The Memoirs

Lex really couldn't help it. He was amused. Out of his bloody mind. Clark was clucking and hovering over him like he was a complete invalid who was going to keel over onto his face after walking two steps.

He was insanely amused at Clark's hand, that kept shooting out as though to catch him when he had no intention of falling.

He was insanely amused at Clark's little clicking noises, that sounded like Ms. Bird clicking her tongue in disgust but were coming instead from his lover.

He was amused by Clark's insistence that he wear a sweater in the last week of July, arguably the most swelteringly hot part of the dry Kansas summers.

He was amused by Clark's running commentary, half of which was aimed at shaming him and the other half praising him, and he bit his own tongue on the teasing comments about Clark's apparent schizophrenia.

Above all, though, he was amused by Clark's stalking. Pacing, back and forth in front of the door, growling every few moments if he heard someone coming close, and it was completely, and totally endearing to him. "Clark," he finally said, after watching the stalking for nearly five minutes. "I've been ready to go for the last three and a half minutes," he continued patiently.

Yes, Clark was stalking dammit. Why wouldn't he be?! Lex was supposed to be taken care of. He had three sweaters in his arms for Lex to chose from, as well as a thick duster, his lovers watch, cell phone, and rings. Clark had taken them off until Lex woke up to promote circulation.

He was cranky. And sleepy. And did he mention cranky?

"It's ninety-eight degrees outside, Clark. I'm sweating just looking at the sweaters, and I'm not going to wear the duster, either. And since I never sweat? That's saying something. Now, give me my ring and my watch."

"No!" Clark yelled, and thrust the sweaters in one hand, and the jackets in the other. "Pick! NOW!"

"NO!" Lex yelled back, just as clearly. "It's SUMMERTIME, Clark. You know, the time of year when most normal people are wearing shorts and tank tops, not bundled up like Eskimos?"

"You're not normal!" Clark yelled back, and as if to cement his point, he thunked a hat on top of Lex's head. "You spent the last three days unconscious! Its cold in the hospital! You've been sneezing! PUT A JACKET ON!"

"Of course I'm not normal!" Lex tossed the hat onto the bed, and sneezed again. "In case you haven't noticed, Clark? We have a bed full of dog hair and puppy dander. We have a house full of cat fur." He sneezed again, just for good measure. "I am not wearing a hat, nor a jacket, nor a sweater, or gloves either for that matter." He took his rings and his watch, sliding his mother's ring onto his pinky finger and the ring Clark had given him onto his left ring finger, and then slid his Napoleon watch onto his wrist where it belonged. Now that felt like home.

Clark was all but pink with anger. He just glared at his lover, growling low in his throat with the worn patience of an exhausted man. "Pick. One. its going to be cold in the hospital, Ms. Bird changed all the blankets and sheets so you're sneezing because you're starting to come down with something, now be a goddamned good aushna' and wear it!"

"Clark. No. Even us meta-humans sometimes have sneezing fits because of something in the air!" He took the coats and sweaters, tossed them down on the bed, and clamped his hand around Clark's wrist. "Now. Come on, we're going, or I'm leaving without you."

"You are not! I'll leave without you! Or lock you in the room!" Clark yelled, grabbing the long duster and thrusting it onto his lovers shoulders. "Now march!"

Lex defiantly shrugged the duster back into the floor, and marched out the door.

"GRAAHHH!" Clark bellowed on top of his longs. He grabbed the jacket and marched out after his lover, snagging him by the arm and pushing the duster onto his shoulders again. "Listen to your aushna', he knows of what he says!"

Lex was charmed and amused, but still firm. "Clark... just, no. I'm not going to pass out from heat stroke because I'm in ninety-odd degree weather and a leather jacket."

"But its about forty in the hospital, you stupid, impossible person! Put it ON!" He growled and turned, stomping down the steps so loud it all but echoed across the house. "MS. BIRD! Tell Lex to put his jacket on!"

Lex was just overwhelmed with Clark's cranky cuteness as he followed his aushna' down the steps, trailing after Clark and the swirling trails of his jacket as Clark gesticulated with it as he ranted under his breath. "Ms. Bird! Tell Clark that it's almost a hundred degrees outside and I don't need a bloody jacket!!"

"Ef either of chu yell in my howse again, I vill spank de bof of you!" Ms. Bird was standing in the middle of the hallway, scowling at them both.

"MS. BIRD! Tell him he's been sick and he needs to wear a jacke--" Clark cut himself halfway off, and he had the decency to blush. "Sorry. But! He started it!" he pointed at Lex and scowled.

"I did not," Lex piped up.

"You did SO!" Clark growled back, and thrust the jacket out to him. "You're going to get sick, and them I'm going to have to kick your sorry butt all over this house."

"I did not!!"

"DAT IS ENOUGH!!" Ms. Bird got out the brand new wooden spoon, gifted to her by Crystabel Finn for just this occasion, and rapped both of them on the knuckles. "Chu!" she said, pointing at Clark. "Go stand in dat corner!" She pointed to the corner where the hallway wall met the kitchen door. "Und you!" She stabbed her wooden spoon at Lex. "Chu go stand over dere in DAT corner!" She pointed to the one across from Clark. "Und vhen you can bof sound like de adults chu are, den I vill mediate!"

Clark sulked even worse, but he didn't move, just shuffling his feet. "Sorry, Ms. Bird. I'm just worried about him, because he's been sick, and I don't want him to be sick too for Lionel to worry about. Except he isn't thoughtful enough of other people and won't take care of himself."

Ms. Bird's hands were resting on plump little hips as she glared. "Sick my foot," she muttered. "Lazing aboot in bed fer doin' something stupid, is the way I hear tell of it!" She glared, and poked Lex in the shoulder with her wooden spoon. "Chu. Take de jacket with you. If chu get cold, den you vill poot it on." She poked Clark in the shoulder. "Chu stop growlin' at me like I was tryin' to hurt ye, boy. Th'nex' time ye growl at Hilde Bird, she jes' migh' be growlin' beck!"

He nodded, and sniffed, and blushed, and looked at his feet, all at the very same time. He rubbed the toe of his shoe into the carpet under his feet, wincing with each poke and each yell. "Sorry Ms. Bird."

"You chould be." She crossed her arms over her chest, wooden spoon poking out of her elbow like a drill sergeant's staff. "Vell? Vhat do chu have to say for churself?" she said, transferring her glare to Lex.

Lex had been wisely silent during Ms. Bird's ranting, and he accepted the jacket meekly as she shoved it at him. But he grinned unrepentantly as he looked up. "I love you too, Ms. Bird," he said, just as disarmingly as he could.

Ms. Bird blushed, lightly. "Get on vith chu den."

Clark sent his lover the nastiest glare he possibly could over Ms. Birds head and stomped to the door, throwing it open, and walking out into the ninety eight degree heat with a scowl on his face.

Lex just kept the boyish grin on his face as he folded the coat over his arm and started fanning himself with the sleeve as he headed into the garage. He stopped by the key pegboard, and picked up the keys to the Maserati. He hadn't driven it in several months, and it needed the exercise. Grinning still, he followed Clark out into the garage itself, still fanning with the sleeve.

