The Brain vs The Heart - A Battle Royale
Chapter 19
Reid sat at his desk sipping from the mug Luke had gotten him. It did exactly what Luke had intended for it to do, make Reid think of him. It had been three days and Luke hadn’t called him. Reid didn’t know if Luke was hurt and mad at him, or if he had simply given up on them. Reid felt like he had given Luke just cause for either so it was probably 50/50.
There was a brief knock on his door before it opened up and Sue stuck her head in. Reid managed a small smile. “What can I do for you nurse?”
“Your next appointment had to reschedule for tomorrow. You are free for the next hour.” Sue began to reclose the door but stuck her head back in again.
“Yes?” Reid prompted.
“I see you’re enjoying the use of your gift.”
Reid’s eyes wandered down to his desk where the mug sat. “Yeah”
“He’s far too good for you, you realize that right?”
Reid smiled at her, appreciating her candor. “Yeah” Sue nodded and closed the door.
Reid took out his phone and texted Luke a message. It was at least the twentieth he had composed over the last few days. Thinking about his brief conversation with Sue he actually managed to hit send to this one, not knowing if it would make any sense.
Even though you aren’t here, I sleep with you every night…. But, it’s just not the same. Please call.
Luke was sitting behind his desk at Grimaldi shipping handling an international call when the text came in. As much as he wanted to respond immediately to Reid, he needed to finish what he was doing. The time it bought him also allowed him a chance to figure out exactly what he wanted to say once he did respond. Luke knew Reid was referring to the picture he had seen the first day he was at his place in Dallas. It made his heart ache a little that Reid clearly missed him and was using the picture to feel closer to him when he wasn’t there. The ache was soothed slightly by the fact that Reid had finally reached out to him. It had been hard not to do it himself, but he needed Reid to work out whatever was going on in his head and make up his own mind to make contact. Luke managed to wait a full half hour before picking up the phone to call Reid.
“Oliver.”
“Hello doctor.”
“Luke” he let out with a heavy sigh. “You called.”
Luke smiled on the other end “I called.”
“I really do want to explain about last Sunday.”
“It’s ok Reid. Do it the next time we see each other ok?”
Luke’s response allowed the weight Reid had placed on his heart to be lifted. “Whatever you say Richie Rich. When are you flying down to see me again?”
“I’m not. I figure it’s your turn to come back up here. When are your next two free days off?”
“Monday and Tuesday, but, you know I’m not made of money like you are. I can’t just book flights whenever I feel like it.”
“I get that, but don’t worry about it. I’ll send the company plane to get you.”
“You’re going to send your plane to fetch me? That’s ridiculous. It would just be easier if you came back to Dallas.”
“Easier for you maybe, but if you want to see me, you’ll be doing it up here.” Luke hung up the phone before Reid could respond. There, taste of his own medicine. Let’s see how he responds to that. Less than five minutes later Luke received another text from Reid
On call tomorrow and Friday, you could just come hang out. Don’t want to wait 4 more days to see you.
You’re gonna have to.
Do you NOT want to see me?
Of course I want to see you. I miss you, but I’m not coming down. I have a job too you know.
Luke knew after he hit send it might sound harsh. That was the problem with a text. You can never tell tone. Luke’s phone rang twenty seconds later.
“Hello Reid.”
“What the hell Luke? Are we playing games now?”
Luke sighed. “I’m not playing games. I’m giving you the time you need to work out whatever is going on with you that made you leave me alone in your house.”
“I told you, I want to tell you what it was.”
“And I want to hear it, but I need to hear it in person Reid. I want to be able to see you, hold you too even while you tell me.”
As much as it hurt Reid to hear, that made sense to him. “Yeah, I see your point. But you could just fly back down tonight. I’ll even hold you all you want while I tell you everything you need to know. I don’t particularly like that you’re being the rational one in this conversation.” Luke let out a small laugh on the other end of the phone.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure that won’t last long. And I really wish I could come down. I just have too much work. It’s not life and death stuff, but it’s still important and I take it seriously.”
“See there you go, being all rational again.”
“It’s only four more days.”
“Yeah, ok.”
“Reid?”
“Yeah?”
“I miss you. I miss you very much. I miss you more than you know.”
That helped settle Reid down. “Thanks Luke. Me too.”
----
Reid managed to make it through the rest of the week without getting into his head too much. He knew he was ready to confide his fears about Luke’s kidney to him. At least that’s what Sue had convinced him of. Reid had somehow ended up in a lengthy conversation with her all about Luke in his office on Friday.
“The dream was far too real. That’s really the problem I guess. He could die and I have to be ok with that. I don’t know how he will deal with my fatalistic view of his condition.”
“Can’t you just tell him everything is going to be all right?”
“Nope….I only say that in the operating room. I never can make that claim anywhere else.”
“You really are that cynical, aren’t you doctor?”
“Especially with the romantic stuff, as Luke would I’m sure point out.”
Sue looked at him thoughtfully. She liked that it mattered to him what Luke thought. “Maybe you should take it to heart.”
“My, ah, brain won’t let me.”
“What did sentimentality ever do to you?”
“It’s the hypocrisy I can’t stand. People just seem to change partners as easy as I change socks.”
“Not all of them.” Sue pointed to her wedding band. “I have been married for almost twenty years Dr. Oliver.”
Reid looked at her like she was the exception, not the rule. “Nothing’s certain. Nothing’s forever in this world. As human beings we’re hardwired to cope with that.”
