Fic: The Other Side of Us, Part 5
Title: The Other Side of Us
Author: random_nic
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: ATWT characters are the property of Telenext and CBS.
Word Count: 1598
Summary: Lives are changed in the wake of a traumatic event.
September 14th
“What the hell do you want?”
It’s not like Reid had been expecting a warm welcome when he walked up to Noah’s table at Al’s. He wasn’t an idiot. In fact, the return to a hostile Noah from the crumpled young man he’d last encountered was something of a relief. Reid’s world had mutated into a twisted, unrecognizable shell of what it had been only a week ago, and he struggled to find his footing within its new, bleak terrain.
At least Noah’s hate was familiar. Somehow, it grounded Reid, affording him one thing that remained constant. Reid’s happiness with Luke hadn’t lasted. His visions of their future lay scorched in the dust now.
Even his reliably brilliant career was withering from neglect. Since the day of the accident, Reid hadn’t returned to work. He despised his weakness, but wasn’t ready to face the prospect of healing people knowing no matter how many he saved, none of them would be Luke.
He’d face no professional consequences for awhile, anyway. With the two leading candidates for Chief of Staff out of commission, Bob had offered to postpone his retirement, and the board eagerly agreed. In light of Chris Hughes’ failure to seek proper treatment for his illness, his chances at attaining the position looked grim, while Reid’s seemed excellent.
Still, Reid bore some culpability in the Chris debacle. He could have refused to treat the man in secret, insisting that he seek a cardiologist’s consult. Reid had tried to insist, of course, but the other man wouldn’t budge.
When faced with allowing the guy to die or treating him off the radar, Reid grudgingly chose the latter option, though only for Katie and Bob’s sake. The decision haunted him now. If he’d denied Chris’ request for help, maybe the man would’ve been forced to contact a specialist months ago. With the full array of treatments available to him, perhaps Chris’ heart wouldn’t have deteriorated to the extent of even needing a transplant.
And Luke would still be alive.
So thank God for Noah Mayer. If that greeting was anything to go by, Noah hated Reid as much as ever. Everyone else in Oakdale offered him pitying glances and the occasional tired platitude about coming through a storm.
Not Noah. Noah loathed Reid. Probably even more now, for being the obstacle that stood in the path of the inevitable Luke/Noah reunion. For involving Luke in Chris Hughes’ secret treatment in the first place.
For the fact that doing so had killed Luke.
Surely Noah had connected those dots by now. “Hello yourself, Sunshine,” Reid mocked as he slid uninvited into the booth across from Noah. “Have you always been this charming?”
Noah regarded Reid with naked abhorrence. He was clearly disgusted with the doctor’s presence. Yes, Reid thought. This was perfect. Reid needed Noah’s hate; craved it, even.
“What’s for lunch?”
“Go to hell,” Noah barked.
“Already there. Thanks for the invite, though.”
******
At this, Noah fell silent. He didn’t have a scathing retort for that, because it was true. Luke was gone. Life was hell. If Reid had loved Luke anything close to what Noah did…
Noah didn’t want to think about that. He would not sympathize with the enemy. Whatever Reid was going through, it couldn’t compare to Noah’s loss. Noah had loved Luke for over three years. Dr. Oliver had been with him a couple of months. It wasn’t the same thing at all, and Noah wasn’t going to let himself feel sorry for the asshole.
Besides, hating the guy felt a lot more satisfying. Noah offered Reid no further comment. He simply stood up and walked out.
******
September 15th
“Can I just, feel it?” Noah immediately regretted the request, embarrassed at its inappropriateness. “Sorry - nevermind.”
“It’s okay,” Chris Hughes assured. “I get it. And yes, you can. Go for it.”
Noah’s discomfort and sense of propriety were soundly trumped by the overwhelming need to feel the pulse of Luke’s heartbeat. From his chair next to the hospital bed, Noah reached out, gently placing his fingers on Chris’ chest. Ba bump. Ba bump.
He was entranced by the feeling. This was the only living part of Luke that remained. Noah left his hand in place longer than decorum permitted, but didn’t care as much about the awkwardness as indulging in the only tangible connection to Luke he had left.
