When next she woke, her body still hurt, but her mind was clear. She sat up and moved her legs over the side of the bed, connecting her gaze to Lex Luthor.
“Is Zara okay?”
Lex nodded from his position in an arm chair.
“She'll live,” he told her succinctly.
“I'm... sorry I hurt her.”
“But not him?”
She winced, remembering.
“I am sorry about that too.”
“They seem to be well enough. Not angry.”
“I didn't expect they would be. I'm surprised to see you here. Never thought of you as the florence nightingale type.”
“I'm not afraid of you,” Lex told her. “Others are.”
“So you volunteered to keep me from doing something stupid?”
“I insisted.”
The tone in his voice told her that Lex would have snapped her neck if need be.
“I bet the others were thrilled.”
“I didn't take no for an answer. Four people in particular – and I use the word people loosely – are worried. Maybe you can go alleviate their fears that I've done terrible things to you while you slept.”
LL shuddered in distaste.
“You don't worry about what you say to me,” she mused.
“Why should I? You've been hurt? Like everyone else here. Why give you special treatment?"
She nodded appreciating his manner. Too much sympathy or concern might make it hard for her to face the others. His cold logical assessment of things was oddly comforting.
“Where are they?”
“Outside in the outer room. You're in their quarters.”
“Ah...yes,” she remembered that she had collapsed while here. She smiled briefly thinking of Clark's offer to cook for her.
“Let's go reassure your protectors of your recovery.”
“Then you can tell me what's been going on. I know you haven't been waiting for my recovery to proceed."
“No. I assumed your role. Kal-El was … “ he smiled grimly. “He didn't wish to be disloyal to you, but I told him he was letting his guilt prevent him from doing the right thing. “
She nodded feeling unwanted sympathy for Kal-El.
“And the Clarks and Loises?”
"They aren't going to stop me, but they were vigilant. I don't blame them. Anyway, we have a list of names. Let's go."
“I need … a shower,” she said, wanting to get the grime of being ill washed from her skin.
“Yes. You do.”
She nodded and opened the door. The others were standing and talking, including Kal-El, and they stopped expectantly, their demeanors carefully amiable.
“Where's Zara?”
“Well – she didn't feel she should be here,” Lois answered. “We can ask her to come.”
LL nodded, aware that she was desperately in need of a wash.
“Let me go shower,” she told her double. “Even I can't stand being around me, and I don't have heightened senses. I'm surprised the lot of you can still stand,” she addressed the Kryptonians.
All but Kal and Lex chuckled dutifully at her remark.
“I assure you,” Kal responded uncomfortably. “Your current state is not off putting. I am relieved that you are finally well.”
“It's a joke,” she told him, her tone careful.
He nodded, aware that he didn't understand their humor.
“Okay.”
“I apologize for hurting you earlier.”
“I accept your unnecessary apology.”
She smiled – a small, tense and fleeting expression, but it transformed her momentarily and Kal-El tried to act unaffected. He hoped she didn't pick up on the way her brief smile drew his soul to hers.
