My Stardust Melody, Chapter 14, Part 1
As Luke checked the girdle and made sure Serendipity's bridle was properly attached, he reflected on the events of the last few days. It seemed as if his life might be getting back to normal. Neither he nor Henry had run into the doctor since leaving jail. Luke heard through Henry who heard through Katie (who heard through some random person) that the green had come off of Reid by the next day. Since then, Luke hadn't learned much about the doctor. Reid seemed to be busy at work, insulting the nurses and performing amazing surgeries. Luke thought he could get used to that.
Luke could have strangled Henry for trying to haunt Reid out of town. And the pictures! Luke could only imagine the horrified look on Kim's face. Henry's heart was in the right place, but the problem with Henry was that his brain usually led him down a crazy path. Still, he would have paid money to see the moment where slime-covered Reid splattered Henry and Jack with fake blood just before his honest cousin picked up that photograph. Henry related the story with the relish of a camp counselor telling ghost stories to preteens at a campfire. To hear him tell it, it was a scene ripped straight out of Carrie.
Henry had just better hope Reid didn't have any paranormal powers, Luke thought with a snort. Barring that possibility, Luke wished those two would leave each other alone from now on. At the very least, Luke just wanted to be left out of their antics. Maybe when Luke was younger, he would have sought out Reid himself and tried to punish him for everything that happened. Because of Reid, he'd lost Grimaldi, nearly the farm, and his father had disappeared probably in relation to the bankruptcy. Now, he just wanted to avoid the doctor and keep his mind on his work, school, and family. Losing focus two years ago cost him too much, and he had learned his lesson. He didn't have time to waste on Reid Oliver.
Once Serendipity was ready, Luke left his stall for a moment to say hello to Midnight. The black stallion whinnied his hello and stuck his head out of his stall for a pet. Luke had to admit that as much as he liked the sweet-natured Serendipity, Midnight was his favorite. The horse was cantankerous to everyone but Luke. He particularly hated Henry and even tried to take nips at Andy anytime his back was turned. The horse's obvious favoritism endeared him to the blond. And Luke liked the idea that the horse was an underdog. They had bought him for a steal at the same yearling auction where he and Henry had purchased Serendipity. Midnight didn't have an auspicious pedigree, but there was something about the particular mix of his bloodlines and the look in his eye that had caused Luke to tell Henry that Midnight was a must. It was the only time he'd ever fought Henry on how to spend his money.
Luke rubbed Midnight's nose and added some feed to his trough, before going back to Serendipity's stall. He led the red horse out of his stall, carefully dodging Midnight who tried to take a bite out of Serendipity's flank, and swung up into the saddle. Luke inhaled the crisp air with relish. December had been particularly cold, but no snow was expected for another few days. It was a perfect day to ride. The sky was blue and the wind was low, a great day to put any thoughts of the doctor behind him. Tightening his helmet strap, he lightly nudged the chestnut horse with his heels. Immediately, Luke knew something was very wrong. Serendipity reared up on his legs and neighed, nearly shrieking.
"Whoa! Ser, whoa!" Luke called, clinching the reins and grabbing a handful of mane.
The stallion didn't calm down. The next thing Luke knew, Serendipity had shot off out of the barn. They whizzed past Andy, almost running down the old man.
"Something's wrong!" Luke yelled, but they were moving so quickly, he didn't know if the trainer heard him. It wouldn't matter, however. It had to be clear that Luke was in trouble, just as it was clear that Andy wouldn't be able to do anything.
Serendipity shot out into the field, then started bucking wildly. Luke held on with all his might, trying to soothe the horse. He could see Serendipity's breath puffing wildly into the frigid air. The stallion was not going to be pacified. Luke should have taken the chance to try to jump off because the thoroughbred started galloping again, heading straight for the wooden fence at the eastern border of his property.
Luke's heart beat as fast as the thundering of Serendipity's hooves. The brown fence was too tall for the horse to clear. He'd likely break a leg, which could mean death to a thoroughbred. Luke pulled hard with his right hand on the reins, trying to turn the horse. Luke was oblivious to the pain as leather cut into his fingers. It was useless; Serendipity continued to sprint toward the fence. They were mere yards from the wooden posts, and Luke yanked vigorously.
They abruptly halted, but Luke had lost his grip on the horse. The blond flew head first off the stallion into the air. He didn't even have time to scream. He felt cold air engulf him, followed by a sharp pain in his head. Then there was darkness.
***
Luke woke up lying in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. He lifted his hand up to his head and gingerly touched the top of it. "Ow," he whimpered, finding a large lump.
"What happened?" he asked the paramedic who was checking his vitals.
"The old man said you were thrown from a horse into a fence. Looks like your head broke the fall." The middle-aged man spoke with a slight country twang.
