel and the one thought that filled his mind was 'What if I'm too late?'. It had been pure dumb luck that led him to her last time and Lex couldn't help but wonder what would happen if his luck had run out.
He forced the images of Chloe, sprawled dead on the floor, from his mind as he rushed from his vehicle, not even bothering to close the door as he sprinted up to the porch. He tried the door and, as he had suspected, found it locked. In seconds, he was on his hands and knees, frantically throwing the welcome mat behind him and searching for the key. He found it, scrambled to get up and swung the door open as quickly as possible.
When she heard the sound of the door being flung open, Chloe looked up and directly into the eyes of Lex Luthor. She swayed slightly as the pills had begun to take effect and Lex's glance fell upon the bottle on the counter in front of her. "Impeccable timing as always, Mr. Luthor." She remarked, a slur in her words and a slight smirk crossing her face, before she fell to the floor, losing consciousness.
In seconds, he had crossed the room and had her in his arms. Before making his way out the door, Lex hurriedly grabbed the little orange container and stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket. He lay her gently down in the back seat of his car before screeching out of the driveway, speeding towards the hospital.
***
Someone gently shaking his shoulders brought Lex back to consciousness. He looked up and into the soft, kindly face of the doctor. "I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor," He said quietly, "But she didn't make it. You were too late." And with three simple sentences, all of his worst fears were confirmed and his world collapsed around him. He had failed her.
Lex's eyes shot open and he was jarred back to reality. Sweat was pouring off him and his heart was pounding so loudly and quickly he could hear it in his ears. He saw the doctor approaching and braced himself, preparing for the worst and praying that the dream hadn't been an omen of things to come. "She's all right." Lex felt a sigh of relief whoosh out of him at the doctor's gentle words. "You got her here just in time. We pumped her stomach and got everything out. You can talk to her now."
Lex headed towards her room, feeling considerably better now that she was no longer in any immediate danger.
***
"What kind of idiot are you?!" Lex was irate, eyes flashing, arms waving. He saw the man inch warily away from him, clutching a paper tightly in his hand. "Two seconds in a room with her is enough to prescribe anti-depressants?! What kind of school did you go to?"
The balding man had the impudence to look indignant at his remark and spat "Harv-" out hotly before Lex fixed him with a cold glare that stopped the word dead in its tracks.
"I suggest you leave." Lex stated and something in his tone told the man that it wasn't so much a suggestion as a demand. The doctor, noting the threat the words held, left the room with a quick nod.
Lex had walked into the room to find the doctor handing Chloe what looked like a prescription. He knew that the man couldn't have been there long enough to correctly diagnose anything because Chloe had only woken up five minutes before. He had immediately launched into a tirade about it, there was no way he would let them drug Chloe up like that.
He heard the door click shut softly and Chloe was the first to speak. "Lex Luthor, my savior." She remarked dryly. "That makes two times now. You're really getting good at this. But I must say, the whole hero thing is really more Clark's forte."
"Two attempts and still no success," Lex observed calmly, "While my hero skills may be improving, you don't seem to be getting any better at this. Perhaps you should pick up a new hobby." A quirk of his lips was the only hint that he was trying to get a rise out of her.
But Chloe refused to let him provoke the response he wanted. "Have you ever known me to be a quitter, Lex?" She questioned, her voice and features eerily calm. Lex had to suppress a shudder, not only at the impassive quality her face had adapted, but at the determined glint in her eye.
"It's not quitting; it's called admitting defeat and moving on." He looked into her eyes, before speaking again, this time without any trace of humor. "You promised you wouldn't try that again." Lex said quietly, "You lied to me." His voice was tinged with hurt and, for some reason, that annoyed Chloe to no end.
"Why'd you have to find me again? Why couldn't you have just let me die?" She snapped.
"I thought you weren't a quitter." Came his quiet reply.
"I'm not quitting, Lex; I'm admitting defeat."
****
A/N: Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews, without them, I'm sure I would have given up on this already. As is the custom, I beg you to review. It only takes about a minute or so of your time and it lets me know that there are people out there reading this.
