Chlark Fanfic: Crisis, Chapter 22
Sep. 8th, 2011 01:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
babydee1This is a very weird chapter. Why, you ask?
Simple: it came from all of You. :-)
First of all there were very valid questions raised about the good ol’ can of worms that is Clark + Hospitals = VERY BAD FOR THE KENTS (thanks, jacques!), so I had to find a way to wriggle out of that.
Then I wanted to be sure that Lionel was still kept in the dark about Clark’s secret, so I slotted that in too, with the added advantage that it’s a great lead-in to the following chapter.
Finally, I spent about half an hour staring at the banner, and by the time I was done, the final Chlark scene just sorta wrote itself.
So there you go, everyone. Bonus chapter in the house!
Enjoy. Mild angst warning. But y’all can handle it. ;-)
…I’ll shut up now. :-P
Title: Crisis
Author: BabyDee
Pairing: Chlark/Kaloe
Rating: NC-17 (this chapter PG-13)
Warnings: Angst
Timeline: Season 2-3 (Exodus – Exile; Clark’s RedK Summer & beyond)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics
Summary: A violent encounter between Chloe and Clark threatens to destroy their friendship forever.
Feedback: …is love. :-)
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doomedxdream. Thanks again! :-)Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 22
“Are you sure you’re alright, Sir?”
“I’m fine,” Clark assured the paramedic that had hurried him to Metropolis General Hospital. “Really, I am.”
The young man regarded him dubiously. “Sir, you vomited and passed out less than half an hour ago. I really don’t feel comfortable discharging you based on your say so.”
Clark rolled his eyes. “Look, you can ask anyone that was in that elevator with me: it got stuck, and I panicked. Simple. That’s all that happened. Medically, I’m as fit as a fiddle.”
The suspicious paramedic studied him with narrowed eyes, and Clark managed not to squirm under his gaze. His heart pounded so loudly he was sure the other man could hear it.
Damn it, Clark thought bitterly. For someone who lied to the world everyday, he was egregiously bad at it.
The young medic consulted the thin file of medical history notes in his hands with a frown. “It doesn’t say here that you’re claustrophobic.”
“That’s because I didn’t know that I was until today!” Clark replied, exasperated. God, where was a lazy pencil-pusher when he needed one?
The paramedic shut the file and secured the ambulance. “Please come with me, sir,” he said, and ushering him towards the sliding doors of the hospital entrance. “I’ll be fully convinced once I’ve run a full medical evaluation.”
Oh, crap. Of all the paramedics in the world that could have attended him, he’d gotten the one person that was determined to do things by the book.
“Look, I really need to get back to school, so if you won’t discharge me, can I just discharge myself?” he asked desperately as they reached the hospital doors.
“That won’t be necessary,” said a familiar voice behind him. Clark whirled round, surprised and relieved beyond words to see a smiling Lex walking towards him.
“Lex!” he exclaimed.
Lex nodded at him with a relieved look on his own face. “Good to see you back on your feet, Clark. You had us worried.”
“Mr Luthor,” said the paramedic with a friendly grin. He pointed his pen at Lex’s head. “I trust you won’t be needing your usual Suite today?”
“Knock it off, Ferris,” Lex replied dryly, as the man laughed. He turned to Clark. “Ferris here is what I like to call my own personal physician. He must have treated at least three of my head-wounds in the last six months.”
“So you’re acquainted with Mr Kent, sir?” Ferris asked.
Lex nodded. “Clark’s a dear friend of mine. I was there when he keeled over, so I followed the ambulance to make sure he was okay.” He gave Clark a quick examining glance. “Yeah, you’re fine. Ready to go?”
Clark heaved a sigh of relief. “Almost; I’m just waiting to be discharged.”
“I still need to give you a thorough check-up to be sure you’re okay, Mr Kent,” Ferris pointed out. But Lex quickly laid a hand on the young man’s shoulder.
“No need to overreact, Ferris; he just had a claustrophobic attack, but he’s over it,” he said smoothly. “Besides, you look beat. Shouldn’t your shift be over by now?”
Ferris grimaced. “It should be, sir, but I’m working a double-shift today. The second this week, mind you,” he added thickly.
