The Important Parts, Chapter 16
The dreams, however, only partially contributed to Reid being in a particularly foul mood on his fourth day of incarceration in Oakdale. When he had not been dreaming of Luke’s voice, he would wake to the image of Luke Snyder’s bare chest. His lack of control annoyed him endlessly. Not only was he thinking about it while he was in bed last night, but he also continued to do so at work.
Reid was pretty sure that he must have died a week ago and now found himself in Hell. He had seen Chris Hughes this morning in the hallway and twice Chris had ribbed him about last night. Hell was the only explanation for how he found himself in this town with this cast of characters who seemed to think nothing of jibing him.
Even worse than his thoughts of Luke’s rather attractive chest was his reaction to that guy with his arm around Luke last night. Why did he even care? At least his reaction to Luke’s shirtless state could be explained by increased levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in response to an objectively attractive subject. But, Reid’s reaction to the dopey-looking jock was harder to rationalize. Why was he still wondering about it twelve hours later? He hated Luke Snyder so why did he run out of there? Four days in Podunk and it had already warped his brain.
His morning was further ruined when he found a Hershey’s chocolate bar sitting on his desk next to another note from Mr. Snyder. The note read the same as the first two, but the word “Chocolate” was written underneath “Sandwiches.” Was there no getting away from Luke? Reid was going to need to really think about the possibility of being in Hell when he went home tonight.
And, seriously, who didn’t love chocolate? Pointing out that Reid liked chocolate was about as discerning as pointing out that bread and cheese went well together. So far, Luke really was not impressing Reid with his so-called knowledge of Reid’s likes and loves. Brains, sandwiches, and chocolate-a five minute conversation could probably result in such a list.
His morning was capped by the abysmal lunch he had waiting for him. Reid hurriedly ate a microwavable turkey and gravy meal in his office before his first afternoon appointment. The only thing he had to look forward to for the rest of the day was the fact that there should be no more reminders of Luke.
Even that hope was spoiled when he returned to his office to gather his things to leave for the day. His afternoon had proceeded fairly smoothly, and Reid was starting to feel more optimistic after his last appointment. Unfortunately, when he arrived at his office, he found none other than Mr. Snyder himself waiting for him. He was wearing a deep blue crewneck sweater paired with a pair of khaki pants. Luke’s hair looked slightly wet as if he had recently taken a shower. Great, like I needed another reminder of what Luke looks like without his clothes on.
“Mr. Snyder, this is a private office or could you not read my name on the door? Shall we add ‘illiterate’ to your growing list of deficiencies?” Reid walked into the room and sauntered towards his desk.
“I don’t think that speaks too well of you if you think your former boyfriend might not have been able to read. But, I understand that you’d like your privacy, and I respect that.”
“Since when? You’ve made free enough use of this office all week.”
“Well, you won’t talk to me so I haven’t had much choice, Reid. It is Reid now, right?”
He ignored the question as he did not want to satisfy Luke. He knew Luke had probably known for days that he was going by Reid and not Jude. “Perhaps you should take the hint and go.”
“Fine, I’ll leave in just a moment. I brought something for you.” Luke’s eyes dipped toward the large cardboard box that was sitting on Reid’s desk.
“I thought you already left me your little gift of the day.”
“No, this is something different. It’s a box of your stuff from before the accident. I don’t think I have the right to keep your things anymore.”
“I don’t remember any of it so you need not have bothered.” He pushed his lips together, puffing his cheeks out.
“Well, I did, and you might as well have it.”
With exasperation, Reid retorted, “Fine, let’s get this over with. What’s in it?”
Luke pulled open the top flaps of the box and started picking things up, showing them to Reid, and then putting them back. “Your stethoscope, a pair of scrubs, some pictures of your former patients who died and meant something special to you, a bottle of aftershave, a keychain from Katie, and a few medical books. Maybe a few other things-I can’t remember.”
