Collision chapter 6/?
Chapter 6
Luke finished packing his things and called Bob on his cell.
“Bob, hi. It’s Luke.” He said when Bob answered.
“Luke. How are you? I’ve been meaning to check in with you, but...” Bob started, but Luke cut him off.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m actually being released right now. But I have a favour to ask.”
“Anything, tell me.” Bob immediately offered.
Luke explained the situation with the press at the front of the hospital. Bob was quick enough to understand the seriousness of the matter and said he would take care of it.
“Just give me 15 minutes and I will come and get you.” Bob promised.
“Thank you, Bob. That means a lot.” Luke was relieved that he didn’t have to go through the agony of the prying eyes of the press and the inane questions he surely would have been asked.
And sure enough, after 13 minutes, Bob came in and smiled at Luke. “Are you ready? I have a car waiting at the back.”
That sounds like a bad movie, Luke thought to himself, but smiled nonetheless. “Yeah, let’s go!”
After an uneventful trip to the hotel, where they again used the back entrance, Luke found he now had a room to himself, so he could sleep or rest whenever he needed to.
Although Luke was happy with the privacy that came with his own room, he missed Mike too. Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was dinner time soon. He took a shower, got dressed and went downstairs in search of his team mates.
When he came into the dining room, they jumped up and came up to him, and they were all so genuinely interested in his well-being, it made Luke smile.
During diner he also informed them about Kevin and his current state. They listened quietly and expressed their worries for their goalie. When someone mentioned that he heard about a specialist that was flown in to take on Kevin’s case, Luke felt a blush creep up his neck and spread across his cheeks.
“Uhm, yes. A doctor from Dallas. He is supposed to be the best, so if anyone can help Kevin, it’s him.” Luke tried to sound casual, avoiding any eye contact and especially with Mike.
They talked some more about Kevin and then the conversation drifted to other topics and soon they were back to their normal routine of playing card games and listening to music.
Luke started to feel tired and a headache was creeping up. He was just about to get up and leave for his room, when coach Callahan walked in, heading straight for Luke.
“Luke, how are you feeling?” He asked while patting Luke on the shoulder.
“Fine, I guess. A bit tired now, I was actually just going to bed now.” Luke replied.
“Well, I want to ask you something. Tomorrow there will be a press conference. Now, as team captain, you would have to be there. But they are probably going to ask questions about you and Kevin. Are you feeling good enough to be present and answer some questions?”
Luke scratched the back of his head.
“I don’t know. I don’t know how I will be feeling tomorrow. They told me not to do anything stressful.” He said unsurely. He did not want to do it, but if he had to, he would. He was captain of the team; these things were part of the job.
“Well, if you’re not sure, why don’t you call your doctor and ask him what he thinks?” Coach suggested.
“He’s not my doctor, he’s Kevin’s doctor. I’m sure he has better things to do than to answer questions about a press conference.” Luke quickly declined.
Coach looked at him, his brows furrowed. “What are you talking about, Luke? He’s a doctor, and doctors answer questions from patients.”
“I know, but he’s really busy.” Luke weakly argued. Why am I fighting this? It’s not like I don’t want to talk to him.
“Then leave a message.” Coach sounded resolute. “Now, get some rest and a good night’s sleep, and let me know in the morning.” And with a last pat on Luke’s shoulder, he turned and walked away.
Luke said goodnight to the other guys in the room and went upstairs to his room. He slid the key card in and opened the door. He locked it behind him and sat down on his bed.
He first took his wallet out of his pocket and retrieved the small piece of paper Reid had given him in the hospital. He smiled at the bad handwriting, the phone number was just barely readable. He straightened out the folds and moved his thumb over the numbers, like a caress.
If he was honest with himself, he knew exactly why he was fighting coach on calling Reid. Yes, he did want to talk to him, but more than that, Reid scared the life out of Luke. This was the first time he ever he had such a strong reaction to a man. He felt sparks throughout his whole body when Reid had touched him. And after their talk, he couldn’t stop thinking about those amazing blue eyes and that soft looking curly hair, those perfectly formed lips and elegant hands.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and programmed the number in it. He carefully folded the paper again and tucked it back in his wallet, not exactly knowing why he kept it.
He then lay back on the bed and hovered with his finger over the call-button. His heart hammered in his chest and he felt ridiculous for being so nervous.
Get over yourself, Snyder. Come on. He scolded himself. His finger pressed down and he lifted the phone up to his ear.
“Dr. Oliver”. Reid answered his phone after just one ring, catching Luke off guard.
