Amnesia is Stupid: Chapter Two
Title: Amnesia is Stupid. Chapter Two.
Author: nancygrew
Rated: G
Warnings: The medical aspects are no more realistic than they would be on the actual show.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to ATWT.
Notes: Futurefic. AU after Reid drives off to get the heart. Takes place ~late August 2014. Luke/Reid
Summary: Amnesia fic. Stupid Oakdale.
Later, Reid awoke suddenly. "Chili!" he exclaimed. He immediately focused on the black-haired man who appeared to be in his early thirties who was carrying a couple of take-out bags that smelled like chili. And possibly corn bread. Mmmmm.
"Good afternoon, Reid," said the man as he put one bag on the hospital tray that was near the foot of Reid’s bed. He efficiently raised the tray and brought it towards Reid. He handed the other takeout bag to Mr. Snyder. "I’m Lowell Ward, your administrative assistant. I’ve brought you both chili and cornbread from Al’s Diner for lunch. Reid, I requested that they put in extra hot sauce in yours. There are plastic utensils and napkins in the bags as well as sodas."
Mr. Snyder was pulling his wallet out of his back packet. Lowell stated, "There is no need to pay me. Reid always keeps a little bit of spending money hidden in one of the textbooks on his office shelves. I merely used that money to pay the bill. And to tip extremely well."
"Do I know that you know where I hide spending money?" asked Reid with a frown.
"I really could not say," said Lowell. He turned towards Mr. Snyder. "Your father arrived earlier with the coffee machines that you requested. I have taken the liberty of setting up the Espressione - Supremma Super Automatic Coffee & Beverage Center in Reid’s office. I have perused the DVD and I must say that the machine is only slightly less complicated and wondrous than a portable Zeiss NC4 microscope and mobile neuroendoscopy station."
"Do you think it’s too complicated for everyday use?" worried Mr. Snyder. "It would defeat the purpose if you two decided that it was just simpler to go to Java’s every time you wanted coffee that wasn’t toxic."
"Rest assured that Reid and I are both intelligent enough, and caffeine addicted enough, to be able to decipher how to use the machine," said Lowell. "I have emptied out one of the cabinets in Reid’s office in order to make room for some of the various coffee blends and flavored syrups, as well."
"Did you just buy me some costly coffee machine because you were worried about me having to face going into Java’s again?" asked a curious Reid.
"Yes. But I should have thought of buying you a coffee machine for your office years ago," said Mr. Snyder. "It’s just stupid that I hadn’t thought of it."
"Well, so few of us can be pretty and smart," replied Reid.
Both Mr. Snyder and Lowell ignored Reid.
"I will be placing the more user-friendly, yet still excellent, models that you requested in the main doctors’ and nurses’ lounges," said Lowell to Mr. Snyder. "I am quite sure that regardless of whether any of the staff have any residual nerves regarding setting foot in Java’s after the incident yesterday, they will still be grateful for the convenience of being able to get non-toxic coffee while at work."
"Thank you so much for your help, Lowell," said Mr. Snyder. "I really appreciate it. Is there room in the lounges for all the coffee blends and syrups I requested? I might have gone a little overboard with quantities and varieties."
"To prevent pilferage, I suggest that you allow me keep the coffee and supplies stored in a secure location and to supply the lounges as needed," advised Lowell.
"I don’t want to create more work for you," said Mr. Snyder.
"It is not any problem whatsoever," replied Lowell. Lowell turned towards Reid. "Reid, you need not worry about any of your responsibilities at the hospital until you have regained your memory and Dr. Haines agrees that you are ready to return to duty. I have reassigned your workload for the next 5 days already. And I will be able to reassign additional days’ responsibilities as needed. I have filled out the appropriate paperwork for your health insurance and for a leave of absence of unknown duration for you."
"Just out of curiosity, which one of us actually runs the hospital?" asked Reid with a frown.
"I shall not dignify that with a response," Lowell replied. "Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance to you. Good day to you both."
Lowell left the room. Mr. Snyder plopped down into his chair and started to work on the lunch that Lowell Ward: RoboAdministrator had brought.
Reid ate his chili while keeping a careful eye on Mr. Snyder.
Reid and Mr. Snyder finished their meal in a comfortable silence. Reid was eyeing the container of oatmeal raisin cookies when there was a brusque knock on the door followed by two men entering the hospital room. One man had medium brown hair and appeared to be in his late forties. The other man had darker, curly hair and appeared to be in his early twenties and was wearing a police uniform.
"Guys," greeted Mr. Snyder as he exchanged ‘fist bumps’ with both gentlemen.
The older man approached Reid first. "Hey, champ!" Champ?!? Reid might have had amnesia but he was quite certain that NO ONE had ever called him ‘champ’ before. Reid glared at the interloper.
