The Memoirs

It was hot. Miserably hot, damnably hot, hellishly hot. And none of those adjectives did it justice. It was hot. Just... hot. The kind of hot where just breathing made you break out into sweat, and he sighed. Even the air conditioning going full blast in the store wasn't making that much of a dent in the heat yet, but he had hope for the rest of the day.

At least khaki and blue didn't hold the heat in. The khaki pants were thin and light, the blue polo shirt with the store's logo on it was cotton and thin, which meant he wasn't sweltering, or fainting of heatstroke.

But he'd come in early anyway, because the store needed to air out from the overnight stuffiness, and he'd turned the air on first thing. He hadn't even changed out of his shorts until nine AM, when they opened for business. Which had meant he'd been wearing shorts when Graham came in, but he *really* didn't care. They had to meet today, to finalize the arrangements of how much he'd pay Whitney to have space in the store, and what percentage of the job cost went to the store, and how much of a discount he had on parts.

Lex had offered to come along with him, to help handle the figures, but he'd declined, knowing that at some point in his life, he had to take the responsibility for himself. He had the papers and figures and advice in front of him, and it was now or never. He sighed as he raked his fingers through his hair and then smiled. "Mr. Senatori."

It was hot as all of hell, and twice as sweltering. And Graham was sure he would have damned his brother to the furthest reaches of hell if he wasn't already there. But as he was, and Graham couldn't really be mad at Morgan for asking him to move here for them all to be close again, Graham dealt with it.

Hated it. But dealt with it.

Toni had worked the second night shift and wasn't expected at home until at least eleven, so that left an hour and a half where Graham didn't have a sitter. He refused to give his son to his schizophrenic mother, or his sister who was about to go into steady breakdown. Lindy was busy and had Ellie in pre-K most of the day, Lionel wasn't ready to take care of a child when he had his husband to worry over.

That left Graham well and truly fucked.

So he'd brought Shaney along.

His son, spitting image of him, was happily sitting in his stroller making a proper mess of himself with a bright orange Popsicle. Graham had thought about it long and hard, but figuring forty five minutes of silence from the boy was worth the pain of cleaning up afterward.

He'd hose him down if need be.

"'lo, Whitney."

Whitney felt for the man immediately. "There's a summertime kid's program at the children's center, if you want to enroll him. One of the Rubenstein girls runs it, they've got about twenty kids from a year on up to eleven years, and they're always looking for new kids, cause the older ones are always moving out."

Graham sighed. Just... sighed, rubbed a hand across his beard, and shook Whitney's hand. He'd been struggling like hell to get his English up to par because he was thoroughly disgusted with having to have Toni make his phone calls. He wasn't that terrible!

Alright. He was.

He cleared his throat, and tried. "Ah... I've been thinkin' 'boot it, yes. But... the Shaney boy gets a bit defensive."

Whitney shook his hand and smiled. "He'll love it. Two seconds after he forgets to cry, he'll realize the fun he's havin'. Pete's going to be doing a dance class for the older kids later and the younger ones'll love the music." He pointed to the table in his office. "Come on in, the fan's on in the office, and it's a little cooler in there."

"Thanks be to Christ. It feels like God turned on an oven an' forgot to take it off." Graham said, and steered the stroller, which admittedly was as big as a boat so he could reach the handles alright, into the hall and the office behind Whitney. "What've we got goin' today?"

"The legal guys Lex recommended to me finally got the agreements drawn up, and I wanted to go over them with you before we got them signed and finalized," he sighed. "The timing couldn't have been better, because people are going to be calling me left and right to get their AC fixed or whatever because this is the first really hot snap we've had." Whitney sat down behind the desk, and sorted through the mountain of paper on his desk before he found the purple folder with the contracts and everything. "Sit down, please."

"Means good work for m'lads." Graham answered back, smiling as he settled in the chair across from the desk. He still felt worn and entirely too tired, his entire backside still feeling like it would forever be molded with the hospital chair, and he shifted to get comfortable as his son squealed, clapped, and got the orange Popsicle, already melting, more in his hair than it had been. He stared at his son, rolled his eyes at him, and then looked at Whitney as he nodded. "We're ready ta get to work. Got a good group."

"Yeah, that's what I hear. Steven's chomping the bit to get out of the trucks and onto your crew, and he'll be here in a couple hours, in fact, so don't let him talk your ear off." He shook his head. "Okay. Here's the deal I came up with, and the lawyers didn't like it, but I think it's a fair one. The rent for the spot in the store is $1200 a year, that breaks down to a hundred a month and it won't go into affect until August because of the delay, so all you'll have to pay in January is $400." He looked at the next piece of paper. "The store's finally holding it's own, and they had a fit when I told this, but I'm only wanting fifteen percent of the total job fee, instead of the 25% they set. That's way too much. The last thing is, you'll get your parts and stuff here for half of cost without the consumer markup."

Graham listened, quietly, as Whitney spoke. It was fair. If he was honest with himself, it was entirely too fair, and though he knew the young man was trying to help him, he didn't want to jip him any of what he was due. So he thought for a few moments, frowning softly as he did, and cocked a brow up. "Laddie, you're offering quite a bargain."

Whitney nodded. "Yeah, I know. But, come on. It's not exactly prime retail space here. It's a corner of a fifty year old building with glass walls. I feel bad asking you for any more for that, especially when most of the time you're going to be on the road anyway."

Graham was just thinking. He listened to what Whitney said, tuning out his sons squeals of laughter and ignoring what had to be a royal mess by now. Just thought.

When he looked up, he had a brow raised. "Whitney, we've be'n talkin' 'boot getting this all together for a bit now, haven't we?"

"Yeah, we have. Too long, really, I meant to get this moving before but it didn't work out that way."