“Wow, you’re fast.” Luke chuckled nervously.
“Who is this?” Reid’s voice sounded impatient and a little annoyed.
“I’m sorry, this is Luke. Luke Snyder?” Luke hurried himself to explain.
“Oh, Luke. Hi.” Reid’s tone changed immediately. “Is there something wrong? Are you feeling okay?” His voice changed from pleasantly surprised to concerned.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Luke smiled hearing the worry in Reid’s voice. “I am just tired now and I feel a headache coming up, but other than that, I feel fine.”
“You should take those symptoms seriously, Luke. Listen to your body. If you feel tired, you should go to bed. I told you before; a concussion is a serious injury. Your brain still needs to heal.” Reid rambled.
“I know, I know. Actually, I am on my hotel room right now and getting ready for bed. They gave me a new room, so I don’t have to share with Mike anymore. So you see, everybody is taking it very seriously.” Luke said with a slight tease in his voice.
In his office, Reid rubbed his face with one hand while the other clutched the phone to his ear.
He felt a little relieved hearing that Luke was apparently taking care of himself.
“Did you get out of the hospital okay? Not too much trouble with the press?” He inquired.
Luke settled back into the pillow.
“No, it went fine. No problem at all. But the press is one reason I’m calling you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, they scheduled a press conference for tomorrow afternoon. And normally I would be there, because I am captain. But coach said they probably want to ask questions about me and Kevin, and I am not sure I am up for that. You told me to avoid stressful situations and..”
“And I’m glad you’re listening.” Reid interrupted.
“And this could turn out to be a stressful situation.” Luke continued, ignoring Reid’s comment.
“Are you asking me permission to attend a press conference? That’s… strange. ” Reid said with a snicker.
“Yes. No. I don’t know. I’m not really asking for permission, but I do want to know what you think about it. What do you think is wise? Go or don’t go?” Luke asked, anxiously awaiting Reid’s answer.
“I am not going to tell you what to do, Luke. You can decide for yourself. But if you want my advice? If you think it will upset you in any way, skip it. I don’t know how you feel, only you do.
You have no idea, Luke thought.
“There will be other press conferences, right? It won’t harm anyone if you miss one. You have a very good reason; you were injured and need to heal. Have someone step in for you.” Reid leaned back in his chair. He really wanted to convince Luke to take it easy. Reid didn’t want Luke to get upset, and not just for medical reasons.
“Okay, I’ll do that. I won’t go then. I’ll tell coach in the morning.” Luke easily gave in. He still felt guilty about the accident and if some journalist would press on about the subject, Luke was sure that in his current state, he wouldn’t be able to stay calm and not get emotional.
“Good.” Reid breathed out.
“Reid?”
“Yes?”
“Would it be okay if I visited Kevin tomorrow during the press conference? All the press will probably be here and not at the hospital.”
“You can visit Mr. Jackson, but you would have to do it in the early afternoon. His surgery is scheduled for five.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop it and Reid mentally kicked himself for giving information about a patient to someone that wasn’t family.
Luke shot up in his bed. “What? You’re operating on him tomorrow?”
“Yes, but that’s all I can tell you. This is already too much information.”
“But what are his chances? Is it very risky? Have you done similar surgeries before?” The words tumbled out of Luke’s mouth, filled with worry for his friend.
“We have to do the surgery as soon as possible, so we have the best chance of success. A brain surgery is always risky, but I have enough experience with this kind of surgery, so I am optimistic.” Reid cautiously said.
“Well, they say you are the best, right?” Luke needed the confirmation that Kevin was in the best possible hands.
Reid didn’t hesitate to confirm “That I am, Luke. And that’s a fact, not ego.”
Reid’s calm confidence reassured Luke and he felt himself calm down. “So, he’ll be fine, right?”
“I can’t give any guarantees, but I feel confident about it.”
“Okay then. Good.” Luke felt his body relax and yawned. “Will I see you tomorrow at the hospital?”
“Do you want to see me?” Surprised by Luke’s question, the words slipped out of Reid's mouth.
Luke was too tired to play games and dodge the question.
“Yes, I do.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, Luke.” Reid disconnected the call and felt a bubble of joy rise in his chest. Luke wanted to see him! Then he shook his head. What are you, a twelve year old girl? You’re seeing things. He probably just wants information about Mr. Jackson.
But as much as he tried not to hope for anything, Reid definitely felt a connection between him and Luke. There was just something there. He knew Luke felt it too, but would he be willing and ready to admit it?
