The Memoirs

Jor-El watched with amazement as the helicopter rose into the air, and looked over at his son and his aushna'. Both young men looked drawn and worried, and out of respect for that, Jor-El waited until the helicopter was out of sight, and then he looked down again. "Would you both come to the laboratory with me? I cannot access the room, but that is where we will need to be."

Clark nodded, quietly, his eyes filled hot with brimming tears, and took his lover's hand in his own. "Yeah. This sucks, father," Clark said softly, winding an arm around Alexis's shoulders and hugging her close as he kissed her cheek. "Come on, aushna'. Are you okay to do this now?"

"No," Alexis choked out, clinging to Clark. "I'm not. I'm worried about Dom. I'm worried about Dad. I don't know what's going to happen or who's going to do what to whom, I'm scared, and no, I'm just... no."

Jor-El paused a moment as they walked past Mar-El's hill, and he put his hand over his heart as he walked past it. Then, "You must, Kenep. The longer this situation is allowed to linger, the more chance there is that it will be irreversible, as your brain and body becomes accustomed to this as the norm and will not reject it in favor of what it knows you should be."

Clark turned when his father stopped, and he saw him hold his hand to his chest. Something choked in Clark's heart that brought the tears up to the surface, and he held his lover tightly, hugging him... her… Lex to his chest. "We've got to, Lex, kay? We've got to, so you're better. I don't want you to be hurt."

Alexis wrapped her arms around Clark's waist even tighter, and put her head on his shoulder. "I know. I know. Okay. We'll do it. We'll fix this. Get Lex back where he's supposed to be and I can stop sitting down to piss."

Clark gave a little choked sob at that that was half laugh and half misery, and he cupped Lex's face tightly, kissing her nose and mouth. "Come on, baby. Father? What have you found out?" He asked, as he got the back fence of the gardens open and led Lex and his father toward the back porch and back door.

"In children of our world, especially those who, like you, Kal, lost a twin brother or sister at their birth, they would sometimes begin to exhibit the personality of the twin that was lost. Their connection, you see, was severed with their other, and as such, they were creating a second personality to complete their circle, within themselves." Jor-El followed Clark into the house, and continued.

"To solve this, the children were put into a deep sleep, and their consciousness... rebooted, is the only Earth equivalent I can equate it to. Then the parents of the child would use their link to reawake the child's original, dormant personality while giving the replacement one a feeling of peace, so that it knows it's no longer needed, and is for all terms, dead."

Clark stared at his father for a moment as they reached the lab door, and fell silent, thinking that over as he led Lex down the steps. "Do you think that something similar with Lex could work? Being… rebooted, so the dormant personality, who we've named Alexis, will once again be at peace, and Lex will be able to control it?"

Jor-El nodded. "I think it will work. There are things that must be taken into consideration--Kenep's differences from ours, the way that his brain and his consciousness differs from our own, and the fact that he is an adult, and not a child with all of their natural resiliency. The other thing we must consider is the reason for this; not the loss of another, but the loss of control of his abilities. I have been studying this situation, Kal-El, and I believe that as his aushna', you will be able to re-awaken Lex, as it were, and as you bring him back to himself, impart to him the controls you have on your abilities, so that his mind can grasp and fashion them for itself."

Alexis was listening as Clark and Jor-El spoke around her. "You mean you're going to reboot me like a computer, and install new software in the process," she asked, trying to bring it down to a level that she could comprehend.

Jor-El grimaced. "That is rather more de-humanizing than I would have chosen, Kenep, but yes, that is the elementary explanation of it."

Clark flicked the light on in the lab, watching it flicker to life and the blinding white almost made him wince before his eyes adjusted. He walked in, making sure everything was as it was supposed to be, and hopped up on the table, ankles crossed and hands bracing him on the table. "Lead on, father, you seem to understand exactly what's going on, whilst I remain clueless."

Alexis climbed onto the table. "You're going to shut me down, Clark. Put me to sleep, and wait for my brain activity to drop to it's lowest point. Once that's occurred, you're going to use our link to give me the controls you have over your powers, so that on the re-start, my mind will adapt to having them and the abilities I have will be instantly controlled, because the controls have been installed from the re-boot."

Jor-El glared at his son's aushna'. "Will you stop referring to yourself as a machine, Kenep?" he thundered.

Clark nodded. "Please. You're not a machine. Its not how he means it, Lex." He tried to push the meaning to him, though the link. "It's like... like being put into a coma. Almost. Except its controlled by dad and me, and it'll give your powers a chance to shut completely down, get un-jammed from where they are, and then I'll bring you up and out, like what you did for Dominic. It's just about the most dangerous thing I've ever heard of," A glare at his father, "But I think it'll work."

"Yes, it is dangerous," Jor-El agreed. "But it's also the only solution that is open to us."

Alexis nodded. "I know that's not what he means, Clark. But it's the way that it's easiest for me to process and understand, because if I didn't bring it down to a comprehensible level, I would be terrified out of my wits right now, and that's really not what we need. You need for me to be calm." She closed her eyes and laid down on the table, her head resting in Clark's lap.

Clark gently stroked her head, bald and naked but surprisingly not ugly, as he looked at his father. "Don't be terrified, Lex." He looked down, gently, eyeing his lover. "You trust your aushna'?"

"You know that I do," Alexis answered softly. "It's just everything else that scares me."

