Fabrication (2/27)
Reid couldn’t really name all the emotions he was feeling when he got off the plane at the Oakdale airport. He had a hard time believing he was actually back here. Ever since Bob had called, he had been inundated with memories of the few weeks he had spent in the town six years ago. Memories he thought (or pretended) he had buried deep and locked away.
Dinners and drinks and movies and scheming with Katie.
Conversations with Bob as they walked the halls of Memorial.
Luke.
Life had gone on, as life did. Reid moped for a week or three, but after a while, things got back to how he liked them - 70 hours or more a week at the hospital, casual acquaintances and colleagues but no real friends, guys he dated for a couple weeks or months at a time until they started making noises about feelings or complaining about his hours or eating habits. Overall, it worked for him.
It was weird to be back here. And when he rented a car and drove towards the hospital, he realized this town really was stuck in some sort of Star Trek-like time loop. Nothing had changed.
Almost nothing. There was preliminary construction at the hospital - ground cleared and fences up. Reid stared at it, wondering what would be going there, and then he climbed out of the car. He walked inside, remembering going through those same front doors what felt like a million times before.
The interior of the hospital, like almost everything else in the town, hadn’t changed much. New faces, of course, but the posters and the paint and (Reid imagined) the coffee was still old. He made his way to Bob’s office, his feet knowing the quickest route there.
When he arrived, the door was closed. Reid took a breath, steeling himself. Then he knocked.
“Yes, come in,” a muffled voice replied.
Reid turned the doorknob and entered. Christ, even Bob hadn’t changed.
“Reid!” Bob exclaimed, standing up and walking around the desk. They met in the center of the room and shook hands. “You’re early.”
“My flight was bumped up. I didn’t have a chance to call.”
Bob waved a hand, dismissing Reid’s non-apology. “I’m afraid your patient isn’t here yet, is all. I believe he plans to be here soon. Let me see if I can reach him, get him here earlier.”
Reid nodded. “Sounds great.”
“How are you?” Bob asked, walking back to his desk. He leaned over the computer, calling up Noah Mayer’s records and finding his telephone number.
“Fine.”
Bob laughed, glancing at him. “Still one for small talk, I see.”
Reid lifted his head in agreement, his amusement barely concealed. He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking around the office as Bob picked up his phone and began to dial.
**
Luke was in the never-ending process of packing the things in his room, deciding what he wanted to bring to the (at this point, still hypothetical) apartment, what stuff should stay here in storage, what should be donated, what should be tossed. How had he managed to accumulate so many belongings in 22 years? And how on earth had he fit them all in this room?
There was a knock on the door, and Luke turned. It was Noah, his cell phone in his hand.
“Hey Noah, what’s up?”
“I just got a call from Dr. Hughes. That specialist is here already, so they can fit me in. You still want to drive me?”
“Oh, sure. Give me a second.”
“If you’re busy now…”
“No, no. Just, you know, packing.”
Luke grabbed his car keys off the desk, meeting Noah in the doorway to his room. He rested his hand briefly on Noah’s shoulder to let him know he was there, and then they both headed down the hall.
“I can’t believe you’re actually moving out. I’m not sure if I want to be here by myself again.”
Luke nodded, laughing. “I hear you. And I still wonder if I shouldn’t stay, at least until - ”
“Luke, we’ve talked about this. There’s no telling if this surgery will work or how long I’ll be blind. You can’t stay here forever.”
Luke sighed. “I know.”
“And besides, Lily is just itching at the chance to mother me again without you here to roll your eyes, all Mom! It’s the only thing that helped her survive those six months you were jetting around the world.”
“At least one of you is responsible enough to go to college and make something of yourselves,” Luke imitated his mother.
“Because you’re such a bum,” Noah said, grinning.
Luke smiled as he opened the door and waited for Noah to walk out of the house.
“You know,” he said casually, “if it’s that weird or Mom gets to be too much, you can always move out too. Maybe finally take Richard up on that offer to - ”
“Luke.”
Luke held up his hands in surrender. “OK. Not saying anything.”
They both climbed into the car. Luke put his key in the ignition, turning it over. The car rumbled to life, and then he finally glanced over at Noah. Noah was facing the window, ignoring Luke even though they both knew that Luke knew he couldn’t see anything anyway. Luke sighed.
