The Memoirs

Dominic was humming to the Chieftains rolling in his head. It was ten thirty in the morning, and he'd found himself walking through the neurology ward of the hospital, through the north east entrance. He found it… mildly, if not very, disconcerting, but there it was. He pocketed his keys, wishing for his Gran, as he ran his fingers through his hair as he stepped in through the entrance. It was very, very quiet, in comparison to the ER downstairs, and he swallowed as he walked to the desk in front of him. He was nervous, but not very indeed, as he stopped in front of the young man sitting behind the desk. "Hallo. Dominic Luthor... I've an appointment today with Dr. Bryce?"

"Mr. ... ahh. Yes, Dr. Bryce mentioned you earlier." The young man smiled, and offered the clip board. "Please, fill this out and bring it back with your medical card, Mr. Luthor."

He smiled, nodded, and took the clipboard with only slight anxiety as he turned to the empty waiting room and sat down. It took him fifteen minutes to fill it all out, and after he'd turned it back in to the young man, as well as signed in using his card, he was shown back into one of the rooms. He had his vitals taken, weight--a hundred and fifty two. Woo!--temperature and the like, and had nothing at all wrong as he was shown back into one of the examination rooms.

Toni hadn't been able to get back to sleep, not even with Graham beside her. Instead, she'd read through half the books she owned, looking for questions to ask, answers that she could give, and came up with absolutely nothing but a page and a half of questions, what ifs, possibilities, and partial possible diagnoses.

Finally she'd given in, gotten to the hospital far earlier than she'd had to, pulled Dominic's chart, gotten Dr. Bryce's pager, gotten his agreement to consult, and set the appointment up for ten-thirty that morning.

She'd been pacing since seven-fifteen, had scared two orderlies, and had almost started to wear a groove in the floor as she waited for Dominic to show up, and finally he had. Dr. Bryce himself was sitting in the back room of the office with her, watching her pace and examining the vital signs on the chart, and she was tapping her foot. "Well?"

Anthony Bryce just gave Toni a little look. "Toni, please. Sit down. You're scarring my tile." He flipped through the chart. "His vitals are just fine; his blood pressure is a little high but--"

"Of course it's high!" she glared back. "Wait until you meet him. You'll see why. Tony--" Little grin. "Be good to this one, okay? He's my friend."

"Yes, I know that." He pulled off his glasses and crossed his legs. "Which is why I'm going to ask you to take yourself off this case, at least as the primary physician. Sign him over to me, because I'm going to be a lot more objective than you can be."

She almost did. Because he was almost right. But he wasn't quite. "Forget it, Tony. I've had my hands inside of this man puttin' him and his husband back together again. Yeah, I might be involved, but I ain't gonna stand back and just watch. I'm gonna help."

He shrugged. "Have it your way, Toni. Just be careful. Go on, I'll be in in a few minutes, I've got a few more things I want to look up first." He put his glasses back on, and picked up Dominic's medical history, scanning through it.

Toni nodded and darted out of the back office, knocking on Dominic's exam room door.

Dominic looked up, then, from the seat he'd taken beside the doors in the extra chairs they tended to have in all the rooms, and opened the door sideways. "Hi, Toni." He smiled up at her, even as he rose to greet her properly. "How are you, love? Im here. Not quite with bells, but alas."

"At least you're here, sugar." She gave him a hug. "Did you manage to get back to sleep? And where's that goat of yours?"

"I'm here." He said, and smiled at her as he offered her the chair he'd been sitting in. "Aye. Sleep we did. Had a bit of help from my husband on that, indeed." A little shy grin at her, even as he sat in the chair beside hers. "I sent him off to work. No need for us to both be here, and he worrying his guts out, now is there?" A small shift. "Is there a reason for me to be worried love?"

"I don't know, sugar," she said softly, squeezing his hand in hers. "I really don't know. Did some readin' this morning after Lionel called, cause I couldn't get back to sleep--Graham damn near worried me to death worryin' about you--and I didn't come up with nothin' but a buncha questions."

He nodded, and the small smile slid from his lips, as he took her hand in his and stared at the wall. He leaned back, comfortably, and pointed at the hospital smock sitting on the examination table. "The nurse told me to put that on. Should I? And please, for Gods sake, tell me I can keep my pants."

"Yes, put it on," Toni chuckled. "And no. You can't keep your pants, darlin', but don't worry. It ain't nothin' I haven't seen before." A tired smile played at the corner of her lips.

"No pants." He sighed. "I was waiting till you got here to do it. Fuck. At least my underpants, then?"

"Down to your bare bottom," she said, shaking her head.

He looked at her in mild horror, brow raised. "You know, as much as I love baring my ass, you'd think I could do it in public without my lover being here." He rose, then, and pinched the arch of his brow. "Don't mind being here, right?" He tugged his jacket off, and set it on the chair.

"Like you could pull me away, you know." She boosted herself onto one of the chairs sitting beside the table. "Course I don't mind bein' here. Doc's in the back now, lookin' over your chart."

"Fabulous. I'm sure right now he's wondering how I survived my bloody childhood." Dominic muttered, as he pulled his sweater up over his head, setting his glasses on the examination table. tugged his white undershirt off, too, and yanked the hospital gown, still tied, on over his head, and unbuttoned his pants.

Toni snickered as she watched Dominic get into the hospital gown while exposing the least amount of skin possible. "There is a changin' screen behind you, honey," she pointed out after a minute.

Lionel looked down at his watch as he strode into the neurology department, pausing only long enough to glower at the nurse and ascertain his lover's location. He followed the hallway to the exam room, the hurry with which he was moving flaring his coat out behind him, and knocked on the closed door smartly with his knuckles.

Dominic looked up, eyes widening, and yanked his pants back up. "Hallo?"

"Dominic? I'm coming in." Didn't even bother to identify himself further, just opening the door and squeezing in. "Good morning, Toni."

He kept his pants firmly on his hips as his lover entered, and glared, darkly. "And the bloody hell did I tell you not to come? You stubborn, ignorant, stupid man!"

Toni's lips quirked, as she lounged back on the chair and arched her brow even as she steepled her fingers. "Lionel. You got here about ten minutes before the examination, honey."

Dominic was still sputtering, glaring, but sputtering.

"I always like to make an entrance," was his reply to Toni as he took off his jacket and laid it over the back of the other chair. "And yes, you did, but did you really think that I'd let you be alone during this?" Sitting himself down in the chair, Lionel unbuttoned the bottom button of his suit, and crossed his legs as he looked up at his lover.

"Yes! No... but yes. I asked you to be at the office, love." Dominic glared again, making sure no one else would be coming in as he unbuttoned his pants again, toeing off his shoes at the same time, muttering. "Bloody getting naked is worse than the fucking examination, you'd think, naked after all, but for a paper gown… might as well be flashing my balls to everyone… fucking hell." Said as he yanked his other shoe off.

Toni nodded at her dear friend and sighed as she watched Dominic attempt to keep his modesty. "Doctor Bryce is in the other room, looking over Dominic's chart. He'll be in here in a short minute, indeed. Dominic, the slippers are under--yes, there we are, sweetie."

"Bryce?" Lionel asked. "I know that name... why do I know that name?" He drummed his fingers on his knee. "Oh yes. Wasn't Bryce the name of that horrible female doctor that seemed so intent on ensnaring my son?"

Before anyone could answer, there came yet another knock at the door. "Mr. Luthor? It's Dr. Bryce, may I come in?"

Dominic yanked on the hospital rob and plunked down on the examination table, glaring at Toni's carefully serene expression, and looked up. "Indeed, please do, doctor." He said as kindly as he could, as he attempted to school his features, and sighed.

Dr. Anthony Bryce entered the room, and was slightly taken aback. "Well, I see we have a full house here." A little smile, but most of his attention was being paid to Dominic. "I'm going to do a little physical exam first, and then I'm going to be asking you some questions, all right? Some of them might seem a little strange, but I need you to answer them."

"Indeed." Another glare at Lionel as Toni rose up to help the doctor, and he motioned a hand absently. "My husband, Lionel Luthor. He's an annoying bint, but he made sure to be here." He offered his hand to the doctor, then. "Its nice to meet you, sir. I'll answer all I can, indeed."

Toni stood and quickly washed her hands under the sink, scrubbing them in her very fast, practiced manner, and dried them before snapping on twin gloves.

Anthony called the same. "Please, call me Tony, or if that gets to be confusing, I'll answer to Anthony also." A little smile as he scrubbed to the elbow out of habit, and then snapped on his own pair of purple latex gloves. He pulled a penlight out of his pocket, and started by looking in Dominic's right eye. "Tell me, Dominic, what is today?"

"Doctor, it's a pleasure." Lionel scooted his chair out of the way, so the doctors could work in the small room.

"The second of May, two thousand and three. Ten... ah, thirty six in the morning." He answered, as he looked into the light as he'd done before during examinations, and set his hands in his lap as the doctor looked into his eye.

"Very good." Anthony made a little notation on the chart as he switched eyes. "Your pupils seem to be reacting normally, that's a good sign." He inspected the other eye. "And who's the president?"

"A Mr. George Bush. W." He answered, as his eyes watered from the harsh light shining into them. He didn't move though, as he saw Toni out of his peripheral vision moving around, getting other things ready. "An ass, but I like him."

"You're one of the few," Anthony chuckled, and clipped the penlight off, and back onto the cuff of his lab coat. "And what's your full name?"