"Trust your aushna not to hurt you, okay?" He kissed his lover's forehead, his neck, the tip of his nose. "I'll take care of you, and so will my kin. Okay? Trust your aushna', I have never let anything bad happen to you. I'd rather die, first."

Alexis returned the soft kisses, keeping her eyes closed. "I trust you, and I trust your father. I just know how dangerous this can be."

"I won't let you get hurt, I promised," Clark murmured, and looked up at his father. "What do we have to do?"

Jor-El touched his son's shoulder. "Lay him down on the table, and help me to find something in these medications that will put him to sleep."

"You'll want an anesthetic," Alexis said softly, without opening her eyes. "There's chloral hydrate in the third cabinet. You'll need about 1500 milligrams, because I've used this shit so much in the past that I'm acclimated to it, but I wouldn't go above 2000," she continued calmly. "It's in syrup form, because that was easier to process the other compounds with, so pour out 1500 milligrams, mix it with eight ounces of water, and then give it to me. I'll drink it, and be out in half an hour."

"Alright." Clark helped Alexis lay down, tugging one of the plump pillows form one of the shelves under the table up to support Lex's tender bald head, and a blanket as well, carefully spreading it over her slender body. He went with his father to the cabinet, but as he was shit with anything regarding chemistry, let his father do it, just offering his assistance.

Jor-El went to the cabinet, and found the bottle, marked in Lex's meticulous handwriting, despite the messy left-handed tilt to it, and unscrewed the lid. There was a plastic measuring cup over the cap, 500 mg, and he filled the cup three times, and poured it into a tall beaker nearby, then pulled another measuring flask from the cabinet. "Here, Kal. Take this to the faucet, and fill it to the top mark, and bring it back to me."

"Okay." Clark took the beaker in hand and walked over to the sink, where he put the water on. He let it run for a moment, then adjusted the water flow and carefully filled it up to the very top line. He brought it, making sure not to spill a drop, back to his father. "What I'd have given for some of this stuff when Mar was being born."

"We don't know how it will react with your body chemistry, Clark. That's one of the things I'd like to look into before we start our family," came Alexis' voice from the table.

Jor-El was quiet as he transferred the water to the flask containing the chloral hydrate, then corked the beaker and swirled the water around rapidly, watching the syrup dissolve into the water, until the water was nearly clear again. "Here. Give this to Kenep, and ask him what next."

Alexis held out her hand for the flask. "I drink it and I start counting backwards from 100," he explained. "It helps the brain to shut down."

"Okay." Clark took it back to his lover and stood next to him, helping him sit up as he handed it to him. "Drink it slow, don't choke. As for my body chemistry, I agree--but first, I want your chemistry to be normal again, kay?" He smiled. "I'll take care of you, promise. I love you."

"I love you too, Clark. Hopefully when I wake up, I'll be back to normal." Alexis drank the solution down quickly, in one breath so that he didn't gag on the taste. Handing the empty flask back to Clark, Alexis laid back down on the table, pulled the blanket up to her chest, and started to count. "100. 99. 98. 97..."

Clark helped Lex lay back, gently, making sure that her head was propped up, and gently tucked the blanket around her shoulders on the warmed metal and plastic table. He was monitoring Alexis' breathing, her complexion, whether she was taking to the medicine or if she was going to get sick from it.

Alexis' voice kept droning the numbers out, stumbling over a few in the 80s, and slurring them as she reached the seventies, and was asleep by the time she got to the sixties.

Jor-El was watching the clock, and waiting for the time to pass, and once he was sure the drug had had it's chance to completely take effect, he moved. "Kal-El... change position with me. You will need to sit at the head, at least to begin with, and then you will need to move back for the connection and the re-awakening, but all that comes much later. For now, you must open yourself to me and to your aushna', so that I may see what you see."

"Okay." Clark was terrified, but he did as he was told. He moved around Lex's head, so he was facing his lover, and looked down at the naked skull before gently stroking the skin. He knew exactly what he had to do, and since the link was already forged with both Jor-El and Lex, he simply closed his eyes and reached out. He saw them, both threads, Lex's a pale lavender and Jor-El's a vibrant, lovely shade of maroon, and snagged both, connecting them with himself and opening the three threads up connect to one much bigger thread. Can you hear me, father?

I can hear you, Kal-El. Jor-El paused. I must have your permission to enter your link with Kenep, my son. I cannot otherwise.

Yes, of course, father, you have my permission, Clark murmured in his thoughts, and then closed his eyes to concentrate on keeping it all together.

Thank you. Jor-El slowly, and carefully, let his mind mesh with Lex's. He could feel the chemical-induced stupor that was spreading over Lex's body and thoughts, sending him deeper and deeper into sleep and unconsciousness.

He could feel the intelligence crackling all around him, dancing over his skin like electricity as he delved only as far as he needed, to make sure that was deeply enough comatose in sleep to allow this to work, and he retreated slowly, until he was just on the edges of Lex's perceptions.

A few moments longer, Kal-El, and I will withdraw, guiding you from outside. There is not room for both of us inside; were I not linked to you, Kenep would not have accepted me as deeply as he did.

Yes, father. I am ready. And he was. Clark was more then ready to take care of his lover, however he was needed, and he straightened his shoulders as he looked across at his father, and swallowed hard, his mind totally on what he was doing. He closed his eyes, letting them flutter shut naturally as he focused entirely on Lex's eyes, Lex's face, Lex's body, his aushna', and nodded, hard.