This one's for Jules. You said 'Pwease'. How could I refuse? (Now about that cake...*g*)
It's also for Kathy. Thanks for pestering me... I mean *requesting* for more. *g*
*Holds up drink* Here's to hoping this lives up to your expectations. *Takes a swig* And this is in case it doesn't. ;)
*****
Lex sped down the winding road, mentally cursing himself for being so stupid, for falling for her little act. His hands were shaking on the wheel and the one thought that filled his mind was 'What if I'm too late?'. It had been pure dumb luck that led him to her last time and Lex couldn't help but wonder what would happen if his luck had run out.
He forced the images of Chloe, sprawled dead on the floor, from his mind as he rushed from his vehicle, not even bothering to close the door as he sprinted up to the porch. He tried the door and, as he had suspected, found it locked. In seconds, he was on his hands and knees, frantically throwing the welcome mat behind him and searching for the key. He found it, scrambled to get up and swung the door open as quickly as possible.
When she heard the sound of the door being flung open, Chloe looked up and directly into the eyes of Lex Luthor. She swayed slightly as the pills had begun to take effect and Lex's glance fell upon the bottle on the counter in front of her. "Impeccable timing as always, Mr. Luthor." She remarked, a slur in her words and a slight smirk crossing her face, before she fell to the floor, losing consciousness.
In seconds, he had crossed the room and had her in his arms. Before making his way out the door, Lex hurriedly grabbed the little orange container and stuffed it into the pocket of his jacket. He lay her gently down in the back seat of his car before screeching out of the driveway, speeding towards the hospital.
***
Someone gently shaking his shoulders brought Lex back to consciousness. He looked up and into the soft, kindly face of the doctor. "I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor," He said quietly, "But she didn't make it. You were too late." And with three simple sentences, all of his worst fears were confirmed and his world collapsed around him. He had failed her.
Lex's eyes shot open and he was jarred back to reality. Sweat was pouring off him and his heart was pounding so loudly and quickly he could hear it in his ears. He saw the doctor approaching and braced himself, preparing for the worst and praying that the dream hadn't been an omen of things to come. "She's all right." Lex felt a sigh of relief whoosh out of him at the doctor's gentle words. "You got her here just in time. We pumped her stomach and got everything out. You can talk to her now."
Lex headed towards her room, feeling considerably better now that she was no longer in any immediate danger.
***
"What kind of idiot are you?!" Lex was irate, eyes flashing, arms waving. He saw the man inch warily away from him, clutching a paper tightly in his hand. "Two seconds in a room with her is enough to prescribe anti-depressants?! What kind of school did you go to?"
The balding man had the impudence to look indignant at his remark and spat "Harv-" out hotly before Lex fixed him with a cold glare that stopped the word dead in its tracks.
"I suggest you leave." Lex stated and something in his tone told the man that it wasn't so much a suggestion as a demand. The doctor, noting the threat the words held, left the room with a quick nod.
Lex had walked into the room to find the doctor handing Chloe what looked like a prescription. He knew that the man couldn't have been there long enough to correctly diagnose anything because Chloe had only woken up five minutes before. He had immediately launched into a tirade about it, there was no way he would let them drug Chloe up like that.
He heard the door click shut softly and Chloe was the first to speak. "Lex Luthor, my savior." She remarked dryly. "That makes two times now. You're really getting good at this. But I must say, the whole hero thing is really more Clark's forte."
"Two attempts and still no success," Lex observed calmly, "While my hero skills may be improving, you don't seem to be getting any better at this. Perhaps you should pick up a new hobby." A quirk of his lips was the only hint that he was trying to get a rise out of her.
But Chloe refused to let him provoke the response he wanted. "Have you ever known me to be a quitter, Lex?" She questioned, her voice and features eerily calm. Lex had to suppress a shudder, not only at the impassive quality her face had adapted, but at the determined glint in her eye.
"It's not quitting; it's called admitting defeat and moving on." He looked into her eyes, before speaking again, this time without any trace of humor. "You promised you wouldn't try that again." Lex said quietly, "You lied to me." His voice was tinged with hurt and, for some reason, that annoyed Chloe to no end.
"Why'd you have to find me again? Why couldn't you have just let me die?" She snapped.
"I thought you weren't a quitter." Came his quiet reply.
"I'm not quitting, Lex; I'm admitting defeat."
****