“Great. I’ll keep these.” Reid pulled out the stethoscope and the books and put them on the desk. He held up a knight chess piece. “I couldn’t afford a whole set?”
Luke gave him a sad smile. “Your Uncle Angus gave that to me. When you lost your first chess match, he pressed that piece hard into your palm and told you ‘this is how it feels to lose.’ You sent it to him after medical school with a note saying ‘checkmate.’ He carried it around with him after that. I think he regretted the way he treated you growing up.”
Reid rolled his eyes and put the piece back. Then he picked up the entire box and dropped it next to the garbage can with a loud thud. Reid looked up to see Luke staring at the box with a thinly concealed expression of anguish on his handsome face. Luke was biting his lower lip and suddenly seemed smaller to Reid than he had a moment before. He looked back at the box and realized what these items probably meant to Luke. The younger man had kept them, probably treasured them, for five long years, and Reid had just tossed them away. Reid found himself surprisingly wishing to relent and pick the box back up.
He did not do it. If this was what it took for Luke to realize that Reid was not the same man that he knew before the accident, then so be it. Reid clenched his jaw and tilted his chin back in a defiant stance. “Are we done?”
Luke who had been looking at the box on the floor this whole time turned his eyes toward Reid. They looked slightly watery. In a soft, but strained, voice, he asked, “What will it take to get you to just try? I know you’re angry with me for bringing you here, and I’m sorry I lost my temper that day and pushed you too far. But, the Reid I know makes the best of bad situations. When will you let go of all this anger and just listen to me?”
“You’re going to lecture me on listening skills? I grow tired of telling you this. I’m not interested in picking my life back up here. These things you brought me today? I don’t remember them. They mean nothing to me.”
“I’m not asking you to remember anything. I’m just asking you to try. But fine, I’ll leave. I’d invite you to dinner, but I guess I know the answer to that.” With a quick glance at the box on the ground, Luke turned and left the room.
***
When Reid came to work the next day, he was moderately unsurprised to find yet another present from the relentless Mr. Snyder. He had known better than to assume Luke would give up after yesterday’s argument. He had instinctively known Luke was too persistent and impassioned than to acquiesce to Reid’s demands so easily. He should feel irritated, and he did, but lurking on the perimeter of his emotions was something that felt like relief. Reid chose not to examine that feeling too closely. He would attribute it to disliking the feeling of surprise. Had Luke changed course, Reid would have been uncomfortably astounded. Certainly, there was no other reason for which he should feel relieved.
The gift, this time, was a bronze-framed print of Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” panel in the Sistine Chapel. This fresco depicted God, grey-bearded and dressed in white robes, and Adam, reclining naked with one knee raised and his form resting on one elbow. Tense with activity, God was reaching out and touching Adam’s finger, seemingly bestowing life upon mankind. Adam’s hand was limply stretched out toward the Creator in beautiful contrast to the life-giving hand of God.
Reid had once read Dr. Frank Lynn Meshberger’s well-known article about this panel in the American Medical Association’s journal. It was he who suggested that God was sitting in front of an image of an anatomically correct brain. The lines of the sulcus, the pituitary gland, and the spinal chord were all visible in the painting. He had noted that even though God does not touch Adam, Adam is already alive as though the inception of life was transmitted across a synaptic gap. Perhaps for this neurological suggestion, it was Reid’s favorite panel on the famous chapel’s ceiling.
The print itself was on canvas with heavy brushstrokes visible to the eye. The transferred image was approximately one foot tall, creating a wide rectangle. The cream and tan shades of the fresco were brilliantly complemented by the bronze-colored frame. It was the perfect setting to the awe-inspiring grandeur of this artistic masterpiece.
