The Memoirs

Dominic was very, very sleepy. The exertion of the day, though restless, had taken a toll on him, and near eleven o'clock, he'd fallen asleep for nearly four hours. Though the pain was bad, it wasn't unbearable, and it was almost welcome because he felt... alive.

But those four hours left with a sigh when he opened his eyes, blearily.

The room was overcast, nearing evening, and the television was on. The gentle, light taps of a computer were beside him, and he turned his eyes, sleepily, to look at the owner. Lionel. "Mm..." he said, softly, his voice grating softly before he cleared it.

"Welcome back, sleepyhead," Lionel said, making a few more notations, bookmarking his place, and closing the laptop screen as he looked over at his lover. "How are you feeling?"

Dominic nodded tiredly, looking into his lover's hooded eyes, and raised his good hand over the railing to sweep his thumbs gently against the dark bruises around his lover's eyes. "Tired?"

"A little." He smiled at how easily Dominic raised his hand, but didn't bring attention to it as he caught the palm, kissed it, and left it on his cheek. "I'll live. How about you?"

"Mmm. Okay. Sleeping helped." He still stroked Lionel's face, softly, but frowned. "You're tired. What time is it?"

"It's nearly three thirty," Lionel answered. "You'll be going into surgery before long."

He didn't want to think about that, no, but Dominic gently rubbed the warm, soft bristles of his lover's cheek. "Why don't you nap? I'm sure the nurses will find blankets and a pillow for you. I don't want you to get sick, lovely."

"I'll sleep better tonight, knowing you're well on your route to recovery," he said easily.

"Mmm. When are the nurses going to come in and prepare everything?" he asked, softly, as he gently stroked warm skin, then gave Lionel's hair a tug to pull him closer. "Come on, climb in with me for a bit, mmm? I don't like you through bars."

"They'll be here in about an hour," he answered, stroking Dominic's hand and leaning forward at the tug to his hair. "I can't; they've told me not to disturb the IV, the catheter tube, or the heart monitor, and me moving you in bed to make enough room would jostle all three." Instead, he lowered the bedrails and moved his chair close enough so that he could lay his head on the bed at Dominic's stomach, looking up.

He was disappointed for a moment, but then Lionel scooted closer, and did just that with his head, and it was So Very Good. He looked down at him, fingers stroking through all of that warm, curly hair, teasing at them until they unwound and then curled back up again, carefully making sure that it was in a fine disarray... wind blown, almost. So handsome. "You'll read me Harry Potter again, when I get out?"

Lionel was quiet as Dominic stroked through his hair, breathing in and out slowly as he just sat there, letting his lover play with his hair. "Of course I will. From Sorcerer's Stone all the way up through Order of the Phoenix."

"Well, I'm sure you can't read all of that in the two days I'll be here. And Clark told me you left off at Prisoner of Azkaban, which is all the better, because the first two books aren't nearly as lovely as the next three," Dominic answered, as he gently played with the long hair, rubbing his thumb against the earlobe as his other fingers twitched at his side, and on his volition, moved a little bit.

He couldn't help grinning.

"I'm scared shitless. And yet."

"Well, yes, I did leave off at Prisoner of Azkaban, but I was thinking that perhaps you'd rather hear the stories when you were awake, rather than not."

Dominic smiled a little, before tracing one slashing eyebrow. "Do they know how long it will take me to wake up?"

"It depends on the anesthetic that they use, but no more than three to four hours. And no, I cannot take you home as soon as you awake; you'll have to spend the night in recovery, at least, and we'll see in the morning."

Dominic didn't pout--he'd been hoping, but hadn't really put any feeling behind it. "That's okay." He stroked the long tendrils back from Lionel's forehead and earlobe. "I'm sorry for trying to jump your bones yesterday. I haven't exactly been myself."

One elegant eyebrow lifted to his hairline. "Really?" Lionel asked, in the driest voice possible. "I hadn't noticed."

Dominic had the decency to blush and pop Lionel's shoulder, though lightly and gently. "Hush, you."

Lionel mimed zipping his lips.

"I love you." The corners of Dominic's eyes crinkled as he smiled down at his lover, dimples winking on in his cheeks as he ever so gently stroked his hair. "Very, very much."

"As I love you, little cricket." He hid a yawn behind the back of his hand, and looked back up at his lover. "You shouldn't be scared. You'll be all right."

"Mmm. I think so, too. You know what I want to do, first thing, after I can walk again?" Dominic asked, eyebrow raised as he gently traced the yawn with a fingertip.

"Swim?"

Dominic shook his head, his eyes crinkling again. "Nope. Take another guess."

Lionel smiled up at his lover. "Make love?"

Dominic's lips twitched. "That too," he said, playfully, as he wound another curl around his finger.

"No, I know." His eyes crinkled innocently as his grin widened into mischievous. "You're going to beat Jonathan up as part of your physical therapy."

Oh, he choked on the giggle. "Not quite, but a fabulous idea," he teased, lips twitching as he gently tugged on the warm curl around his fingertip, and then slid his hands through the warm locks.

"Then I concede; what is it you intend to do?"

"Why, my darling, dear husband of mine, I plan on taking the newspaper, my laptop, and a good book into the bathroom and not leaving for several hours," Dominic answered, almost dreamily, stopping to think about it properly.

Lionel chuckled richly at that. "Shall I have preparations made for a television as well?"

Dominic chuckled back at him, eyes dancing. "I'm sure Gilligan and the Skipper can aid me."

"Well, I'm sure that you, Gilligan, and the Skipper will have quite a nice time in the bathroom," Lionel said with a genteel snort. "I will be waiting out in one of the sitting rooms like a civilized human."