Lionel said nothing as he listened to the litany of questions, finding himself waiting as carefully as the doctor for the answer.

"Morgan Dominic Senatori-Luthor." He answered, and blinked the natural tears of bright light away, as he looked up at him.

"Very good." Anthony offered his patient a tissue to wipe his eyes with. "Have you noticed any personal cognitive degradation?"

"Not at all. Aside from when I wake up from the nightmares." He shook his head at the tissue. "Thank you, I'm fine. Anyway, I only get a bit foggy when I wake up. It takes a bit to orient myself. And when I get up in the morning, as well, but that's not abnormal for me."

Anthony made more notes on his pad. "Foggy, you say? Is it just that your cognitive processes are slow to form, or that you're actually having associative problems? That is, is it slow thinking, or thinking that you're still elsewhere?"

"After the nightmares?" Dominic furrowed his brow as he thought back. "No... its mostly still thinking, and feeling, that I'm still in the nightmare. The one last night shook me up, because even after I'd woken up it still felt like I was having the dream. I was still frightened, and I was still... panicking. If that makes sense."

"Mmm. Makes perfect sense." He made several other notations. "And, you're having problems waking up?"

"In the mornings as well as after the nightmares. I can't wake up. Even after I've been awake for... mm… say, fifteen minutes? I still can't focus."

"I see." More scribbled notes, and this time, he actually had to turn the page. "Have you been having headaches, lately, anything like that?"

As Toni watched she could even see that he was having a minimal problem forming his thoughts, and she wrote it down as well in her own notepad, as she nudged Dominic's robe down from his shoulder, making him shed it. She undid his hospital gown, much to his glare, but she opened it anyway, as she looked over his back. Meningitis, perhaps? She noted it, as she began to examine his back.

Ignoring the bruised hand prints on his hips.

"Yes. Bloody bad ones." Dominic answered. "Felt like my eyes were going to pop out. Though some Motrin usually takes care of it."

"Thins the blood." Was all Toni said, as she continued to examine.

"And how often have you been having these headaches, and have they gotten worse over time?" Anthony was watching Toni make the physical exam, and didn't say anything, as it was going to be his target eventually, and he was glad of the help.

"Probably for about... two months. Though I attributed it to my work. I have a very demanding job, and sometimes I get headaches… its nothing new." He frowned up at him, because yeah, maybe he was panicking just a little, and he looked at his husband a moment as Toni poked at his back.

Just wanted to check for swelling. She wrote down that they needed to do a spinal tap, just in case, and moved aside now, to let the doctor continue his examination.

Lionel's hands were steepled in front of his mouth, listening to the questions and gauging his own thoughts to the answers. He knew what the doctor was getting at. That there was a tumor, a growth, something in his lover's brain pressing against the blood vessels, and causing the headaches. He kept his eyes calm, however, and managed a reassuring smile to his little cricket.

Anthony kept writing. "I see. Have they affected your vision, at all?"

Dominic shook his head. "No. Well… yes. A bit. Blurry vision when it gets very bad."

More notations. "And your speech? Word selection, putting together coherent sentences, that kind of thing?"

"Not... that I know of. I've been my usual eloquent self lately." But he didn't feel like smiling, just shrugging. "So I think, anyhow."

"Have you noticed any deterioration in your ability to recognize anyone, put names to faces, that sort of thing?"

Lionel had to speak up at that. "Don't ask him that, doctor. We just went back to his home after a ten year absence. Everyone looks alike there, as they're all the same family. Of course there's trouble putting names to faces."

Dominic caught his lovers eyes, and didn't know what to make of that. "I've kept track of over three hundred people for fifteen years, doctor. I know faces, and I know names. Even my family."

"Then you're a better man than I am, I could barely tell them apart."

Anthony gave a little chuckle. "Mr. Luthor, I appreciate your desire to help, here, but I need Mr. Senatori-Luthor's answers, please, not yours."

"Its alright, Lionel." Dominic assured, softly, even if his voice wasn't quite steady. "Don't worry, love." Back up to the doctor. "Please, continue your examination."

Anthony nodded. "It doesn't seem as though you're having very many cognitive problems, which is a good sign. That means whatever this may be, we caught it early."

His throat tightened. "Caught what early?"

"Well... I'm going to have you undergo a CT scan, but it sounds like you might have a bit of mild edema in your brain. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds. Have you had any rather hard knocks to your head lately, say in the last few months?"

Lionel relaxed only slightly at the mention of edema, and let out the breath he'd been holding. At least the doctor wasn't talking tumors yet.

"Doctor Bryce." Toni interrupted, looking up at him. "I think we should order a spinal tap, as well, to count meningitis out. He's having symptoms of it. Throwing up, dizziness."

Dominic's eyes had gone a little wider, and he looked from Toni to Tony. "Have I knocked my head? When have I not knocked my head, is the better question. My brother Graham beat me up about a month ago. I fell and knocked my head against my desk two weeks ago. Two months ago, Lionel got a little too excited and nearly knocked me out. I could make a list, somewhere."

Anthony nodded. "All right, but only after we do the CT scan. Spinal taps are long, uncomfortable procedures, and I'd like to rule out everything else first before we test for this." Then he turned his head back to Dominic. "Mmm. That sounds actually more in line with what my rough diagnosis is. Doctor Braxton, can I confer with you for just a moment?"

She seethed. Couldn't help it. But she nodded, as she smiled at the two of them for a moment. "Yes, doctor. Excuse us, gentlemen." She followed Bryce into the second adjoining room, leaving Dominic looking slightly pale, and Lionel quiet and stony, and she closed the door behind her.

"Don't get mad at me, Toni," Anthony said, holding his hands up. "Yes, I agree. It very well could be meningitis, but did you hear how many times he's been hit on the head? There's no mention of that anywhere in his charts. I'll bet you a two-week graveyard shift that that man's brain is puffed up like a marshmallow from the repeated impact against his skull."

"Yes, it very well could be." She said calmly, even as she gave him the eagle eye. "But that man in there is my friend, and I'll be damned if he won't be given the best medical treatment. If we don't find anything, I'm doing the tap myself."

"If we don't find anything, I'll be the first to schedule it," he agreed. "I just don't want to put him through that, make the migraines worse than they already are, if it just swelling in the cranium."

"And I don't want to put him through it either--but I will, in a heartbeat, because if there's even the smallest chance that it is, I'm not going to risk his life, and Lionel's life, because we didn't bother doing the test. Mm?"

Anthony sighed. "Toni... I know you're emotionally invested here, but we're not equipped to do the spinal tap here," he said calmly. "It'll require sending him to Metropolis, at least overnight, having the tap done there, the results sent back here, and weeks before we hear back from it. We've got a brand-new CT scan room here, just waiting to be used, and we'll have the results in a few hours. But I refuse to let the first course of action be a painful, dangerous, and possibly crippling one."

"No shit I'm personally invested. You can't get any more personally invested here, Ton." She pointed at her belly and glared. "If we don't find anything in the CT, Ton, the taps going to be done. Don't argue with this on me. He's got all the symptoms."

"I'm not arguing it with you," he said for the third time. "I'm just saying, let's do the CT first. And go from there. All right?"

"All right." A long, slow breath blown out from between her teeth. "Are you going to do the physical examination?"

"Yes, I am. I'm also going to check his reflexes." He dragged a hand through his long-ish brown hair, and sighed. "You want to help with the physical?"

Toni just shook her head. "No. I'm going to get Lionel a cup of coffee and explain to him what an edema is. You talk to Dominic, okay? Don't let him freak out on you. He's a skittish kinda guy."

Tony elevated an eyebrow. "You're going to explain to a man who has more degrees than the two of us put together what something is?" He grinned. "This? Is why I love working with you, Toni."

She winked saucily as she opened the examination door to the one Dominic and Lionel were in again. "Master of the obvious." She looked in... saw Lionel and Dominic hugging, and smiled as she held the door open for Tony. "Hey, boys. Lionel, why don't you come on with me, sugar bear. We're going to leave Dominic in Dr. Bryce's capable hands for the physical examination, mmkay? Come with me, get some coffee while we wait."

As soon as the doctors had left the room, Lionel shot out of his chair and over to his lover, wrapping his arms tightly around Dominic's chest. "Sssh. Don't worry," he said softly. "Don't." He kept murmuring softly to his lover, holding him as close and as firmly as he could until Toni and the other doctor came in, and he turned his face towards her, cheek still resting on Dominic's head. "I'm not going to leave him, Toni," he said softly.

Dominic's arms were tight around his lovers chest, and he'd held on, trembling for a few moments. He was terrified, though he never said a word, closing his eyes and holding his husband close, until he heard the doors open. He was a shade paler than usual but he smiled anyway, and shook his head as he squeezed his lovers arm gently. "Go with her. I'd rather not have a huge audience, beloved. It'll only be for a few moments, mm?"

Lionel almost protested. But in the end, he acceded to his lover's wishes, kissing him softly and nodding. "All right. I won't be far, and I won't be long." Acidic glare to the doctor, and he stalked out beside Toni.

Dominic turned his head up for the soft kiss, and touched his lovers cheek gently as Toni led him out. The door closed behind them and he sighed, softly, as his eyes flickered over to Dr. Bryce's.

