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SERENDIPITY - CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Luke was genuinely happy. He felt confident that he and Reid were on the same page and wanted the same thing- to be together. He couldn’t wait to see him again. He decided to stop into Java and pick up a coffee for Reid before heading over to visit him. He was currently standing in line daydreaming about the night before. It had been so long since he’d had sex, but it felt right. There was never any embarrassment with Reid. How nice and comforting it had been to sleep with Reid holding him.
“Next please…Luke?” He was startled out of his thoughts.
“Oh, Noah. You got your old job back?”
“Yeah for the time being anyway. I’m waiting to hear back from a film school out in L.A. until then, here I am. Do you want your usual?”
“Uh yeah, and a caramel latte extra shot with whipped cream and two muffins please.”
“Are you meeting someone?”
“Yeah.”
“Who? I know it’s not Casey, he wouldn’t drink anything that sweet.”
“Noah, I don’t want to be rude but I’m kinda in a hurry.”
“Oh. Excuse me for making conversation.”
“Maybe someone else should help me?”
“Fine, it’s about time for my break anyway. Steve, can you help this customer please.”
“Noah…”
*******
“Reid.” He found him standing at the nurses station, writing notes on a chart. Luke just now realized what a turn-on Reid’s dark blue scrubs were. He couldn’t wait to get him alone.
“Luke. Good morning. You’re awake.”
“Yes I am and I brought you a small breakfast.”
“Mmm, good coffee. You are a lifesaver.” He takes a sip. “How did you know how I like my coffee?”
“I guessed. It was the one most similar to what you ordered during dessert at Serendipity.”
“How did I get so lucky? Let’s go to my office.” He wraps his arm around Luke’s waist as they walk down the hallway.
After spending ten minutes making out of the lumpy couch in Reid’s office, they separate. Luke pulls out the muffins, he also pulls out his change, which he’d just tossed into the sack as he left Java.
“Blueberry or Raspberry?”
“Blueberry please.”
Luke starts laughing. Reid raises an eyebrow.
“Look at this.” Luke hands Reid a five dollar bill.
Reid Oliver 4/22/07 (214) 555-0619
Luke you better call me!
“Well it’s about time you found the damn thing.” Reid winks before kissing him.
*******
“Luke?”
“Jason?”
“Yeah. I was told that this is Reid’s office.”
“Oh it is, he got an emergency page. I was just about to leave. I don’t know how long he’s going to be.”
“That’s okay. I’d like to talk to you, if you have time.”
“Oh? What about?”
“Reid. And you of course.”
“Oh, okay.” Luke said tentatively.
“Can I assume that the two of you talked last night?”
“Yeah we did.” Luke blushed lightly. “We’re working things out.”
“Good.” Jason nodded. “Look, he’d kill me if he knew I was talking to you about this, but I think that there’s some things you should know.”
“Please, I’d like to hear whatever you have to say.”
“Luke, I’ve known Reid since college, he’s my best friend. I’m very protective of him.”
“I’m glad he has such a good friend. He needs people who care about him.”
“Yeah he does. He told me that he’d met someone while in Boston, someone important. He was happy, he actually smiled when he spoke about you. He felt guilty for leaving you but hoped that when you’d call he could explain and maybe you’d forgive him.”
“I didn’t call…” Luke said sadly.
“No you didn’t. I had to watch him close himself off again. He said it was a waste of time caring about people. I tried talking to him, but he refused to talk about you. It was as if he’d never met you. He wouldn’t allow anyone other than Annie and I to get close to him.”
“He was hurt and I caused it. I’m so sorry, I would never intentionally hurt him.”
“Luke, tell me what happened. Tell me why you never called him.”
So Luke did, he told Jason about finding the note. About how the note got lost in the first place. He explained that he didn’t intentionally hurt Reid.
“Damn. He didn’t wake you up? That idiot. All I can say is that it was an extremely stressful time for all of us, and I’m sure that he just didn’t want to see you hurt when you realized he had to leave.”
“Why was it stressful for all of you? Did you know the patient he left to help?”
