Competition chapter 7
Title: Competition, chapter (FFF 14-6-2013: "note")
Summary: Luke and Reid meet at work
Reid's POV
I was grateful that I could shower. My body ached after 9 long hours in the OR.
I was glad that at least I could concentrate on my job. She had been really nervous, my patient, but I knew she would recover. It had been hard though, to continue after the stupid, oblivious comment from Mark. He had asked Casey to be a little more silent when he came home in the middle of the night. “Sorry”, the jerk had answered. “Luke was so drunk that I had to help him inside. He stumbled against your door”.
Why? Why did they talk about that with me right next to them? I knew it, that Luke would go home with him. They must have had a great time together. Was I not good enough for him? I am not the body builder type Casey is, but I thought…..
I have to send the spoiled brad that sponsored the neuro wing a note, to thank him for my office with a shower. In here, no one can disturb me. Or see my tears. It’s like I have ran a marathon. Everything hurts. Especially my head. Maybe I have an aneurysm. Should I order a CT scan? Maybe I have a brain tumor, it would explain why I have this feeling that I am not me anymore. Eight weeks he said. Then he will be gone. Maybe I can go to that conference I have cancelled, in Europe. I have to avoid him. Really.
Walking to my closet, I freaked out. “What the fuck are you doing here?”, I yelled. His glare on my body made that it reacted in an instant. I didn’t need his lips on me, his presence was enough.
His eyes traveled up and held mine. “Can’t you read? I left a note on my door for gods sake. What about “don’t disturb” don‘t you understand”? I yelled.
He walked close to me and caressed my cheek. “Have you been crying?”, he asked. “You surprise me every time. I thought you didn’t have emotions. Can I help?”.
I couldn’t help myself, I pushed him away from me and turned around. “Yes, just go”, I said, trying to sound convincing. “Just fucking go, so I can get dressed. I want to go home and sleep”.
He didn’t know when to stop. “But we have a meeting Reid, about the new OR, Bob had send me the papers and he had some questions I should ask you about. I have mailed them to you, didn’t you see it?”.
Just go.
“No I haven’t Luke, I have been in the OR, that’s my job. I’m not checking my cell every minute. Can you wait in the hall till I am dressed?”. I could only exhale when he closed the door behind himself. Shit. Talking about letting my guard down. I walked to my mirror and looked at myself. This was how he had seen me. The naked truth. Nothing to be ashamed of, but so not what I wanted to show him. My body didn’t hide anything. Maybe he thought I was just a horny guy. He made me one.
We both did a great job hiding, when we talked about new OR tables and facilities. He had bought us some nice coffee and we acted like we were colleagues that hated each other. He didn’t take my answers for granted, he fought with everything he had to convince me on some points. It awakened a fire in me, I needed him to listen to my point of view, he had to do as I said.
He wrote all the things I said on a paper and stood up. “Go home Reid, I am going to bring in your input in the meeting. You look like shit, go and eat and rest”.
I nodded. “Yeah, you want me gone, so you can convince the commission about your ideas, right? Well I am capable of doing that myself Luke. You can’t get rid of me that easily”.
He shook his head. “You think I want to?’, he said softly.
I regretted my words, and my attitude. “No”, a voice in my head yelled. I wanted to touch his arm and tell him that whatever he wanted was fine. I needed his beautiful eyes to shine like they had done in my office. But in his presence, I could only screw thing up. “I don’t care”, I said.
It was really funny to see the other doctors attack the food Bob had ordered, like they were starving wolves. I was just like them, we couldn’t resist free food if our life depended on it. Bob somehow showed up with champagne and poured us all a glass. “To an efficient and clean OR”, he yelled, and everyone held his glass in the air.
I looked at him through my bubbles. He had surprised me, his leadership was natural and kind, but clear. He was a born leader, but not in a cocky, hierarchic kind of way. We had done a lot in two hours. And he gave us homework. As if we weren’t busy enough. As if we were students. The prick. But he asked it nicely and no one objected, so I kept my mouth shut. His wish was my command obviously. It irritated the hell out of me, but I had to stay strong. His eyes had been resting on me a couple of times during the meeting, and it made me feel very uncomfortable. I had no idea what he wanted from me.
