Chapter 5 - Moving Home
Chloe packed up the last of Lex's belongings that Lionel had brought from the mansion and sat on the small couch while the nurse went through the instructions with Lex and his in home nurse. She knew she should probably listen, but the nurse was his caretaker. Chloe was out of the woods for the first week at least.
Lex became upset earlier in the morning when he was told that he should sleep alone for the first few nights as to get more accustomed to being at home. He gripped Chloe's hand and looked disappointed. Chloe, on the other hand, was relieved. She avoided the awkward moment of sleeping with the enemy a little longer.
"Chloe, we could use you now." The home nurse spoke softly across the room as she helped Lex sit up in the bed. "Ok, Mr. Luthor, easy, don't try large movements yet. We have to get your physical strength up before too many movements." The older woman pulled one leg gently around to the edge of the bed and watched carefully as Lex grabbed the one to throw over the side of the bed. Chloe watched his expression change from confusion to pain and embarrassment. "This is about the time you should laugh at me for being such an idiot for the way I acted." Lex leaned on Chloe's shoulder with one hand and the nurse with the other before sitting in the chair by the bed.
"Not at all." Chloe thought about her words and wondered if she should take any of the blame for her supposed actions with Clark, but she decided otherwise. If she gave Lex the satisfaction of not being the one in the wrong, she would hear more about it than needed.
"Now, you have something laid out for him to wear home?" Chloe looked over at his things and nodded. "Good, let's start with his pants." Chloe froze. The nurse meant for her to help him get dressed. She had gone through the scenarios of sleeping arrangements, faking the headache to get out sex, but had forgotten the little question of his personal needs. Rewinding the conversation that the home nurse was having with Lex, Chloe remembered that she was off on Sunday. Two days away. Chloe felt Lex cup her cheek.
"Honey?"
Snapping out of her shocked daze, Chloe grabbed the black pants that Lionel had brought for him and handed them to the nurse.
"No honey, I want you to practice. Now Lex, you help her until the pants are above your knees and then lean over into me, and she'll slide them the rest of the way."
"Can you just shoot me or just attach my brain to another body." Lex sighed and watched Chloe practically kneel in front of him. His legs felt like they were full of concrete. The bottom of his feet felt like a thousand needles shot threw them as Chloe gingerly lifted each leg into his pants and then helped slide the material under his lower thighs. Chloe looked up as Lex grabbed on edge of the waist and touched her hand. "I am so sorry about this," he whispered.
"I know," Chloe choked back. He was truly remorseful and completely helpless.
"Now, lean into me and help Chloe pull them over you." Chloe positioned herself to one side of the woman and pulled his pants over his silk boxers. She tried not to smile at the matching violet underwear.
Leaning back into the chair, Lex released his grip on the nurse and panted. Closing his eyes, he breathed heavier while holding his hand out. "Chloe." Chloe knelt next to the chair almost instinctively. Taking his hand, it was clammy. Running her hand along his arm, it continued to be warm to the touch.
"I think he's got a fever. Are you sure we should making this trip so soon?" Chloe stared at the nurse in between her glances in Lex's direction. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes closed. She watched his chest rise and fall in erratically. "Lex? You ok?"
"Fine," he breathed through his pain. Continuing to pant, he tried to form words. "Let's just finish it and then I can take a break." The nurse nodded as Chloe retrieved the shirt from his bag. She draped the shirt over his lap and unhooked the gown around his neck.
Lex reached up with one hand and pulled the light cotton cloth from his torso and let it fall to the floor. "God, the cold air feels good."
The nurse waited until Lex took a few minutes to relax and bring his heart rate down. Chloe knelt again beside the chair gazing over his body. There were gunshot wounds she could make out and several deep gash marks. She wanted to giggle at the irony of his injuries. He'd been shot numerous times and yet a hippo incapacitated him. She felt a hand touch hers. Looking up, Lex took her hand and placed it over his now clammy chest. She gulped feeling his skin next to hers but watched his eyes close again to her touch. His breaths became longer and more fluid as he held her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart rate slow through each breath. She scooted closer and placed her other hand on his knee. He opened his eyes and smiled at her, rubbing his hand through her hair.
"Ok, are we ready for the shirt now?" The nurse broke the moment up. Chloe sat up and pulled her hand from chest, taking the shirt and opening it up.
"Can you lean forward a little?" Chloe stood up and leaned toward Lex as he balanced on the arms of the chair. Slipping the shirt around his torso, she guided each arm into the armholes. "Ok, lean back and I'll button it for you."
Leaning back and concentrating on his breathing, Lex took the two sides of his shirt in his grip, "No offense honey, but the only time you need to mess with the buttons is to get them undone." Lex laughed at his statement and then grabbed his still bare chest. "Chloe," he gasped. The nurse hit the button on the bed for assistance as Lex continued to breath more and more shallow breaths. Slamming his hand against the hand rails of the chair, he tried to breath normally and seemed to grunt through the convulsions that writhed through his body.