The older man was unaffected by Reid’s glare of death. "I’m Jack Snyder. I’m the Chief of Police here in Oakdale. This is my son, Parker Snyder, who was the first officer on the scene during yesterday’s incident."
"Snyder?" asked Reid wondering if the seemingly endless supply of Mr. Snyder’s relatives was due to polygamy. Did Illinois still have polygamists?
"Yeah, I’m Luke’s cousin once removed," explained Jack.
"I take it you’re Luke," Reid said to Mr. Snyder.
Jack gave Mr. Snyder a quizzical look. "You didn’t invite your husband to call you by your first name?"
Mr. Snyder shrugged. "He was being a jerk."
Parker snorted while Chief of Police Jack Snyder rolled his eyes. "The guy was shot yesterday," said Chief of Police Jack Snyder. "You didn’t feel like giving him a break?"
"Not particularly," answered Mr. Snyder.
Chief of Police Jack Snyder lecturing Mr. Snyder annoyed Reid. "How can I assist you, flatfoot?"
Chief of Police Jack Snyder sighed heavily. "Parker and I met with Dr. Haines who has advised us that there’s been no change in your memory but while we were here, we wanted to check in on you to see if you needed anything."
"Thank you for checking on me," said Reid coolly. "However, Mr. Snyder has been taking excellent care of me."
Parker grinned over the fact that Reid was still calling Luke ‘Mr. Snyder’. "Do you have any questions for us while we’re here? Either about the case or about your personal life for the past four and a half years?"
"Has the shooter been arrested yet?" asked Reid.
"Yeah, the guy came into the police station this morning and turned himself in," answered Parker. "He was crying and sobbing. He somehow hadn’t realized that shooting someone was going to be upsetting. I’ve only been on the job a few months, but I feel confident in claiming that most criminals are idiots."
Reid snorted. "Since most people are idiots, I’m sure you’re accurate about that."
"You might be interested to know that you managed to break the idiot’s nose when you threw your coffee mug into his face," said an impressed Parker. "He’s telling anyone who will listen that he was beat up by a ceramics wielding thug."
"Maybe when I get better, I’ll market my own line of self-defense coffee mugs," said Reid.
"Why stop at self-defense coffee mugs?" asked Chief of Police Jack Snyder. "You can market combat tea cups too."
"I can clearly see now that the years I spent becoming a world-renowned neurosurgeon were a complete waste of time," replied Reid.
"Luke warned everyone not to overwhelm you so we’re going to go unless there’s something that you need. Is there anything at all we can do for you?" asked Chief of Police Jack Snyder.
"Thank you for the offer but I have tons of food and entertainment options," answered Reid. "I just have to wait patiently to heal. Perhaps not patiently."
The men said goodbye to Reid and Mr. Snyder and left.
"Familiar activities often help an amnesiac recover their memories," said Reid. "Do you want to make out?"
"I’m married," replied Mr. Snyder snootily.
"Yes, to me," explained Reid slowly.
"Experiences and memories help to mold people into who they are," lectured Mr. Snyder. "2014 Reid Oliver has memories that 2009 Reid Oliver does not. It would feel like I was committing adultery if I were to make out with you."
"You’re kind of maidenly, aren’t you?" asked Reid.
Mr. Snyder shrugged agreeably.
Reid huffed. "So, is 2014 Reid Oliver different from 2009 Reid Oliver?"
"Besides the jetpack that 2014 Reid Oliver uses to travel to and from work?" asked Mr. Snyder.
"Besides the jetpack."
"In some ways, you haven’t changed a lot over the last four and a half years," replied Mr. Snyder. "You’re still a confident and brilliant man who is completely devoted to taking care of his patients. You still have no patience for hypocrisy or willful stupidity. You’re still honest and blunt and sarcastic."
"And in other ways?" asked Reid.
"I don’t want to scare you into thinking you’re a fluffy kitty cat now," answered Mr. Snyder. "But you’ve allowed yourself to have love and family and a life outside of the hospital. Having a fulfilling personal life has even made you a better doctor."
Reid pondered that truly bizarre thought. It was a little disturbing to think that he might have changed enough to become unrecognizable to himself.
"Okay, I’m way too tired to dive into some existential crisis," said Reid. "Do you want to play chess?"
Mr. Snyder hesitated.
"Please tell me that I haven’t married someone who can’t play chess," said Reid.
"I can play," said Mr. Snyder defensively. "And I’m pretty good compared to people that weren’t childhood chess prodigies who spent their youths experiencing the glamour and high stakes of the chess tournament circuit."
"So? We don’t play chess together?"
"We do play together. I sometimes even come close to beating you now. Well, playing you to a draw, anyway. But I’m still not a real challenge to you."
"Coming close to playing me to a draw means that you must be pretty good. Do you enjoy playing with me?" asked Reid.
