hmmm...5 reviews for a seven chapter story... rather sad. Why the hell am I still posting?

Oh I know, cause I'm a sad person...

Chapter three: Hospitalized

Clark swallowed his saliva as he walked up to the podium. Cameras were flashing in every which direction and if Clark wasn't invulnerable, he would have been blind. The conference was held in front of the Luthorcorp building, Lionel had just finished the introductory speech and the press were already in frenzy.

"Um...Well," Clark stared at the crowd in front of him and resisted the urge to run away, he looked down at the speech in front of him.

"Almost a-a week ago a dear friend of mine called asking for help." He sighed. 'I can't believe I'm actually doing his,' Clark thought as he continued.

"I-it took time to find him and I almost gave up. But I didn't. I'm glad I didn't because I would never have forgiven myself for it. I kept on searching until I found Summerholt Neurological Institute. I was sure he was there but they never let me see him, so I broke in because I had to make sure he was alright. What I saw there shocked me." He paused for dramatic effect, just as written on the paper, after the first few lines, he started being more confident and was speak more fluently.

"Ryan was just lying there, barely conscious in a cold room with only a small blanket covering him. There were wires, dozens of them. Attached to his head and his body, his eyes, blankly staring into space. This helpless orphan locked up, never again to enjoy his youth. What did he do to deserve this? "At that point, Clark started improvising.

"I had to do something. I couldn't stand seeing him like that. So I did. I got him out of there."

"What do you have to say for a country that protects the people that do this to children?! People like the doctors at Summerholt institute who locked them up, never to see daylight again, and the police had tried to arrest ME for rescuing him, why? Because he had some papers that said he had the right to? I was very lucky to have a brother who knows how this corrupted system works, a brother who gave the boy shelter, in his time of need. I might have saved the boy from the institution, but if it weren't for Lex, the boy would have been taken back there. Thanks Lex," The man stood up and everyone gave him a round of applause before Clark continued.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this system is flawed. It has failed to protect the innocent when it should do. But as long as I'm here I, along with my family, will do what ever we can to back things better. So vote for- um... I mean, um...Thank you." Clark finished as the crowd erupted into cheers. Clark smiled sheepishly.

"So, any questions?"

At that everyone started speaking, screaming out questions. Clark took in a deep breath. He could see Mary along with three other girls holding signs saying 'We love Clark Luthor' out of the corner of his eyes

Clark sighed again.

The next day at the Luthor mansion.

"Lionel's still in Metropolis and he needs me to be there, but I'll come get you straight after, ok?" Martha said as she was dropping Ryan off. Clark was already in school and Jonathan said he had some 'business' in Granville so Ryan was left here, with Lex.

"You like your job more than you let everyone know, don't you?" Ryan stated with a subtext, he knew he shouldn't have said anything but he couldn't help it.

"Well," Martha pursed her lips, not quite sure what to say. She was certain that Ryan knew how she really felt about Lionel Luthor, damn mind reading abilities.

"Ryan," Lex called, and Martha sighed in relief. "Well I better be going now," she said before leaving.

"How are you feeling?" the man said as Ryan sat down on the sofa.

"Much better, thanks again for..."

"Harboring you? Getting restraining orders on everyone? Or driving the press away with my singing?"

"I'd say the latter but you really seem to have enjoyed it" Ryan said and Lex smiled at him.

"Yeah, it's one of my special talents, driving people away," Lex said, suddenly bitter. Ryan resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"You haven't driven Clark away yet," Ryan said, reading his thoughts and sounding comforting but really wondering why Clark was still with this nutcase.

Lex smiled at Ryan, before going back to the thoughts that dominated his mind the most. His father.

Ryan sighed. Here we go again, he thought, that man is the perfect picture of parental deficiency.

"Your father loves you Lex, just not in the way that most parents do." Ryan cut in and tried not to cringe, he knew perfectly well how Lionel Luthor felt about his son and what they did together. Lex looked strangely at him. Ryan realized it was probably a bad idea to have said that.

"I...um...judging from what Clark told me..." Ryan quickly covered.

Lex looked at him skeptically again and wondered what brain disease this boy had.

"You know, Clark, isn't your dead brother Lex." Ryan said, drawing Lex away from that topic.

"What?" Lex asked, confused.

"Yesterday you called Clark, Julian. He's not Julian, Lex. He may be your brother but he's not Julian."

Lex became silent, his eyes showing pain at the thought of his dead brother. Well at least his thoughts certainly aren't on my abilities anymore, Ryan said to himself as he figured out a way to get Lex's brain off that subject. It wasn't that he felt guilty about reminding him; it was that he didn't want to listen to Lex's thoughts, rambling about his family again.