Chloe pulled one of the pens from the day before out of her purse and popped the top off of it as Lex grabbed the chair and tried to resist the shaking. She could tell he could feel the full effect of this pain. Seeing his chest shaking erratically, she looked through the window and spotted Lionel just peering through out of clear view. Taking the pen, she slammed the needle hard into Lex's side causing the man to scream.
"I'm sorry," Chloe pleaded as she threw the pen in the garbage and pushed against his shoulders until the convulsion started to slow. "Breathe." Seeing Lex's eyes still trying to focus, she pushed against his shoulders harder and repeated, "Breathe. Lex, look at me and concentrate." Her tone was authoritative, almost commanding. Behind her eyes, she hoped he couldn't read her thoughts. She hated to see anyone in that much pain, but she cursed herself thinking that little by little she could be bringing back the same monster that wanted to use her and her mother.
She held his shoulders until she felt his neck loosen its strain and saw his head lean back against the top of the chair. "Ok," Lex whispered as he carefully reached for her arm.
Chloe released her grip against his shoulders and ran her hands down to the second set of buttons on his shirt. Without his argument, she buttoned his shirt for him and sat in the chair that the nurse had brought in for her.
"You did well," the home nurse added. "I'll let you two rest for a little while and then finish getting ready. Mrs. Luthor, he's going to have episodes, but the medication for them will start building up a tolerance in a couple of days, so they should get less." Chloe nodded and sat back in the chair next to him. Looking over at the window, she glanced at Lionel and then back at Lex.
Lex looked eerily still again, his head bobbing back and forth against the back of the chair. She glanced back up at Lionel and waited for some kind of sign. Simply nodding at her, he walked away from the window toward the direction that he had exited every time.
Glancing back over at Lex, he met her eyes. "Thank you," he mumbled, trying to grip her hand. She placed his hand back on the armrest.
"Save your strength. We still have a whole day ahead of us." Lex groaned and turned away from her, closing his eyes. She dug back through his bag and found socks. She carefully knelt in front of him, pulling each sock on gently to keep from waking him. She didn't know exactly what was in the meds that she shot him with, but it packed a punch. She had never seen Lex Luthor so still except when he was dead.
The morning stayed quiet. Chloe continued to gather up supplies from the nurses and prescription orders that had to be filled. Lionel would take care of those. She had no intention on calling in orders as Mrs. Luthor, even if the pharmacy was a fake. The more time she could just fade into the background and only be Mrs. Luthor to one person, the better. The more complicated things became, the longer the charade would have to last.
"Lex," Chloe gently shook him awake. "The car is here. Are you up to leaving?" Chloe pasted on her fake smile as she comfortingly rubbed her hand against his arm. The orderly parked the wheel chair in front of the chair and waited for Lex's decision. Lex nodded and grabbed the armrests. Chloe wrapped her arm around his back as the orderly took him from the other side and turned him into the wheel chair.
"Guess this is my home for awhile." He grabbed Chloe's hand as she picked up her purse and his things. "You bring the Hummer?" Chloe bit her lip and wondered exactly what car was sitting out in the parking area.
"I don't know. I had someone drop off the car where I cold be here with you."
"The Mercedes out of the shop yet?" Chloe thought about an answer, making sure to deliver it while in the room.
"You kind of destroyed that car honey." She patted him on the shoulder as he sighed. She knew that little Mercedes whether his former or current life was his favorite car.
"Guess it's your little car then." Chloe started wheeling Lex down the hall with her eyes closed praying that the magnificent bastard could make miracles. Halfway down the hall, a nurse stopped her.
"The doctor needs to see you." The nurse waited with Lex as Chloe was shown the small lounge from the day before. Pushing the door open, she shook her head and smirked.
"Should have known. What do you want?"
"You need to find out about this other car. And the house. Just keep him close over the next couple of days."
Chloe rolled her eyes and started out the door, "I'm an investigative reporter, remember? The one that put you away. I think I can handle a couple of household details. Now, if you'll excuse me, my 'husband' is waiting for me." Chloe pulled the lounge door closed and returned to Lex's side. Lionel peered out behind the lounge door and watched Chloe dismiss the nurse and pat Lex on the shoulders. Taking a deep breath, he walked out of the ward the opposite direction.
The car pulled up in front of the house and stopped. Chloe leaned over and undid Lex from the seatbelt as the driver pulled the wheelchair out of the back of the vehicle. "We're here Lex."
Lex leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek as the driver opened the door and let him out. Moving gingerly, Chloe stood next to him and supported his weight as much as she could.
"When did you get this done?" Lex asked as she pushed him up the driveway and the ramp into the house.