"I do," nodded Mr. Snyder. "And 2014 Reid Oliver enjoys playing with me. But that might be because that guy is in love with me. 2009 Reid Oliver might just be annoyed at how relatively badly I play compared to him."
"If I promise that I’ll try not to make you cry and that I won’t do a victory lap around the hospital room, do you want to give it a shot?" Reid asked.
Mr. Snyder nodded. He lifted the exquisitely wrapped gift that Lucinda had brought and handed it to Reid.
Reid opened the gift. "Your grandmother bought me an alabaster chess set? She does know that plastic chess pieces move the same way as incredibly expensive ones, right?"
"Grandmother loves you and wanted to buy something nice for you. Deal with it," huffed Mr. Snyder.
"You’re family is rich, aren’t they?" accused Reid in an accusatory tone while he unpacked the chess set and placed it on the food tray.
"Yes, we are," said Mr. Snyder cheerily as he brought his chair up to the side of Reid’s bed. "My family is loaded. You married into wealth. You can no longer live your life secure in the moral superiority of being able to hate all rich people. In the words of the great French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire, ‘HA! HA!’"
"I can’t believe I’m married to the idle rich," huffed Reid. He picked up a white and a black pawn and put his hands behind his back, nodding to Mr. Snyder to select a hand.
"If it makes you feel any better, I’m not idle," offered Mr. Snyder while pointing to Reid’s left arm. It was the white pawn so Mr. Snyder would make the first move. "I’m the president of Grimaldi Shipping, an international shipping company."
"Spent many years working your way up from the vice-presidency, I’m sure," snarked Reid. "Was it Mommy or Daddy that decided to give you an international shipping company for your birthday when the store was out of ponies?"
"I’m not trying to put any pressure on you, but I cannot WAIT until you get your memories back," said Mr. Snyder while moving a chess piece. "I had forgotten how much we disliked one another when we first met."
Reid snorted. "Please, you’re not going to actually pretend that what’s going on between us, now or then, is dislike instead of foreplay are you?"
Mr. Snyder frowned. "Well, it’s true that I don’t actually dislike you now but we genuinely disliked one another when we first met. We spent months bickering before we started spending time together working on the neurology wing you designed for Oakdale Memorial Hospital."
"Was the bickering back then like the bickering we’re doing now?" Reid asked while moving one of his pieces.
"Mostly. But it was pretty physical back then," answered Mr. Snyder. "For some reason, we just got into these situations where we would end up shoving each other."
"So, we’d get all physical with one another," smirked Reid. "Our nostrils would flare with anger, our pulses would race, our pupils would dilate. Yeah, I’m sure the shoving made the bickering less like foreplay."
Mr. Snyder looked really disturbed and remained quiet. He scratched his ear.
"What?" asked Reid.
"I’m just looking back at what was going on and maybe I’m interpreting it a little differently now than I did back then," said Mr. Snyder while moving a chess piece.
"And now you’re upset that we engaged in pre-marital shoving?" asked Reid. "Were you saving yourself?"
Mr. Snyder grimaced. "I’m pretty sure that you and I started shoving each other prior to when my ex and I officially broke up with one another. I’m suddenly feeling like a trollop."
"Huh," murmured Reid. "So I stole you from another?"
"Funny that you don’t seem particularly disturbed at the possibility of being a home-wrecker," answered Mr. Snyder. "But no. It was over between me and my ex long before you even entered the picture. I just hadn’t been ready to let him leave."
"Bitter break-up?" asked Reid while he moved a chess piece.
"Not at the time," answered Mr. Snyder. "I was completely devastated when we broke up but I don’t think that he was particularly heartbroken. It wasn’t the first time that he had given up on our relationship. It didn’t actually become bitter until months after the break-up when he realized that I had moved on."
"He sounds like a big loser," said Reid.
"He’s a really good person," defended Mr. Snyder. He shifted a piece.
"Tell me something mean about him," ordered Reid.
Mr. Snyder laughed. "Awhile after we broke up, he moved to LA. I loved him and really wanted to remain friends with him. I wanted us to be able to save the best parts of our relationship and to just let go of the parts that had made us so unhappy as a couple. But he refused to stay friends."
"A mean loser," said Reid as he moved a piece.
" He claimed that it was too hard to be friends. We didn’t have any contact at all for a couple of years. Later we tentatively became email buddies. He moved back to Oakdale about six months ago. Now he wants to be friends. Sometimes, I secretly wish that he didn’t want to be friends because when we do hang out, I find him sort of boring and self-centered."
Reid laughed. "I guess I don’t have to jealously worry about you running away with him then."