"Well, as I've been meaning to tell ya, but which you probably understand by now, I havena' a proper footing in Smallville yet. You and yours do. No' just that--I havena a want to run my own business, not this way with rent and such. Tell me, if you've thought about takin' on a partner."

Whitney nodded. "Mr. Senatori--Graham, if I can? I'm barely eighteen years old, and I'm tryin' to hold this place together. Lex's been helping as much as he can without takin' over, but with Dominic--yeah, well, I don't have to tell you. You know. It's been hard to do, and I'd love to have someone who knows what they're doing. The stock and the retail part of this I can handle, because Mom and Dad showed me how. But on the working side of it, sending out the repairs, the appliance warranties and all? I've got no idea how to handle it."

"Well laddie, I ran m' own business for fifteen years outta Vancouver. I know what 'm doin' now and again." Graham studied the young man. "'ve got the equipment, had it all sent here from Canada. Got most of the paperwork, got most everything we'd need. Fordman gets its own repair shop, best of the best c'se I dunna hire anybody who's not. Plumbers, technicians, the bit. What do you say?"

"That actually sounds like the best idea I've heard in a very long time," Whitney said, with a huge breath of relief. "That's just what I need, and I wasn't sure what kind of a commitment you've been looking for, which is why I went the route that I did."

"Coulda just asked." Graham teased, a grin of delight crossing his features. "Teachin' ya the paperwork won't be no hassle. Bit complicated now and again, but combining our resources'd be beneficial to us both. Fordmans'll be the place people go for tech problems, wirin', plumbin', apliances, the bit. Get all your parts here, too."

Whitney nodded. "Most of the other guys, like the drywallers and the other plumbers in town, they get their parts here anyway cause we've got the best deal, and what they can't get from us, then they'll get it in Metropolis." He was more relieved than he could say about this arrangement. "It's going to be great workin' with you again."

"Aye, laddie. It'll all be goin into the same business, not two." Graham grinned at him, and reached across the desk to shake his hand. "Lex's fancy lawyers better draw up the paperwork though. Havena a clue how to do that."

Whitney shook his hand too. "Yeah, I don't have an idea either. Lex's gonna help with the paperwork as soon as I tell him what we need, and I'll make sure that we get what we need."

"Well then, that's a treat. Now, how be little Chloe, eh? Babies due any day?" Graham asked, pleased the business was over and now they could talk about other things.

"Oh, God yes. She's ready to have the baby now, and I think she's got another month or two left to go. There's not a day--hell, an hour--I don't hear about it either." He gave a snicker. "But we got moved in and everything, got our baby furniture put together, and Shay helped us sort the dresser and put all the clothes and stuff away. I think they're close to having a shower too, but dear God I do not want to be there when that happens."

"Aye, so Shayla has told me. It seems life has begun to go back to normal," Graham said, and not without a little sigh of happiness at that. He sideglanced his son, noting Popsicle was everywhere, and then back to Whitney. "They're a right mess after they're born, indeed, and it doesn't seem to go away until they're teenagers. And even then that's a bit questionable," Graham teased.

Whitney's eyes went huge. "Please don't tell me that."

"Gods honest truth, boyo." Graham snickered.

Whitney just shuddered again. "I know that. I just... really, really don't want to think about it."

Graham grinned and stood, reaching across the desk to shake Whitney's hand again. "Aye, I'll be seein ya tomorrow. I'll get the trucks to bring all the things abo'ot, get it in your warehouse, aye?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, and I'll look into seeing if we can't clear out one of the old store rooms or build a new one on to give you guys a real office and a real workspace."

"Aye, now that'll work wonders. Join Toni and me for dinner tonigh', in celebration?"

Whitney grinned. "I'll have to call Chloe later today and see if she's got plans, and if she doesn't, you're definitely on." He shook Graham's hand as hard as he could as he nodded. "If she does, we'll hook up this weekend maybe."

"Alright, then. Call me on at the cell number, its where you can reach me." He stood and grinned down at the young man before grasping the handle of the stroller with his poor son covered in orange. "Have a right day, laddie."

"You too, Mr. Senatori!" Whitney sprinted to hold the office door open for Graham, and then settled back in the chair behind the desk as he picked up his phone, shredding the unused contracts that Lex had paid for, and got ready to order new ones for his new partnership.

- = - = -

Smallville was pretty this time of year. Though it was behind glass, the heat the day was giving off, the laughing children, the trees happily swaying in what had to be a stifling breeze, looked like the picture right out of a storybook.

Dominic loved the summer time. Everything was... alive. Trees, birds, flowers, children. It had been his favorite time of year for most of his life, and it saddened him that this year he'd missed out an entire two months, from what Graham had told him.

He was sure he could have enjoyed it more if he weren't so tired.

Dominic hadn't done much today. Woken up, had a bath given to him which was so humiliating that he'd pretended to sleep through most of it. 

Jaheel had mentioned something to him this morning about 'extracting tubes' and 'diapers', and Dominic had put his foot down. He'd be damned, first. When he was strong enough to get up, then they could do whatever the hell they wanted. But no way in hell was he going to wear--...just *no*.

And so, there he sat. With all of his tubes, IV's and feeding and catheters and all that other nonesense, in a chair. Graham had glared the nurses away and moved Dominic himself, for which Dominic was grateful. He wanted to sit up, though it was taxing him, despite the pillows and belt strapping him firmly into the wheel chair.

But at least he got to look outside. That was the best part.

It seemed a little bit easier for him to talk today, as well. It still took him some time to decipher what was being said, but Jaheel had said that was his brain trying to rewire itself after the strokes. Dominic had a little bit of feeling now, as well, in his left arm, and could feel pain quite clearly.

But that was all things for later. Now, he could watch the sky, and feel the sun through the glass, here alone.

Lionel felt completely drained.

