They sat inside the car for a few moments in silence, and Chloe was grateful that Lex allowed her a second to collect her thoughts. He was sitting with his hands on the steering wheel, even though they hadn't started moving, staring straight in front of him, and when he did turn to face her Chloe was chilled by the look in his eyes.
"Chloe, what happened to you? Who did this?"
Chloe could still feel her heart racing, the tears stinging her cheeks. She also felt embarrassment radiating from every pore. How could she have let herself be so stupid? If she hadn't had the pepper spray who knew how far Dan might have gone.
"I don't want to talk about it."
Lex looked at her in disbelief.
"Chloe, something happened tonight. Something pretty bad. You have to tell someone."
"No, I don't."
Turning his eyes back to the road, Lex started the car and drove slowly off. Chloe avoided his glances by staring out the passenger window.
"I don't know whether to take you to the police or the hospital, Chloe." His voice was strained. "But I'll tell you one thing I do know; I'm not taking you back home, not in this state."
She felt her eyes widen as she realised that no, she couldn't go home. Her father would be there, Lana too. They'd see that something was wrong, insist on making her talk. She wasn't up to that, not now, not after all that had happened.
"Lex, please don't take me home. Or to the sheriff, or the hospital…" she trailed off.
"I don't think you're capable of making that kind of decision right now, look at you. You're suffering from some kind of trauma, that much is obvious. I'm taking you to the hospital."
"If you try to do that, I swear I'll get out of this car right now."
She could see the lights of Smallville grow brighter as they talked. Well, as Lex talked and she tried to deflect. Why didn't he understand? Tonight, she still felt so… there were no words. It was a feeling. A deep horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt sick, scared. She didn't want to see anyone else, didn't want to talk. She just wanted to be left alone.
"And go where Chloe? Where is it you think I should take you?"
"I don't know." She started to cry again, this time loud unstilted sobs that threatened to engulf her. They had reached the main road through town, and she could see The Talon up ahead on the other side of the street. Any other night she would be in there, chatting with Lana, studying with Pete and Clark. But tonight she was in a different place altogether. Attacked and almost assaulted, she was now in the care of a man she barely knew, let alone trusted.
Pulling over to the roadside, Lex stopped the car.
"If that's really how you feel, then go. But I'm telling you, I don't want anything more to happen to you tonight. Because I know something happened.
Looking up into his eyes, so filled with concern and feeling, Chloe felt her stomach turn. Swinging open the door she leaned out hurriedly as she began to throw up. She felt the hot tears sting her red rimmed eyes as she stumbled out of the red convertible and felt her shame rise as she realised that Lex had jumped out and was behind her, rubbing her back as she vomited.
"Chloe, you have to go to the hospital. Please?" his voice was so soft, pleading gently that she almost relented.
"I'm sick from too much champagne, not because I've been poisoned, or anything like that."
Slowly she straightened up, rubbing her face as if it could rub away the memory of that night.
"I just need to sleep."
"You're bleeding" he told her, touching her forehead lightly.
"It's just a gash, it's not deep."
"Then let me take you home."
"No, my dad…"
They stood in silence, watching each other, as if daring each other to be the one to concede, to back down. In the end, Chloe won.
"Ok. I'll take you back to the mansion. We're well stocked, I'm sure I can find a band-aid or something. But if you get any worse…"
"…Then you take me to the hospital. Fair deal."
Lex watched the girl in front of him trying to put on a brave face, and it hurt him. He didn't know Chloe Sullivan very well, but what he did know of her was that she was a plucky, determined young woman. He just hoped she could survive whatever had happened to her, and that she would tell him so he could help her.
Taking her arm, he guided her into the car. She seemed so frail just now, and something inside him was stirred. Was it coincidence that he was the one who found her, helped her? Perhaps the gods were trying to show him that there was a little humanity left inside him, that Lionel hadn't drained it all out.
As they drove off, a figure stood under the streetlight outside The Talon, shocked into silence. Reaching into her lilac shoulder bag, Lana fumbled past her keys and packs of half-eaten gum till she finally grasped her cell phone. Taking it out, she realised her hand was trembling. Putting the phone to her ear she listened as it dialled the number. After what seemed forever, someone answered. When she spoke, her voice was shaky.
"Clark, it's Lana. I know it's kind of weird me calling you, but I think there's something really wrong with Chloe."
