fan fic: it's that what if factor, part 37 (rated T/PG-13)
title: it's that what if factor pt. 37
rating: pg-13
summary: luke never could have imagined that a business trip to texas would so completely change his life.
chapter summary: luke and reid go to lucinda's for dinner.
notes: thanks for being so patient, guys. <3 and yay for luresday!
They walked inside and Reid found himself quite comfortable in the large home, much to Luke's surprise. Honestly, Reid would have expected nothing less from Lucinda. The house was large and extravagant, though hardly gaudy in any way. Anything more would lend itself to being too much, and anything less just wouldn't be Lucinda Walsh. Reid grinned as he walked easily through the hallway behind Luke, following into a sitting area where there were new faces staring back. Suddenly, Reid didn't feel quite so comfortable.
"Ah, there you are," said Lucinda, standing up and coming over to greet them. She then turned to the rest of the room.
"Luke, you already know everyone here, why don’t you do the introductions?" Lucinda suggested and Luke gave her a suspicious look. She stepped away and he sighed, putting on a smile and looking over the room.
"Alright then," he said, bringing his hands together. "Well, first, this is Dr. Bob Hughes, he's the chief of staff over at Memorial," Luke began, indicating which one is Bob. Reid followed Luke's gestures to a kind faced older man, who was holding hands with the woman to his right, "and this is his wife, Kim, and their son, Dr. Chris Hughes."
Reid looked over at the man who was about his age, sitting in a chair and wearing a grin that was so obviously forced he made Reid look like the happier of the two. Reid didn't bother to look at him for too long.
"Chris, Bob, Kim, this is my boyfriend, Reid Oliver," said Luke, trying not to smile too much as he glanced at Reid.
Bob stands up, stepping forward and offering his hand to Reid, who shakes it firmly and smiles because he knows that is what is expected of him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Oliver," said Bob, causing Reid and Luke to exchange a quick, confused look. "Lucinda has been telling us about you since we arrived," he said, clearing up their confusion. He didn't seem to have minded at all, though Chris can't help but appear smug. Reid glanced at Lucinda as though he's just now realizing how manipulative the woman can be.
Just then a woman entered the room, looking around everyone to Lucinda.
"Dinner is ready, Ms. Walsh," she said in a sturdy voice. Reid choked back a laugh. The group made their way into the dining room, which is nothing less than lavish, and work out a predictable seating arrangement. Lucinda sat at one end with Bob, Kim and Chris to her left, Luke and Reid to her right.
It didn't take long for food to be served and Luke failed to hide his embarrassment as Reid pulled two of everything onto his plate. Lucinda didn't seem to mind, in fact, Luke noticed that she was smiling even brighter, and admittedly more mischievously, than usual.
"This looks lovely, Lucinda," came Bob's strong voice. "Thank you again for having us over this evening."
"Oh, don't be silly, Bob. You know it is my pleasure."
Though sincere, Luke was still able to pick up on the undertones of Lucinda's words and looked to her with a smirk he knew he'd learned from watching her all these years. She batted her eyes at him innocently and Luke just shook his head, returning to the steak on his plate and cutting it with precision.
"Lucinda tells me you are from Dallas."
Again it was Bob's voice and Luke and Reid both looked up. Reid's mouth was full and he looked a bit surprised by the sudden conversation, glancing at Luke with a frown before quickly swallowing and nodding his head.
"That I am," he replied simply.
"She also tells me you are a neurosurgeon," he continued. Reid did his best not to sigh, but only because Luke was beside him and holding his steak knife a bit too tightly.
Again he nodded. "Right again," Reid replied. He noticed Luke's shoulders drop.
"We're actually expanding our neurology center here at Memorial. We've received a generous grant to add on another wing dedicated to neurological research and advancements in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. I've been talking with a fine doctor from Chicago to head up the project. Perhaps you know him. His name is Mark Channing, a fine young man," said Bob, beginning to reveal more about this doctor, but he stopped in the middle of a word at the sound of Reid almost choking on air.
"Mark Channing?" he repeated, staring at Bob with dangerously small eyes. "You're trusting that clown to run your neurology wing?"
Luke stared at Reid with disbelief. Kim looked slightly startled and Chris leaned back with an expression that made it clear that he's wasn't sure if he should smile or throw a fit. Lucinda didn't seem to have noticed a thing, and Bob was equally unaffected by the outburst.
"Yes, I am. As I was saying, he's a fine young man and a brilliant doctor. I've had the pleasure of meeting him on a number of occasions and Chris here use to work with him in Chicago."
At this point Chris sat up, finally choosing to smile at Reid's confused expression. "He's one of the best, and he's exactly the kind of person that would fit in at memorial."
"Ah, yes. Incompetence, greed, and a stale bedside manners are exactly what any hospital would love to bring to the table," said Reid dramatically. Luke sat with his hands in his lap, sucking on his bottom lip nervously.
"I see you have a bit of a grudge against Doctor Channing," said Bob easily. Reid couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable by the fact that Bob was so laid back about all this.
"A grudge? No. But trust me when I say I know the guy and he isn't worthy to sweep the floors of a hospital let alone operate on patients and run an entire department."
Bob just smiled. Kim exchanged a sympathetic look with Luke, who cowered even further into his seat.
"Who would you suggest then to head such a project, Doctor Oliver?"
Reid froze for a moment and Luke felt his muscles tense. The room was eerily quiet as everyone waited for a response. It didn't matter if the three doctors were the only ones who would even care about his answer, everyone else was just curious to hear Reid challenge Bob's decision. Reid shifted uneasily, pulling the napkin from his lap and laying it on the table. Luke noticed that Reid's lips were pressing tightly together and he could feel that something was about to happen.
