Stay - Chapter Nine
Author's Notes:
For a few chapters it'll work this way, the little snippets into Reid and Luke's week together. One day will be missing but it'll be explained. I hope you enjoy! :)
Bob Hughes had taken a week off, much to Reid’s annoyance but he felt very much like a king surveying his kingdom. He didn’t realise just how much he missed his freedom to reign in Dallas and felt, as much as he despised himself for it, proud to have the opportunity. Without Luke, plans for the new wing were still underway but Lily Walsh had taken over the helm of the Luke Snyder foundation- Reid knew Luke still had his finger in that pie. He wasn’t stupid, he’d seen Luke hide the files when he’d come to check on him.
Things were different it seemed. Luke, after his day of panic attacks, had learned to control them. They weren’t directly related to his condition, they were purely psychological but Reid, understanding the brain the way he did, had given Luke plenty of ways to distract himself.
A week had passed since that day and in a strange way, they’d fallen into an odd sort of rhythm. Rosie was a hands on nurse and very much invested in her patients but even she had backed off. Reid was very careful not to show too much and give anything away- he’d avoided the involvement of Alison Stewart for this very reason. She’d been to visit in almost every lunch break and it seemed Luke, at some point, had entertained every member of Oakhell. Reid wondered who he’d find every time he entered Luke’s room- Luke was so bloody loved.
Reid had seen a change in Luke, a definite and improved change. Some days he had struggled, yes, but Reid was optimistic and pleased with his patient’s progress- he was also internally thankful that he could sleep easier and could rest knowing Luke was comfortable and improving. Some days and moments shone brighter than the others and Reid’s heart was so full and jam packed after the former week, he hardly knew himself. He felt so fucking domesticated and he blamed it entirely on Luke, he’d tell him to his face too.
MONDAY
Reid sat alone in the on-call room, his feet propped up on the desk and Luke’s chart in his hand. He’d seen to his other patients and was now doing the same thing he’d done every hour for the past day or so. He’d remembered Rose’s message from Bob, to check Luke’s chart and when he had done, was greeted by a small scrawled message towards the bottom of the sheet.
“There is no weakness in acting above and beyond. It’s a human reaction. Allow yourself this, Doctor Oliver.”
Bob Hughes, so god damned schmaltzy it made him sick, but something inside of Reid, at the sight of those letters, changed. He didn’t know how much until ten minutes later when the alarm from Luke’s room started to beep.
No nurses arrived before he did. He was in Luke’s room in seconds.
He frowned at the sight. Luke lay twisted in his sheets and was curled up, his head tucked awkwardly into his chest and his hands doing their usual fisting into the sheets. Reid wondered how many times he’d unfolded Luke’s fingers.
As he stepped towards the bed, checking the relevant machines and surveying Luke, it was obvious what the problem was.
“Luke .... Luke.... I need you to look at me,” he’d asked, slowly and gently.
Luke responded a little, his hands still attempting to tear holes in the sheets.
Reid was struggling with the sheet, attempting to pull it from under Luke and straighten him out. Luke constricted time and time again, small groans at each movement. He had always been defined with a broadish chest and solid shoulders but boyish all the same, Reid could see this still but he’d lost weight, a lot of weight.
“You’ve never paid any attention to me in the past, so why now? Of course, I know nothing, I’m just your doctor,” Reid attempted, and it worked.
“Shhh-shut up,” Luke breathed out quickly in between gasps for air.
“Unfortunately, until you chill out and stop tying knots in your sheets, I’m going nowhere.” Reid felt himself smile as Luke, with a visible struggle, lay on his side, freeing the sheets below him. Reid reached out to tidy Luke’s bed and once he was done, helped lower him softly onto the mattress.
“See, not so hard was it?” Reid asked, his voice lilting and full of as much playfulness as he could muster. He figured Luke could do with a change of tone. Lily was so suffocating and motherly, Holden had been solid and distracting but Reid could only count the times he’d witnessed Luke laugh on one hand, in the past week, and for Mr Eternal Sunshine, this just wasn’t right.
Luke’s screwed up face relaxed a little with an exhausted laugh.
“I always... always knew your bedside manner sucked... now I’ve... I’ve got proof,” he stammered out, his eyes flickering open. Reid was around the other side of the bed now, his hand unmistakably on Luke’s arm. It wasn’t moving anywhere.
