Cherry Wine {lex luthor}

chapter four

When I awoke, it was not to the sound of heart monitors, or the tightening of a pressure cuff around my arm. It was instead to a cool, sweet breeze across my face, and gentle sunlight filtering through sheer curtains.  The window in the corner of the room was cracked open, letting in the morning air, fresh and clean.The room was lit up from the golden light, and for a moment, I sat and basked in the silence. Silence and privacy were luxuries I hadn't been afforded in weeks. There were no nurses stopping by to check my vitals, no journalists standing outside the ward, begging for an interview, and most disconcerting of all, no Lex hovering by my bedside.

For three weeks I had woken up to his concerned gaze, his strangely mercurial eyes boring into mine. It seemed to me like he never ate and rarely slept-he was at my side, day and night.

And now I was alone-albeit in his apartment, and the silence, however intoxicating, was slowly becoming suffocating.

I lifted myself slowly out of bed, wrapping a thick cardigan over my shoulders. I cringed when my leg took on my weight, and gritted my teeth against the pain. Below the hem of my silky shorts, the wound pulsed angry red lines from under the white bandages. It was hot and tender to the touch, but the swelling had gone down. It would leave an ugly scar, a jagged line that crossed my entire thigh-but compared to some of the other injuries I had seen...I shuddered, and pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

When I opened my door, and stepped out onto the balcony, soft music filtered up from kitchen. I could hear Lex's soft footsteps as he paced around. He was on the phone-the cadence of his words said as much, even if I couldn't hear what he was saying. I edged down the stairs, trying to catch at least part of his conversation.

"...well then tell them to hurry. It's been nearly a month. Surely there's some evidence that can hold him accountable?" He was saying, drumming his fingertips on the marble countertop. "I don't care, George. Get it done." He dropped his phone, and rested his head in his hands, sighing.

"Good morning." I ventured timidly from the base of the stairs. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Lex snapped his head up, and smiled tiredly. There were bags under his eyes, and his hair looked as though he'd been running his hands through it obsessively.

"Good morning." He said. "How are you feeling today?"

I limped over to a barstool, and sat heavily. The large window was clear again, the vista beyond it breathtaking.

"Tired." I said. "And my leg hurts. But otherwise, I'm alright. I could be worse."

Lex had turned his back to me, and was rummaging in a drawer. "I have the painkillers the doctor prescribed in here." He said, his back still to me. "He said they might make you a little..." He trailed off.

"High?" I asked innocently.

Lex turned to look at me, his fiery look burning me up.

"And what would you know about that sort of thing?" His tone was stern. I giggled, and played with the cuffs of my cardigan.

"Not as much as you, I'm sure." I batted my eyelashes. Lex placed two white pills in front of me, along with a glass of water.

"Watch yourself, darling." Lex said, and placed the orange prescription bottle in his pocket. "I don't much like sass."

I placed the pills in my mouth, and swallowed them, gagging slightly at the bitter taste. They left a powdery film over my fingers, and I brushed it off on my leg.

"What were those?" I asked, suddenly aware of the risk I'd just taken. "Can I see the bottle?"

Lex patted his pocket, and shook his head. "They're codeine. And..." He closed his eyes, and I watched him closely. "I'm sorry, Ruth. But the doctors..." He trailed off, watching me. I narrowed my eyes at him, confused.