He only drew his hand away when tears threatened. Noah thanked Chris and Katie for allowing the visit, and quickly exited the hospital room. He’d thought this would help, and for a moment, it did.
But knowing he’d never again have such access to the only surviving piece of Luke gutted him.
******
He should’ve gone back to the apartment after leaving the hospital, but Noah needed distraction, so headed to Al’s again. It was a catch-22. At home, Noah could only stand sitting alone with his memories for so long before feeling like the walls were closing in on him. But when Noah ventured out, he risked being smothered with condolences at every turn.
It’s exactly what was happening now. Lily had dropped by to pick up burgers for the kids. He knew she meant well in approaching him, but he couldn’t deal with her emotions on top of his own. She wanted to share their pain; he wanted to escape his.
“You’re always welcome at the house, Noah. It’s your home too,” Lily reminded as she stood beside his table.
“I know. I just can’t right now.” Not accustomed to lying to Lily, Noah’s mind scrambled to invent some appointment or other he’d be heading to after leaving Al’s.
“Sorry I’m late,” another voice interrupted.
Lily turned in surprise, while Noah glared at the new arrival. “Reid,” she greeted. “It’s good to see you. How are you?”
“Good. If you don’t mind, I need to go over some follow-up care and physician referrals with Noah.” He kept his tone business-like, affording no opportunity to compare grief notes.
“Oh,” Lily said, clearly perplexed. “I didn’t realize you were still treating him.”
“I’m not. That’s why he’ll need this,” Reid answered matter-of-factly, holding up a manila envelope to illustrate his point as he slid into the booth.
“Good. I want you to make sure Noah has the best care possible. I’ll get going now so you can finish your appointment, Noah, but remember what I said. Our door is always open.” She punctuated the point by leaning down to kiss Noah’s cheek. As a clear afterthought, Lily added, “you’re welcome anytime too, Reid.” She opted for a less familiar pat on the shoulder with him.
After Lily departed, Reid offered the obvious. “That was awkward.”
“What are you doing?” The switch from Lily’s unwanted attention to Reid’s was hardly an upgrade.
“It’s a diner. What do you think?” Reid stared hard at the top of Noah’s head. “Did I leave a scalpel in your skull?”
Taken aback by the unabashed insult, something like a snort escaped Noah. He quickly moved to cover it with aggravation. “I meant, sitting here. There are at least two other booths open.”
Reid raised an eyebrow. “And they say I have no people skills. Your thank-yous suck.” He was amused to watch Noah’s eyes widen in disbelief.
“Thank you? Like hell,” Noah spit out.
“If I hurry, I’ll bet I can still catch Lily. Just to let her know our appointment’s over and you’d love to join her at Casa del Batshit.”
“Fuck off,” Noah returned, but there was no heat behind it. He actively tried to contain a smirk at Reid’s apt description of the Snyder residence. “Anyway, I told you I don’t want your damn referral.”
“You were incredibly gracious, as I recall.”
This time, Noah couldn’t contain his laugh. Anyway, he lacked the energy to argue with Reid just for the hell of it. As much as Noah hated him, the guy’s asshole persona was a little bit funny. In the beginning, he’d laughed at a lot of Reid’s wisecracks.
“I can’t use those referrals,” Noah muttered, not wanting to reflect on a time long ago when he’d trusted the man. “I’m not going to L.A.”
For a moment, Reid was silenced. He couldn’t think of anything to say to Noah’s revelation that wouldn’t inadvertently sound like interest. Finally, he opted to ignore it.
“These aren’t referrals,” Reid admitted, stuffing the envelope into his suit jacket. “It’s the paperwork for my new digs. Or more accurately, my ticket to a life free of kid-vomit.”
It was Noah’s turn to pause. He wondered why Reid suddenly vacated Katie’s apartment, but didn’t want to sound like he gave a damn by asking. Noah was saved from having to respond by the waitress’ arrival to take their order. He requested his favorite burger, then looked to Reid in expectation.
“I can’t move. The other booths are taken now,” Reid said, heading off Noah’s impending command to go the hell away.
Noah took a deep, aggravated breath. He shook his head. He rolled his eyes.
But he allowed Reid to order.
Chapter 6
Author: random_nic
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: ATWT characters are the property of Telenext and CBS.
Word Count: 1598
Summary: Lives are changed in the wake of a traumatic event.
September 14th
“What the hell do you want?”
It’s not like Reid had been expecting a warm welcome when he walked up to Noah’s table at Al’s. He wasn’t an idiot. In fact, the return to a hostile Noah from the crumpled young man he’d last encountered was something of a relief. Reid’s world had mutated into a twisted, unrecognizable shell of what it had been only a week ago, and he struggled to find his footing within its new, bleak terrain.
At least Noah’s hate was familiar. Somehow, it grounded Reid, affording him one thing that remained constant. Reid’s happiness with Luke hadn’t lasted. His visions of their future lay scorched in the dust now.
Even his reliably brilliant career was withering from neglect. Since the day of the accident, Reid hadn’t returned to work. He despised his weakness, but wasn’t ready to face the prospect of healing people knowing no matter how many he saved, none of them would be Luke.
He’d face no professional consequences for awhile, anyway. With the two leading candidates for Chief of Staff out of commission, Bob had offered to postpone his retirement, and the board eagerly agreed. In light of Chris Hughes’ failure to seek proper treatment for his illness, his chances at attaining the position looked grim, while Reid’s seemed excellent.
Still, Reid bore some culpability in the Chris debacle. He could have refused to treat the man in secret, insisting that he seek a cardiologist’s consult. Reid had tried to insist, of course, but the other man wouldn’t budge.
When faced with allowing the guy to die or treating him off the radar, Reid grudgingly chose the latter option, though only for Katie and Bob’s sake. The decision haunted him now. If he’d denied Chris’ request for help, maybe the man would’ve been forced to contact a specialist months ago. With the full array of treatments available to him, perhaps Chris’ heart wouldn’t have deteriorated to the extent of even needing a transplant.
And Luke would still be alive.
So thank God for Noah Mayer. If that greeting was anything to go by, Noah hated Reid as much as ever. Everyone else in Oakdale offered him pitying glances and the occasional tired platitude about coming through a storm.
Not Noah. Noah loathed Reid. Probably even more now, for being the obstacle that stood in the path of the inevitable Luke/Noah reunion. For involving Luke in Chris Hughes’ secret treatment in the first place.
For the fact that doing so had killed Luke.
Surely Noah had connected those dots by now. “Hello yourself, Sunshine,” Reid mocked as he slid uninvited into the booth across from Noah. “Have you always been this charming?”
Noah regarded Reid with naked abhorrence. He was clearly disgusted with the doctor’s presence. Yes, Reid thought. This was perfect. Reid needed Noah’s hate; craved it, even.
“What’s for lunch?”
“Go to hell,” Noah barked.
“Already there. Thanks for the invite, though.”
******
At this, Noah fell silent. He didn’t have a scathing retort for that, because it was true. Luke was gone. Life was hell. If Reid had loved Luke anything close to what Noah did…
Noah didn’t want to think about that. He would not sympathize with the enemy. Whatever Reid was going through, it couldn’t compare to Noah’s loss. Noah had loved Luke for over three years. Dr. Oliver had been with him a couple of months. It wasn’t the same thing at all, and Noah wasn’t going to let himself feel sorry for the asshole.
Besides, hating the guy felt a lot more satisfying. Noah offered Reid no further comment. He simply stood up and walked out.
******
September 15th
“Can I just, feel it?” Noah immediately regretted the request, embarrassed at its inappropriateness. “Sorry - nevermind.”
“It’s okay,” Chris Hughes assured. “I get it. And yes, you can. Go for it.”
Noah’s discomfort and sense of propriety were soundly trumped by the overwhelming need to feel the pulse of Luke’s heartbeat. From his chair next to the hospital bed, Noah reached out, gently placing his fingers on Chris’ chest. Ba bump. Ba bump.
He was entranced by the feeling. This was the only living part of Luke that remained. Noah left his hand in place longer than decorum permitted, but didn’t care as much about the awkwardness as indulging in the only tangible connection to Luke he had left.
He only drew his hand away when tears threatened. Noah thanked Chris and Katie for allowing the visit, and quickly exited the hospital room. He’d thought this would help, and for a moment, it did.
But knowing he’d never again have such access to the only surviving piece of Luke gutted him.
******
He should’ve gone back to the apartment after leaving the hospital, but Noah needed distraction, so headed to Al’s again. It was a catch-22. At home, Noah could only stand sitting alone with his memories for so long before feeling like the walls were closing in on him. But when Noah ventured out, he risked being smothered with condolences at every turn.
It’s exactly what was happening now. Lily had dropped by to pick up burgers for the kids. He knew she meant well in approaching him, but he couldn’t deal with her emotions on top of his own. She wanted to share their pain; he wanted to escape his.
“You’re always welcome at the house, Noah. It’s your home too,” Lily reminded as she stood beside his table.
“I know. I just can’t right now.” Not accustomed to lying to Lily, Noah’s mind scrambled to invent some appointment or other he’d be heading to after leaving Al’s.
“Sorry I’m late,” another voice interrupted.
Lily turned in surprise, while Noah glared at the new arrival. “Reid,” she greeted. “It’s good to see you. How are you?”
“Good. If you don’t mind, I need to go over some follow-up care and physician referrals with Noah.” He kept his tone business-like, affording no opportunity to compare grief notes.
“Oh,” Lily said, clearly perplexed. “I didn’t realize you were still treating him.”
“I’m not. That’s why he’ll need this,” Reid answered matter-of-factly, holding up a manila envelope to illustrate his point as he slid into the booth.
“Good. I want you to make sure Noah has the best care possible. I’ll get going now so you can finish your appointment, Noah, but remember what I said. Our door is always open.” She punctuated the point by leaning down to kiss Noah’s cheek. As a clear afterthought, Lily added, “you’re welcome anytime too, Reid.” She opted for a less familiar pat on the shoulder with him.
After Lily departed, Reid offered the obvious. “That was awkward.”
“What are you doing?” The switch from Lily’s unwanted attention to Reid’s was hardly an upgrade.
“It’s a diner. What do you think?” Reid stared hard at the top of Noah’s head. “Did I leave a scalpel in your skull?”
Taken aback by the unabashed insult, something like a snort escaped Noah. He quickly moved to cover it with aggravation. “I meant, sitting here. There are at least two other booths open.”
Reid raised an eyebrow. “And they say I have no people skills. Your thank-yous suck.” He was amused to watch Noah’s eyes widen in disbelief.
“Thank you? Like hell,” Noah spit out.
“If I hurry, I’ll bet I can still catch Lily. Just to let her know our appointment’s over and you’d love to join her at Casa del Batshit.”
“Fuck off,” Noah returned, but there was no heat behind it. He actively tried to contain a smirk at Reid’s apt description of the Snyder residence. “Anyway, I told you I don’t want your damn referral.”
“You were incredibly gracious, as I recall.”
This time, Noah couldn’t contain his laugh. Anyway, he lacked the energy to argue with Reid just for the hell of it. As much as Noah hated him, the guy’s asshole persona was a little bit funny. In the beginning, he’d laughed at a lot of Reid’s wisecracks.
“I can’t use those referrals,” Noah muttered, not wanting to reflect on a time long ago when he’d trusted the man. “I’m not going to L.A.”
For a moment, Reid was silenced. He couldn’t think of anything to say to Noah’s revelation that wouldn’t inadvertently sound like interest. Finally, he opted to ignore it.
“These aren’t referrals,” Reid admitted, stuffing the envelope into his suit jacket. “It’s the paperwork for my new digs. Or more accurately, my ticket to a life free of kid-vomit.”
It was Noah’s turn to pause. He wondered why Reid suddenly vacated Katie’s apartment, but didn’t want to sound like he gave a damn by asking. Noah was saved from having to respond by the waitress’ arrival to take their order. He requested his favorite burger, then looked to Reid in expectation.
“I can’t move. The other booths are taken now,” Reid said, heading off Noah’s impending command to go the hell away.
Noah took a deep, aggravated breath. He shook his head. He rolled his eyes.
But he allowed Reid to order.
Chapter 6