NEW! "The Promised Land" - Chapter 8 (Nuke fic)
Title: The Promised Land (8/?)
Pairing: Nuke Endgame (Temporary Luke/Reid)
Rating: M for Language
Prompt: Noah gets a dog.
Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em. Don’t make no money.
link
Previously...
Noah blinks again several times, then slowly turns toward Luke. Luke holds his breath. It’s as if everyone else in the room has disappeared and it’s just the two of them again, the way it should be.
Noah squints up at Luke, his eyes even bluer than usual from the tears. “Luke?”
“Yeah,” Luke breathes. He presses Noah’s palm to his cheek. “Yeah, it’s me.”
Noah stares at him in wonder. “There it is,” he murmurs.
“What?”
Noah grins, and it’s like the sun coming out. “There it is,” he says again. “There’s that smile.”
***
Chapter Eight
Noah peers sleepily at Luke. “I can see you,” he says wonderingly.
"I know," Luke says. He's smiling so wide his face actually hurts. "I know."
Noah turns his head, searching. “Dr. Oliver?”
Reid steps forward. “Right here.”
Noah squints up at him. “You’re a little fuzzy.”
“That’s normal,” Reid says. “It should get better in time.”
Noah frowns. “Should or will?”
“You know I’m not going to speculate on that, Mr. Mayer.”
Noah smiles up at Reid. It’s his full-on, one-hundred-watt goofy grin, the one that lights up a room. Reid looks a little startled, and Luke realizes that he’s probably never seen Noah smile like that before, that he's only known Noah when he's lost and miserable.
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see, huh, doc?” Noah says.
Reid manages to find his voice. “Precisely. But only if you continue to do what I tell you to do. That means therapy when I say therapy, rest when I say rest.”
“So bossy,” Noah mutters. Then he holds out his hand to Reid. “Thank you, Dr. Oliver. Thank you for giving me my life back.”
To Luke’s surprise, Reid doesn’t make any sarcastic quips or rejoinders. He just shakes Noah’s hand. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Mayer.”
“No,” Noah says seriously. “It’s mine.” He turns back to Luke, raises his hand, and touches Luke’s face. Luke holds his breath as Noah gently traces his nose, chin, cheekbone, his fingers as light as butterfly wings. Then Noah frowns. “You look tired, babe. Are you okay?”
Luke laughs in surprise. “Well, you had me pretty worried for a few days.”
Noah blinks. “I did? Why?”
“You were in a coma, darling,” Lucinda says.
Noah’s eyes widen in surprise. “I was?” He looks at Luke, who nods in confirmation. “I’m sorry,” he says.
Until this moment, Luke didn’t know it was possible to laugh and cry at the same time. His parents seem to be having a similar reaction. Lily pulls a tissue out of her purse, and Holden clears his throat.
“It’s okay,” Luke manages to choke out. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to.”
Noah shakes his head solemnly and yawns. “You know I’d never worry you on purpose.” He takes Luke’s hand and presses it to his heart. “You know that, right?”
Luke’s own heart swells. “I know,” he says, squeezing Noah’s hand. “Everything’s gonna be okay now.” He wipes tears from his face and smiles tremulously at Noah.
Noah smiles back. “Good.” His eyes droop closed, but he still clings tightly to Luke with his right hand and pats Moses with his left. Moses burrows even closer, whimpering in joy.
“I hate to interrupt this happy reunion,” Reid says, and for once he doesn’t sound impatient or smug. “But I need to examine my patient.”
Luke’s about to argue when Holden speaks up.
“Dr. Oliver is right, Luke. We should go. Noah, get some rest,” he orders.
“Yes, sir,” Noah murmurs. He opens his eyes. “Make sure Luke rests, too, okay?”
“Will do,” Holden says.
Lily kisses Noah’s cheek. “We’ll visit you again later, Noah.”
Noah yawns again and gives a small wave. “Okay, thanks. Nice to see you.” He giggles at his own joke, and his eyes droop again.
“Enough chit-chat,” Reid snaps. “Everyone out, now.” He herds Holden, Lily, and Lucinda out the door, then points at Luke. “You, too.”
“Fine,” Luke snarls. He tries to withdraw his hand from Noah’s, but Noah opens his eyes in alarm and clutches at it.
“Don’t go.”
“It’s okay,” Luke reassures him. “I’ll be right outside,”
“You’ll come back later?” Noah asks anxiously.
“I promise.”
Noah sighs. “Good.” He smiles drowsily at Luke and lowers his voice. “’Cause I kinda like looking at you.”
Luke can’t resist kissing Noah’s forehead. “Same here,” he whispers, then stands. “Moses, come.”
Moses whines but hops down from the bed and follows Luke out of the room. Reid closes the door firmly behind him and shuts the blinds.
Luke’s parents are waiting in the hallway and envelop him in enormous hugs. Lily passes around tissues, since they’re all still crying like idiots.
“Where’s Grandmother?” Luke asks, wiping his eyes. “I feel really bad about what I said to her.”