Between the session with Elaine and the heat that sapped his energy at every move, it felt like a Herculean labor to walk from the parking lot of the hospital to the lobby, and it wasn't until he was safely in the elevator that he slumped against the wall of the small carriage and gulped in deep breaths of cool air.

He wasn't stupid enough to overdress in this heat; he had settled for lightweight slacks and a white button-down shirt, short sleeves and no tie to the astonishment of everyone at LuthorCorp. He'd stopped by only long enough to retrieve his laptop from Lex's office, took half the reports from the acquisitions and the budgeting for the research lab, and he carried it all over his shoulder as he went up to Dominic's hospital room.

He had expected Dominic to be asleep, as he usually was after lunch, and he had anticipated being able to work for several hours, until he woke up from the exhaustion of the morning.

He hadn't expected to see Dominic sitting up in the chair by the window, and he froze in the doorway, doing a double take. "Dominic?"

Dominic heard his lovers voice, and he couldn't do more than turn, so turn his head he did. If it was Lionel at all… his mind had taken to playing tricks on him when he was very tired. So he waited for whoever it was to come in, turning his head back a few inches to look out the window again.

When Lionel didn't receive so much as a word of acknowledgement, he put his laptop on the table by the bed and came the rest of the way into the room, pulling one of the other chairs up to the window beside Dominic's.

His lover's chair was padded, and he was held against additional pillows that cushioned Dominic's body by restraints, which made him severely unhappy but he realized it was part of the therapy. "Dominic, I'm glad you're able to sit up today," he said softly, reaching out to touch his lover's sun-warmed flesh.

It was Lionel! He gave him a small smile as he studied the beautiful, worn features of his lover, but beautiful nonetheless. He struggled for words, and after a moment, found them. "H… i. Got... to s… sit up." Because, well, he did. He noticed Lionel looking at how they'd tied him to the chair, but that's the only way he'd been able to sit up. He'd been adamant about sitting up to further show he didn't need any of this diaper business. "W… won't wear... one."

"Won't wear one what?" Lionel asked, clasping their hands together, and rubbing his fingers over the ring he'd vehemently demanded be returned to his lover's left hand.

"D… iaper." Humiliation. He nearly shuddered with it. He didn't feel his lovers hand very much at all, but from the rasp of skin he knew Lionel was holding it. "Re… fuse."

"They want you to wear a diaper?" Lionel was incensed. "You most certainly refuse; I will have more than one word with this doctor of yours, and we will come to an understanding, or we will have your case reassigned. Of all the... I cannot believe he would try and humiliate you in such a manner!"

Heh. Dominic knew Lionel would react like that. He just rolled his eyes, the other taking a few seconds to do it too. He couldn't see his lover well on that side, so he turned his head a little so he could see him better out of his right eye. "Ha… ve...to g... et better. Don't wan… t...to w... ear." He managed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "B...ad enou… gh... have... be... fed."

"You won't have to be fed for long," Lionel said confidently, and slowly, making sure their hands were still tightly clasped. "And you will get better. I'll be here for you, every step of the way, to see to it personally."

He nodded his assent and closed his eyes as he yawned softly. He opened them again, after a few moments, studying Lionel's face again, just because he liked looking at it. It felt like he hadn't seen it in ages and ages. "H...ave...ph.si..cal...th..erpy...today. Hot...chi..c...doin..g..it." Said with another little grin, closing his eyes to get them moistened before opening them up again.

Lionel laughed softly. "I'd be much more worried if it were a handsome gentleman doing it."

He cleared his throat quietly and turned his head a little, shifting the right leg to get some movement in it and sighing softly. "W… work?" His eyes shifted to the laptop in Lionel's arms.

"Only when you go back to sleep," Lionel nodded. "But, yes. There's quite a bit I need to catch up on; Lex's recent absence has put us a little more behind than I would have liked, and I'm attempting to help him catch back up." He smiled. "It's the least that I can do, after what he did."

It took Dominic a moment or two to understand, then another few to respond. He didn't understand what Lionel had said at all, and he looked at him quizzically. "W..hat?"

Lionel cursed himself mentally. "I'm only going to start working after you fall asleep," he explained again. "Lex missed several days as he recovered from assisting you, and I am helping him get caught back up."

He frowned. No, not that part. He struggled for words, slightly frustrated he couldn't find them for a few moments, as he thought. "No...w..why...Lex..absen...se? N..ot...part...Luth... Cor..p anymore."

Lionel gave a little smile, though this one was a bit sad. "When you fell ill, Lex took the initiative and had himself named CEO pro-tem until you were well enough that I could return to work and resume my duties."

It took Dominic another few moments to understand.

When he did he wished he hadn't.

He turned to look back out the window, an extreme feeling of guilt settling somewhere below his sternum. He could see all too clearly in his over reactive, if not slightly sluggish, imagination, just how bad things must have been for Lex to finally step in and name himself CEO. Lionel must have gone completely ape.

He turned his head to glare at him.

At the glare, Lionel couldn't help but grin, and place a little kiss on his lover's lips. "There's my little cricket," he murmured softly. "Glaring me to death for being worried about him."

"Sh..ould h..ave work..ed." Dominic glared again, but let Lionel kiss him. It was kind of gross, on his part anyway, because... he probably hadn't brushed his teeth in two months.

Well, ew.

But he let it happen, anyway, selfishly taking the pleasure it gave him to heart.

Lionel kissed again, just because he was happy to see the glare and the reprimand, but settled back in his chair in the next moment because he didn't want to over-exert his lover. "I could not have worked."

Dominic listened to him, and watched him sit back, and asked, without looking away from his lover, "Fin… d... shirt?"

"The most ugly, florid, eye-shocking shirt that was ever created, in a size big enough to fit a rhinoceros?"

At that, Dominic chuckled silently and nodded, just a little bit, eyes dancing.

"I found it. I had a headache an hour afterwards too, I might add." He tightened his grip on Dominic's hand. "I can't believe you left everything to Lex, Clark and I."