“It’s either me or Rosie, so take your pick,” Reid had offered, the twinkle in his eye.
“Yea well, she’s not here is she, so I guess I’m stuck with you,” he shot back at Reid, the wrinkles by his eyes straightening a little and his face lightening with the exchange.
“Count yourself damn lucky. You have a world class neurosurgeon turning down your sheets.” Reid realised that as they’d been talking, his fingers had taken a life of their own again. This is what he told himself. He drew small and gentle lines on Luke’s elbow. He couldn’t move his eyes. They simply gazed at each other. Time seemed to stand still and Reid felt drawn, so inexplicably, forward. It was as if Luke’s gaze was draining him of every thought, feeling and emotion and Reid felt naked. His head was fuzzy and full. Luke smiled and broke their gaze, now more rested, then looked up under heavy eyelids slowly and cautiously.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Reid felt those words flood his heart and instinctively his hand travelled from Luke’s arm, up to his hair where he tucked two strands to once side, freeing his face from distraction.
Luke nuzzled a microscopic amount but Reid felt it. He felt Luke’s reaction to the touch and an ache tugged at his chest sending him crazy.
“So you keep saying,” Reid eventually replied, not sure how much time had passed since Luke had spoken. He felt lost in his brown eyes, his every thought and concern gone in an instant.
In seconds, the door had opened revealing Rosie and Reid had speedily, but not without a regretful sigh, pulled his hand from Luke and offered him into her care.
Doctor Oliver made a necessary appearance. “Nurse Dawes, Mr Snyder requires more anti-sickness medication and his dosage of painkillers is increasing as of this afternoon. We’re taking more bloods and samples today so please see that this is done. Finally, a liver function test has been ordered so I’d like the results in my hand as soon as possible.”
Rosie had taken in every word and responded sharply with a smile, noticing Reid’s lack of biting sarcasm, “Of course Doctor Oliver. I’ll see that it’s done.”
He didn’t know how much she’d seen or how obvious he’d been but something in her eyes spoke of an understanding beyond the words she uttered. He felt ridiculous so with a curt nod and a sharp glance a Luke, whose gaze was unnervingly fixed on his, he left.
For a few chapters it'll work this way, the little snippets into Reid and Luke's week together. One day will be missing but it'll be explained. I hope you enjoy! :)
Bob Hughes had taken a week off, much to Reid’s annoyance but he felt very much like a king surveying his kingdom. He didn’t realise just how much he missed his freedom to reign in Dallas and felt, as much as he despised himself for it, proud to have the opportunity. Without Luke, plans for the new wing were still underway but Lily Walsh had taken over the helm of the Luke Snyder foundation- Reid knew Luke still had his finger in that pie. He wasn’t stupid, he’d seen Luke hide the files when he’d come to check on him.
Things were different it seemed. Luke, after his day of panic attacks, had learned to control them. They weren’t directly related to his condition, they were purely psychological but Reid, understanding the brain the way he did, had given Luke plenty of ways to distract himself.
A week had passed since that day and in a strange way, they’d fallen into an odd sort of rhythm. Rosie was a hands on nurse and very much invested in her patients but even she had backed off. Reid was very careful not to show too much and give anything away- he’d avoided the involvement of Alison Stewart for this very reason. She’d been to visit in almost every lunch break and it seemed Luke, at some point, had entertained every member of Oakhell. Reid wondered who he’d find every time he entered Luke’s room- Luke was so bloody loved.
Reid had seen a change in Luke, a definite and improved change. Some days he had struggled, yes, but Reid was optimistic and pleased with his patient’s progress- he was also internally thankful that he could sleep easier and could rest knowing Luke was comfortable and improving. Some days and moments shone brighter than the others and Reid’s heart was so full and jam packed after the former week, he hardly knew himself. He felt so fucking domesticated and he blamed it entirely on Luke, he’d tell him to his face too.
MONDAY
Reid sat alone in the on-call room, his feet propped up on the desk and Luke’s chart in his hand. He’d seen to his other patients and was now doing the same thing he’d done every hour for the past day or so. He’d remembered Rose’s message from Bob, to check Luke’s chart and when he had done, was greeted by a small scrawled message towards the bottom of the sheet.
“There is no weakness in acting above and beyond. It’s a human reaction. Allow yourself this, Doctor Oliver.”