Jor-El waited until he was sure that Lex was completely under the influence of the chloral hydrate, deeply asleep and not conscious of anything they were doing, and then he slowly withdrew from Lex's thoughts.

Now, Kal-El. Now enter your aushna's mind, and we begin. Through you, I see what you see, and together we will bring Kenep back to himself.

Clark nodded, and he reached over, pulling a stool over to himself. He sat in it, right at Lex's head, and closed his eyes, concentrating and meditating for a few moments... a few minutes… and then ten minutes, before he was totally, and completely, calmed.

I am ready.

Jor-El stood behind his son, his hands on Clark's shoulders as his forehead gently touched the back of Clark's head. Let it begin.

- = - = -

Angels of Mercy was a beautiful hospital. One of the foremost in the nation, right after MD Anderson and Johns Hopkins, it had an excellent staff trained in every manner of illness, disease, and injury.

Dominic knew all this. He was severely distressed, but he didn't want to create anymore problems, so he kept quiet, eyes shut and feigning sleep throughout the entire trip there, and must have really fallen asleep at some point, because he woke up just as a nurse was inserting an IV into his arm.

Since then, four hours ago, he'd been hooked back up to a catheter, which the tears still clung to his eyelashes from, from the pain, another IV in his thigh because his immobile arm didn't have as much blood flow, or any at all, really. They'd connected him to all manner of machines, put him in a hospital gown, and here he was, trying not to go into a full blown panic attack as he looked out at the rain sprinkling over the sparkling colors of the city illuminated in his window.

Lionel was sitting quietly by his lover's bedside, fingers thrumming impatiently on the cover of his laptop as it sat on the table in front of him, waiting for queries and searches to be returned on the drugs that Dominic had been given. He'd not researched them before, having accepted the literature that Jaheel had given them, but now, he was researching each and every one as they waited for Dr. Sandoval, Dominic's personal Metropolis physician, and Dr. Sawyer, Lionel's own. The two had agreed to co-consult on Dominic's case, and he waited for one or the other of them to show their faces in the hospital room.

Dr. Sandoval was a short, portly man, with a balding pate and a white beard that reminded you slightly of Santa Claus when he was smiling. Which he wasn't at this moment, rapping sharply on Dominic's hospital room doors with his knuckles. His face was tightly drawn, the corners of his lips downturned into a severe frown as he came in, carrying a clipboard.

Dominic looked up, and with his good hand pulled the blanket, his own which they'd brought, up a little higher on his chest as the man came in. This man had been his doctor for many, many, many years, almost twenty, and he knew the man had been involved with his treatment while Dr. Bryce was still on his case, but had later needed to give it to Jaheel, so he'd gathered. "Hello, doctor," he said, quietly to the man, and then again to the woman who entered right behind him.

Mayble Sawyer came in right behind Dr. Sandoval, chart clutched tightly in her hands, hands of whose knuckles were pinched white and splotchy. She was nearly sixty, with very long black hair she always wore in a tight bun at the nape of her neck, and she reminded one of a school marm, especially when she pursed her lips just like she was doing. "Mr. Luthors."

"Hello, Dominic. Mr. Luthor, when you told me what you did, I have to admit, I was rather skeptical of the entire thing, but based on the blood that we've drawn and the tests that we've run on it, I'm discontinuing all of Dominic's medication, as of this moment. Including, and I'm sorry to say this, Dominic, whatever painkillers that you are on. I want to let your system flush out over the next twenty-four hours before we go into surgery, and that's why we're here." He felt around behind himself, and mumbled several curses as he went through his clipboard and finally found what he was looking for. "These are the x-rays that we took of Dominic's knee, and of his shoulder, and as you can see here, there's significant tendon damage, especially in the knee, and I gather that's from the fall?"

Dominic hated being on his back while they were talking about this. Loathed it. "I think so, yes." No pain medication. Oh, God. "What… what will the surgery... what will you have to do to fix the damage?"

"Nothing serious," Dr. Sawyer answered for her colleague, as she handed a packet of information to Lionel. "These are the print outs you requested." She looked at them both, then. "We'll go in, repair all the damage to the tendons and nerves, and hopefully get everything in working order again."

Dr. Sandoval nodded. "You've caught this early enough that we should be able to go back in and repair all the sabotage done by Dr. Jaheel. I should have realized something was wrong when he muscled me out of the case, but that's water under the bridge. Don't worry, Dominic. You're in the best hands possible."

Yeah. Well, that was hollow, wasn't it? Considering the last person to tell him that had hurt him like this. God, the catheter was terrible, and he felt weak and trembly, and everything hurt so, so badly, like his muscles were all waking up after a nice, long haze. "I'm so sore, everywhere."

Sandoval nodded again. "That's because the nerve blockers are starting to peter out of your system. You're starting to feel again, and you'll be getting better motor coordination too. We're scheduling you for surgery tomorrow evening, about this time, so that your system will be flushed, and we can anesthetize you with no worries of you keeling over and dying on the table, and then as soon as it's done, we can get you on the right medications."

Dominic nodded, only a little. "Will the surgery be long?"

"It could be," the doctor nodded. "The x-rays only tell us so much about the damage; once we get inside, we may find other things that weren't repaired and need to be. I don't expect you to be in surgery for more than four or five hours, even if that is the case."

"And recovery?"

"Now there I can give you good news," Sandoval said, pushing his glasses back up on his nose. "A matter of weeks. Four, possibly six. Ten at the outside, but that's only if it takes you a while to find a physical therapist and things of that nature."