He would have shrugged if he could. "Wh...y?"

"I don't know; I had expected you to have everything apportioned out to your families, trusts set up for the children, and that you left the responsibility to me... staggered me." He pressed a warm kiss to Dominic's limp hand.

"Y..ou...hus...bnd. Why n...ot?" Dominic asked him after a moment, and watched quietly as his lover kissed his hand. That he couldn't feel it depressed him deeply, and he moved his eyes away and back out to the window for a moment.

"Because I am less than well-disposed to certain members of your family."

"F..uck..them."

Now that brought a smile of true mirth to Lionel's face and it made his eyes dance. "Now, if I could get you to repeat that sentiment when you are well, then, my little cricket, we may have something." He kissed Dominic's cheek again, and then sat in the chair beside him. "How many visitors have you had today?"

Dominic worked his dry mouth for a moment, turning his head again to look at his lover as he sat in the chair closer to where he could see him. He hated, hated asking for anything, felt incredibly humiliated doing it, but... "W…ater?"

"Of course." Lionel got up from his chair and walked around, picking up the water pitcher and the cup and straw with it, bringing it back to their window and placing the pitcher on the sill as he held the cup steady, offering the straw. "Is it easier with, or without?"

Dominic shook his head, picking up his right hand, though it shook terribly, and took the cup from his lover. Almost dropped it, thanking God Lionel still had a hold on it, and lifted his head enough to drink from it without the straw. It was cold and good going down his throat and after he finished he sighed softly, letting his hand drop again back to the pillows they were laying on.

Lionel did nothing but hold the cup steady, letting Dominic guide it and hold it until he was done with it, and then moved it back to the window sill. "Better?"

"Be...der." Dominic answered, and his voice was less raspy now than it had been. He swallowed, closing his eyes to relish in the cool feeling in his throat, before opening them again. "G..raham. To..ni."

"Mmm. And how is the irascible Dr. Braxton these days?"

Dominic shook his head softly. "Sh...talk..s...too fas..t."

Lionel just nodded, and reminded himself to have a private chat with the good doctor about slowing down. "And what about the rest of your numerous relatives? Have I missed the Senatori hordes descending upon you?" He smiled to take the sting out of his words.

He nodded, just a little. He was tired and slow thinking, not stupid. "R..iley. M..aarie...Lin. Came... yeste..day. W..nt...to see Sh...ay...la." He was very aware some serious shit had gone down while he'd been sick, and when he was of body and mind he'd demand to know about them. Now? Too tired. Just... too tired.

"Shayla hasn't been by? That's very odd; I had guessed she would have beaten the doors down to get to you by now," he said thoughtfully. "Would you like me to call and see if she's at home, so you can talk to her and tell her to get herself over here?"

Yes. And no. "Sh... scared."

"She's scared?" Lionel repeated, puzzled.

Yes. He was nearly certain, in fact. He hated not being able to communicate articulately. "Of...me. Th..at... I'm... n...ot....brother."

Lionel understood well enough. "She's afraid that because you're sick, you're not her brother anymore? That little twit. That's the most preposterous thing I've ever heard in my entire life."

Dominic glared. "And… you...n...ot...workin....isn..n't?"

"I have an excuse," he said stubbornly. "I was looking after my ill husband."

Another glare.

Lionel glared right back, thrilled secretly down to the core to be able to do this with his husband once more.

"W..as...just...laying he..re. Yo..u..been... shoul..d...work..ing." Dominic said back just as stubbornly, as he shifted his right leg a little more comfortably.

"I did work occasionally. I just allowed Lex to bear the brunt of it."

A sharper glare for that. "T..err..ible."

"It's what he's been raised to do," Lionel pointed out.

"H..e...wan..ted..out." Dominic shot back, and shifted again the smallest bit to make the tube in his side a little less uncomfortable, and looked up at the IV and food bags connected on the little stand beside him with a small glare. His hands were swollen terribly from the IV's, and they'd ended up putting two into his inner thighs, until the inflammation went down in his hands. Which had been a fine, fine morning. But… he changed the subject, to get his mind off of things. "C… an...go...home?"

"Not quite yet," Lionel said, knowing that would earn him a testicle-shriveling glare. "You must be a little further into your therapy at least before they'll even consider the matter."

God. How depressing. He closed his eyes silently and exhaled, quietly. He wanted to be home, he wanted to get in his bed and use his bathroom--dearest Jesus in heaven, he prayed every night to be able to get up so he could use the toilet-- and play with his kitten and sleep with his lover in their bed, where they were supposed to be. He wanted things, he wanted his routine back. Here...he was alone, attached to wires and tubes and all kinds of other things, and he hated it.

"It will only be weeks now," Lionel said softly, in way of reassurance. "Weeks now, instead of months."

Oh, like that made it any better. He ignored the words for now, just letting the warm sun beat down on his face until he felt the courage to speak. "W… want. Home."

"I know you do," Lionel said softly.

"C..an..t. Yet?"

"No, you can't. Not yet. But you will soon, I have faith in you." Lionel picked Dominic's hand back up and held it between his own. "You will soon, and as soon as it's possible, I'll have you home. I've already begun making arrangements, and the downstairs exercise room is being converted, temporarily, into a therapy room for you, which is where your therapists will come to you once you're home."

Therapy.

He was so tired. He just didn't want to. He didn't say that though, just studying his lover as Lionel picked his hand back up, the one he couldn't feel very much at all, and watched him. So he nodded at him and closed his eyes. "Ti… red."

"Would you like me to call the nurses to move you back to the bed so you can rest?" he asked immediately.

Yes. Enough sunlight for today. Dominic nodded slightly, not daring to open his eyes. Being carried around like a sack of meat. Christ, he didn't think he was going to be able to get through this all without losing something vital in the end. "I..f. He...come..s...b...ack. T...ell h… him...no...dia..pers." He instructed, not opening his eyes.

