Dr. Reid Oliver was sitting in his office at Oakdale Memorial Hospital eating something that called itself lunch. After four months, Reid still did not like the cafeteria food; in fact, he probably liked it less than he did on his first day in town. But it was easier and quicker than going to Al's to get food, so Reid clenched his teeth and suffered through the institutional food. Just as he had finished consuming a not-very-good grilled cheese, Reid's beeper went off. His next patient had arrived for their daily pre-op consultation. Throwing out the paper plate, Reid grabbed his stethoscope and walked out into the hallway to find the patient waiting for him.
"Mr. Mayer," Dr. Oliver said, walking past Noah and holding the door to the room across the hall open for Noah so that he could wobble inside.
Fifteen minutes later, Noah made his way back into the corridor, Reid right behind him.
"You're reacting to light much more frequently now. That's makes me cautiously optimistic," the doctor said, marking something on Noah's chart.
"Hi, can you tell me if Noah Mayer has seen Dr. Oliver yet," a familiar voice asked the receptionist.
"Yes. He's right over there, Mr. Snyder."
"Thanks." Luke turned and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Reid.
"Mr. Snyder, I thought I made it very clear that you were not to be around Noah while at the hospital," Reid said angrily.
"Please don't get mad at Luke, Dr. Oliver. I asked him to come pick me up. Maddie was busy," Noah said immediately.
"Fine. We have nothing more to say to each other anyway, Mr. Mayer," Reid said and walked away, back to his office.
When he was back in his office, Reid unceremoniously threw Noah's file on the desk and sighed.
"How could I have been so stupid? I couldn't really expect Luke and Noah to stay apart from each other just because I might have a thing for Luke Snyder. Idiot," Reid said, rubbing his temples with his thumbs.
He heard a laugh from outside in the hall and looked through the window. Luke and Noah were clearly sharing some joke or funny story. Reid furrowed his brows at the thought that they would probably go home and recount the same joke or story in bed tonight.
"Damn, what the hell is wrong with me? What do I care if they go home and talk in bed?" Reid said to himself, though he knew the answer.
Noah is a friend
Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine
But lately something's changed, it ain't hard to define
Noah's got himself a boy and I want to make him mine
And he's watching him with those eyes
And he's lovin' him with that body, I just know it
And he's holding him in his arms late, late at night
You know, I wish that I had Noah's boy
I wish that I had Noah's boy
Where can I find a man like that?
Ten minutes later, Reid's beeper went off again and he was forced to leave his office; Luke and Noah were still in the corridor, talking and laughing.
"Mr. Snyder, why are you still here?" Reid said, walking into the hall. The smile faded from Luke's lips.
"Our taxi isn't here yet."
"Why don't you just call your chauffeur?" Reid said.
Luke tried very hard not to roll his eyes. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, "For your information, Dr. Oliver, I do not have a chauffeur. And I didn't drive here. I walked. So now we're waiting for a taxi."
"Right. Well, good luck with that," Reid said, stalking off to the nurses' station.
"We could walk," Reid heard Noah say to Luke.
"No. It's cold and kind of raining. I don't want you to get hurt," Luke said.
"That's very kind of you, Luke. But really, we can walk," Noah said.
"No! Noah, I don't want you more hurt than you already are. We are going to take a cab and that's final," Luke said.
"Yes, sir!" Noah said. Reid turned around in time to see Noah mock-salute Luke, who playfully slapped Noah on the back of the head. Reid took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and walked away to examine his next patient.
I play along with the charade
There doesn't seem to be a reason to change
You know I feel so dirty when they start talking cute
I wanna tell him that I love him but the point is probably moot
'Cause he's watching him with those eyes
And he's lovin' him with that body, I just know it
And he's holding him in his arms late, late at night
You know, I wish that I had Noah's boy
I wish that I had Noah's boy
Where can I find a man like that?
Five hours later, Reid walked into the empty apartment he shared with Katie Snyder and her son Jacob, through his keys on the table and his jacket on the couch, and walked into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich for dinner. After he ate, Reid turned on the TV and flipped the channels until he found some news that would tell him if the Astros had lost or not.
"Of course they lost," Reid mumbled, shutting of the TV, standing up, and going to take a shower.
Twenty minutes later, Reid was standing in front of the bathroom sink staring at his reflection in the mirror. Luke and Noah's laughter was ringing in his ears, irritating him.
"Why can't I get the damn Snyder kid out of my head?" Reid said to the mirror, shaking his head in the hopes that it would shake out the thoughts of Luke. "And why can't I stop wondering what he thinks of me? Why do I care?" Reid picked up his toothbrush and brushed his teeth.
"Damn it!" Reid said loudly when he had put his toothbrush back in the left slot, facing left. "I want Luke Snyder."
And I'm lookin' in the mirror all the time
Wonderin' what he don't see in me
I've been funny, I've been cool with the lines
Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?
Tell me, where can I find a man like that?
You know, I wish that I had Noah's boy