Cherry Wine {lex luthor}

chapter two

"Sweet, and right, and merciful, I'm all but washed in the tide of her breathing"

I was released into Lex's custody the following week. I had been in hospital for nearly three weeks at that point-although I was comatose for the first ten days. It was long enough for my leg to have begun healing, long enough to determine that there was no infection, despite how angry and red the skin may look. I'm lucky. The bar that went through me was rusty and old. If it had grazed my bone, I would have had to have my leg amputated.

The nurses are reluctant to release me into the custody of someone I barely know, but there are thousands of people who need medical care more than I do, and Lex is quick to point out that he has enough doctors on his research and development team to provide round-the-clock care should I need it.

It frightened me that I couldn't remember any of that day. Whenever I had a quiet moment, I combed my memories, my brains, trying to bring up something, anything. I wanted to have the memory of my parent's final moments. I wanted to know exactly what had happened. No one would tell me who instigated the fight, who caused so much carnage. Lex demanded total silence on this subject from every doctor and nurse who helped me, for reasons unknown to me. I didn't have the energy or brainpower to argue with him.

The nurses brought up a wheelchair to help me down to the waiting car. My leg was still too weak to walk long distances without collapsing. The muscles had been severely torn, and it would take weeks of occupational therapy to be able to walk properly again.

The pediatric ward all gathered to wave us goodbye, and I smiled weakly and waved as the elevator door closed behind us.

"So." Lex said from behind me. "I'm taking you to my building. My actual offices and labs are all on the bottom floors, and I live above them. It's so much easier than commuting every day."

I stifled a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand.

"What?" Lex demanded, bending over to look at me. "What?!"

"Nothing." I laughed again. "Just the idea of you having to take the train into work everyday like every other person in Metropolis. I can imagine the headlines."

"Darling, I wouldn't take the train. There's much faster forms of travel available to someone like me."

"Someone rich, you mean." I giggled quietly.

Lex straightened again as the elevator door opened. A man in glasses stepped in, holding a laptop bag with the Daily Planet crest emblazoned on it. He smiled at me, and nodded at Lex stiffly.

"Mr. Luthor."

"Clark Kent." Lex's voice rose in pitch-a sign he was upset, I had learned. "The Daily Planet covering how many lives were destroyed in the fight, hm?"

The man adjusted his glasses, and shook his head.

"Just trying to right some wrongs." He said, and turned towards the opening door. We were on the ground level of the hospital.

What had once been an airy, beautiful foyer was now filled with cots. Doctors and nurses wound their way through, attaching IV's, and bandaging wounds. I closed my eyes as we wove our way through, trying to block out the moans of the dying.

We made it out the doors, and into a waiting town car. Lex all but lifted me into the passenger seat, and the slid behind the wheel. The car was sleek, black leather and silver detailing. The windows were deeply tinted, to protect from cameras, I suspected.

"I would have choppered you over, but the traffic in the sky is a lot worse than the traffic on the ground." He said, gesturing skywards.

Sure enough, helicopters whirred around the downtown core-news and medics alike. I bit my lip, and looked down. I still had no idea what had happened-and now I wasn't sure I wanted to. If three weeks later, there were still medical teams over the disaster site... I didn't want to think about it.