“So who’s this specialist, anyway?” he asked, hoping the change of subject would be seen for the olive branch it was.
Noah shrugged, turning to Luke again. “I’m not sure. Dr. Reed or something. Apparently, he’s good.”
Luke nodded, backing the car out of the driveway.
**
“So what are you building?” Reid finally asked, unable to ignore his curiosity anymore.
They were walking down the hall, heading towards the exam room for the appointment. The employee at the check-in desk had called Bob a moment ago to let him know Noah Mayer had arrived. Reid was looking forward to getting started on this case, getting it over with, and getting the hell out of Dodge. He had barely escaped the clutches of this town the first time.
“Oh, the new addition?” Bob replied. His tone, Reid assumed, was supposed to sound casual. Problem was it sounded too casual. “Neurology wing, actually.”
“Hmmm,” Reid replied noncommittally.
He should have guessed.
Bob pushed the door to the exam room open. Over his shoulder, Reid could see a young, dark-haired college kid in a short-sleeved, plaid shirt sitting on the exam table. He turned towards the door, looking slightly off to the side of the new arrivals.
“Hello, Noah,” Bob greeted him.
“Dr. Hughes, hi.”
“Did you come here yourself today?”
“No, no. I got a ride. Dropped me off at the front door and went to park.”
“Door-to-door service. Nice.”
Noah laughed, and then Bob turned to Reid. Reid stepped forward.
“Hello, Noah. I’m Dr. Reid Oliver.”
Noah nodded, reaching out his hand. Reid took it, shaking firmly.
“Oh, your first name is Reid?” Noah asked. “I must have misheard.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Reid replied. “So why don’t you tell me what happened?”
“Uh,” Noah shifted in his seat. “It was really stupid, actually. I’m a film student, and we were taping a movie. We needed some explosions, so we thought we’d try some fireworks for the effect. I had climbed a ladder to put them up on a roof. My boyfriend was there, and we were talking, and I wasn’t really paying attention. I don’t really remember what happened next, but my boyfriend says the firecrackers went off in my face, and I fell off the ladder and landed on my back. I guess I smacked my head pretty good.”
“OK, thanks. I see you’ve had a CT scan already, but I’m going to order another one to see if anything’s changed. Once that’s done, we can - ”
There was a quick knock on the door, and then it opened before anyone could answer. The newcomer entered, his back turned to the other occupants as he swung around and closed the door.
“Sorry, I’m late. I could not find a spot to - ” He faced forward, eyes immediately connecting with Reid’s.
Reid stopped breathing. Unlike everything else in this town, the person in front of him had changed.
Luke Snyder was now a man.
**
“Ah, Luke. Dr. Oliver, you remember Luke Snyder, don’t you?”
Luke glanced at Bob but quickly focused back on Reid. Because of his own swirling emotions and because of the fact that that Dr. Oliver Mask was still as functioning as ever, Luke couldn’t figure out what Reid was feeling at that moment. (If anything. Luke wasn’t egotistical enough to think he would still…)
“Yes, of course,” Reid finally said. He held out a hand. “Mr. Snyder, how are you?”
Luke kicked himself into gear, reaching out and shaking Reid’s hand. He tried not to react as their palms touched - Reid’s skin was as warm and contradictorily rough-smooth as ever, and Luke couldn’t help but remember the feel of his hands resting on his cheeks as he -
“Good, good. How are you, Dr. Oliver?”
Before he could answer, Noah interrupted. “You two know each other?”
All three of them turned to Noah. Luke nodded quickly, and then rolled his eyes at himself as he remembered Noah couldn’t see him.
“Uh, yeah.” Luke walked further into the room, passing by Dr. Oliver so he could (hide behind) stand next to Noah. “Dr. Oliver was the one who operated on Mom when she fell down the stairs.”
“Oh!” Noah said. “Yeah, I remember you telling me about that; Dr. Oliver, I’m a big fan of your work.”
Luke laughed shortly at the way Noah put it, and he could see Reid smiling as well.
“Well, good,” Reid said. He took a deep breath and continued, “As I was saying, we’ll do another CT scan…”
As Reid talked, Luke absent-mindedly sat on the exam table behind Noah. Reid paused momentarily (Luke was pretty sure he was the only one who even noticed) and watched as Noah leaned back slightly into Luke’s personal space. He dropped his eyes to Noah’s file when he saw Luke looking back at him.
Continued