Dominic's lips twitched gently, and he couldn't help smiling at his lover, his blue eyes dancing as thunder cracked outside, and torrential rain began to fall on Metropolis. It startled him, but rather then depress him as rain usually did, it was almost as if the weather was feeling what his body was--it soothed the pain and anger out of him, the drugs and mood swings, and he sighed, softly. "Yes, love. A toilet, proper knickers, and a comfortable bed are all I ask for."

"Well, we have all of those things at home, I can assure you. In fact, I'm sure that Clark remembered to have me pack underwear for you, so that as soon as you get the permission from your doctor, you can slide into them and be happy."

"Mmm," Dominic murmured, but his dimples betrayed his mock seriousness as his fingertips stroked luxuriantly through all of that thick hair. He cupped the back of long hair, thumb stroking against a warm earlobe, and smiled down at his lover. "That sounds divine. What a shame."

"What's a shame?" Lionel asked, his arms coming up to support his head as he looked up at Dominic.

"That I have to wait until later," he smiled, eyes twinkling, and was distracted into looking up when a plump looking nurse with a sweet face gently tapped on the door. "Hello?"

The nurse, a gentle faced woman, smiled. "Mr. Luthor? I'm here to get you prepped for surgery."

Lionel sat up at that, leaving his hand on the bed and holding his lover's tightly. "Don't worry, Dominic. Things are going to be all right."

- = - = -

Clark had never had such a glorious nap. The orgasm from before, lovely and hard and gorgeous and comfortable and warm, had slithered all the way up to his head, and after he woke up he felt sated in a way he hadn't for a long time. He let Lex sleep for a while and cleaned up before dressing, and only when he finally had to had he woken Lex up.

Together, the both of them, after getting Lex something to drink and Clark a pie and a half and a gallon of milk, had decided to stop to see Shayla before going to Metropolis, which to Clark, sounded perfect. It was three thirty right now, meaning in another hour and a half Dominic would be going into surgery, which was perfect--they'd get there by five thirty in the chopper, after seeing Shay, and use Lex's car in Metropolis to get to the hospital.

Or so was the plan.

Clark had driven the SUV, Lex drowsy in the seat beside him, to the hospital. The rain from the day before, rain he wasn't responsible for this time, was making the windshield wipers go crazy. It was one of those end of summer rainstorms that seemed to cool everything off, and knowing it as he'd lived here all his life, Clark had grabbed one of his favorite jackets, and wore it now over his simple t-shirts and jeans as he and Lex ran into the hospital.

Shay had been moved up to the psych ward, which Clark winced over when the nurse said it, and together, he and Lex boarded the elevator, hands tightly clasped together.

Lex was gripping Clark's hand very, very tightly as the elevator rose to the psychiatric floor. He could feel his skin crawling, breaking out into goosebumps and he knew that if he had had hair, every single one would be standing on end.

The familiarly sickening smell of bleach and ammonia barely covered with cheap pine-scented disinfectant was filling the little elevator car the closer they got, and Lex refused to react, just squeezing Clark's hand tightly. "Did I ever tell you about the time I was locked in one of these places for eight months?" he asked softly, watching the numbers blink off.

Clark's eyes widened and he turned his head, mouth falling open.

"I'm sorry?"

Lex nodded casually. "It was a few months after my mother died, just a little while before I met Bruce, if you want to know. My father sent me back to school after the funeral, and I don't remember much, but apparently I was found in the school's bell tower, rocking and singing a lullaby to a rolled-up blanket I called Julian."

Clark's eyes widened again, and a cold shiver ran down the length of his spine as he squeezed Lex's hand back, as tightly as he dared. "Oh, baby. Why didn't you ever tell me? You could have stayed at home, I could have come alone."

"A history of mental instability isn't something I brag about, Clark," he said dryly, shuddering too as he dropped Clark's hand in favor of his arms around his aushna's waist.

Clark wound his own around Lex's shoulder, bringing him in close around the cocoon of his shoulder and side, to hold his aushna' close. "No, I know," he murmured, kissing Lex's temple, then his cheek. "Thank you for telling me. But... you should have said something, Lex… you're shaking, baby."

Lex shook his head. "No. I'm not going to let this stop me from seeing that little pink hooligan. She's... our friend," and he made a face as though the word tasted bad in his mouth. "And she needs all of us right now, and so do our sha'nauch, who are closer to her than we are."

Clark smiled at his lover's grimace, but kissed the words away gently, before the doors slid open, and her had the decency to blush as he stepped around a doctor with an eyebrow raised, and led his lover out of the small elevator. "Yeah, I know. But still. I swear, Lex, we've lived off of hospital food for ages. When we have the first long weekend, we're taking Dom and Lionel and going on vacation."

"Provided, of course, that LuthorCorp is solid enough on its feet after my leadership and my father's return to command sooner rather than later, I hope," Lex pointed out, glaring at the doctor and doing complex fractal ratios in his head to keep himself from panicking.

"That too," Clark answered, as he kissed his lover's cheek and neck, and then flooded their link with peace, serenity, calmness, and utter adoration, offering it to Lex to calm his nearly hysterical aushna' down. "We can go to Puerto Rico, where I'll lavishly take advantage of my lover's airplane and house on the beach," Clark smiled, kissing him again and leading him down the hall.

"Which one? There's two, actually; there's the smaller beachfront on stilts, and the larger, family-sized cabana," Lex asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Pretend I'm not ignorant and choose for me," Clark murmured in his ear, smiling at him gently. "'Sides, we've got the People interview."