Maybe I drank too fast, or too much, or both, because very soon I had a hard time pronouncing the words I said. I drank a beer or two in the weekend, but not at this speed. I just had to get rid of the knot in my chest, his presence made me nervous as hell. I stumbled to the toilet in the hall and released myself, while I looked in the mirror. “Don’t make such a fuss about him”, I told myself. “He is just a guy, he is gone in a few weeks, don’t let him affect you like this.”. When I washed my hands, someone bumped against me.
When I felt hands on my shoulders, I realized that I was sitting on the floor. I heard his voice in the distance, it sounded concerned. “Hey Reid, do you hear me?’, he asked close to my ear.
I nodded. He talked softly to me while he pushed something against my forehead. “This head wound is bleeding so hard, what happened Reid?”, he asked.
I didn’t remember. “You’re not HIV positive right?”, he asked. “Your blood is all over me”. I shook my head. “I’m going to call a cab Reid, or do you want to go to the hospital first? Shall I call the ER?”.
“No”, I managed to whisper. “I’m okay. Give me a second. I can walk home”.
He smirked. “No you can’t”, he said. “Can you try to stand up? Here, I am going to help you”.
Embarrassing, really. I have to admit that I leaned against him because I liked it, not because I was dizzy, but who cares? I didn’t. His chest against my cheek felt so freaking right. I could hear his heart beat in it. His strong muscles held me. His scent…his scent is saved in my memory for the rest of my life. Alcohol and sweat and antiseptic and this aftershave. His skin. His hair. His neck. I took advantage of the whole situation, I let him support me to my door.
Then I did something that still reddens my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him close. “Thank you”, I whispered. “Thank you Luke, for taking care of me. For seeing me. For so many things”.
He caressed my hair and looked at me. “Give me your phone number”, he said.
I told him mine, and he saved it. “Are you going to call me?”, I asked. He smirked. “Who is the neuro surgeon here?”, he asked. “You may have a concussion Reid, with enough alcohol, I am going to call you tonight, to see if everything is okay”.
Then I said something totally weird: “stay with me Luke, so you can see for yourself how I am doing”.
My words seemed to kill him, he looked shocked and confused. “Reid”, he said softly. “Don’t do this”. “You are drunk, and I have to work in a few hours”. I couldn’t stop now, now he was in my arms. I pulled his head closer till I could touch his lips with mine. I could feel his muscles contract under my fingers, he didn’t want this, but he kissed me back, and finally he opened his mouth for me to enter.
Summary: Luke and Reid meet at work
Reid's POV
I was grateful that I could shower. My body ached after 9 long hours in the OR.
I was glad that at least I could concentrate on my job. She had been really nervous, my patient, but I knew she would recover. It had been hard though, to continue after the stupid, oblivious comment from Mark. He had asked Casey to be a little more silent when he came home in the middle of the night. “Sorry”, the jerk had answered. “Luke was so drunk that I had to help him inside. He stumbled against your door”.
Why? Why did they talk about that with me right next to them? I knew it, that Luke would go home with him. They must have had a great time together. Was I not good enough for him? I am not the body builder type Casey is, but I thought…..
I have to send the spoiled brad that sponsored the neuro wing a note, to thank him for my office with a shower. In here, no one can disturb me. Or see my tears. It’s like I have ran a marathon. Everything hurts. Especially my head. Maybe I have an aneurysm. Should I order a CT scan? Maybe I have a brain tumor, it would explain why I have this feeling that I am not me anymore. Eight weeks he said. Then he will be gone. Maybe I can go to that conference I have cancelled, in Europe. I have to avoid him. Really.
Walking to my closet, I freaked out. “What the fuck are you doing here?”, I yelled. His glare on my body made that it reacted in an instant. I didn’t need his lips on me, his presence was enough.
His eyes traveled up and held mine. “Can’t you read? I left a note on my door for gods sake. What about “don’t disturb” don‘t you understand”? I yelled.
He walked close to me and caressed my cheek. “Have you been crying?”, he asked. “You surprise me every time. I thought you didn’t have emotions. Can I help?”.
I couldn’t help myself, I pushed him away from me and turned around. “Yes, just go”, I said, trying to sound convincing. “Just fucking go, so I can get dressed. I want to go home and sleep”.
He didn’t know when to stop. “But we have a meeting Reid, about the new OR, Bob had send me the papers and he had some questions I should ask you about. I have mailed them to you, didn’t you see it?”.
Just go.