"If he comes back with a diaper, I'll send him out of this bloody room wearing it over his head," Lionel snarled.

Good. He nodded slightly, not saying anything, even as he opened his eyes to look at Lionel. "D… on't... go."

"I'm not," he said with a soft smile.

Dominic regarded him silently, for a moment. "T...err...ible. Dig...nity...g...one."

"No it's not,' Lionel said softly. "It's never gone, because it's so big a part of who you are."

He made a face after he understood what Lionel had said. "F...eed..ing? P...ee...eeing? C..nt..move. T..errib..le."

"But it's only temporary." Lionel crouched down in front of his lover. "It is only temporary. You will come back to yourself, even more dignified than you once were, because you can look back at this and say, to see who I am, see what I have overcome, and tell me I am not a man."

Perhaps not only temporary, from what Jaheel had told him. Dominic looked at his lover, able to see him very clearly now that he was close in front, and watched him with a breaking heart. "I...f. Don't...g..et bett..er. Will...will...love...me?"

"You will get better," Lionel said softly. "But if you don't, I will still love you, no matter what. Because you are my little cricket, and I will not throw you aside."

Dominic opened his mouth, and would have said more if he didn't hear the door of the room open and oh. Dear. God. Macho woman! Dominic's eyes widened in horror as he looked at the woman, five feet tall but nice and sturdy build. And she was alone.

Not that she hadn't manhandled him before. He probably weighed a lot less now. But still.

Benita smiled at both men as she saddled in, closing the door behind her as she beamed. "Hello, Mr. Luthor! Oh, Dominic, I see you've gotten tired of sitting up. Had enough of looking at the heat? Let me tell you, you're better off in here, where its nice and cool. There we go... Mr. Luthor, would you like to give me a hand? I wouldn't ask but the other nurses are... dealing with a small problem down the hall." Small problem being that they'd just admitted an old woman who had eaten forty five prunes to clear out her digestive tract. And... well. it was clear, alright.

"I would love to give you a hand, dear lady. And I quite understand about the nurses being busy. If you'll just direct me as to what you need me to do, I will be happy to assist." He smiled down at Dominic, and the corners of his eyes crinkled as he saw the horror on Dominic's face.

Dominic shook his head. No! No! She was... and she... no!

Benita grinned down at Dominic, noting the expression, and grinned back up at Lionel as she came around the front of the wheel chair and snapped her gloves on. "Here we go. lets get you untied first...Mr. Luthor, just hold his shoulders back so he doesn't slump."

"It's all right, Dominic." Lionel did as he was told, looping his arms firmly under his lover's armpits, keeping him steady and straight against the back of the chair so that Benita could reach the restraints.

Benita crouched down in front of him and quickly unsnapped the belt holding him firmly in the chair, as well as the harness around his shoulders, and pulled the four pillows they'd tucked around him onto the chair beside the wheel chair. After he was completely unconnected she carefully nodded, and smiled as she looked up at the bed. "Take about three steps back, Mr. Luthor." She instructed, and together they pushed the wheel chair three steps backward as well, so it was right beside the bed. "There we go. I'm going to get your legs and tush up, Dominic, alright?" She said downward, and didn't wait for him to acquiesce. "Mr. Luthor, lift on my mark."

Lionel moved as he was directed, and if he thought it was strange to be following the instructions of a nurse in a hospital, he didn't give it credence as he lifted, pushed and turned to her instructions. He was following them carefully, doing everything he could to help take care of his lover. "On your word, madam."

"One... two... and lift." She lifted Dominic's legs and tush up as Mr. Luthor lifted as well, and she swung Dominics legs up onto the bed. With a careful shimmy she got his backside up too, and then with Mr. Luthor's help, laid him back against the raised bed. "There we go." She adjusted the wires and tubes more comfortably, making sure to tuck the blanket firmly around his legs and get the pillows arranged behind his head just so.

Lionel lifted as she told him to, and Dominic was quickly and efficiently tucked back into the bed, and Lionel raised it up just a little further so that he could see in the room and still be sitting up slightly. "There, little cricket, that was not so bad."

That's because Lionel wasn't the one being carried around like potatoes. He glared.

Benita got everything fixed up just right, and smiled down at Dominic as she unsnapped her gloves. "There we are, hun. We'll be in with some lunch in a little bit, mmkay? Anjelina will be in with some shots later on after that. Thank you again, Mr. Luthor."

"You're quite welcome, madam." Lionel smiled as she left, and leaned forward, ducking under his husband's glare. "I wonder what is on today's lunch menu?"

"M..ach..o. Wom..an." Dominic glared again, even though it was wickedly comfy to be laying back down in his bed, and the blanket was just right, and the woman had to have a pair of balls to lift him, a grown man, but he couldn't help not appreciating her bedside manner. He shifted his right hand under the blankets and brought it out, up over it, and sighed softly.

Lionel snickered. "You cannot have her for lunch, Dominic; I believe the hospital would frown on that. But perhaps they can substitute some green Jello instead?" His eyes winked with his mirth.

Ohh Dominic glared. "Ch..eese. S...nd..wich."

"When the doctors give the okay for you to have solid foods? I will bring you a toasted cheese sandwich, handmade with love and special recipe by Ms. Bird."

God. It sounded so good. he closed his eyes, almost envisioning the taste of it, and sighed, softly. A toasted cheese sandwich, and a nice toilet. That's all he wanted. Honestly. Was it so much to ask?

Lionel laughed aloud at the closed eyes and pleasured expression on his lover's face. "Mmm. Thinking of the cheese sandwich, little cricket?"

He nodded. Dear God. Oh, he was craving it so badly he could taste it. He opened his eyes at the laugh, and smiled up at his lover. Couldn't help it.