He said the first thing he could think of to get Lex off the topic.

"Lana Lang has a dick."

Then he quickly put his hands over his mouth and shut up.

"What?" Lex asked as he stood in front of the boy, he grey eyes piercing.

"Lana is a hermaphrodite. That's why she won't date Clark, it's a secret, please don't tell anyone."

Again Lex just looked at him strangely. Thinking back to the 'brain disease' again.

"It was really great you helping me with all the legal stuff," Ryan changed the subject again.

"Oh no problem Ryan, any friend of Clark's is a friend of mine," Lex said as his thoughts went to Clark and what he wanted to do to him once he was back from school.

And very graphic thoughts they were.

Ryan was burning with jealousy (among other things) when Lex turned to him, looking alarmed. A drop of blood fell onto the glass table and Ryan realized his nose was bleeding.

"I'm alright," he said as he blushed, his hands reaching out for the tissue when his head began to throb.

He put his hands on his head as thousands of voices rang through his head. Then everything went black.

Jonathan's black robe was slightly rumpled as he entered the basement of Smallville High, a.k.a. the lair of the Anti-Luthor Society. He was the only man in the society whose wife hadn't joined with him so he had to wash his ALS robes himself to keep his membership a secret.

"You called me, Mr. President?" he asked the President of the Anti-Luthor Society. The man was in shiny gold robe with a hood that covered his face and though Jonathan knew everyone in this town he couldn't figure out, for the life of him, who he was.

"Yes Brother Jonathan, I have called upon you" he said. "I have recently discovered of your past with Lionel Luthor along with some very colorful footage."

Jonathan's face instantly paled. "That was a long time ago Mr. President, what Lionel Luthor and I have- I mean had is long over. I have nothing left but hate for that man."

"I know Brother Jonathan. That is why I have a mission for you."

"Mission?"

"Yes, Brother Jonathan, since I know how much you hate Lionel Luthor, what with him cheating on you, using you, stealing your wife away from you and then your son and all, me and the other members of the board decided that you would be best for the job."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to start seeing Lionel Luthor again."

"WHAT?"

"Yes, I want you to start seeing him again and I want you to spy on him for us. Look through his files; find out what his next evil plot is. This is a very important job Brother Jonathan; you could save lives doing this, even save the world."

"W-w-well, I don't know what to say Mr. President I mean couldn't you get one of Lionel's ex-girlfriends to do this?"

"You are the only one we trust with this sacred mission Brother Jonathan. Don't let us down."

Jonathan swallowed.

The President patted him on the back and walked away.

Ryan's eyes fluttered open and his vision was greeted with nothing but Clark's beautiful face. He smiled and sighed happily.

"Am I in heaven?"

"No Ryan, you're at Smallville Medical Center. You just collapsed at the mansion, so Lex brought you here."

"Oh, right."

Then the door opened and a doctor with blue eyes and ruggedly handsome looks walked in. He looked Clark up and down and smiled charmingly.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Richard Cox, Ryan's doctor, nice to meet you," he gave Clark his hand. Clark looked a little surprised but took his hand anyway. Ryan glared.

"I'm sorry what did you say your last name was again?"

"Cox, Dr. Richard Cox, Dr. Cox to most people, but you can call me Dick."

"Riiight, I'm Cock-I mean Clark. Clark Kent...Luthor."

The doctor smiled, still not letting go of Clark's hand. Ryan saw this and snatched Clark's hand away.

"No you cannot!" he exclaimed.

"Why?" Clark asked, confused.

"That's ok, you can call me Cox instead," the doctor said, ignoring the boy.

"Umm...sure." Clark replied and Ryan rolled his eyes, put a pillow to his face and screamed into it.

"So, do you know what's wrong with Ryan?" Clark asked, and Ryan almost jumped with glee at Clark's ignorance of the doctor's flirting.

"We don't know yet, but we'll be running more tests on your friend soon."

"I have a brain tumor," Ryan blurted out; hoping to get the cute doctor away from Clark.

"Excuse me?"

"I have a brain tumor, Dr. Garner told me," Ryan repeated. "And Dr. Cox already knows too, he's just not sure so he doesn't want to alarm you."

"Is this true doctor?" Clark asked.

"Yes, but we didn't want to break the news until we were absolutely certain."

Clark looked at Ryan through sad eyes and kissed the hand still holding his.

"I'll find someone to cure you Ryan-"

"Don't," Ryan said, gripping Clark's hand tightly, "I don't want anyone sticking anything inside me other than you.

Clark didn't quite understand what Ryan was saying but got that he didn't want any more tests.

"Clark?"

"Yes Ryan?"

"Don't leave me."

"I won't."

TBC