Mr. Snyder smiled. He shifted a chess piece to another square. "2014 Reid Oliver isn’t jealous but he and I still can’t discuss my ex in any kind of rational manner. The future version of you gets all frustrated with me when I don’t agree that my ex is the most horrible, evil person in all existence and that our entire relationship was merely a self-destructive, masochistic impulse of mine."
"He didn’t beat your or anything, did he?" asked an alarmed Reid.
"No, nothing like that," Mr. Snyder assured Reid. "I have these amazing parents who love me and my siblings completely. I’m lucky. But my mom has been married seven times and my dad has been married five times. And there were some engagements in there, too. Maybe if I hadn’t been so worried about not being willing to commit myself enough to a relationship, I would have realized a lot sooner that he and I just weren’t right for one another. He used to break up with me all the time and instead of letting us both move on, I would drag him kicking and screaming back into our relationship."
"It does sound masochistic of you," snarled Reid. "Because Mommy and Daddy are marrying fiends, you were willing to be with someone who obviously didn’t value you?"
"Well, I guess that 2009 Reid Oliver and I can’t discuss my ex in any kind of rational manner either," sighed Mr. Snyder.
Reid rolled his eyes and moved another chess piece.
"So did Karen have the chance to tell you all about your neuro wing?" asked Mr. Snyder.
"She mentioned it but she didn’t give me any details."
"It’s called the Brad Snyder Pavilion," replied Mr. Snyder while moving a chess piece. "Brad was my cousin once removed. He was Jack’s brother. The name of the wing had already been chosen before I came on board. His widow had gotten a lot of the initial funding for the wing. I only joined in on the project after it was obvious that a lot more funding was going to be needed. You actually attempted small talk with me so that my foundation would pick up the shortfall. It was a pretty horrific experience for both of us. We didn’t get together until after we started working on the project."
"Except for the shoving slash foreplay," responded Reid as he moved a piece.
"Except for the shoving slash foreplay," Mr. Snyder agreed. "You had come to Oakdale for a patient and the Chief of Staff at the time, Dr. Bob Hughes, flagrantly seduced you into staying in our picturesque little town by offering you the opportunity to create the wing exactly the way you wanted it. He did say no to giving you a title with the word ‘genius’ in it."
Reid poured some milk from the thermos into the cup from his bedside table and handed it to Mr. Snyder along with a cookie. He poured some milk into the thermos lid for himself and pulled out a cookie for himself. He placed the cookie container on the bed between Mr. Snyder and himself. He may not remember Mr. Snyder but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t try to be romantic for the poor guy who had seemingly married him.
"So, you have a foundation?" asked Reid.
"Sure, doesn’t everyone?" asked Mr. Snyder blandly. Mr. Snyder grinned and moved a game piece when Reid rolled his eyes. "When I was in my late teens, my biological father gave me an inheritance from his side of the family. I opened a foundation with the money. The original focus of the charity was to be sick kids and their families but then it expanded to include LGBT causes and then expanded to include the neuro wing."
"I see," said Reid. "You’re flighty and have attention span issues." Reid moved a piece.
"Exactly," agreed Mr. Snyder. "I got really busy with Grimaldi Shipping and with night classes so I handed over the running of the foundation to my Aunt Iva. I thought that the one positive thing about having to give up control of the reins would be that Aunt Iva would narrow the focus of the foundation and clarify the mission statement a little. But she’s turned out to be just as flighty as I am. However she refers to it as having a multi-pronged focus. It sounds better."
"You don’t have a problem with someone else running the foundation that you started?" asked the control-loving Reid curiously while moving one of his pieces to take one of Mr. Snyder’s.
"Not as much as I thought I would," answered Mr. Snyder. "Aunt Iva does a really great job. She has a history of working for non-profits. I’m still involved in the fundraising activities but she makes most of the decisions and handles all of the details. We have a great house for entertaining so we normally hold fundraisers for both the foundation and the hospital there."
"We entertain?" asked an aghast Reid. Mr. Snyder rubbed his arm comfortingly.
Mr. Snyder kindly made an obvious effort to distract Reid from the horror of having become someone who willingly attended, let alone co-hosted, social functions. Mr. Snyder told him all about the Brad Snyder Pavilion. He seemingly knew all of the details about the wing. He talked to Reid about everything from the building design and what advanced equipment prototypes were being used to how someone nicknamed The Crying Nurse had accidentally tripped someone nicknamed Hughes the Lesser into the punchbowl at the opening ceremonies.
Dr. Haines temporarily interrupted the game when she returned to quickly check in on her patient. After assuring Luke that Reid was doing just fine, she said goodbye to both and left. Reid naturally won the chess game but was secretly impressed that Mr. Snyder had done extraordinarily well. When he yawned, Mr. Snyder moved the food tray with the chessboard away from the bed and insisted that Reid take another nap. Reid wasn’t annoyed at all when Mr. Snyder smoothed down his blankets and then kissed him on his forehead. He fell asleep with a small smile.
