"Hey, relax," Luke said pushing Reid gently back against the bed. "Don't try to sit up."
"What happened?" Reid asked, his eyes darting frantically around the room, panic rising up in his chest.
"You're in the hospital," Luke said.
"No shit," Reid responded. "Never would have recognized one..." He closed his eyes to stop the swimming in his head.
"You were in a car accident. But you're okay. You need to relax."
Reid opened his eyes and blinked at Luke. Everything hurt. "What are you doing here? And why exactly are you touching me?"
"I was here when they brought you in," Luke said, removing his hands from Reid's chest quickly. "I overheard Bob saying that you didn't have an emergency contact or next of kin listed on your employement files. They couldn't get ahold of Katie, and I figured not even a grumpy doctor deserves to wake up alone in a hospital room...."
"And you figured your face is what I'd want to see when I woke up?" Reid asked increduously.
Luke sighed. "Well, you're awake now, and I can see that you are your usual horrible self, so I guess you're in working order. I'll see you around." Luke turned to leave, but when he reached the door, Reid spoke.
"Wait." Luke turned back around and looked at Reid without expression. "Was it my fault? Did I hurt anyone?"
Luke returned to Reid's bedside, his expression softened. "No...no. It wasn't your fault," he reassured Reid, putting a hand gently on his right shoulder. "You were blindsided by a pick up truck that ran a stop sign. "
Reid glanced at Luke's hand, and Luke pulled it away.
"My car?" Reid asked.
"It's pretty bad. It was towed to the shop on Livingston. "
"Fuck..." Reid sighed. "Where's my chart?"
"Over here," Luke replied, grabbing it out of the holder on the back of the door. "I'll get Bob in here to discuss your injuries. Are you in pain?"
"Yes, but I can handle it. Let me see it," Reid said, holding his right arm out for the chart.
As he flipped through it, he groaned and cursed. "Dislocated shoulder, two broken ribs, concussion, facial bruising...is it bad?"
"Nah...you look....uh...ya know...tough," Luke joked.
Bob entered the room. "Reid! I'm glad to see that you are awake."
"When can I get out of here?"
"Slow down, doctor. You are here for at least one night for observation."
"No. Bullshit. I'm a physician. I can observe myself. So, get me discharged, boss." Reid brought his hand to his forehead as a sudden pain stabbed behind his eyes.
Bob turned to Luke. "Luke, will you please wait outside while I examine the patient?"
"Of course. Good luck with that though." He smiled sympathetically at Bob before turning to Reid. "I'm glad you're okay, Dr. Oliver. I'll see you around."
"Yeah, ok. Bye," Reid said without looking at Luke. But then as Luke reached the door, Reid said quickly, "And Mr. Snyder...?"
Luke turned around. "Yes?"
"Thank you. Ya know...for......hanging around..."
"You're welcome," Luke said, surprised. "Anytime."
Reid rolled his eyes. But ouch. That hurts. So he closed them until Bob started speaking. "I'm going to give you somthing for the pain."
"I don't want anything. I can handle it, and I need to be able to drive."
"You're not driving anywhere today, Dr. Oliver. Plus, you don't even have a car to drive right now."
"I'll call Katie...or take a taxi. You can't keep me here, Bob."
"Listen...don't fight me on this, Reid, because you will lose."
"Oh, c'mon...you know you can't keep a patient in the hospital who doesn't want to stay."
"No, but I can push some meds into your IV that will keep you in a happy place and in your bed until morning."
"Not if I remove my IV," huffed Reid. "They taught us this stuff in medical school." He rolled his eyes again. Ouch.
"You're being unreasonable," Bob said, writing in Reid's chart.
"I'm being unreasonable? You're the one who's ready to drug me up against my will."
"Oh, stop whining," Bob said with a smile on his lips.
"I'm not whining," Reid replied with a scowl. Bob just smirked.
Just then Katie entered the room, with tears in her eyes. "Reid. Oh my God. Reid." She approached the bed and carefully leaned down and hugged him gently. "Are you okay?" She straigtened herself and looked at Bob. "Bob, please, tell me he's okay."
"Physically he's fine...mentally...not so sure," Bob joked. "I'm kidding, of course. I think Dr. Oliver will be just fine...he had a CT scan that came back good, but I'm keeping him overnight for observation."
"Holding me hostage, you mean," Reid frowned. "Katie...tell him I'll be fine going home. You're up at night with the kid already...you can check on me at the same time. I'm a doctor; I'll know if I need to come back to the hospital. Tell him, Katie."
"I agree with Bob. I think you should stay overnight."
"Oh, c'mon, Goldilocks! Help me out here."
"Reid...God...you need to stay here, to make sure you're okay. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."
"What is with the sentimentality in this fucking town? Katie...I'm fine."
"You don't look fine; you look pretty darn beat up."
"I'm fine. Katie...c'mon...this is ridiculous."
