Lex told him it was six weeks, since the beginning of the last assignment to Washington.

He listened, because there wasn't anywhere else to go, and Lex was there, and sometimes, Clark couldn't tune out his voice, even through the door. It was business as usual, except that Clark had a cold and was resting in another room, not up to public appeareances or intrepid reporters. Chloe was conspicuously absent, but Lois was there at every press conference, one hand bandaged beneath the smooth leather of her gloves.

Lex said it was just sex, that mistake, in their bed, the only safe room in the world.

Lex said, it didn't mean anything, but that tells Clark it meant everything.

He thinks, now, that his cold got worse then.