Author: nancygrew
Rated: G
Warnings: The medical aspects are no more realistic than they would be on the actual show.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to ATWT.
Notes: Futurefic. AU after Reid drives off to get the heart. Takes place ~late August 2014. Luke/Reid
Summary: Amnesia fic. Stupid Oakdale.
Later, Reid awoke suddenly. "Chili!" he exclaimed. He immediately focused on the black-haired man who appeared to be in his early thirties who was carrying a couple of take-out bags that smelled like chili. And possibly corn bread. Mmmmm.
"Good afternoon, Reid," said the man as he put one bag on the hospital tray that was near the foot of Reid’s bed. He efficiently raised the tray and brought it towards Reid. He handed the other takeout bag to Mr. Snyder. "I’m Lowell Ward, your administrative assistant. I’ve brought you both chili and cornbread from Al’s Diner for lunch. Reid, I requested that they put in extra hot sauce in yours. There are plastic utensils and napkins in the bags as well as sodas."
Mr. Snyder was pulling his wallet out of his back packet. Lowell stated, "There is no need to pay me. Reid always keeps a little bit of spending money hidden in one of the textbooks on his office shelves. I merely used that money to pay the bill. And to tip extremely well."
"Do I know that you know where I hide spending money?" asked Reid with a frown.
"I really could not say," said Lowell. He turned towards Mr. Snyder. "Your father arrived earlier with the coffee machines that you requested. I have taken the liberty of setting up the Espressione - Supremma Super Automatic Coffee & Beverage Center in Reid’s office. I have perused the DVD and I must say that the machine is only slightly less complicated and wondrous than a portable Zeiss NC4 microscope and mobile neuroendoscopy station."
"Do you think it’s too complicated for everyday use?" worried Mr. Snyder. "It would defeat the purpose if you two decided that it was just simpler to go to Java’s every time you wanted coffee that wasn’t toxic."
"Rest assured that Reid and I are both intelligent enough, and caffeine addicted enough, to be able to decipher how to use the machine," said Lowell. "I have emptied out one of the cabinets in Reid’s office in order to make room for some of the various coffee blends and flavored syrups, as well."
"Did you just buy me some costly coffee machine because you were worried about me having to face going into Java’s again?" asked a curious Reid.
"Yes. But I should have thought of buying you a coffee machine for your office years ago," said Mr. Snyder. "It’s just stupid that I hadn’t thought of it."
"Well, so few of us can be pretty and smart," replied Reid.
Both Mr. Snyder and Lowell ignored Reid.
"I will be placing the more user-friendly, yet still excellent, models that you requested in the main doctors’ and nurses’ lounges," said Lowell to Mr. Snyder. "I am quite sure that regardless of whether any of the staff have any residual nerves regarding setting foot in Java’s after the incident yesterday, they will still be grateful for the convenience of being able to get non-toxic coffee while at work."
"Thank you so much for your help, Lowell," said Mr. Snyder. "I really appreciate it. Is there room in the lounges for all the coffee blends and syrups I requested? I might have gone a little overboard with quantities and varieties."
"To prevent pilferage, I suggest that you allow me keep the coffee and supplies stored in a secure location and to supply the lounges as needed," advised Lowell.
"I don’t want to create more work for you," said Mr. Snyder.
"It is not any problem whatsoever," replied Lowell. Lowell turned towards Reid. "Reid, you need not worry about any of your responsibilities at the hospital until you have regained your memory and Dr. Haines agrees that you are ready to return to duty. I have reassigned your workload for the next 5 days already. And I will be able to reassign additional days’ responsibilities as needed. I have filled out the appropriate paperwork for your health insurance and for a leave of absence of unknown duration for you."
"Just out of curiosity, which one of us actually runs the hospital?" asked Reid with a frown.
"I shall not dignify that with a response," Lowell replied. "Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance to you. Good day to you both."
Lowell left the room. Mr. Snyder plopped down into his chair and started to work on the lunch that Lowell Ward: RoboAdministrator had brought.
Reid ate his chili while keeping a careful eye on Mr. Snyder.
Reid and Mr. Snyder finished their meal in a comfortable silence. Reid was eyeing the container of oatmeal raisin cookies when there was a brusque knock on the door followed by two men entering the hospital room. One man had medium brown hair and appeared to be in his late forties. The other man had darker, curly hair and appeared to be in his early twenties and was wearing a police uniform.
"Guys," greeted Mr. Snyder as he exchanged ‘fist bumps’ with both gentlemen.
The older man approached Reid first. "Hey, champ!" Champ?!? Reid might have had amnesia but he was quite certain that NO ONE had ever called him ‘champ’ before. Reid glared at the interloper.