*
Luke finished packing his things and called Bob on his cell.
“Bob, hi. It’s Luke.” He said when Bob answered.
“Luke. How are you? I’ve been meaning to check in with you, but...” Bob started, but Luke cut him off.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m actually being released right now. But I have a favour to ask.”
“Anything, tell me.” Bob immediately offered.
Luke explained the situation with the press at the front of the hospital. Bob was quick enough to understand the seriousness of the matter and said he would take care of it.
“Just give me 15 minutes and I will come and get you.” Bob promised.
“Thank you, Bob. That means a lot.” Luke was relieved that he didn’t have to go through the agony of the prying eyes of the press and the inane questions he surely would have been asked.
And sure enough, after 13 minutes, Bob came in and smiled at Luke. “Are you ready? I have a car waiting at the back.”
That sounds like a bad movie, Luke thought to himself, but smiled nonetheless. “Yeah, let’s go!”
After an uneventful trip to the hotel, where they again used the back entrance, Luke found he now had a room to himself, so he could sleep or rest whenever he needed to.
Although Luke was happy with the privacy that came with his own room, he missed Mike too. Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was dinner time soon. He took a shower, got dressed and went downstairs in search of his team mates.
When he came into the dining room, they jumped up and came up to him, and they were all so genuinely interested in his well-being, it made Luke smile.
During diner he also informed them about Kevin and his current state. They listened quietly and expressed their worries for their goalie. When someone mentioned that he heard about a specialist that was flown in to take on Kevin’s case, Luke felt a blush creep up his neck and spread across his cheeks.
“Uhm, yes. A doctor from Dallas. He is supposed to be the best, so if anyone can help Kevin, it’s him.” Luke tried to sound casual, avoiding any eye contact and especially with Mike.
They talked some more about Kevin and then the conversation drifted to other topics and soon they were back to their normal routine of playing card games and listening to music.
Luke started to feel tired and a headache was creeping up. He was just about to get up and leave for his room, when coach Callahan walked in, heading straight for Luke.
“Luke, how are you feeling?” He asked while patting Luke on the shoulder.
“Fine, I guess. A bit tired now, I was actually just going to bed now.” Luke replied.
“Well, I want to ask you something. Tomorrow there will be a press conference. Now, as team captain, you would have to be there. But they are probably going to ask questions about you and Kevin. Are you feeling good enough to be present and answer some questions?”
Luke scratched the back of his head.
“I don’t know. I don’t know how I will be feeling tomorrow. They told me not to do anything stressful.” He said unsurely. He did not want to do it, but if he had to, he would. He was captain of the team; these things were part of the job.
“Well, if you’re not sure, why don’t you call your doctor and ask him what he thinks?” Coach suggested.
“He’s not my doctor, he’s Kevin’s doctor. I’m sure he has better things to do than to answer questions about a press conference.” Luke quickly declined.
Coach looked at him, his brows furrowed. “What are you talking about, Luke? He’s a doctor, and doctors answer questions from patients.”
“I know, but he’s really busy.” Luke weakly argued. Why am I fighting this? It’s not like I don’t want to talk to him.
“Then leave a message.” Coach sounded resolute. “Now, get some rest and a good night’s sleep, and let me know in the morning.” And with a last pat on Luke’s shoulder, he turned and walked away.
Luke said goodnight to the other guys in the room and went upstairs to his room. He slid the key card in and opened the door. He locked it behind him and sat down on his bed.
He first took his wallet out of his pocket and retrieved the small piece of paper Reid had given him in the hospital. He smiled at the bad handwriting, the phone number was just barely readable. He straightened out the folds and moved his thumb over the numbers, like a caress.
If he was honest with himself, he knew exactly why he was fighting coach on calling Reid. Yes, he did want to talk to him, but more than that, Reid scared the life out of Luke. This was the first time he ever he had such a strong reaction to a man. He felt sparks throughout his whole body when Reid had touched him. And after their talk, he couldn’t stop thinking about those amazing blue eyes and that soft looking curly hair, those perfectly formed lips and elegant hands.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and programmed the number in it. He carefully folded the paper again and tucked it back in his wallet, not exactly knowing why he kept it.
He then lay back on the bed and hovered with his finger over the call-button. His heart hammered in his chest and he felt ridiculous for being so nervous.
Get over yourself, Snyder. Come on. He scolded himself. His finger pressed down and he lifted the phone up to his ear.
“Dr. Oliver”. Reid answered his phone after just one ring, catching Luke off guard.