Clark just snarled at him low in his throat, growling angrily as he stomped with Lex to the garage. As soon as Lex had beeped the doors open he yanked the passenger side open and stepped inside, clicking his seat belt and crossing his arms across his chest angrily.

The grin wouldn't go off his face, and Lex just leaned over the hood, peering in through the windshield at his disgruntled lover. "You're so fucking cute, Clark."

"I AM NOT!" Clark yelled, glaring even darker as he stuck his lip out. "Get in the car and drive us already! You stupid... not listening... PERSON!"

"Yes you are." Lex just stayed where he was. "I could die from the cuteness. Look at that lower lip sticking out." He just grinned.

"Shut UP!" Clark bellowed all the more, and turned his face away from Lex, sniffling and lip sticking out all the more.

"You're not guilting me into the jacket. Clark, I haven't had a cold in almost fifteen years. I haven't been sick in fifteen years. I shake off concussions like they're nothing, broken bones heal in about a week and a half, and you're worried about me sneezing because of dog hair. My God, you're just fucking adorable, and I love you so much." He tossed the coat into Clark's lap as he slid into the driver's seat, and flexed his fingers around the wheel. "Hello, my darling," he murmured to the car, stroking her dashboard panel. "It's been quite a while, my lovely, but I promise not to neglect you any more."

Clark gave the dashboard the darkest, most evil, jealous stare before glaring out the window, jacket in lap and his arms crossed across his chest. Fine. FINE! His lover wanted to get sick? FINE! Fine! He did everything he was supposed to do, it wasn't his fault Lex was a STUBBORN JACKASS!

Lex watched in the rearview mirror as his aushna' sulked.

He was even cute when he sulked.

Lex supposed that it was just the overall good feeling that made him feel jubilant instead of upset or worried over the sulk, but he stopped at the end of the driveway, leaned over, and despite the crossed arms, gave his aushna' a kiss. Nibbling at Clark's lower lip was easy, as much as it was stuck out, and Lex sucked it gently.

Clark glared down at Lex as he was kissed, and broke it midway. He was in a sulk, and in no mood to have it kissed away. He looked out the window, sniffling and glaring all over again, and didn't look at Lex as he glared outside.

Lex frowned at that, and it doused a great deal of his good mood as he straightened back up, shifting the gears almost too hard, wincing at the grind and he eased up on the gearshaft as he shot out of the driveway and onto the highway.

As soon as Clark felt Lex's good mood wane, he thrust the jacket out with a triumphant little smirk. "Put it on."

"No." Lex's voice was clipped, and he kept his eyes on the road, downshifting as they came to a stoplight.

"Put it on please."

"No, Clark. It's too hot, and I don't need it. If I get cold in the hospital room, I will put it on, I promise."

"No, you won't." Clark sniffed and looked at him, sideways, lip sticking back out. "Sorry."

"Yes, I will." Lex waited for the light to turn green, and then shifted back into high gear and floored the accelerator. "You don't have anything to be sorry about." He steered the car gracefully, even though he'd been away from her wheel for some time now, she still responded to the gentlest touch.

"You're mad at me now."

"No, Clark, I'm not mad at you." He sped skillfully through the streets, changing lanes as necessary to pass slow(er) cars.

"Yes, you are." Clark sniffed again. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm not," Lex repeated, downshifting so that he could pass safely on the next curve. "And I said before, you don't have to be sorry about anything."

Now Clark just felt bad. Really, really bad. So he kept silent now, staying quiet as Lex drove, still sniffling once and again softly, miserably. Lex had just gotten better, and already Clark had fucked up. How typical.

"You didn't fuck up," Lex said, hearing the thought in his lover's head.

Clark didn't answer. He just picked at a loose string on the edge of Lex's jacket shirtsleeve, and stayed silent as they drove. The hospital wasn't far and he was grateful it was already coming into view, shifting the smallest bit quietly.

"You didn't fuck up," Lex repeated, downshifting a final time so that he could turn into the hospital without killing them both.

They entered the hospital parking lot, and as soon as they found a space near the door Clark unhooked his seat belt and climbed out of the car, Lex's jacket in arm. He waited until Lex had locked the car before starting toward the back doors they always went through.

Lex slammed the car door with possibly a little bit more force than necessary, shoving the keys into his pocket and jerking his coat out of Clark's hands as they went in through the door. He folded it over his own arm as they bypassed the nurses station and the hallway that led to the lobby and the coffee shop and went straight to the elevator bank.

Clark followed silently, pushing his hands into his pockets in a nervous gesture he'd picked up from Whitney, and stepped into the elevator that opened in front of them with Lex. He didn't say anything, just looking at his shoes quietly, swallowing tightly and looking at the door.

"Will you stop looking like I've beaten you?" Lex snapped.

"Sorry." Clark said softly, and looked down at his toes.

"Don't apologize," he said again, waiting for the elevator to rise.

"Sorry." He said again, apologizing for apologizing, as the elevator doors finally clicked shut and the thing began to rise.

Lex briefly gritted his teeth. "Stop. Apologizing."

Clark nodded a little as the elevator clicked floors by "Okay." The fifth floor finally dinged and Clark stepped out, waiting for Lex to follow before he started down the hall.

Lex stepped out after Clark, shivering slightly in the chill of the of the unit and dropping the jacket loosely over his shoulders like a cape as he walked.

Clark didn't even say anything. He walked down the hall toward Dominic's room, relaxing a little to find it empty of relatives, and knocked lightly on the wooden door before walking in. "Lionel? Hey, we're here."

Lionel looked around from where the nurse was talking to him, and looking at the door. "Hello, Clark. Come in, but be quiet for a moment? They're just finishing the swallow test," he nodded, and then turned back to his lover, smiling encouragingly.

Yeah. Lionel would be smiling, he didn't currently have a mouthful of applesauce. he swallowed it easily, as gross as it was, and wished he could be lying back down. They'd propped him up to full sitting, and though he'd had to be supported with pillows, which terrified him, he had sat fine. the tubes in certain places weren't comfortable, but he managed. He swallowed again, forcing it down, and though it wasn't quite a cheese sandwich, it'd bloody well do.

"There we go. Can you taste a difference, Mr. Luthor?" Doctor Armgia asked, holding up her chart as she watched the man sitting before her.

Dominic blinked his ascension, and after clearing his throat a little, said, "Ap..le..s..sa'ce."

"Yes, it most certainly was." Dr. Armgia answered, smiling. "Wonderful. Mr. Luthor, you're swallowing just fine, it seems there's no to very minimal paralysis in the throat and larynx, which is good for you. I'm going to put you on a pureed diet for the next week, to see how much intake you're getting from food, and put you at a certain calorie intake, mmkay? If you can surpass it, we'll go on to solid food next week, where we can also take out the gastro tube."

Sure, whatever. Dominic closed his eyes sleepily, then opened them again to sigh.

Lionel couldn't have been more thrilled. "Hear that, little cricket? You'll be rid of this tube quickly enough, and you can have that cheese sandwich you've been asking about. In fact, I'll make it myself." He paused, remembering the burnt toast incident in Ireland. "Or, at least I'll have Ms. Bird make it, and order it myself, will that do?"