"A..nd...y..ou."

Lionel's laughter stopped abruptly at that, and he brought his hand up to stroke over Dominic's cheek. "I cannot wait for the day," he admitted softly. "I cannot wait for the day you can take me once again."

"M..ight..b..e...awhile." He admitted, as he shifted again a little bit under the warm blankets. "Got...g..ro...w...go..att..ee."

"Yes, you do, because I must admit, you look quite the boyish figure without it, and I rather feel like the cradle-robber I am," Lionel teased frankly.

"Th..irty...six." Dominic exhaled on a sigh, and let his eyes close to half mast comfortably, now that he could see Lionel better. "D...oc..tor...sur..prised...remem..mmebered." He said, on a little whispered snicker. "H..ard..to..sp..eak...not..d..umb."

"The doctor himself is an idiot with his head lodged firmly up his ass," Lionel pointed out.

Another snicker at that, and he absently rubbed an itch from his chest with his hand. "S..aid...one..m..more...surg..ry...knee."

"One more surgery on your knee?" Lionel nodded. "For once, he's actually correct; that coincides with the orthopedist's estimation."

"Why?"

"Because there's a last few bone chips that need to be removed because of the fall, and he's going to be anchoring the last of the tendons back onto your bones."

Dominic made a face at that. "N...obo..dy...told..how...hurt?"

"You fell," Lionel said softly. "Right before Felicia's wedding. No one's quite sure how; we believe you tripped over the upturned corner of the rug, and you fell down the entire front staircase, and landed at the foot in the main entry hall. It's a miracle you didn't break your neck."

The first time he'd been given answers, and Dominic almost wished he hadn't been. He'd fallen down the stairs? Those stairs? People kept telling them he'd fallen this, and he'd fallen that, but as he had no recollection of a period of time before he took the apparent dive, he didn't know what happened. "Mir..cle... didn't.. break... nec..ck."

Lionel nodded. "Yes, it is. You got sick before the ambulances came, and we were afraid to move you, Lex and I, until Clark looked and saw that nothing was broken. We were able to move your head then, so you didn't choke on your own vomit."

Dominic made a face. Fantastic. Vomiting, shit, urine. The story his life had become.

"You scared all of us," Lionel said softly.

He was sure he had.

He didn't want to talk about it. And was sorry he asked. He shifted more comfortably, looking at the TV on mute for a moment before letting his eyes close.

Lionel got the message quickly enough, and changed the subject. "Did you know Elaine had been married?"

Dominic didn't answer right away, thinking about what Lionel had said. He looked up, and nodded. Yes, he'd known.

"I hadn't. It... came up during a talk we had today." Didn't mention the outcome of the talk.

"Ke..inen. Nice... man. Met, on..nce." Dominic managed, and Christ he was getting sleepy, but the aforementioned lunch was coming, and if he got it over with, he could fall asleep and forget about how degrading it was.

"I never met the man, but he had to have a sweet temperament to put up with that harpy. But, as she's done you and I both a great deal of good, I suppose she can't be all bad." Lionel crossed his legs in the chair and grinned.

"Wh...at...did...do..to h..er?"

"Nothing he hasn't done seventy million times over." Elaine answered from the door, and arched a brow as she walked in. She'd combed her hair back into a tight pony tail, and changed her shoes to more comfortable flats, but there she was as she'd promised to be.

"I didn't do anything," Lionel agreed, glaring at the doctor as she waltzed in as though she were welcome. "Doctor."

"Lionel." She'd thought about greeting him, Your Royal Assheadedness but aside from being too long to say, it'd upset Dominic more than anything else, and she didn't want to do that.

"Dom..nic." Dominic chimed in, tiredly, as he shifted his eyes to Elaine. "H..llo."

Elaine laughed. "Hello, Dominic. How are we feeling today?" she asked briskly, all but ignoring Lionel's presence.

"With his hands," was Lionel's snide reply.

"Ignore the comedian in the corner," she snorted.

"Te..rrible. Woul...nt pay..t..o see...hi..m." Dominic said, giving his head a small shake as he turned it to look at Lionel.

"Who would? His jokes are older than he is." She smiled, and gently caught Dominic's attention back on her. "Seriously, Dominic. How are you feeling today?"

"O..kay. Ti..red." Dominic answered back, because she was talking to him and because if was obvious she wanted to catch his attention. He turned his eyes back on her.

"Tired? They been runnin' you into the ground already?" She gave a little headshake as she peered at his chart, having snagged it on the way in. "Oooh, looks like they've had you sitting up today."

"You have always had an incredible grasp of the obvious, Doctor."

"Sh..ut... up." Dominic managed toward his lover with only turning his head a little, before looking back at Elaine. "M..acho...wom..an." As if that answered it all. Which, it kind of did. He was so tired though. Bloody hell.

"Aaah, say no more." Elaine grinned. "I bet she's had you hopping--figuratively speaking, anyway."

"My lips are sealed," Lionel said, making a zipping motion.

"That'd be a first."

Oh, come on. Dominic glared, at both her and his partner. If they were going to argue, he was going to sleep, lunch be damned.

Lionel held up his hands innocently and reached down, picking up a sheaf of expense reports and a pen, pulling his leg up to balance the folder against as he started marking through them.

Elaine just kept grinning. "He brings out the worst in me, what can I tell you?"

Lionel managed to do that to a lot of people. Beautiful bastard that he was. Dominic fixed his gaze on Elaine, finding it easier than it had been the first time she'd visited, and privately pleased at that as he looked at her.

Elaine just grinned her encouragement. "Bet the old bastard does it to everyone. You know, he's just got a knack for rubbing people the wrong way. You? Have a knack for making all that go away. He's been a holy terror without you."

Dominic didn't think so, but he listened anyway. Elaine didn't lie. "I...lo..ve...him."