"I had someone put it in for the first couple of weeks. It'll come out soon enough and then you can just fall on your ass on the stairs." Chloe watched Lex as he leaned for the door. "It's locked Lex."
Sitting back in the seat, he sighed. "Yeah." Chloe opened the door and pushed Lex into the living room while praying that his memories were vague at best. Dropping the things at the bottom of the stairs, Chloe went and sat next to Lex on the couch. She watched as his eyes perused the house curiously. The place was a strange mixture of modern art and traditional. The furniture still looked heavy and over the top, but gone were the strange historical pieces replaced with colors that complimented both her and Lex's tastes. She reminded herself to be careful how many times Lionel saw her apartment again. Watching Lex's eyes move from piece to piece, she got increasingly worried. The jig is up she thought to herself.
"Honey, you do realize what it means to be out of work."
"Lex, you have more than adequate money to afford the changes. I got with the accountant and your severance package came in. Let's just say, losing our CEO position still pays well even when being booted. Besides, I thought the new look would be more accommodating while you are re-cooperating." Chloe broke a smile and gently touched Lex's knee. "If you don't like it, I can change it back, but just tell me what you want me to keep and what of yours you want back. I just thought…"
"Breathe honey." Lex smiled and shook his head. "I like it, but I … really want the old armchair back, you know the old black leather one? You can throw a blanket or something on it where it'll fit the décor but I liked that chair." Lex stretched in the wheelchair. "Would you help me? I want to lay down for a bit."
Chloe looked down the hall. "Hang on." Chloe left Lex staring at the wall and took a quick tour of the downstairs and then returned. She would have to put him in the guest room since getting to upstairs would be too difficult. "Ok, the downstairs room is going to have to do."
Pushing Lex into the guest room, she gawked at the size of the supposed guest room. "I always knew it was a good idea to build each bedroom as a suite of its own. No guests like to share bathrooms." Chloe parked the wheelchair by the bed and Lex gazed at her. "I love you, but I need to go … ummm" Lex dropped hesitantly. He hated having to put her in the position he had. He hoped that physical therapy would get him back to prime condition soon. He couldn't be without Chloe's touch for too long.
Chloe stopped pulling the sheets back on the bed and froze. Sighing, she took hold of the handles of the wheelchair and started into the bathroom. Lex touched her hand as she stopped the chair in front of the toilet and took a deep breath. She secretly hoped she could actually go through with the job. As she closed the door, a voice came from around the corner that brought a sigh of relief.
"My dear, get out of here. I'm sorry but I had to pick up his meds," the nurse barked as she walked through the bathroom door. Chloe backed up, sliding her hand slowly out of grip. Chloe pulled the sheets back farther and fluffed the pillows as best could be expected. She sat down on the bed and waited, listening for any signs of distress. She was impressed that Lex was handling his situation with such dignity. She wished she knew more about her 'husband.' She hated to admit it, but she somewhat wanted to spend a night just talking to the new version of her personal hell. The door opened and broke her from her thoughts.
"Ok?" she questioned. She could see he was breathing heavily and motioned for her to hold her question for the moment. Once Chloe slid off the bed, she waited until Lex smiled up at her. She nodded and balanced Lex on one side as the nurse helped him into the bed. She was sure it was lower to the ground the bed in the master was.
Lex laid back in the pillows as the nurse disappeared. "Hey, can you stay with me for a bit? " Chloe sat down in the wheelchair next to the bed.
"You should get your rest."
"Last night I slept better than I have in months." Lex reached over and brushed his hand against her cheek. "I want you in my arms baby, even if for a bit. I know you have tons to do." Lex continued rubbing the side of her cheek and smiling as his eyelids got heavy.
"Don't fall asleep yet Mr. Luthor, you need to take your meds." The nurse retrieved some water from the bathroom and returned to find Chloe lifting Lex up with his help. "I see your strength is starting to return, and the drugs are starting to work. Then we can start physical therapy tomorrow and get you around the house." The nurse handed Lex the glass and meds. Chloe moved around to the other side of the bed and sat down.
Thoughts swirled in her head. She was pretty sure that Lex had watched every move of the night she had been taken. She had tried to kill him once and Clark had ruined it. She hated this man with a passion. He was the end all cause for her entire family's disintegration. Her mother had been taken hostage, her father murdered in a questionable way, she herself being threatened by the man. 'I'll make prison feel like a picnic' still were engrained on her brain. The words burned deeper every time she thought of the look of calmness that came over him; the words still made her want to reach over and beat on the man's chest. She stared at him reaching out to her. She could tell her face was drawn and frightening.
"What's wrong?"
Relaxing her jaw, she touched his outstretched hand. "Nothing." She was short with him; she felt bad for him sensing how she felt. His mind besides the obvious creativity and delusions was well attuned to her. He grasped her fingers and pulled her arm toward him.