“Yeah, I know her. That patient was my daughter, Annie.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “She had a brain tumor in a hard to reach location, she was dying. We tried everything. Surgery was her last chance. Reid didn’t want to operate because he felt that the risk was too great. He wasn’t sure that he would be successful. He did so much for her. While he was in Boston, she took a turn for the worse. He had to return home to operate on her. She was the reason he left you. The only reason. You need to know that he wouldn’t have left you for any other reason.”
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Is she okay now?”
“Yeah, she is. She’s perfectly healthy now. To look at her you wouldn’t know that a year ago we almost lost her.”
“Can I ask? Where is her mother? Is she in Dallas?”
“No. My wife died two and a half years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…”
“Luke, it’s okay. I’m fine. She was shot. She was an innocent bystander during a bank robbery. A shot was fired and she was hit in the chest. She died instantly, she didn’t suffer, which is a comfort. We were living in Chicago at the time. It was too hard to stay there, so Annie and I moved to Dallas. Reid helped me get hired at his hospital, I’m a pediatrician. We were doing okay but then a year later Annie got sick. Six long months she fought. I couldn’t lose her too.”
“Jason, I wish there was something I could say that could comfort you, but I don’t know-”
“Thanks Luke. I appreciate the concern. It’s hard but we’re surviving. I didn’t mean to burden you with my sad story, I just wanted you to understand why Reid felt he had to leave you.”
“I’m glad you told me about Annie and your wife. You’re Reid’s best friend and I want to know you. You said Chicago…I ran into Reid there last summer…”
“Oh my hell! That was you too? Damn. It was the second anniversary of Carol’s death and I asked Reid to accompany Annie and I. It was the first time we’d been back. It was difficult but Annie was healthy at this point. Reid was helpful and supportive. It had been a long week, Reid and I went out to dinner, to try and relax and he kept staring at some guy, you apparently. Damn. Any other meetings I don’t know about?”
“No just those three.”
“Luke, I know how he feels about you and I believe I know how you feel about him. Please take care of him.”
“I promise.”
NEXT
Luke was genuinely happy. He felt confident that he and Reid were on the same page and wanted the same thing- to be together. He couldn’t wait to see him again. He decided to stop into Java and pick up a coffee for Reid before heading over to visit him. He was currently standing in line daydreaming about the night before. It had been so long since he’d had sex, but it felt right. There was never any embarrassment with Reid. How nice and comforting it had been to sleep with Reid holding him.
“Next please…Luke?” He was startled out of his thoughts.
“Oh, Noah. You got your old job back?”
“Yeah for the time being anyway. I’m waiting to hear back from a film school out in L.A. until then, here I am. Do you want your usual?”
“Uh yeah, and a caramel latte extra shot with whipped cream and two muffins please.”
“Are you meeting someone?”
“Yeah.”
“Who? I know it’s not Casey, he wouldn’t drink anything that sweet.”
“Noah, I don’t want to be rude but I’m kinda in a hurry.”
“Oh. Excuse me for making conversation.”
“Maybe someone else should help me?”
“Fine, it’s about time for my break anyway. Steve, can you help this customer please.”
“Noah…”
*******
“Reid.” He found him standing at the nurses station, writing notes on a chart. Luke just now realized what a turn-on Reid’s dark blue scrubs were. He couldn’t wait to get him alone.
“Luke. Good morning. You’re awake.”
“Yes I am and I brought you a small breakfast.”
“Mmm, good coffee. You are a lifesaver.” He takes a sip. “How did you know how I like my coffee?”
“I guessed. It was the one most similar to what you ordered during dessert at Serendipity.”
“How did I get so lucky? Let’s go to my office.” He wraps his arm around Luke’s waist as they walk down the hallway.
After spending ten minutes making out of the lumpy couch in Reid’s office, they separate. Luke pulls out the muffins, he also pulls out his change, which he’d just tossed into the sack as he left Java.
“Blueberry or Raspberry?”
“Blueberry please.”
Luke starts laughing. Reid raises an eyebrow.
“Look at this.” Luke hands Reid a five dollar bill.
