DO YOU FEEL THE RUSH?
Sometimes he did not know what to do. But that was nothing new. Gabe Sullivan has always been at a loss in almost everything regarding his daughter. When Chloe was born, Gabe had no idea how to hold her. He almost dropped her then. But it wasn't really his fault that Chloe was so slippery. After that unforgettable day, Gabe had been as clueless as no other father ever was when it came to raising a girl. His wife, in a rocky time in their marriage, decided to up and leave him for a weekend at her mother's when Chloe was a year old. Gabe ended up putting creamer in her hot water bottle rather than milk. That sealed the deal for him. He knew he wasn't winning Best Dad in the World prizes in his lifetime. When his wife finally left him because apparently he did not just suck at being a father but also at being a husband, Gabe fumbled at every deatil. It was a surprise that Chloe managed to survive the years with him with all her limbs intact. Gabe had alternately forgotten to pick her up after school, left her cereal in places too high for her to reach, and given her mismatched pairs of socks, pins and earrings. Gabe had been so busy working because that he was good at, and he escaped acting like a father to Chloe, that he would just be surprised to find Chloe crying in her bed after being involved with one villainous, mutated high school boy after another. There were times when Chloe acted strangely after they moved to Smallville. He overheard from the Ross kid that his daughter had a 'thing' for the Kent boy. He had shaken his head and ignored the information. They were girls and boys, much too young to entertain thoughts of crushes or love. And he was too much of a coward to discuss the birds and the bees to his baby girl. The moment it happened between Chloe and his boss, Gabe had tried to stay even farther away. Now here he was, caught in his own trap. Every glance and touch that he had seen before, he chose to let go. He told himself what was happening would pass. And Gabe was in the hospital waiting room again, with two intense young men with him. One radiated tension with every step of his pacing, as he ran his fingers through his hair. Clark Kent went back and forth from wall to wall, glanced up at the clock, flexed his fingers in frustration, and repeated the cycle. Lex Luthor, on the other hand, sat quietly on a plastic chair, with his clasped hands cradling his chin. He stared at an invisible point on the floor, not paying attention to anyone around him. It reminded Gabe of a tight coil threatening to burst at any time. Gabe wondered when exactly Clark would acknowledge Lex's presence and comment about it. For all Clark knew, Lex knew nothing about Chloe other than the fact that he was Gabe's daughter. It was half an hour before Pete was wheeled in to the operating room. Clark stopped midstep and scrunched his eyebrows at his friend. "Why aren't you in a room lying down?" "They got the worm out easily. It was lodged here." Pete motioned to a spot on his neck. "Easy access. It stings, but otherwise it was a minor operation." "That's great, Pete. I'm glad you're okay now." Gabe noticed that while Lex's gaze did not stray from the floor, his eyes looked more alert. He knew that the young man was now actively listening to the conversation. "I asked my nurse about Chloe. She's still knocked out. They had to give her anesthesia coz her worm was lodged perilously close to her spine." Clark shook her head. "I knew I should've gotten her to the hospital sooner. That thing could have killed her." He wheeled Pete to a corner and finally settled his weight down on a plastic chair. They talked more quietly now, their voices low. "So what was that, man?" Pete asked. "Coz what I saw was crazy. You and Chloe getting it on, while fun in my addled brain, is now just half sick, half exciting." "It was adrenaline," Clark claimed by way of explanation. "She was doing things she normally wouldn't do." "Be honest, Clark. You know what this is about. She's attracted to you. You are to her." "And that's it," Clark insisted. "You love her, Clark." "I do," Clark said reluctantly. "But-" "You have the best of both worlds, man." Gabe watched Lex carefully for any reaction. Lex impressed him. His eyes were dead, as if he was hearing a story about strangers. "The way we love each other, Pete, we both know there's more out there." Gabe stood up when he saw Chloe's doctor pass. Lex's head reared up for the first time. Gabe headed out and talked to the doctor, then followed him into his daughter's room. When Gabe returned from his short visit with Chloe. He felt Lex's eyes on him. He knew how much Lex wanted to stand up and barge into that room. In fact, he wouldn't blame him if he did. It was a tense wait for anyone. "Clark, would you like to go in. Chloe's a bit groggy but you can talk to her." The boy's brilliant smile confirmed Gabe's fears. Clark really was changing. Just a little too late. Or maybe it has always been too late. Who knew? After all, he doubted that even Chloe and Lex had any idea before they met again. Gabe sat next to Lex and waited until both Pete and Clark had left the