"Then get over here." Looking up at the nurse, he smiled at her. "I know what the doctor said, and I think he's full of shit. I was in a major accident, lucky I didn't break anything, but I'm not losing my mind. And I'm going to sleep with my wife."
"Fine, but you wake up in pain, don't complain for the morphine." The nurse closed the door behind her and left the two alone.
Lex adjusted himself in the pillows that Chloe had stacked up. Turning slightly on his side, he grunted in pain and rolled his eyes. Chloe turned on her side and stared at him. He looked calmer, even serene. "So, you feeling better at all?"
Lex reached out and traced his fingers down her face and neck, curling her hair behind her ear. "Now I am." He grabbed his side and squeezed, trying to wring out a small cramp in his chest. Opening his eyes once more, he continued to trace his fingers over her body, lingering against her cheek and neck. Looking down at her hand in his, he swallowed hard, "I forgive you."
Chloe's increasingly rapid breathing from the needles that ran up and down her body stopped. She stared questioningly at Lex as he cupped her face and bit his lip. Looking deeper into his eyes, she noticed tears welling up. "Lex, I…"
"Just promise it won't happen again," he whispered as he ran his hand through her hair. Chloe was aghast. She felt his grip increase on the back of her head and neck. Almost feeling sorry for the situation his version of her had done to him, she found herself almost in tears herself.
"No, never."
Lex pulled on the back of her neck as Chloe gave into the pressure. Chloe closed her eyes and imagined whoever she could besides the man laying beside her. Her breathing hitched as she felt his warm breath close to her. If she turned away, he would know. He would either for sure believe that she and Clark were seeing each other or be crushed by the thought of losing his wife forever. She quickly wondered if it was just easier to push him away and crush his ego. But not knowing his tendencies, she wasn't sure if that was the smartest move right now.
On the other hand, the man obviously would walk on glass for her. The Lex she knew at one time in his life would have done the same. They had become confidants, nothing fancy or more involved, just worked well together. She had never seen anything but a rich playboy that had friends in dangerous places. It was a strange place to be; she had longed to be wanted for years in her life, but the cruelest card was now played. Her wanted her.
She felt Lex's lips rub against her cheek and kiss her. She loosened her strain against him and let her head slide closer across the pillow. She felt his lips graze the corner of her mouth as her lips tightened in reaction. Lex's hand moved up her arm and rested on her shoulder as she felt him moan in something between pain and pleasure.
Chloe took a deep breath that caught in her throat feeling his hand tracing her collarbone as his lips kissed all the way around her mouth. Pulling back, he stopped, and she opened her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she lied. There was plenty wrong. 'We aren't married and I'm not pregnant for starters,' she thought to herself.
Lex ran his hand down her arm and around her waist, pulling her closer. "Then kiss me like the night you met me at work to tell me we were pregnant. I loved that night – you came in with that green negligee on under your coat and I almost fell out of my chair when you put your leg up on the desk." Chloe felt her heart stop as Lex's hand moved to rub her stomach. Her eyes squinted at the visual of her ever having an office tryst with Lex. Somewhere in the back of her mind she still had a difficult time imagining Lex ever finding her attractive and more so the other way around.
She closed her eyes as she gently threw a leg over his. "The doctor…"
"I don't give a fuck what the doctor said." Lex wrapped his hand around the back f her neck and pressed his lips to hers. Chloe flinched before relaxing into his grip. The move was more of a startle that fear now. Closing her eyes, she felt his tongue hint for an opening. Saying a silent prayer to kill the man if he ever came back to his senses, she parted her lips and felt his tongue slide against the roof of her mouth.
Lex released his hand from her neck and traced his fingers down her shoulder. He moaned inside her mouth as he couldn't live without her taste for another day. She was always a mix of spearmint gum and coffee. He explored the inside of her lips as she loosened up in his arms. Hearing a small moan come from her, he slid his hand further down and traced the top of her breast with his finger. Her shirt was a comfortable v-neck that teased him incredibly.
Chloe gasped and opened her mouth form the kiss feeling his finger graze the top of her breast. Pulling out of the kiss, she placed her hand on his chest and drug her fingers down the front of it gently. Lex moaned and smiled at her. "God, I want you."
"I think it's a little soon," she shyly responded. Ensuring her place in hell, she glanced down and noticed that Lex was close but nowhere near what she thought he was capable of. She looked back up and saw Lex smirking.
"I guess you're right. I'm tired anyway. Just at least lay with me." Chloe nodded in agreement and turned over, sliding herself into his touch. She shook slightly as his hand again immediately grazed against and stayed on her belly.
'This is going to be a major issue,' she thought to herself as she could feel Lex start to breath deep into sleep.