Reid Oliver 4/22/07 (214) 555-0619
Luke you better call me!
“Well it’s about time you found the damn thing.” Reid winks before kissing him.
*******
“Luke?”
“Jason?”
“Yeah. I was told that this is Reid’s office.”
“Oh it is, he got an emergency page. I was just about to leave. I don’t know how long he’s going to be.”
“That’s okay. I’d like to talk to you, if you have time.”
“Oh? What about?”
“Reid. And you of course.”
“Oh, okay.” Luke said tentatively.
“Can I assume that the two of you talked last night?”
“Yeah we did.” Luke blushed lightly. “We’re working things out.”
“Good.” Jason nodded. “Look, he’d kill me if he knew I was talking to you about this, but I think that there’s some things you should know.”
“Please, I’d like to hear whatever you have to say.”
“Luke, I’ve known Reid since college, he’s my best friend. I’m very protective of him.”
“I’m glad he has such a good friend. He needs people who care about him.”
“Yeah he does. He told me that he’d met someone while in Boston, someone important. He was happy, he actually smiled when he spoke about you. He felt guilty for leaving you but hoped that when you’d call he could explain and maybe you’d forgive him.”
“I didn’t call…” Luke said sadly.
“No you didn’t. I had to watch him close himself off again. He said it was a waste of time caring about people. I tried talking to him, but he refused to talk about you. It was as if he’d never met you. He wouldn’t allow anyone other than Annie and I to get close to him.”
“He was hurt and I caused it. I’m so sorry, I would never intentionally hurt him.”
“Luke, tell me what happened. Tell me why you never called him.”
So Luke did, he told Jason about finding the note. About how the note got lost in the first place. He explained that he didn’t intentionally hurt Reid.
“Damn. He didn’t wake you up? That idiot. All I can say is that it was an extremely stressful time for all of us, and I’m sure that he just didn’t want to see you hurt when you realized he had to leave.”
“Why was it stressful for all of you? Did you know the patient he left to help?”
“Yeah, I know her. That patient was my daughter, Annie.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “She had a brain tumor in a hard to reach location, she was dying. We tried everything. Surgery was her last chance. Reid didn’t want to operate because he felt that the risk was too great. He wasn’t sure that he would be successful. He did so much for her. While he was in Boston, she took a turn for the worse. He had to return home to operate on her. She was the reason he left you. The only reason. You need to know that he wouldn’t have left you for any other reason.”
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Is she okay now?”
“Yeah, she is. She’s perfectly healthy now. To look at her you wouldn’t know that a year ago we almost lost her.”
“Can I ask? Where is her mother? Is she in Dallas?”
“No. My wife died two and a half years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…”
“Luke, it’s okay. I’m fine. She was shot. She was an innocent bystander during a bank robbery. A shot was fired and she was hit in the chest. She died instantly, she didn’t suffer, which is a comfort. We were living in Chicago at the time. It was too hard to stay there, so Annie and I moved to Dallas. Reid helped me get hired at his hospital, I’m a pediatrician. We were doing okay but then a year later Annie got sick. Six long months she fought. I couldn’t lose her too.”
“Jason, I wish there was something I could say that could comfort you, but I don’t know-”
“Thanks Luke. I appreciate the concern. It’s hard but we’re surviving. I didn’t mean to burden you with my sad story, I just wanted you to understand why Reid felt he had to leave you.”
“I’m glad you told me about Annie and your wife. You’re Reid’s best friend and I want to know you. You said Chicago…I ran into Reid there last summer…”
“Oh my hell! That was you too? Damn. It was the second anniversary of Carol’s death and I asked Reid to accompany Annie and I. It was the first time we’d been back. It was difficult but Annie was healthy at this point. Reid was helpful and supportive. It had been a long week, Reid and I went out to dinner, to try and relax and he kept staring at some guy, you apparently. Damn. Any other meetings I don’t know about?”
“No just those three.”
“Luke, I know how he feels about you and I believe I know how you feel about him. Please take care of him.”
“I promise.”
NEXT