Lex came into the room and sat on the other side of Dominic's bed. "Hey, Dom," he said quietly. "Nice to see you in the real world again."

Ohhh. Lex. Dominic turned his eyes from the doctor, who excused herself to talk to Dr. Bryce out in the hall he guessed from the bastards voice, and looked at his step son. Lex, his step son. As soon as both eyes focused, which took a moment, he couldn't look anywhere else, just gazing at the young man beside him.

Lex reached down and took Dominic's other hand in both of his. "Hey. Look at you. You're back to real food already; you'll be out of here in no time." He squeezed Dominic's hand gently. "It's good to see you back."

If he was back. He was peeing in a tube, people. Did no one notice, or something? God, to have a toilet. He gave Lex a glare and turned back to Lionel to look at him, having Lionel's fingers around his a god send as he twitched them in his lovers hand just to make sure they were there.

Lionel tightened his grip on Dominic's fingers as they twitched, and kissed them lightly.

"It's going to be so wonderful to have you back at work," Lex went on, blithely ignoring the glare. "Good Christ, I don't know how you do it every day--I've been doing your job and Dad's too, and it's just staggering the amount of absolute shit you have to put up with, and Dom? You've got my respect for it. Not only that? I will be thrilled, in fact, to relinquish your job to you whenever you want it back."

Yeah, right. Except Dominic had been fired, of course. Two months without working. Two months. Pfft. He didn't know how Lionel could ever think to rely on him. So he turned his eyes back to Lex and studied him as Lionel kissed his fingers, watching Lex silently. He did put up with a lot, but again, fired, people.

He opened his mouth… swallowed, once, twice, and then managed, "Fr...eddie?"

"Freddie is king of the bloody castle," Lex grumped. "I nearly squashed him in my bed a week ago, when I came home from work and found him under my pillow. He has taken to sleeping on top of the puppy pile, on poor Artie's back in fact, and Artie's whipped enough to let him do it. Ms. Bird? Spoiling the little thing rotten. You're going to have a brat on your hands, right enough."

Well, alright. He didn't mind that. He closed his eyes again, unable to keep them open, and rested them for a minute before opening them again. He was cozy and warm underneath the huge quilt Lionel had brought for him, and he couldn't have been more comfortable unless he were laying down.

Yeah, well. Macho Woman was due soon to come turn him to prevent bed sores. She had the energy of five hundred cattle and lifted him like he weighed like dried parsley. That very morning she'd come into his room and changed the bed single handedly, with him in it.

He was scared to shit of her.

He didn't let on to that, though, aware his bladder was getting full again but ignoring it as he he yawned softly.

Lex chuckled. "We're boring you already, how's that for fun." But he smiled broadly, letting his friend know it was just a joke. "Charlie's missing you, Dominic. He's getting used to not being yelled at, but between him and Wally? I wouldn't have gotten done half of what I did. He's a good kid; you picked him out well."

Lionel nodded. "You really should think about giving the poor young man a bonus when you return, for as many times as he's been woken up out of a sound sleep. We're lucky that Miss Emily is such an understanding soul and is worried about you too, or else I think Mr. Siegel would be sleeping alone."

Charlie Charlie. He'd better be doing good while Dominic was gone, or there would have been hell to pay as soon as he got back. He looked up and eyed the door, yawning again before looking at Lionel and muttering, "M… ach… o. Wom'n." As if that explained everything. Who was Wally, anyway? Wally West? Bruce Wayne's assistant? Oh well. He could ask about that later, after all.

Lionel laughed softly at that. "Aaaah, that does explain it. He's waiting on the nurse he's... ah, lovingly dubbed Macho Woman. Apparently, she is the one responsible for turning him, and making his bed, and she can do it one-handed."

Lex caught the look of confusion in Dominic's fuzzy eyes. "Yes, Wally West. Bruce sent him down here to Smallville several months ago, to help me out with LexCorp and to keep an eye on me, make sure I'm staying out of trouble." Little grin. "Not that it's working, of course, but I've rather adopted Wally as my assistant."

Lionel just smiled tiredly at that. "LuthorCorp's been missing it's vice president, Dominic," he said softly.

That made sense. Bruce was a bastard, why wouldn't he do a bastardly thing like that? Dominic shifted slightly, to get comfortable, bringing his right leg up a little, the left not moving at all, just as it hadn't for the last few days. He shifted again uncomfortably, sighing softly until he found a position that he liked a little bit better with the limited movement he had. Then he heard Lionel talk, and turned his head to look at him, and think about what he'd said.

Maybe he wasn't fired?

He decided to ask. "F...'red?"

"Fred? No, we can't bring Freddie in to see you," Lex said with a little snort.

Lionel shook his head. "Not Fred, Lex. Fired. Dominic's asking if he's fired." He turned both eyes onto his lover, and held his hand tightly. "And the answer is no. You are not fired, Dominic."

Pfft. Dominic looked at him, hopefully as doubtfully as he could make his expression right now, and cleared his throat again, closing his eyes to moisten them before opening them again.

"You are not fired," Lionel repeated again. "I can't fire you without consent of the board, nor can they fire you without the consent of the CEO--and since that is me, there is no chance in all the hells on earth that you are going to be fired."

Whoa. That was too much, there. It took him a few moments to understand what Lionel was telling him, following through the little logical path Lionel had created, and thought about it for a moment before he understood. Not fired. They'd probably want him fired though.

Talk about a company liability.

Lionel just watched the surprised blink, and he grinned. "Why would I fire the best vice president I ever had?" he asked softly.

Dominic rolled just rolled his eyes and yawned again, exhaling deeply at the end of it and sighing again.

Then watched as his lover and step son looked toward the door. He turned his head a few moments later to see who had entered and oh dear God.

Macho Woman.

Benita smiled at the four of them, the tall young man quiet in the background, and the two sitting beside the bed. "Hello! I'm here to move Mr. Luthor around, would you all please step out? Mr. Luthor, you can stay." Benita smiled at Lionel as she snapped her gloves on, looking down at the hazy eyes of the patient on the bed.

Lionel gave his son a nod, and then let go of Dominic's hand so that the nurse could move him around.

Lex rose from the edge of the bed, pulling his jacket around himself and out of her way as he nodded. "Of course; can we come back in when you're done?"

"Of course!"

Macho Woman was, in Dominic's firmest opinion, far too chipper. He glared at her back as she spoke, looking at Lionel in the next moment. Come on, lovely. Don't let her!

Benita smiled cheerfully as the two young men left the room, then grinned down at her patient as she swung the curtains around the bed closed. "Here we go!" She leaned over him and without disturbing a single tube or wire, turned him slightly to the left to rest his side and pull and work the muscles. She went around the bed and did the same, only she slipped the pillow out from that side, and went back around to move him once more to the left. After she did she slipped the pillow in behind his back on that side, to keep his weight to the opposite side now. She gently fixed his IV, the oxygen in his nose, and fluffed the pillows behind his head as she lowered the back of the bed slightly so he was in a more reclining position. "There we go."

Lionel cringed under the glare from his lover. "I'm sorry, Dominic, she has to do this." He shrugged slightly, and moved out of her way so that she could move Dominic as she needed to. "Just think," he continued, speaking over her shoulder. "This will help you get better and leave here faster!"