“Ouch. I can’t imagine Cora’s too happy with that,” Lex demurred.
Ferris sighed sadly. “She isn’t. I’ve had to cancel our anniversary dinner twice, and she’s running out of patience.”
“Then don’t waste your time creating more paperwork for yourself with a needless check-up,” Lex said with a wink as he slipped a wad of notes discreetly into the young man’s pocket. “Not when you could be treating your long-suffering girlfriend to a three-course meal at one of the best restaurants in town.”
“That does sound pretty tempting,” Ferris admitted hesitantly. “But-”
“Clark’s fine,” Lex insisted with a reassuring smile. “I’ll take him back to Smallville myself, and if he so much as sneezes, I’ll bring him straight back here.”
***
Lex was an excellent liar. Within minutes, Clark’s elusive discharge papers had been processed, and he was free as a bird. Shortly afterward, he and Lex were seated in the Ferrari and heading towards Smallville.
“I appreciate all your help today, Lex, but you didn’t have to come after me,” Clark said as they sped along.
“Actually I did; it’s standard Luthorcorp procedure,” Lex replied. “Any person who gets sick or injured on company grounds needs to have a senior employee escort them to the hospital. I decided to fill in.”
“That’s very kind of you, Lex. Thank you,” he said warmly.
Lex shrugged. “Better me than a total stranger, I figured.”
“True.”
They drove for about five minutes in complete silence. Then:
“So what really happened in that elevator, Clark?” he asked, glancing across at him with a steely gaze.
Clark swallowed nervously. “I had a claustrophobic attack, like you said,” he lied.
Lex’s hands tightened slightly on the wheel and he smiled wryly. “Of course you did. You gonna tell your parents about it?”
Clark shifted in his seat. “I’d rather not worry them, to be honest,” he said warily.
Lex shrugged again. “Suit yourself.”
***
“What do you mean, you didn’t escort Kent to the hospital?” Lionel said dangerously enunciating each word to a terrified employee. “I told you to take him there myself!”
“Mr Luthor, I…I was all set to follow him but then Mr Luthor – the other Mr Luthor, sir, the younger one – he appeared and said he would personally take care of the Kent boy, sir,” replied the stammering, trembling man.
“And you didn’t think to tell him you had direct orders from me to follow the ambulance?” Lionel roared, a blood vessel threatening to rupture on the side of his neck.
The man gulped. “With all due respect sir…he’s your son. I didn’t think it wise to question him.”
Lionel clenched his fists and fumed, but he could see where that might have been awkward.
“Fine,” he grated and turned towards his desk. “Fetch me the security feed from that elevator. I want to know what happened in there to make him sick.”
The hapless man stared in stark fear and started to shake violently. “Um…Sir? That was also retrieved by your son, sir,” he said haltingly. “He said he would deliver it to you personally.”
Lionel froze on the spot and grated his teeth together until they threatened to crack under the pressure. “I see,” he finally hissed between said clenched teeth. “Leave my office, Withers.”
Withers needed no second bidding. He fled as fast as if he’d just escaped the jaws of a very hungry, very angry lion.
As soon as the door closed, Lionel thumped his hand on the desk in frustration.
Lex had bested him yet again. Somehow, when it came to Clark Kent, his son was always one step ahead of him.
Lionel sighed wearily. He’d considered Lex too mentally damaged from his island experience to be any substantial threat to him, or any real addition to his business, hence his haste in re-establishing him back at Luthorcorp in a shiny new office with a trumped-up job title.
But he’d underestimated his son. Clearly, Lex was doing a lot more at his desk than just sharpening pencils.
Something had happened in that elevator that was connected to Clark and his eccentricities, and Lionel was determined to find out exactly what that was. Unfortunately, Lex was now in possession of the only video feed that contained that information. He could demand that Lex hand it over, but that would be useless. Lex was a Luthor, after all; Lionel would bet his bottom dollar that the feed would have been watched, analysed and severely edited before it landed in his clutches.
He sat in his plush leather chair with a harsh sigh. Very well. He may have lost this battle, but there was no way he was giving up on his quest for the truth about the farmboy’s origins. It was most unfortunate that the charming Miss Sullivan was no longer in his employ; she would have been a very useful ally in that quest.
