Amore Tutto Vince (15/?)
Title: Amore Tutto Vince
Author: Bkwermy323
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: Luke has cancer
Author's note: enjoy!
Reid has just settled Luke into bed after returning home and was now sitting down with Holden and Lily to discuss at home care. Luke had spent an entire week in the hospital after his brain surgery and was finally deemed stable enough to receive further care at home. Reid has also taken a leave of absence so that he could stay home. Chris would serve as interim chief until Reid’s return.
“Okay,” Reid began as soon as he sat down. “The first things we need to discuss are Luke’s needs. Recovery following brain surgery can be challenging and he will need all the support we can give him. He will need help getting dressed, eating and bathing. He will also need to be taken to chemotherapy, radiation and physical therapy. Right now, we have chemo therapy scheduled on Tuesdays and radiation on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Physical therapy will be on Saturday, but he can also walk around at home.”
Lily sighed deeply. “Oh Reid… this just sounds so….”
“I know. But listen, Lily. The doctors said that the outcome of his surgery couldn’t be better. I even looked at the scar on his head myself; they did a wonderful job. And Dr. Lawrence is expecting Luke to respond well to the chemo. Plus, this week is the last one before the end of the chemo cycle, so he’ll get a break. It’s going to be hard but I think we can do this. Your son is an incredible man; I know I’m damn lucky he’s my husband.”
“Reid is right, Lily. Luke is strong!” Holden added.
“I know. It’s just… this is our baby, Holden!”
Reid reached over to Lily and patted her hand awkwardly. “I know you’re worried; I am too. But he’s going to -“
“Reid? Reid?” Luke called from the bedroom.
“Hold on… why don’t you two look over that care packet they gave us?” Reid suggested before hurrying to the bedroom.
“What is it baby?” Reid asked when he got to the bedroom.
“Non mi sento bene…”
“Huh? Luke, I don’t speak Italian, remember?” Reid said. Occasionally, Luke would speak to Reid in Italian. This was common for brain surgery patients who spoke more than one language, but Luke would get very frustrated when people didn’t understand what he was saying.
“Scusa… uh… I mean… s-sorry…” Luke said.
“It’s okay. Now what did you say?”
“I don’t feel good…”
“Do you feel like you’re going to get sick?”
“N-no…. mal di tes- I mean h-headache,” Luke replied.
“Oh! Okay, let me just go grab your painkillers,” Reid replied. He went into the bathroom and got Luke a glass of water and his pain medication. Then he went back to his husband and sat down on the bed. “Open up,” Reid said. Luke did as he was told and Reid placed two pills in Luke’s mouth. Luke held the pills on his tongue while Reid gently placed a hand on the back of his head, carefully avoiding the bandage, and held the glass of water to Luke’s lips. Luke took a large gulp of the water and swallowed the pill. “Drink all of the water,” Reid instructed.
“Grazie… I mean…. Thank you,” Luke said once he was finished.
“You’re welcome. If you need anything else, just yell. Try and get some sleep, hmm?” Reid suggested.
Luke nodded. “Kay.” He settled back into bed and closed his eyes. Reid returned to the living room where Luke’s parents were waiting expectantly.
“Is everything okay?” Lily asked.
“Yeah. He had a headache so I just gave him some pain killers. It’s pretty strong stuff, so he should be knocked out for a couple hours,” Reid replied. He sat back down at the table and smiled at Holden and Lily reassuringly. “Now. Let’s look at our schedules.”
The next day, Reid got up early so that he could get a quick run in before Luke woke up. When he returned, Luke was still asleep leaving Reid just enough time to shower and eat breakfast. A half hour later, Reid returned to the bedroom to check on Luke.
Luke was struggling to sit up when Reid entered the room, so he hurried forward and helped his husband into a sitting position. “Morning baby. How are you doing?”
“I’m okay,” Luke shrugged. “Weird dreams.”
“Do you want to talk about them?”
“Nah… I’m good. What time is it?”
“Just after 9. Do you think you could stomach something to eat?”
Luke nodded. “I… I think so.”