“Wow, you’re fast.” Luke chuckled nervously.
“Who is this?” Reid’s voice sounded impatient and a little annoyed.
“I’m sorry, this is Luke. Luke Snyder?” Luke hurried himself to explain.
“Oh, Luke. Hi.” Reid’s tone changed immediately. “Is there something wrong? Are you feeling okay?” His voice changed from pleasantly surprised to concerned.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Luke smiled hearing the worry in Reid’s voice. “I am just tired now and I feel a headache coming up, but other than that, I feel fine.”
“You should take those symptoms seriously, Luke. Listen to your body. If you feel tired, you should go to bed. I told you before; a concussion is a serious injury. Your brain still needs to heal.” Reid rambled.
“I know, I know. Actually, I am on my hotel room right now and getting ready for bed. They gave me a new room, so I don’t have to share with Mike anymore. So you see, everybody is taking it very seriously.” Luke said with a slight tease in his voice.
In his office, Reid rubbed his face with one hand while the other clutched the phone to his ear.
He felt a little relieved hearing that Luke was apparently taking care of himself.
“Did you get out of the hospital okay? Not too much trouble with the press?” He inquired.
Luke settled back into the pillow.
“No, it went fine. No problem at all. But the press is one reason I’m calling you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, they scheduled a press conference for tomorrow afternoon. And normally I would be there, because I am captain. But coach said they probably want to ask questions about me and Kevin, and I am not sure I am up for that. You told me to avoid stressful situations and..”
“And I’m glad you’re listening.” Reid interrupted.
“And this could turn out to be a stressful situation.” Luke continued, ignoring Reid’s comment.
“Are you asking me permission to attend a press conference? That’s… strange. ” Reid said with a snicker.
“Yes. No. I don’t know. I’m not really asking for permission, but I do want to know what you think about it. What do you think is wise? Go or don’t go?” Luke asked, anxiously awaiting Reid’s answer.
“I am not going to tell you what to do, Luke. You can decide for yourself. But if you want my advice? If you think it will upset you in any way, skip it. I don’t know how you feel, only you do.
You have no idea, Luke thought.
“There will be other press conferences, right? It won’t harm anyone if you miss one. You have a very good reason; you were injured and need to heal. Have someone step in for you.” Reid leaned back in his chair. He really wanted to convince Luke to take it easy. Reid didn’t want Luke to get upset, and not just for medical reasons.
“Okay, I’ll do that. I won’t go then. I’ll tell coach in the morning.” Luke easily gave in. He still felt guilty about the accident and if some journalist would press on about the subject, Luke was sure that in his current state, he wouldn’t be able to stay calm and not get emotional.
“Good.” Reid breathed out.
“Reid?”
“Yes?”
“Would it be okay if I visited Kevin tomorrow during the press conference? All the press will probably be here and not at the hospital.”
“You can visit Mr. Jackson, but you would have to do it in the early afternoon. His surgery is scheduled for five.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop it and Reid mentally kicked himself for giving information about a patient to someone that wasn’t family.
Luke shot up in his bed. “What? You’re operating on him tomorrow?”
“Yes, but that’s all I can tell you. This is already too much information.”
“But what are his chances? Is it very risky? Have you done similar surgeries before?” The words tumbled out of Luke’s mouth, filled with worry for his friend.
“We have to do the surgery as soon as possible, so we have the best chance of success. A brain surgery is always risky, but I have enough experience with this kind of surgery, so I am optimistic.” Reid cautiously said.
“Well, they say you are the best, right?” Luke needed the confirmation that Kevin was in the best possible hands.
Reid didn’t hesitate to confirm “That I am, Luke. And that’s a fact, not ego.”
Reid’s calm confidence reassured Luke and he felt himself calm down. “So, he’ll be fine, right?”
“I can’t give any guarantees, but I feel confident about it.”
“Okay then. Good.” Luke felt his body relax and yawned. “Will I see you tomorrow at the hospital?”
“Do you want to see me?” Surprised by Luke’s question, the words slipped out of Reid's mouth.
Luke was too tired to play games and dodge the question.
“Yes, I do.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, Luke.” Reid disconnected the call and felt a bubble of joy rise in his chest. Luke wanted to see him! Then he shook his head. What are you, a twelve year old girl? You’re seeing things. He probably just wants information about Mr. Jackson.
But as much as he tried not to hope for anything, Reid definitely felt a connection between him and Luke. There was just something there. He knew Luke felt it too, but would he be willing and ready to admit it?
*