Lionel folded his hands and his eyes narrowed in a cold smile. She’d been bitterly frustrated today, at the presentation; Her father had been without work now for over a month, and the purse-strings were no doubt beginning to tighten rather painfully.
A new plan began to hatch in his brain, and his grin widened. Perhaps it was time to raise the stakes a notch. It was possible the young Miss Sullivan could still be swayed to the smart side with the right…motivation.
***
“You get a clean bill of health from me, kid,” said the jolly school nurse as she signed off his hospital discharge papers and handed him a clearance slip at school the following day. “I’ll tell you what I told the last claustrophobic person I came across – next time, take the stairs.”
Clark smiled and thanked her. Despite seeming satisfied with the hospital report, she’d still insisted on peering down his throat and looking into his eyes and ears with a bright light before finally sending him back to class.
He walked along the corridor, slowing as he approached the Torch. Cautiously he peeped in and saw her standing solemnly at the mock-up board, fitting an article for the cover of tomorrow’s school paper.
He sighed. She looked so alone. Granted, she often worked alone, but then it had been by choice; now it was due to necessity. Lana may not have been the best friend to Chloe, but at least she’d been there for every now and then, and it must have been nice to have had female company at home as well. But now she had no-one. There was no Lana, and no Pete…and more importantly, no him.
She’d been sorry for hurting him yesterday; he knew it. The look in her face as he’d lain in agony on the floor and her softly spoken words had given him hope; not just hope that he might survive the crippling pain, but also hope that there was still a tiny part of her that cared about him, and wanted to forgive him.
He took a deep breath and ducked out of sight, leaning heavily against the doorframe. Yesterday had been, without a doubt, the most physically painful day of his life. But if seeing him nearly die was what it would take for Chloe to trust him again, then he’d go through a thousand near-deaths in a heartbeat. Whatever pain she decided to throw at him, he would bear, as long as it would eventually heal her soul.
He glanced into the room again and saw her placing another page on the mock-up board with one hand, whilst balancing a third page and a cup of coffee in the other. Some things never changed, he thought with a wistful smile. Chloe was always so determined to struggle with things on her own rather than ask anyone for help.
“Need a hand?” he offered softly, stepping into the room.
Startled, she jumped back, dropping both her coffee and the sheet of paper she’d been holding in her left hand. Automatically the right one hovered over her trouser pocket, and she stared at him in fear, then defiance.
Clark’s heart sank, and his slim thread of hope began to fade. For a second there, he’d completely forgotten about the issues that had separated them, so desperate was he to try and claw back some semblance of normalcy.
But she hadn’t forgiven him. Worse, she was still afraid of him. The stark terror that had filled her eyes the second she’d heard his voice and the way her hand flew to its kryptonite refuge was all the evidence he needed.
Whenever she looked at him, she saw a rapist. And as far as he was willing to go to convince her otherwise, there wasn’t anything he could do to change that.
Carefully she composed herself and went back to what she was doing, focusing her gaze on her board and ignoring him completely. He stood there for a few minutes, watching her, trying to think of something, anything he could say that would ease her troubled mind and convincer her that he would rather die than ever again do anything to harm her.
His intense stare must have unnerved her because she trembled slightly and swallowed hard. Slowly she took the lead box out of her pocket and placed it on the edge of the mock-up board. She didn’t open it…but she didn’t have to. Her message was clear: Stay away from me.
The last thing he wanted to do was scare her, which is what he was doing by simply being around her. He got to his feet and left, closing his eyes tightly against the sting of tears that threatened to fall.
***
Chapter 23… http://babydee1.livejournal.com/136298.html
***
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-09-08 12:55 am (UTC)AWESOME new chapter!!!
no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 03:53 pm (UTC)sooo good
Date: 2011-09-08 01:15 am (UTC)Re: sooo good
Date: 2011-09-15 03:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-08 01:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 03:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-08 02:02 am (UTC)I liked Chloe's silently threatening Clark with the Kryptonite--that was very well played. And truly, Clark isn't going to get Chloe to trust him again simply because he wishes it. I think Clark's finally starting to get that.