“Okay, good. I’ll be right back.”
Reid went to the kitchen and pulled out a cup of Jello. Solid foods were a little difficult for Luke to handle at the moment, so Jello and popsicles were about all he could eat. Reid returned to the bedroom and handed the cup and a spoon to his husband.
“Thanks,” Luke said.
“You’re welcome. Do you need any help eating? You should try it on your own, but I think we can let it slide today if you can’t.”
“No… I got it. Thank you, babe,” Luke replied. He slowly began eating the Jello, while Reid went over to the dresser to find Luke something to wear.
When Luke finished the Jello, Reid took the empty container and put it on the bedside table. “Okay, let’s get you dressed. Then I think you should get out of bed and walk for a little bit before we have to go to your chemo appointment.”
Luke nodded and Reid set to work helping him remove his t-shirt and pajama bottoms. Then Reid had Luke lift his arms up and carefully worked a long-sleeved shirt over Luke’s outstretched hands and over his head. Once the shirt was on, Reid helped Luke into a standing position. “Wrap your arms around my neck,” Reid instructed. Luke complied and Reid held a pair of sweatpants between them. Luke slowly lifted one leg into the pants and then the other then Reid pulled the pants up around Luke’s waist. “Are you warm enough?”
“Yes, thank you Reid.”
“No problem. Now, you just sit back down and I will go grab your cane.” Reid went to grab the cane that was leaning up against the wall next to the bedroom door and brought it over to Luke. He helped Luke stand and handed him the cane. “Okay, take this with your left.” Luke did as he was told and Reid wrapped an arm around Luke’s waist. Together, they took a couple steps forward before Luke stumbled. Reid caught him. “Whoa there, cowboy. You okay?”
“Yeah… let’s keep going,” Luke said with determination. Reid nodded and they continued walking out of the bedroom and into the living room. By the time they reached the couch, Luke was out of breath. “C-can… can we stop for a sec?” he panted.
“Sure. Do you need to sit down?” Reid asked.
“Y-yes…”
“Okay.” Reid helped his husband sit down and Luke gently laid his head down on the back of the couch, careful not to disturb the bandages on the back of his head. His breath came in short bursts for a few seconds then began to slow down. When he was breathing normally again, Luke looked up at Reid. “Sorry…”
“It’s okay. You alright?”
Luke nodded. “Yeah. I just need a couple more minutes, then I’ll be ready to go.”
“Okay, baby. Take all the time you need.”
At noon, once Luke had finished chemo, Reid helped him into a wheelchair and wheeled him towards the nurse’s station in the oncology ward in order to sign him out. Lily was going to meet them at their house so that Reid could go back out and run some errands.
When they arrived home, Lily was sitting on the front porch reading a book. She smiled as both men slowly made their way up the walk. “Hello there!” she said cheerfully.
“Hi mom,” Luke replied.
“Hey Lily,” Reid echoed. “Sorry, I should have given you a key or something…”
“That’s perfectly all right! It’s a beautiful day outside,” Lily said.
“That it is,” Reid agreed. He helped Luke up the stairs of the porch and unlocked the front door.
“I got it from here, Reid,” Lily said. “You go on and run some errands.”
“Thank you. I shouldn’t be more than an hour…”
“You take your time. Stop at the Lakeview for lunch or something! I already told the restaurant that you might stop by.”
“Are you sure?”
“You should go, Reid. You need to take time for yourself,” Luke interjected.
“Well… I do like the steak…”
“It’s settled then! We’ll be good here!” Lily said.
“Okay… thank you, Lily,” Reid replied.
“No problem.”
Reid kissed Luke on the forehead, then stepped aside so that Lily could take his place. “Call me if you need anything,” he instructed.
“Will do. Enjoy your lunch,” Lily said.
Reid nodded and went back to his care while Lily helped her son back into the house. “Are you doing okay, honey?”
“Yeah, mom. I’m just a little tired…” Luke replied.
“Okay, well then let’s get you to bed,” Lily suggested.
“Sounds good.”
