The Long and Winding Road 25/?
Title: The Long and Winding Road
Pairing: Luke and Reid
Other Characters: Chris, Ali, Bob, Lynne (Bob’s secretary) random board members.
A/N: For purposes of this story, Lucinda is in Amsterdam with Dr. John Dixon and thus is not at the board meeting.
Summary: This is the story about the courtship of Reid and Luke.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. All mistakes are mine.
As Reid and Luke approached the hospital, Luke wondered if he should separate from Reid, after all they still didn’t want Chris to know that they were together.
Luke dropped Reid’s hand.
“What’s up? Are you okay?” Reid asked, a look of concern etched into his handsome features.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Luke replied, clearly feeling uncomfortable.
Reid stopped walking and pulled Luke into a vacant exam room.
“Spill,” he commanded. “What’s wrong?”
Luke blushed, feeling ridiculous. “It’s nothing,” he stated firmly.
Reid just crooked an eyebrow at Luke in response, and waited for the blonde to continue.
Luke sighed, “We’re at the hospital and I know that you wanted to keep our relationship a secret from Chris. I was just trying not to rock the boat,” he finished with a shrug.
Reid leaned over and kissed Luke. “You’re not doing anything wrong, Luke. I was just surprised when you stopped holding my hand. I forgot about stupid Doogie, but you’re right, I do not want him to find out that we’re together, but if he sees us he’s probably going to figure it out. I don’t want us to have to hide how we feel about each other, and to be honest, I don’t think that I can.”
Luke beamed at Reid. “I don’t think that I can either,” he answered feeling very relieved. “What should we do about Chris?”
“Well, Chris is still acting strangely around me, but he won’t be at the board meeting. I need to go and check on one of my patients and also grab our notes for the meeting, so why don’t you go ahead and I’ll meet you there.”
“Sure,” Luke nodded in agreement. “Do you want me to save you a seat?”
“Yes,” Reid replied and leaned in to kiss Luke one more time before heading off to his office.
Chris was lurking near Reid’s office and was pleased to see that the neurosurgeon was alone. He and Luke must have broken up, or they would be going to the meeting together. I’ll have to check in with Lynne after the meeting to see how hostile they are to one another!
Just then Chris’s phone vibrated indicating that he had received a new text. He saw that the message was from Ali and quickly checked it.
“Yes!’ Chris blurted out and then laughed to cover his embarrassment as he saw that a couple of nurses were looking at him strangely.
“I just received some excellent news regarding a critical patient,” he explained to no one in particular.
The nurses simply nodded and whispered amongst themselves.
Chris then sent a quick text to Lynne asking her to meet him after the meeting. She will be my eyes and ears in the meeting.
Reid noticed Chris texting with a evil grin on his face as Reid passed by on his way to the board meeting. I wonder why Chris looks so happy. It makes me nervous.
Reid didn’t have time for further contemplation as he headed off to the meeting. He knew that he was going to be late, and that Bob was not going to be happy with him. Reid sighed as he opened the door.
“Ah…Dr. Oliver so nice of you to join us,” Bob greeted Reid sarcastically.
“Sorry, I was busy looking over a surgical patient’s file to see how he had fared during the night.”
“Is he okay?” Luke asked his eyes full of concern.
“Yes, it looks like he had a good night,” Reid responded taking the seat that Luke had saved for him.
Reid reached his hand out and began gently rubbing Luke’s thigh. Luke stifled a yelp of surprise and quickly put his hand on top of Reid’s to stop the torment.
Reid looked at Luke and smiled mischievously and the two locked eyes until Bob cleared his throat to regain their attention.
“Reid, Luke do you have any input about the new wing for this meeting?” Bob inquired, a bemused look on his face.
Luke blushed, but Reid merely reached into the file that was sitting in front of him and handed out the notes that he and Luke had agreed on.
“Yes Bob, Luke and I have discussed what we feel are essential for the neurowing to be a success. In my report you will find the revised equipment needed as well as the adjusted costs that are required. Also Luke felt that it was essential to have suites for the families, while this will not enhance the surgeries themselves, he argued that keeping the family members as comfortable as possible will make the patients more relaxed, which may be medically beneficial. The cost of those suites is also included.”
“Luke have you seen the revised figures?” Leland asked, shocked at the new figures.
“Yes, and I have talked to my board who have agreed to support Dr. Oliver’s vision,” Luke responded, smiling at Reid.
“Are you two still a couple?” Leland asked what all of the other board members (except for Luke) were wondering.
Luke blushed again as he turned to look at Reid. Reid smiled back at Luke. “Yes,” they answered together.
“Well that’s a relief,” Jeffrey, a long standing board member, voiced aloud.
“Yes, indeed,” Spencer, a rather uptight member, enthused.
“Is there any particular reason why you thought that they were no longer together?” Bob asked curiously surprised that they were so interested in Reid and Luke’s private life and relieved that there didn’t seem to be any hostility toward it..
Donna, the only attending female board member answered, “Why, your son, Christopher phoned me last week to talk about the chief of staff position, and mentioned that Reid was having a difficult time coping with his and Luke’s recent break-up. He seemed very concerned about you, Dr. Oliver,” she finished kindly.
“Christopher called you?” Bob asked, needing clarification as Luke and Reid exchanged a curious look.