Bob ignored Reid's dramatics. "Is your vision okay?"
"Yes."
"Headache?"
"Yes."
"On a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the worst..."
"I know the drill, Bob. A six. But my fucking ribs hurt more."
"I think you should watch your language in front of the lady," Bob reprimanded.
Reid scoffed. "Lady? Katie? I live with her, remember? Her trash talk is worse than mine sometimes."
Katie opened her mouth in mock protest and smiled.
Bob nodded to the nurse who walked in the room. "Anna, 5 milligrams morphine, please, and set up a pump."
"Yes, Doctor." She left the room.
"Ya know, Reid...Luke Snyder was in here for quite some time, waiting for you to regain consciousness."
Katie clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from squealing. Reid watched her smiling behind her hand and shook his head. He turned back to Bob.
"How long was I out?"
Bob looked at his watch. "Almost four hours."
"Four hours? And Luke...I mean, Mr. Snyder was here that whole time?"
"Yup," Bob said, with a smile in his voice. "I can't imagine why. You've never been very nice to him, but that's just the kind of person Luke is. I told him to take a break, but he said that he didn't want you to wake up alone."
"So, he sat here watching me sleep? Kind of creepy if you ask me."
"Or sweet," Katie corrected him.
Reid's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would he want to wait around for me to wake up?"
Bob shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe it's because you are such a ray of sunshine..." Bob said sarcastically.
"He probably wants to make sure that I'm ok to do surgery on his boyfriend," Reid said flatly, wincing from the pain in his jaw.
"From what I've heard, Noah Mayer is an EX boyfriend," Bob said, looking at Katie.
"Yes, he is an EX boyfriend," Katie agreed, tapping the pads of her fingers together.
"Yeah, well...we'll see how long that sticks."
"Reid's got a thing for Luke," Katie said, giggling. Reid glared at her. "Oh, shit...did I just out you to your boss?"
"I think you did," Reid said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "And I DO NOT have a thing for Luke Snyder. He's barely out of high school..."
"No, you did not out Dr. Oliver," Bob assured Katie.
Reid shook his head at Bob, his brow furrowed again.
"I'm a hip old man," Bob said, laughing. "I've seen you checking out Rodney."
"HOT Rodney?!" Katie squealed. "Sorry, Reid...he's straight...he's hit on me."
"And I've seen the way you and Luke look at each other across the boardroom table."
"What the hell are you talking about, Bob?" Reid asked.
"Straight men do not hold gay men's gazes that long. I put two and two together."
"And came up with homo?" Reid asked.
"Yup. And look...I wasn't wrong. See? I'm a hip old man, just like I said."
Reid rolled his eyes. Christ.
Anna walked back into the room and injected the morphine into Reid's IV. "You should have some relief in a few minutues, Dr. Oliver," Bob said.
"What time is it?" Reid asked.
"2:47."
"Okay, so this morphine should wear off in what, four or five hours? That's how long you have to observe me, and then I'm outta here, Bob. I'm serious."
"We'll see..."
"I hate taking pain meds," Reid complained, already feeling a bit sleepy. "You can't keep me here."
"You need to rest," Bob said. "I'll check on you in a little bit. Anna's going to take your vitals before you fall asleep. Be nice to her."
"Sure thing, captain," Reid said, sarcastically. He turned to Anna who held out a thermometer and said, "Open up, Dr. Oliver." Reid glared at her but then opened his mouth reluctantly.
While Reid's mouth was otherwise occupied, Katie leaned down and kissed Reid's cheek. "I love you. I'm glad you're okay."
"What? What?" Reid stammered, pulling the thermometer out of his mouth. "You love me? Katie..."
"Relax," Katie smiled, taking the thermometer from his hand and putting it back into his mouth. "You don't have to say it back."
***************************************
Reid opened his eyes when he heard the door click. He was groggy, and the room slowly came into focus, as did the figure of Luke Snyder.
"Hey..." Luke said, pulling the adjustable table over to Reid's bed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I was just going to leave you this." He placed a cup and a straw on the table. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been hit by a truck...What time is it?" He rubbed his forehead.
"A little after six thirty."
"Damn...the meds knocked me out."
"That's good. You need to rest so that you can heal."
"Thanks, doctor," Reid said sarcastically. "What's this?" He said, pointing to the cup on the table.
"Chocolate shake," Luke said, sitting down in the chair by the bed.
"You're staying?"
Luke made to stand up. "Guess not..."
"I didn't mean it that way," Reid said quickly. "You can stay." He sighed and then he added, "It would be okay if you stayed."
Luke decided that was as close as Reid would get to admitting that he wanted company, so Luke removed his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair.
Reid tried to sit up to grab the shake and groaned at the pain his cracked ribs caused him.