Yeah, well, Dominic wasn't thinking much. Because she'd moved him perfectly, and all of his muscles had settled in a new way that was gloriously comfortable. He gave a long, wonderful sigh as she finished fixing his pillows and left.

His eyes dropped all on their own, and in the next moment he was totally asleep.

Lionel chuckled softly as the curtains opened, and revealed his sleeping lover. "Lex? Clark?" He called out both names softly. "You can come in now, but Dominic is asleep so I'll ask you to be quiet."

Clark nodded and opened the door, letting the chipper nurse walk on her way, and held the door until Lex walked in. He closed it, firmly behind him, and looked in on the sleeping man quietly. Dominic was indeed completely asleep, and he nodded at Lionel as he finished surveying. "We can go, if you like."

Lex walked in quietly, glaring briefly at his aushna' and settling himself into the other chair in the room, instead of the bedside.

"No, it's all right, Clark," Lionel said quietly. "You can stay if you like, and see if he wakes up. Or you can leave; I won't be offended either way, and neither will he."

Clark accepted the glare, and nodded at the both of them. "I just accompanied Lex over here to make sure he got to the hospital alright, Lionel. He woke up refreshed, but I wanted to make sure. I've got a few things left to finish at home... I can come back later tonight."

"No, Clark, that's quite all right," Lex said, standing up and offering the chair. "I need to get back to work anyway; I've been gone and I need to see what I missed. Stay here; you didn't get a chance to talk to Dominic before and I did. Dad... thanks for letting us come by. I'll probably drop by after I leave LuthorCorp. Clark... I'll see you tonight." Lex brushed out of the room then, the tails of his coat swirling behind him.

Lionel just blinked at the rapid exit. "In bit of a snit, isn't he?"

"He's mad because I was right. And because I didn't want to kiss him when I was angry." Clark answered back easily, glaring at his lovers departing figure before shifting his eyes back to Lionel. "How'd Dom? Really?"

Lionel shrugged again. "He'll get over it, but let me tell you." He leaned forward. "Never turn down kisses, Clark. They're not offered nearly enough." He sat back then with a little smile. "How is he? Better than anyone expected." He had picked his lover's hand back up when he sat back down. "He's able to talk, a little, comprehend what's said to him, answer it back, and though I'm slightly worried about his more recent memories--in the last six months or so--he seems fine. He can swallow, as you saw, easily and without problem, and he'll be eating solid food soon."

"Lionel, not to offend you or anything, but I'll turn down the kisses when they're given to me to make me feel like both a bitch who can be consoled with kisses." Clark answered back quietly, before looking at Dominic. "Has he moved his left leg at all?"

Lionel shook his head. "You're not offending me, Clark. I'm not the one who stormed out of here in a snit, nor am I the one you'll have to sleep with tonight. What I am is, that man's father. And what I know about him is this. If you turn down something he offers, for whatever reason, it won't be offered again. I know my son, Clark. He never offers enough kisses, and will now offer even less. Do you understand what I am saying?" But his tone was final, showing the subject closed. "No, he hasn't. And the rest of his left side isn't moving much at all, but they're expecting that to change with therapy, once he gets stronger. Now that he's awake, circulation is being restored and hopefully with that, the paralysis will fade."

Clark nodded and looked down at Dominic, totally passed out asleep. "Graham told me he isn't wanting to use the bathroom. Does he know he's got everything hooked up down there? I mean, does he understand?"

Lionel snorted at that. "He understands. He just doesn't like it. It offends him to have to... relieve himself while lying in bed."

"Well yeah, of course. Talk about your dignity going out the window. You've got to make sure he doesn't hold it too much, Lionel... he could get a urinary tract infection, you know."

He nodded. "Yes, I know, and the doctors have reminded him as well. I do better to leave him alone, at least for some portion of the hour, even if it's nothing more than go down to the coffee shop or to the restroom myself, because he seems to feel better doing it in private, at least."

You know, Dominic could hear them. He was asleep, not dead. He opened one eye and glared at his other stepson and Lionel sitting there talking about his urinating habits, and would have growled if he could have. As it was, his ten minute power nap helped him, somewhat, but he still glared acidically at the two of them.

Lionel chuckled softly. "And our man of the hour is awake," he said with a grin. "Lex had to go back to work, but Clark stayed behind to see you, since he didn't get a chance to the first time."

"P...ee." Dominic answered, and glared all over again. The nerve.

"Yes, we're talking about your catheter and your dislike of pissing in a tube," Lionel said crassly, but winked.

Instead of glaring again, Dominic gave a very small nod of his head. Peeing sucked. He wished he didn't have to. He closed his eyes again after a moment and yawned softly, shifting his right leg up, then down, it being the only thing he could move comfortably after all. A soft cough as well as he pulled the blanket up the smallest bit with his free hand, and there went all his energy.

He fell asleep. Again.

Lionel just smiled. "When he wakes up again, he'll have to go. We'll go and get a cup of coffee together, and allow him privacy to take care of his business."

"Check. Pee privacy." Clark answered, and leaned over to kiss Dominic's forehead. His hand went over the shorn head, still kept incredibly short to watch the healing and the scaring of the burr holes, and he remembered that there'd been some infection a few weeks back that had made them take all his hair off again to treat it. His goatee was still gone, though there was a great deal of stubble, and he smiled down at Dominic's sleeping face as he looked up at Lionel. "Does he know he's still shorn?"

Lionel shook his head. "I don't think he realizes it yet, but he will soon enough," he said with a grin. "God help the nurse that gets in his way when he finds out, because he'll have blood for it, surely enough."

Clark chuckled softly as he fixed the blanket around Dominic's feet and nodded at Lionel as he turned toward the door. "Hell hath no fury like Dominic's vanity." His lips twitched. "Not that he's vain about anything but his hair, of course."

"Of course, but he has to be vain about it. He's been worried about losing it, though they're saying it's going to grow back thicker than before." He rose gracefully from the chair, tugging his turtleneck down and brushing out the wrinkles as he followed Clark to the door. "I'm worried, however, that the blood thinners will cause him to lose it again, because that is one of the side effects. Thankfully, though, they're not expecting him to be on them permanently, just until he's able to move around properly and maintain proper blood flow."

"Have they said anything about when they're going to start physical therapy?" Clark asked, smoothing his own t-shirt as he opened the door for Lionel, and together they talked down the hall.

"Not yet, but I'm guessing soon," he said, his hands slipping into his pockets. "I think the swallowing test was only the first of what they have in mind. He's not going to be at all thrilled; it's going to be hard for him. He hates it here, and he'll want to leave, and I've already steeled myself to the fact that I have to say no." He sighed. "Elaine has been helping me with that, telling me that I can't feel guilty for saying no when saying yes would harm him more than it helps."

"Yeah, Lionel, no way can he leave yet," Clark shook his head firmly. "Are you kidding? if he did he'd try to be up running laps around the house with your cane. Beside that, he's not ready. Are they goign to do the CAT scans you were talking about the other day, or have they already done them?"

