THANKSGIVING

Chapter 3


 

Reid stepped just inside the trauma room door. Knowing he couldn’t be the one to take charge of his son’s care was eating him alive, but he had to be in the room, he needed to be near Ethan.

When all the scans, x-rays, and MRIs were completed, Mark ordered they be processed and delivered immediately. He was all business and never looked at Reid once. Reid knew there was a reason he trusted his slightly younger colleague with his son’s life.

His son. That was a phrase he never thought he’d ever have a reason to utter, especially when, as a young teen, he faced his sexual orientation head on. Now, thanks to the trust Lily and Holden placed in him, Reid was a father... and he may have fucked it all up by giving Ethan permission to go skateboarding.

Lost in painful and frightening thoughts, he didn’t hear Mark speaking to him until his friend and colleague had to physically nudge his shoulder. “Reid, Reid, I need you to focus and listen to me.”

Startled back to the horror of this current reality, Reid blinked. “I’m focused, stop shoving me.”

Shaking his head, Mark huffed. “Reid. There is swelling, but the skull is intact. I’m going to insert a drain; hopefully that will give us time to let the swelling go down of its own accord. I don’t want to use a more invasive technique unless it becomes necessary.”

“Bleeding? Mark, tell me. Is there a bleeder in his brain?”

“No. Your kid must have a thicker skull than you in a pissy mood. No actual bleeders -- just fluid as a result of the swelling.”

Reid looked toward Ethan just as Chris lifted his head to face his co-chief. “Reid, his radius isn’t damaged but the ulna is fractured. While Mark has him under sedation, once the drain is in place, I’ll set the bone and cast the arm from his hand to just beneath the elbow.”

“Jesus.” Reid was beginning to feel weak, imagining all the people needed to put Ethan back together again.

“Don’t check out on us now. He’ll be okay, but we need to work quickly.” Chris turned toward one of the nurses. “Please escort Dr. Oliver to the surgical waiting room.”

“Chris!”

“Reid, don’t argue. I don’t want you watching us doing anything invasive to your son -- I wouldn’t watch if it was Jacob -- it’s not something you need to see.” Chris was firm as the anesthetist gave Ethan a shot, ensuring he wouldn’t stir during the trip to the operating room.

The nurse gently took Reid by the arm and walked him out the door. She stood with him in the hallway, as the team wheeled Ethan’s gurney toward the special elevators designed to move patients directly from the Trauma Unit to the OR.

Pressing the heels of his hands to his eyelids, Reid sighed.

“Are you ready to go to the waiting room, Doctor?”

Reid wanted to snap at the nurse, to tell her he knew where the fuck the waiting room was, she didn’t have to show him the way -- he ran the damn hospital and had done more surgeries than most doctors associated with Memorial. Instead he simply nodded once. “First, we need to get Luke.”

She tilted her head, clearly forgetting the name of Reid’s spouse.

“My partner -- he’s still out there.”

“Of course, Dr. Oliver. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Reid raised his head, knowing Luke would need to see confidence when he walked out.

As he passed through the trauma unit doors into the main emergency room waiting area, Reid spotted Noah, his arm around Luke, as his spouse leaned on his friend’s shoulder, eyes closed. Making eye contact with Reid, Noah tapped Luke’s shoulder and whispered something into his ear.

Luke’s eyes shot open. Meeting Reid’s eyes, he immediately stood and ran to him. “Tell me.”

“They need to put a drain in his brain and set his wrist and lower arm.”

“But he’ll be alright?”

“If the drain works, he’ll be fine.”

Eyes wide, Luke gripped Reid’s arms. “And if it doesn’t?” His voice cracked.

Noah came up behind Luke. “Mark’s operating. He won’t let anything happen to Ethan. You know how much we both love that little boy. Hell, I’ve known him since he was a baby.”

Luke looked from Noah to Reid. “Okay. Mark will fix everything.” Reid wasn’t sure if Luke really believed that or was just trying to convince himself. It didn’t matter, as long as it was ultimately true.

Wrapping his arm around Luke’s waist, Reid added, “Chris will take care of the cuts and scrapes, and set the broken bones and cast them.”

“I want to be near him, Reid. Please take me to him.”

“My sentiments exactly.”

As the two started walking, Reid tossed over his shoulder, “Mr. Mayer, keep up. Mark may want to spend some time with you when he gets out of surgery.”

Noah offered a half-smile. “I didn’t want to intrude.”

“You’re closer than family. How could your presence possibly be an intrusion?”

Luke, clinging tightly to Reid, didn’t seem to notice the interaction between his husband and dear friend. “Reid, you’re sure they know what they’re doing?”

“I know the quality and skills of all the physicians on staff -- Ethan’s with the best. Mark and Chris won’t let our boy down.”

“Our boy. He really is our boy. My little brother, your son. We need him to make our family complete.

