The Brain vs The Heart - A Battle Royale
Chapter 30
Luke got on his jet and flew back to Oakdale from Houston. His consultation with Dr. Klein had gone really well if you didn’t count the fact that she didn’t want to take him on as a patient. He learned valuable information about drug protocols and diet regimens his nephrologist in Oakdale either hadn’t known to talk to him about or just didn’t care enough to make Luke aware. He used the phone on the plane to fill Reid in on how things had gone, pulling out his paper and reciting back what he had written down. He also gave the doctor a hard time about not informing him of the fact he knew Dr. Klein.
“I don’t know her.”
Luke just laughed, remembering what the other doctor had said. “Ah yeah, as a matter of fact you do Reid, or at least she knows you.”
Reid snorted on the other end of the phone. “I get that all the time, because I’m a world renowned neurosurgeon and everything, burden I have to bear. Did I meet her someplace?”
“She did a rotation at Mass General the same time you did you idiot. She called you, and I’m quoting now, ‘an abrasive anti-social guy’.”
“Well, sounds like she was at least alert enough to notice the best doctor in the entire hospital. And, from everything I've read, she’s one of the best in her field now. Too bad she isn’t a guy, maybe I would have paid more attention back then.”
It was a good thing Reid couldn’t witness the massive eye roll Luke did. “So these fine people skills you have aren’t something you learned recently.”
“Some people have a problem with me” he shrugged even though Luke couldn’t see him. “Not a lot I can do about it Luke.”
“Actually, she likes you. And she was quite tickled to know we were a couple.”
“Tickled? Sounds kinky…..”
“Nice Reid, really nice.”
“What?”
Luke couldn’t help but laugh at the older man’s nonchalance. He couldn’t fathom a relationship now with someone who wasn’t snarky and rude. He’d laughed more in the last couple of months than he’d laughed in the previous few years. He did know Reid, better than anyone he guessed, and that made this banter they had a twisted form of really hot foreplay. Luke had to adjust his pants to hide the evidence of that. “Alright you, I have to go. I need to try and get some work done today. The rest of my week is swamped too. You’re surgery days are Wednesday and Friday right?”
“How….wha…..you’re like a walking talking rolodex. How you keep it all straight in your head I’ll never know.”
Luke shook the compliment off easily. “Only the important stuff Reid. I’m sure we’ll talk again but remember, the Grimaldi jet will be there to pick you us bright and early Saturday morning.”
“Yeah, ok….go make some more money, Richie Rich.”
Luke rolled his eyes again, purely for his own benefit. He didn’t know how other people couldn’t see it too, this dry wit that he loved. Of course most people weren’t able to deal with his ego. Luke could though. The confidence was a total turn on. “And Reid”
“Yeah”
“I’m buying you a tux.”
“Luke, don’t you dare. There is no way in….”
But Luke didn’t hear the rest of the rant because he hung up the phone. Ha, take that doctor.
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Luke spent small parts of Tuesday and Wednesday on the phone with three of the four nephrologists he had faxed his records to. Two of the three, while kind and helpful, didn’t provide him with any new information Dr. Klein hadn’t already given him. He told them he appreciated them taking the time, they assured him they expected Dr. Oliver to return the favor some day and both parties went about the rest of their days. The nephrologist at UCLA wanted Luke to fly out to run some tests, do a physical examination and full workup for their own files. Luke’s nerves spiked for about ten seconds when he pictured Noah’s face in sunny southern California. He quickly shook it off and promised to get out there after the New Year if he hadn’t already chosen someone else.
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Reid was stuck having to explain to Sue on Friday why he was dreading his weekend off. “You don’t understand, he told me he was buying me a tux.”
Sue tried very hard not to smirk at the doctor’s misfortune. “So? Don’t like monkey suits?”
“Stupid question. Nobody likes monkey suits, except probably Luke. He is the quintessential trust fund brat.” Reid shook his head in disbelief “how the hell did I fall for that kinda guy anyway? But I digress. That’s not the big problem. I don’t like him buying me things period. It makes me feel like I have a sugar daddy or something. And I’m a freaking neurosurgeon. The damn private plane is bad enough.”
Sue looked back at him, her thoughts of hilarity at the statement masked by the solemn gaze her eyes had taken up. “Yeah, I’d hate to be you. Hot young twenty-something rich blonde wants you…. how can you stand it?”
Reid burst out into laughter, he just couldn’t stop himself. “It’s not funny” he cried in between gulps of air.
Sue patted him on the arm “no, of course it’s not.”
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Friday night when Luke’s phone rang he didn’t even bother looking at the id before he picked it up, knowing it would be his boyfriend.
“Hello, there sexy….what kind of dirty thoughts have you got for me tonight?”
The voice on the other line cleared his throat. “Um, hello Luke, its…ah…Bob Hughes.”
“Oh my gosh Bob, I’m completely mortified. I’m so sorry. I clearly thought you were someone else….I…uh, what can I do for you?”
Luke could hear the smile the old man wore, even through the phone. “That’s quite alright Luke, I was young once too. I remember what it was like when the love you're feeling is all brand new.”
Love? Was it that obvious? He wondered who else could see it. Could Reid? Luke didn’t know how to reply to that so he let silence fill the static between them. Eventually Bob continued. “I wanted to let you know as an acting member of the board at Memorial that I have replaced Christopher as Chief of Staff. I will be at the dinner in that capacity tomorrow and wanted to keep the board informed.”