Lex nearly choked at that. "Which reminds me, I'm due to call that guy back in a couple hours... fuck. He can wait until tomorrow." He and Clark stopped at the entrance to the ward, and waited for the person in white to open the door for them.

"Sure can," Clark answered, carefully kissing his lover's cheek again, then the corner of his lips, as soon as the man had given them clearance and they'd signed in. They were looking for room two-oh-eight, and Clark walked, scanning the doors beside Lex, before finding it. Well, actually, finding Chloe's enormous belly first, which they saw coming out of the room before they saw the silky tumble of blond hair. "Hey, Chloe!"

Chloe turned and looked up the hall, and though her face was drawn, she smiled. "Hello, you two." She leaned forward to kiss Lex's cheek.

"Hey, Chloe," Lex said, smiling softly and returning the smile. "And thank you." He kissed her cheek, and then her hand. "You were invaluable to me, and I won't forget that." He made sure that he was gentle with her, glad that Clark had put barriers in place because he knew if his agitation leaked out, it would be detrimental to Chloe and the baby.

Whitney was still sitting in the room, trying to talk to Shayla as she had her back to him, staring out the window of her private room.

Chloe blinked, tipping her head as she looked at Lex. "Invaluable? What the hell did I do, aside from be pregnant?" she demanded, but accepted the kisses anyway as Clark walked past her, and she suddenly realized--Lex. Lex! Not Alexis! "Heeey. You're back to normal," she said, lips twitching. "How does it feel?"

Lex gave her a little twirl under his arm, grinning the whole time. "Yes, I'm back to normal--or at least, back to myself, because I'm not sure you could ever classify Lex Luthor as normal." Little smirk. "I feel like I've got a two-week hangover because of whatever Clark and his father did, but it got my dick back so I've got no complaints. And you, Chloe Sullivan, kept your head when I didn't, and you were Alexis' friend when she needed it, and I won't forget that."

Chloe grinned, couldn't help it, as she hugged him, tightly, after doing the little spin. "I missed you, you know. You were a spoilt princess, but still fun."

The smile slid away in the next moment, as she looked toward Whitney, who Clark was giving a big hug to from behind, and sighed. "Shay hasn't said much. She's pretty pissed."

"I can't say as I blame her; these places aren't exactly a fun vacation spot," he pointed out, kissing her temple. "I missed you too."

Further inside the room, Clark… well. He sat in the chair beside Shay's bed, and reached for her hand. "Hey, Shayla," he said softly to her silent form.

Whitney had surrendered the chair to Clark and moved to stretch, rubbing his back and wincing. "I'm going down the hall to the bathroom; I'll be back, okay?"

Shayla registered that it was Clark, but didn't roll over or acknowledge it other than, "Clark."

"Alright, ashimel," Clark murmured quietly to Whitney, before looking at Shay's back. "Yep. It's me. I brought you something." He pulled his satchel up from over his chest and dug in it a moment, pulling out a small, but warm, blanket. "Your favorite blanket, Chloe assured me," he said, as he set it on the edge of the bed, "And some new CD's and a walkman. With extra batteries. I figured you'd like the new Beyonce CD, plus I brought... Beach Boys, Shrek, Pink, the Harry Potter soundtracks, aaand your laptop." He pulled the fiery pink apple laptop out and set it down, too.

"You'll have to take it all with you. They won't let me have anything electronic or anything with cords, moving parts, or removable parts. They're all dangerous to us psychos," she said calmly.

"Nah. Lex talked to your doctor before we left the house, just to make sure," Clark answered back, just as calmly.

"You mean Lex bribed the doctor to ignore the rules," she corrected.

"Of course," Clark smiled back, and opened the package of batteries for her, so she wouldn't have to rip it up later. "You need something to take your mind off of the shitty hospital food. Besides, you still owe me a smutty Angel slash fic, don't think I've forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten," is all she said.

"I expect Xander in his boxers or less by chapter two," Clark said firmly, eyeing her as he let his lips twitch, and took out a disk. "And with the Planet and all the stuff I've got planned for the Talon, I doubt I'll have time to finish my works in progress... wanna read um? Have a crack at them? I've got a huge ass file full of ideas."

"They're yours," she answered shortly. "Not mine."

"Some of the ideas you gave me. Well, some of the ideas you and Pete gave me, tell you the truth. There's even some Buffy ideas you can play with if you're up to it. Plus the idea's Dominic's told me on the sly for Potter fiction. Too bad I can't write in that fandom to save my damn life."

"Try," she shrugged. "I'm sure you could if you wanted."

"Naaah. I'm not into the One True Pairing crap. Draco and Harry are nice, but I find my tastes run toward older men," Clark said, eyes twinkling as he reached over to push a lock of hair from her eyes. "Want me to bring you anything from home?"

"No."

"You sure? Slippers, teddy bears, big screen TV with a DVD player?"

"I'm sure." She kept staring out the window.

"Well, okay." Clark stood up, and kissed her forehead. "Lex and I are going to Metropolis for the night, okay? if you need anything, tell Chloe and Whitney. I'm sure if you wanted it bad enough, I could hear you through the link you and Chloe share, kay?"

"Okay." She rolled over on her back, for just a moment. "I'm not crazy, Clark."

"I know you're not, baby. You're just having some problems right now, but things will get better. It's more than anyone can take." Clark answered, then looked up as Pete, who looked positively rumpled, emerged from the bathroom.

Pete had taken a quick shower, and as soon as he'd heard voices, had sped up. He'd spent the night with his girl, and though he was exhausted now, the shower and clean clothes had helped. "hey, Clark."