Luke let out a little snort and winced. He guessed that Andy must have called the ambulance and then stayed with Serendipity to check him over. That was precisely what Luke would have wanted him to do. So long as Luke wasn't seriously injured, the thoroughbred's needs came first. Serendipity's berserk behavior flashed through his memory. What the hell had gotten into that horse? He was usually pretty docile for a stallion.
"Is the horse okay?" Luke asked.
The man raised his eyebrows. "That big red horse? Looked all right to me, but I’m no expert. You were lucky to have such minor injuries falling from that height."
"So, it's not bad?"
The paramedic shook his head. "Doesn't look it. You might have a few bumps and bruises, and the top of your head has a decent lump. The doctors will probably check you for a concussion. Good thing you were wearing a helmet."
Luke nodded, relieved. Falls from horses could be dangerous even in controlled environments. Add in a fence and a spooked horse, and the consequences could have been disastrous. He was lucky.
He remained silent for the rest of the ride because he was developing a headache. It felt better not to talk. Once at the hospital, he thanked the paramedics profusely for their help. Then he was left in a private exam room.
After a nurse had taken some basic information, Luke put on one of those undignified "open in the back" gowns before he could sit on the table and wait. He looked at the clock and saw that it was only 9:30 in the morning. The kids were all still at school, thankfully. He wondered if Maddie might be able to come pick him up once he was released.
After waiting about thirty minutes, growing grumpier as time went on, he heard the rustle of a file being pulled from the box outside the door.
"Finally!" Luke exclaimed as the doctor walked in the door. His headache was making him more impatient than usual.
"That anxious to see me, Mr. Snyder?"
Luke groaned. Of course, it would be Reid. "You. I am just not up to this. Isn't there anyone else?" Wasn't falling off a horse enough agony for the morning?
Reid shrugged and rubbed his finger across the top of the chart. "Afraid not, unless you want to wait for the next shift. It could be hours."
"You seriously cannot want to be here." Reid seemed to hate him as much as he hated Reid. Surely, Reid would want a way out, too.
With a roll of his blue eyes, Reid replied, "Don't flatter yourself. I never said I did. Unfortunately, you've got a head injury, and I'm the unlucky guy that got called to examine you."
"Can't you just pronounce me well and let me go?"
"Nope. And the more you ask stupid questions, the longer we'll be here."
Luke stared at Reid, contemplating whether he could grab his clothes and run out the door. The pain in his head was telling him that would be a bad idea. "Let's just get this over with," he huffed.
Reid opened the chart. "Fine by me. So, any allergies to medications?"
"None."
"Any major medical problems or surgeries?" Reid asked.
Luke flinched at the question. He didn't want Reid to know something so personal. "Do I really have to tell you this?"
Reid just waited.
Luke exhaled and quickly said, "Fine. I've had a tonsillectomy, and when I was 15 I had a kidney transplant." He waited for Reid to pounce.
Reid arched one of his eyebrows. "What was the cause of the renal failure? An autoimmune disease, something genetic, or…"
Luke nervously bounced one of his knees. He hated discussing this part of his past with anyone and especially didn't want to give Reid any ammunition against him. "I drank too much alcohol and got an infection in Mexico. Isn't this all in the chart?" he asked expectantly.
Reid glanced down. "It is, but I have to go over it with you. What medications are you on?"
"Tacrolimus, mycophenolate and prednisone. The standard cocktail." Luke knew those names almost better than he knew his own. He could even tell Reid the exact price of each drug. He had scraped every penny he could in the past two years to afford them--a couple times he had had to halve his dose to make it a few extra days before his paycheck. But, he wasn't about to relate any of that information to Reid. No one knew he had done that.
"Anything else?"
"No." Luke paused with a frown. He was surprised that Reid hadn't remarked on the reasons for the transplant. "What, no hilarious comments about spoiled kids on drinking binges?"
Reid looked up from the chart. "Actually, I find the idea of a fifteen-year-old kid drinking himself into a kidney transplant rather unfunny, Mr. Snyder."
"Oh." Luke didn't know what to say. He had been sure Reid would have leapt at the opportunity to judge him.
Reid continued his exam, seemingly oblivious to Luke's astonishment. "Do you currently drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes?"
"Absolutely not." Luke hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since he was sixteen. "I wouldn't ever be so stupid." Still he knew he was stupid when he had skimped on pills, but he hadn't had any choice then. He'd tried to be as safe as he could, and he didn't want to worry anyone. But, if he'd gotten sick… Just thinking about what that would mean to his siblings brought tears to his eyes. He tried to turn his head so that Reid wouldn't see his wet eyes.
Reid stared intently at him for a moment, and Luke knew his efforts to hide his feelings had been wasted. Instead of attacking him as Luke expected, Reid said gently, "Hey, Mr. Snyder, there's no judgment here. It sounds like you're doing all the right things."
