KINETIC PANTOMIME
Words were their link. They were their work and their play.
Lex knew that it was easy to see through the amusement in his eyes how much he enjoyed the challenge in her every question. He adored her like this. Lex pitied the men in her life who will be enamored of her when she was in her 'take no prisoners' mode. He wondered if he should pity himself then.
He was testing her temper and Clark, behind the camera, was oblivious to their silent conversation. Lex knew her enough now to know that it was never good to let Chloe boil over with irritation, so when he was called away he decided to let slip a soft little tease that made her sparkle again.
When he left that room, he did not have any illusions that Chloe Sullivan would stay put. But then again, she knew her way around the mansion so he wasn't worried. It wasn't as though there was anything he hid from her other than the crap about the company, and only because she didn't have to be burdened with the information.
It wasn't the silence that jarred him. He was used to the silence inside the office. He was usually in there alone anyway. In fact, with his father's voice grating in the speaker phone, the room had more noise and was more crowded than it had been for the three odd months since he had been in Smallville.
It was a shift in the air, a sudden cold finger that trailed down his spine, almost making him shiver. He was used to terror. It never worried him anymore. After several close calls in his various cars or a good 'friend' overdosing to the point of a flatline, Lex had been desensitized to paralyzing fear. This time, the dread that overcame him was real. Without saying goodbye to his father, Lex ran out of the office, throwing open the door and calling to his butler.
He did not wait for a response. His heart was racing and his breath hitched. It was still outside, silent. He cursed the maze of corridors that prevented him from knowing what was happening at the other side of the castle. His legs pumped furiously. Cold sweat formed on his brow as he desperately ran, bypassing the dull faces of his ancestors looking down on him with disapproval, not minding the ancient weapons that hung on the stone walls.
He was a long distance away when he saw her, as though in a silent movie, as she fought off the hooded attackers. Lex forced his feet to speed up. Mutely, he watched her body twist against restraining arms. Like a rag doll, she was pushed through the stained glass windows. He stumbled on his feet. His vision froze and he saw her body halfway out the window. He forced his limbs to work, but he was glued to the spot. In his eyes, the scene replayed itself over and over, from the moment she smashed through the glass to the point where her shoes vanished from his sight.
When he shook himself back to the present, all he saw was Clark leaning down. His throat worked furiously, and Lex could see him shouting her name. He could see Clark's mouth open and close, forming the syllables, but Lex could hear nothing and was rooted to the spot.
He would curse himself a thousand times for that delay. He couldn't help but think he lost time because after his next blink, Clark was no longer in front of the broken glass windows. Lex raced down the two flights of stairs and out into the cold night to find Clark kneeling in front of her twisted body. The boy moved to lift her.
Lex grabbed Clark's arms, preventing him from moving her. It looked as though Clark was about to protest.
The butler arrived with paramedics, confirming Lex's suspicions about the length of time it took for him to react. Rage burned his cheeks and scalp. His own weakness prevented him from acting logically. He was shoved out of the way and for the first time he did not care if people trampled over him in their haste to attend to her. He watched from the sidelines as strangers ran their hands over her body and felt along her neck, confirming that there were no broken bones. Lex watched like a hawk as fingers of a man unknown to him shifted her head and another anonymous person placed a neck brace to steady her. They easily lifted her to a portable gurney and placed her inside the ambulance.
The vehicle disappeared into the dark small town night. Lex and Clark were left standing alone in the grass, surrounded by pieces of broken glass. Clark stared after the ambulance and resolved to ask his friend for a ride to the hospital, knowing that the accident was his fault. When Clark looked over at Lex, the billionaire's son's attention was focused on the third level of his house, his face shuttered, his eyes unreadable.
Clark stepped back when his friend's cold gray eyes fell on him. Without a word, Lex turned and walked briskly to his car, leaving Clark to trail closely behind him.