An hour later, Lily was sitting on the couch, reading her book, when she heard Luke calling for her.
“M-mom?”
Lily hurried to her son’s bedroom and found Luke sitting on the bed with his legs hanging over the side. “What is it, sweetheart?”
“Bathroom,” Luke croaked.
“Okay!” Lily hurried over and helped Luke stand up. Then they slowly made their way to the bathroom. They had barely made it to the toilet before Luke fell to his knees and began to vomit. Lily sat down on the edge of the tub and rubbed Luke’s back while he retched. When Luke finished, he raised a shaky hand up to the toilet handle and flushed. Then he leaned over to the side and laid his head down on his mother’s lap. Lily began to stroke his head and Luke hummed in appreciation.
“I hate throwing up,” he mumbled.
“I know baby,” Lily said. She was about to suggest they go back to the bedroom, but Luke suddenly sat up and began vomiting again.
This went on for ten more minutes and when he finished throwing up the fifth time, Luke was perspiring profusely. “Where are your washcloths?” Lily inquired.
“Linen closet is over there,” Luke replied, waving a hand towards the bathroom closet. Lily nodded and hurried over to where Luke had gestured. She pulled out a wash cloth and went to the sink to get it damp. By the time she made it back over to where her son was sitting, Luke was vomiting for the sixth time. Lily sat back down on the edge of the tub and began dabbing at Luke’s neck with the cloth as he threw up.
Luke sat back for what felt like the 100th time and looked up at his mother. “I’m really sorry about this, mom,” he said hoarsely.
“Oh honey, don’t be sorry! It’s not like I haven’t sat with you when you’ve thrown up before. Remember when you were six, and you had that bad flu? I’m your mother; not my first rodeo.”
Luke chuckled and laid his head down on his mother’s lap. “Thanks, mom.”
“You’re very welcome, baby. Do you think you might get sick again?”
Luke shook his head. “No. But my throat really hurts now.”
“Well how about we get you back in bed and I’ll get you some ice chips?”
Luke groaned. “I don’t think I can move. I’ll just stay right here on the floor…”
“Sweetie, you are NOT going to lie on the floor. Why don’t I got get you that ice, and you can take a moment to recover.”
“Okay…”
Lily smiled and stood up from the tub. She went to the kitchen to grab a cup of ice but when she came back, Luke was vomiting again. Lily sighed and went back to sitting next to her son and waiting while he threw up bile.
Reid was just finishing up with lunch, when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Lily. “Hello, Lily.”
“Hey Reid. How is your lunch?”
“Good. Everything okay?”
“Well… yes… but Luke has been vomiting for the past half hour and now I can’t get him back to bed. I tried calling Holden so you could finish your lunch, but his mother said he was out exercising the horses and didn’t have his phone.”
“I’ll be right there!”
“I’m so sorry, Reid.”
“It’s not a problem. I was just finishing up and was on my way home anyway,” he assured her.
Reid arrived home in record time and hurried inside. He rushed to the bathroom where Luke and Lily sat on the floor, Luke’s head leaning up against her shoulder. He was breathing softly and deeply, his eyes shut. “Hey,” Lily whispered.
“Hey. How’s he doing?”
“Well, he threw up non-stop for about ten more minutes after I called you and then finally dozed off. I tried getting him to stand up and walk to bed, but he was just too weak and I obviously can’t carry him,” Lily explained. She grabbed Luke’s arm and shook it gently. “Luke? Honey, Reid’s home.”
Luke’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up at his mother groggily. “Che co- I mean, what?”
“Reid’s home.”
Luke looked towards the door and smiled up at his husband. “Reid…” he murmured happily.
“Hey baby. Why don’t we get you back to bed, hmm?” Reid said tenderly.
“Okay…”
Reid walked over and crouched down to the floor. Luke wrapped his arms around Reid’s neck and Reid lifted him, bridal style, off the ground. “This has become habit with you,” Reid teased softly.
“Mm… sorry,” Luke mumbled, nuzzling Reid’s neck.