And I love how Lex just stepped in and helped Clark out--he really would do anything to protect Clark--at least in S3 :)
Keep up the lovely work on this fic :)
no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 04:25 pm (UTC)Thrilling, no? ;-)
“I liked Chloe's silently threatening Clark with the Kryptonite--that was very well played. And truly, Clark isn't going to get Chloe to trust him again simply because he wishes it. I think Clark's finally starting to get that.”
*sigh* True. They’re miles apart from where they used to be. :-(
“And I love how Lex just stepped in and helped Clark out--he really would do anything to protect Clark--at least in S3 :)”
And that’s how we like it, and that’s how I intend to keep him! :-P
“Keep up the lovely work on this fic :)”
Will do. Thanks for the awesome review, Kit! :-D
no subject
Date: 2011-09-08 10:38 am (UTC)And speaking of Lex, yay, he came to Clark’s rescue! But not without some disappointment because he was convinced Clark was not telling the whole truth about what really happened in that elevator… (loved the ‘clutching the steering wheel’ line; it spoke volumes about his barely hidden anger at Clark’s seeming lack of trust). Ah, yes, Lex wanted to be friends, but the apple did not fall far from the tree, he often had hidden motives for everything he did.
So, how is Clark going to keep this from his parents? The whole school knows! Which, in a small town means EVERYONE knows! And unless, Lex, or Luthorcorp or their insurance company pays for that ambulance ride (they’re not cheap), the Kent’s insurance will certainly be notifying them of the share that’s not covered under their policy!
I feel terrible for both Chloe and Clark now, seeing how very afraid she still is of him. Maybe, if he’s not going to turn himself in to make her feel safer, he probably should leave Smallville. I was reaching for the Kleenex again at the end there when she pulled out the lead box warning him to stay away from her. I can’t imagine what other awful things have to happen before she’ll feel good enough to have him near her, let alone have a conversation with him.
I was fairly sure that nearly killing him would be a tiny wake-up call for her; possibly give her some sense that she has at least a little control in a life that’s lost the foundations she’s always depended on, or give her some feeling of power knowing she won’t have to be helpless ever again against Clark.
It has to be torture for both of them to go on with their lives pretending to everyone that things are just peachy keen; life is going merrily along and the only problems they have is the stress of school! How long can they keep that up? And haven’t others noticed yet that these two, who were practically joined at the hips for years, are now avoiding each other like the plague? Not to mention Chloe has got to look worn out, she can’t be getting much sleep, or eating well… this must be starting to worry some of the teachers if not fellow students? Of course, she could be explaining it away with worries about her father and that two of her closest friends have moved away.
The loneliness she feels was so very explicitly explained in the way you had Clark observing her. Amazing writing, Dee! I know you plan to have some redemption for them; your imagination will certainly bring them there… at this point, especially with Chloe’s fear and mistrust, I can only think that Clark turning himself in will be the only thing to save Chloe from herself.
And she needs to get help… maybe Martha can convince her of that?
… so on a lighter note, is there a guess, (I won’t hold you to it, Dee, I swear, because EVERY update from you is a BONUS), about how many more chapters you have planned for this epic, emotional, excellently written story? I only ask because I’m running low on kleenex….
…and, btw, THANK YOU AGAIN, for all these intense updates! Especially this bonus chapter, you are just too good to your readers!
no subject
Date: 2011-09-08 12:24 pm (UTC)Oh, don't get me started with the chapter projections!!! *groans*
Honestly? I'd say at least 15 more. And that's a very conservative estimate! In reality we're looking at at least 20 more chapters.
Yes, there is far to go, and I don't want to rush it. ;-)
The Review, Part 1
Date: 2011-09-16 04:57 pm (UTC)Bested by the son he’d basically written off, ha-ha!!!
I had to put that line in. And yes, Lionel is, to put it bluntly, as creepy as f**k. What’s with all the meddling in the lives of such young people??? :-/
“And speaking of Lex, yay, he came to Clark’s rescue! But not without some disappointment because he was convinced Clark was not telling the whole truth about what really happened in that elevator… (loved the ‘clutching the steering wheel’ line; it spoke volumes about his barely hidden anger at Clark’s seeming lack of trust). Ah, yes, Lex wanted to be friends, but the apple did not fall far from the tree, he often had hidden motives for everything he did.”