"Didn't hear you. Hey, Pete," he answered, and stood up to give Pete back his chair.

When she heard Pete come out of the bathroom, she rolled back over onto her side and went back to staring out the window. "Thanks for stopping by. Tell Morgan good luck, and I'll call him when they trust me not to strangle myself with the phone cord." She waved her hand around weakly to point out there was no phone in her room.

"Mmm." Clark answered, went into the satchel again, and pressed a cell phone into her hand, hiding the action as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, shook Pete's hand, and left the room.

Shay shoved the cell phone under her pillow and watched as tiny brown sparrows flittered back and forth in front of her window.

"Clark," Lex called out softly, waving him down the hallway just a little, to the small sitting area where he, Chloe, and Whitney were sitting around a little circular table. "We're down here." He waited for Clark to get down to them, and then looked up at him. "If you got more than ten words, you're the new hero of the table here," he said with a wry grin. "Whitney said he's been talking for the last hour and a half and gets grunts."

"You gotta know how to push her buttons," Clark answered, as he flopped into one of the chairs beside Lex, and reached out to squeeze Whitney's hand, tightly, lovingly, and then Chloe's, before sighing. "I brought her laptop and her favorite CDs, with threats for her to finish my fic. Which she promised me three weeks ago, bitch."

"You'll be lucky if the characters don't end up killing each other," Whitney snorted. "It's like talking to a brick wall. It's worse. At least with the walls? I get an echo."

Clark's lips twitched, but only a little, and tiredly. "You guys wanna spend the night tomorrow?"

Whitney nodded. "I'd love too; Chloe? Pete's going to be staying tomorrow night anyway; he's going home tonight and I told him I'd stay while you two went home and got some sleep."

Chloe nodded, tiredly. Normally she'd stay, but the pregnancy was almost in the eighth month and everything seemed to tucker her out lately. "Yeah, baby. And yeah, Clark, we'd love to--it might not be as...energetic as times before," she smiled, but in it was the strain. "John's getting big."

At that, Whitney couldn't help a tired beam. "Just like his old man," he puffed out proudly.

Lex ran an agitated hand over his head; he felt panic clawing at his ankles and shoved it down as he disguised it all with a chuckle. "I wouldn't be bragging, Whitney. That was a complaint, not a compliment."

"Yeah, you would be happy about it, you don't have a lump of baby sitting on your bladder," Chloe muttered darkly, and realized Clark had heard her, because he smiled at her.

But then a strange, unreasonable panic overtook her, and she frowned for a moment before realizing it wasn't coming from her. She shifted he gaze to Lex, still frowning, and reached for his hand. "Okay?"

Lex nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay." He squeezed her hand gently for a minute, and then pulled it away. "I'll tell you tomorrow night, all right? Just... suffice it to say that I don't like these places very much."

"Okay," Chloe answered, and squeezed his hand before setting her own back on her lap. "You guys better get going, if you're going to make it to Metropolis. We'll keep you notified on what's going on... let Dominic know Shay's okay, all right? He's called like eight times."

"We will. We'll let you know too, what's going on with Dominic, so that you can pass the information on to Shay and she'll know what's happening with her brother." Lex pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "I hate this place. Clark... remind me to talk to Dad tonight about how long Dominic's going to be in the hospital, and if we need to move Shayla to Metropolis too, so at least they're in the same city."

"I called him earlier," Clark answered from beside his lover, gently stroking Lex's arm and fingers, which he linked with his own. "He said the doctors are expecting about three or four hours to get out of the anesthesia, staying overnight for two days, and then he can come home, since it's not extreme invasive surgery. They're doing a lot of it with lasers."

Lex threaded his fingers with Clark's. "Well, that's good news at least. Hopefully she's out by the time he's out."

Clark nodded, blearily, and after glancing around, reached forward and brushed his lips across Whitney's, then Chloe's. "I love you both, so much. We'll see you soon, kay?"

Whitney kissed Clark back gently, and after darting a quick look around, did the same to Lex. "You guys take care of yourself; Lex, you're lookin' run down. Get some sleep, okay?"

Lex just nodded. "It's not sleep, Whitney, but thank you for your concern." He hugged Whitney, and then Chloe, then kissed Chloe's cheek. "If you need anything, call me. I'll be in Metropolis, but I can send Wally over to stay with you while Whitney's here if you need it. Just say the word, and he'll be on his best behavior unless he wants to lose his reproductive organs."

Chloe couldn't help smiling, despite everything. "Thanks, Lex. See you guys later."

Clark gave Chloe a gentle hug too, then nodded at them both, and took his lover's hand again as they started down the hall. He could feel the tremors in Lex's body, and he frowned as he pulled his lover close, winding an arm around that slender waist hidden under the knee length coat, snuggling him against his body as they walked.

Lex was concentrating on breathing deeply. "Have I mentioned how much I despise mental institutions and psychiatric wards?" Lex said quietly. His hands were in his coat pockets and clenched into tight fists. "You're going to have to sign us out at the desk." He refused to let anyone else see how badly his hands were shaking, though he knew Clark could feel it too.

"Okay." And he did just that, as they passed through the fence and signed out at the desk with the clerk, before taking Lex back in arm and walking with him to the elevator. "I know. Breathe, all right? Dont freak out on me, just yet, Lex."

"I'm not going to freak out," Lex gritted out. "I flat out refuse. I am, however, going to have a small, private panic attack, for which I will wait until we get to the car."

Clark gave him a little, almost sad, smile. "Sounds good. Want to stop by the talon for a milkshake before we head out to Metropolis? You can nap, I'll drive."