~~
The flowers decorating the room were still. Lex felt no stir of air despite the slowly shutting door. Even the monotonous hum of the air conditioner was missing. He looked down at the battered face resting against the white pillow, noting the angry bruise just below her eye. He waited for the flicker of her lashes that would indicate a restless sleep. But there was nothing. He might as well have been staring at a photograph for all the movement she exhibited.
Lex reached down to take her hand in his. He started at the shock of the hot skin. Carefully, he raised it and saw the way it was slightly bloated due to the IV. The permanent forceful push of the liquid into her system discolored her pale skin.
Clark had left two hours ago, after Lex assured him that this was not his fault. Chloe was his responsibility. He had promised her over and over that inside his house, she was safe. In case of trouble, she had to run to him. A bitter bile rose in his throat at the thought that it was in his house, because of material things he possessed, that she was placed into this situation. He swore he would not sleep until he found the people responsible for this. Chloe inanimate was a crime.
A nurse bustled into the room and picked up Chloe's chart. Lex didn't move his eyes from Chloe's face. The nurse recorded her readings from the machine and took Chloe's pulse. Through the entire procedure, he didn't budge from his position beside her.
The nurse left and the murmurs drew his attention. Lex briefly extricated his gaze from his charge and saw Gabe Sullivan speaking to the nurse outside. The door had swung shut, so he watched the mute conversation.
Gabe looked in and nodded at Lex. Lex knew that he had to leave now. He squeezed her hand gently, careful not to dislodge the tube that pierced her skin, a silent promise that he would return, and that he would not rest until he had the satisfaction of seeing those who hurt her thrown brought to justice.
~~
He had never before felt the strange lightness that washed over him when Gabe Sullivan called his phone to inform him that his Chloe had regained consciousness. Lex had stalked past his PI, who had traveled all the way from Metropolis to attend to the robbery investigation. He held up his hand to silence the man's protest and simply left the room.
The roar of the vehicle's motor comforted him. It assured him that he was that much closer to her, that much sooner to see her.
He walked past the receptionist's desk and headed directly to the elevator. A doctor waved to him to hold it. Lex pushed the number of the floor where her room was. Without meeting anyone's eye, he proceeded to the room. He saw Clark Kent vanish to the opposite hallway.
Lex pushed open the door to her room and stopped. The bed was empty. He looked around the room but did not find her anywhere. Gabe informed him that she was staying in the same room.
He surveyed the bedclothes, thrown about and rumpled, and knew that none of the hospital staff had been there. If she were transferred, the bed would have been made. A soft sound from the small bathroom caught his attention.
Lex walked slowly over to the slightly open door. He knocked softly, rapid hits on the wood. He listened closely but heard only the same soft sound. Concerned, he pushed the door partway and peeked inside.
To find her sitting on the floor, her legs pulled up, softly crying. He frowned and walked over to her, his heart breaking at the sight of his feisty girl looking so beaten and broken in the demeaning white hospital gown. Lex knelt in front of her and tipped her face up.
Lex pulled a handkerchief from his pants pocket and gently wiped the tear tracks lining her cheeks. He met her eyes and read the frustration and the helplessness, and understood the reason for her breakdown. He ran his fingers through her hair to put it in some semblance of order. Lex reached up and wet his handkerchief with some water from the faucet. Careful not to touch her bruise, Lex moistened her face. He reached behind her and tied her gown tighter.
Her breath teased his lips. Lex looked down at her and saw her staring at him, her eyes swimming in tears. He held his breath and moved closer to her. Just a few more centimeters. Her lips parted in unconscious anticipation. Lex pressed kisses on her cheeks, grateful that she was alive. Chloe swallowed a cry when his lips pressed close to her bruise. She touched his cheek, softly, almost like a butterfly wings.
Lex closed his eyes and kissed her forehead. He stood up and helped her to her feet. She stumbled. Without muttering words of comfort that she would read as evidence to her sudden weakness, Lex placed an arm under her knees and across her back and picked her up. He elbowed the door open and carried her back to bed.
When he had deposited her back on the bed, he sat beside her silently. She gazed at his face and smiled. Lex took a deep breath and started to rise.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed.
