章 7: Chapter 7
Several weeks passed as my plans continued to take shape. For the moment, I had expanded my network of affiliated farms, with half of Smallville's producers now part of the cooperative.
As for the catering project, it was booming thanks to Lex's contacts and the quality of my products. We managed to stand out in Metropolis. For now, I haven't expanded the team much—well, except for one person: Jody.
Having her join the team was fantastic. The work that used to take hours was now cut in half. Plus, having her handle the kitchen allowed me to meet more people at cocktail parties, take walks with Chloe and Lana, and make up for the weekends I'd been spending working instead of taking the girls out.
Right now, I was finishing packing up after an event and loading everything into the truck.
"Clark, another excellent job as always," Lex said as he approached the truck.
"Look who's here. I thought you'd been kidnapped since you haven't shown up for dinner with my parents in weeks."
"No, nothing like that. I just took a trip with an old friend of mine. Maybe you'll meet her next time she's in Smallville."
"Great! I'll tell Mom to go and intimidate the girl. You know, motherly duty."
"Haha, that won't be necessary; it's nothing formal. But, changing the subject, I think I've finally found someone for our side project…"
I was about to ask more about who it could be, but at that moment, Jody came running up, interrupting our conversation.
"Hey, Clark. Mr. Luthor," she greeted before continuing, "You know, Clark, I really enjoyed today. It's amazing working with you guys. Plus, it was nice earning some extra money, you know? Gotta save for college and all that."
"I'm really happy you worked with us these past few weeks, Jody," I replied.
At that moment, all the girls, led by Chloe, approached Jody. And although their body language was friendly, I couldn't help but notice how Jody pulled her jacket a little tighter around her as she saw all the cheerleaders approaching in their tight dresses.
"Jody, the girls and I have a gift for you. As you know, the tips the girls get are way too much, so we all chipped in a little so you can have some of the tips too," Chloe said, handing her an envelope with money.
"But you didn't have to."
"Come on… You're part of the team; without you, we'd just be running around with drinks."
"Thanks, girls," she said as they hugged in a group.
"Seems like a great work environment," Lex said, watching the girls embrace.
"By the way, Clark, Neil came to see me. He wants me to lend my house for Lana's birthday party."
"Hmm, I still haven't gotten an invite. I'm starting to think Neil hates me a little."
"Come on, Clark. You're trying to drag his only niece into a polyamorous relationship. Of course, he holds a grudge. Besides, I'm sure your dad's previous relationship with him has something to do with it…"
"I've always been amazed at how I've had to suffer prejudice just for being my father's son. It's strange to see you getting the same treatment now," Lex joked.
"But putting that aside, I don't think I can keep lending out the mansion for every event and tasting for every business you come up with, my friend. So, I think it's time for you to find another place to set up your office—one that isn't your barn or my house."
"Oh, I can't believe it! My own brother is kicking me out of the house! Come on, Lex, I'm not even 21 yet, and you're already throwing me out. I'll tell my parents," I said, clutching my chest dramatically.
"Come on, Clark, it's not good for you to live in my shadow all the time. Besides, I think I've got an idea about what to do with your problem with Nell."
My life has been crazy lately: fighting mutants, starting businesses, studying mechanics, trying to move forward in my relationship with Chloe and Lana… but none of that compares to the madness of this weekend. Apparently, Lana's 18th birthday is a social event everyone in Smallville has been looking forward to. But that's only magnified when she and her group of friends have more money than they should for their part-time jobs. So all week, like a good boyfriend, I've been tagging along with Lana to deliver invitations, buy supplies, and pick out accessories. I also took advantage of the fact that I'd be giving all the girls the day off to refuse to cater the party myself. Neither Lana nor I wanted to spend the event worrying about food preparation and serving.
I stopped thinking about the party and all the unfinished tasks as I arrived at my destination after walking a few miles through the woods. I knocked on the wooden door as I watched a woman with dark hair run around with several papers in her hand.
"Good afternoon, Nell. How are you?" I asked.