“It’s okay. Great workout,” Reid said, chuckling.
Author: Bkwermy323
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Summary: Luke has cancer
Author's note: enjoy!
Reid has just settled Luke into bed after returning home and was now sitting down with Holden and Lily to discuss at home care. Luke had spent an entire week in the hospital after his brain surgery and was finally deemed stable enough to receive further care at home. Reid has also taken a leave of absence so that he could stay home. Chris would serve as interim chief until Reid’s return.
“Okay,” Reid began as soon as he sat down. “The first things we need to discuss are Luke’s needs. Recovery following brain surgery can be challenging and he will need all the support we can give him. He will need help getting dressed, eating and bathing. He will also need to be taken to chemotherapy, radiation and physical therapy. Right now, we have chemo therapy scheduled on Tuesdays and radiation on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Physical therapy will be on Saturday, but he can also walk around at home.”
Lily sighed deeply. “Oh Reid… this just sounds so….”
“I know. But listen, Lily. The doctors said that the outcome of his surgery couldn’t be better. I even looked at the scar on his head myself; they did a wonderful job. And Dr. Lawrence is expecting Luke to respond well to the chemo. Plus, this week is the last one before the end of the chemo cycle, so he’ll get a break. It’s going to be hard but I think we can do this. Your son is an incredible man; I know I’m damn lucky he’s my husband.”
“Reid is right, Lily. Luke is strong!” Holden added.
“I know. It’s just… this is our baby, Holden!”
Reid reached over to Lily and patted her hand awkwardly. “I know you’re worried; I am too. But he’s going to -“
“Reid? Reid?” Luke called from the bedroom.
“Hold on… why don’t you two look over that care packet they gave us?” Reid suggested before hurrying to the bedroom.
“What is it baby?” Reid asked when he got to the bedroom.
“Non mi sento bene…”
“Huh? Luke, I don’t speak Italian, remember?” Reid said. Occasionally, Luke would speak to Reid in Italian. This was common for brain surgery patients who spoke more than one language, but Luke would get very frustrated when people didn’t understand what he was saying.
“Scusa… uh… I mean… s-sorry…” Luke said.
“It’s okay. Now what did you say?”
“I don’t feel good…”
“Do you feel like you’re going to get sick?”
“N-no…. mal di tes- I mean h-headache,” Luke replied.
“Oh! Okay, let me just go grab your painkillers,” Reid replied. He went into the bathroom and got Luke a glass of water and his pain medication. Then he went back to his husband and sat down on the bed. “Open up,” Reid said. Luke did as he was told and Reid placed two pills in Luke’s mouth. Luke held the pills on his tongue while Reid gently placed a hand on the back of his head, carefully avoiding the bandage, and held the glass of water to Luke’s lips. Luke took a large gulp of the water and swallowed the pill. “Drink all of the water,” Reid instructed.
“Grazie… I mean…. Thank you,” Luke said once he was finished.
“You’re welcome. If you need anything else, just yell. Try and get some sleep, hmm?” Reid suggested.
Luke nodded. “Kay.” He settled back into bed and closed his eyes. Reid returned to the living room where Luke’s parents were waiting expectantly.
“Is everything okay?” Lily asked.
“Yeah. He had a headache so I just gave him some pain killers. It’s pretty strong stuff, so he should be knocked out for a couple hours,” Reid replied. He sat back down at the table and smiled at Holden and Lily reassuringly. “Now. Let’s look at our schedules.”
The next day, Reid got up early so that he could get a quick run in before Luke woke up. When he returned, Luke was still asleep leaving Reid just enough time to shower and eat breakfast. A half hour later, Reid returned to the bedroom to check on Luke.
Luke was struggling to sit up when Reid entered the room, so he hurried forward and helped his husband into a sitting position. “Morning baby. How are you doing?”
“I’m okay,” Luke shrugged. “Weird dreams.”
“Do you want to talk about them?”
“Nah… I’m good. What time is it?”
“Just after 9. Do you think you could stomach something to eat?”
Luke nodded. “I… I think so.”