Dominic hadn't meant that, but he eyed the man suspiciously for a moment, as if gauging what he was saying. "Six weeks until my knee heals, doctor?"

"Six to eight weeks until you're up walking again," Sandoval said with a bright beam. "The healing in this case will take about a week or two, but that's negligible in the long run, since most of what we are doing will be using lasers and grafts to re-suture tendons to bones and re-connect your neural pathways."

Oh. Oh, God. His fingers twisted in the blanket, tightly, and he didn't dare look at Lionel, or he would lose his composure. Not for the good, but for the bad. "You're lying to me. I can't move three of my limbs, Dr. Sandoval. I don't believe you. Eight weeks isn't enough time. I can't bloody well move. I won't go under your knife again to be put under false hopes."

Dr. Sawyer just... blinked, from where she'd been quiet by Lionel's side. "Mr. Luthor, he's telling you the truth. You will walk again. The only thing wrong is the medication you were on, and the nerves and tendons that were never properly fixed."

"Dominic... it's true you can't. But that's because of the medication and the lack of muscle control in your body. Tendons are attached to your bones, as I know you know, and it's the push and pull of ligaments and tendons that cause our bodies to move, rather like strings on a marionette. If the puppet's strings are cut, the limbs don't move. But once the strings are properly reconnected and the joints greased, you will walk again. Yes, there was a great deal of damage done to your knee from the fall, but it's nothing that simple laproscopic surgery couldn't have fixed. Four pinholes in the knee, pulverizing the bone spurs and re-shaping the patella, and the surgery is done and you're on your way to recovery. This time it's going to be a little more in depth, because we're going in and surgically re-attaching the tendons, but you'll see movement within the first ten to fifteen hours after you come out of the anesthetic."

Lionel had been quiet, speaking to his doctor in murmured tones about the medications and what they were doing, and he finally finished paging through the information she'd brought him about the drugs. "Dominic... I can let you read for yourself, the evidence is right here."

It was more then he could take right now, and though he heard the ring of truth in the doctors words, he was exhausted, his mind was so fucking slow on keeping up on what he was supposed to be listening to and responding to, and he was so depressed that the fluttering panic of his pain kept clenching in his chest, to add to the anxiety and fear he was already going through.

So rather then argue, rather then explain where he was coming from, he just nodded tiredly. "All right. Just tell me what I'm supposed to do."

"Try and get some sleep," Sandoval offered sympathetically. "I know it's going to be hard, especially with no painkillers, but we're keeping you hydrated with saline, your bladder seems to be working normally--the catheter will only have to stay in after you've recovered from the anesthesia; after that, you're going to be off the tube and we're going to be getting you to the bathroom manually. We can give you some aspirin, but that's about all I'm willing to risk right now."

Oh, joy. An aching night in front of him. He nodded to it all, but would rather not have listened to it at all. "Thank you, Dr. Sandoval," he answered, hopefully as nice as he was supposed to be. He was cold, Lionel was close by but not close enough, and he prayed to god he could have been at home, he wanted to be home. "For everything."

"If you need anything, you've got your call button--call us should anything happen, alright?"

Dr. Sandoval just nodded. "I'll send the nurse in with your aspirin in just a few moments." He smiled. "Mr. Luthor, don't worry, arrangements have already been made for a cot to be brought in here tonight, as you've asked, and the security guards will be outside the door and admitting only Dr. Sawyer and myself."

Lionel nodded curtly. "Thank you, Dr. Sandoval. I appreciate your accommodation."

Dr. Sawyer gently squeezed Lionel's arm, and then with a parting smile at Dominic, left the room.

Dominic could have cared less. He just brought his free hand up to his hair, rubbing his fingers through the very short bristles, then down to rub his eyes, and he pulled the blanket up further again before closing his eyes. He didn't want to talk, he didn't want to see anything, he wanted to forget about the pain in his body.

Lionel nodded curtly again, and watched both doctors take their leave. Once they were alone, Lionel reached through the bed rails and took his lover's hand. "I'm here, Dominic. What's troubling you?"

Dominic looked across at his lover, and his breath hitched hard in his chest, his eyes stinging and his throat burning. "I don't want more surgery. I don't want to be here. I don't want my life in any more hands. I don't want to have to trust a doctor again. I don't want to be here. I hate hospitals. Lionel, I don't want to be here."

Lionel sighed. "I know you don't. You should read these papers that Dr. Sawyer brought, though. They're very enlightening. You're on twice the depressants you should be, and for no reason, you're being administered so many nerve blockers it's a wonder that you can move anything, not to mention the fact that you've been deliberately lamed. Your blood flow is nearly useless because of what that man has done to you, and I know it can be fixed."

Dominic closed his eyes and turned his head away. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. I just want to sleep."

Lionel bit his lower lip, but didn't say a word. "All right, Dominic."

"I'm sorry," he croaked, and bit his lip so hard the taste of blood flooded his mouth. "I'm so sorry this is happening."

"Don't be sorry; it's not your fault," Lionel said lightly. "If anything, I should be apologizing to you for putting you in this danger."

"You didn't." He turned his head again to look at his lover. "it's not your fault."

And then, because he knew he could talk to Lionel about anything, that Lionel would rather he talk then keep it to himself, he said, very softly, "I'm so scared. I don't want more surgery."

"I understand that," Lionel said softly. "But you need this. If you're ever going to walk and be yourself again. If you don't want this surgery, that is fine. I will take care of you for the rest of your life. You know that. Tell me now, and we'll straighten your medication out and leave."