Anthony gave him a reassuring nod. "Don't worry, Mr. Senatori-Luthor. You're going to be fine. Dr. Braxton and I have talked, and we believe what you're suffering from is one of two things. Cranial edema, or meningitis."

"You can call me Dominic, after all. People who've seen me in this state of undress win that privilege." He answered, before he stopped, and listened to the man. Alright. Edema or meningitis. Fabulous. "What are those things? I know what they are, but very vaguely. Might you explain them?"

"Certainly. Cranial edema is merely swelling of your brain in your skull cavity. I believe this is what you're most likely suffering from, due to the many blows to the head that you've received and not gotten treatment for. It's basically the remnants of about ten concussions piled on top of each other, and coming to a head because your brain can't swell any longer."

He blinked. Twice. "So... what you're saying is, I've been knocked about the noggin so many times that my poor brain is staging a revolt?"

He chuckled. "That's precisely what I'm saying. The other... is a bit more complicated."

"I knew it." Dominic growled, darkly. "I knew my family would kill me. Bloody hell. How couldn't I be having this, after all? My family's bloody insane." But he looked up, then. "What's meningitis?"

"Meningitis is an infection that affects the tissues that cover your brain and your spinal cord. Most times, it's caused by infections elsewhere in your body, and they've migrated to these delicate tissues, and need to be treated as quickly as possible." He winced. "The infection can cause brain damage if not treated quickly and properly. But since you're displaying symptoms and no damage, I feel relatively safe in saying that you're not suffering meningitis. However, we're going to likely schedule a spinal tap to make sure."

"A… spinal tap." He looked up. "An aunt of mine had one done, many years ago. Said it was right painful." A moment's thought. "Well...my next question is, then...where do we go from here?"

"Well... I've spoken with Toni, and I've told her that I don't want to do the tap as a first recourse, but if you'd rather rule that out first, we can have you flown to Metropolis where the procedure will be done and the results faxed back to us as soon as they have them."

He shook his head, then. "I'd rather the cat scan first, sir, if its not too much trouble. The less trauma on my husband, the better." And he wasn't laughing about it, as he motioned towards the door. "He's a fear of losing me, a deep one indeed. The less I put him through, the better."

Anthony nodded. "Dr. Braxton has agreed with me, the CT scan first, and then the spinal tap if nothing else shows up." He sighed. "Dominic... if you have any further injuries to your head, please come to the hospital. Your brain is a delicate organ, and we don't want it damaged."

"Of course." A light smile. "Might I get my clothes back on, now?"

"Actually, no, you can't. You'll have to remain in this gown for the CT scan, but you will be given a blanket after you've been strapped down."

"Strapped?" Whoa, now. What? "What am I being strapped to? I've never had one of these CT's, as you say." He tipped his head. "What is it?"

"Your head is going to have a thin strap across your forehead, to keep your head still so that it doesn't move during the scanning process." Anthony closed his clipboard. "If you're claustrophobic, then we can sedate you, and put you in light restraints."

His eyes widened. "I am very, very, very claustrophobic. Very. Moving tiny things. I had to be drugged for the entire flight back to the United States. Elevators? Helicopters? Christ, Jesus." He ran his hand over his face and sighed.

"All right, then I'll order up a sedative for you, and you'll be out like a light through the whole thing. We'll even have a nice, quiet little recovery room for you to wake up in." He smiled. "Don't worry, Dominic. We're going to take very good care of you."

"Brilliant." He sighed again. "Well come on, then, lets get on with it."

"If you'll lie down on the table there, I'll get one of my nurses to prepare the syringe. Once you've been injected, just count backwards from one hundred. You'll be asleep before you know it." A reassuring smile and he patted Dominic's shoulder lightly.

"Joy. Would you mind it if the nurse could get my husband, as well?" HE asked it as he tugged the robe back up on his shoulders and feeling distinctly silly, lay back. Winced at the tug of the bruises his lover left on his hip, wriggled against them for a moment to get the pain out, and then sighed.

"I'll have her fetch him and Dr. Braxton both." Anthony got up and conferred briefly with the nurse, and then sat back down on the stool beside the exam table. "Are there any other questions you'd like to ask me, Dominic?"

"Nope. Not really. Though I do thank you very much for everything you've done." A moment. "Though... this doesn't have a chance of getting worse, correct? What will you do to get the swelling down, if it is an edema?"

"Wait, mostly," Anthony admitted. "With a concussion, there isn't much we can do. We wait, we watch the swelling, and if it doesn't progress at all, we can perform surgery, which would be boring a hole in your skull, and releasing some of the pressure."

His eyes widened. "Boring a where in my who?"

"Boring a hole in your skull." Anthony picked up the plastic skull model that sat on the desk. "Likely here," he said, pointing to the back occipital bone. "Because this is where most of our patients experience the most swelling. But it will depend on your case, of course, and where the most of your swelling is. Don't worry, the hole would be small, and there'd be no noticeable scarring in your head at all, thanks to today's laproscopic lasers."

"Doctor... not to be a vain snit, though I am, indeed, a mild one, but I haven't... a lot... of hair. It's there, but its thinning. If you do this? My hair is going to pull root and run off to the Bahamas. So... let's try and get the swelling down, hmm?" But he grinned, just a little. Making jokes was keeping him from panicking full on, and when he heard the door open, he looked up and saw his lover, and Toni. "There you are. I was wondering if you'd gone off to China, love."

"Not at all," Lionel replied instantly, sitting down beside his lover and sliding his arm around Dominic's waist. "What is the verdict?"

Dominic got back up on his elbow and brought his husband in fort a tight hug, kissing his cheek, and smiling nonchalantly. "Nothing. The doctors going to get me ready for this cat scan business...apparently its a tiny enclosed space. So, they're going to knock me out, mm?" He stroked his cheek, then grinned at him. "Also going to manage a bit of the pressure, should it decide it doesn't want to go anywhere, with a drill to my head. But that's for later. Now, the scans. I don't want you to panic, or be upset, my love."

Lionel tightened his grip on his lover's waist, and paused for a moment before he could speak clearly. "Nobody is going to be drilling any holes in your head, Dominic."

"Of course we aren't, Mr. Luthor," Anthony soothed. "It's only as a last resort." The nurse opened the door of the room, and handed him a syringe of medication. "There we are. "Are you ready, Dominic?"

"No. You're about to plunge into me with a horse needle." But Dominic grinned, and looked up to kiss his lovers lips softly. "That's the ticket, love. Stay with Toni, alright?"

"All right." He returned the gentle kiss carefully, and watched as the medication was injected into his lover's arm, and then stepped out of the way as he was wheeled out of the room.

- = - = -

Lionel was pacing back and forth in the small recovery room. His lover had just been wheeled in moments ago, and his agitation was growing by the second, especially when the doctor was nowhere to be seen. The orderlies had brought Dominic in and moved him gently to the small bed, and made sure the lights were lowered so they wouldn't be too bright and painful upon awakening.

But they'd had no news for him, other than to tell him that Dominic should be coming around soon, should be waking up soon, and that the doctor should be with them soon.

Soon, soon, soon, and Lionel was almost ready to start barking orders, buying the hospital, and demanding to know what was going on with his husband.

Toni was watching Lionel pace like a caged… well... lion, but didn't say a word. Dr. Bryce had supervised the entire cat scan, and she'd sat with Lionel, explaining to him the procedure and what they were looking for. It had taken an hour and forty five minutes to complete, with fifteen minutes prep time and fifteen minutes recovery time, checking vitals. The IV had already been taken out, and the back of Dominic's hand was bruised and slightly swollen, as she gently stroked it. "Its alright, honey. Why don't you just take a seat? Should be coming around in ten minutes or so."

"And where, exactly, would you like me to take the seat to, Toni? To the doctor, where I can sit and perhaps stare enough to move things along in a timely manner? To the door, where I can scare off anyone who tries to come in? Tell me, Toni, where, precisely, would you like me to take the seat to?" He kept pacing, glaring at the bruising on the back of his husband's hands, glaring at the cracked-open door, glaring at anything that came in his path, actually.

"Right there." She pointed to the chair pulled up to the other side of Dominic's bed, and grinned at Lionel, eyebrow raising. "Calm your temper on down, sweetie pie, mmkay? things are going just fine. Dominic did wonderfully through the scan, took to the medicine like a dream, and he's going to wake up soon without ever knowing what happened to him. So take a seat and calm down. You don't want him to panic, do you?" An eyebrow.

"I will worry about that panic once he is awake to panic," Lionel said brusquely. "I will be much more sanguine about things once he is awake and can speak to me, rather than lying there like a limp doll!"

Toni looked across at Dominic. He looked rather peaceful, actually, just like he might when he's sleeping. Comfortable, actually. "I kind of envy him. I wish I could take a two hour power nap in the middle of the day. Jerk."

"Then you are more than welcome to accept the sedation in lieu of him next time." He continued to pace, sidestepping the chair as it got in his way.

"Would you have rather we put him in that tube while he was awake?" She asked demurely, brow arching up high as she leaned back in her seat and rubbed her belly.

He just glared at her without answering. "Where in the bloody hell is that damnable doctor?"

"Mmm."

A quiet noise… a shift. Dominic opened his eyes quietly... expelled a quiet sigh, and looked at the ceiling for a minute. Didn't really recall where he was… then it hit him, and he opened his eyes further, looking across both at Toni, and then at his husband, and blinked. His voice was raspy with sleep but he spoke anyway, yawning softly before he did. "Well, then. That wasn't so bad."