“She went to spread the good news,” Lily answers. “And I wouldn’t worry that.”
Luke shakes his head. “I feel bad. But for a second I thought...” He still can’t bring himself to say the words. Suddenly, he feels exhausted beyond belief and drops bonelessly into a nearby chair. “I can’t believe we almost lost him,” he says numbly. His head spins as he thinks about what almost happened, as he imagines a world without Noah in it.
His father grounds him in reality, as always. “What you need to focus on right now is getting some rest,” Holden says. “I want you to come back to the house with us. You can sleep in your old room.”
“I’ll take a nap at the apartment later,” Luke says absently. “Right now I should make some phone calls.”
“No,” Holden says firmly. “Your mother and I will take care of everything. You need to take care of yourself, and the first item of business is sleep, followed by a home-cooked meal. You’ve been living on coffee for days.”
Luke rubs his eyes tiredly. “I don’t want to leave Noah.”
“Noah’s not going anywhere.” Holden puts his hand on Luke’s head. “Do you understand, son? He’s not going anywhere.”
Luke looks up at Holden and feels tears start in his eyes again. “Promise?” he asks, like a little kid.
“I promise,” Holden answers. “But I also promised Noah I’d take care of you, so move your butt.”
Luke looks at the closed door to Noah’s room. “I just-"
“Don’t argue with your father, Luke,” Lily says sternly.
“I just want to hear what Reid says after he checks out Noah.”
“Five minutes,” Holden replies. “Your mother and I will bring the car around and meet you downstairs.”
“I’ve got my own car,” Luke argues.
“Which you’re not driving until you’ve gotten some sleep,” Lily says, “And that’s final.”
“Fine.” Luke rolls his eyes. “Geez.”
Holden takes Lily’s hand. “We’ll see you downstairs,” he tells Luke. “If you’re not there in five minutes, I’m coming after you. Got it?”
Luke smiles. “Yes, sir.”
“Come on, Moses,” Holden says. To Luke’s surprise, Moses trots obediently after Holden as he and Lily head to the elevators. Luke lets out a huge breath, leans his head against the wall, and closes his eyes, half asleep already.
The soft click of a door opening startles him. He opens his eyes and sees Reid close the door of Noah’s room behind him, then lean heavily against the wall and put his head in his hands.
“Reid?” Luke stands and hurries over, dread in the pit of his stomach. “Reid, what’s wrong? Is Noah okay?”
Reid drops his hands and looks at Luke, his eyes blank. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m sorry.”
To be continued...
Pairing: Nuke Endgame (Temporary Luke/Reid)
Rating: M for Language
Prompt: Noah gets a dog.
Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em. Don’t make no money.
link
Previously...
Noah blinks again several times, then slowly turns toward Luke. Luke holds his breath. It’s as if everyone else in the room has disappeared and it’s just the two of them again, the way it should be.
Noah squints up at Luke, his eyes even bluer than usual from the tears. “Luke?”
“Yeah,” Luke breathes. He presses Noah’s palm to his cheek. “Yeah, it’s me.”
Noah stares at him in wonder. “There it is,” he murmurs.
“What?”
Noah grins, and it’s like the sun coming out. “There it is,” he says again. “There’s that smile.”
***
Chapter Eight
Noah peers sleepily at Luke. “I can see you,” he says wonderingly.
"I know," Luke says. He's smiling so wide his face actually hurts. "I know."
Noah turns his head, searching. “Dr. Oliver?”
Reid steps forward. “Right here.”
Noah squints up at him. “You’re a little fuzzy.”
“That’s normal,” Reid says. “It should get better in time.”
Noah frowns. “Should or will?”
“You know I’m not going to speculate on that, Mr. Mayer.”
Noah smiles up at Reid. It’s his full-on, one-hundred-watt goofy grin, the one that lights up a room. Reid looks a little startled, and Luke realizes that he’s probably never seen Noah smile like that before, that he's only known Noah when he's lost and miserable.
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see, huh, doc?” Noah says.
Reid manages to find his voice. “Precisely. But only if you continue to do what I tell you to do. That means therapy when I say therapy, rest when I say rest.”
“So bossy,” Noah mutters. Then he holds out his hand to Reid. “Thank you, Dr. Oliver. Thank you for giving me my life back.”
To Luke’s surprise, Reid doesn’t make any sarcastic quips or rejoinders. He just shakes Noah’s hand. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Mayer.”
“No,” Noah says seriously. “It’s mine.” He turns back to Luke, raises his hand, and touches Luke’s face. Luke holds his breath as Noah gently traces his nose, chin, cheekbone, his fingers as light as butterfly wings. Then Noah frowns. “You look tired, babe. Are you okay?”
Luke laughs in surprise. “Well, you had me pretty worried for a few days.”
Noah blinks. “I did? Why?”
“You were in a coma, darling,” Lucinda says.
Noah’s eyes widen in surprise. “I was?” He looks at Luke, who nods in confirmation. “I’m sorry,” he says.