“Okay, good. I’ll be right back.”
Reid went to the kitchen and pulled out a cup of Jello. Solid foods were a little difficult for Luke to handle at the moment, so Jello and popsicles were about all he could eat. Reid returned to the bedroom and handed the cup and a spoon to his husband.
“Thanks,” Luke said.
“You’re welcome. Do you need any help eating? You should try it on your own, but I think we can let it slide today if you can’t.”
“No… I got it. Thank you, babe,” Luke replied. He slowly began eating the Jello, while Reid went over to the dresser to find Luke something to wear.
When Luke finished the Jello, Reid took the empty container and put it on the bedside table. “Okay, let’s get you dressed. Then I think you should get out of bed and walk for a little bit before we have to go to your chemo appointment.”
Luke nodded and Reid set to work helping him remove his t-shirt and pajama bottoms. Then Reid had Luke lift his arms up and carefully worked a long-sleeved shirt over Luke’s outstretched hands and over his head. Once the shirt was on, Reid helped Luke into a standing position. “Wrap your arms around my neck,” Reid instructed. Luke complied and Reid held a pair of sweatpants between them. Luke slowly lifted one leg into the pants and then the other then Reid pulled the pants up around Luke’s waist. “Are you warm enough?”
“Yes, thank you Reid.”
“No problem. Now, you just sit back down and I will go grab your cane.” Reid went to grab the cane that was leaning up against the wall next to the bedroom door and brought it over to Luke. He helped Luke stand and handed him the cane. “Okay, take this with your left.” Luke did as he was told and Reid wrapped an arm around Luke’s waist. Together, they took a couple steps forward before Luke stumbled. Reid caught him. “Whoa there, cowboy. You okay?”
“Yeah… let’s keep going,” Luke said with determination. Reid nodded and they continued walking out of the bedroom and into the living room. By the time they reached the couch, Luke was out of breath. “C-can… can we stop for a sec?” he panted.
“Sure. Do you need to sit down?” Reid asked.
“Y-yes…”
“Okay.” Reid helped his husband sit down and Luke gently laid his head down on the back of the couch, careful not to disturb the bandages on the back of his head. His breath came in short bursts for a few seconds then began to slow down. When he was breathing normally again, Luke looked up at Reid. “Sorry…”
“It’s okay. You alright?”
Luke nodded. “Yeah. I just need a couple more minutes, then I’ll be ready to go.”
“Okay, baby. Take all the time you need.”
At noon, once Luke had finished chemo, Reid helped him into a wheelchair and wheeled him towards the nurse’s station in the oncology ward in order to sign him out. Lily was going to meet them at their house so that Reid could go back out and run some errands.
When they arrived home, Lily was sitting on the front porch reading a book. She smiled as both men slowly made their way up the walk. “Hello there!” she said cheerfully.
“Hi mom,” Luke replied.
“Hey Lily,” Reid echoed. “Sorry, I should have given you a key or something…”
“That’s perfectly all right! It’s a beautiful day outside,” Lily said.
“That it is,” Reid agreed. He helped Luke up the stairs of the porch and unlocked the front door.
“I got it from here, Reid,” Lily said. “You go on and run some errands.”
“Thank you. I shouldn’t be more than an hour…”
“You take your time. Stop at the Lakeview for lunch or something! I already told the restaurant that you might stop by.”
“Are you sure?”
“You should go, Reid. You need to take time for yourself,” Luke interjected.
“Well… I do like the steak…”
“It’s settled then! We’ll be good here!” Lily said.
“Okay… thank you, Lily,” Reid replied.
“No problem.”
Reid kissed Luke on the forehead, then stepped aside so that Lily could take his place. “Call me if you need anything,” he instructed.
“Will do. Enjoy your lunch,” Lily said.
Reid nodded and went back to his care while Lily helped her son back into the house. “Are you doing okay, honey?”
“Yeah, mom. I’m just a little tired…” Luke replied.
“Okay, well then let’s get you to bed,” Lily suggested.
“Sounds good.”