Lex shook his head. "No, you can though. I don't think I want a milkshake. Or food, for that matter, at least not yet."

"Sounds good." The thunder boomed across the sky, nearly rattling the windows around the elevators as they waited for one to be free. "Its pouring," he sighed, shaking his head. "It'll be like this for a few days. Summers over."

Lex sighed. "I know. I can't say as I mind, though. Despite the fact that you have to go back to school, it means that ever other young person that has been traipsing through LuthorCorp's summer programs are going back to school also, and I can finally have my personnel back." He sighed. "And maybe, just maybe, I can get out of the trip to New Delhi next month since there are now people I can send in my place."

"You think your dads gonna be out of commission for that long?" Clark asked, an eyebrow raised at him as an elevator finally opened beside them, and Clark led Lex into it. "Seriously? Now that Dom's off the medicine, Lex, he's gonna be better. I know it. They're both gonna wanna get to work as soon as possible."

"I honestly don't know how long I think my father and Dominic are going to be out of commission," he said, following Clark into the elevator. "But I do know that I seriously doubt that Dominic is going to be up to a trans-oceanic flight in a month, and I also seriously doubt that my father is going to want to leave him alone."

"That's true," Clark answered, as he frowned with the thought. "Well, don't cross the bridge before you get to it and oh my GOD I'm channeling my dad." He shuddered, for effect.

Lex snickered. "Yes, you are. Now you know how I feel when I channel my father."

Clark made a face at him, but kissed the snicker away as they got down to the bottom floor. The rain was coming down so hard it was puddling on the streets before the water could be cleared away by the wind. He sighed, wincing as he pulled his jacket up over his head, and grabbed the keys for the SUV out of his pocket. "Babe? Run."

Lex looked at the rain with disdain. "Or, you could come and pick me up."

"Oh, aren't we mister hoity toity I'm Lex, can't get a little damp, Luthor?" Clark asked, but his lips twitched. "City boy. I'll be back in a sec."

"I told you in the shower, Clark. I'm a spoiled brat. And I'm made of spun sugar. I'll be waiting right here, under the nice and dry awning."

Clark growled but ran out into the street. He didn't super-speed, but he had to remind himself not to, as he dashed through the rain that was soon plastering his curls to his forehead and his underwear to his butt, before jumping in the SUV, shuddering at the cold, an turning the car and the HEAT on. He sighed, in deep pleasure, and exhaled as he shook out some of the rain from his eyes before pulling out of the parking spot and coming around to the front of the hospital.

Lex darted out from under the awning, and was barely damp by the time he got into the vehicle beside Clark, shaking out his coat as he got settled in his seat and leaned it back. "Aaah. see? Dry?"

Clark looked at Lex behind the long locks of hair dripping in his eyes and glared, very darkly, as he cranked the engine and drove out of the parking lot.

Lex just chuckled softly as he closed his eyes, and started counting backwards by two, something that always helped to calm his breathing. His fingers were knotted in tight fists and he slowly pulled them out of his pocket, blowing breaths through thinned lips. "I was drugged so heavily I didn't know my name; at night I was locked in my room so I couldn't go wandering."

Clark calmed as Lex did, pushing wet tendrils of hair from his eyes as he drove. "It must have been really bad, for being a little kid. The stress of what happened to you. Did they ever know what was wrong?"

"Yes. I had a mental breakdown," Lex said easily. "They guessed it was caused by the double-shot of my brother and then my mother's deaths, and the rapidity with which I was sent back to school." More calm breathing, and Lex's fingers slowly unclenched from their fists, and laid flat on his thighs. "For eight months, I was treated with drugs and therapy, sedated sometimes when I wouldn't believe that Julian was dead."

Clark's skin had paled as his lover spoke. "God, baby. I'm so sorry." But he couldn't properly explain the depth of that upset, that pity, as he listened to him. "No kid should go through that. You're such a strong person."

"You'd be surprised," Lex said softly. "It's things like that that make you strong, Clark."

Clark didn't speak again until they reached Metropolis.

- = - = -

He was thoughtful and quiet through the helicopter ride, their single suitcase on the floor by his feet. He just held Lex's hand gently in his own, stroking the fingers now and again when he felt like it, but let his lover's words weigh heavy on his mind. The rain didn't stop, though with a gentle prodding from him the lightening and thunder abated until they reached Metropolis. They were met by Phillip, Lionel's personal driver, and were driven to the hospital.

After getting visitor's passes at the front desk of the really fancy hospital, Clark and Lex took the elevator up to the tenth floor, the surgical unit and ICU.

Lex was quiet too, though for different reasons. He'd known that telling Clark about his history had been a good thing to do; visiting Shayla in the psychiatric ward had brought back very bad memories, most of them hazed by the drugs he was given at the facility, and he was working hard to push those memories back down into the black pit where they usually resided, so that they didn't intrude on his consciousness.

He took the pass with a smile, making small talk with the people who recognized and noticed them, letting his mind run on two different tracks as they went up to the surgical floor.

Clark's fingers had never untwined from Lex's, and as they reached the surgical waiting room, and saw Lionel, he was glad he hadn't let go. His fingers tightened around Lex's for a moment as he looked at Lionel's tired, haggard face, and he finally let go to sit on Lionel's left, leaving the right, and more prominent spot in Lionel's field of vision, for Lex. "Hey, Lionel."

Lex sighed at his father's tired look, and he went to sit on his other side. "Hey, Dad."

Lionel lifted his head up and met Clark's little smile with one of his own. "Hello Clark. Lex. I see things are back in regular order."