Reid traced the beading on the frame before picking up the note next to it and reading Luke’s now familiar writing:
Things Reid Oliver Likes, Loves, or Otherwise Admires
The brain
Sandwiches
Chocolate
The Sistine Chapel
Dismissing this gift was more difficult than the others. Certainly, this was one of the most well-known artistic works in the world. Luke, however, could have picked any number of paintings, but he chose this one. This choice was specific to Reid. This gift was not like chocolate-it could not be a lucky guess or apply to anyone. It was not something that any casual acquaintance would have known about Reid, like his fascination with the brain or enjoyment of sandwiches. No, Luke had found not only his favorite artwork but also his favorite among the thirty-three panels. This knowledge was personal.
Reid shook his head to ward off the uncertainty he was feeling. Okay, so he had admired the Sistine Chapel and mentioned it to Luke when they were dating. So what? It did not change the fact that Reid did not remember sharing his love of this painting with the younger man. It also did not really mean that Luke knew anything about Reid now. It did not suggest that he and Luke shared some great love that was destined to return if Reid would just give it a chance. Luke was still the jerk who had dragged Reid to this place. Luke was still the jerk who refused to believe Reid had changed.
Reid was placing the print on top of his bookshelves when he heard a knock on the door.
“Come in!” he barked. He half expected Mr. Snyder to walk into his office.
Instead, a man with fading copper hair and a hawkish nose strode into his office with a woman who had chin-length carefully tousled hair and was wearing a red skirt suit.
“Dr. Oliver, I’m Dr. John Dixon, and this is my wife, Lucinda Walsh.”
“How wonderful for you.”
Lucinda gave John a little nudge. “Just cut to the chase, darling.”
John chose his words carefully. “I came here to apologize to you. I was there the day you died. I was the one who took your heart, or I thought I did. I don’t know what happened, but you have my sincere apologies. You were dead according to the monitors. I have no idea whose heart I put in Chris’s chest, but obviously it was not yours. I wasn’t with you in the operating room when they harvested the other organs so I can only surmise some sort of body switch was performed before I came to take the heart. Again, I’m sorry for not knowing more.”
“Actually, I should thank you. I was spared five years in this hellhole because of your incompetence. If you had done your job and patched me up, I might have had to live here this entire time.”
“Oh!” said John, not sure if he should be insulted or relieved that a major malpractice lawsuit was not in the works.
Lucinda smiled. “I like you. You’re the rare man who says what he thinks. I married John here for that very quality.”
“Did you come here to hold his hand after he got sent to the principal’s office, or is there something else?”
Lucinda gave a delicate shrug. “John doesn’t require any assistance from me. When he said where he was going this morning, I admit I was curious. We never met, you and I, when you were last in Oakdale.”
“Is this really such a small town that you feel the need to meet every resident?”
“No, just the ones my grandson consorts with,” Lucinda said with a knowing smile.
Reid sighed, already knowing the answer to this question. “Your grandson?”
“Don’t play coy, Dr. Oliver; it doesn’t suit you. You know exactly who my grandson is.”
Reid closed his eyes and hoped for patience. “Fine, but I hope you’re not here to sing his praises. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.”
Lucinda leaned forward and placed a hand on Reid’s arm. She looked him directly in his blue eyes and said, “My grandson does not need me to defend him anymore than John. As I said, I was curious. I did not come here to interfere.”
“That would be a first,” remarked John.
Lucinda, removing her hand from Reid, held it up imperiously to rebuff John. “Luke is not Lily. I know he can handle his own affairs.”
John gave her a dubious look, but he kept his opinion to himself. It would not help Luke if Reid knew how much of a meddlesome grandmother Lucinda could be.
Reid was feeling impatient at this couple’s presence in his office. “Is your curiosity satisfied? I’d like to go back to work.”
“For the moment, darling, for the moment. John, let’s allow this man return to his affairs.”
A/N In case you’re wondering, there really is an article by Frank Lynn Meshberger out there about the brain being depicted in the “Creation of Adam.” I was going to have Luke give Reid a book about the chapel because there are so many panels of art there and I couldn’t choose which one; then I saw some discussion of this article on various websites, and my choice was made for me. I’ve even been to the Sistine Chapel and never heard of or noticed the brain possibly being depicted, so I learned something new for this chapter.