"Me."
rating: pg-13
summary: luke never could have imagined that a business trip to texas would so completely change his life.
chapter summary: luke and reid go to lucinda's for dinner.
notes: thanks for being so patient, guys. <3 and yay for luresday!
They walked inside and Reid found himself quite comfortable in the large home, much to Luke's surprise. Honestly, Reid would have expected nothing less from Lucinda. The house was large and extravagant, though hardly gaudy in any way. Anything more would lend itself to being too much, and anything less just wouldn't be Lucinda Walsh. Reid grinned as he walked easily through the hallway behind Luke, following into a sitting area where there were new faces staring back. Suddenly, Reid didn't feel quite so comfortable.
"Ah, there you are," said Lucinda, standing up and coming over to greet them. She then turned to the rest of the room.
"Luke, you already know everyone here, why don’t you do the introductions?" Lucinda suggested and Luke gave her a suspicious look. She stepped away and he sighed, putting on a smile and looking over the room.
"Alright then," he said, bringing his hands together. "Well, first, this is Dr. Bob Hughes, he's the chief of staff over at Memorial," Luke began, indicating which one is Bob. Reid followed Luke's gestures to a kind faced older man, who was holding hands with the woman to his right, "and this is his wife, Kim, and their son, Dr. Chris Hughes."
Reid looked over at the man who was about his age, sitting in a chair and wearing a grin that was so obviously forced he made Reid look like the happier of the two. Reid didn't bother to look at him for too long.
"Chris, Bob, Kim, this is my boyfriend, Reid Oliver," said Luke, trying not to smile too much as he glanced at Reid.
Bob stands up, stepping forward and offering his hand to Reid, who shakes it firmly and smiles because he knows that is what is expected of him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Oliver," said Bob, causing Reid and Luke to exchange a quick, confused look. "Lucinda has been telling us about you since we arrived," he said, clearing up their confusion. He didn't seem to have minded at all, though Chris can't help but appear smug. Reid glanced at Lucinda as though he's just now realizing how manipulative the woman can be.
Just then a woman entered the room, looking around everyone to Lucinda.
"Dinner is ready, Ms. Walsh," she said in a sturdy voice. Reid choked back a laugh. The group made their way into the dining room, which is nothing less than lavish, and work out a predictable seating arrangement. Lucinda sat at one end with Bob, Kim and Chris to her left, Luke and Reid to her right.
It didn't take long for food to be served and Luke failed to hide his embarrassment as Reid pulled two of everything onto his plate. Lucinda didn't seem to mind, in fact, Luke noticed that she was smiling even brighter, and admittedly more mischievously, than usual.
"This looks lovely, Lucinda," came Bob's strong voice. "Thank you again for having us over this evening."
"Oh, don't be silly, Bob. You know it is my pleasure."
Though sincere, Luke was still able to pick up on the undertones of Lucinda's words and looked to her with a smirk he knew he'd learned from watching her all these years. She batted her eyes at him innocently and Luke just shook his head, returning to the steak on his plate and cutting it with precision.
"Lucinda tells me you are from Dallas."
Again it was Bob's voice and Luke and Reid both looked up. Reid's mouth was full and he looked a bit surprised by the sudden conversation, glancing at Luke with a frown before quickly swallowing and nodding his head.
"That I am," he replied simply.
"She also tells me you are a neurosurgeon," he continued. Reid did his best not to sigh, but only because Luke was beside him and holding his steak knife a bit too tightly.
Again he nodded. "Right again," Reid replied. He noticed Luke's shoulders drop.
"We're actually expanding our neurology center here at Memorial. We've received a generous grant to add on another wing dedicated to neurological research and advancements in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. I've been talking with a fine doctor from Chicago to head up the project. Perhaps you know him. His name is Mark Channing, a fine young man," said Bob, beginning to reveal more about this doctor, but he stopped in the middle of a word at the sound of Reid almost choking on air.
"Mark Channing?" he repeated, staring at Bob with dangerously small eyes. "You're trusting that clown to run your neurology wing?"
Luke stared at Reid with disbelief. Kim looked slightly startled and Chris leaned back with an expression that made it clear that he's wasn't sure if he should smile or throw a fit. Lucinda didn't seem to have noticed a thing, and Bob was equally unaffected by the outburst.
"Yes, I am. As I was saying, he's a fine young man and a brilliant doctor. I've had the pleasure of meeting him on a number of occasions and Chris here use to work with him in Chicago."
At this point Chris sat up, finally choosing to smile at Reid's confused expression. "He's one of the best, and he's exactly the kind of person that would fit in at memorial."
"Ah, yes. Incompetence, greed, and a stale bedside manners are exactly what any hospital would love to bring to the table," said Reid dramatically. Luke sat with his hands in his lap, sucking on his bottom lip nervously.
"I see you have a bit of a grudge against Doctor Channing," said Bob easily. Reid couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable by the fact that Bob was so laid back about all this.
"A grudge? No. But trust me when I say I know the guy and he isn't worthy to sweep the floors of a hospital let alone operate on patients and run an entire department."
Bob just smiled. Kim exchanged a sympathetic look with Luke, who cowered even further into his seat.
"Who would you suggest then to head such a project, Doctor Oliver?"
Reid froze for a moment and Luke felt his muscles tense. The room was eerily quiet as everyone waited for a response. It didn't matter if the three doctors were the only ones who would even care about his answer, everyone else was just curious to hear Reid challenge Bob's decision. Reid shifted uneasily, pulling the napkin from his lap and laying it on the table. Luke noticed that Reid's lips were pressing tightly together and he could feel that something was about to happen.
"Me."