"If you're looking for Lana, she's not home today. Apparently, she went with the girls to look at dresses for the party."
"I know, they hijacked my truck to go to Metropolis, but today I'm here to see you." She said
"Oh, and what business do you have with me? " Nell asked, still reading the papers she was holding.
"It's about Lana's gift."
"I'm sorry, I won't help you. But you know, jewelry, flowers, maybe a trip. I don't know, you figure it out.
"Haha, I was thinking of something more meaningful. I promise I won't take up much of your time."
"Alright, come in" Nell said, a little resigned.
It was Monday morning. My eye-catching group of friends and I were walking through the school garden. Well, what was really eye-catching was the fact that two girls were walking arm-in-arm with me, while Pete did everything possible to hide his discomfort. Just then, we heard a voice behind us.
"Hi, Pete."
"Jody, you... I mean, you're..."
"Slim" Jody said.
"Haha, that's one way to put it" Chloe interrupted.
"Well, it seems the diet worked, and with the extra money, I was able to update my wardrobe." While she talked, I couldn't help but notice Pete staring in awe at Jody.
"Wow, I mean, you look fantastic" I said, pushing Pete, snapping him out of his trance.
"Yes, yes, right" Pete replied.
"You know, just diet and exercise."
"Yeah, sure, diet and exercise" Lana replied with a slightly skeptical tone, while looking at me.
"By the way, Jody, I forgot to tell you, but Lex asked us to meet today after school. Apparently, we have a big event the same day as Lana's party, and we want to schedule the team to split. You know, I don't think I can miss that day" I said, after a quick glance with the girls.
—Ah, I... well, I was thinking... —she started stuttering while looking at Pete.
—Come on, Pete and you will be in charge. You're even coming with us this afternoon to see Lex —Chloe interrupted.
—That's excellent, Jody. We can cover for Clark and show you can handle the dinners —Pete said excitedly.
—Alright, Clark, see you after school —Jody replied, with a hint of disappointment in her tone.
—Wait, Jody, I'll walk with you. You know, we can start planning the menu or maybe hire more people —Pete started saying as they began to walk.
Once they were far enough away, Chloe couldn't hold back anymore and asked:
—Alright, Clark, what was all that about splitting the team? As far as I remember, you don't have anything planned for this weekend.
—I know, Chloe, it's an excuse. I'm really worried about Jody. There's no kind of diet that can make you look like that in less than a weekend.
—Nothing, except...
—You get it now, Chloe.
—Alright, how can we help? —Lana said.
"For now, nothing. If it's really just a coincidence, it's not worth making a fuss. So first, we need to find the source. Then, maybe convince Jody to get some tests done.
"Okay, Clark. I'll handle the source with Chloe. If it's meteor-related, it's not good for you to investigate. So, you take care of Jody's medical tests, and we'll deal with the source —Lana said.
"Alright, start with her house. You know, if you don't find anything, investigate if she recently underwent some new treatment.
"Greg..."Chloe whispered.
"Let's hope not" I replied as I walked away to make a call.
"Hey, Lex, we need to meet urgently.
"Sure, Clark. I'll see you at the mansion. Is there something I should know? Are you alright?
"Nothing to worry about. I just think we have another case, you know, not so urgent, but I need a doctor. One that's very discreet.
"Of course, discreet, like celebrity scandal level?" he asked.
"Yeah, and more, something like a teenage star pregnancy."
"Phew, I think I know someone. An old university acquaintance."
"Excellent. Have everything ready as soon as possible.
Lex's efficiency surprised me because right when we got out of class, I received a message saying everything was ready. The girls also informed me they had found the source. Apparently, Jody hadn't sold me her entire greenhouse crop and had been secretly consuming irradiated vegetables behind her father's back.
We arrived at Lex's mansion a few hours after school. There, we were greeted by a doctor, about 30 years old, not much older than Lex.
"Clark, what is all this? " Pete asked, looking at the medical equipment in Lex's living room.