He was bloody terrified. Getting under the knife, being unconscious, waking up to pain, all over again. He was terrified of it, terrified of what could happen, what could go wrong, but he closed his eyes and shook his head, hard. "I want to be well."

"To be well, you have to accept this."

He nodded again. He knew this. He was acting like an idiot. He couldn't help it, but he was acting like an idiot. "I know. I'm sorry."

"This too? Is not your fault. You've been so heavily medicated I'm surprised you're as cognizant as you are, and that alone shows how strong you are." Lionel kissed the hand he was holding.

"Its so hard to think," Dominic said, softly, closing his eyes against the thunder that cracked outside. "My body is starting to ache, terribly."

"I know." He squeezed his lover's hand tightly. "Clark will be coming soon, and I'm hoping perhaps we can persuade him to bring something slightly stronger than aspirin."

Dominic shook his head. "If the doctor said no, then no. He knows what he's doing." He turned his head suddenly to look at him. "You'll stay with me? During the night?"

"That's why I asked for a cot to be brought in," Lionel said. "I don't intend to leave your side."

He nodded, and swallowed again, looking up at the ceiling for a few long minutes. After a few moments of thought, he asked in a low voice, "What are you planning on doing to Harry?"

Lionel answered honestly. "I'm not sure that you want to know the answer to that, Dominic, because to be honest, I haven't decided what I want to do to him, how I want him to suffer for this."

Dominic shook his head. "I don't want to know. Promise, you'll never tell me."

Lionel nodded. "You have my word on that, my little cricket."

Dominic turned his head to look at his lover again, smiling a little at him as he did it. "I'm going to sleep, alright?"

"Quite all right; I'll wake you when Clark comes in."

- = - = -

Jor-El's head still rested against the back of Clark's, his eyes closed as he slowly guided his son. It felt like an eternity, but they had finally found the restoration. When Kenep woke, he would be himself again. All that remained now was the implantation of his son's controls into his lover. Gingerly, Kal-El, let the shields you have around your abilities slide out, seek their match in your aushna', and teach them to form in his mind.

Clark was drenched in sweat. It was sliding down his temples, rolling down his back, dampening his shirt and the waist of his jeans uncomfortably, but he could barely feel it. He was concentrating with all of his might on Lex's well being, his mind and body tuned in only to him. Yes. Carefully, slowly, gingerly, he let his powers slide down, just a little, just enough, loosening the controls enough, teaching what leaked through how to mold to Lex's mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

Jor-El guided Clark's thoughts, little nudges here and there to direct them and let them flow. Carefully and slowly, he added his willpower to his son's so that Kal would not lose his strength or his faith during this. Soon you will rest with your aushna', Kal-El, he reassured softly. See? Even now the walls take shape in his mind.

They're beautiful. Swirling gray and green, like velvet, Slytherin colors which amused him as he knew it would amuse his lover when he awoke. But he molded, carefully, slowly, making sure it was all perfectly formed, changing and moving as he did what he could to save his lover. Like this?

Precisely like that, Jor-El said. When Kenep awakes, they will form completely, and he will have to learn to manipulate them, as you do.

It will be easier for him? Clark gently molded, gently pushed, here and there, until Lex's mind had grasped it all. Are we finished now, father?

It will be easier, as the walls are already in place. He must simply learn to control the openings that let his powers out. Jor-El slowly moved his head away from Clark's. We are finished, my son. Exit slowly, until all that remains is your link.

Clark did as he was told. Carefully, slowly, he let go of the tendrils he'd opened in his lover's mind, let go of pieces and parts and disengaged the locks he'd set down for his temporary stay in Lex's mind. He carefully lifted it all up, layer by layer, unpeeling Lex's mind and setting it all back in order, as his father had taught him. It was a certain type of medical procedure from his home world, for people afflicted with mental problems.

Surgery for the every day Kryptonian.

He didn't let it settle in his thoughts, though--he carefully slipped free from Lex's mind, slowly and surely, until he could lift his hands from his lover's temples without fear of hurting him. All that surged was there link, cozy and comfy, and lying before him was his lover.

His lover.

And he would have fallen over if his father wasn't behind him.

Jor-El caught his son easily, and moved him to the table to lie beside his lover. "You are tired, my son. Rest now, sleep. You have done well by your aushna' today."

"I'm wet," he said, in shock, pushing damp hair off his forehead as his father helped him move. He was just sitting down when he shook his head, hard. "Upstairs. Our bed. That way, he can rest properly, and he won't get sick." He said, blearily, as he rose to a shaky standing again.

"As I understand it, he will not get sick either way," Jor-El said softly. "But yes. I will carry him, and come back for you, is that agreeable?"

"I can walk, don't worry." Clark nodded firmly, and ignored the part about his lover not getting sick--no, probably not, but Clark had to take care of him. He hoped he could convey that without talking anymore, as he straightened and held his fathers shoulder with one hand to keep himself upright.

Jor-El nodded. "As you wish, Kal." Carefully, Jor-El slipped his arms under Lex, one supporting his neck and shoulders, the other sliding under Lex's knees and cradling him carefully. "Come, you both should rest."

"Only for a little while...its very late, and I promised Lionel I'd see him tonight," Clark murmured, exhaustion dulling his eyes and lining his face as he made sure to follow his father. "Will Lex be okay, now? Will he be alright?"