Bob Hughes, so god damned schmaltzy it made him sick, but something inside of Reid, at the sight of those letters, changed. He didn’t know how much until ten minutes later when the alarm from Luke’s room started to beep.
No nurses arrived before he did. He was in Luke’s room in seconds.
He frowned at the sight. Luke lay twisted in his sheets and was curled up, his head tucked awkwardly into his chest and his hands doing their usual fisting into the sheets. Reid wondered how many times he’d unfolded Luke’s fingers.
As he stepped towards the bed, checking the relevant machines and surveying Luke, it was obvious what the problem was.
“Luke .... Luke.... I need you to look at me,” he’d asked, slowly and gently.
Luke responded a little, his hands still attempting to tear holes in the sheets.
Reid was struggling with the sheet, attempting to pull it from under Luke and straighten him out. Luke constricted time and time again, small groans at each movement. He had always been defined with a broadish chest and solid shoulders but boyish all the same, Reid could see this still but he’d lost weight, a lot of weight.
“You’ve never paid any attention to me in the past, so why now? Of course, I know nothing, I’m just your doctor,” Reid attempted, and it worked.
“Shhh-shut up,” Luke breathed out quickly in between gasps for air.
“Unfortunately, until you chill out and stop tying knots in your sheets, I’m going nowhere.” Reid felt himself smile as Luke, with a visible struggle, lay on his side, freeing the sheets below him. Reid reached out to tidy Luke’s bed and once he was done, helped lower him softly onto the mattress.
“See, not so hard was it?” Reid asked, his voice lilting and full of as much playfulness as he could muster. He figured Luke could do with a change of tone. Lily was so suffocating and motherly, Holden had been solid and distracting but Reid could only count the times he’d witnessed Luke laugh on one hand, in the past week, and for Mr Eternal Sunshine, this just wasn’t right.
Luke’s screwed up face relaxed a little with an exhausted laugh.
“I always... always knew your bedside manner sucked... now I’ve... I’ve got proof,” he stammered out, his eyes flickering open. Reid was around the other side of the bed now, his hand unmistakably on Luke’s arm. It wasn’t moving anywhere.
“It’s either me or Rosie, so take your pick,” Reid had offered, the twinkle in his eye.
“Yea well, she’s not here is she, so I guess I’m stuck with you,” he shot back at Reid, the wrinkles by his eyes straightening a little and his face lightening with the exchange.
“Count yourself damn lucky. You have a world class neurosurgeon turning down your sheets.” Reid realised that as they’d been talking, his fingers had taken a life of their own again. This is what he told himself. He drew small and gentle lines on Luke’s elbow. He couldn’t move his eyes. They simply gazed at each other. Time seemed to stand still and Reid felt drawn, so inexplicably, forward. It was as if Luke’s gaze was draining him of every thought, feeling and emotion and Reid felt naked. His head was fuzzy and full. Luke smiled and broke their gaze, now more rested, then looked up under heavy eyelids slowly and cautiously.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Reid felt those words flood his heart and instinctively his hand travelled from Luke’s arm, up to his hair where he tucked two strands to once side, freeing his face from distraction.
Luke nuzzled a microscopic amount but Reid felt it. He felt Luke’s reaction to the touch and an ache tugged at his chest sending him crazy.
“So you keep saying,” Reid eventually replied, not sure how much time had passed since Luke had spoken. He felt lost in his brown eyes, his every thought and concern gone in an instant.
In seconds, the door had opened revealing Rosie and Reid had speedily, but not without a regretful sigh, pulled his hand from Luke and offered him into her care.
Doctor Oliver made a necessary appearance. “Nurse Dawes, Mr Snyder requires more anti-sickness medication and his dosage of painkillers is increasing as of this afternoon. We’re taking more bloods and samples today so please see that this is done. Finally, a liver function test has been ordered so I’d like the results in my hand as soon as possible.”
Rosie had taken in every word and responded sharply with a smile, noticing Reid’s lack of biting sarcasm, “Of course Doctor Oliver. I’ll see that it’s done.”
He didn’t know how much she’d seen or how obvious he’d been but something in her eyes spoke of an understanding beyond the words she uttered. He felt ridiculous so with a curt nod and a sharp glance a Luke, whose gaze was unnervingly fixed on his, he left.