Luke had been expecting it so he didn’t pretend to be surprised. “My grandmother Lucinda will actually be in town for the event tomorrow. Have you contacted her?”
“I have yes. I also wanted to take the opportunity to thank you once again for coming to me and trying to help my son.”
“Um, ok.”Luke had no idea if Chris had told him about their argument. “How is he doing?”
“I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”
“Oh, of course, I’m sorry. It’s really none of my business, you’re right. It’s a family matter.”
“No, I really can’t say because we have no idea where he is.”
“What do you mean you have no idea where he is? What happened to Chris, Bob?”
“Well, I’m embarrassed to say I’m afraid he’s run away…..again. No one has seen him since the day after Thanksgiving. We don’t know where he’s taken himself to.”
The guilt Luke immediately felt was overwhelming. He swayed suddenly, feeling light headed. He sat himself down and took long deep breaths to calm his nerves. “Bob, I am so sorry. I really wish he’d gotten the help we all know he needs. And…You don’t know, maybe he has, somewhere else.” At least Luke sincerely hoped so. He didn’t need the shame of his horrible words echoing through his brain for the rest of his life.
“Luke, no matter what you might think, I will never blame any of this on you or Dr. Oliver. The two of you went above and beyond what was necessary. Christopher made his own choices, and all of them, bad ones. He has no one to point the finger at but himself, and I hold him completely responsible.”
Luke couldn’t have felt the relief any purer if it had been told to him by his own father.
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“Reid, come on….I know you’re going to look hot. Just get out here so I can see you.” It was 4:30 Saturday afternoon and they were running behind. Well, ‘they’ weren’t, Reid was. Luke didn’t understand how a guy who spent less than sixty seconds on his hair could take so damn long to get ready. He was rocking back and forth on his heels looking at the clock every ten seconds or so. His grandmother was about to meet Reid for the first time. This was a big deal, a very big deal and Luke did not want to keep her waiting.
Reid stood in Luke’s bathroom working again on the damn tie. Who the hell gets an actual bowtie that you have to tie? The pretentious do, that’s who. Son of a bitch what am I going to do? I’m a god-damned surgeon. These hands can slice a tumor out of the temporal lobe better than anyone. Why the hell can’t I tie a damn tie? Luke stepped up behind him but kept his mouth shut. He found the look of concentration on Reid’s face fascinating and marked it in his memory banks as another new layer to Reid that he wanted to explore. After the third failed attempt he’d witnessed, he had no idea how many there had been before that, he finally stepped in and put Reid out of his misery. “Want some help with that?
Startled, Reid turned to look at Luke. He was not happy at all. As a matter of fact, if Luke didn’t know better he might even say the great doctor was pouting. “Ha, ha…. Go ahead and say it….no, I don’t know how to tie a damn bow tie.”
Luke stepped in and his hands automatically went to work, without even really looking at the tie. Instead, he used the close proximity of his boyfriend’s lips to distract them both. Luke licked his way around most of Reid’s lips before he was able to gain entrance into the doctor’s mouth. Once inside he explored with his tongue, scraping Reid’s teeth and wrestling with his tongue. Before they both were ready for it to end, Luke had the tie done and was pulling away from the warm, wet heaven that he’d been sucking on. “There” he patted the tie down into place. He surveyed the entire package, scanning his eyes from head to toe, lingering on Reid’s slightly swollen lips when he got back to his face. “I was right, you look seriously hot. Maybe we should just stay here, skip the foundation party.”
“Don’t tempt me Snyder. You forced me into this getup. I’d be just as happy to take it right back off.”
As enticing as that was, Luke couldn’t wait another minute for his boyfriend to meet his grandmother. The entertainment of it alone was going to make the rest of the event totally worth it.
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Lucinda stood regally at the center of the room. She didn’t mingle, people came to her. She was actually in the middle of telling another board member just how tiny she thought Chris Hughes’ brain was when she saw her grandson walk in. The man being dragged close behind, she could only assume was Dr. Reid Oliver. She politely excused herself to head over to them for a closer look. From the conversations she’d had with Luke and the information she’d come up with on her own she liked what she saw so far, but the man would have to be put through his paces before she would fully approve.
“Grandmother” Luke exclaimed as he pulled her in for a hug. “How Baltimore treating you?”
“Perfectly fine” she cooed. “Ten minutes late I see” she pointed at her watch and shook her head disappointingly. “You’d think a doctor could be more punctual.”
Reid opened his mouth in shock. “What, no witty retort Dr. Oliver. You disappoint me. I’d so hoped you were up to the challenge.”
At that Reid got a gleam in his eye. He liked her. “I was too busy defiling your grandson to keep track.”
Luke buried his head in his hands to avoid people seeing the instantaneous blush. Lucinda merely raised an eyebrow. “A sexual innuendo, is that really the best you can come up with?”
Luke lifted his head “actually Reid was…” and then he saw the look on Reid’s face, imploring him not to give away the fact he’d had trouble with his tie. “He was um… defiling me quite well grandmother.”
Lucinda and Reid both started laughing and Luke resumed his blushing with his head in his hands.
It’s painfully obvious they need each other in their lives….. Brain 10 ½, Heart 19 ½