The older man was unaffected by Reid’s glare of death. "I’m Jack Snyder. I’m the Chief of Police here in Oakdale. This is my son, Parker Snyder, who was the first officer on the scene during yesterday’s incident."
"Snyder?" asked Reid wondering if the seemingly endless supply of Mr. Snyder’s relatives was due to polygamy. Did Illinois still have polygamists?
"Yeah, I’m Luke’s cousin once removed," explained Jack.
"I take it you’re Luke," Reid said to Mr. Snyder.
Jack gave Mr. Snyder a quizzical look. "You didn’t invite your husband to call you by your first name?"
Mr. Snyder shrugged. "He was being a jerk."
Parker snorted while Chief of Police Jack Snyder rolled his eyes. "The guy was shot yesterday," said Chief of Police Jack Snyder. "You didn’t feel like giving him a break?"
"Not particularly," answered Mr. Snyder.
Chief of Police Jack Snyder lecturing Mr. Snyder annoyed Reid. "How can I assist you, flatfoot?"
Chief of Police Jack Snyder sighed heavily. "Parker and I met with Dr. Haines who has advised us that there’s been no change in your memory but while we were here, we wanted to check in on you to see if you needed anything."
"Thank you for checking on me," said Reid coolly. "However, Mr. Snyder has been taking excellent care of me."
Parker grinned over the fact that Reid was still calling Luke ‘Mr. Snyder’. "Do you have any questions for us while we’re here? Either about the case or about your personal life for the past four and a half years?"
"Has the shooter been arrested yet?" asked Reid.
"Yeah, the guy came into the police station this morning and turned himself in," answered Parker. "He was crying and sobbing. He somehow hadn’t realized that shooting someone was going to be upsetting. I’ve only been on the job a few months, but I feel confident in claiming that most criminals are idiots."
Reid snorted. "Since most people are idiots, I’m sure you’re accurate about that."
"You might be interested to know that you managed to break the idiot’s nose when you threw your coffee mug into his face," said an impressed Parker. "He’s telling anyone who will listen that he was beat up by a ceramics wielding thug."
"Maybe when I get better, I’ll market my own line of self-defense coffee mugs," said Reid.
"Why stop at self-defense coffee mugs?" asked Chief of Police Jack Snyder. "You can market combat tea cups too."
"I can clearly see now that the years I spent becoming a world-renowned neurosurgeon were a complete waste of time," replied Reid.
"Luke warned everyone not to overwhelm you so we’re going to go unless there’s something that you need. Is there anything at all we can do for you?" asked Chief of Police Jack Snyder.
"Thank you for the offer but I have tons of food and entertainment options," answered Reid. "I just have to wait patiently to heal. Perhaps not patiently."
The men said goodbye to Reid and Mr. Snyder and left.
"Familiar activities often help an amnesiac recover their memories," said Reid. "Do you want to make out?"
"I’m married," replied Mr. Snyder snootily.
"Yes, to me," explained Reid slowly.
"Experiences and memories help to mold people into who they are," lectured Mr. Snyder. "2014 Reid Oliver has memories that 2009 Reid Oliver does not. It would feel like I was committing adultery if I were to make out with you."
"You’re kind of maidenly, aren’t you?" asked Reid.
Mr. Snyder shrugged agreeably.
Reid huffed. "So, is 2014 Reid Oliver different from 2009 Reid Oliver?"
"Besides the jetpack that 2014 Reid Oliver uses to travel to and from work?" asked Mr. Snyder.
"Besides the jetpack."
"In some ways, you haven’t changed a lot over the last four and a half years," replied Mr. Snyder. "You’re still a confident and brilliant man who is completely devoted to taking care of his patients. You still have no patience for hypocrisy or willful stupidity. You’re still honest and blunt and sarcastic."
"And in other ways?" asked Reid.
"I don’t want to scare you into thinking you’re a fluffy kitty cat now," answered Mr. Snyder. "But you’ve allowed yourself to have love and family and a life outside of the hospital. Having a fulfilling personal life has even made you a better doctor."
Reid pondered that truly bizarre thought. It was a little disturbing to think that he might have changed enough to become unrecognizable to himself.
"Okay, I’m way too tired to dive into some existential crisis," said Reid. "Do you want to play chess?"
Mr. Snyder hesitated.
"Please tell me that I haven’t married someone who can’t play chess," said Reid.
"I can play," said Mr. Snyder defensively. "And I’m pretty good compared to people that weren’t childhood chess prodigies who spent their youths experiencing the glamour and high stakes of the chess tournament circuit."
"So? We don’t play chess together?"
"We do play together. I sometimes even come close to beating you now. Well, playing you to a draw, anyway. But I’m still not a real challenge to you."
"Coming close to playing me to a draw means that you must be pretty good. Do you enjoy playing with me?" asked Reid.