"And he loves you too, Dominic. So much so that it's scary. You've got to put your mind to getting better, now, because if you don't? I think he's going to have a meltdown."

Again with the getting better. God, shut up, people. Dominic nodded to her anyway, not wanting to worry her, and looked away back to the sunny window. He wanted them to all go away. He wanted to go home. And have a cheese sandwich. But that was just dreams. He couldn't move or feel his left leg at all... they'd taken to putting muscle tighteners on it at night, to keep the blood flow up. Not that it mattered.

Elaine just sighed inwardly, and tried another tactic. "Have they told you when you can get your cheese sandwich yet?"

He just shook his head. Not until he was good enough to go home, which was probably when he could use the loo by himself which would be after he was able to move, which he wasn't.

Fuck. Go AWAY.

"Right. Guessing you're not up to visitors. I'll take my copy of the new X-Men movie and get out of your hair then." She slid off the bed.

X-Men? Dominic turned his eyes to her and turned his head the slightest bit in interest, peering at her over the oxygen tubes in his nose.

Without realizing it, he shifted his left foot the smallest bit.

"X... men?"

Elaine caught the motion and didn't dare bring attention to it, just standing exactly where she was and fishing the DVD out of her purse. "Yep... X2, it's called, X-Men United."

Oh. Alright. He peered at her, seeing if there was a catch, and seeing there wasn't any, aside from the fact that she'd probably want to stay here and watch it with him, he nodded a little. "Ok..ay. B..ut. You an..d..Li..nel...go. Pee."

Lionel rose to his feet and clamped his hand around Elaine's arm when she opened her mouth. "Of course, Dominic. We'll be back in a few moments; Elaine and I have something to discuss." Without further ceremony, he hauled her out into the hall.

God, they were strange. Dominic watched them go, too sleepy to do more than raise a brow, and sighed as he glanced down at his lap. He hated this. It went beyond everything he'd been taught, goddammit. Peeing. In bed. But he did anyway, after forcing himself despite the slightly urgent state of his bladder.

Horror. But at least no one was here to see it. He closed his eyes after he was through, looking out the window to gather his dignity around him like the blanket he pulled up a little with his still working hand. He was interested in the X-Men thing though. All he'd been able to watch lately were soap opera's the nurses insisted on not missing while they sat with him in the morning, and reruns in the afternoon. Boring as hell. He never stayed awake past eight these days, so watching the evening news was lost on him.

Where were Lionel and Elaine?

Bickering in the hallway, of course.

"You shouldn't be giving into him, Lionel. He's a sick man, and he needs to realize that he's a sick man, and that he's going to have a lot more indignities suffered upon him than pissing in a bag in front of people."

"I am going to allow Dominic the common courtesy of having privacy to take care of his personal business!" Lionel shouted back. "It's one of the few shards of his dignity left to him, and I'll be damned to hell if I let that slip away!"

"It's just gonna make it that much harder on him when the physical therapist won't."

"Yes, they will, or they'll be removed and one brought in who bloody well will! Now, we are going back in there, and you are going to respect that man, or you are going to be cordially invited to depart!" Lionel slammed the door to the room open, but he was calm and smiling when he came back in. "There we are. Get everything taken care of?" he asked, as though Dominic had just stepped out of the shower.

Dominic didn't answer, just watching his lover look too cheerful. Hmm. He frowned at him lightly before looking over his shoulder, for Elaine. She'd tantalized him with X-Men. She'd better deliver.

Besides, Hugh Jackman should be eaten with a spoon and a side of whipped cream.

Elaine rolled her eyes at Lionel's back and shoved him out of the way, bulling her way into the room and dangling the DVD over the bed. "Ready to see Hugh Jackman's bare ass running naked down the access tunnel?"

Alright. Who couldn't help grinning at that? He nodded at her, keeping an eye on his lover and when Elaine turned, reached a hand toward him. His husband had a manic expression on his face that Dominic didn't altogether like, and he hoped to calm him with a touch.

It was Lionel's turn to elbow Elaine out of the way, and he reached out to link his fingers with his lover's, kissing the limp fingers reverently as he pulled his chair over, crossing his legs to make it clear that he was not moving and Elaine could find a seat elsewhere.

Which, she realized as she turned around, suited her just fine. She would be sitting on Dominic's left side, and if he wanted her, he'd have to move it to get to her.

Dominic watched Elaine set the DVD up, turning to look back at them, and he let his eyes fall to half mast. Benita had closed the shades of the window a bit to keep the room cool, and it was delightfully quiet, calm and sleepy, but still warm. He liked that. it was good to be right here, right now, even if he had to deal with the tubes.

Lionel held his hand, the good hand, and Dominic tightened them as much as he could around Lionel's fingers. "D..id. They tell..yo..u?" Dominic asked of Elaine, eyeing her as she fiddled with the DVD/VCR thing up on the wall. "H..air. Goin.g...to grow b..ack. More."

"Yeah, I heard that," she said with a grin. "Bet that made you happy. But please, I've seen pictures of you when you were a kid. Don't go back to the moptop, okay? You look good with it cut neat." She examined his face, and grinned. "Though the goatee takes about ten years off your face."

He made a face at her. These were the reasons he grew it, people. No body was going to take him seriously until he re-grew it, and he scowled at her even as he let Lionel's hand go to press fingers, much too thin, to his face. "Terr..ible."

"It's not terrible. Just youthful." She winked at him.

He made another face at her and let his hand fall back to his side, where Lionel's was, and shifted his hips a little more comfortably.

He used his left leg again.

And was completely, totally, unaware of it.

He shifted until he was comfortable, as limited his movement as it was, and sighed softly, trying to find a good spot to rest in. He found it a moment later, and though he knew they were going to force him to eat... oh, he ignored that. Instead he looked over at Elaine beside him. "Gl..ad. You...h...ere. Hus..ban'... was... idi..ot."