"They've already done them, and they're just waiting on Dr. Bryce to read the films and get back to them--I gather he's a bit behind with Dominic's case because of the sudden wakening and all the other things he's had to take care of, but as soon as he reads the films and lets us know, then the staff can more accurately plan his recovery. For right now, we're simply going day to day."

"Sounds good." Clark nodded, rubbing his fingers through his hair as he and Lionel walked down to the small cafeteria he'd all but lived in for the past few months. "Hey, mom told me to tell you thank you for the rocking chair... the girls are fussy as all get out." Clark made a face, and smiled at the same time. His baby sisters were cranky little devils, though he'd only visited them twice, and he thought they'd gotten attached to him because every time he set one down, they screamed. "She asked if you want to come visit them sometime this week."

"Tell Martha that she's more than welcome. I remember many times when Lex would not quiet unless he was rocked to sleep in the nursery's rocking chair, and I thought that she might appreciate the gift. Sadly, I couldn't gift her with a second pair of arms for the other little girl." He gave a quiet smile. "Yes, I think I should. I think she should also bring the little girls to see Dominic--they might lift his spirits. But I'll talk to her about that when I see her." He smiled up at Clark again. "How do you feel now, being a big brother?"

"She really appreciates it." Clark smiled at Lionel. "I like being a big brother. Its weird, being that I'm almost twenty years old, but... I like it. They're really cute little girls. Lizzie's got the blue eyes, and Sarah the brown, so its not hard to tell them apart. I don't think they're going to look alike when they get older, though you know mom. She's gonna have them match until they graduate high school."

Lionel laughed. "I'll make sure that the young ladies do not get matching outfits from Dominic and I for their birthdays."

"There ya go." Clark grinned. "Though... you know... by extension, they're your nieces, you know."

"Do please keep those darling children away from Eleanor and her Uncle Weirdy Lion and her Uncle Mufasa. I'd like for at least one set of my nieces to call me Lionel."

"Will do." Clark grinned, then, sideways at Lionel. "You may need to keep Rory away from her too, then, by extension. I never had cousins so I wouldn't know, but I've heard they can be bad influences on gentle young minds."

"Rory?" Lionel sighed. "Aurora, if you please, and she will know to call me Dad, or Father." He brought his fingers up to pinch his nose, under the bridge of his glasses. "Dominic is going to be the Daddy in the family, he's already laid claim to it. More power to him, I say."

"Sure, Lionel. You'll be Father." Clark said diplomatically, to stop the choked laugh from escaping. "Very dignified, as you'll be her horsie."

Lionel glared. "She is going to have an actual horse, thank you very much."

"Of course she is. Doesn't make a piggyback ride any less fun." He grinned. Broadly.

"Ah, but that's where her dear brother Alexander comes in at, because who would pass up riding a fine-bred stallion like him? And please, no, don't say anything, because the imagery that produces is too much for me to contemplate right now."

"Lionel, you are intensely gross." But Clark still laughed anyway as he walked into the cafeteria, empty for this time of day, with Lionel to get a cup of coffee.

He gave a little shudder at that. "Yes, for that, I am." He turned and headed towards the coffee line, and wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell of hamburgers and chicken sandwiches that wafted over from the grill. "Remind me when we return to the room, to call Lex and have him bring some of Ms. Bird's poached salmon to me for dinner."

"You're too rich for your own good, Lionel. There's nothing like a steaming, mishy Big Mac, my friend." He pulled two Styrofoam cups out of the machine and handed one to Lionel as he began filling the cup still in his hand for the older man.

Lionel barely restrained the face he made. "That is what Dominic says, and I say to you the same thing I say to him. The only good thing to come out of McDonald's is french fries."

"Which are, in fact, fried in meat fat." Clark said cheerfully as he handed Lionel the cup of coffee to add milk and sugar to as he pleased, and filled his own cup.

"Of course they are," Lionel said just as cheerfully. "However, they're not meat, and they are doused with a liberal sprinkling of salt, which covers a multitude of sins."

Clark just cracked up, nearly sloshing his coffee as he laughed at his step father and rolled his eyes. "Salt covers sins, huh? Where have I heard that before."

"Possibly in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, when in retaliation for sinning by turning back, Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt?" Lionel asked blandly, his eyebrow raised as Clark laughed.

"Yeah, right. Try when Ms. Bird makes Goulash and you put so much salt on it it swims." Clark said sweetly, filling the rest of his cup before dashing it wish some milk and clicking the plastic lit atop it.

"As I said, a multitude of sins, including making goulash tolerable to my palate."

"You know, Crystabel has been giving her some Irish recopies... you do realize the Irish eat every part of the animals they raise, right? Mmm! Sheep brain!" Clark gave a little mock smile of delight then shuddered as he pushed his hand into his pocket for the five dollar bill he had there. He paid for their coffee, accepted his change, and motioned for Lionel to follow him to one of the comfortable booths.

Lionel just sighed as Clark paid for the coffee, and then settled himself into the booth across from his soon to be son in law. "Sheep--and monkey--brains are not quite as bad as you would think, though neither are my preferred delicacy. Nor is haggis, though it's a traditional Scottish dish, I would not eat it."

"Dominic loves it. Just you wait, Lionel, you may end up getting a dinner of sheep's gut more often than not after he gets out." Clark settled back into the booth and yawned softly. He thought for a moment, shifting to get comfortable, before finally asking, "Do you think Lex is really angry with me?"

Lionel shook his head at that, sipping his coffee carefully for a moment as he considered his reply. "You would actually know that better than I would, Clark," he finally said, choosing his words. "You... are connected to him in ways that I am not."

"What a way to non-answer." Clark shot back, glaring. "Come on, you're his dad."

"And you are his lover," Lionel countered back. "Do I think that Lex is really angry? Yes, I do. Do I think he has a right to be? Likely not. Am I right in what I think on either count? I have no way of knowing."

"He's so annoying." Clark sighed lovingly, and rubbed his hand over his face. "Has Rosalyn tried to come back and see Dominic?"

"If he weren't so annoying, you'd be bored," Lionel predicted, then wrapped long fingers around his coffee cup. "Yes, she has, and she's not been allowed in."

"What does she have to say for herself?"

"The same she's said all along; that she thought she was doing the best for her son, fulfilling his wishes, the same line that she has been shoveling since the beginning."

"Bitch," Clark answered softly, rolling his eyes. "She's got her head stuck up her ass. Crystabel agrees. She's still at Grahams, right?"

"Crystabel? Yes, she is. I'd offered her the mansion to stay at, but she wanted to stay with family. And she hasn't seen Beagan, as she calls him, in quite some time, and Graham was happy to have her."

"She's a cool Granny. I never had one." Clark mussed softly. "Lex loves her to bits."

"Which quite surprises me, but she adores him in return," Lionel pointed out. "They're two of a kind, and that in itself is frightening." His fingers were warmed by the cup of coffee that he really didn't want, but sipped at it anyway.

"Lionel? Is everything okay?" Clark asked, tipping his head. "Really?"

Lionel nodded. "Yes, everything's fine, Clark." He sat the cup down on the table and pondered for a moment, putting his thoughts in order. "I am just... trying to comprehend, on a private scale at least, just what Lex has done, and how he has done it, and at what possible cost. It's... a little overwhelming, and I don't admit that lightly."