"Yep. Jor… dan got everything fixed up," Clark answered with a small blush. "How are you? Everything going okay with Dom?"

Lionel nodded. "The night was a little rough; I suppose you've seen the news this morning?"

Lex shook his head. "No, we haven't, and nobody's called yet, either. What's going on?"

Lionel's eyebrow rose in tired amazement. "Dr. Jaheel has been apprehended by the federal authorities. The charges are, as of yet, currently unknown, though I have sources of mine working on it. They have been canvassing his patients, however, and Dominic's name has yet to come up in his records, and I am beginning to believe that they've been expunged, though I have no proof of it."

Clark blinked as the two men talked, and he interrupted before they could say anything more. "In normal people speak? What's canvassing? Expunged? What do you mean?"

"What my father means is they've been contacting all of Dr. Jaheel's other patients, probably arranging interviews or questioning sessions, and they haven't contacted Dominic yet. The logical conclusion is that Jaheel has gotten rid of Dominic's records or assigned them to another doctor or patient, thereby getting rid of any proof that connects him to Dominic."

"Except for the problematic part where his signature is in all Dominic's records, and Angel of Mercy has said documents because they fax them instead of sending them when that kind of paper pushing stays in-state. He's royally fucked. If the surgeons in there would testify, that's wrongful endangerment."

"Oh, I'm sure they will," Lionel said tiredly. "They're mine and Dominic's private physicians and have been with us for the last twenty years or so. However, since they weren't present during the operations or anything else, the most that we can get the good doctor for is malpractice and possibly medical negligence."

"That's just for Dominic. Who knows what else he's done?" Clark asked, as he squeezed Lionel's knee gently and leaned back in the chair. "Things usually work out for the best. Bad people always get what's coming to them, you know. Besides--this is good. Dominic will get the things he needs, and before you know it, the both of you will be back to normal."

"I hope you're right, Clark. Dominic seems... at times very depressed, but at times, very eager, to have this surgery happen and to have things over with." He sighed. "I've already spoken to Eddie--he said that you left him a message to call, and he's rather surprised at the situation, but has agreed that he'll stay on as Dominic's therapist, though he's said he'll have to re-assess Dominic's condition after the surgery and change out the equipment. I gave him carte blanche to get whatever he needs."

"Good. Then we can concentrate our attention on Shayla, who I would wager is just as depressed as Dominic is, possibly moreso considering she's been admitted to the psychiatric ward in Smallville for observation over the weekend." Lex pinched his nose again.

"Shay's not doing so good," Clark said, softly, as he looked up at Lionel's slightly haggard appearance. "She's not talking, really angry. Lex talked to some of the doctors, though, so we were able to leave her some CD's and her laptop and stuff, which I think she'll like. But she's not happy, Lionel." He frowned, deeply. "Things keep going from bad to worse, don't they?"

"Lex actually just pointed out that since Shayla wasn't under any kind of watches--yet--then there was no reason she should be denied her things, if she's just there for observation." A dry smile. "The administrators didn't seem to mind my logic."

"Of course they didn't." Lionel dragged his fingers through his hair. "I should be showering and changing while Dominic is in surgery, but for some reason I can't quite find the energy to do it." He sighed. "Things have been very bad for quite some time now, Clark. But they are going to be getting better."

"Yeah. Besides, I hereby restrict you from using the stairs ever again, and you and Dominic will use the elevator like normal human beings who are very rich," Clark chided, eyebrows furrowed tightly even as he sighed. "Everything, Lionel," he said, with a pointed glance at Lex, then back to Lionel. "Is alright, now. There were some problems, and he'll be groggy for a few days, but everything seems to have worked. Jordan thought so, too."

Lionel raised an eyebrow at Clark. "I will be using the stairs when I feel the need for it, Clark, as they are an ideal way of exercising." He followed Clark's pointed glare, and quietly absorbed the sight of Lex for a few moments. "I'm glad that everything is all right, and I'm sorry that you were upset by your visit to your friend today."

Lex shrugged it off. "I'm okay, Dad. I was a little flipped out, but I'll live."

Clark quietly snorted at the 'little', but didn't say anything else for a few moments, then glared at Lionel. "You will use the stairs only when you need it. I won't have any more of my jurnai taking death leaps from the top flight and falling down onto marble, thanks so much."

Lex chuckled softly. "You'd have better luck telling your father's bull that he's not going to charge me every time I walk near the paddock."

At that, the stubborn glint in Clark's eyes softened to gentle amusement. "True. Hey, Lionel, want some coffee or something?"

Lionel shook his head. "No, thank you, Clark. I think that now you're here, I'm going to borrow Dominic's shower and change clothes, so he won't be upset when he sees me in yesterday's clothes."

"Go ahead," Clark said, nodding toward the hall. "We'll be here, I promise."

"I know." Lionel got up from the little chairs. "I won't be long."

Clark stretched out, comfortably, as Lionel left, and picked up a magazine. The smell of disinfectant was very strong, strange and not quite pleasant, but Clark pushed it away as he opened up Women's Weekly and started leafing through it. Surgical patients were coming and going down the hall, doctors, nurses and technicians as well, and in his head, Clark found himself already describing how it smelled, felt, tasted, looked like.

Lex just tapped him on the shoulder. "You know, Dad's laptop is in the room; I can get it for you. You're getting that writer's glint in your eye."

Clark sideglanced him, and shook his head, softly. "Not the time, or place, baby," he murmured, and kissed Lex on the shoulder, the nearest spot to him.

And so there they sat. Lionel took a little bit over a half hour to shower, and Clark relinquished his seat back to him when he came back, freshly clothed and washed. The hours passed slowly... they got coffee and chips at some point, and watched a good block of CNN, debating harshly with one another over the pros and cons of whatever the Senate was up to these days.