Sue nodded slightly in agreement. “Maybe, but that doesn’t make it any easier.”
“It is what it is. Things change. Relationships end. People die. Ah, but what do I know, I’m a brain guy, not a heart guy.”
As Reid walked out leaving Sue alone in his office she wondered how long it would take before he realized that with Luke he could probably be both. She had already witnessed evidence to that fact.
----
On Saturday Sue assisted him in finding a really cheap flight into St. Louis that left shortly after his shift was over Sunday. As he was checking in and printing his boarding pass on-line at the hospital he admitted to her how bad he was at the whole relationship thing and she responded with an amused “shocking.” Reid just shot her look and left for his quick drive to DFW. I think I made my first real friend in Dallas, all because of Luke. Add it to the list of things the kid has done to me. I hope he doesn’t freak out at my surprising him. Since when do I do anything with the HOPE it works out?
----
Luke worked the next four days straight, even Saturday and Sunday, getting ahead of the early week shipments. He left the office Sunday at 4pm to go and pick Ethan up for an overnight he’d been promising since Ethan was released from Memorial. Luke had a night of junk food and games planned. He’d been looking forward to it all day because he knew it would make the night fly by. He planned to bring Ethan home and head straight to meet the Grimaldi jet which was bringing Reid in at 10am Monday morning.
----
Luke and Ethan were in a very heated game of battleship when Luke’s doorbell rang.
“Pizza break” Ethan shouted jumping up from the floor.
“Wow, it got here fast. Go get some sodas out of the fridge and I’ll pay for the pizza ok buddy?” Luke pulled his wallet out of his back pocket as he was opening the door. He opened it and let out an excited gasp. He threw his arms around Reid’s neck avoiding the box he was holding in front of him. He planted a light kiss on Reid’s lips. “You’re not my regular pizza delivery guy” he said with a smile.
“So that greeting was for the food? Not me?”
“Of course. We’re very hungry. Come on it.”
Reid took a few steps inside Luke’s cottage asking “we’re?” then he saw Ethan. As much as he desperately wanted to be alone with Luke he smiled at the sight of his little brother. Ethan turned and did the same exact thing.
“Dr. Reid!”
“Well hello there Ethan.” Reid turned back to Luke “am I interrupting?”
Luke put his hands on Reid’s shoulders, turning him around and shoving him toward the kitchen. “Of course not, the more the merrier, right Ethan?”
“Only because it’s Dr. Reid.” Ethan answered sounding authoritative and full of wisdom. “Its boy’s night.”
Reid responded in the only way that made sense to him. “I am a boy.”
Luke leaned in and whispered “I’m very happy to see you.” Reid looked at him with an expression that said ‘are you sure?’ Luke nodded and added “Best surprise ever.”
----
It wasn’t at all how Reid expected to spend his evening with Luke but they had a blast. They ate the pizza Reid brought then played video games until the pizza Luke had ordered arrived. They ate some more, Reid did at least, and then they all had cookie dough ice cream. Ethan beat them at crazy eights and life. After Ethan’s second straight win he raised his hands and shouted “victorious.” Then looked at his brother and Reid adding “I really am good at this, I gotta say.” They had a good laugh at that.
“I like a guy with a healthy ego” Reid said to which Ethan replied “what’s an ego?”
Reid showed Ethan how some of the chess pieces moved and promised to teach him the game when they had more time. They finally wore Ethan out enough by midnight to induce a huge yawn from the youngest Snyder.
“Ok buddy, pj time. And don’t forget to brush your teeth ok.” Luke messed up his hair as he sent him off to get ready for bed. “I still can’t believe you’re here” he said smiling over at Reid.
Reid kind of shrugged his shoulders. “Told you I couldn’t wait that long.” He paused briefly before continuing “I really want to tell you…”
Luke ran his hands up Reid’s arms and interrupted him “I know. Tomorrow ok? Let’s keep this night about Ethan, and then tomorrow, I’m all yours.” Reid nodded his head and leaned in to give Luke a light kiss on the lips.
“Hey, are you guys boyfriends now?” Ethan asked coming out of the bathroom in his transformer pajamas. Luke could tell he was curious about why they were kissing.
Luke began scratching the side of his head and hazarded a sideways glance at Reid. “Ah, well, would you like to answer him or should I?”
Reid grabbed Luke’s hand and pulled him along side of him “let’s not make it so complicated for the kid. Yes, Luke and I are together.”
“Ok, good. You’ll be much cooler than Noah was.” Then something else dawned on him. “Does that mean you can look at my brains anytime I want?”
Luke giggled, covering his face with his free hand. “Anytime you want Ethan” Reid responded.
They got him tucked into the covers on the couch and left the small light over the stove in the kitchen on in case Ethan needed to get up. “Goodnight buddy. Hope you had fun tonight.” Ethan nodded and let out another huge yawn. “Love you Luke.”
“Love you to Eth.”
----
As Luke stopped just inside the bedroom looking for something to sleep in, Reid came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Luke’s waist, kissing the side of his neck. “I brought you a gift” he said.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Wanted to….kind of a thank you for the mug.”
“Ok.” Luke turned in anticipation. Reid walked over to his bag and pulled out a pair of his hospital scrub bottoms.
A smile spread across Luke’s face. “Are those what I think they are?”
“Well, you wanted in my pants, you got in my pants….so yeah, here are my pants.”
In between kisses Luke replied “They’re perfect. I’ll wear them tonight.”
Back on track Reid, well done…… Brain 7, Heart 11