Clark nodded, softly, thinking himself. "It was definitely huge. He hasn't talked about it... and I saw only glimpses. I was his anchor to pull him out. Dominic knew he was sick, though, Lionel. He knew where he was."

"And whatever was holding him back, Lex helped him to overcome." Lionel's fingertips drew invisible patterns on the table. "And I can't imagine how he did it, nor what it may have cost him."

"I don't know either. We're going to have to see in the coming weeks." Clark answered softly, then rubbed his mouth with one palm, and up through his hair. "Lets go back up to see him, what do you think?"

Lionel nodded. "Yes, I think he's had time to wake up and take care of his private business." He took the half-empty coffee cup with him, draining it in a few quick gulps before dropping it into the trash can.

Clark nodded, and together, the two of them caught an elevator back to the fifth floor.

What Clark didn't like, as they came down the hall, was the fact that Dominic's door was open, when he and Lionel both had left it closed.

What he didn't like even more was that Rosalyn was sobbing hysterically down at her son, grasping his arms.

Dominic could only stare at his mother. She was shaking the shit out of him, all the tubes and everything were getting messed up, but the worst thing... she... the worst thing imaginable, and he was too sick to do anything about it. She'd tried to kill him. She'd tried to have him taken off the ventilators, and suffocate.

Lionel knew. And he hadn't told him a word.

He was aware of the tears running down his face as his mother sobbed above him, and he couldn't follow what she was saying because she was talking too fast and he couldn't follow too much too fast. But he'd understood enough.

He'd understood enough.

Lionel liked it even less than Clark did, and he slammed the door to his husband's room open wide. "Clark, would you be so kind as to call the nurses and security here?" He strode into the room and locked his hands around her wrist, jerking her away from her son as hard as he could, at the moment truly uncaring whether he hurt her or not.

Rosalyn gave out a sharp, hard sob as Lionel jerked her away. Her beloved little Morgan hadn't listened to a word that she'd said to him, hadn't said a thing back to her, hadn't even tried to, and it had only made her cry harder and start shaking him, trying to get some kind of response out of him.

She'd only been trying to do what was best for him, take care of her little boy, and he wasn't even talking to her.

She cried out again when Lionel jerked her away, and she started screaming.

Lionel clamped one hand over her mouth, and the other around her waist as he started hauling her out into the hallway. "You are not welcome here!" he roared over her wailing.

Dominic clenched his eyes shut even as the machines by his bed began to ring along with his mothers screams. They were talking, yelling, but he couldn't understand, it was too much and he began to tremble. Too much going on, he couldn't follow it, couldn't understand, he was trying but he couldn't so he just squeezed his eyes even harder and turned his head away from the cries. The screamed moved out of his room and into the hall, but he didn't want his mom to leave, even if she had tried to take him off the ventilator. He wanted to kill her and love her at the same time, because she had respected his wishes no matter how old they were, but at the same time, his lover, his sweet lover had almost been left alone.

He felt the hot wetness trailing down the sides of his cheeks and down his head, and he fought to breathe through the utter emotion going through his mind.

Clark was already there. He had two nurses and two security men trailing him down the hall. Two steps ahead.

"Get out of the way." One of the nurses barreled past Lionel, shoving him none-too-delicately to the side, and she started reading the monitors. "Pulse rate's skyrocketing, the airways are constricted, the tubes are twisted together. Get me an half a gram of Versed stat, and hand me the ambu bag." She looked down at Dominic, and stroked his forehead. "Mr. Senatori-Luthor? I need you to look up at me, all right? My name is Catherine, I'm a nurse. I'm going to be taking your oxygen tube off. If you can't breathe, let me know, I've got the ambu bag here to help, all right? Just blink twice." She reached up, and pulled the tangled tube gently out of his nose. "We're going to get you set back right."

She glared over her shoulder. "Get those two out of here now."

Dominic heard the voice he'd already known, because she'd been there several times already. He opened his eyes to look up at her, blinded as he was by horror and pain, and couldn't even help himself as she looked down at him. He'd never felt more vulnerable in his life, so painfully vulnerable, and he struggled to take in swallows of air when she took the thing out of his nose. He blinked twice, because it was too hard, and he closed his eyes tightly before opening them again. He couldn't understand, goddammit, he couldn't fucking understand!

"It's all right, Mr. Senatori-Luthor." She picked up the ambu bag and squeezed it, pushing a breath of air into the man's lungs, and watching him exhale. "There, is that better?"

Her deft fingers untangled the oxygen tube first, then pushed another breath of air into his lungs, and then moved the bag entirely as she slipped the tube back into his nostrils.

The second nurse came back in with a hypodermic, and she held it up, using her other hand to slide behind the back of his head so he could see the needle. "This is just something to help you calm down and maybe sleep a little. It's not strong, you won't be completely out of it, but you will calm down." She let his head fall back gently onto the pillow, and injected the contents of the needle.

Lionel was still raging at the top of his lungs at Rosalyn, who was cowering and crying against the security people who were dragging the both of them out.

Dominic nodded as much as he could, seeing Lionel and Clark following his mother out, and inhaled stiffly when the woman pushed a breath of oxygen from the bag into his lungs. It was good, very good, and then she fixed the nose thing again and it was a steady stream. Better, so much better. He closed his eyes until he was shown the needle but he could give a fuck less, just letting himself rest as the woman fidgeted with his IV, injecting whatever it was into him.

He didn't think. He didn't feel. He just closed his eyes, and slept.

Lionel was fighting to get back to Dominic's room, but the security and the nurses were not letting him through. "That is my husband!" he roared.

"Sir, I don't care if that's God Almighty laying in that bed in there, that man is my patient, and until you can stop disturbing my patient with this racket? You're going to be removed from the premises!" Nurse Catherine nodded to the security guards, who kept dragging both Lionel and Rosalyn towards the elevators.

"Lionel, its okay," Clark answered, shaking his head. "I'll stay. Don't worry, just go. I'll be here with him, I promise."

"Good for you, young man," said the nurse stoutly. "At least you know how to behave in a hospital!" Her glare swept over the two people being shoved into separate elevators. "Good riddance to them both!" Her hands went to her hips and glared, then her eyes softened as they turned back to Clark. "I'm going to ask you to wait right here until we get the feeding tube unclogged and everything else re-settled after that horrible woman's visit, and then you're welcome to come back into the room."

"Okay." Clark winced as he listened to Lionel's furious bellows all the way down the elevator shaft. "Sorry… its a long story. Woman's a hag." Clark said, motioning toward the elevator. "Is Dominic okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, he is, just a little shaken up and upset, obviously. As I said, the feeding tube got clogged from all the shaking, and the rest of his tubes were torn loose or tangled; I think the catheter is the only one that didn't get removed. Horrid woman could have done her son a great deal of damage."

"Yeah, she's only involved with her best interests, screw everyone else. Pardon my language, ma'am." Clark answered, and followed her to Dominic's door again, where he sat down in the chair in front of the door. "Just get me when you're done, please?"