And after four and a half hours of waiting, a doctor poked her head into the room.

"Lionel?" Dr. Sawyer asked, still removing her surgical cap. She didn't do surgery, but she always was there for any of her patients operations, and had finally stopped consulting with the surgeons to come to the waiting room. "Your partner just got out of surgery. They're finishing getting the surgical sites dressed. Come with me."

"Yes, Doctor?" Lionel's head raised wearily as Dr. Sawyer came into the room. "How is he doing? Did everything go as planned?" He motioned to Lex to follow him. "Is he in a room now?"

Dr. Sawyer, with her little clipboard firmly, led him and his entourage out of the waiting room and down the hall. "We have him in ICU, until the anesthesia wears off, and then we'll keep him in Surgical ICU for the night. Tomorrow, he should be moved to his own room." She led the three men down the hall, through the double glass doors leading into the ICU, and then into a slightly dim room off to the left, lights low for the single patient resting in the bed by the window. "The surgery went wonderfully. There was severe muscle and tendon damage, but we managed to repair all of it. His knee was worse then the shoulder, but almost immediately after the surgery was over, his fingers and toes showed much more movement then they did yesterday, when we checked him over."

She pulled the curtain back from Dominic's bed so the men could see him, and gently closed the door behind them before turning back to Lionel. "He's a trooper."

Dominic was totally, and completely, asleep. His lips were swollen from being intubated, but aside from that, he just looked a little paler then before. His arm and knee were both wrapped, propped up against pillows.

"Is there anything you'd like for me to answer for you, Lionel?"

Lionel felt like collapsing with relief. "Do you have any estimates on how much of his range of motion he'll recover yet? How long before he's ready to go home and resume his therapy sessions with Mr. Nacheyez? When do you think he'll wake up? Do you--"

Lex put his hand on his father's shoulder. "Dad? Let's just start with when he'll wake up, and leave the rest of it until tomorrow, all right? He just got out of surgery, he's still asleep, and you're exhausted. You won't remember anything the doctor tells you, and this is too important to miss. Wait until tomorrow morning, when you're cognizant."

Dr. Sawyer agreed, and she smiled quietly at the two of them, and the hulking young man behind them. "He should wake up in about four hours, but I doubt he'll be awake for more then a few minutes before going back to sleep. He's been through a terrible ordeal. No one but the nursing staff is allowed here in the ICU, though, Lionel." She touched his arm. "Go home. I'm on call until tomorrow morning--I'll call you if anything changes."

Lionel opened his mouth to argue, but Lex interceded. "That's a good idea. Clark, take Dad down to the car; I'll make sure everything in Dominic's room is put away and packed up in case they move him to another room and meet you downstairs in a few minutes." His glare dared Lionel to argue with him.

Dr. Sawyer saw the interaction between man and son, and rose a brow. "It's for germs and outside viruses that cling to our very skin, hair, body. He's susceptible to anything from a simple cold to pneumonia right now. Home, Lionel. Tomorrow, when he's stronger, you can see him."

"Check. Car." Clark answered, gave the doctor a sheepish smile, and gently took Lionel's elbow. "You can tell him good night, Lionel."

Lionel glared at both son and son-in-law-to-be, and jerked his elbow away. "I am not feeble or senile yet, Alexander, and I trust you to remember that." He merely glared at Clark and looked through the glass at Dominic lying in the hospital bed. "I promised to stay with him and read to him tonight."

"And if you wouldn't act like a stubborn ass, I wouldn't treat you like you were a senile old fucker," Lex mumbled just under his breath.

Sawyer shot Lex a glare for that, but ignored him and spoke to Lionel. "Even if you were to read to him, he's so drugged he won't remember it, and he needs his rest. He'll be alert again by the morning time--get some rest, and come back to be with him. That's not a request, Lionel."

Lionel added his own glare to that of the doctors. "I don't believe anyone has had the audacity to order me to do anything in quite some time, Doctor Sawyer."

"Except Dominic," Lex chimed in.

"Alexander, if you have nothing of value to add to this conversation, please stay out of it or confine your remarks to the weather." Lionel rubbed his temples.

"If you love your partner, you'll do just as I say," Sawyer said, curtly, and with that she turned on her heel and clicked out of the room.

"You sounded so Victorian, right there. Next, are you going to tell me Willoughby won't understand it that I'm an old spinster?" Clark asked from behind them, as he pressed his fingertips to his lips, kissed them, then set them on the glass. "Come on, Lionel, lets go."

"Clark, what are you babbling about?" he asked, doing the same thing as he looked in at Dominic lying in the bed and turning to leave.

"You are not an illiterate, Lex. I do assume that you have read Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, have you not? If you haven't, do so when we get home," Lionel snapped.

"Or what, you'll give me a pop quiz? You're cranky, Dad. Go home. Get some sleep. Get drunk. Eat."

"Let us bunk at your apartment," Clark added, with a dazzling, white-toothed smile full of hope.

Lex snorted. "I know what goes on in that apartment, Clark."

"Of course, Clark. You're welcome to stay at the penthouse; I believe there's a suite of unused rooms at the end of the hall that you and my son are welcome to. They're not quite as large as the master bedroom, they have a two-person Jacuzzi instead of the garden size, but I think that you can make do."

"Somehow, I'm sure we can rough it," Clark answered, amused, even as he wound his elbow through Lionel's and gently tugged. "Come on. Let him sleep. The surgery was a success, you heard the lady. Come on… let's get something to eat, and get some rest."