"You can worry about seeing Lionel once you've rested, Kal-El. This is a draining procedure, and I will not allow you to overstress yourself and damage yourself." He carried Lex easily up the laboratory stairs, and nodded. "Yes, he should be. It will take him several hours to come out of the chemical sleep, as I understand it, and he will be disoriented for a day or two afterwards, but yes, he will be himself again."

"I'm so glad," Clark said softly, his knees shaking entirely too much as he rose up the steps with his father. They walked up the steps, easily, and Clark felt like a child--he wanted to curl up in his fathers arms and sleep like he were a little boy seeking his fathers comfort.

"I do not think Dominic will mind if we borrow his elevator, because I am not sure I could manage to carry Kenep up all of those stairs," he said with a small smile. "Your aushna' is more solid than he looks."

He nodded, but didn't speak, as he veered instead toward the elevator. It worked well, and he stepped into it, eyes closed as he held his fathers arm tightly. The upstairs was really, really quiet, pretty much because everyone was gone out of the house tonight, and he made his way like a zombie down to his bedroom, with Lex in his Father's arms.

Jor-El followed quickly, and once they were inside the bedroom, he laid Kenep on the bed. "Kal, go and take a shower, and I will watch Kenep. When you come out, undress him and both of you will rest." A fatherly glare that was not to be denied.

Clark ducked his head and nodded, and with sluggish steps, walked to the bathroom. He showered, as quickly as he would allow, because he recognized he was at the limit of his strength. He scrubbed through his hair, over his body, and then wrapped himself in a warm terry cloth robe before stumbling back into the bedroom.

Jor-El carefully led his son to the bed, and pulled the sheets back. "Do you trust me to undress your lover? I would not push but the skin to skin and mind to mind contact is reassuring, mostly for you but for Kenep as well, to know he is safe and loved."

Clark shook his head, helplessly, as the warm cushion of the mattress warmed under his butt. "I'll do it. Don't go far, father? Stay close, okay? That.." scared me half to death. "was a really strange experience. I'm so glad you're here."

"I don't intend to go anywhere," Jor-El said, pushing wet hair back off Clark's forehead. "I'm going to stay with you." He gave a little smile at that, and pushed him towards Lex. "Here, you take care of your aushna', and then I will take care of you."

"Okay." Clark turned, automatically, toward Lex. With a little heave he pulled Lex up firmer onto the pillows, and then gently began to undress the masculine body he had missed so very, deeply, much. He slowly tugged shoes off, unbuttoned trousers, and then slid his fingers under his lover's sweater almost reverently. With gentle fingers he removed the bra and fake breasts, wincing at the tug up from nipples, and as soon as he pulled Lex's sweater from over his head, he took one of the warm towels he'd brought and gently stroked the hot water in the towel over his lover's chest. He cleaned up around his neck, down his belly, and gently pulled the trousers down. He pulled the panties, tiny now, and with a hard blush cleaned his lover's cock, which looked neglected and almost sad. He pulled socks and shoes off, and once Lex was totally naked, and somewhat clean, he pulled the blankets up over him, to the neck, to gently warm him. "God, I love you," he whispered into his ear, before kissing his jaw.

Jor-El watched quietly as Kal-El tended his lover, with a small smile on his face. Once Lex was settled, Jor-El nodded. "Now it's your turn to rest, Kal-El." He sat on the edge of the bed, and rested his hand on Clark's shoulder. "Would you like for me to hold you until you fall asleep?"

Oh, God yes. Clark nodded, firmly, and moved over a little on the big bed to allow his father room. He scrunched down under the covers, tugging off his robe as he did it once he was hidden under blankets, and swallowed hard as he looked up. "I'm so glad you're here."

Jor-El moved as Clark nodded. "I am not surprised by this, Kal-El," Jor teased quietly. "You always seemed to favor my arms over those of your mother before you slept, but when you woke in the middle of the night, she was the only one who could soothe you back to sleep." Jor-El unlaced the borrowed boots he'd taken from Clark's closet and put them by the side of the bed, and leveraged himself into the space that Clark had given him.

Quietly he wrapped his arms around Clark's waist and shoulders, pulling him in close and cradling him much as he had when Kal-El had been his child on Krypton.

Clark snuggled in against him, hugging him close, arms around his waist and head on his fathers shoulder. His father was bigger then him, just enough that it made him feel protected and adored there in the circle of warm arms, arms of flesh and bone and blood, and he carefully played with the hair on his fathers arms for a moment, as if fascinated it was there at all, that he was here to touch it. "I love you so much."

Jor-El kissed his son's forehead softly. "I love you, Kal-El, with everything that is in me. You are my son, and I will always be here for you."

- = - = -

The pain woke Dominic up.

It wasn't dull like it had been before--no. It absolutely throbbed, startling a gasp out of him when he tried to shift, and was met with bone crunching pain. He eyes flew open as he stared at the ceiling, disoriented with it, and was perfectly aware of the burning in his knee, and the same feeling, only less so, in his shoulder. His fingers twitched as they wound in the blanket and he grit his teeth tightly, groaning softly as he did. "Fuck."

Lionel woke on the small cot almost instantly, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Dominic?" he asked, fumbling with one hand for glasses as he stood up.

"Yes, love, quite unfortunately," Dominic grit out, as he clenched his eyes shut. He worked through it, trying to find a more comfortable position, but all he was aware of were limbs that didn't quite feel heavy, sparkling and tingling, and he winced. "Bloody hell."