"No pardon necessary, young man," she said, patting his shoulder. "We always like our patients, but it's not always the case that we like their families." She gave him a kind smile. "It won't take but two shakes."

- = - = -

Lionel hadn't been allowed back in the hospital until later in the evening. He'd ranted and raged at the front desk until they'd told him to get lost, and he'd been forced to leave.

Thankfully, Rosalyn hadn't been anywhere in sight as Lionel had left, or the parking lot would have been the scene of much mayhem. Instead, he'd left, walking down the sidewalk and taking deep breaths until he could turn back, and get in the car without being afraid of driving himself.

He went home, showered again and had a few drinks, then had dinner. Right at shift change, he was standing in front of the desk, waiting to be admitted. The nurse checked the log, and shook her head disapprovingly as she let him past, and hurried down to his husband's room, and knocked on the closed door. When nobody told him to stay out, he opened the door and smiled at his lover. "Hello, little cricket."

Night had fallen in Smallville. Dominic had watched it, ignoring Clark beside him who had long stopped trying for small talk, through the small window beside his bed. The sun had turned to stars, dusk to night.

He was tired. So tired.

Doctor Jaheel, his new doctor, had taken over his case. He had an army of physicians looking after each and every single aspect of his care, but this man, this Jaheel person, was the head doctor. He'd told Dominic this afternoon in no few words that he was going to need a great deal of physical therapy to ever move his left leg and arm again, and he'd have to be strong. But how could he be strong, when all he wanted to do was sleep for the rest of his life?

Things had gone from bad to worse in a hurry. And Lionel hadn't been there. Thrown out, Catherine told him, and he'd never hated anyone in his life more than her in that particular moment.

Lionel looked at Clark, who was tired and sunken-eyed, sitting by the bed. "Clark? You look tired." He closed the door behind him, and sat down on the edge of Dominic's bed. "Dominic?" He reached out, and picked up Dominic's hand in his own.

Dominic turned his eyes toward him, and pulled his hand away. He couldn't move anything, the last thing he needed was the only thing he could move trapped.

Clark shook his head a little and rose up to his feet, grasping Lionel's elbow and moving to one of the corners of the room. "Dominic's doctor who's taken over his case told him this afternoon he was going to be scheduled for four hours of physical therapy everyday, starting tomorrow. Rosalyn...from what I can gather, she told him she was sorry for trying to kill him."

Lionel reluctantly let go of his lover's hand, watched it slip out of his grasp, and then turned his attention to Clark instead. "Wonderful. She can apologize all she wants to, but she's no longer to be allowed in the room; the nurses know to stop her at the desk." He sighed and dragged his hands through his hair. "I should have been there this afternoon when he heard, but they wouldn't let me back in until now."

"It's okay." Clark nodded, and grasped Lionel's elbow quietly. "I think he's starting to panic over it, Lionel. He's been restless, moving his leg and arm as much as he can, and every time someone touches him he pulls back. Like he doesn't want to be constricted. Vulnerable, I think. You need to really love him tonight, okay?"

"I know." Lionel looked at his lover over his shoulder, and smiled softly, before turning back to Clark. "I know, and I intend to. I won't let him push me away."

Clark nodded himself, smiled quietly, and grasped his jacket before turning to the door. "Night, Dom." No answer, but he wasn't expecting one. "If you need us, Lionel, call me at the house."

He nodded. "I will, don't worry." He squeezed Clark's shoulder before he left, and then turned back to the bed, and sat down in the chair Clark had just deserted, pulling it closer. "There we go. Alone at last," he said with a smile.

Dominic didn't say anything, just watching a bird fly past his window, looking for its nightly perch.

Lionel swallowed, and smiled. "I'm sorry about the commotion earlier," he said, trying a different tact. "I hope that I'm going to get to meet. Dr. Jaheel shortly," he continued. "Clark said that he was a nice man."

Dominic turned his head slightly to look at his husband. Nice man his fat ass. The man had poked and prodded at him like a slab of meet, and he was not at all pleased with it.

"I take it you didn't like him?" Lionel asked, reaching for Dominic's hand again.

His eyes closed when he felt fingers wrap around his own. He didn't like it, because now he couldn't do anything with it, but as it was his husband he'd allow it for the time being. He closed his eyes again without saying anything and turned to look back out the window.

Lionel frowned when Dominic turned away from him, and he followed Dominic's gaze out the window. "Dominic?" he asked softly, trying to get his lover to look at him.

He heard his lover speak his name, but had to think about why it was being said. When he recalled why, he turned back to look at Lionel.

"There we are," he said softly. "What did you think of Dr. Jaheel?"

Bastard. But he couldn't talk, his throat was too sore. Just another weakness. So he just shook his head a little, wishing with God that Lionel would get into bed with him, as unlikely as it was.

"Do you want some of the ice chips?" he asked softly, scooting his chair even closer to the bed, and holding his lover's hand closer to his chest.

Dominic shook his head again, wallowing in the pleasure of having Lionel close even as his throat and eyes filled with hot tears again.

"Ssssh, don't cry," Lionel said, pulling Dominic closer to the edge of the bed so that he could hug his lover. "I'm here, cricket."

He couldn't even get his arms around Lionel, and he hated being so weak, so weak. His fingers tightened in Lionel's as he was held, closing his eyes against Lionel's shoulder quietly.

"It's okay." Lionel kissed his face softly, his mouth, his cheeks. "I missed you so much, Dominic. I thought that I was going to die without you."

His throat was swollen with his efforts not to lose control of himself, so his voice, when he attempted speech, was rough and grating. But he had to, anyway. "L.. ov… ee… yo... u." His body trembled as he held in the sob, grasping onto his lovers hand as much as he could to tug on him, tug him close, tug him up, come on Lionel, please, please Lionel.

"I love you," Lionel answered, putting down the rails on the bed and sitting on the side, his legs lying down the side of the bed with Dominic's, his shoulder supporting his lover's head, arm around his back. "I love you more than I ever knew."

There. YES! There. Protected. He didn't want to think about the enigma his mother was, didn't want to think about any of that as he closed his eyes again, resting back against the pillows Macho Woman had come and changed and moved again, and rested. Tired, so very tired, but here where it was okay. Where his lover, hopefully, didn't mind he was forced to pee in a tube, or be fed through a tube. He rested his head against Lionel's shoulder, letting his eyes close as he relaxed again.

Lionel kept his lover's head tucked close on his shoulder, murmuring softly and kissing his temple, stroking his fingers through the close-cropped hair. "They've shorn you, my little cricket, but it's already growing back," he said, rubbing his cheek gently against Dominic's so as not to dislodge the tube. "You're going to be better and done with this before you know it, and back home where you belong." He let his cheek rest on the top of his lover's head. "I brought you videos to watch, audio books to listen to--some of them my books on tape, including one on the rudimentary elements of fencing, as you said you wanted to learn and it will be good exercise for you--and... I even brought those leather slippers you like so much, though I think one is slightly the worse for wear after I retrieved it from Freddie's basket."

Dominic listened to his lovers words, but after Lionel had stopped talking, which Dominic was sure of, he looked up at him, trembling against the safety of Lionel's embrace, and croaked, as much as he could, "S… low… er." He cleared his throat, closing his eyes as he swallowed, and managed, "C... n't... u… dst'nd.... too... f'st."