Lionel left his hand on the window and slowly let it slide away as he turned his back to the room and started following Clark down the hall. "It might be a good idea if you and Lex pick up whatever you want for dinner before we return to the apartment, because I do not know how well the kitchen is stocked and the cook has been released from service there," he said, listening as Lex fell into step behind them.

"That's fine. Lex knows a lot of good places, we'll get something good." He squeezed Lionel's elbow, gently. "Love you, Lionel. When everything's all better, and Dominic's at home, you and Lex can help me celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Lionel asked, eyebrow levitating again. "What are we celebrating?"

"My promotion to reporter and my very own assignments," Clark said, with another flash of white teeth and dimples.

"It's about time," Lionel groused. "Perry White's got his head up his ass about a lot of things, Clark, don't forget that, but the one thing that man won't do is let talent escape his notice. If he's hired you, then you've got something he likes. And he won't ever let you forget it." He patted Clark's hand gently. "I almost feel sorry for you, having to deal with that bastard."

"Me too. He gave me a lecture that would have made my dad proud," he muttered, making a face. "But, hey, don't tell Lex yet, kay? I want to surprise him, he's going to be so happy." Clark smiled at his soon to be father in law, and squeezed his elbow. "I love you and Dominic so much. You are truly my family."

"I won't tell him, Clark. You two seem to have quite a bit going on yourselves lately." He smiled a little at that. "You know that Dominic and I feel the same way about you; you've been good for all of us, not just Lex, and you are a part of us all."

"We've got an article coming up... People called Lex asking for an interview, a layout, coming out, the whole nine." Clark winced, quietly, as they walked toward the elevator. "Would you and Dominic want to be a part of it?"

Lionel blinked. "That's very generous of you, Clark. Are you sure that you--or the magazine, for that matter--would like us to be involved? Neither Dominic nor I would want to overshadow you or Lex in this, since the article is obviously about you."

"I don't really care. As I see it, they've just landed an interview with Lex bloody Luthor, and his boy-toy. If Lex wanted to be shot wearing nothing but maracas and a tutu, they'd find a way to do it artistically."

Lionel tried not to snort with laughter at that. "I do believe he has better taste than that, though I wouldn't be surprised to see him donning a cowboy hat and riding a mechanical bull, because it's the only thing that I have not seen him do."

Clark's lips twitched. "Don't put it past him. So, you in?"

"Let me talk to Dominic, once he's awake, but yes, we're in, provided he agrees." Lionel gave a little grin. "Thank you for including us."

"Wouldn't properly have the Luthor clan without you, now would we?" Clark asked, eyebrow raised, but he smiled anyway as they boarded the elevator. He was quiet for a moment, before lowering his voice and saying, "Besides, you want nice pictures of yourself before you become a grandpa, don't you?"

Lionel blinked. "Are you trying to tell me something, Clark?"

Clark blushed softly. "Not yet. In about another year."

"At least Aurora and your children won't be going through their terrible twos together, and between you and I? That's the year I intend to take a vacation to a very remote corner of the world. I remember how Lex was at two years old. I don't think I can survive that again," he said, keeping his voice low as though confiding a great secret. "You can come along, if you like."

Clark's lips twitched, and danced as they looked across to Lionel's. "As long as its somewhere where all we'll need is a bathing suit and sun tan lotion."

"I hear that Spain has beautiful beaches," Lionel said.

"So have I," Clark's lips twitched again, but he sideglanced Lionel for a moment as thunder rocked outside, booming loudly. "Would you mind Lex and I trying again, Lionel?"

Lionel thought for a long moment as the elevator moved down in relative silence, considering what he wanted to say. "Clark... that decision isn't mine to make," he said finally. "The decision belongs to you, and to my son." He took a breath. "That being said, I will say that I don't know how it will effect either of you to lose another child. I also don't know what your father has told you, about when you will be ready or what procedures need to be done, but if you are ready, and know all that you need to know, then no, Clark, I have no problem with you and Lex trying again. I have seen how Lex is around Ms. Sullivan; he tries to hide it, but he is jealous of her. I would not have said that my son would be the family type, but it seems that he is, and I support him in that."

Clark listened to everything Lionel said, and thought about it as they got off the elevator, and Clark let go of Lionel's elbow as he began to dig in his pocket for his keys. "My father will tell me when it's time. Lex is crazy over John already, even though the little tyke hasn't been born yet."

"I've noticed," he said dryly, passing over his own keys to the Bentley without saying a word. "I think that because of your upbringings, both yours and Lex's, that you will both be wonderful parents."

"So you wouldn't mind being a grandpa?" Clark asked, eyebrow raised. He took the keys sheepishly, remembering suddenly as he saw them that he had been driven over to the hospital.

"No, I wouldn't. I am currently an uncle, and a father, and I would not mind adding grandfather to those credentials." He stopped Clark with a sharp look. "As long as your son or daughter does not call me Gramps. I am Grandfather."

Clark would never let on, but his heart soared at the words. "Even if your youngest daughter and your grandkids were close in age? You wouldn't mind?"

"That would only mean that my daughter had playmates who's parents I trust with her welfare during playgroups," Lionel said with a smile.

"She's gonna lord her auntieship over my kids, dammit. I already know it," Clark muttered, as he pulled the SUV keys from his pocket, and a thunder clap roared over Metropolis. "God, it's pouring rain. I--" he stopped, when he realized his telephone was vibrating in his thick coat pocket. He hadn't felt it at all, and when he pulled it out, he realized he had missed nine calls.

From an area code from Gotham.

 

 

-fin-

go on to the next part