"Are you all right? Do we need to call the doctor?" He finally got his glasses on without blinding himself, and turned on the soft light in the bathroom.

"Oh, no. I'm fine. I'm going through what the doctor said I would--mind numbing agony. It feels like all my muscles are on fire." He winced again, and shifted.

Lionel sighed softly. "Is there anything you'd like me to do? A rub-down, perhaps? See if we can get them to stop hurting? Call for more Tylenol?"

"Talk to me," Dominic said, instead, grasping his lover's hand. "Or put the tellie on, if you don't mind. You can go back to sleep if you like, I just need a distraction." There wouldn't be any more sleeping tonight, and besides, it was nearly morning anyway. "I'd give an arm for a cup of coffee."

"I can talk to you," Lionel said, slightly affronted, as he looked down at his watch. "Besides, I think it's a bit too early for anything other than CNN, infomercials, or test patterns," he said softly, taking Dominic's hand again through the bedrails. "Now that you mention it, however, I do have a bit of a problem I'd like to ask you about." He sighed. "What color drapes are we going to have in Aurora's room? There's a deep shade of blue that will match the cradle hangings, but there's also a green that Emily recommended that would go well with the foliage in the forests that Mr. Ross created."

Dominic had been grimacing through the ache in his body, but when Lionel said just that, his lips twitched hard and he glanced up, a grin pulling at his tired mouth. "Now I know we're gay men. Drapes and cradle hangings." But he sighed, softly. "Green. The forest green, sot hat the curtains will mesh right in with the tree trunks she painted on the wall, flanking the window."

"And if we choose the blue drapes, they'll match not only the actual cradle hangings themselves, but the ones that are echoed in the paintings of Aurora's birth and celebration," Lionel pointed out. "I've pictures somewhere in my briefcase, if you'd like to see."

"Oh, the very soft blue ones?" Dominic asked, quietly, and his eyes brightened with curiosity. "Show them to me later, though I've a proper idea what you're talking about. They'd be absolutely lovely." A little, quiet sigh, and he closed his eyes.

And thereby totally missed Clark's entrance.

Clark was slightly out of breath, that was sure. He'd woken up, exactly five hours after falling asleep in his father's arms, to find himself spooning his lover. He'd laid gentle kisses on his neck, woke his father and told him where he was going, and after pulling some clothes on had run to Metropolis.

He had Lionel's favorite cardigan in arm, as well as his laptop. "Hey, guys. I didn't know if you were going to be awake… Lionel, you left this, I thought you might want it."

"Good morning, Clark. And yes, thank you; I took it out of the suitcase to make room for some other things and forgot to put it back in. Please, sit down." He reached out with the hand not holding Dominic's, and relieved Clark of his burden. "You look refreshed; did you sleep well?"

"Not really. My father and I got Lex back in working order… he's going to be out for a while, and a little disoriented, but everything went well. You'll be happy to know he's a boy again," Clark answered, as he smiled a little down at Dominic. "Hey, Dom. You look like shit."

"Thank you for your astute assessment."

"Oh, that is definitely good news," Lionel said with a privately relived grin. Having a daughter had given him the collywobbles, especially knowing what was lurking behind that--Lex. "I'm glad he got sorted out." He smiled and gestured again. "Clark, please, sit down." He chuckled softly at the assessment. "Yes, he does, but we hope that won't be lasting. You'll have to excuse the crankiness."

"Oh, that is definitely good news," Lionel said with a privately relived grin. Having a daughter had given him the collywobbles, especially knowing what was lurking behind that--Lex. "I'm glad he got sorted out." He smiled and gestured again. "Clark, please, sit down." He chuckled softly at the assessment. "Yes, he does, but we hope that won't be lasting. You'll have to excuse the crankiness."

Dominic glared viciously at his lover, then glared at Clark too. "Id like you both to experience this pain first, and see if you'd be in a chipper mood."

"Well, it's all that medicine Jaheel had you on, Dom," Clark answered, as he plunked in the seat across from Lionel and smiled a little at both of them. "Has to get out of you somehow, you know."

"Ahh, so perhaps that's why it feels like I need to urinate fire."

Lionel just choked softly. "You will come out of it a better man, little cricket," he said pityingly. "You truly will. But there can be no progress without suffering first."

Dominic turned a truly vicious glare at Lionel. "Do not preach what you don't understand, Lionel. No progress without suffering." he snorted. "Come a little closer, let me see if I can make you urinate fire."

"I have but two words for you, little cricket." He leaned forward just a bit. "Kidney stone."

Clark cowered at the look Dominic through his husband--if Dominic had had laser vision, Lionel would have been a crumbling cinder. "Ah... well, its a nice hospital!" H chirped, trying to change the subject as the darkness of night started to lighten the smallest bit outside. "Very nice, much nicer then Smallville General."

"Yes, it is a quite nice facility. With doctors that I trust," he emphasized.

Clark ignored Dominic's growls from the bed. "It seems so. I'm going back in a bit--Lex and I will be here later in the morning." he glanced down at Dom, then. "Any news on when they'll do the surgery?"

"Today," Lionel answered, looking at his watch. "This evening, more precisely, about five o'clock. They wanted a full twenty-four hours to make sure the medications have all been flushed out of his system."

"Awesome. It gives us time to plan a good welcome home party," Clark answered, and grinned down as Dominic growled. "I thought you might like that."

Christ. Dominic wished he'd never woken up. "You're all insufferable."