Reid was pretty sure that he must have died a week ago and now found himself in Hell. He had seen Chris Hughes this morning in the hallway and twice Chris had ribbed him about last night. Hell was the only explanation for how he found himself in this town with this cast of characters who seemed to think nothing of jibing him.
Even worse than his thoughts of Luke’s rather attractive chest was his reaction to that guy with his arm around Luke last night. Why did he even care? At least his reaction to Luke’s shirtless state could be explained by increased levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in response to an objectively attractive subject. But, Reid’s reaction to the dopey-looking jock was harder to rationalize. Why was he still wondering about it twelve hours later? He hated Luke Snyder so why did he run out of there? Four days in Podunk and it had already warped his brain.
His morning was further ruined when he found a Hershey’s chocolate bar sitting on his desk next to another note from Mr. Snyder. The note read the same as the first two, but the word “Chocolate” was written underneath “Sandwiches.” Was there no getting away from Luke? Reid was going to need to really think about the possibility of being in Hell when he went home tonight.
And, seriously, who didn’t love chocolate? Pointing out that Reid liked chocolate was about as discerning as pointing out that bread and cheese went well together. So far, Luke really was not impressing Reid with his so-called knowledge of Reid’s likes and loves. Brains, sandwiches, and chocolate-a five minute conversation could probably result in such a list.
His morning was capped by the abysmal lunch he had waiting for him. Reid hurriedly ate a microwavable turkey and gravy meal in his office before his first afternoon appointment. The only thing he had to look forward to for the rest of the day was the fact that there should be no more reminders of Luke.
Even that hope was spoiled when he returned to his office to gather his things to leave for the day. His afternoon had proceeded fairly smoothly, and Reid was starting to feel more optimistic after his last appointment. Unfortunately, when he arrived at his office, he found none other than Mr. Snyder himself waiting for him. He was wearing a deep blue crewneck sweater paired with a pair of khaki pants. Luke’s hair looked slightly wet as if he had recently taken a shower. Great, like I needed another reminder of what Luke looks like without his clothes on.
“Mr. Snyder, this is a private office or could you not read my name on the door? Shall we add ‘illiterate’ to your growing list of deficiencies?” Reid walked into the room and sauntered towards his desk.
“I don’t think that speaks too well of you if you think your former boyfriend might not have been able to read. But, I understand that you’d like your privacy, and I respect that.”
“Since when? You’ve made free enough use of this office all week.”
“Well, you won’t talk to me so I haven’t had much choice, Reid. It is Reid now, right?”
He ignored the question as he did not want to satisfy Luke. He knew Luke had probably known for days that he was going by Reid and not Jude. “Perhaps you should take the hint and go.”
“Fine, I’ll leave in just a moment. I brought something for you.” Luke’s eyes dipped toward the large cardboard box that was sitting on Reid’s desk.
“I thought you already left me your little gift of the day.”
“No, this is something different. It’s a box of your stuff from before the accident. I don’t think I have the right to keep your things anymore.”
“I don’t remember any of it so you need not have bothered.” He pushed his lips together, puffing his cheeks out.
“Well, I did, and you might as well have it.”
With exasperation, Reid retorted, “Fine, let’s get this over with. What’s in it?”
Luke pulled open the top flaps of the box and started picking things up, showing them to Reid, and then putting them back. “Your stethoscope, a pair of scrubs, some pictures of your former patients who died and meant something special to you, a bottle of aftershave, a keychain from Katie, and a few medical books. Maybe a few other things-I can’t remember.”
“Great. I’ll keep these.” Reid pulled out the stethoscope and the books and put them on the desk. He held up a knight chess piece. “I couldn’t afford a whole set?”
