A/N: Hooray for updates, right? This is to go with ch. 7 of The Life I Chose 'Emergency.' Hopefully there will be more soon.

I hope the Kents have beat me here. Describing Chloe's call as 'distraught' would be the understatement of the century. She was terrified. I speed up, and illegally pass a tractor, while cursing my father for building the mansion so far out of town.

I couldn't land at the hospital and the plant is even further away so I had to settle for a field near my home. A car was waiting and I probably shouldn't be driving, but I've got to get to her. Soon.

I take the next turn on three wheels and blow through a stop sign.

"Don't die on us Gabe," I find myself muttering. I've always admired Gabe Sullivan-even more so when he pushed aside his doubts about my relationship with Chloe and welcomed me into his family. He, like Jonathan Kent, has shown me what a real father is-what a real man is.

I easily pick out the Kent's truck as I swing into a parking spot. I run, full speed into the emergency room and it's not hard to pick out Chloe. She's sitting stiffly between Martha and Jonathan, holding both their hands, her face like stone.

She sees me coming and jumps to her feet, throwing herself into my arms with a sob.

I have to take a step back to keep from falling when she hits me.

"Have you heard anything?" I ask, rubbing her back, directing the question to Jonathan and Martha.

Martha shakes her head, "Not yet."

I turn my attention back to the sobbing, trembling body in my arms, "It's okay," I whisper into her hair, holding her as tightly as I dare.

"He was so pale Lex," she cries into my chest.

I feel a lump rising in my throat, to match the knot in my stomach and I can't talk anymore, all I can do is hold her.

A doctor, who is vaguely familiar (who isn't in Smallville?) is approaching us.

He introduces himself, but I don't hear a name. I don't hear much at all, my heart is pounding so hard.

He suggests that Chloe and I sit, but she's pulled herself together some what is asking questions a mile a minute.

"Miss, I really think you should have a seat-"

"I don't need to sit!" Chloe cries, her voice breaking, "I need to know if my father's all right!"

"We did everything we could," he says, and I don't hear anymore, because I've heard this before. Chloe doesn't need anymore either, and her knees buckle, and she starts to fall. I catch her at the last second and numbly deposit her shaking form into a chair.

'Fucking bastard,' I say to God in my head as I hold her close to me, 'how could you do this to her? Hasn't she been through enough? Why can't she be happy? Don't you see all I want is for her to be happy?'

Martha and Jonathan are huddled around us, holding us, holding each other at the same time.

It's only then that I realize I'm crying. I'm really crying. I haven't cried like this since my mother died. And it's because this man-this man who welcomed me into his life, his home, his family, his heart-is gone. Gabe treated me like his own son for the last two years, and now I've lost him. What's worse is that Chloe has lost him. She's basically and orphan now, I realize. Twenty years old or not, being with out parents isn't easy.

The Kents have lost one of their dearest friends-a family member really.

I hold Chloe closer while she cries and curse God again for taking Gabe away.