Poison
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
“I’m sorry Mr. Luthor, but you called me here for this?”
“When project leaders tender their resignations on the cusp of an important breakthrough, I consider that a serious matter, doctor.” Lex eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t you?”
“Mr. Luthor, you and I have not agreed on one aspect of this project since the beginning. Let’s simply call it a conflict of interests. I’m sure you’ll find someone just as capable to head your project. But as of now, I’ve resigned.”
Lex’s cell phone rang and he answered it, listening intently. “Don’t do anything. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He closed his phone turning toward the doctor. “You may want to hold off on that resignation, Dr. McClellan. There’s someone I’d like you to meet. A new test subject. That’s if he’s still alive when we get there.”
* * * * *
Chloe had given up calling for Clark, given up trying to get out of the closet, and slumped back down to the floor defeated, when suddenly the sound of twisting metal caused her to lift her head. In seconds, Clark’s form was visible to her, as he pulled the door from its hinges. Chloe blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light. “Clark!” She rose up, hugging him briefly. “Your powers are back!”
He nodded. “Full force. Are you okay Chloe? Where’s Oliver? And why are you in a closet?”
“Oliver locked me in it.” At Clark’s horrified expression, she added quickly. “He didn’t hurt me, Clark.” She didn’t want to explain further about what had transpired between them, and moved on. “There’s no time. We have to get to him. He’s on his way to see Lex. I’m afraid he’s going to do something. He didn’t look well either. I think the drug may be wearing off.”
Soon Bart appeared. “Are you okay, Chloelicious?”
“I’m okay, thanks Bart,” she placed her hand on his arm, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “We need to get to Oliver, now.”
* * * * *
Clark sped with Chloe in his arms toward Luthor mansion, but stopped short along the highway. Bart was already nearby, hidden behind a tree, close enough to see, but far enough away from the accident.
“Oh my God.”
Even in the darkness, Chloe could see that Lex Luthor was exiting his limo with another man, and crossing the darkened highway toward two other men on the opposite side. With flashlight beams pointing downward into a ditch along the roadside, the men were discussing something.
Bart zoomed out of sight, then was back, his face contorted with worry and fear. “It’s Ollie. He’s down there in the ditch. His bike is farther up. He crashed. And that damned Dr. McClellan. We shouldn’t have trusted him. He’s there with Lex. We gotta get him outta there, Clark before they try to move him. He’s banged up bad.”
Their attention was diverted by the men’s rising voices, as though an argument was ensuing. Clark used his superhearing to listen in.
“You can’t move that man! He may have internal injuries. We need to call the paramedics immediately. He needs to be stabilized. He needs medical attention now. He’s not one of your test subjects, Mr. Luthor.”
“Put your cell phone away doctor. That’s right. I’ll shoot you if I have to. But, the Green Arrow will be moved to one of my facilities. He broke into Cadmus last night and was infected with the drug you developed. And as soon as we pull him out of that ditch, I’m going to find out exactly who he is.”
“You can’t threaten me Mr. Luthor. This man may die, and I’ll…!”
“You’ll what? You’ll do as I ask. Or have you forgotten our deal? Must be difficult raising two little girls on your own, while your wife lies in a hospital, comatose. I know you’ve not forgotten about your other research that I happen to be funding?”
Clark turned back to Chloe. “I don’t think we have to worry about Dr. McClellan. I think he was on the level with you two, earlier. Lex has him bound up in some kind of deal. But we need to get Oliver out of there, now before they try to move him.”
“We’ll create some kind of diversion,” Bart said and then was gone. Soon he was leaning casually on the opened driver’s side door of Lex’s limo, the driver tossed from his seat and on the ground on the opposite side, disoriented. “Hey! Old guys! Over here!” Bart shouted, waving to them. “Nice limo, Mr. Baldy, can I take it for a test drive?” Three flashlight beams were directed at him simultaneously. But he’d already entered the limo and began driving away. Lex wasn’t buying it; he knew this must be some kind of diversion tactic. But while his back was turned, Clark had carefully removed Oliver from the ditch. Bart stopped the car, sticking his head out of the window. “Looking for someone? I’ve got him right here.”
Lex turned back, flashlight moving over the now empty space, finding the ditch void of the Green Arrow. Bart waited for them to chase him, and when they did, he took off again, stopping once more till they closed the distance. Bart even allowed one of them touch a door handle, before he gunned it once again. He chuckled. “Man, I can’t believe you guys are this lame!” Lex grew tired of playing cat and mouse, and turned around, walking the distance back toward Dr. McClellan and the other car.
As soon as Bart had called to the men, Clark spoke quickly. “I’m going to get Dr. McClellan to come with us, try to get to the other car. I’ll have the keys, and I’ll get Ollie to a safe place, then we can figure out what to do,” he said, and Chloe watched as he zoomed toward the accident site, talking to the doctor, disappearing once more. In the blink of an eye, Clark was back, handing something to him. Clark then retrieved Oliver from where he’d hidden him, and was gone.
Chloe trotted as stealthily as she could through the darkness toward the first black vehicle. Once there, she noticed it was unoccupied. And she also saw the approaching figures of Lex Luthor and his two henchmen. “Damn!” The doors were locked, and Lex was getting closer, she’d need to hide somewhere, but where?
“Quickly. You’ll need these.” Chloe turned, startled to find Dr. McClellan nearby holding up a set of keys. He unlocked the doors. “Get in. I told your friend where to take him. I know the way.”
Chloe rounded the vehicle and entered the passenger side, as the doctor started the car and then pulled away.
Lex watched in disbelief as the second vehicle zoomed past him.
“Hey!”
Lex and his guards turned toward the voice near the limo where it had stopped.
“Thanks for letting me take her for a spin. Brake’s are a little mushy, and she pulls to the right, so you may want to get that alignment checked. See ya.” Bart saluted him, and then vanished, taking the keys with him.
“Get to that limo now. Follow them!”
* * * * *
As they drove, the doctor pulled out his cell phone and spoke to someone, Chloe assumed it to be an assistant, advising the person that they were receiving an important patient and that the utmost confidentiality was to be kept. He then closed his phone. “Your friends are already there,” he said, in surprise and disbelief.
“Where are we going?”
“My family runs a small emergency clinic not far from my home. I realize that your injured friend may need to be transported to a major hospital, but we can stabilize him at least, and we do have the equipment and capabilities there to diagnose and possibly treat his injuries. However if major surgery is required, he will have to be moved.” He turned to her briefly before returning his eyes to the road. “And since secrecy seems to be the order of the day, I thought it best to bring him there first. But realize Ms. Sullivan, your friend’s life is at stake, and we may not be able to help him. All this moving him from place to place is a waste of precious minutes. I hope his secret is worth risking his life over.” He paused once more. “And, it may not be long before Mr. Luthor discovers where we’ve taken him.”
Chloe bit her lip. No. She didn’t think The Green Arrow’s secret was worth his life. She’d have to get to Oliver soon. She didn’t care if Dr. McClellan discovered her ability. She wanted Oliver alive and well.
Soon they’d pulled into a parking lot behind the clinic, exiting the vehicle. The doctor led Chloe to a rear entrance, and through a corridor. When they’d entered the room, all of her boys were there, all wearing grim expressions. Oliver was in a hospital bed, hooked up to IV’s. Gone were the green leathers, the dark glasses. Chloe gasped at his appearance, her hand covering her mouth in shock. He was horribly bruised and battered.
The doctor turned to her in surprise. “Ms. Sullivan. This man is Oliver Queen.”
“Now you understand the need for secrecy, Dr. McClellan.” Victor said.
All the eyes in the room were on him, wary.
Clark approached him, taking the doctor outside the room, and speaking quietly with him. Chloe wanted to rush to Oliver’s side, but she’d wait until Clark and the doctor returned. Soon they entered and everyone waited expectantly.
The doctor addressed them. “You have my word that no one here will know Mr. Queen’s identity. Now, I need to examine him and run some tests, if you’ll excuse me.”
They all filed out of the room. Chloe, the most anxious of than any of them. She needed to go to him, to heal him, and unable to remain still for any length of time, she headed back for the room. Clark stayed her. “Not yet, Chloe,” he spoke quietly in her ear. “He’s stable right now, we’ll wait. I promise you’ll get to him.” She nodded, fighting back tears. She was tired, and worn, and her heart was breaking, and she needed to do something, anything. Clark wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, and led her back to a chair.
An hour later the doctor finally emerged, everyone crowding around him. “It doesn’t look good,” he began. “Preliminary EKG shows he’s suffered heart damage. Other than that, he’s a lucky man, since there appears to be no broken bones or internal bleeding. But we need to get him to a major hospital for a CAT scan, an MRI and other tests that I can’t perform here. I don’t know how much of the drug is still in his system, probably minimal, but I think for now, he’s safe here for awhile until we can move him to a cardiac care unit, which I’d like to do as soon as possible.” Dr. McClellan checked his watch. “It’s late, and I need to get home to check on my children, but I’ll be back. My sister is the head nurse here, she’s agreed to stay. Mr. Queen is sedated and should be out for some time. Your all welcome to stay as long as you’d like, I should be back in a few hours and then we’ll discuss which hospital you’d like him to be moved to.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
He shook his head. “I admit I’m not happy about keeping him here. Not because I don’t want to help, but he’s still in danger Ms. Sullivan. In any event, you’re welcome.”
The doctor stepped away, and Chloe waited until he’d left the clinic before she went into Oliver’s room. Clark and the others followed her. She gazed at Oliver’s sleeping form for a few moments, then turned to her friends.
“He’ll need some clothes. Someone take his Green Arrow suit back to the penthouse.” There was both fear and determination in her voice. She looked up at Clark. “Bring me back to the penthouse when I’m done, I don’t know how long I’ll be out.” She glanced back down at Oliver. “He may not come to right away if they’re giving him a sedative.”
“Don’t worry Chloe. We’ll take care of it.”
Chloe swallowed nervously, casting a glance at each of them. Everyone had known of her ability, but this would be the first time they’d ever witness it.
She rounded the bed, moving closer to Oliver’s side. She gazed at him, her eyes caressing his face lovingly, then leaned over him, placing one hand to his cheek, and the other over his chest. She closed her eyes. Glowing light soon emanated from her hands and filled the room.
“Holy shit,” Bart said, awestruck. It was the last thing Chloe heard, before she collapsed and fell into Clark's waiting arms.
End Chapter 7
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