"Wait, wait......wait," Luke said, as Reid collapsed back down against the mattress. "C'mon, Dr. Genius...did they not teach you how to work a hospital bed in medical school?" Luke chuckled and leaned forward, depressing a button on the railing of the bed to lift Reid into a sitting position. "Better?"
"Yeah," Reid said and didn't bother with an eyeroll because his head hurt again. He adjusted the sling on his left arm.
Luke removed the straw's wrapper and stuck it through the lid on the cup. "Hope you like chocolate."
"I do," Reid said, taking a sip. "Thanks. I haven't eaten. This tastes good."
"You want me to get you something from the cafeteria?" Luke asked.
"No, thanks. I'm good with just this." Reid closed his eyes. His head hurt.
Luke remained silent. Maybe Reid was going to fall back asleep. Luke's eyes swept over the doctor's face, his features softened in rest.
Reid opened his eyes and reached for the cup again. "So, why are you being so nice to me, Mr. Snyder?"
"Is it freaking you out?" Luke asked.
"No, but do I have to be nice back?" Reid asked, sipping the shake.
"No, of course not," Luke said, grinning and shaking his head.
"Good. Because I'm not going to be...," Reid said, smiling despite himself.
"I wouldn't expect anything less of you," Luke said, warmly.
"So, really," Reid said, rubbing at the pain in his head. "Why are you being nice?
Luke shrugged. "I've spent a lot of time in hospitals."
"Me too."
"As a patient," Luke clairified.
Reid nodded. "Why? What's wrong with you?"
Luke scoffed. "You have a great bedside manner, you know that?"
"I'm not currently bedside," Reid corrected him. "I'm in the bed. So...I'm serious, what's wrong with you, medically speaking?"
"There nothing wrong with me. Well, not right now, anyway..."
"What's that mean?" Reid asked, genuinely interested.
Luke sighed. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. He stood up and lifted up his shirt, exposing his side, near his back.
Reid put the cup down, reached over, and ran his thumb down the length of Luke's scar. "Transplant?"
Luke jumped. Reid's hands were cold from the shake, and his skin tingled under his touch. "Yeah."
"How long ago?" Reid asked.
"I was a teenager."
"So, last week?" Reid joked, tugging Luke's shirt back into place.
Luke shook his head silently.
"You take care of it? Take your meds everyday?"
"Yes, doctor," Luke said with a smile, but then he noticed Reid suddenly appeared ashen, and his smile fell. "Hey, Dr. Oliver...you okay?"
Reid shook his head. "I think I'm gonna throw up."
Luke grabbed the wastebasket by the door and handed it to Reid, just in time for Reid to unload the contents of his stomach into it. The force of it strained his injured ribs and shoulder and made his head hurt more. Luke pushed the table away as Reid spat and tried to catch his breath. "Easy," Luke said. He walked to the sink and wet two washcloths with cold water. When he returned to the bed, he asked. "You done?" Reid nodded weakly and laid back against the pillow, his eyes closed, his breath coming out in ragged pants. Luke took the wastebasket from him and put it on the floor. He pushed the nurse call button and wiped Reid's mouth with one of the washcloths, as Reid tried to push his hand away. He then tossed it into the sink. He smoothed Reid's sweaty hair off his forehead and laid the other cold cloth there, unconsciously rubbing Reid's temple with his thumb.
"Sorry," Reid said, his eyes still closed.
"Don't be silly," Luke said. "I guess the shake wasn't a good idea."
"Nah," Reid said, opening his eyes slightly, the bright light making his head hurt more. "It tasted good. But I have a headache, and it's making me nauseous. The morphine is probably upsetting my stomach too..."
Luke went over to the light switch and turned off the overhead flourescent lights. He then turned on a lamp by the window, which cast a low, yellow light in the room. "Here," he said, returning to Reid's bedside. "Close your eyes." He removed the washcloth from Reid's forehead and turned it over so that the cool side was down, placing it over Reid's closed eyelids, careful not to put too much pressure on the shiner which had formed under Reid's left eye. "My sister used to get migraines when she was little," Luke said softly, almost a whisper. "The less sight and sound stimuli the better."
"Mmmm," Reid agreed, in too much pain to even fight the fact that Luke Snyder was taking care of him. Luke sat in the chair next to the bed and listened to Reid's breathing slow to a steady rhythm, watched his chest rise and fall, sleep trying to win out over the pain. His eyes traveled over Reid's face. A purple bruise marred his right cheek, and Luke was shocked to find that he wanted to press his lips gently to it. He shook his head to chase that ridiculous thought away.
"You rang, Dr. Oliver?" Becca asked, as she cheerily entered the room.
Luke brought his finger to his lips and glanced over at Reid who didn't move or attempt to open his eyes. "Dr. Oliver's got a severe headache, and he's nauseous. Will you, please, let the attending physician know?"
Becca nodded and whispered, "Dr. Hughes is still here. I'll notify him. Did Dr. Oliver use the morphine pump?"
"I don't think so."
"I'll get ahold of Dr. Hughes, and I'll be back in a few mintues to get his vitals."
Luke nodded his thanks as Becca left the room. He glanced over at Reid, whose lips were now slightly parted, his breathing soft and steady. Luke sighed, put his had back against the chair, and closed his own eyes.
****************************************
"You're being ridiculous, Reid. You're a neurosurgeon for Pete's sake! You know this is medically warranted." Bob was trying to keep his voice down because he knew that Reid's head hurt, but the other doctor was making it hard for him to remain calm.
"No. I'm fine. I don't need it."
"You're having severe head pain. You've vomitted twice. You know that an MRI will give us a more detailed look at your brain. Why are you refusing this?"
"I'm not doing it."
"If you had a patient present with the same symptoms you are having, you would order an MRI," Bob argued. "You order MRIs for patients every day."
Reid didn't respond. Bob's pager went off. He put Reid's chart down on the table by his bed, exasperated. "I'll be right back." He turned to Luke. "Talk some sense into him, will you?"
****************************************
"He's claustrophobic," Luke said to Bob, as he sat across from the doctor at his desk. "That's why he's refusing the MRI."
"Claustrophobic? How do you know?"
"We got caught in an elevator together a couple of weeks ago. He didn't handle it well."
"I can't imagine Reid being scared of anything."
"Believe me, it happened."
"Still...he's being unreasonable. He knows that it's common for people to be uncomfortable in MRI machines..."
"It's way beyond him being uncomfortable. What I witnessed was a panic attack."
"Then we'll sedate him. He needs this test. I'm worried about him. His CT came back normal,and the vomitting might just be from the concussion, but we need to take a second look to rule out a serious head injury. He knows this."
"He's at the nurse's station trying to discharge himself," Luke said, standing up. "If he's sucessful, I'm going to give him a ride home. Katie will keep an eye on him."
"He's as stubborn as a mule," Bob said, shaking his head. "Can you imagine how he'd react if one of his patients refused an MRI he ordered?"
****************************************
"What happened?" Luke said, when he returned to find Reid being helped back into bed by an orderly.
"Dr. Oliver is suffering vertigo," Becca said, as she reentered the room behind Luke, carrying a bag of fluids in her hand.
"I've got him," Luke said, nodding politely at the orderly in thanks and moving to pull the sheet up over Reid's lower body. He looked at Reid's face. His eyes were closed, and his color was bad again.
"Not so fast. I need his thigh," Becca said, brandishing a needle.
She pulled the sheet back down and Reid's gown up a bit. "Okay, Dr. O....this is Meclizine for the vertigo." She quickly injected the medicine and pulled Reid's gown back down.
"Ouch," Reid protested, opening his eyes before quickly closing them again.
"Don't be a baby," she said playfully. She attached a fluid bag to the IV pole and attached it to the port already in Reid's hand. "This one's just fluids, but Dr. Hughes ordered Diazepam for you a few mintues ago, but he told me to hold off on pushing it through your IV. Once I do, I imagine you're going to take a nice little nap."
"Diazepam?" Reid asked, his eyes still closed. "Why?"
"I don't know," Becca said, attaching a blood pressure cuff to Reid's arm. "I didnt' ask. You know doctors," she teased. "They don't like it when nurses question their orders."
Luke laughed softly.
"Open," Becca said, touching a thermometer to Reid's bottom lip.
Reid opened his mouth reluctantly.
"Your blood pressure's a little high, Doctor. 130 over 92. Stay put. Dr. Hughes will be here in a little bit...and he told me to expect Dr. Garcia from your department too. I think he's coming to talk some sense into you. For a brilliant surgeon, you're not too smart. You need an MRI. Listen to your colleagues. And listen to your conscience."
Reid groaned around the thermometer. If his head hadn't hurt so bad, he would have glared at her. Instead, he just kept his eyes closed.
"Doctors are the biggest babies," Becca said, winking at Luke. She pulled the thermometer from Reid's mouth. "98.6. Perfect."
Becca gathered some things and headed for the door. "Luke, make sure he stays put, please."
Luke nodded, turning off the overhead lights again and leaving just the lamp on by the window. He sat down next to Reid's bed.
"You've been here all evening, Mr. Snyder. Why don't you go home? You dont need to stay. I'm a big boy. And for some reason, I think I can handle myself in a hospital..."
"I'm not going anywhere. Someone needs to keep you from making an escape."
"Why do you care?" Reid asked, opening his eyes and immediately closing them again against the spinning. "Fuck. It's like I drank a fifth of tequila...the Antivert can kick in anytime now..."
"You need anything?" Luke asked. "You want some water or something?"
"I could use a toothbrush," Reid said, opening his eyes tentatively again. "My mouth tastes like puke."
"I saw one over here," Luke said, rising and walking to the sink. He pulled the toothbrush out of the package and squeezed the small tube of toothpaste onto it. He filled a cup with water, got a spare cup, and carried it all over to the table by the bed.
"Here," he said, handing the toothbrush to Reid. After Reid brushed, Luke held the empty cup in front of his mouth. "Spit."
Reid spat. "You're seeing me at my best today, aren't you?"
Luke handed him the cup of water. "Rinse."
Reid rinsed and then spit in the cup again.
"Better?" Luke asked, after rinsing the toothbrush and cup.
"Yup," Reid said, smacking his lips. "I hear Rodney's coming on at eleven...want to make sure I'm minty fresh in case today's the day he decides to go gay..."
"Oh my God, I know...HOT Rodney, as all the other nurses all call him," Luke said, smiling. "But good luck with that. The guy's a pussy hound."
Reid laughed genuinely. "Mr. Snyder...such language..."
Luke smiled, and they held each other's gaze briefly. After a few moments, Luke shook his head and tried to focus. "So, the meds are helping the vertigo a little now. Your eyes aren't darting around like they were a few mintues ago."
"Yeah."
"You're going to be okay, but is there anyone you want to call?"
"Nope."
"Nobody? Your family?"
"Nope."
"Do you have a family?"
"My parents live in Boston, but we don't speak. I haven't seen them in six years."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. My mother's convinced I just haven't found the right girl, and with my dad, I guess no son is better than a faggot son. So, Fuck 'em."
"Six years is a lot of time. Things can change. I'm sure they'd want to know that you're hurt."
"I'm fine, Mr. Snyder. They don't need to know anything. Can we drop the fucking subject?"
Luke nodded. "I'll drop it, if you drop the Mr. Snyder crap. My name is Luke. Deal?"
"Deal," Reid answered, a frown on his face.
"Okay, so here's what's going to happen," Luke said, sitting and scooting the chair close to Reid's bed. "Dr. Hughes is going to come in here with Dr. Garcia, and you're going to agree to the MRI."
"Mr. Sny.......Luke..."
Luke put his hand up. "They're going to give you something for anxiety and to relax you, right?"
Reid nodded. "And if doesn't work, I'll talk you through it. Just like in the elevator. You can do this, Dr. Oliver."
"You can't go in the imaging room."
"I know, but I've had MRIs. I know how it works. They can talk to you during it. Bob'll pretty much let me go anywhere in this hospital. If not, I'll ply him with promises of funding. I'll be like Richard Branson, buying his way into space," Luke joked. "I know you hate that about me...but I'll do it."
"Don't put words in my mouth," Reid said, looking away. He didn't hate anything about Luke Snyder.
Luke shifted uncomfortably. "Anyway, my point is.....I'll be there for you, okay? You don't have to do it alone."
"I'm used to doing things alone. I'm good at it, actually."
Luke nodded. "I know. But sometimes it's a good idea to have some back up."
Reid nodded and closed his eyes, his chest tigtening at the thought of it.
****************************************
Reid reluctantly laid back on the MRI table, as the technician, who had introduced herself as Michelle, secured the strap across his waist.
"That okay?" she asked.
Reid nodded without looking at her. He stared at the ceiling.
"They gave you Valium?"
Reid nodded again.
"Do you feel the effects of it?"
Reid wasn't sure. All he felt right now was dread tightening around his chest. He shook his head and looked over at Luke, who was standing next to the table.
"How bad is your claustrophobia?" Michelle asked.
Reid closed his eyes, trying to keep the panic at bay.
"He's going to be fine," Luke said confidently. "Right, Dr. Oliver?"
Reid opened his eyes as Luke took his hand. For some reason, the gesture did not surprise him, but he was surprised to find himself gripping Luke's hand in return.
"Do you want music?" Michelle asked.
"I've got his I-Pod," Luke said, holding it up. "I was told that you can feed it in."
"Yup. Sure can."
Luke turned to Reid. "I'll pick some good songs, ok?"
Reid nodded.
"Okay, sweetie," Michelle said, speaking sweetly and calmly to Reid. "You're not having contrast, so the test will only take 35 to 40 minutes. The machine will make a lot of different noises, some of them quite loud. The first thing I'm going to do is slip this over your head..."
Luke stopped her. "Thank you, but you don't need to explain it to him. He's a neurologist and well aware of how this achine works. He knows exactly what's going to happen."
Michelle nodded.
Luke turned to Reid. "Okay, Dr. Oliver...I mean, Reid...listen. This is what I want you to do. I want you to close your eyes, and I want you to promise me that you're not going to open them until they slide you out of the machine, okay? Can you do that?"
Reid nodded, still silent.
"You're going to be fine. This tube is a lot more open than it seems. You know the drill. You order these things all the time. It's your head that they're looking at, so you'll only be in the tube to your upper chest. I Googled it." Luke rested his hand just above Reid's sternum. "Right here. Just to right here. You're going to do great. I know it. I'm going to be behind that glass with the technicians, okay? Bob said it's okay. I'll find good music in your playlist." He moved his hand up to Reid's shoulder. "Just keep your eyes closed. Focus on the music. Envision wide open spaces, and just breathe..."
Luke brushed his hand across Reid's forehead gently, the gesture familiar and welcomed by Reid. "Okay...close your eyes. Remember, don't open them until they slide you out."
Reid closed his eyes, wanting to trust Luke, needing to trust him.
"Are you warm enough?" Michelle asked, putting her hand on Reid's arm. "We have some warmed blankets if you're cold."
Reid shook his head.
Michelle put a blood pressure cuff around Reid's arm. "Okay...It's important to stay absolutely still, Dr. Oliver," she continued, as she put the headphones over his ears. She put the panic button in his right hand and then put her hand over his. "If you need anything, push this. But you're not going to need it; I can tell," she said reassuringly. Luke knew that Reid wasn't buying it. "Okay...I'm going to slip the head gear over your head now." She slid down a cylinder device that covered Reid's head completely and had slats on the front over his eyes.
"Keep your eyes closed," Luke reminded him.
"We're ready to begin, Dr. Oliver. We will watch you through the glass, and we'll talk to you through the ear phones. We'll be able to hear you, as well. Please, remember to stay still. It's very important."
Luke squeezed his shoulder firmly. "You're okay. Just breathe."
"Play loud stuff," Reid requested of Luke. It was the first time he had spoken since being escorted in a wheelchair from his room.
"You've got it," Luke said, laughing and making his voice intentionally playful sounding. "I'll rock you out, Dr. Oliver," he joked.
Michelle pressed a button, and the table Reid was laying on moved into the MRI tube. His breath hitched a bit, and he felt his heart rate increasing.
Reid heard the heavy door close as Luke and Rebecca left the imaging room. A few seconds later, Michelles voice came through the earphones and caused Reid to startle slightly. "We're going to begin. You doing okay?"
"Yes," Reid lied.
The machine immediately started to hum and knock rhythmically. Reid squeezed his eyes shut tighter. Don't open them. Don't open them.
AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" began playing over the earphones. Reid tried to concentrate on the words and recite them in his head. The air felt thick, and his skin almost felt like it was burning. The hospital gown felt too tight around his neck. He thought about the sky. And the Charles River. And cool breezes.
Luke sat with his eyes occasionally focusing on Reid's still body through the observation glass, as he scrolled through the playlist on his I-Pod. Luke laughed to himself. It appeared that the doctor was a metal head...a metal head who also liked Toby Keith, Clint Black, Lady Gaga, Ludacris, Frank Sinatra, Justin Timberlake, and The Beastie Boys. Luke almost felt like he was intruding on something personal. He smiled.
Disturb's "Down With the Sickness" was the next song to make it's way into Reid's ears. Luke was playing loud songs as Reid had requested, but the music was not drowning out the noises of the MRI machine. He could feel his heartbeat in his temples and sweat rolling down the sides of his face. Stay cool. He thought about Luke watching him. Don't freak out. He concentrated on his breathing, but it felt like he was not able to get enough air into his lungs.
Luke looked over at Michelle, who was monitoring Reid's vitals. "How's he doing?" Luke asked.
"His blood pressure is a little high, and his heart rate is increasing. He's staying still though, so hopefully it's not too bad for him. In a few minutes, between images, we'll be able to check in with him."
Reid was trying hard to think about the ocean and open fields when System of a Down's "BYOB" poured through the earphones. Two songs down...so, ten mintues? 25 to 30 minutes to go. He started to count to the beat of the music, trying to fool his mind into thinking about something other than the fact that there was not enough oxygen, but then the music got very fast, and so he tried to scream the lyrics in his head. Why do they always send the poor? Why do they always send the poor?
Reid tried to think about the brain and catalog its parts, but that just made him think about the fact that there might be something wrong with his own head and also reminded him that he was in this fucking tube not much wider than his shoulders...and...think about something else. His gown was sticking to his skin. Why wasn't the music drowning out his own ragged breathing? Think of something else. He searched his mind for a distraction. Any distraction. Luke.
He thought about Luke. Luke's hair. Luke's eyes. Luke's hands. The way he stood too close when they talked or when they argued. Always so close. Luke's neck. The way he tugged his ear when he was nervous. And the way he would sometimes smile, even when he was annoyed with Reid. Luke. He thought about Luke naked. (Yeah, he was going there.) Luke wet. Luke naked AND wet. Okay, yeah, this is working. He thought about Luke jerking off. He thought about Luke jerking him off. But then he realized that if he kept up this line of thinking, he was going to be tenting his hospital gown in front of Luke and two imaging technicians, so he went back to counting. He concentrated on counting backwards from 500. He was on 443, when Michelle's voice came over the earphones.