Lionel stopped in mid-step and swerved his bulk in the small room, shifting and turning to face his lover as soon as he heard him speaking. "Dominic?" he asked softly, going to his knee by the bed and wrapping Dominic's hand in both of his own. "Are you all right?"

"'Course I am." He muttered, even as he lay back into the blankets and yawned again, having the decency to cover his mouth this time. "A bit nauseous. Ah... hallo, Toni."

"Dominic." Toni smiled, as she rose up herself, putting her stethoscope to her ears and picking up his other wrist, the metal circular disk against his wrist and her fingers against his pulse point at his throat. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm. How did everything go?"

"We're waiting for the doctor to come in now and tell us," Lionel said gently. "He hasn't shown his face since the procedure." He ignored Toni's rolling eyes.

But just as Lionel said that, Anthony knocked on the door. "Our patient awake?" Then he peeked around and saw bleary eyes and a yawning mouth. "Dominic! You're awake and back with the land of the living. Can I come in and talk to you a bit? Or do you need to rest a little longer?"

"No, its quite alright." He answered, as he sat up, blinking as Toni pushed the button to raise the top of the bed, and glared at her. "There are reasons I don't go to amusement parks, love. Warn next time."

She smirked lightly at him, and nodded at the men as she stood back. "Pulse is good, no fever." Toni informed her colleague. "Just nauseous...secondary reactions from the sedative."

"That's great!" Anthony looked to the side and flicked the lights on the light board, so that he could put up the film that he'd gotten from the scan. "Dominic, Lionel... congratulations. You're the father of a bouncing baby concussion." He pulled out his little red pointer. "See? Here, here, and here. You've got three major sites of swelling, but thankfully, no bleeding. Your headaches are being caused by this swelling, here," he said, narrowing in on the one behind his sinus cavity. "It's pressing down on your sinuses and causing the headaches."

"Oh... that's fabulous." Dominic gave a very slow breath, as his fingers found his lovers and squeezed them, tight, threading their fingers together. "And what can be done about it, then?" He asked, as he looked at the films... squinted… then reached for his glasses on the side table, pushing them onto his nose.

"Well, we're going to prescribe you some light anti-inflammatories, and hope that helps bring the swelling down. Otherwise, we're just going to keep an eye on you, and have you back in three weeks. If the swelling hasn't gone down, then we'll operate."

Lionel looked down at their clasped hands, and their wedding rings, and then he looked back up. "Surgery?"

Anthony nodded. "Yes. We'll be drilling small holes at the site of each swelling, to hopefully relieve some of the pressure inside of the cranium and allow it to go down. But that's a last resort; I feel certain that the drugs will take care of it."

"So... no meningitis, then?" He had to make everything clear, as stupid as it sounded, even as he squeezed Lionel's fingers gently. "And what the bloody hell are the inflammations from? I've... had two really jarring spills, but I didn't feel anything wrong." Dominic tipped his head. "I haven't felt anything, but the headaches." And he shook his head, pinching his nose. "What of the night terrors?"

Anthony traded a look with Toni. "I haven't consulted with Dr. Braxton yet about the spinal tap, Dominic. But with the evidence of the swelling, I'd be willing to stake my reputation to the fact that you do not have meningitis. However, if she feels it a prudent course of action in this case, I will, of course, bow to her expertise in your case."

Toni gave him a look that, if it were a solid thing, would have killed him on the spot. "No, Dominic. If you get other symptoms in the next week that might point towards meningitis, we'll bring you in and do the tap here. Symptoms include... ah... headache, drowsiness, high temperature... aching joints, stiff neck. Dislike of light. And seizures." Her glare shot back at Dr. Bryce. Yeah, dare him to say Dominic wasn't having eight of the ten symptoms.

"Also, if you start feeling ill, even if you think it's just a simple cold, you have to come in. Lionel, Dominic... it's infections like that--cold, influenza, pneumonia, even a simple ear or sinus infection--that can migrate to the meningia, which are the tissues over your brain and spine, and once those are infected, you've got a nice case of meningitis. The longer you want to come, the more chance it's going to be of a fatal case of it, and even if you don't die, then you will have permanent brain damage."

Dominic paled for a moment, listening to them silently. "Right. Okay...can you explain then what goes into a spinal tap? I know a bit of general knowledge, but I'd like to know the procedure, and how long it will take...if it will keep me from my work, etcetera." Dominic nodded, even as he squeezed his lovers fingers tightly.

Anthony nodded. "Taps have been refined in the last few years, but the procedure is this: You'll be positioned on a table, likely in the fetal position, or if that isn't comfortable for you, we'll have you lay your head and arms along the table, but either position is merely to make sure your spine is extended to it's full length, and it's a fairly straight line. You'll be given Novocain, a local anesthetic, to numb your lower back. Once the anesthetic has taken effect, a needle will be inserted to the base of your spine--the spinal canal, not the cord itself, don't worry--and we'll withdraw some of the cerebrospinal fluid. We only need a couple of tablespoons, so the collection won't take long at all." Anthony opted for a little smile here. "After the tap, you get to live a life of leisure for the rest of that day. You'll need to lie down, drink a lot of caffeine--coffee, tea, and soda--and a lot of it. At least two quarts a day for a couple of days after the test, and you'll be off your feet for about a day and a half. If you have a headache, don't take anything for it. Just drink more caffeine. If you have to take something, try Excedrin. It contains a great deal of caffeine."

Taking fluid out of his spine didn't sound like the grapes and strawberries that Dr. Bryce was making it seem, and Dominic looked at him for a long moment. "It hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" Cut to the chase.

"Only if the needles crapes against nervous system tissues, which is why we like to anesthetize your back and keep you as still as possible, so the bore of the needle doesn't shift and scrape. We've been able to take the pain out of the procedure in the last few years."

When the doctor didn't directly answer the question, Dominic understood, and he nodded, quietly. "Alright. I understand the risk you're telling me, and I understand why you're hesitant to do it. If you feel its for the best, I have no problems with it. Id rather like to live for the next fifty years."

Anthony sighed. "The risks are actually minimal, but they are there. Since we do not actually compromise the spinal column itself, the chance of you being crippled or anything such like that is impossible, but there is a one to two percent chance of infection, a small burst blood vessel in the canal, things of that nature. Nothing fatal, nor even uncomfortable."

He nodded, and his throat bobbed. "Alright." A moment to think, as he looked up at his husband, his throat tight and aching. "Where do we go from, now? Am I allowed to go home?"

"That's up to you. We can be prepared to do the spinal tap in an hour, once we're expressed the right equipment, and we can do that now, if you and Dr. Braxton think it's necessary. Otherwise, yes. You're free to go." He tugged the x-ray film down from the light board and flipped it off, and tucked the films into Dominic's chart. "If you'd like, I can let the three of you confer together."

Lionel shook his head. "I don't think there's a need for conference. Do it. I don't want anything left to chance, or anything to happen because it could have been prevented. There's to be nothing lacking in my husband's care."

Dominic's throat bobbed, tightly, and he nodded, looking up at his lover before across at the doctor. "I think so, too. If its not too much of a troubling thing, anyway, I'm open for it. I've never had anyone in my family contract meningitis, but I've been the first for many things along my mothers brood. So... yes." He squeezed Lionel's hand convulsively for a moment.

Lionel didn't let go of Dominic's hand, and he returned the tight grip with an iron one of his own.

Anthony nodded. "For some reason, I thought you'd say that. The equipment is on the way here by helicopter; we should have it in about half an hour. Meanwhile? Mr. Senatori-Luthor needs his rest."

His throat tightened all the more, and he looked up at his lover, nodding gently. "Alright, then. Will you and Dr. Braxton excuse us for a little bit? I'd like to talk to my husband."

"Of course, hon." Toni, who'd remained quiet after she got her way, nodded. "If you need anything, we'll be out by the front desk, mmkay?"

Anthony nodded, and followed Toni out of the room, and closed the door behind them.

Lionel flicked the door lock behind them and turned back around to his lover, wrapping his arms around Dominic's waist and squeezing tightly. "This is why I had to be here."

Dominic finally let himself shake, gasping softly as he grasped his lovers shoulders tightly, holding him close and hugging tightly as he trembled. He didn't say a word, just holding his lover, tightly, and closed his eyes as he lay his cheek on Lionel's shoulder. "I'm glad you came, my husband."

"You're going to be fine," Lionel said softly. "You are." He rubbed Dominic's back gently, holding him tight, rubbing his cheek against Dominic's. "I love you. I wouldn't leave you alone."

Dominic gave Lionel one final squeeze and let go, instead looking at him and holding his hands as he crossed his legs Indian style and sat up. "I love you. What… what do you make of all this? The tap is necessary, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's necessary. I won't take any risks where you're concerned, Dominic. I won't. I won't lose you." He brought Dominic's hands to his mouth and kissed them gently. "I think that your tap is going to result in nothing, but I'd rather take the chance than not."

"I would, as well, even if those whole, needle up the back business sounds a bit bad to me. Though if its this man doing it, I trust it. He seems like a well put together chap, doesn't he?" he tipped his head at his lover, even as he squeezed Lionel's fingers gently. "I'm worried, love, but not a lot. Id bet anything the swelling in my brains from my stupid brother. Bastard. I'm too old to get beaten up, you know." Another squeeze to those hands, and he squeezed and brought them in close, to his heart. "Everything's going to be alright though, right?"