"Of course we're insufferable. That's what you like the most about us; we remain disgustingly ebullient in the face of your crankiness."

Dominic's eyebrows knit, he glared, and would have crossed his arms if he weren't in so much pain. So he just sniffed hoitily, lifted his chin, and looked away regally.

Lionel leaned across and whispered to Clark. "If he's worrying and sulking because I'm cheerful, then he's not feeling sorry for himself," Lionel confessed. "I think that's the worst thing for him right now."

Clark nodded at the nearly silent whisper, and looked down at Dom, who looked utterly outraged they were talking about him right above him. truth was, he totally agreed, because Dominic already had one foot into utter depression, and that was the worst thing imaginable right now. So he just gave Dominic an impish grin, and winked at Lionel before humming innocently.

"I hate you both," Dominic growled. "Put the tellie on. They'll be having the news by now."

"You don't hate us," Lionel corrected, moving to sit in the little reclining chair by the bed and turning on the television, where the early morning news was just beginning to air.

"... and in local news this morning, Smallville's own world-renowned orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Brahm Jaheel, was arrested this morning at Smallville Municipal Airport as he attempted to flee the country. His destination is at this moment currently unknown, but it took Federal Bureau of Investigation agents nearly an hour to force him back off the plane. Dr. Jaheel is currently in federal custody, pending unknown charges. More details on this case as it develops."

Lionel gaped at the television, having sat bolt upright as he heard Jaheel's name, and he cursed. Loudly and vehemently.

Dominic fell silent, his eyes widening in his face as he listened, and something sick hit in his belly and chest as he looked away. "They're going to be here. The news. As soon as they find out you and I are here, Lionel, they're going to be here."

"They didn't mention you, Dominic," he said calmly, far more calmly than he felt. "You're only one of a hundred patients the man was treating. It's quite more likely we'll be contacted by federal agents."

"Oh, of course, Lionel, because Lionel Luthor, a man of whom is modern American royalty, is in a hospital in Metropolis with his ailing lover who's doctor botched his recovery. No. I can't imagine they'd put two and two together." Dominic snarled, then winced as the action caused his muscles to tense and pain to flood his body. "Fuck," he growled, and for the hell of it, snarled at them.

Lionel sighed. "Dominic, for all they know, you are here for a follow-up treatment because Dr. Jaheel was scheduled to be out of the country at the time, and that is, of course, the story that we are sticking to, and I will inform Lex of that as soon as he wakes."

Dominic glared, darkly, at him, and didn't speak as he looked back at the television. "I am not happy. Go away."

"I know you're not happy, little cricket. It's quite astounding, in fact, the amount of time you spend being unhappy with me, for one thing or another."

Dominic couldn't help it. He tried to keep the glare, but at that? He choked on the laugh, hand flying to his mouth to cover it, even as his eyes crinkled. "You bastard."

Lionel just smirked, but hid the twitching corners of his mouth in his beard. "Why yes, I am, thank you."

"I love you, you know, even if you're utterly insufferable."

"I love you too, even if you are cranky and occasionally surly." He leaned forward and kissed the tip of Dominic's nose.

"Well, I'm glad. Why don't you go down and fetch us something good from the cafeteria? I feel… like juice." A glance at Clark, who was grinning at them both. "Orange, I think, as it makes Clark feel happy after terrible things happen."

Lionel reached into his pocket and thumbed through his wallet, making sure he had enough small bills to cover the purchase. "Your wish is my command, O Crabby One," he snorted as he got to his feet. "Clark, orange juice for you as well?"

"Ahh, I hope that's not a food call for our favorite patient," Dr. Sawyer said, as she was knocking on the door of the room, and smiled at the three of them. "I'm doing rounds in ten minutes, I just wanted to let you know that security will be posted in exactly ten minutes for the rest of the day." And then an eyebrow, as she stepped in. "Dominic, you can't have anything but ice chips until after the surgery. I'm sorry." She gave him a sympathetic wince.

"Are you telling me I can't eat anything until tonight?" Dominic demanded, eyes flashing.

Lionel hadn't said a word for just that reason. "Unfortunately, that's precisely what she's telling you, Dominic."

He. Glared.

"I know," Dr. Sawyer smiled, pat his foot before he could do something like throw something at her, which she would have done if someone had just told her exactly that, and swept out of the room.

Lionel paused at the door. "Ah. I see that our orange-juice trip has been cut regrettably short," he said, picking his way back through the room to re-take his seat by the bed.

God, it sucked to be Morgan Dominic Senatori Luthor. It sucked so much, in fact, that he closed his eyes and let himself fantasize about better times, about how wonderful it would be when his daughter woke up. He sighed softly and rubbed his side a little before pulling the warm blanket up higher.

Clark winced in sympathy himself, glancing up at Lionel and sighing softly, shaking his head a little. "I'm going to get back, Lionel."

Lionel just nodded. "Yes, please do. And call us a little later, when Lex is awake, and let us know how things are going."

"I will." Clark leaned over and brushed his lips across Dominic's cheek, then reached over and hugged Lionel tight. "See you both soon. We'll be here as soon as I'm sure Lex will be okay."

Lionel hugged Clark tightly. "We look forward to it, Clark. Give Lex my regards." He quirked a little smile towards his lover. "Dominic and I will be watching television until your return."

Clark smiled, nodded, and after tucking in the end of a blanket around Dominic's thin, limp legs, he was gone.

 

-fin-

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