Lionel nodded. "I'm sorry," he said, deliberately slowing his words down. "I was babbling... so used to talking to you without your reacting, I've nearly forgotten what it's like to talk to you." He brushed more little kisses over his lover's temples, cheeks, and lips. "I brought you things to watch on television, books on tape, for you to listen to, and your leather slippers, which Freddie took off to sleep with, but I rescued."

Dominic heaved a soft sigh as he closed his eyes, just nodding slightly. Books were good. Slippers were good, except of course he couldn't get up, so they were a waste. But a waste he wanted. At the mention of Freddie he looked back up at Lionel, and now that Lionel was so very, very close, he could whisper and it was easier to talk. "F..reddie? F..reddie...ok..ay?"

"Freddie is just fine," Lionel reassured him. "And I will sneak him in for you eventually, just not right now. He has missed you, which is why I think he's possessed your slipper for his own."

At the mention of that, Dominic gave a small, tired smile up at Lionel. "Miss?"

"He missed you. I missed you. Everyone's missed you; you've had, at some point, every man, woman, and child in Smallville traipsing into your room." He stroked his fingers down Dominic's cheek gently. "Freddie misses you. He cries when he's left alone, and he sleeps on your pillow when he isn't sleeping with Clark's dogs."

Dominic closed his eyes as the swamp of love for his little kitten made some of the cold anger and heartache wash out of him. He cleared his throat and shifted the smallest bit, opening his eyes when his lover stroked down his cheek. His brows furrowed a little... and he brought his fingers up to his cheek, as well.

Goatee?

GONE.

His eyes widened.

Lionel caught the wide eyes and the wandering fingers, and he cringed slightly. "They had to shave it off," he said slowly. "For the tubes and procedures. It is growing back."

Glare. Just... glare.

Lionel chuckled softly, and took Dominic's good hand, guiding it up to the short stubble growing on his head.

Dominic's slightly trembling fingers, held up by Lionel's own strength, and felt the short bristles of his hair scrape his fingertips. Oh, well that just sucked. He frowned as he touched, not knowing why... then felt the tape against the more naked part of his skull, near the side. He looked at Lionel in question as his arm grew tired, and he let it slide from Lionel's to rest back on his chest.

Lionel laced their fingers back together. "They drilled holes," he explained slowly. "To drain the blood and relieve the pressure inside your head."

Oh, ew. He felt a little sick at that as he watched Lionel talk, gazing at the way his mouth was moving without really knowing why. Something to anchor onto, he supposed. He listened to his lover for a few moments, thought a proper answer, and then said it. "E..w."

Lionel laughed at that, pulling his lover closer. "There's my cricket. He was gone so long, I thought he might never come back to me." He couldn't help the gentle tightening of his grip around his lover's shoulders.

Dominic gave him another little tired smile and was incredibly warmed by the hug. This is where he liked Lionel...laying beside him. He shifted a little to give him more room and closed his eyes comfortably, pressing his face against Lionel's shoulder and closing his eyes. "Go...good."

"I know, it does feel good," he murmured softly, and slowly. "But I won't be able to stay for long; the doctors will have my head on a pike if I do anything to hurt you."

Dominic's eyes flew open and he looked up at Lionel, his working hand lifting to tighten on Lionels shirt. "D… do-n't g... go."

"Sssh. I'm not leaving yet," Lionel said, reassuring him quickly and bringing his hand up to gently untangle his lover's. "I'm here. They won't make me leave the bed for hours yet."

Now Dominic wasn't so sure, because if Lionel had said it that meant he was going to go, and who wouldn't go? It must be terrible to sit here, hours on end, just catering after him. So he let go of his lover's shirt and swallowed hard as he looked away, toward the window again. A burden. That's all he was. A burden.

Lionel pressed his lips together tightly, and turned his lover back towards him. "No," he said softly, clearly. "Whatever it is you are thinking, it is not true."

What a lie. Of course it was true. No one could want to be around a person that had tubes running in every part of his body. He swallowed, clearing his throat and swallowing as he did. He turned to look at Lionel, and said, as clearly as he could, "Wa... ter?"

"Of course." Lionel turned slightly in bed, so that he could reach the spill-proof water cup that had been left by the bed, and made sure the straw in it was bent so that his lover could drink, and he held it out. "Here you are," he said clearly, offering the straw.

Dominic lifted his head as much as he could, which wasn't much, and sipped slowly from the cup. He choked midway through, letting go to cough, and when he was done took another drink. The cool water felt fantastic running down his throat, crisp and clean, and even though his tongue felt fuzzy he was glad for the dryness in his throat going away. He set his head on the pillow from the inch or two he'd lifted it a moment later, and closed his eyes to sigh.

Lionel held the cup steady, rubbing his lover's back as he coughed, moving the straw as needed, and when he was done, Lionel put the cup back on the little table by the bed and brought Dominic back over close against him. "There, how's that?"

Incredibly good. He nodded, eyes still closed as he rested, feeling the cold waters trail down his throat and to his belly. God, that felt good. He shifted a little back toward Lionel, his arms keeping him warm, and opened his eyes to look up. "T.. oni?"

"Will be in to see you first thing in the morning," Lionel confirmed. "Graham is bringing her by."

"Bab..y..baby?"

"The baby is fine too," he soothed. "She just went to the doctor a week or so ago, and she was fine. He told her to take it easy, because she was starting to stress, but she's just fine."

Dominic nodded a little again, watching his lover softly, and quieted for a moment, just watching Lionel's face. Nothing in it told him Lionel wanted to leave, but one could never be sure. "N..no...ch'se...s'nd'ich?"

Another little laugh. "No cheese sandwich, at least, not yet. Give it another week or so, and then we'll see." He kissed Dominic's mouth again softly.

At the kiss Dominic's eyelids fluttered and he leaned up again, for another one. He couldn't exactly participate too much, but oh. Oh. Ohhhhh.

Lionel obliged with another soft kiss as his thumb stroked over Dominic's cheekbone and then he snuggled as close to his lover as he could without disturbing the tubes. "I missed you so."

The little kisses brought a spike of hot feeling to his chest, making his eyes too bright with unshed tears and his throat tight all over again. How long would it be before he could participate? How long would it be before he could walk, or move, or sneak up on his lover for a kiss? Jaheel hadn't come out and said it, but he'd implied no one was strong enough to fully recover from this, and he'd walk with a limp or worse for the rest of his life. He closed his eyes and set his head closer to Lionel's shoulder as sleep beckoned and his mind reeled with everything he had done today.

"Sleep, little cricket," he murmured softly. "You've earned it. You've had a very tiring day. Would you like me to put on one of your videos?"

Dominic shook his head, shifting his right leg listlessly for a moment uncomfortably as he fought for a good position... then finally found one for now, resting softly and relaxing. "Lo..ve."

"I love you, my little cricket." He stroked his thumb down Dominic's cheek again. "I love you so much."

It was with the troubling thought of his very obvious permanent handicap that Dominic closed his eyes and let sleep take him, his lovers kiss still tingling on his lips, Lionel's voice still murmuring in his ear.

 

-fin-

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