"Of course it's going to be all right," Lionel answered, before he even had to think about it, and he flattened his fingers against Dominic's chest. "Everything is going to be fine."

Dominic just nodded, quietly...his throat was aching and tight, and he closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a silent, deep breath as he calmed himself down. He was not panicking. Not yet. He knew the spinal tap was going to be a horrible experience, but he was quiet, silent, as he closed his eyes and calmed himself down. "I know it is. I have faith it will be. I like Dr. Bryce, love, but Toni has made the right calls time and time again. I trust her. And if she says I need to have this, than I need to have it."

"I agree," Lionel said quietly, stroking his hands over his lover's shoulders. "You need to have it. You're going to be fine; I trust Toni and you're in good hands. She's put us both back together again, and we're both standing here because of her, and she has done the right thing."

He looked up, somber and quiet, and motioned to the room with an absent hand. "I really hate hospitals, baby. After the tap, lets go home, okay? I don't want to stay here overnight."

"Of course we'll be going home." Lionel caught the motioning hand and brought it back to his chest. "We'll go home as soon as possible."

"Promise me?" He was shaking again and he grasped his lovers shirt for a moment, twitching at the fabric as he leaned forward to wrap his arms back around him. "Lionel, I'm so sorry for all the shit I put you through. I love you, my love. There are times, even for our love, that I wish you hadn't had to put up with me and all of my problems."

"I promise." Lionel tightened his grip on Dominic's shoulders as he leaned into his lover's arms. "You've got nothing to be sorry about, Dominic. I don't mind. You are human, and you have problems. I have had my share of problems too, don't you think?" He stroked his lover's cheeks gently with his thumbs.

"Of course you have. But I'm supposed to be strong for you." He said softly, as he listened to his lovers beating heart. "Sometimes… sometimes I wonder if I have been." Quietly admitted, as he grasped his lovers waist and hugged him, gently, eyes closed as he rested. "I'm not going to panic, you know. About this. I refuse."

"You are strong for me." He looked down. "Don't you ever think you're not." He stroked his chin over the top of his lover's head carefully. "You have been strong for me always." He kissed Dominic's head gently. "I will panic quietly for the both of us."

"I can help. I'm good at the panic game." Dominic whispered, as he pressed his cheek against his lovers collar bone, now, and his forehead into his lovers cheek. "I love you so much, my husband. I'm so glad you're a stubborn jackass and came. If not, I'd be flipping out, by now, you know." He looked up. "I'm going to be fine, husband."

"I love you more than I can say," Lionel said seriously, and made Dominic look up to him. "You are going to be fine. Do you hear? Because I say so, and I will always have my way." He kept his lover's face in a firm grip. "You can tell me to stay home all you want. I will not obey you, not when I know you need me."

"You are God, after all." Dominic murmured, as his lover took his face in hand, and looked up at him, quietly. "I know. I'm glad you're an arrogant, loving husband." He wrapped his arms around him again, quietly. "I'm not particularly worried, yet. Not yet, anyway. Meningitis is curable. Head bangs... it all had better go down, because I'm not having them shave away the few precious hairs I've got left."

"I'll give you some of mine in a transplant," Lionel promised softly, pressing his lips to Dominic's forehead and holding him tightly. "I'm not afraid to admit that I am worried."

Dominic's eyes were shining over as he leaned against his lover but he let go, shaking his head and looking upwards until the tears cleared. "No. Everything's alright. Now stop making me sad and tell me how work was when you got there this morning. I'm certain that Charlie is doing his job, yes? And does Lex know we're here?"

"Charlie is doing quite fine, actually. I was very impressed. He and Mr. West have developed quite a rapport, and seem to be working together in harmony. Lex has, I'm afraid, appropriated your office for the day, as his things are in the Hercules building now, and everything is running smoothly. He does indeed know we're here, and he's postponed his meeting with Gabe until three this afternoon to accommodate."

"I don't think I'll be going, love." Dominic answered, though he smiled a little. "After this I'll probably go home. Unless you need me at the offices for anything dire?"

"Nothing at all," Lionel said firmly. "And no, I don't think you should go. I know that Lex has rescheduled the meeting, but I don't believe that he knows you're undergoing the second procedure tonight. While they're tapping you, I'll ring him and let him know."

Dominic nodded, quietly. "Home. Bed. In that order. If the pain gets to be too much, I might have you come home with me too, alright? But you should head over to the offices first, and see about Lex's meeting." he looked up at him. "Don't be cross with him, lover."

"If?" Lionel gave a little smile. "I am coming home with you. I will see you settled. And then I will tend to Lex and the offices." He met Dominic's eyes. "I won't be cross with him, Dominic, but I am angry."

"Don't be." He pled, quietly. "beloved, don't be cross. Its alright, I promise. Lex is following his heart... you taught him to always follow his ambitions and his dreams, and he's doing it. Don't be angry because--" He looked up as Toni knocked and cracked the door open. "Yes, darling?"

"We just got the kit downstairs, honey." She motioned a hand. "We're going to get you ready for this, kay?" She stepped in, and closed the door behind her.

Lionel looked down. "I know what you are saying, Dominic. And for your sake, I will keep it in mind." Lionel clasped both of Dominic's hands in his as he turned at looked at Toni. "What can I do?"

"Dr. Bryce is going to perform it right here. He'll be the most comfortable after its done, and its a proper environment." Toni answered, as she went to the wall and took down a new set of gloves and a mask for Lionel. "You'll want to put this on when Dr. Bryce tells you too, mmkay?"

"All right." Lionel took the gloves and the mask as they were handed to him, and stepped out of the way, to the other side of the room. "How long should this take, Toni?"

"From ten to thirty minutes." Toni answered, as she got more things down from one of the shelves. "I'm going to assist Dr. Bryce, okay? I've only done two of these, and its been a while. He's the expert. But its going to take up till about thirty minutes, because the fluid has to drip passively... meaning, its got to go by itself. We can't pull it out."

"Wonderful." Dominic muttered, quietly.

Toni smiled, but gently, as she got down the long sheets from the shelf as well. "Alright, honey." She moved the mattress down with the button, so it was lying flat. "Take your hospital shirt off, there. You can cover up, up to the hips, kay?"

Lionel moved himself further out of the way, watching Dominic get situated on the bed. He eased out of his suit jacket and everything, down to his shirt sleeves, and folded them out of the way, into the tiny closet in the room. Then he snapped on the gloves, flexing them on his fingers and sliding the mask in place, tossing his hair over his shoulder.

The door to the room opened, and in came a nurse, with a smile on her face and a syringe in her hand. "Hi, Dominic! I'm Jennie, and I'm Dr. Bryce's nurse." She held up the syringe. "This is a muscle relaxant, and it's going to take about half an hour to take effect, okay, hon? As soon as you're relaxed, Dr. Bryce is gonna be in here to get you started." A pet to his arm. "And don't you worry. Anthony knows just what he's doing, and you won't feel a thing." She looked over at Toni. "Doctor Braxton, do you need help getting him prepped and sterilized?" A look over her shoulder to Lionel. "You, mister, are going to need a cap for that hair, or you're going to have to leave the room."

"No, I think I've got it." Toni watched as Dominic shed the shirt and lay back, and nodded even as she began opening the surgical sheet. "Can you get this open, sweetie?" She asked of Jennie, as she turned and moved around to the other side of the bed. "Here we go, Dominic... turn on your side. There, that's the way." She helped him move, just so, and nodded. "Now pull your knees up, like you're cuddling in bed. There... there. perfect. Neck forward a little... there we go." She pulled the blanket more around his hips, modestly, as he got into the right position. "How comfortable are you?"

"Okay." Dominic said, as he lay on his pillow, using the extra one to hold against his stomach, so he could lean against it. "Right here. I can stay like this for however long you need me to."

Jennie nodded as she quickly injected the muscle relaxant into Dominic's system, and then dropped the needle into the biohazard canister. She grabbed a corner of the sheet and helped Toni settle it over the patient, making sure Dominic's lower back was exposed. She did a brief, cursory exam, and showed Toni where the doctor was likely going to dock the needle. "I'll be back with a cap for you," she said, glaring at Lionel as she bustled out.

Lionel moved to sit at the head of the bed, so that he could see Dominic in his new position. "There you are. Cozy and curled up just as much as I've ever seen you."

"Ignore the bruises." Dominic muttered back at the both of them, then listened as Jennie left. "Lionel got too excited day before yesterday." A little smile, even if his hands were ice cold, and he pressed them close together under the pillow he was holding close to him. "Stay close, Lionel, okay?"

"Yeah, I was wonderin' about that. Lionel, Lionel, Lionel. All those rumors are true." A light smirk, as she snapped her own gloves on and began to take out her things. Alcohol, cotton balls, iodine, and all of the bandages they'd need for after the tap.

"What rumors, doctor?" He gave his lover a smile. "That I happen to be an overly-attentive, overzealous lover?" He nodded. "Of course I'll stay close."

"Of course." She smirked, though it was a light one, and looked up as Jennie entered again. "Alright, now. Get the cap on, Lionel. Jennie, you start rubbing the area down hun? I'm going to get an IV started."

Dominic's throat was very tight and hot as he closed his eyes for a moment. "It won't be too bad, right Toni?"

