Cherry Wine {lex luthor}

chapter nine

There is nothing quite like being held by someone know will do anything for you-you're lucky if you experience more than once in a lifetime. For the longest time, I knew that there were two people to whom I was the whole world, two people who gave me anything and everything I could ask for, who taught me who I was and how to become who I wanted to be. With their death, I should have lost all of that-that knowledge that no matter what, there was someone on my side.

But I didn't. I was devastated, but my foundation was strong, and now there was someone new helping me rebuild. Someone, who, if I hadn't known better, would have scared me to no ends with their power and utter determination. Someone who had sacrificed weeks of his time and thousands of dollars from his own pocket to nurse me back to health.

Someone who I had just kissed.

Someone who was currently holding me so tightly that our heartbeats had synced. I knew in that instant that there was no one on earth who cared about me more than this man. I didn't want to leave that safe, comforting moment, but his arms tightened fractionally around my chest, and I found myself unable to draw a breath.

"Lex." I finally wheezed. "I can't breathe."

He startled, and let me go. I wriggled away from him, and stood up, stretching my cramped spine. I was still in my pajamas, even though it was gone four in the evening. I knew at some point I would have to shower and change, but a part of me never wanted to leave this study.

Lex took my hands, and drew my in, so I was standing between his legs. "You haven't eaten yet today."

It was more of a statement than a question, but I nodded anyways. Lex shook his head slightly.

"You need to eat, Ruth, or you won't heal." He said. "Come down to the kitchen, and we'll find you something." He rose in one fluid motion, resting his hand on my lower back. "But first, get dressed. There are men working for me, and I don't want them to get used to seeing you in this state."

I arched an eyebrow at the assumption that he could dictate what I wore, but I realized quickly that I wouldn't feel comfortable being seen by anyone else in my state of undress, anyways.

"Can you change the bandage on my leg?" I asked, as we approached my hallway. "The tape is getting unsticky and it's bothering me."

Lex laughed a little, and held my bedroom door open for me.

"I'm not sure that 'unsticky' is a word, my dear." He said. "But I can change it. Is there gauze in your bathroom, or shall we go to mine?"

"Yours has the good stuff." I said, and followed him back out of my room.

We repeated the scene from the night before; me on his counter, with him rifling under the sink for rubbing alcohol and medical tape. We had yet to remove the old bandage, and I was nervous to see what would lay underneath. It had been stitched, and I knew at some point they would dissolve, or be taken out, but beyond that, the healing process was a mystery to me.

Lex finally resurfaced, juggling several boxes. He set them down, and then took my hand in his.

"You don't have to look." He said, and then ripped the bandage off. I shrieked, and gripped his hand, but the pain subsided quickly.

I looked down, and nearly vomited.

My leg was shades of purple and green, swollen, with deep red lines emanating from the exit wound.

"Is it infected?" I asked. Lex shook his head, and ripped open the box of sterile strips.

"It's healing just fine for a wound as deep as it is. I'm actually surprised at how much you can walk. I expected you to be a wheelchair for a least another month."