Words were their link. They were their work and their play.
Lex knew that it was easy to see through the amusement in his eyes how much he enjoyed the challenge in her every question. He adored her like this. Lex pitied the men in her life who will be enamored of her when she was in her 'take no prisoners' mode. He wondered if he should pity himself then.
He was testing her temper and Clark, behind the camera, was oblivious to their silent conversation. Lex knew her enough now to know that it was never good to let Chloe boil over with irritation, so when he was called away he decided to let slip a soft little tease that made her sparkle again.
When he left that room, he did not have any illusions that Chloe Sullivan would stay put. But then again, she knew her way around the mansion so he wasn't worried. It wasn't as though there was anything he hid from her other than the crap about the company, and only because she didn't have to be burdened with the information.
It wasn't the silence that jarred him. He was used to the silence inside the office. He was usually in there alone anyway. In fact, with his father's voice grating in the speaker phone, the room had more noise and was more crowded than it had been for the three odd months since he had been in Smallville.
It was a shift in the air, a sudden cold finger that trailed down his spine, almost making him shiver. He was used to terror. It never worried him anymore. After several close calls in his various cars or a good 'friend' overdosing to the point of a flatline, Lex had been desensitized to paralyzing fear. This time, the dread that overcame him was real. Without saying goodbye to his father, Lex ran out of the office, throwing open the door and calling to his butler.
He did not wait for a response. His heart was racing and his breath hitched. It was still outside, silent. He cursed the maze of corridors that prevented him from knowing what was happening at the other side of the castle. His legs pumped furiously. Cold sweat formed on his brow as he desperately ran, bypassing the dull faces of his ancestors looking down on him with disapproval, not minding the ancient weapons that hung on the stone walls.
He was a long distance away when he saw her, as though in a silent movie, as she fought off the hooded attackers. Lex forced his feet to speed up. Mutely, he watched her body twist against restraining arms. Like a rag doll, she was pushed through the stained glass windows. He stumbled on his feet. His vision froze and he saw her body halfway out the window. He forced his limbs to work, but he was glued to the spot. In his eyes, the scene replayed itself over and over, from the moment she smashed through the glass to the point where her shoes vanished from his sight.
When he shook himself back to the present, all he saw was Clark leaning down. His throat worked furiously, and Lex could see him shouting her name. He could see Clark's mouth open and close, forming the syllables, but Lex could hear nothing and was rooted to the spot.
He would curse himself a thousand times for that delay. He couldn't help but think he lost time because after his next blink, Clark was no longer in front of the broken glass windows. Lex raced down the two flights of stairs and out into the cold night to find Clark kneeling in front of her twisted body. The boy moved to lift her.
Lex grabbed Clark's arms, preventing him from moving her. It looked as though Clark was about to protest.
The butler arrived with paramedics, confirming Lex's suspicions about the length of time it took for him to react. Rage burned his cheeks and scalp. His own weakness prevented him from acting logically. He was shoved out of the way and for the first time he did not care if people trampled over him in their haste to attend to her. He watched from the sidelines as strangers ran their hands over her body and felt along her neck, confirming that there were no broken bones. Lex watched like a hawk as fingers of a man unknown to him shifted her head and another anonymous person placed a neck brace to steady her. They easily lifted her to a portable gurney and placed her inside the ambulance.
The vehicle disappeared into the dark small town night. Lex and Clark were left standing alone in the grass, surrounded by pieces of broken glass. Clark stared after the ambulance and resolved to ask his friend for a ride to the hospital, knowing that the accident was his fault. When Clark looked over at Lex, the billionaire's son's attention was focused on the third level of his house, his face shuttered, his eyes unreadable.
Clark stepped back when his friend's cold gray eyes fell on him. Without a word, Lex turned and walked briskly to his car, leaving Clark to trail closely behind him.