Until this moment, Luke didn’t know it was possible to laugh and cry at the same time. His parents seem to be having a similar reaction. Lily pulls a tissue out of her purse, and Holden clears his throat.
“It’s okay,” Luke manages to choke out. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to.”
Noah shakes his head solemnly and yawns. “You know I’d never worry you on purpose.” He takes Luke’s hand and presses it to his heart. “You know that, right?”
Luke’s own heart swells. “I know,” he says, squeezing Noah’s hand. “Everything’s gonna be okay now.” He wipes tears from his face and smiles tremulously at Noah.
Noah smiles back. “Good.” His eyes droop closed, but he still clings tightly to Luke with his right hand and pats Moses with his left. Moses burrows even closer, whimpering in joy.
“I hate to interrupt this happy reunion,” Reid says, and for once he doesn’t sound impatient or smug. “But I need to examine my patient.”
Luke’s about to argue when Holden speaks up.
“Dr. Oliver is right, Luke. We should go. Noah, get some rest,” he orders.
“Yes, sir,” Noah murmurs. He opens his eyes. “Make sure Luke rests, too, okay?”
“Will do,” Holden says.
Lily kisses Noah’s cheek. “We’ll visit you again later, Noah.”
Noah yawns again and gives a small wave. “Okay, thanks. Nice to see you.” He giggles at his own joke, and his eyes droop again.
“Enough chit-chat,” Reid snaps. “Everyone out, now.” He herds Holden, Lily, and Lucinda out the door, then points at Luke. “You, too.”
“Fine,” Luke snarls. He tries to withdraw his hand from Noah’s, but Noah opens his eyes in alarm and clutches at it.
“Don’t go.”
“It’s okay,” Luke reassures him. “I’ll be right outside,”
“You’ll come back later?” Noah asks anxiously.
“I promise.”
Noah sighs. “Good.” He smiles drowsily at Luke and lowers his voice. “’Cause I kinda like looking at you.”
Luke can’t resist kissing Noah’s forehead. “Same here,” he whispers, then stands. “Moses, come.”
Moses whines but hops down from the bed and follows Luke out of the room. Reid closes the door firmly behind him and shuts the blinds.
Luke’s parents are waiting in the hallway and envelop him in enormous hugs. Lily passes around tissues, since they’re all still crying like idiots.
“Where’s Grandmother?” Luke asks, wiping his eyes. “I feel really bad about what I said to her.”
“She went to spread the good news,” Lily answers. “And I wouldn’t worry that.”
Luke shakes his head. “I feel bad. But for a second I thought...” He still can’t bring himself to say the words. Suddenly, he feels exhausted beyond belief and drops bonelessly into a nearby chair. “I can’t believe we almost lost him,” he says numbly. His head spins as he thinks about what almost happened, as he imagines a world without Noah in it.
His father grounds him in reality, as always. “What you need to focus on right now is getting some rest,” Holden says. “I want you to come back to the house with us. You can sleep in your old room.”
“I’ll take a nap at the apartment later,” Luke says absently. “Right now I should make some phone calls.”
“No,” Holden says firmly. “Your mother and I will take care of everything. You need to take care of yourself, and the first item of business is sleep, followed by a home-cooked meal. You’ve been living on coffee for days.”
Luke rubs his eyes tiredly. “I don’t want to leave Noah.”
“Noah’s not going anywhere.” Holden puts his hand on Luke’s head. “Do you understand, son? He’s not going anywhere.”
Luke looks up at Holden and feels tears start in his eyes again. “Promise?” he asks, like a little kid.
“I promise,” Holden answers. “But I also promised Noah I’d take care of you, so move your butt.”
Luke looks at the closed door to Noah’s room. “I just-"
“Don’t argue with your father, Luke,” Lily says sternly.
“I just want to hear what Reid says after he checks out Noah.”
“Five minutes,” Holden replies. “Your mother and I will bring the car around and meet you downstairs.”
“I’ve got my own car,” Luke argues.
“Which you’re not driving until you’ve gotten some sleep,” Lily says, “And that’s final.”
“Fine.” Luke rolls his eyes. “Geez.”
Holden takes Lily’s hand. “We’ll see you downstairs,” he tells Luke. “If you’re not there in five minutes, I’m coming after you. Got it?”
Luke smiles. “Yes, sir.”
“Come on, Moses,” Holden says. To Luke’s surprise, Moses trots obediently after Holden as he and Lily head to the elevators. Luke lets out a huge breath, leans his head against the wall, and closes his eyes, half asleep already.
The soft click of a door opening startles him. He opens his eyes and sees Reid close the door of Noah’s room behind him, then lean heavily against the wall and put his head in his hands.
“Reid?” Luke stands and hurries over, dread in the pit of his stomach. “Reid, what’s wrong? Is Noah okay?”
Reid drops his hands and looks at Luke, his eyes blank. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m sorry.”
To be continued...