“Yes,” Donna answered, “I assumed that you had asked him to get in touch with me.”
“No, I most certainly did not,” Bob responded, clearly unnerved by this development. “Did he call all of you?” Bob asked as his eyes scanned the board members, who were all nodding in assent.
“Um, he didn’t call me, in fact, I haven’t spoken to Chris for a while,” Luke stated.
“What was he calling about?” Bob inquired.
“Well,” Donna began, “he wanted to talk about the chief of staff position. Honestly, I thought that he was calling on your behalf. He seemed quite concerned about Reid. He acknowledged his skill as a doctor, but seemed worried about his personal life and his people skills.”
“I see,” Bob nodded. “Is this the same tack he took with the rest of you?” The others nodded their heads.
“Did he indicate that he wanted to be considered as the next chief of staff?” Bob asked.
“Well,” Jeffery responded. “He hinted that he would be an excellent choice, but I thought that he was joking. I mean Chris doesn’t have the name that Reid has, or the skill set. No offense, Bob. I’m sure that he is a fine doctor.”
“Was there anything else that Chris said that any of you found peculiar?” Bob inquired feeling shell shocked by the whole situation.
“He did seem very concerned about Reid’s relationship with Luke. I suggested that they made a fine couple and that they would both be an asset to the hospital. Chris didn’t seem to agree at all and immediately told me that they had broken up. I remember thinking it odd that we would disqualify Reid based on whom he was having a relationship with,” Jim added.
“I see,” Bob replied. “I must say that I am at a loss as to how to explain Christopher’s behaviour. I can assure you that he was not acting on my account. I am afraid that Chris believes that he should be the next chief simply because he is my son. I have told him, in no uncertain terms, that he simply isn’t qualified for this job. I can see that I will need to speak to him again.
“Luke and Reid, would you mind stepping out of the meeting. We will need to discuss the chief of staff position and it wouldn’t be right to have you here for that part of the meeting.”
“Certainly Bob,” Reid said as he and Luke stood up.
“Thank you both for coming to this meeting. I will speak to you both soon,” Bob said by way of a dismissal.
Once out in the hall, Luke turned to Reid. “Wow, that meeting took a very strange turn, didn’t it.”
“Yes,” Reid nodded in agreement. “I knew that Doogie was upset about not getting this job, but I didn’t realize the lengths he would go to try and get it. I don’t like the fact that he keeps bringing you up. That worries me.”
“Aww thanks for that,” Luke smiled and kissed Reid on the cheek. “I’ll look after myself, I promise.”
“You’d better look after yourself,” Reid warned. “Look I have to get back to work Are you coming over after your “date” with Noah?”
“Reid,” Luke said in exasperation. “You know it is not a date, we’re just having dinner as friends.”
“Uh huh,” Reid grumbled. “Does Noah know it’s not a date?”
“Reid of course Noah knows it’s not a date. He knows that we’re together and he also knows that I would never cheat on you. I’m not that guy!” Luke said indignantly. “I’ll come over to Katie’s as soon as I’m finished, okay?”
“Okay,” Reid replied, still feeling a little upset that Luke was going out for dinner with Noah.
Luke leaned over and kissed Reid warmly on the lips. “See you later!” Luke whispered before he left.
Meanwhile, Bob had reassured the board members that he felt that Reid was the best person to succeed him as chief at Memorial. He painstakingly listed all of Reid’s accomplishments. The board seemed satisfied, many of them indicating that they had never questioned Reid’s ability. When Bob felt reasonably certain that the board would vote for Reid at the following board meeting he adjourned them for the day.
After everyone had left, Bob looked up and saw that Lynne was looking at him uncertainly.
“Is there something bothering you, my dear?” Bob asked kindly.
“I think that I need to confess something to you,” she replied.
“What is it?” Bob asked his tone kind but firm.
“I gave the list of board members to Chris a while ago. He came to your office and said that you were going to give him the list, and I offered to print one up for him in the interests of making things easier for you both.”
“I see. Do you remember what time he came by?”
“Yes, it was lunchtime. You had just gone to the cafeteria when Chris appeared. I remember thinking that it was too bad that he hadn’t arrived five minutes earlier.”
I bet he planned that! They both thought angrily to themselves.
“Has Chris asked you to do anything else?” Bob asked.
“Well, he knows that I was coming to this board meeting and he texted me saying that he wants to meet with me after. I was flattered when I received the message, but now I suspect that what he wants from me is information. What should I do?”
“Meet with him, but be as vague as possible with the details. Do not tell him that the board members told me about his talking to them. Also please don’t tell him that Reid and Luke are a couple. This seems to be a hot button for him, and I don’t want it set off.”
“Yes sir,” she replied. “I will let you know how the conversation plays out after I meet with Chris.”
“Thank you Lynne. Christopher is my son, and I love him, but I simply can’t have him interfering with hospital business.”
“I understand sir. I won’t let you down.”
“I know that you won’t. Well I had better be getting back to my office,” Bob stated as the two headed down the hall.
End Notes:
I will be cooking for the rest of today and tomorrow! I have already burnt my hands twice ugh! I wish that Emma were here to help me!
I hope that all of you have a wonderful day tomorrow.
Happy Holidays!