CHAPTER 13

Lex followed a few steps behind Chloe as they entered the hospital. The bitter scent of bleach and latex gloves assaulted his senses, and he smiled blandly as Chloe turned to him, her nose scrunched up in retaliation. She was wringing her hands with nervous energy. "I hate hospitals." She explained lamely.

"You have every reason to." He answered, thinking back on the many escapades of Chloe Sullivan that had landed her on those white sheeted hospital mattresses.

Her mouth quirked into a smile as she continued to make her way towards her father's room. Lex snaked a hand forward and rested it on the small of her back. Her body stiffened, as if to pull away from the possessive gesture. She glanced sideways to Lex, in an attempt to appraise the situation, before spinning around to face him head on. Lex's breath caught in his throat at the new closeness, his arm instinctively pressing into her back, pulling her in. The warmth of her skin through her clothing caused his pulse to rhythmically pound.

"Lex?"

"Hmm?" He murmured huskily.

"Could you please give me some space?" His body jolted upright as he took a tightly controlled step backward.

"Better?" His mouth was pressed into a thin line, refusing to give in to embarrassment. Coming on to a business partner, a grieving young girl, in a hospital, where her father was mortally ill, was not one of his sharpest moments. Despite a strange feeling of closeness, and his body's own physical desires, it was imperative that he control his baser instincts and maintain a professional attitude throughout.

"Yes, thank you." Chloe responded, fighting a blush. "I mean, you don't have to be hanging all over me, pushing me in the right direction. I know how to find the room myself."

"Well then," Lex extended his arm in a dramatic gesture. "Lead on."

Chloe paused for a moment, preparing herself mentally and emotionally for the upcoming encounter with her father. She closed her eyes and pretended that when she walked through the door, he would be awake, sitting upright and able to hold a conversation with her. She imagined that she would walk in to find him picking at a tray of cafeteria food and announcing that it was the last meal he'd have to eat away from home. She pictured a healthy grin on his face as he complained about the lack of flowers and greeting cards. A gentle hand on her shoulder shook her out of her silent prayers.

"Are you okay?" Lex asked softly, examining her face thoughtfully.

"Yes." She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi Dad." She spoke, attempting a casual lilt to her voice as she strolled into the room. She refused to look directly at the body on the bed.

Lex, however, could hardly avoid it. His face paled as he took in the weakened figure. "Chloe…his face…"

A brittle, choking sound was pulled forcibly from her throat. "Jaundice. The bruises. They're…they're all over his body." Chloe shifted her eyes to the ground. "Would you like to see the papers?" She grabbed the clipboard from the desk on the side of the room and passed it over unceremoniously to Lex.

"Has he been unconscious often?" Lex scanned over the medical reports carefully. "Forgetful? Delirious?"

"Yeah. At first they thought it was the pain medication, but now they think it's-"

"Hepatic encephalopathy."

"Yes." Chloe bit her lip sharply to keep herself in check. Lines of effort began to etch their way onto her forehead. Lex looked up at her and felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't afford to comfort her. He had to control his emotional behavior. If he wanted to help her at all, he had to keep himself calm and if he wanted to stay calm he had to keep himself detached.

"They've stopped giving him tranquilizers as a result of that." Lex flipped through pages.

"Can you go outside for a little while?" Chloe looked anxiously toward Lex. "I know we have to work on this, but can I just have a second alone? Please?" Lex nodded and left the room.

Chloe sighed, finally allowing the pain to move through her body fluidly. She pulled a chair up closely to her father's bed, grimacing at the musty smell, refusing to believe it smelled anything like death. She forced herself to focus on her father's face, pallid and bruised. "Dad, I know you might not like it that Lex is here. I'm not really sure I like it myself. But…I have to believe that if you were able to think this all through, you would come to the same conclusion I did. That anything is worth being able to get through this." Chloe clumsily brushed a few stray tears out of her eye. "We always get through it, Dad." She felt around awkwardly for his hand and held it between her palms gently, avoiding the punctured areas and intravenous tubes. "I shouldn't have left you alone. I haven't been here in two days. I should have come back here. I wanted to. I just...couldn't. I'm sorry." Chloe released his hand and stood up. "And you need Lex's help." She pressed, as if she had sensed an argument in his silence. "I guess we both do." She walked back to the door and pushed it open.

"Lex?" She called out, looking around the empty hallway. Shooting her father a quick look, she headed out toward the main hall of the hospital. "Lex?" Her pulse began to race irrationally after a few moments without a response. She started walking faster, exiting the Critical Care Unit, passing the Radiology department and speeding into a light jog as she went through the Accident and Emergency Center. Her body began to slow down as she realized he must have left. He must have seen how sick her dad was and realized it wasn't worth the effort. It's not like a young bald man in an expensive suit is that hard to miss. She slowed to a stop and bent over, her hands gripping her knees painfully. What was she going to do? Was she supposed to chase around through Smallville now, trying to find him? She couldn't afford to lose his help. Releasing her grip on her jeans, she stood straight, taking in a few more shallow breaths as she looked around. Then she saw him. Standing beside a glass wall a distance further down the hall. Relief coursing through her veins, she ran, practically throwing herself at him, and wrapped her arms tightly around his body.

"Fuck!" She shouted, pulling away and shaking him with all her might. "Don't ever, EVER do that again, Luthor!" She pulled him in to her again, her heart pounding like tribal drums in her ears.

Lex's arms stayed limp at his sides, weakly drugged into motionless lethargy. Chloe reluctantly released him from her vice-like hug, almost afraid he would leave again, and turned to face what Lex had been so intent to leave her for.

The Infant Care Center.

Chloe leaned against the other side of the hallway, letting her back slide down the wall as her knees bent in front of her, until she was folded up neatly on the ground. Nothing with Lex could ever be uncomplicated. Or painless.

A moment later, Lex joined her against the wall, falling with a slight 'thump' onto the floor. They didn't speak to each other or touch each other, or make any acknowledgement of the other's presence. They just sat there, one thinking about what he had lost, and the other thinking about what she had to lose.