fic: I couldn't save your life tonight
Title: I couldn't save your life tonight
Rating: pg-13
Summary: Reid's death, but mildly more medically accurate.
Warnings: depressing.
A/n: inspired by last week's FunFicFriday prompt: "someone saved my life tonight," even though it's the complete opposite of the prompt, and there's nothing "fun" about it.
A bit off-canon: Holden is somehow there with Luke in the hospital, and the dialogue and turn of events may not match up with what transpired on the show, mainly because i can't bear to go back and watch that scene again.
The only thing still medically inaccurate is the use of the defibrillator paddles, but the drama it generated was just too good for me to pass up. (I'm morbid like that).
Aaand I'm shutting up now otherwise the A/n may end up being longer than the fic itself.
The moment he was hit by the train Reid knew he was as good as dead, and as he was brought into Memorial hospital on a gurney, he insisted that his heart be given to Chris should he be a compatible match.
Distressed as he was by Reid's situation, Bob had no time for guilt as he immediately ordered the blood tests, his heart in his mouth as he waited.
***
Chris lay in one room, hooked up to machines, Kim, Katie, Casey and Tom waiting hopefully by his side, while Reid lay in the room next door to Chris’, also hooked up to machines but with no hope of survival.
Luke was oblivious to his surroundings - the white walls, the sounds of the machines, the smell of antiseptic that lingered in the air - his focus solely on Reid, his shattered body lying on the bed, his eyes dulling as he struggled to keep them open. Tears obscured Luke's vision as he tried to keep his eyes on the man who would be gone from his life within the next few minutes.
"Reid," Luke pleaded, holding Reid's hand in his own, his other hand shaking as he cupped Reid's cheek. "I love you,” he choked out, tears pouring down his face, “you love me, you said you did, so please, please, you can’t leave me..." He leaned down and kissed Reid, and heard a long, loud beep as Reid coded.
Luke gave a faint, lost cry and wrapped his arms around Reid's motionless, ruined body as doctors and nurses rushed in and began to perform CPR in a futile attempt to restart his heart. Luke couldn't relinquish his grip of Reid's hand as the doctors jostled him, and it was Holden who grabbed hold of him and pulled him away, hugging him tightly. "Let the doctors do their jobs," he said, his voice heavy.
Luke watched helplessly as the doctors worked on Reid, and sobbed aloud as Reid's body jerked as the defibrillator paddles were applied, and Holden and turned him away from the scene on the bed, still holding him tightly.
At last the doctors turned off the machines, as had been inevitable, and in the deafening silence, Luke turned around and whimpered as he saw Reid lying lifeless on the bed. He tore away from Holden and slowly walked towards the bed on unsteady legs and knelt down by Reid's side. His hand trembled as he reached out and touched Reid's hand, still warm, and ran it up his arm and cupped his cheek. It was still wet with blood, and he caressed it once before burying his face in Reid's neck.
***
Chris' heart surgeon came striding down the hall and all heads turned towards him, and Bob stood up hurriedly. The doctor’s face was blank, but his eyes said it all. No. Not a match. Sorry. Bob slumped to the ground with a groan as around him, the wailing began.
***
Luke barely registered the commotion outside, his arms wrapped around Reid, and it was Holden, watching his son embracing the man he loved, who went outside to see what the cause of the disturbance was.
When he returned Luke looked up through a haze of tears and saw Holden shake his head sorrowfully, and he moaned and slumped against Reid, squeezing his eyes shut. He was numb with grief, wandering in a world of shadows where nothing made sense, a place silent yet noisy, cold and dark. Unseeing, unhearing, unfeeling, he couldn't sob, couldn't cry, couldn't move.
Reid's death had been for nothing.