~~
The flowers decorating the room were still. Lex felt no stir of air despite the slowly shutting door. Even the monotonous hum of the air conditioner was missing. He looked down at the battered face resting against the white pillow, noting the angry bruise just below her eye. He waited for the flicker of her lashes that would indicate a restless sleep. But there was nothing. He might as well have been staring at a photograph for all the movement she exhibited.
Lex reached down to take her hand in his. He started at the shock of the hot skin. Carefully, he raised it and saw the way it was slightly bloated due to the IV. The permanent forceful push of the liquid into her system discolored her pale skin.
Clark had left two hours ago, after Lex assured him that this was not his fault. Chloe was his responsibility. He had promised her over and over that inside his house, she was safe. In case of trouble, she had to run to him. A bitter bile rose in his throat at the thought that it was in his house, because of material things he possessed, that she was placed into this situation. He swore he would not sleep until he found the people responsible for this. Chloe inanimate was a crime.
A nurse bustled into the room and picked up Chloe's chart. Lex didn't move his eyes from Chloe's face. The nurse recorded her readings from the machine and took Chloe's pulse. Through the entire procedure, he didn't budge from his position beside her.
The nurse left and the murmurs drew his attention. Lex briefly extricated his gaze from his charge and saw Gabe Sullivan speaking to the nurse outside. The door had swung shut, so he watched the mute conversation.
Gabe looked in and nodded at Lex. Lex knew that he had to leave now. He squeezed her hand gently, careful not to dislodge the tube that pierced her skin, a silent promise that he would return, and that he would not rest until he had the satisfaction of seeing those who hurt her thrown brought to justice.
~~
He had never before felt the strange lightness that washed over him when Gabe Sullivan called his phone to inform him that his Chloe had regained consciousness. Lex had stalked past his PI, who had traveled all the way from Metropolis to attend to the robbery investigation. He held up his hand to silence the man's protest and simply left the room.
The roar of the vehicle's motor comforted him. It assured him that he was that much closer to her, that much sooner to see her.
He walked past the receptionist's desk and headed directly to the elevator. A doctor waved to him to hold it. Lex pushed the number of the floor where her room was. Without meeting anyone's eye, he proceeded to the room. He saw Clark Kent vanish to the opposite hallway.
Lex pushed open the door to her room and stopped. The bed was empty. He looked around the room but did not find her anywhere. Gabe informed him that she was staying in the same room.
He surveyed the bedclothes, thrown about and rumpled, and knew that none of the hospital staff had been there. If she were transferred, the bed would have been made. A soft sound from the small bathroom caught his attention.
Lex walked slowly over to the slightly open door. He knocked softly, rapid hits on the wood. He listened closely but heard only the same soft sound. Concerned, he pushed the door partway and peeked inside.
To find her sitting on the floor, her legs pulled up, softly crying. He frowned and walked over to her, his heart breaking at the sight of his feisty girl looking so beaten and broken in the demeaning white hospital gown. Lex knelt in front of her and tipped her face up.
Lex pulled a handkerchief from his pants pocket and gently wiped the tear tracks lining her cheeks. He met her eyes and read the frustration and the helplessness, and understood the reason for her breakdown. He ran his fingers through her hair to put it in some semblance of order. Lex reached up and wet his handkerchief with some water from the faucet. Careful not to touch her bruise, Lex moistened her face. He reached behind her and tied her gown tighter.
Her breath teased his lips. Lex looked down at her and saw her staring at him, her eyes swimming in tears. He held his breath and moved closer to her. Just a few more centimeters. Her lips parted in unconscious anticipation. Lex pressed kisses on her cheeks, grateful that she was alive. Chloe swallowed a cry when his lips pressed close to her bruise. She touched his cheek, softly, almost like a butterfly wings.
Lex closed his eyes and kissed her forehead. He stood up and helped her to her feet. She stumbled. Without muttering words of comfort that she would read as evidence to her sudden weakness, Lex placed an arm under her knees and across her back and picked her up. He elbowed the door open and carried her back to bed.
When he had deposited her back on the bed, he sat beside her silently. She gazed at his face and smiled. Lex took a deep breath and started to rise.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed.