[Milliways, OOM]

[torch_reporter]

As it turned out, Dr Knox had an appointment much sooner than Chloe expected. Today, in fact. Today she would go and be cured from those horrible meteor rocks. No more healing and no more dying. After today, Chloe Sullivan would be normal again

Comments

[shortofcrazy]

When Riley Poole orders a bowl of Wheaties, he receives a letter.

"That's ... funny," he tells Bar, brandishing the letter, "this doesn't look like the breakfast of champions. In fact," he's opening it, "it looks like a bunch of paper with scratch--"

He spots the handwriting.

"--marks."

His face grows graver and graver, a touch pale, as he reads. He's holding it tightly enough that the edges of the paper crinkle in his hands.

Upon finishing, he stares at the name at the end for a long, long moment. Then he pulls his glasses off his nose, puts them on the bar, and stands up.

Riley really doesn't want to do this.

He bellows:

"Clark! Clark Kent!"It's a relatively quiet morning. Pretty much every single person in the bar turns to stare, several clearly recognizing Clark's name; the woman -- built like a tank -- sitting at the next table has a finger in her ear and is glaring at him. Riley doesn't shrink back. (Point of fact: he pretends he doesn't notice her. Subtle yet important distinction

[hero_farmboy]

Clark isn't currently in the bar proper. He's upstairs, having taken a bit of a break from life at home. Lana, Kara and J'onn all in the same place is stressful. And Chloe... well, that's another thing entirely and he's still not thrilled about it. At all.

Put all that together and Clark's not really listening to what's going on around him. He's here to get away, after all. However, there are certain things - voices, heartbeats, words - that get through no matter what. His own name is one of them.

It doesn't take him long to recognize who it is, either.

"Riley? What's wrong?" Because, yes, he is standing right behind you now, Mr. Poole.

[shortofcrazy]

Riley hasn't spoken to Clark in close to a year; the last time was well before -- well. And since then, he hasn't exactly been dying to seek the guy out.

(Besides the couple of times when he wanted nothing more than to open the door to Milliways, storm in, and punch Clark Kent in that damn square jaw. Irrational, yes, would-be-useless, yes. It wouldn't have accomplished anything. Riley would have been far more likely to tickle Clark or break his hand than to actually hurt him. Maybe the door knew this, when it stubbornly didn't open, and the worst of the urge passed.

Eventually.)

Riley wheels around, his shoulders stuff. "Hey," he says, short and clipped. "So I just got something that basically sounds like a suicide note. What the hell," he's gesturing with the letter held tightly in one hand, Chloe's handwriting covering one side, "is going on?"

[hero_farmboy]

Clark hasn't been eager to bother Riley, either. If only because he's had no idea how to deal with the situation. But Riley called him, so this must be something important and...

"...suicide note? What do you mean suicide note?" That was so not in the plan Chloe told him.

[shortofcrazy]

Privacy be damned; Riley hands him the letter.

There's something distressingly final about it; that's what he's picking up on.

[hero_farmboy]

Clark takes the letter gingerly, giving Riley a brief, worried glance before he starts to read.

It's possible the part of the letter that disturbs Clark is completely different than what Riley's concerned about.

"Wait a minute, this says 'tonight'. When did she write this?"

[shortofcrazy]

He throws up his hands. "I don't know! Bar just gave it to me when I asked for cereal."

He is thinking, though. He says, at first more to himself and his shoes than to Clark, "When was I last--" He looks at Clark. "I was here two days ago; it had to have been since then."

[hero_farmboy]

"It wasn't supposed to be until next week," Clark says angrily, staring at the letter again. And it's more to himself than it is to Riley.

"I have to go keep an eye on her, if I'm not too late."

[shortofcrazy]

"Too late for what?" Riley says, and he has the helpless, inescapable feeling of being completely and utterly clueless. " 'Next wee'-- Is Chloe okay?"

[hero_farmboy]

"She's--" Clark doesn't know what to say, how to answer that. Does he think Chloe's okay? No. And Chloe doesn't either, but she thinks she will be. Clark isn't so sure on that one.

He also doesn't know how much Chloe wants Riley to know about this. From the letter, it's not everything.

"I'm going to make sure she is." That, at least, he can do, whether she remembers him or not.

[shortofcrazy]

There's a lot of stuff Riley could say; things he could demand to know.

In the end, all he says is, "Take care of her," his expression uncharacteristically even (with frustration and with worry).

[hero_farmboy]

"I will." Clark hands the letter back to Riley and then gives him a nod, before disappearing. This time, it's back to Smallville.

[shortofcrazy]

Riley opens his mouth to ask another question -- but Clark's gone.

"Y'know what?" he says to the Bar, after a long moment of watching the door. "Forget the Wheaties." He shrugs on his jacket, shoves his hands in his pockets, and heads for the door.

But not before giving the letter one last hesitant glance, folding it, and slipping it into his back pocket.