"No. of course not." Lying. Through. Her teeth. "I'm going to get the IV in the hand from before, mmkay? So you won't have two bruised hands." She set the IV bag and stand next to him, carefully, and with quick hands and a quicker eye, got the IV threaded before he could blink.

Jennie handed the cap to the elderly gentleman, and watched carefully as he tucked all of his luxuriant hair away, and then nodded. "Of course, doctor." She gave the patient another smile as she moved behind him, picking up the iodine and starting to swab the skin that shone through the drape, with brisk, clinical movements. "You'll be just fine, young man."

"Mmm. I hope so, madam." Said of course quietly, because HELLO drugs. He was relaxing, slowly but quietly, and his muscles let go of their tensed position, resting against the sheets. He closed his eyes, for a moment, sighing softly. "You guys have the best drugs."

"Of course we do," she said with a little laugh. "We get them straight from the source." She adjusted the surgical drape again, then picked up another syringe from the tray. "You're going to feel just a little pinch here, Dominic. You're going to get an injection here." She pressed her fingers to the base of his spine, between the lowest vertebrae. "It's going to deaden your nerves here, so you don't feel anything. All right? So don't panic."

Whoa Pinch! Pinch was about right. He winced softly as he felt the needle go into his back, but he was so relaxed he couldn't squirm. "Okay. I can feel it." he muttered, as he reached drowsily for his lovers hand. "Ow. That's not pleasant."

Jennie reached over and smacked Dominic's hand. "You just tuck that hand right back, sir, because if you move during this tap, even to squeeze his hand, then you'll get a blood vessel nicked, and the first thing you know we'll be doing this all over again."

"Okay. Won't move. Sorry." He answered back, and let his eyes close again. His neck cuddled in a little more, quietly, as his body grew more relaxed, and he sighed softly as he rested against the sheets. "I'm kind of nervous. Is this going to be very bad, Ms.?"

"You can call me Jennie, and of course not. It's just going to be a little pinch, a little pressure, and before you know it, it's going to be over." She patted his shoulder again. "Oh, that Soma's working very nicely for you, isn't it? Well, you're all ready, and I'm going to bustle out of here, and Dr. Bryce will be right in to take care of you, all right?"

"Okay. Thank you." He murmured, even as he opened his eyes to look at his lover. "She was totally lying. I'd bet you anything." He heard Toni step out, as well, and was left alone with his lover, grasping his hand, tightly now, just for a few moments, to squeeze. "Don't leave."

Lionel squeezed back. "Nothing could tear me away, Dominic. Nothing." He laced his gloved fingers tightly through his lover's. "I'll be here for every step of it."

Okay." he relaxed all the more, closing his eyes for a few long moments. "I was thinking about Aurora, you know. Its so odd… even though she's not here yet, she... kind of is. I don't want to embarrass myself in front of her."

"You won't," Lionel said softly. "You won't embarrass yourself in front of her at all. Toni will talk to her later tonight and make sure that she understands what is happening. That sometimes... even the strongest, bravest fathers get sick."

"Okay." A little grin. "We're so odd. She doesn't even know she exists yet. She will, though, my darling little girl." Another yawn, but he cut it off mid way as he heard the door open again. "Is that him, love?"

Lionel looked over his shoulder. "Yes, it is." He let go of his lover's hand, and tucked it back under the blanket. "Doctor."

"Mr. Luthor, Mr. Senatori-Luthor." Anthony nodded, but the jovial nature of the consultation was gone, and he settled onto the stool beside the bed. "How are we feeling, Mr. Senatori-Luthor? Are we ready to go?" He snapped a clean pair of gloves on as he came in, and brought a little tray with him.

A stand of four glass vials, a large intubation needle, the pressure gauge, and another syringe. "Feeling no pain, are we? Jennie told me she got you well taken care of." As he sat down, he felt against Dominic's pelvic bone, narrowing down the precise exertion point. "You're going to have to stay very still here, Dominic. Because if you shift, the needle will bust a blood vessel, we'll have a bloody tap, and we'll have to start all over again. Do you understand?"

"I understand. As for feeling, I'm feeling nervous, and sleepy. And kind of puky, but that's because I hate hospitals." He answered softly, and the distinctly *odd* feeling of foreign hands touching his back was just... too strange for words. "Could you tell me what you're going to do?"

"Certainly. Right now, I'm doing what's called, identifying landmarks. It helps me to find the tip of your pelvis bone, which then leads me to the insertion point, which is the fourth and fifth lumbar space at the base of your spinal canal. What I need you to do is to tell me if you feel pain at any time, all right?" Anthony marked the spot with a small black dot from his pen, just to make sure that he wouldn't lose it, and he picked up the needle.

"That's fine. Are the handprints landmarks?" he tried for a light joke and it choked somewhere in his throat, though he didn't dare move. "And after you find the insertion point, what will you do?" He asked softly, even as he looked up at his lover with a mild panic. "Stay close."

Anthony laughed, just a little. "The handprints I'm trying to ignore, actually, because I don't want to know the details." He smiled as he brought the needle closer. "After I find the insertion point? I insert the needle. I can let you see it, before I put it in, but I warn you, you can't get hysterical. It's better if you don't see it."

"I don't want to. I hate needles. I really, really hate needles." His eyes widened, though. "Hysterical? How bloody big is the thing?" A moment. "Don't tell me. Just do it. Really. Just go on ahead, and I'll stay still."

"All right. Remember, stay still and don't move." With a quick, firm push, Anthony seated the needle carefully in Dominic's back, watching the pressure gauge until it was the right depth, and he attached the first vial. "All right. We're going. It shouldn't be long now, no longer than ten, possibly fifteen minutes."

It pushed in, and Dominic saw stars. He gasped, eyes widening, and it took everything in him not to move as he made a very soft, very quiet keening noise of horrified pain. "Oh. Oh, God. Get it out. No fucking way. Oh, my God." He broke out into a cold sweat, gasping softly. The pain was unreal, like a tube being spindled through his body, and he bit his lip until he all but tasted blood, holding onto the pillow as tightly as he could without moving. "Oh, Jesus. Oh, fuck. Jesus Christ almighty."

"Dominic, I need you to be quiet and still now. You'll feel a little pressure, but it'll be all right. The fluid has to drain passively; we can't pull it out. Just be still, and stay calm," Anthony soothed.

"Pressure?!" Like his insides were being sucked out of the fucking NEEDLE? He grit his teeth, tightly, eyes watering as he closed his eyes, and oh, Jesus, this hurt so fucking bad. Pressure. Pressure his goddamned ass. It had to STAY? For fifteen MINUTES?! He bit his lip, tightly, and flicked his eyes up to his lover pleadingly. "Talk to me. Okay?"

Lionel shot his eyes over to the doctor, and received a quiet nod in answer. "All right. I should tell you that I'm exceedingly proud of you, for the way you handled Clark's father at breakfast the other morning. You stood up for someone you cared about, and I was very proud. I was even more proud because Lex acknowledged you as his father, and that made me happy."

"Oh, God." Dominic said, softly, through his teeth, trying to keep as still as was physically possible when a needle was stuck in his spine. "Oh, fuck, this hurts, you bunch of barbarian bastards." it hurt so bad, so bad, it was coming in waves and he felt a strange tingling going down his spine and the whole bloody thing was making his head swim and his eyes tear as he grit them. "Christ. Oh, God."

Anthony leaned forward and checked the gauge, careful not to disrupt the needle. "You're doing marvelously well, Dominic." He quickly closed the valve for an instant as he changed vials to the second one. "You're a quarter of the way done already."

"Piss off," Lionel told him softly. "I can't tell you how happy I felt when Lex said that. When he called you friend, and then father... I don't think I'd ever been as proud as I was in that instant," Lionel said as kept talking. "And you weren't afraid. You had Clark's welfare, and Lex's, foremost in your mind, and that's what you took care of."

"It hurts, baby. It hurts so bad, it hurts." Dominic grit out, even as he opened his eyes, concentrating on his lover as whimpers got lodged in his throat and were swallowed down. "They're my family. Everything for them, everything firs--...first. Fuck, oh, fucking hell. I'm going to kill Toni myself. That bitch. That true and total… oh, Christ." His eyes closed, tightly, as he felt the needle in his back. "Oh, Christ."

"You're not going to kill Toni, because she's carrying our daughter," Lionel said softly. "Our beautiful little princess, with blond braids and a pink taffeta dress," Lionel said softly. "Tapping down the hallway in her little white shoes, just like the ones you gave to Eleanor."

"E-Eleanor." Even with the muscle relaxants he was tensing up, so much pain radiating from his back, he couldn't believe the sharpness or the quickness of it, and his eyes closed, tightly. "How much more? Doctor Bryce, please. How much more?"

"Just stay calm, Dominic. You've got a while to go yet; you've only filled one of the four vials. It's going to take another five or ten minutes yet."

Wasn't going to make it. He was going to rip this needle out of his back and stab the doctor bloody with it. His eyes closed, though, as he let out a long, soft breath, even as the vials filled. "Four. Four of them. He's going to take four." He muttered, half to himself, even as he opened his eyes again. "Going to see Elaine?" He asked, pleading for his lover to talk to him about anything, ANYTHING to get his mind off of this. "Saturday?"

"Yes, we are, and we're going to meet Clark and Lex at the penthouse for a very late lunch before the competition. Lex is taking Clark out to look for a suit for the competition and tuxedo for the dance." He gave a little smile. "Not to mention the fact that Lex is making arrangements to have his salary deposited in a new account that's in his and Clark's name both."