"There's a problem, Pete… Jody, the truth is, there's no event next weekend, and the reason for all this equipment is because of you.
"I don't understand, Clark"she said.
"I can explain," Lex said as he entered the room. "You see, Jody, even though I've never believed in miracles, it seems your physical change is a miracle in itself. That, or there must be a reason for you to have lost so many sizes in just two days. Dr. Connors is here to figure out that question."
"I don't understand. I just lost weight, it was my effort. What's so strange about it? I want my dad now. Why did you bring me here?" Jody said, a bit scared and very angry.
"Come on, Jody, you know we're just worried. Our intention…"
"No, I don't care, Clark Kent. You tricked me. I won't take part in this," she said, ready to leave.
"Alright, Jody. You're free to go, I won't try to convince you. But it seems I'll need to contact your father to inform him that the CDC will be visiting him soon to investigate his greenhouses. Also, I'll have to let the producers of Smallville know that they probably won't be able to sell their products for a few years. You know, if the issue is in the soil and the authorities find out, they'll put the region at biological risk."
That made her stop in her tracks as she turned to look at Lex, as if planning his demise.
"Are you threatening her?" Pete asked, stepping forward aggressively.
"Come on, Pete, no need to get worked up. Like I said, it could be a miracle, in which case I'll apologize to Jody and you."
A few hours later, I was at the mansion while the doctor reviewed the data from the devices connected to Jody.
"So, Dr. Connors?" Lex asked.
"It's impressive, I must say. When you called me to urgently fly in from Metropolis Hospital for something interesting, I didn't think it would be something like this. It seems something in the girl's system is causing her body to reject the fats in her own body. It's like a toxin that burns and destroys the bonds. I don't know what it is yet, but it could be the discovery of the century—of course, if the dose is controlled. I must say, the girl was lucky. If the dose of the toxin had increased any more, her body would have entered a caloric deficit."
"Thank you, Dr. Connors. Now, how do we fix this?" I asked.
"Hmm, there are two paths. The first would be to eliminate all sources of toxins from her body with a blood transfusion, or we can wait for her own defenses to eliminate the toxins. Of course, we'd have to monitor her to ensure she doesn't consume it again."
"What do you think, Jody?" I said, realizing she had been awake during the entire conversation.
"I… Do you think you could leave me like this? You know, I promise I'll control the dose."
"I'm sorry, Jody, but I don't think I can do that," I responded.
"But…"
"I think you should do the transfusion, Jody. I've seen too many people who rely on a controlled or illegal substance. All it takes is one slip-up or a moment of weakness for everything to fall apart," Lex interrupted.
"But if you do it, I'll lose this. I don't want to gain weight again, living my life avoiding carbohydrates, fearing I'll go back to being 'Fat Jody.'"
"Regarding that, Miss, I don't think you should worry. From what I've heard about your family, they're all slim. And from your desperation, I can see you've really tried everything to lose weight. So, my best guess is it's a thyroid issue. Normally, with some medication and a liposuction, the problem is solved. And thanks to the toxin, we can skip the latter."
"But the doctors said I didn't have any problems."
"Damn doctors, they see an overweight teenager, and the first thing they think of is diet and exercise," Connors replied.
"Alright, do the transfusion," Jody said, crying uncontrollably.
After giving her a moment to compose herself, the four of us—Dr. Connors, Pete, Lex, and I—left the room.
"So, who's the volunteer? Given all the secrecy, I assume she doesn't want us to call her family," Lex said.
"Well, as you know, even though my blood type matches, due to my medical condition, I'd prefer not to donate blood. So, you can count me out," Lex said.
"I'm also out. I don't think I'm a candidate due to my fear of needles," I replied.
"I'll do it," Pete responded.
"Are you aware that there will be several sessions and that nothing guarantees you won't be affected, right, kid?"
"It doesn't matter. I'll do it for her," Pete said, straightening up instinctively.
Just as Pete put on his best 'super-committed' face, we couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, hero, we know you'd die for her and all that. But maybe you should just take her to Lana's birthday dance, or something less drastic," Lex replied.