room. "I remember when I met you. You were giving this other kid, the son of your father's contractors, such a hard time because he liked your remote control car so much." Lex turned his head and looked at the other man. "It was my car." "You're a possessive young man. You always have been. You think you can forgive her?" "What are you talking about?" Lex asked, pretending ignorance. "My daughter. I'm not wearing blinds you know." Lex grinned. More than a year and Gabe could say this? "Alright. I may have tried to blind myself to it. But I've suspected. And my daughter just confirmed it." "She told you?" "She was high." Gabe grinned. The delight faded from his lips when he remembered. "When I came in she was sleeping. And she just sighed. The sigh sounded distinctly like a name." Lex read the older man's expression and frowned. "You're not angry." "I don't have the right. Chloe learned to live her life pretty early. She had to make her own choices young." "I'm in love with her." "That doesn't answer my question, Lex," Gabe said. "Do you think you can forgive her?" "I think it does." Lex saw Clark pass by the door, heading for the exit. Moments later, Lana Lang slowly walked out of the hospital. "Does she know?" Lex asked Gabe. Gabe shook his head. "I'm concerned, but the doctor assures me nothing's wrong. Pete remembers most of everything, but she has no clue." Lex took a deep breath and instructed, "Don't tell her." Lex stood up and headed out of the waiting room. He'd waited for his turn like the hiding man that he was. Gabe followed closely behind him. When they reached Chloe's door, they met a nurse who clutched a clipboard to her chest. "I just gave her painkillers," she said apologetically. "Ms Sullivan's sleeping now." "That's fine." Lex walked into the room and sat on the chair beside the bed. He picked up her hand. It was hot and just a little thicker because of the dextrose tube.
"Gabe, I might be coming in late tomorrow. Can you handle everything in the meantime?"
"Sure."
Morning broke with slithers of light and warmth dancing on his cheek. Lex slowly opened his eyes and automatically searched for the slits of green ones of the woman on the bed.
"I feel like I need to apologize to you. What did I do?"
Lex smiled and shook his head. "You forgot to tell me that you were planning a joyride."
Chloe bit her lip. "Well in defense, I was out of my mind." And then she grinned. "Can you forgive me?"
Lex brought up her hand that he was still holding and kissed her knuckles. "Of course I forgive you. I always will."
"Thank you. I promise I'll never do it again."
Sometimes he did not know what to do. But that was nothing new. Gabe Sullivan has always been at a loss in almost everything regarding his daughter. When Chloe was born, Gabe had no idea how to hold her. He almost dropped her then. But it wasn't really his fault that Chloe was so slippery. After that unforgettable day, Gabe had been as clueless as no other father ever was when it came to raising a girl. His wife, in a rocky time in their marriage, decided to up and leave him for a weekend at her mother's when Chloe was a year old. Gabe ended up putting creamer in her hot water bottle rather than milk. That sealed the deal for him. He knew he wasn't winning Best Dad in the World prizes in his lifetime. When his wife finally left him because apparently he did not just suck at being a father but also at being a husband, Gabe fumbled at every deatil. It was a surprise that Chloe managed to survive the years with him with all her limbs intact. Gabe had alternately forgotten to pick her up after school, left her cereal in places too high for her to reach, and given her mismatched pairs of socks, pins and earrings. Gabe had been so busy working because that he was good at, and he escaped acting like a father to Chloe, that he would just be surprised to find Chloe crying in her bed after being involved with one villainous, mutated high school boy after another. There were times when Chloe acted strangely after they moved to Smallville. He overheard from the Ross kid that his daughter had a 'thing' for the Kent boy. He had shaken his head and ignored the information. They were girls and boys, much too young to entertain thoughts of crushes or love. And he was too much of a coward to discuss the birds and the bees to his baby girl. The moment it happened between Chloe and his boss, Gabe had tried to stay even farther away. Now here he was, caught in his own trap. Every glance and touch that he had seen before, he chose to let go. He told himself what was happening would pass. And Gabe was in the hospital waiting room again, with two intense young men with him. One radiated tension with every step of his pacing, as he ran his fingers through his hair. Clark Kent went back and forth from wall to wall, glanced up at the clock, flexed his fingers in frustration, and repeated the cycle. Lex Luthor, on the other hand, sat quietly on a plastic chair, with his clasped hands cradling his chin. He stared at an invisible point on the floor, not paying attention to anyone around him. It reminded Gabe of a tight coil threatening to burst at any time. Gabe wondered when exactly Clark would acknowledge Lex's presence and comment about it. For all Clark knew, Lex knew nothing about Chloe other than the fact that he was Gabe's daughter. It was half an hour before Pete was wheeled in to the operating room. Clark stopped midstep and scrunched his eyebrows at his friend. "Why aren't you in a room lying down?" "They got the worm out easily. It was lodged here." Pete motioned to a spot on his neck. "Easy access. It stings, but otherwise it was a minor operation." "That's great, Pete. I'm glad you're okay now." Gabe noticed that while Lex's gaze did not stray from the floor, his eyes looked more alert. He knew that the young man was now actively listening to the conversation. "I asked my nurse about Chloe. She's still knocked out. They had to give her anesthesia coz her worm was lodged perilously close to her spine." Clark shook her head. "I knew I should've gotten her to the hospital sooner. That thing could have killed her." He wheeled Pete to a corner and finally settled his weight down on a plastic chair. They talked more quietly now, their voices low. "So what was that, man?" Pete asked. "Coz what I saw was crazy. You and Chloe getting it on, while fun in my addled brain, is now just half sick, half exciting." "It was adrenaline," Clark claimed by way of explanation. "She was doing things she normally wouldn't do." "Be honest, Clark. You know what this is about. She's attracted to you. You are to her." "And that's it," Clark insisted. "You love her, Clark." "I do," Clark said reluctantly. "But-" "You have the best of both worlds, man." Gabe watched Lex carefully for any reaction. Lex impressed him. His eyes were dead, as if he was hearing a story about strangers. "The way we love each other, Pete, we both know there's more out there." Gabe stood up when he saw Chloe's doctor pass. Lex's head reared up for the first time. Gabe headed out and talked to the doctor, then followed him into his daughter's room. When Gabe returned from his short visit with Chloe. He felt Lex's eyes on him. He knew how much Lex wanted to stand up and barge into that room. In fact, he wouldn't blame him if he did. It was a tense wait for anyone. "Clark, would you like to go in. Chloe's a bit groggy but you can talk to her." The boy's brilliant smile confirmed Gabe's fears. Clark really was changing. Just a little too late. Or maybe it has always been too late. Who knew? After all, he doubted that even Chloe and Lex had any idea before they met again. Gabe sat next to Lex and waited until both Pete and Clark had left the room. "I remember when I met you. You were giving this other kid, the son of your father's contractors, such a hard time because he liked your remote control car so much." Lex turned his head and looked at the other man. "It was my car." "You're a possessive young man. You always have been. You think you can forgive her?" "What are you talking about?" Lex asked, pretending ignorance. "My daughter. I'm not wearing blinds you know." Lex grinned. More than a year and Gabe could say this? "Alright. I may have tried to blind myself to it. But I've suspected. And my daughter just confirmed it." "She told you?" "She was high." Gabe grinned. The delight faded from his lips when he remembered. "When I came in she was sleeping. And she just sighed. The sigh sounded distinctly like a name." Lex read the older man's expression and frowned. "You're not angry." "I don't have the right. Chloe learned to live her life pretty early. She had to make her own choices young." "I'm in love with her." "That doesn't answer my question, Lex," Gabe said. "Do you think you can forgive her?" "I think it does." Lex saw Clark pass by the door, heading for the exit. Moments later, Lana Lang slowly walked out of the hospital. "Does she know?" Lex asked Gabe. Gabe shook his head. "I'm concerned, but the doctor assures me nothing's wrong. Pete remembers most of everything, but she has no clue." Lex took a deep breath and instructed, "Don't tell her." Lex stood up and headed out of the waiting room. He'd waited for his turn like the hiding man that he was. Gabe followed closely behind him. When they reached Chloe's door, they met a nurse who clutched a clipboard to her chest. "I just gave her painkillers," she said apologetically. "Ms Sullivan's sleeping now." "That's fine." Lex walked into the room and sat on the chair beside the bed. He picked up her hand. It was hot and just a little thicker because of the dextrose tube.
"Gabe, I might be coming in late tomorrow. Can you handle everything in the meantime?"
"Sure."
Morning broke with slithers of light and warmth dancing on his cheek. Lex slowly opened his eyes and automatically searched for the slits of green ones of the woman on the bed.
"I feel like I need to apologize to you. What did I do?"
Lex smiled and shook his head. "You forgot to tell me that you were planning a joyride."
Chloe bit her lip. "Well in defense, I was out of my mind." And then she grinned. "Can you forgive me?"
Lex brought up her hand that he was still holding and kissed her knuckles. "Of course I forgive you. I always will."
"Thank you. I promise I'll never do it again."