"Oh, good. Said he had to be sneaky. Lex is Slytherin, after all, he knows how to be sneaky." His voice trembled quietly, as he did it. "My God. Even the kidney stone didn't hurt this bad. Why the fuck is it so bad? Christ." More breaths, soft and even. "Lex is good. Clark and Lex, suit, all very good. We can drive up there, if I'm well."

"Of course you'll be well," Lionel scoffed. "And I gather he wasn't sneaky. He just asked if Clark would like to share an account with him, and Clark said he would." A lean forward. "Do you know that Clark's been offered a contract with the Daily Planet? They're going to reprint his articles from that school paper that he writes."

"That's so good. He's such a smart lad." His face was crunched in concentration, as the pain took him over in waves. "Very good, very good indeed. I'll scream and jump for joy later, okay? And we'll go out and have a big dinner." His ears were ringing even as he said it.

"Lex has also invited us to appear in a magazine with he and Clark. Apparently he thinks it would be an appealing picture, showing that even two male lovers can comprise a healthy, stable family. Of course, anyone who knows who the Luthors are will know that's a complete pile of horse shit, but I'm honored that he asked."

Anthony switched vials again. "There we go. You're halfway through, Dominic. Just two more to go, this one and one more."

Yeah, right. He wanted to sob hysterically in pain. The tension and pain was really, truly, unbelievable, and he winced again, hard, as he closed his eyes. He was going to pass the hell out, and he tried not to think about what was going on behind him as he grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. "Oh, God. Fucking hell. Fuck. Jesus Christ."

Lionel was shooting daggers at the doctor, but he knew better than to touch his lover in comfort. "What do you say? Would you like to be in a magazine with Lex?" he asked softly, trying to distract his lover from the procedure. "But, you do have to promise that you won't put rabbit ears on him," he said sternly.

"You're doing great, Dominic. How are you feeling?" Anthony watched the pressure on the tap gauge, and made sure the fluid was still flowing.

"Like there's a n-needle shoved up my back." He groaned, softly, though the words were soft as the ringing in his ears increased. "My ears are ringing." He said, just as softly, even as he opened his eyes and tried to look at him. "Magazine. With Lex. Where?"

"I do believe that he's intending to have it done at one of our beach homes, possibly Bruce's house in the Caribbean, or one of my islands. It seems as though Clark has this idea for a beach and ocean centered layout, and Lex seems to like it."

"Beach. That's good." He closed his eyes and breathed out through his teeth softly. The plastic of the needle holder was laying against the skin of his back, the needle was so far in and he stayed as still as he could, even if he wanted to move, desperately, to get the pain away. His eyes teared with it and he grit his teeth, harder, grinding them as he held onto the pillow. "I can't believe this is... this is something you people do. Barbarians. All this... technology… and... you still have to stick... stick needles up peoples backs."

Anthony gave a small laugh. "I understand the sentiment, Dominic. But this is nothing compared to the taps of even just a few years ago. But this is a necessary procedure, and one I hope that we won't have to repeat again in your lifetime."

"Never...fucking...again." He grit, darkly, even as he looked across the bed at his lover, who was still close, but not close enough. "Come here… come closer, please, come here."

Anthony shook his head gently at Lionel. "I'm sorry, Dominic, but I don't want either of you moving because even an accidental bump of the table could cause the needle to move."

Dominic didn't say anything, just closed his eyes again, and breathed deeply into the pillow, as he swallowed around the pain radiating out of his lower back. It was horrible, the worst thing he'd ever felt in his entire life, and that was saying something. "Rather get shot again."

"I wouldn't," Lionel said dryly. "But that might be because I am not the one under the needle. Rather, I would like this procedure to end. Quickly. So that I may take you home and let you recover comfortably."

"Not. Under. Needle." Dominic muttered, but he had calmed down from his initial screams of pain, and he was just wallowing in it, teeth gritting as the doctor did what he had to do. "Almost over, doctor?"

"Almost!" chirped the doctor. "You've only got another vial and a half to go, and then, you'll be lying here, relaxing and drinking a soft drink." He smiled. "You're doing excellently well."

Lionel leaned forward conspiratorially, just a little bit. "Shall I hold him down while you eviscerate him with the needle?"

"Tell me when and I swear on all that's holy." Dominic muttered, but he was in too much pain to do anything else. He just kept his eyes closed, quiet, his trembles receding as he struggled to keep still, because he did not want to ever do this again. His throat was tight, his eyes shut, and his breathing slow and as even as he possibly could. His head was beginning to throb from staying as still as possible and he winced as the doctor brushed against his already swollen back. "Hurts."

"We'll corner him together this weekend, after you've sufficiently recovered," Lionel said with a firm nod. We'll stalk him, have him held down, and you can do whatever you'd like to the man."

Anthony gave a nervous little laugh, but he played it off as the joke he was fervently hoping it was. "You're almost done, Dominic. One more vial to go."

"I can't, I can't." Dominic gasped it, even as he held onto the pillow harder, grasping it in his hands as he shook his head, tightly. "So m… much for being strong, Lionel, so much for strength, of god, oh God, fucking hell!"

"Don't move!" yelled the doctor sharply.

Dominic squeezed his eyes shut all over again and grasped the pillow under white knuckled hands, squeezing it as tightly as his eyes. "I'm n-not, I'm not moving, I'm not!"

"You're moving your head, which causes your spinal column to move, and could break blood vessels. Now be still." Anthony's voice was still sharp.

"Doctor Bryce, I will thank you not to take such a tone with my husband," Lionel said quietly.

"Lionel, shut up. Don't do it now." Dominic grit, and kept his head still again, even as he held on. Couldn't take anymore of this, couldn't, no, worse than torture.

"He's not going to talk to you like that," Lionel said softly, but kept his peace on the rest of it. "Doctor, please, how much longer?"

Anthony examined the vial. "Only a few more seconds; it's nearly half full."

"Never doing this again. Never. Hate hospitals. Hate them. Hate. I'm going to kill Toni. I'm going to kill you. Barbarians. This is so horrible." If he listened to himself talk, it wasn't so bad. "Not so strong now, Lionel."

"We're not barbarians, Dominic," Anthony said with a smile. "This is the only way we can retrieve a sample of your cerebrospinal fluid to test. And you shouldn't hate hospitals. We help people to live long, healthy lives whenever and wherever we can."

"Hah bloody hah. I have to do this again and I won't be leading a long, healthy life." He grunted, squeezing his eyes shut. "When...when do you have to do this? For other people? Just for tests?"

"Just for tests," he nodded. "We don't administer any medications this way, nor anything else. This is merely like... think of it as like drawing blood, for labwork. Only we're not drawing blood, we're drawing spinal fluid." As he spoke, Anthony capped off the last vial, and put it back in the stand. "You're done. I'm going to pull the needle out--you might feel an increase of pressure for a moment, and then I'm going to put a bandage over the puncture. As soon as I've done that, I need you to roll over on your back, and we'll bring you something to drink. Are you still with me?"

He was. Sort of. He was just aching with pain, and he grit his teeth tightly. "If you mean have I passed out yet, no. Unfortunately not. As for lying on my back, isnt that worse?" But he didn't say anything else, just grasping the pillow as tightly as he could and closing his eyes. By pressure the man meant agony, and he braced himself mentally for it even as he kept his eyes tightly closed.

Anthony quickly got the bandage open, pulling the sterile gauze out of the package and getting ready to hold it in place. "On the count of three. One... two... three." On three, he pulled the needle out quickly, almost as fast as it had gone in, and he pressed the clean, cool gauze to the site. Four quick little rips had surgical tape holding the gauze down, and Anthony pressed on Dominic's shoulder. "On your back now. You might have a slight headache, but when I take these samples out to the lab, I'm going to send Jennie back in here with a nice, cold, soft drink. How does that sound?"

"GNUH!" Dominic yelled it, loudly, as the needle came out and all but scraped against his vertebrae and he gave another low cry even as the doctor covered the area quickly and tightly, and then the hand but he couldn't speak, just rolling over onto his back, his aching muscles stretching out, and gasped as he did, closing his eyes again and turning a shade paler. "Oh, good Christ almighty."

"You were a real trooper, Dominic." He held up one of the vials. "You see this? It's clear, not cloudy, which is the main visual test we do to make sure that your fluid isn't infected with anything. I'm going to run it down to the lab myself and have them rush it through, because it's an urgent test, and I should be back in... oh, about an hour or so, all right?"

Dominic opened his eyes, blearily, and stared at the clear fluid that HAD COME OUT OF HIS BACK and just nodded, rolling his head the other way and closing his eyes. He was shaking again, softly, and he tried for clear breaths as he made quiet sounds of horror. "Fuck me. That was so terrible. I hate Toni. I hate her like hell. Come here, Lionel, please."

Lionel all but shoved the doctor out of the way as he went to sit on the side of the bed by his lover. "You don't hate Toni. She only wants to make sure that you are alive, well, and healthy enough to be here for Aurora for many years to come."

Anthony just barely caught the vial he'd been holding and slid it safely back into the rack with the other four. "Seems like you'll be in good hands. Would you actually prefer tea, rather than a soft drink? It's up to you, but I do need you to drink one of the two. The caffeine will help with the headache, should you end up with one."