“Shhh, Luke. He’ll be fine.” Reid wished he was as sure as he hoped he sounded. There was so much that could go wrong. They’d know soon enough if the drain was working, that the brain swelling was in fact resolving itself.

Pushing his staff card into the specially designed slot, Reid called the personnel only elevator. When it arrived, the three got on and began the ride to the surgical floor.

With Luke wrapped around him for support, Reid turned to Noah. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

“Where else would I be? Everyone I love most is here.”

There was a time Reid would have been suspicious of Noah’s words; instead he clearly understood their true meaning. Noah loved Luke as a dear friend. He might even extend some of those feelings toward Reid, by association. But there was no question whatsoever that Mr. Mayer was in love with Mark Jenkins. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise Reid in the least, if the young screen director got his doctor to agree to a commitment ceremony before the year was out.

When the elevator doors opened, Luke appeared to find his strength again as they approached the specially designed OR waiting area. He poured cups of coffee for the three of them without saying a word. Then, taking a seat next to Reid, he took a sip of his coffee.

His partner’s silence was beginning to unsettle Reid. “Luke?”

“He’s got to be fine. I can’t lose another member of my family, especially before he knows. God, or whatever higher power there is, wouldn’t do that to him, to us.”

It never ceased to amaze Reid that after everything he’d been through, Luke still believed there was some supreme being. It must have been all those years with Emma’s influence.

“Reid.”

He looked up from his empty cup, realizing he’d been so lost in his own thoughts he had no idea how much time had passed. Mark stood tall, despite his tired, hunched shoulders.

“Reid, Luke.” Chris joined Mark, pulling off his surgical cap and mask as he approached.

Luke stood directly in front of both of them. He seemed to continue to draw on some newfound strength. Reid wasn’t sure if it was the caffeine or his unwavering faith. “How’s my brother?” He looked directly at Mark and Chris alternately. “Don’t mince words; I want the truth.”

Mark was obviously tired, but he still found a way to remain upright, with a smile plastered on his face. “Ethan’s a tough kid. The drain is already working. As long as the swelling continues to go down over the next twenty-four hours, we’ll remove the drain and he’ll be on the road to complete recovery.” Mark returned Luke’s direct stare. “I expect a full recovery -- I wouldn’t say so if I didn’t believe that was the case.”

Luke nodded. “Thank you.” Then he glared at Chris. “And what do you have to add?”

“The wrist and arm bones should heal normally. He’ll be in a cast for eight weeks, and then we’ll take a new set of x-rays to see if he’s ready for physical therapy to regain full range of motion in his wrist.”

“Good.”

If Reid wasn’t so attuned to Luke, he might have missed the subtle signs when Luke’s knees began to buckle, following the release of pent up stress and fear, combined with relief at the news of the prognoses. Reid and Noah both practically vaulted out of their chairs, dropping the empty coffee cups and grabbing Luke on either side, helping him back into his seat.

Mark immediately knelt in front of Luke, checking his pulse and looking into his eyes.

“I’m fine, just exhausted.” Luke tried to pull away, but Mark wouldn’t stop checking to make sure he was physically alright.

“Reid, can we go into the recovery room? You’re the Chief of Staff -- pull rank.”

Normally Reid would refuse, but he wanted to sit with Ethan too and nothing would stop him. Keeping Luke out seemed cruel. “Don’t do anything or touch anything without asking me first.”

Luke nodded his agreement.

“Reid!” Chris glared at him.

“Dr. Hughes, you still owe me so don’t argue.”

“After I turn away from this we’ll be pretty damn close to even. Are you sure you want to cash in all your chips now?”

“He’s our son, Chris. What the hell do you think?”

Nodding, Chris agreed to the inevitable. “Enough said. I want you both to suit up before you go near him.”

“Let’s go, Luke. I’ve always wanted to see what you’d look like in scrubs.”

“I’ll look sexy as hell and you know it.” Luke’s cheeky reply would have been amusing had his heart been in it at all.

“Noah and I will pick up some sandwiches for ourselves in the cafeteria and wait in my office. I won’t leave until I’ve removed the drain.”

Chris looked at Mark. “Another doctor can do that and you know it.”

“Not this time, Dr. Hughes.”

“You haven’t had a break in over sixteen hours.”

Noah rubbed Mark’s back. “I’ll make sure he naps on the sofa in his office.”

“You make sure of that, Noah. I have no use for doctors who are too tired to function properly.” He shook his head. “I don’t know why I bother trying to enforce hospital rules and regulations when none of my best surgeons pay any attention to them anyway.”

Reid had to do a double-take; Chris sounded exactly like Bob, and for that one moment it was the most reassuring sound. Reid held onto thoughts of all his friends, close at hand to lend their support and expertise, as he and Luke donned scrubs and entered the recovery room where their kid, their Ethan, Luke’s brother, Reid’s son, lay still and quiet.

[TBC]
 

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