Luke gave him a sad smile. “Your Uncle Angus gave that to me. When you lost your first chess match, he pressed that piece hard into your palm and told you ‘this is how it feels to lose.’ You sent it to him after medical school with a note saying ‘checkmate.’ He carried it around with him after that. I think he regretted the way he treated you growing up.”
Reid rolled his eyes and put the piece back. Then he picked up the entire box and dropped it next to the garbage can with a loud thud. Reid looked up to see Luke staring at the box with a thinly concealed expression of anguish on his handsome face. Luke was biting his lower lip and suddenly seemed smaller to Reid than he had a moment before. He looked back at the box and realized what these items probably meant to Luke. The younger man had kept them, probably treasured them, for five long years, and Reid had just tossed them away. Reid found himself surprisingly wishing to relent and pick the box back up.
He did not do it. If this was what it took for Luke to realize that Reid was not the same man that he knew before the accident, then so be it. Reid clenched his jaw and tilted his chin back in a defiant stance. “Are we done?”
Luke who had been looking at the box on the floor this whole time turned his eyes toward Reid. They looked slightly watery. In a soft, but strained, voice, he asked, “What will it take to get you to just try? I know you’re angry with me for bringing you here, and I’m sorry I lost my temper that day and pushed you too far. But, the Reid I know makes the best of bad situations. When will you let go of all this anger and just listen to me?”
“You’re going to lecture me on listening skills? I grow tired of telling you this. I’m not interested in picking my life back up here. These things you brought me today? I don’t remember them. They mean nothing to me.”
“I’m not asking you to remember anything. I’m just asking you to try. But fine, I’ll leave. I’d invite you to dinner, but I guess I know the answer to that.” With a quick glance at the box on the ground, Luke turned and left the room.
***
When Reid came to work the next day, he was moderately unsurprised to find yet another present from the relentless Mr. Snyder. He had known better than to assume Luke would give up after yesterday’s argument. He had instinctively known Luke was too persistent and impassioned than to acquiesce to Reid’s demands so easily. He should feel irritated, and he did, but lurking on the perimeter of his emotions was something that felt like relief. Reid chose not to examine that feeling too closely. He would attribute it to disliking the feeling of surprise. Had Luke changed course, Reid would have been uncomfortably astounded. Certainly, there was no other reason for which he should feel relieved.
The gift, this time, was a bronze-framed print of Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” panel in the Sistine Chapel. This fresco depicted God, grey-bearded and dressed in white robes, and Adam, reclining naked with one knee raised and his form resting on one elbow. Tense with activity, God was reaching out and touching Adam’s finger, seemingly bestowing life upon mankind. Adam’s hand was limply stretched out toward the Creator in beautiful contrast to the life-giving hand of God.
Reid had once read Dr. Frank Lynn Meshberger’s well-known article about this panel in the American Medical Association’s journal. It was he who suggested that God was sitting in front of an image of an anatomically correct brain. The lines of the sulcus, the pituitary gland, and the spinal chord were all visible in the painting. He had noted that even though God does not touch Adam, Adam is already alive as though the inception of life was transmitted across a synaptic gap. Perhaps for this neurological suggestion, it was Reid’s favorite panel on the famous chapel’s ceiling.
The print itself was on canvas with heavy brushstrokes visible to the eye. The transferred image was approximately one foot tall, creating a wide rectangle. The cream and tan shades of the fresco were brilliantly complemented by the bronze-colored frame. It was the perfect setting to the awe-inspiring grandeur of this artistic masterpiece.
Reid traced the beading on the frame before picking up the note next to it and reading Luke’s now familiar writing:
Things Reid Oliver Likes, Loves, or Otherwise Admires
The brain
Sandwiches
Chocolate
The Sistine Chapel
Dismissing this gift was more difficult than the others. Certainly, this was one of the most well-known artistic works in the world. Luke, however, could have picked any number of paintings, but he chose this one. This choice was specific to Reid. This gift was not like chocolate-it could not be a lucky guess or apply to anyone. It was not something that any casual acquaintance would have known about Reid, like his fascination with the brain or enjoyment of sandwiches. No, Luke had found not only his favorite artwork but also his favorite among the thirty-three panels. This knowledge was personal.