"I do," nodded Mr. Snyder. "And 2014 Reid Oliver enjoys playing with me. But that might be because that guy is in love with me. 2009 Reid Oliver might just be annoyed at how relatively badly I play compared to him."
"If I promise that I’ll try not to make you cry and that I won’t do a victory lap around the hospital room, do you want to give it a shot?" Reid asked.
Mr. Snyder nodded. He lifted the exquisitely wrapped gift that Lucinda had brought and handed it to Reid.
Reid opened the gift. "Your grandmother bought me an alabaster chess set? She does know that plastic chess pieces move the same way as incredibly expensive ones, right?"
"Grandmother loves you and wanted to buy something nice for you. Deal with it," huffed Mr. Snyder.
"You’re family is rich, aren’t they?" accused Reid in an accusatory tone while he unpacked the chess set and placed it on the food tray.
"Yes, we are," said Mr. Snyder cheerily as he brought his chair up to the side of Reid’s bed. "My family is loaded. You married into wealth. You can no longer live your life secure in the moral superiority of being able to hate all rich people. In the words of the great French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire, ‘HA! HA!’"
"I can’t believe I’m married to the idle rich," huffed Reid. He picked up a white and a black pawn and put his hands behind his back, nodding to Mr. Snyder to select a hand.
"If it makes you feel any better, I’m not idle," offered Mr. Snyder while pointing to Reid’s left arm. It was the white pawn so Mr. Snyder would make the first move. "I’m the president of Grimaldi Shipping, an international shipping company."
"Spent many years working your way up from the vice-presidency, I’m sure," snarked Reid. "Was it Mommy or Daddy that decided to give you an international shipping company for your birthday when the store was out of ponies?"
"I’m not trying to put any pressure on you, but I cannot WAIT until you get your memories back," said Mr. Snyder while moving a chess piece. "I had forgotten how much we disliked one another when we first met."
Reid snorted. "Please, you’re not going to actually pretend that what’s going on between us, now or then, is dislike instead of foreplay are you?"
Mr. Snyder frowned. "Well, it’s true that I don’t actually dislike you now but we genuinely disliked one another when we first met. We spent months bickering before we started spending time together working on the neurology wing you designed for Oakdale Memorial Hospital."
"Was the bickering back then like the bickering we’re doing now?" Reid asked while moving one of his pieces.
"Mostly. But it was pretty physical back then," answered Mr. Snyder. "For some reason, we just got into these situations where we would end up shoving each other."
"So, we’d get all physical with one another," smirked Reid. "Our nostrils would flare with anger, our pulses would race, our pupils would dilate. Yeah, I’m sure the shoving made the bickering less like foreplay."
Mr. Snyder looked really disturbed and remained quiet. He scratched his ear.
"What?" asked Reid.
"I’m just looking back at what was going on and maybe I’m interpreting it a little differently now than I did back then," said Mr. Snyder while moving a chess piece.
"And now you’re upset that we engaged in pre-marital shoving?" asked Reid. "Were you saving yourself?"
Mr. Snyder grimaced. "I’m pretty sure that you and I started shoving each other prior to when my ex and I officially broke up with one another. I’m suddenly feeling like a trollop."
"Huh," murmured Reid. "So I stole you from another?"
"Funny that you don’t seem particularly disturbed at the possibility of being a home-wrecker," answered Mr. Snyder. "But no. It was over between me and my ex long before you even entered the picture. I just hadn’t been ready to let him leave."
"Bitter break-up?" asked Reid while he moved a chess piece.
"Not at the time," answered Mr. Snyder. "I was completely devastated when we broke up but I don’t think that he was particularly heartbroken. It wasn’t the first time that he had given up on our relationship. It didn’t actually become bitter until months after the break-up when he realized that I had moved on."
"He sounds like a big loser," said Reid.
"He’s a really good person," defended Mr. Snyder. He shifted a piece.
"Tell me something mean about him," ordered Reid.
Mr. Snyder laughed. "Awhile after we broke up, he moved to LA. I loved him and really wanted to remain friends with him. I wanted us to be able to save the best parts of our relationship and to just let go of the parts that had made us so unhappy as a couple. But he refused to stay friends."
"A mean loser," said Reid as he moved a piece.
" He claimed that it was too hard to be friends. We didn’t have any contact at all for a couple of years. Later we tentatively became email buddies. He moved back to Oakdale about six months ago. Now he wants to be friends. Sometimes, I secretly wish that he didn’t want to be friends because when we do hang out, I find him sort of boring and self-centered."
Reid laughed. "I guess I don’t have to jealously worry about you running away with him then."
Mr. Snyder smiled. He shifted a chess piece to another square. "2014 Reid Oliver isn’t jealous but he and I still can’t discuss my ex in any kind of rational manner. The future version of you gets all frustrated with me when I don’t agree that my ex is the most horrible, evil person in all existence and that our entire relationship was merely a self-destructive, masochistic impulse of mine."