Dominic didn't answer, just staying quiet for a moment. He was not going to faint. He refused, outright, goddammit. He would not faint. He just held onto his lover, quietly, and his hands and wrists, keeping them close to him even as his back seized with muscle cramps... and slowly loosened, softly. "Christ. Jesus. I don't care. Whatever. Leave me be for a few minutes."

In case the doctor missed it, Lionel clarified it. "Get out. Don't come back until you have the results." He slid his fingers through Dominic's and squeezed gently. "There we are, little cricket."

Anthony spared a little smile for how cute they were, and he slid out the door. At the desk, he instructed Jennie to make sure Dominic had at least a half-liter of caffeine before he got off his back, and to start with sweetened tea but have soda on standby.

Jennie nodded as the doctor disappeared into the elevator and down to the lab, and then she bustled to the back and opened the little refrigerator. She got out a can of Pepsi, put it in the little tray, along with a cup of ice, a straw, and then she filled a pitcher with iced tea. Humming softly to herself, she carried it down to Dominic's room, and nudged the door open with her hip. "There we are! Now, doctor's orders are for you to stay on your back, but I'm going to raise you up just a little bit so you can take a drink, all right? I've got Pepsi and tea, whichever you like, so you just let me know."

Dominic stared at her for a moment, with half lidded eyes. "I want to sleep. The bloody hell--" A wince, suddenly, when he realized he was talking to a woman. "Sorry. Cranky. That hurt so bad. Pressure, indeed." A little roll of his eyes, even as he took another deep breath.

Toni saw the doctor walk by, answered his wave with one of her own, and slid into the room right behind Jennie. "Hey, kiddos. How'd everything go?"

Dominic hissed at her. Didn't say anything, just glared... then winced when the nurse raised the bed up, then hissed again.

Lionel gave Toni a little wince. "I do believe he's upset with you, Toni."

Jennie just shouldered her way through. "You can swear at me all you want to, young man, it's not going to make a lick of difference to me. You're going to take this drink, and that's that."

"I'm not drinking anything. I can't hold anything down after a BLOODY NEEDLE WAS SHOVED UP MY SPINE!" Dominic bellowed at Toni, and snarled at her. "Necessary you say! Needed, you say! I just spent the last hour trying not to make myself throw up! And all you say is how DID EVERYTHING GO?!"

"Well, yeah." Toni said evenly, even as she smiled at him. "I think everything went well. How's the puncture site looking? Jennie, will you help me take a look?"

Jennie crossed her arms over her ample chest. "Yes, sir, you are, you're going to drink up every drop of this, or you're not gettin' out o'this room until you do!" But then she nodded at the doctor. "Of course I will." She poked Dominic's hip. "Onto your side again, you great oaf."

Lionel raised an eyebrow. "Delightful bedside manner you have there, miss."

"Lionel, please." Dominic whimpered again, even as he groaned and rolled back onto his side, grasping his lovers waist this time and pressing his face into his husband's thigh.

Toni carefully looked at the white bandage, already slightly moist with discharge, and peered at it before lifting one of the sides. "Oh, wonderful. Jennie, get a new dressing, alright?" Then, to Dominic and Lionel both. "This is a flawless puncture sight. Looks like it won't hurt you for more than a day or so, and it will bruise up truly spectacularly, but it'll be alright."

"Dominic, this is Toni. The mother of our daughter," he said softly. "Surely you trust her to take a look at your back," he continued calmingly.

"Yes, Doctor." Jennie hurried to do as she was told, pulling a new dressing from the cabinet in there, and tearing off four new pieces of tape to put it down with. "Here you are."

"Thank you." She said distractedly, as she pressed gently against one side of the puncture, and Dominic jerked. "Hush, now. There... it looks very nice." She set the gauze over it, then, making sure the puncture was in the middle, and gently pressed in close, so the antibacterial lotion on the gauze would do what it was designed to do. She quickly bandaged him up again, and smiled as she helped him turn back over. "You did really good, sweetie, I'm proud of you. Only one scream."

"Only one." Dominic grit, as he rolled back onto his back...hissed...and lay back against it, eyes closing.

"The doctor did tell us that the fluid was clear, which was a very good sign of no infection," Lionel said softly.

Jennie buzzed around the room, pouring tea into the cup with ice on it, and putting in the crooked straw so Dominic could sip from the cup and not move very much. "Here you are, lad. Drink up now."

He glared up at her, even as he sat up a little... hissed... and took the cup from her. "I'm alright. Thank you, though." He looked at Toni blearily, before back up at the woman. "Can I go home soon?"

"That'll be up to the doctor, dearie," she said kindly. "But he does want you to get an hour of rest on your back, and to make sure you get a good start of caffeine in you, so I'm to make sure you have a half liter of tea or soda in you before we let you go."

"That bastard." Dominic muttered under his breath, even as he gave the nurse a little smile. "Alright. Thank you." He drank the tea, for her, down to the last drop even if his stomach fluttered as it did before he got pukey, but he managed a small smile for her, anyway as he lay back down. "Toni? I adore you. Go away. Mmm?"

"Check." She smiled at him, leaned down to kiss his forehead, and motioned Jennie with her. "I'll see you tonight honey."

Jennie gave him a big, beaming smile. "That's the ticket, young man. Now drink up the rest of the pitcher, and you'll be right as rain." She followed Toni out after patting Dominic gently on the shoulder.

Lionel leaned over and rested his chin on his husband's shoulder. "Mmm. I think we're alone now."

He sagged against the sheets. Couldn't help it. Just let his eyes close, his stomach growling angrily at him for feeding it, and rubbed the upset away as much as he could. He breathed softly, quietly, and let his lover touch him even as he breathed. "Not strong." He whispered, softly, wincing and shifting his hips.

"Yes, you are. You actually made less noise than Lex did. He was put through one of these after the meteor shower, just as a precaution to make sure he hadn't contracted anything because of them, and I do believe he spent the entire time sobbing, not that I blamed him. It was heartbreaking to hear a child bawling like that." He rubbed his cheek against Dominic's. "You were quite strong, and quite brave."

"Hurt so bad." Dominic said softly, wincing quietly in the pain he'd just endured, and closed his eyes for a few minutes, to bask in the comfy, cozy glow of being alone. "Oh, my God. The needle was in my back, Lionel. That's the worst feeling I've ever endured. Even with the gunshot."

Lionel brought one hand up to stroke over his lover's forehead. "I can't imagine, though you should be able to commiserate with Lex when he sees you tonight." He kissed his lover's forehead gently, then moved down to his lips and pressed a chaste kiss there before settling back. "Sssh. Here... have something to drink. It's supposed to help the headache."

"Horrible." He muttered again, kissed back softly, though his eyes were closed and he wanted to sleep again. "I don't understand about the headache." He said softly, as he got up a little again and took the refilled cup of tea, drinking some of it again, though only half of the little cup. "I don't want anymore. I'm going to puke."

"Would you rather try the soda, then? See if it calms your stomach any?" He picked up the blue and red Pepsi can.

He shook his head. "Sleep, Lionel. Just for a while, kay?"

"You can't," he said softly. "You have to drink this before they'll let you go home."

"But I want to sleep." He said, very softly, very quietly, and perhaps he WAS whining a little bit, but he was entitled. He sighed, sitting up again, all the way… groaning as he rolled his shoulders forward, and pulled the blanket up his waist modestly as he took the can of soda and popped it open.

"I know you do." Lionel pulled the straw out of the tea glass and put it in the Pepsi can. "Here you are. As soon as you drink some of this, you'll be able to lie down and rest."

Dominic drank some more, nodding... then looked at his lover, gently, and quietly, for only a few moments. "You are such a good man. I love you, so much." He murmured, softly, and pressed a kiss to those beautiful lips.

Lionel returned the kiss as softly and as gently as he could. "I'm not a good man, Dominic. I just... muddle through, doing the best that I can." He kissed Dominic again, then brought his mouth down to kiss their clasped hands.

"Modesty doesn't look good on you." He said quietly, as he let go of one of Lionel's fingers and brought them to his cheek, looking into those lovely eyes gently. "You are a good man. I do love you, so deeply." A very gentle kiss to his lovers lips. "I need to sleep, love." He let go and drank the soda again, as much as he could without puking, swallowed down half the can before taking a breath, and nodded, taking another breath.

And drained the can.

"There. Now lets go the bloody hell home."

Lionel barely kept back the laughter, and instead, let a small grin peek out from under his beard. "Sleep," he said with a little chuckle. "Sleep now, and we'll go home as soon as the doctor comes back with your results."

"Dammit." Muttered as he lay back down on the bed… wincing again... and relaxing. "Lower the lights up there, eh? Give me a while to rest my love."

Lionel reached up and dimmed the lights, murmuring softly as he did. "There you are." He kissed Dominic's forehead gently, then his mouth again. "Rest. We'll wake you up when the doctor comes in."

"Okay."

And there he lay, for forty five minutes. It took him only a few minutes to fall asleep, and the dull throbbing in his back lessened enough for him to sleep fitfully and quietly. He didn't dream... he didn't have anything but a new, happy pounding behind his left eye, and he shifted, quietly, in the darkness of the room.

It was only then when he was aware of low voices talking, and he opened his sticky eyes quietly, blinking at the ceiling for a moment, before looking up. "'lo?"

Lionel looked up from where he was speaking quietly to the doctor, and he looked over at Dominic. "The results of your spinal tap are back."

-fin-

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