Reid shook his head to ward off the uncertainty he was feeling. Okay, so he had admired the Sistine Chapel and mentioned it to Luke when they were dating. So what? It did not change the fact that Reid did not remember sharing his love of this painting with the younger man. It also did not really mean that Luke knew anything about Reid now. It did not suggest that he and Luke shared some great love that was destined to return if Reid would just give it a chance. Luke was still the jerk who had dragged Reid to this place. Luke was still the jerk who refused to believe Reid had changed.
Reid was placing the print on top of his bookshelves when he heard a knock on the door.
“Come in!” he barked. He half expected Mr. Snyder to walk into his office.
Instead, a man with fading copper hair and a hawkish nose strode into his office with a woman who had chin-length carefully tousled hair and was wearing a red skirt suit.
“Dr. Oliver, I’m Dr. John Dixon, and this is my wife, Lucinda Walsh.”
“How wonderful for you.”
Lucinda gave John a little nudge. “Just cut to the chase, darling.”
John chose his words carefully. “I came here to apologize to you. I was there the day you died. I was the one who took your heart, or I thought I did. I don’t know what happened, but you have my sincere apologies. You were dead according to the monitors. I have no idea whose heart I put in Chris’s chest, but obviously it was not yours. I wasn’t with you in the operating room when they harvested the other organs so I can only surmise some sort of body switch was performed before I came to take the heart. Again, I’m sorry for not knowing more.”
“Actually, I should thank you. I was spared five years in this hellhole because of your incompetence. If you had done your job and patched me up, I might have had to live here this entire time.”
“Oh!” said John, not sure if he should be insulted or relieved that a major malpractice lawsuit was not in the works.
Lucinda smiled. “I like you. You’re the rare man who says what he thinks. I married John here for that very quality.”
“Did you come here to hold his hand after he got sent to the principal’s office, or is there something else?”
Lucinda gave a delicate shrug. “John doesn’t require any assistance from me. When he said where he was going this morning, I admit I was curious. We never met, you and I, when you were last in Oakdale.”
“Is this really such a small town that you feel the need to meet every resident?”
“No, just the ones my grandson consorts with,” Lucinda said with a knowing smile.
Reid sighed, already knowing the answer to this question. “Your grandson?”
“Don’t play coy, Dr. Oliver; it doesn’t suit you. You know exactly who my grandson is.”
Reid closed his eyes and hoped for patience. “Fine, but I hope you’re not here to sing his praises. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.”
Lucinda leaned forward and placed a hand on Reid’s arm. She looked him directly in his blue eyes and said, “My grandson does not need me to defend him anymore than John. As I said, I was curious. I did not come here to interfere.”
“That would be a first,” remarked John.
Lucinda, removing her hand from Reid, held it up imperiously to rebuff John. “Luke is not Lily. I know he can handle his own affairs.”
John gave her a dubious look, but he kept his opinion to himself. It would not help Luke if Reid knew how much of a meddlesome grandmother Lucinda could be.
Reid was feeling impatient at this couple’s presence in his office. “Is your curiosity satisfied? I’d like to go back to work.”
“For the moment, darling, for the moment. John, let’s allow this man return to his affairs.”
A/N In case you’re wondering, there really is an article by Frank Lynn Meshberger out there about the brain being depicted in the “Creation of Adam.” I was going to have Luke give Reid a book about the chapel because there are so many panels of art there and I couldn’t choose which one; then I saw some discussion of this article on various websites, and my choice was made for me. I’ve even been to the Sistine Chapel and never heard of or noticed the brain possibly being depicted, so I learned something new for this chapter.