Luke was grateful and surprised by the comfort offered from the man he thought least likely to ever extend it. He glanced at Reid, trying to fathom his intentions. Perhaps Reid just valued his professionalism above all other things. It was something Luke could respect, however else Luke felt about him.
The younger man sat up a little straighter so that Reid could finish. Reid rattled off a few more questions, and Luke got the impression that the doctor was trying to divert Luke from being sad. The fact that Reid was being nice was actually more distracting than the questions, and Luke wondered if he wasn't making this all up in his head. Reid being nice was pretty disturbing.
Reid finally got to the events of the day. "Okay, it says in this chart, you fell off a horse. You know you're supposed to hold on, right?"
"I was thrown by a thoroughbred that was going top speed." Luke decided he would have to reevaluate Reid's commitment to professionalism later.
"The patient is touchy," Reid remarked as he jotted something down in the file.
"Are you really writing that down?" Luke demanded, annoyed.
"Patient may be experiencing vision problems." Again, Reid scribbled something in his file.
Luke's mouth fell open. "Reid! I am not experiencing vision problems."
Reid looked up with raised eyebrows before saying, "Patient becoming hostile at medical evaluation. May need tranquilizer."
Luke wanted to toss Reid's pen onto the floor and wipe the smirk off of the doctor's face. "This is exactly what I expected when you walked in the door. My head is throbbing and all you want to do is taunt me. So help me, I'm going to kill you one day."
Reid snapped the file shut and he approached Luke with thinned lips. "Your head hurts? Where and how much?"
Luke closed his eyes. "More each minute I'm in here with you, and it pretty much hurts everywhere."
"Do you have pain anywhere else?"
"No." If Luke didn't know any better, he would say Reid was acting concerned again. Maybe Reid just had a revenge plan saved for later and was being nice now to lull Luke into complacency. That made more sense to Luke than the possibility that Reid would have legitimate concern for Luke's health. He sincerely doubted that Reid could want to be civil after Henry had dumped a bucket of green goo on him.
"Any vision problems?" Reid asked.
"No."
Reid peppered Luke with some more questions. Afterwards, the doctor said, "I need to check your heart and lungs and take a look at that lump on your head."
"Fine," Luke huffed.
The red-head snorted. "Well, aren't you suddenly cooperative? Can't wait for me to get my hands on you?"
Luke gritted his teeth against the provocation. "Hardly. I just want to get out of here."
Reid took his stethoscope and placed it on Luke's chest. "Breathe," he ordered.
Luke took in a shaky breath, very aware of Reid's hand so near his skin.
Reid moved. "Again," he said.
Luke complied again, feeling a little calmer. It was just a stethoscope, and he was sure that Reid probably did this so often that it didn't matter that it was Luke.
"Okay, now sit forward, so I can see your scalp."
Luke scooted forward on the table. His legs were to the side of Reid's and his eyes were level with Reid's Adam's apple above the v-neck of the doctor's dark blue scrubs. The blond noticed that Reid was being very careful when he touched Luke's injury. He was surprised by the gentleness; he still would have guessed that Reid would probably pound on the lump in petty revenge. This was almost pleasant. He just didn't understand the doctor at all. He was rude and awful ninety-five-percent of the time but suddenly kind in the next moment. Luke had to stop himself from shaking his head in confusion at the doctor.
Reid was quiet as he made his examination, and Luke's focus turned to the man in front of him. He watched the doctor's Adam's apple shift up and down below his strong jaw as he swallowed. Luke was so close to Reid that he could smell the scent of coffee and spice and was transported back in time at the sensation. Starlight, dancing in his arms, making love in a soft bed flashed through his memory. The smoothness and warmth of Reid's skin. Luke was so absorbed in the past that he almost didn't notice that Reid's hand had moved to the side of his head and was caressing a lock.
Luke looked up, shocked, and then desire flooded through him. He was intensely aware that he was wearing only a thin gown. Reid could rip it off only the lightest tug with his lithe fingers. The blond felt exposed, bare, and exhilarated. They stared at each other for a heated second. Reid's eyes darkened, and Luke had the mad urge to drag the doctor down on top of him.
At precisely the same moment, both men came to their senses. Luke looked down at his lap, and Reid jumped back and quickly snatched his pen to write something in the file.
"I'm ordering a CT scan, just to rule out any brain injury. I'm concerned about a possible concussion." Reid's tone was so businesslike that Luke almost thought he'd imagined the charged moment preceding it.
Luke just nodded. He could barely breathe. He knew his skin must be flushed--from humiliation or passion he wasn't sure. He wished he had imagined the moment.
"When you're done, I'll come read the results and you can get out of here." With that, before Luke could even respond, Reid left.
Go to Part 2