"He didn’t beat your or anything, did he?" asked an alarmed Reid.
"No, nothing like that," Mr. Snyder assured Reid. "I have these amazing parents who love me and my siblings completely. I’m lucky. But my mom has been married seven times and my dad has been married five times. And there were some engagements in there, too. Maybe if I hadn’t been so worried about not being willing to commit myself enough to a relationship, I would have realized a lot sooner that he and I just weren’t right for one another. He used to break up with me all the time and instead of letting us both move on, I would drag him kicking and screaming back into our relationship."
"It does sound masochistic of you," snarled Reid. "Because Mommy and Daddy are marrying fiends, you were willing to be with someone who obviously didn’t value you?"
"Well, I guess that 2009 Reid Oliver and I can’t discuss my ex in any kind of rational manner either," sighed Mr. Snyder.
Reid rolled his eyes and moved another chess piece.
"So did Karen have the chance to tell you all about your neuro wing?" asked Mr. Snyder.
"She mentioned it but she didn’t give me any details."
"It’s called the Brad Snyder Pavilion," replied Mr. Snyder while moving a chess piece. "Brad was my cousin once removed. He was Jack’s brother. The name of the wing had already been chosen before I came on board. His widow had gotten a lot of the initial funding for the wing. I only joined in on the project after it was obvious that a lot more funding was going to be needed. You actually attempted small talk with me so that my foundation would pick up the shortfall. It was a pretty horrific experience for both of us. We didn’t get together until after we started working on the project."
"Except for the shoving slash foreplay," responded Reid as he moved a piece.
"Except for the shoving slash foreplay," Mr. Snyder agreed. "You had come to Oakdale for a patient and the Chief of Staff at the time, Dr. Bob Hughes, flagrantly seduced you into staying in our picturesque little town by offering you the opportunity to create the wing exactly the way you wanted it. He did say no to giving you a title with the word ‘genius’ in it."
Reid poured some milk from the thermos into the cup from his bedside table and handed it to Mr. Snyder along with a cookie. He poured some milk into the thermos lid for himself and pulled out a cookie for himself. He placed the cookie container on the bed between Mr. Snyder and himself. He may not remember Mr. Snyder but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t try to be romantic for the poor guy who had seemingly married him.
"So, you have a foundation?" asked Reid.
"Sure, doesn’t everyone?" asked Mr. Snyder blandly. Mr. Snyder grinned and moved a game piece when Reid rolled his eyes. "When I was in my late teens, my biological father gave me an inheritance from his side of the family. I opened a foundation with the money. The original focus of the charity was to be sick kids and their families but then it expanded to include LGBT causes and then expanded to include the neuro wing."
"I see," said Reid. "You’re flighty and have attention span issues." Reid moved a piece.
"Exactly," agreed Mr. Snyder. "I got really busy with Grimaldi Shipping and with night classes so I handed over the running of the foundation to my Aunt Iva. I thought that the one positive thing about having to give up control of the reins would be that Aunt Iva would narrow the focus of the foundation and clarify the mission statement a little. But she’s turned out to be just as flighty as I am. However she refers to it as having a multi-pronged focus. It sounds better."
"You don’t have a problem with someone else running the foundation that you started?" asked the control-loving Reid curiously while moving one of his pieces to take one of Mr. Snyder’s.
"Not as much as I thought I would," answered Mr. Snyder. "Aunt Iva does a really great job. She has a history of working for non-profits. I’m still involved in the fundraising activities but she makes most of the decisions and handles all of the details. We have a great house for entertaining so we normally hold fundraisers for both the foundation and the hospital there."
"We entertain?" asked an aghast Reid. Mr. Snyder rubbed his arm comfortingly.
Mr. Snyder kindly made an obvious effort to distract Reid from the horror of having become someone who willingly attended, let alone co-hosted, social functions. Mr. Snyder told him all about the Brad Snyder Pavilion. He seemingly knew all of the details about the wing. He talked to Reid about everything from the building design and what advanced equipment prototypes were being used to how someone nicknamed The Crying Nurse had accidentally tripped someone nicknamed Hughes the Lesser into the punchbowl at the opening ceremonies.
Dr. Haines temporarily interrupted the game when she returned to quickly check in on her patient. After assuring Luke that Reid was doing just fine, she said goodbye to both and left. Reid naturally won the chess game but was secretly impressed that Mr. Snyder had done extraordinarily well. When he yawned, Mr. Snyder moved the food tray with the chessboard away from the bed and insisted that Reid take another nap. Reid wasn’t annoyed at all when Mr. Snyder smoothed down his blankets and then kissed him on his forehead. He fell asleep with a small smile.