“No I haven’t Luke, I have been in the OR, that’s my job. I’m not checking my cell every minute. Can you wait in the hall till I am dressed?”. I could only exhale when he closed the door behind himself. Shit. Talking about letting my guard down. I walked to my mirror and looked at myself. This was how he had seen me. The naked truth. Nothing to be ashamed of, but so not what I wanted to show him. My body didn’t hide anything. Maybe he thought I was just a horny guy. He made me one.
We both did a great job hiding, when we talked about new OR tables and facilities. He had bought us some nice coffee and we acted like we were colleagues that hated each other. He didn’t take my answers for granted, he fought with everything he had to convince me on some points. It awakened a fire in me, I needed him to listen to my point of view, he had to do as I said.
He wrote all the things I said on a paper and stood up. “Go home Reid, I am going to bring in your input in the meeting. You look like shit, go and eat and rest”.
I nodded. “Yeah, you want me gone, so you can convince the commission about your ideas, right? Well I am capable of doing that myself Luke. You can’t get rid of me that easily”.
He shook his head. “You think I want to?’, he said softly.
I regretted my words, and my attitude. “No”, a voice in my head yelled. I wanted to touch his arm and tell him that whatever he wanted was fine. I needed his beautiful eyes to shine like they had done in my office. But in his presence, I could only screw thing up. “I don’t care”, I said.
It was really funny to see the other doctors attack the food Bob had ordered, like they were starving wolves. I was just like them, we couldn’t resist free food if our life depended on it. Bob somehow showed up with champagne and poured us all a glass. “To an efficient and clean OR”, he yelled, and everyone held his glass in the air.
I looked at him through my bubbles. He had surprised me, his leadership was natural and kind, but clear. He was a born leader, but not in a cocky, hierarchic kind of way. We had done a lot in two hours. And he gave us homework. As if we weren’t busy enough. As if we were students. The prick. But he asked it nicely and no one objected, so I kept my mouth shut. His wish was my command obviously. It irritated the hell out of me, but I had to stay strong. His eyes had been resting on me a couple of times during the meeting, and it made me feel very uncomfortable. I had no idea what he wanted from me.
Maybe I drank too fast, or too much, or both, because very soon I had a hard time pronouncing the words I said. I drank a beer or two in the weekend, but not at this speed. I just had to get rid of the knot in my chest, his presence made me nervous as hell. I stumbled to the toilet in the hall and released myself, while I looked in the mirror. “Don’t make such a fuss about him”, I told myself. “He is just a guy, he is gone in a few weeks, don’t let him affect you like this.”. When I washed my hands, someone bumped against me.
When I felt hands on my shoulders, I realized that I was sitting on the floor. I heard his voice in the distance, it sounded concerned. “Hey Reid, do you hear me?’, he asked close to my ear.
I nodded. He talked softly to me while he pushed something against my forehead. “This head wound is bleeding so hard, what happened Reid?”, he asked.
I didn’t remember. “You’re not HIV positive right?”, he asked. “Your blood is all over me”. I shook my head. “I’m going to call a cab Reid, or do you want to go to the hospital first? Shall I call the ER?”.
“No”, I managed to whisper. “I’m okay. Give me a second. I can walk home”.
He smirked. “No you can’t”, he said. “Can you try to stand up? Here, I am going to help you”.
Embarrassing, really. I have to admit that I leaned against him because I liked it, not because I was dizzy, but who cares? I didn’t. His chest against my cheek felt so freaking right. I could hear his heart beat in it. His strong muscles held me. His scent…his scent is saved in my memory for the rest of my life. Alcohol and sweat and antiseptic and this aftershave. His skin. His hair. His neck. I took advantage of the whole situation, I let him support me to my door.
Then I did something that still reddens my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him close. “Thank you”, I whispered. “Thank you Luke, for taking care of me. For seeing me. For so many things”.
He caressed my hair and looked at me. “Give me your phone number”, he said.
I told him mine, and he saved it. “Are you going to call me?”, I asked. He smirked. “Who is the neuro surgeon here?”, he asked. “You may have a concussion Reid, with enough alcohol, I am going to call you tonight, to see if everything is okay”.
Then I said something totally weird: “stay with me Luke, so you can see for yourself how I am doing”.
My words seemed to kill him, he looked shocked and confused. “Reid”, he said softly. “Don’t do this”. “You are drunk, and I have to work in a few hours”. I couldn’t stop now, now he was in my arms. I pulled his head closer till I could touch his lips with mine. I could feel his muscles contract under my fingers, he didn’t want this, but he kissed me back, and finally he opened his mouth for me to enter.