"I... don't understand," Pete said.
"Come on, man, we were just joking. Do you really think a simple transfusion will fix her problem?" I said, still amused.
"..."
"You see, young man, we actually have to remove her blood and transfuse new blood at the same time, and that's a lot of liters of blood."
"Then what do we do? I don't think I can donate that much alone," Pete said, panicking again.
"Calm down, Pete. The advantage of being filthy rich is that you always have more than one place to buy blood without raising suspicion," I said, pointing at Lex.
"That makes me sound like a vampire," Lex said.
"Well, if you think about it, you live in a secluded castle, and you're bald enough to be Nosferatu's stunt double," I replied.
"And let's not forget his preference for younger women," Dr. Connors added.
"Come on, man, that wasn't funny. I don't have those kinds of tastes," Lex responded.
Aquí tienes la traducción al inglés del texto proporcionado:
"Why don't you go back to the patient? I'm sure she would appreciate your company," Connors said, interrupting the jokes.
We waited for Pete to walk away and reenter the room with Jody.
"Alright, Doc, now tell us what we're really going to do."
"Nothing gets past you, huh? The truth is, it's going to be more complicated than that. A case like this is new to me. The transfusions and treatment will certainly help, but beyond that, I can only speculate. I'm not an expert on the subject. However, if it were up to me, I'd recommend admitting her for a while. Her body still has a large amount of toxins, and unless we force her to eliminate all the fat in her body, I don't think there's anything we can do to make her recover quickly."
"Alright, Connors, don't worry about that. We'll start with the transfusions and take it step by step."
After saying goodbye to the doctor, who returned to monitor the data, we retreated to Lex's study to have a drink.
"Was it necessary, Lex?" I asked as I sat across from him.
"What are you talking about, Clark?"
"You know, the whole CDC threat and all that. You know Pete and Jody will hold a grudge against you."
"Come on, Clark. You, of all people, should understand that there are unpleasant things that need to be done, even if we don't want to. Besides, I thought you'd convince her on the way, not right after seeing the medical equipment."
"That's your fault. I didn't think you'd put all that in her main room. I thought it would be in the basement and that I could talk to them once they arrived."
"Well, when you only give me six hours to get the equipment, don't expect me to hide it in my evil lair."
"You're right, sorry about that. But I could've convinced her. I know she was just angry."
"That's a risk I'm not willing to take, my friend. As I told you, there's too much involved in this, and it directly affects you. For example, Jody's father just passed the inspections to become an organic producer. I'm also sure he spent more than he should have expanding his greenhouses. And he's not the only one—all the producers who joined your cooperative are taking similar actions. You know how bad it would be if a contamination scandal broke out right now, especially one that even the certifiers couldn't detect."
"I get it, my friend, but…"
"No, Clark, I don't care if I have to be the bad guy or become a villain to others. It's all for family, just as you showed me that you have no problem getting your hands dirty either."
"Damn it, Lex. At this rate, we'll end up taking over the White House just to see who covers for the other more."
"All for family, Clark."
"All for family," I replied.
________________________________
Hello everyone! A short and somewhat slow chapter to get back into the plot. I got delayed a few hours because the original chapter included other storylines, but in the end, it almost had 10,000 words xD, so I had to separate the dates, events, and plots to avoid cluttering.
We'll talk about my struggles another time.
I have two questions: first, would you prefer a long weekly chapter of 4000 words or shorter chapters of 1200-1500 words? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Second, I'm thinking about creating a Patreon, but I'm not sure yet. I don't have enough chapters saved up, and I don't want to make 10 chapters of 800 words just to have volume. But let me know what you think—would anyone be willing to support me even if it's just for one chapter ahead?
It's good to be back; thank you for reading! Let's revive this fic!
Lastly, I also created a Ko-fi in case anyone wants to buy me a coffee—5 coffees, one extra chapter! XD
https://ko-fi.com/d_vera
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