Reconstruction - Epilogue
Epilogue
The next month Reid was attentive, polite to Luke’s mother, did everything that Luke asked without complaint. And it was freaking Luke out. Reid had brought home take-out from Al’s and they were eating dinner. Reid never once reached across the table to take one of Luke’s fries and this was enough for Luke.
“Reid, what’s up with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re home well before me. You’re bending over backwards to do things that I want. You even agreed to spend the day at my mom’s,”
“Isn’t this what we argued you about the night you left? Are you complaining now?”
“STOP! What changed that night? Why did you come to me, desperate. You told me that you couldn’t live without me,”
“Again you’re complaining? I would have thought you’re sentimental heart would have loved that,”
“So you just said it to end a fight,”
“No,”
“Then what? To get into my bed?”
“No! I would never do that to you!”
“Then why? Why are you acting like this?”
“Because you died, all right!” Reid shouted. His heart sunk as soon as the words left his mouth. He had promised himself that he wasn’t going to tell him, to tell anyone. He could see confusion spread across Luke’s face.
“What?”
“I don’t know if it was a dream or what. I mean it had to be dream…”
“Reid, you’re babbling.”
“I know. That night. That night you moved out, when I went to bed, I woke up it was five years ago.”
“Huh?”
“Noah was still blind. The neuro wing was in the planning stage. You still hated me. I was given a choice,”
“That I would die?” Luke asked in horror.
“No. I’m not doing this right. I was given a choice, either do everything the same or change it,”
“What did you choose?”
“That we never got together,” he answered Luke in a worried voice.
“What?!” Luke exclaimed. He felt sick to his stomach. Did Reid really not to be with him? He chose to not be with him at all. He needed to get out of here. “I have to go,” Luke stood, but Reid quickly stepped in his way.
“Luke! No! Wait. Please. Sit down and I’ll explain,” Reid begged Luke and saw him thinking about it. “Please,”
“All right. I would love to hear this,” Luke sat back down on the couch and Reid sat next to him.
Reid turned to face him and tried to calm his racing heart. He wanted to do this, he needed to do this. Reid told him everything. About him and Noah. About Chris getting sick and needing a heart and how he went to get it. About the crash and Luke being brought into the ER. He told Luke about having to operate on him and not being good enough to save him. He even told him about the second choice he was given; about choosing to have their life erased from him memory and how he couldn’t do it. Reid had tears going down his face when he got to the end. Luke wanted to comfort Reid, but he needed to know one more thing first. When he finally found his voice, he asked.
“Why did you decide to not pursue anything with me?”
“Because, I remembered how much I hurt you. All the fights and disappointments. You deserve so much better than that, better than me,”
“Reid,”
“But when I woke up and realized it was the night you left. I needed to see you. To touch you, and hear you breathe, and kiss you. I needed you Luke. When I woke up, I thought you had been dead for a year. I remember all of it. I still feel all of it, that’s why I’ve been acting the way that I have been. I love you Luke and that year, real or not, was hell. I don't want to feel that or go through that again. When you died, my entire body turned on me. My heart, my head, my body hurt. Like I had been pulled across gravel and broken glass. The pain nearly killed me. I will do whatever you want or need to keep you with me,”
“You started staying at the hospital and not coming home…I thought you didn’t want me anymore and you were regretting marrying me,”
“Never! I’ve been an ass and obnoxious, but I have never or will ever regret marrying you. I love you Luke. It’s that simple.”
“Is this why you have been wanting to take me home every night?”
“You died while I wasn’t there. I never want to go through that again.”
“But Reid, that’s going to be impossible. You can watch me like a hawk for the rest of my life.”
“I can’t?” He asked and Luke laughed out loud.
“I love you, but if you act this for any longer, I will drive me crazy.” Luke looked at Reid and saw that none of what he was saying sinking in. “Ok, what can I do to make you feel better?”
“Promise me to always take your meds, always wear your seatbelt, and get your Grimaldi helicopter checked.”
“I promise.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Reid walked down the hall of Memorial feeling better than he had in a long time. Luke and him were on the mend. He knew that if was going to take time before they were back where they used to be, but they were both willing to try. In the mean time, Luke had withdrawn his divorce petition, but he wasn’t moving back home just yet. Reid was not happy about the latter, but the former gave him a big sense of relief. He stepped into his office and let out a long sigh. Everything was where he left it. That included the wedding photo of him and Luke that sat on the edge of his desk. He sat and stared at it for a few minutes before he heard someone knock on his door.
“Come in.” He called out and the door opened. His assistant Jennie stepped inside. “Jennie! Good morning!”
“Ah, good morning Chief.” She answered, a little taken back by his cheery mood. “There’s a someone here to see you.” He leaned to look past her and saw a fidgeting Gretchen standing behind her.
“Ah, yes, let her in.” Jennie moved aside and let the frightened nurse in. Seeing how scared Nurse Taylor was, she suddenly felt very sorry for her. Jennie shut the door and went back to her desk. Wondering how long it would take before she ran out sobbing.
As soon as the door latched, Gretchen relaxed her shoulders and shook off the tension. Relieved to drop the act, at least for a little while.
“Man, do you know how hard it is to fidget like that? My shoulders are constantly tense.” She dropped into a chair opposite him and let out a relaxing sigh. Good morning?” She asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
“Very.” He answered back.
“That’s good. Luke is well?”
“Yeah. How did I come back here? I thought you said that I couldn’t, I have gone too long in my other life.”
“What made you think that was the do-over?”
“You said it was!”
“I said you got one, I never said when it started.” She watched as realization flooded his face and she had to laugh. “Don’t waste it. I must be going.”
“Thank you.” He didn’t know what to say.
“Ah, that must have hurt.” She said with a wink. Reid couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t make me come back here.” She opened the door and closed it as she left. Reid had to ask her what she meant. He quickly got up and opened the door. Only Jennie was there. She couldn’t have left already.
“Jennie? Can you page Nurse Taylor for me?”
“I’m sorry Chief, but who?”
“The nurse who was just here.” Jennie wasn’t stupid by any means, but she must have been having an off day. “You just escorted her in.”
“Excuse me Dr. Oliver, but you’ve been alone all morning. No one has come to see you today.”
That little minx. He thought to himself.
“Oh, ah, must have been daydreaming. Nevermind.” He closed the door and went back to his desk.
He was indeed given a Do-Over, maybe not the way he thought, but there was no way that he was ruin it this time. He had seen things from the other side and he never wanted to go back there again.
God willing he would never have to.
The End