Elaine just grinned, both at the movement and the sentiment, but she didn't bring any attention to it, just leaning over to talk to him. "I've been here since a week after you fell. Your idiot husband? Would not listen to a word anyone said, including me and Clark."

Dominic lifted his eyes to Lionel's, sadly, at that. He'd had an inkling about that, but it still made him sad, and he sought out Lionel's hand again firmly. "Ge..ts... worried." Dominic said softly, but since he didn't want to talk about any of that, he looked at the TV again, mounted on the wall. Hugh Jackman flashed across the screen on a snow covered landscape, and Dominic wondered if given the choice, would he want Hugh or a cheese sandwich more.

The cheese sandwich won out.

He sighed.

"The good doctor is exaggerating," Lionel said, shooting a dagger-filled glare across the bed at Elaine. "I bent and listened to reason when it became necessary, have no fear."

"Meaning when hospital security dragged him out kicking and screaming," she translated.

"DOCTOR NACHEYEZ!" Lionel thundered. "That is quite enough!"

Dominic grinned. Oh, he just grinned up at Elaine, shoulders shaking with silent laughter as he listened. His eyes, filled with mirth, flickered to his lover, before back to Elaine. "Dr..agg..d?"

Elaine leaned back in her chair, ignoring Lionel's bellowing and nodding. "Oh, yes. They've dragged him out of your room several times--once for being too dirty and germy to be around you. They took him out and refused to let him back in until he'd gone home, had a shower, and burned what he was wearing."

Dominic's shoulders shook harder at that, though his laughter was only whispers, and he turned to look at his lover with all the amusement in the world. Now, that was funny. he had the best image of Lionel being one of the kids from Peanuts, with a blanket and flies following him everywhere. "Pea… nuts." He managed, hoping Elaine would understand even as he laughed.

"He was a real Pigpen, that's for sure." She hadn't been Dominic's therapist for over a decade and not know him. "You could almost see the little clouds of dirt and dust flying up off him when he moved. Do you know, his hair was almost straight from the grease?"

Dominic just cracked up. The sound actually came out, a wisp of what it once was but laughter anyway, as he shook his head and gazed at his lover. Dear God. It wasn't funny at all but deeply amusing at the same time, and he chuckled as he squeezed Lionel's fingers softly in his own. "No... cu..rli..ng..iron..need..ed."

Lionel just glared at the doctor, and returned the squeeze gently. "No, no curling iron needed. Once I had my rest, my hair recovered admirably, and is now back to it's usual glorious state." He shook his head once, just to make the curls bounce.

Yeah. Dominic kept on laughing, though he agreed, and stopped mid laugh to let out a sob. He let his lovers hand go and covered his mouth as he did it, but now that it was started there it was. He could barely find the breath to sob but he did, eyes welled hot and red with tears, and they trickled down the sides of his face to get caught in the stubble of his hair.

Lionel's head snapped to the side as his lover started crying, and his evil glare just dared Elaine to step in. "Dominic? Little cricket, what's wrong?" His hand dragged out several tissues from the box beside the bed, and he started to blot his lover's face clean.

He shook his head, shoving the tissues away, and he couldn't even turn to hide this. So he just let his mouth go and closed his eyes, schooling his features as he fought to control himself. What was wrong? Besides the fact that he'd spent the last two months in a coma, and woke up to a body that couldn't move, that was useless? Nothing, nothing at all.

"Lionel? How about buzzing off? 'Member what you said out in the hallway about dignity and all that? It reaches out further than pissing in a bag, you know," she said conversationally.

Dominic ignored them both, ignored them all, and when he opened his eyes he didn't feel like anything else was going to come from them. He used his working hand to rub his cheeks and ignored them both, instead training his eyes on the movie and pretending it hadn't just happened. He had a very protective shell he was nurturing, and right now didn't want to hear any of these comments anymore. He was strong, goddammit.

He glared at the television at the mention of his new peeing requirements. Bitch.

"Doctor? If I wish to hear your opinion on a subject, I shall ask for it," he snapped, and tossed the tissues into the trash can. He watched Dominic ignore them both, and fell into his own stubborn silence.

"Yeah, but I know you. You'll never ask for it. Therefore, you get it whenever I feel like sharing." She nodded. "Ain't that right, Dominic?"

Dominic ignored her for a moment, before his eyes flickered her way. He didn't trust his voice right now so he just looked at her in misery, before back to the TV. Lionel was angry now, no doubt, and he just didn't… want to deal. So fuck the movie, fuck food, fuck it all. He closed his eyes, and tried for sleep.

Elaine paused the DVD. "You sleep, and I'll come back tomorrow and finish it with you, all right?" She got up quietly and started gathering her things. "Want me to drag the old bastard out with me?"

Dominic didn't want to talk. At all. Period. Did she not get that or something? He turned his head the other way, ignoring her, and ignoring Lionel as he shifted to try and sleep, not saying a word. His weakness was laid out and bared for all to see, and in that moment, he hated himself more than anything. Diapers and tubes and he couldn't feed himself or move or do anything of importance at all. Surely Lionel couldn't stay with someone who so obviously had become so fucking useless. His inability to fend for himself infuriated him, and his teeth ground.

"Okay," she said softly, and leaned over, kissing his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." She left at that, leaving Lionel alone in the room with Dominic.

Lionel's jaw locked tightly but he didn't say a word, just picking up the remote and turning the DVD player off, and switching the television to CNN as he opened his laptop and put it on the little rolling table beside the bed.

Misery was complete. He felt her kiss on his face and heard her leave, but he didn't open his eyes. He heard his lovers shifts and movements but didn't say anything, stubbornly keeping his eyes shut tightly.

He prayed for sleep. Begged God for sleep.

When it came, he wasn't sure if he was pleased or not.

 

-fin-

go on to the next part