An hour later, Lily was sitting on the couch, reading her book, when she heard Luke calling for her.
“M-mom?”
Lily hurried to her son’s bedroom and found Luke sitting on the bed with his legs hanging over the side. “What is it, sweetheart?”
“Bathroom,” Luke croaked.
“Okay!” Lily hurried over and helped Luke stand up. Then they slowly made their way to the bathroom. They had barely made it to the toilet before Luke fell to his knees and began to vomit. Lily sat down on the edge of the tub and rubbed Luke’s back while he retched. When Luke finished, he raised a shaky hand up to the toilet handle and flushed. Then he leaned over to the side and laid his head down on his mother’s lap. Lily began to stroke his head and Luke hummed in appreciation.
“I hate throwing up,” he mumbled.
“I know baby,” Lily said. She was about to suggest they go back to the bedroom, but Luke suddenly sat up and began vomiting again.
This went on for ten more minutes and when he finished throwing up the fifth time, Luke was perspiring profusely. “Where are your washcloths?” Lily inquired.
“Linen closet is over there,” Luke replied, waving a hand towards the bathroom closet. Lily nodded and hurried over to where Luke had gestured. She pulled out a wash cloth and went to the sink to get it damp. By the time she made it back over to where her son was sitting, Luke was vomiting for the sixth time. Lily sat back down on the edge of the tub and began dabbing at Luke’s neck with the cloth as he threw up.
Luke sat back for what felt like the 100th time and looked up at his mother. “I’m really sorry about this, mom,” he said hoarsely.
“Oh honey, don’t be sorry! It’s not like I haven’t sat with you when you’ve thrown up before. Remember when you were six, and you had that bad flu? I’m your mother; not my first rodeo.”
Luke chuckled and laid his head down on his mother’s lap. “Thanks, mom.”
“You’re very welcome, baby. Do you think you might get sick again?”
Luke shook his head. “No. But my throat really hurts now.”
“Well how about we get you back in bed and I’ll get you some ice chips?”
Luke groaned. “I don’t think I can move. I’ll just stay right here on the floor…”
“Sweetie, you are NOT going to lie on the floor. Why don’t I got get you that ice, and you can take a moment to recover.”
“Okay…”
Lily smiled and stood up from the tub. She went to the kitchen to grab a cup of ice but when she came back, Luke was vomiting again. Lily sighed and went back to sitting next to her son and waiting while he threw up bile.
Reid was just finishing up with lunch, when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Lily. “Hello, Lily.”
“Hey Reid. How is your lunch?”
“Good. Everything okay?”
“Well… yes… but Luke has been vomiting for the past half hour and now I can’t get him back to bed. I tried calling Holden so you could finish your lunch, but his mother said he was out exercising the horses and didn’t have his phone.”
“I’ll be right there!”
“I’m so sorry, Reid.”
“It’s not a problem. I was just finishing up and was on my way home anyway,” he assured her.
Reid arrived home in record time and hurried inside. He rushed to the bathroom where Luke and Lily sat on the floor, Luke’s head leaning up against her shoulder. He was breathing softly and deeply, his eyes shut. “Hey,” Lily whispered.
“Hey. How’s he doing?”
“Well, he threw up non-stop for about ten more minutes after I called you and then finally dozed off. I tried getting him to stand up and walk to bed, but he was just too weak and I obviously can’t carry him,” Lily explained. She grabbed Luke’s arm and shook it gently. “Luke? Honey, Reid’s home.”
Luke’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up at his mother groggily. “Che co- I mean, what?”
“Reid’s home.”
Luke looked towards the door and smiled up at his husband. “Reid…” he murmured happily.
“Hey baby. Why don’t we get you back to bed, hmm?” Reid said tenderly.
“Okay…”
Reid walked over and crouched down to the floor. Luke wrapped his arms around Reid’s neck and Reid lifted him, bridal style, off the ground. “This has become habit with you,” Reid teased softly.
“Mm… sorry,” Luke mumbled, nuzzling Reid’s neck.
“It’s okay. Great workout,” Reid said, chuckling.