Well, I’ve changed a lot of things around from what was presented in the Season 3 episodes, so let’s see how this affects Lex’s development. ;-)
“So, how is Clark going to keep this from his parents? The whole school knows! Which, in a small town means EVERYONE knows! And unless, Lex, or Luthorcorp or their insurance company pays for that ambulance ride (they’re not cheap), the Kent’s insurance will certainly be notifying them of the share that’s not covered under their policy!”
*sigh* I see yet another unscheduled chapter making its way into this story! Thanks for the info, Mari – over here, the NHS pays for ambulance care and pretty much everything, so it’s a revelation to see that they charge y’all for emergency health costs. Man, that’s harsh!!! :-O
“I feel terrible for both Chloe and Clark now, seeing how very afraid she still is of him. Maybe, if he’s not going to turn himself in to make her feel safer, he probably should leave Smallville. I was reaching for the Kleenex again at the end there when she pulled out the lead box warning him to stay away from her. I can’t imagine what other awful things have to happen before she’ll feel good enough to have him near her, let alone have a conversation with him.”
You know I never take the path of least resistance, Mari. Clark isn’t going anywhere, because that would be a cop-out - and I don’t do cop-outs. :-P
Besides, what would be the point of the story if Clark moves away? It wouldn’t solve anything, and there’s no reassurance that what he did to Chloe couldn’t happen to some other girl. So, nope – there isn’t an easy out for Clark in this tale. But I think you’ll approve of where the story’s headed, though. :-)
More to come in Part 2...
The Review, Part 2
Date: 2011-09-16 04:57 pm (UTC)“I was fairly sure that nearly killing him would be a tiny wake-up call for her; possibly give her some sense that she has at least a little control in a life that’s lost the foundations she’s always depended on, or give her some feeling of power knowing she won’t have to be helpless ever again against Clark.”
True, but things went a bit further than she’d expected, and it really shocked her. If she does resume the krypto-torture, I think she’ll be more judicious in its application from here on [note my own judicious use of the word ‘think.’ ;-)] At the same time, she is still acutely aware of just how vicious and violent he can get, so... it’s a toughie!
“It has to be torture for both of them to go on with their lives pretending to everyone that things are just peachy keen; life is going merrily along and the only problems they have is the stress of school! How long can they keep that up? And haven’t others noticed yet that these two, who were practically joined at the hips for years, are now avoiding each other like the plague? Not to mention Chloe has got to look worn out, she can’t be getting much sleep, or eating well… this must be starting to worry some of the teachers if not fellow students? Of course, she could be explaining it away with worries about her father and that two of her closest friends have moved away.”
You’re right, I’m sure it hasn’t gone unnoticed by those around Chloe that she’s been different lately; and you’ve also correctly surmised that they’ll assume it’s probably due to the departure of two of her closest pals. Then again, everyone’s a selfish brat in high school, and kids all have their own problems to deal with; why worry about anyone else’s? ;-)
“The loneliness she feels was so very explicitly explained in the way you had Clark observing her. Amazing writing, Dee! I know you plan to have some redemption for them; your imagination will certainly bring them there… at this point, especially with Chloe’s fear and mistrust, I can only think that Clark turning himself in will be the only thing to save Chloe from herself.”
It may come to that, (i.e. Clark turning himself in), but the outcome may be different from what you’d expect. Again, I can only plead with you for patience and beseech you to stay tuned. ;-)
“And she needs to get help… maybe Martha can convince her of that?”
She’ll get help/counselling, but from a very unexpected source. And no, it isn’t Lex. :-P
btw, THANK YOU AGAIN, for all these intense updates! Especially this bonus chapter, you are just too good to your readers!”
And y’all are al fantastically good to me as well, with all your brilliant and frequent reviews. It really does keep the Muses at work, so don’t ever stop!!! :-D
Awesome review, Mari. Thanks so much!!! *huggles*
no subject
Date: 2011-09-08 11:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 03:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-08 11:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 04:01 pm (UTC)Glad you like it, hun! :-)
no subject
Date: 2011-09-08 07:41 pm (UTC)I'm speechless, you're just that good Dee *applause*
cuddles you..:)))))))
no subject
Date: 2011-09-15 04:01 pm (UTC)*cuddles bacl* :-D