"You're about halfway through, Dr. Oliver. How are you doing?"
"Peachy," Reid answered sarcastically.
"You're doing a great job. You have fifteen to twenty minutes to go. Just relax."
Easy for you to say, Reid thought. You're not the one currently lying in a coffin. Reid took a deep breath, but the intake felt inadequate. There's not enough fucking air in this thing.
The next song to come over the earphones was Usher's "Yeah," which did little to drown out the knocking as the machine started imaging again. He wanted out of the tube. His lungs felt inadequate. Sweat dripped down his sides. His heart hammered in his chest, louder than the music. He wasn't even sure which song was playing anymore. He had to get out of there. He struggled for air, his breathing uneven.
"His heart rate just shot up," Michelle said to Luke.
Luke rose and stood close to the glass. He could see the rapid rising and falling of Reid's chest. He remembered him visibly shaking in the elevator. "Can I talk to him?" Luke asked. Michelle motioned to the microphone next to her.
Luke turned off the I-Pod and spoke into the microphone. "Reid...hey...don't talk...just listen....you've got to stay still................you're almost finished. You're doing great...just a little while longer. You can handle this, right? Mind over matter. We've got to slow your breathing a little."
Luke pressed his forehead to the glass as he spoke. "C'mon, doc...you're a surgeon...you have nerves of steel...you can do this. Breathe with me. In through your nose........out through you mouth. That's it. In...................out. I live on a farm. Did you know that about me? Breathe...in....................out. My family has a lot of land out there on the farm...rolling hills. From the barn in the evening...the view is spectacular. In........out. When you get out of here, I'll have you over. I'll show you. I have a horse named 'Poe.' He's feisty like you. He's stubborn but strong...I think you'd like him. Breathe...in................out.........
"Keep talking," Michelle said. "His BP is still up, but his heart rate is coming down."
"And we have a pond on the property," Luke continued. "In..........out. That's good, Reid. I can see you breathing. You have plenty of air. You're doing a fantastic job. Just a few more minutes." He looked at Michelle, who held up seven fingers. "Just seven minutes....keep breathing........in..............out. You've got this...and there's a dock there, at the pond. I like to lay on it and dangle my feet into the water...and it's so open there...and it's quiet...all you can hear is the water lapping at the shore and the breeze moving the trees all around you...it's so easy to breathe there......in.....out. You're there with me. Can you feel the sun? We've been swimming so our shirts are off...and the summer breeze is hitting your skin. Feel it? Breathe with me..."
Luke stopped talking and watched Reid's chest rise and fall, slower now...steadier.
Reid listened to the knock and ping and hum of the MRI machine, concentrating on the images that Luke had put in his head. Water and sky and trees...and Luke. Luke on the back of a horse. Luke shirtless by a lake. Luke lying next to him on a dock, in the sun. Luke's hand in his. Jesus.
Reid was lost in his thoughts when the machine suddenly quieted and dropped to a lower knocking noise. He knew that sound. He was done.
"Luke?" Reid said, weakly.
"Yeah, I'm here," Luke's voice came across the headphones.
"Get me the fuck out of here."
****************************************
The table slowly moved out of the MRI tube. Reid gulped for air. It felt more fluid, easier to breath.
"You can open your eyes. You're out." Luke's voice.
Reid had been squeezing his eyes shut so strongly that when he opened them, the light hurt, and there was still something over his face. He immediately closed them again. Reid felt the "cage" around his head being removed and fingers threading through his hair. His breath was coming out in quick pants now, and he realized he was shaking. It's like his body suddenly knew it was okay to move, and tremors ran through him. He opened his eyes and felt how watery they were. They stung, and he felt a tear run down the side of his face.
Luke stood over him, but Reid looked away. He hated that he was putting on a show. He hated appearing weak. He wished nobody was there. He was used to nobody. He closed his eyes again.
"Dr. Oliv.......Reid. It's okay. Hey, look....I pulled the curtain," Luke said gently, as if sensing Reid's embarrassment. He put his hand on his forearm. "They can't see in here. It's just us." Luke brought his hand to the side of Reid's face, thumbing his bruised cheekbone gently, and Reid opened his red-rimmed eyes. He couldn't meet Luke's gaze. "You did great," Luke said. He lowered his hand to Reid's chest and could feel his heart thrumming through his skin.
Reid's breathing slowed a little, but he continued to shiver. Luke rubbed his hand up and down Reid's right arm, trying to warm the goosebumps away. "Your gown is soaked," Luke said. "It's no wonder you're cold. Stay here for a second..."
Reid watched Luke disappear behind the curtain, and he came back a few moments later with a clean gown and a blanket. He undid the safety strap around Reid's waist. "Okay, I'm going to put my arm around you. Let me know if I'm hurting you." Luke helped Reid up to a sitting position, as Reid winced against the pain in his ribs.
"You okay?" Luke asked.
Reid nodded.
Luke pulled the bloodpressure cuff off his arm and untied the ties at the back of Reid's gown. "You have underwear on under this thing?"
Reid nodded again.
"Okay. Good. I'm going to unsnap it so that you don't have to move your shoulder. Is that okay?"
Reid reluctantly nodded a third time. In all the times he'd entertained the idea of Luke undressing him, this isn't how he'd imagined it. He sighed shakily as Luke worked on the snaps. When both sides were undone, Luke lowered the gown to Reid's waist. He glanced briefly at Reid's tight frame, his ribs wrapped in tape. He then slipped the dry clothes over Reid's head. Their eyes met briefly before Reid looked away again, his eyes burning. "Relax, Reid" Luke said softly," the doctor's first name rolling easily off his tongue now. "No big deal, okay? We all have things that scare us. This is just between you and me. Do you trust me?"
Reid nodded, confused by the fact that he did trust Luke.
Once Reid's waist was covered, Luke pulled the other gown out from underneath it and let it drop to the floor. "Look how good I am," Luke joked. "I could be a nurse...I'll give hot Rodney a run for his money...but darn, I'm so efficient that I didn't even get to see you in your underwear." Luke laughed gently. He snapped the gown around Reid's arms and sides, careful not to move Reid's left shoulder.
"Why are you the one doing this?" Reid asked, finally speaking, his voice hoarse.
"I can charm my way into anything...don't you know that by now?"
"Or blackmail," Reid attempted to joke, but his voice cracked.
Luke smiled and then shrugged, tying the back of the gown. "I just thought maybe it would be better for you. I'm sorry; am I overstepping?"
"No," Reid said, feeling the tremors in his body subside now that the sweat-soaked clothes were off of him. He blinked, or at least he started to blink, but when his eyelids closed, they didn't want to open back up. Now that the fear was gone, he felt the effects of the drugs, and it was making him sleepy. He fought the urge to rest his forehead against Luke's cheekbone.
"Here," Luke said. "Let's put this back on." He slipped the sling over Reid's head and carefully helped him put his left arm in it to stabilize his shoulder. "I'm sorry if I'm hurting you..."
"You're not," Reid assured him.
Once the sling was secure, Luke draped the blanket over Reid's shoulders. "There. Warmer? Better now?"
Reid nodded and then before he knew what had hit him, Luke enveloped him in a gentle hug. Luke himself wasn't sure how it had happened; his arms just found their way around Reid, as if it was the only logical thing to do. He couldn't explain it, but for all of their differences over the past few months, in this moment, he wanted to make things okay for Reid.
Reid's first instinct was to push Luke away, but instead he closed his eyes and leaned into him. Maybe it was the relief that he was no longer inside the tube. Or the drugs clouding his judgement. Maybe it was the fact that the couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged him. Or possibly it was the way Luke smelled. Whatever it was, Reid gave into it and let himself be held. After a few moments, he hooked his chin over Luke's shoulder. "I hate this about myself," he admitted.
Luke's hand came up and gently gripped the back of his neck, massaging him there. After another few moments, Luke said, "I'm an alcoholic..." He pulled back and brushed Reid's cheek with the back of his knuckles. "There. Now you know something I hate about myself too." He took Reid's face in his hands and kissed him softly and briefly on the lips.
Reid looked at him, his eyelids heavy. Luke stepped out from between his legs, saying, "Look at you...you're stoned." He laughed. "Let's get you back to your room so you can rest." Luke got the wheelchair and helped Reid into it with Reid grumbling, "I can walk you know..." and Luke reminding him, "Hospital rules..."
When they arrived back in Reid's room, Luke helped Reid to the bed, and Reid's eyes closed as soon as his head sank back into the pillow. "Rest," Luke whispered, bringing the sheet and blanket up to cover Reid. He opened his eyes and looked sleepily at Luke. "You kissed me."
Luke blushed. "Yeah, I did."
"Do it again."
Luke smiled and leaned down. Reid raised his head off the pillow to meet Luke's mouth with his own. He gripped the back of Luke's head with his right hand and pulled him down, their tongues finding each other as they kissed slowly and deeply.
When the kiss ended, Reid thumbed Luke's chin. "We should eat together sometime."
"Are you asking me out on a date, Dr. Oliver?"
"Yes."
"Does this mean we have to stop arguing?"
"Absolutely not," Reid said, taking a long blink again.
"Well, as long as that's the case...then yes, I'd love to have dinner with you."
Reid's eyes were closed before Luke finished answering. Luke smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Reid's jaw. "Sleep," he whispered.
****************************************
Reid's scans all came back normal.
He was discharged the next day.
They went out on that date a week later.
They fell in love.
They lived happily every after.
The end.