Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: Cross your fingers that it works today folks!
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People scurried back and forth in the midst of their busy day at Walter Reed Army Medical Centre as Reid sat alone in the tiny waiting area outside Linda Kimura's office. Since she didn't have a regular practice, there was no need for a large waiting room he supposed. His foot tapped nervously as he glanced again at the clock on the wall. The hands had not appeared to move since the last time he'd looked at it. He knew this wasn't uncommon. In anxious times the hands of the clock seemed to slow, to the mind's eye at least, he told himself. He also reminded himself of the fact that research had found that time became distorted when one's health went through changes. He supposed being infected with anthrax applied.
Finally the door opened and there she was. Her lustrous black hair was once again in a French braid that fell down her back. She wore a pink blouse with a black skirt under her white lab coat. She looked over in his direction and her lips curved into a warm smile that carried on all the way to her beautiful brown eyes.
Reid stood from the uncomfortable vinyl covered chair he'd been sitting on. Linda couldn't believe how good he looked. She allowed her eyes a moment to drink in the sight of him, his unruly hair was combed back off his face. It looked like he'd applied some gel in an attempt to control it. Grey dress pants were matched with a blue chambray shirt topped with a black sweater vest trimmed in white under a grey cord jacket. A black and white polka dot tie completed the look. His lips turned up into a grin as he looked at her.
They stood, momentarily transfixed, as if neither wanted to break the spell of the moment. Finally Linda took her eyes off the man who had been on her mind so much lately and, almost imperceptibly, shook herself back to the clinician she was. "Hello Spencer, how are you?"
"Good," Reid replied, stepping forward, "and you?"
"I'm very well thank you," she said as she closed the door.
"How have you been feeling?" she asked as she indicated the chair in front of her desk. "Any difficulties?"
"I've been great, nothing to complain about except the fact that I'm itching to get back to work. I've done a lot of reading, way too much TV watching and even finished all my term papers," Reid concluded.
"Well…uh…let's have a listen then." She pulled her stethoscope from around her neck and was about to put the ear tips in place, "If you could just loosen your tie and undo a few buttons please."
"Oh…oh sure," Reid said as he pulled on the silk fabric at his neck. His usually dexterous fingers seemed to fumble over the buttons while Linda waited. He undid the first few buttons of his shirt and she slid her hand in the opening placing the diaphragm of the stethoscope against his skin. He breathed in and out as directed, although he wondered how he managed to with her head so close he could smell the scent of her shampoo, while she moved the stethoscope to another point on his chest. He longed to sigh as her fingers brushed his skin each time she moved the instrument. Could she hear how fast his heart was beating? Of course she could he told himself as the thought of Poe's story, The Tell Tale Heart, ran through his mind. His heartbeat would be telling its own tale wouldn't it?
Linda listened like the highly trained practitioner she was. She hoped her trembling hands weren't giving her away. Could he feel them shaking against his skin. He'd be wondering what in heaven's name was wrong with her. How was she supposed to concentrate on his lung sounds when she could feel his breath on her hair. When she was satisfied she stood to her full 5' 2" and removed the ear tips. She looked down when she spoke, not sure she could look in his eyes and not give herself away, "Everything sounds good. There are no adventitious sounds and air entry is good." She returned her stethoscope to its place around her neck while Reid did up his buttons and tightened his tie. She sat in the chair behind her desk. "Your blood work and the x-ray they did yesterday were normal," she told him.
Reid nodded, "It sounds like everything's good for me to return to work." He pulled a piece of paper from his jacket's inside pocket and handed it to her. "You just have to sign on the dotted line."
Linda set the sheet of paper on the desk in front of her as she read the words she'd read hundreds of times in her career. It stated that, whoever's name she put on the blank, was fit to return to duty with no restrictions. Her hand began to shake. What if he got shot? What if he stumbled into another situation like he had with the anthrax? What if he came across another madman who wanted to use him to exact torture? What if…?
"Is something wrong?" Reid's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Uh…no, no not at all," she quickly scribbled her name on the document before she lost her nerve, praying she wasn't signing his death warrant. She folded the paper up slowly and handed it back to him, pulling her hand away quickly as their fingers touched briefly. She felt almost like a silly schoolgirl. She must be ten years older than him. He'd never be interested in her. Then why does he invade my thoughts every day and my dreams every night? "There, good as new," she smiled because she knew if she didn't she'd cry.
"Thanks, it'll be good to get back to work at last." An awkward silence settled in. Say something you idiot. You're supposed to ask her out. The way she pulled her hand away just now, it was like she didn't even want to touch me. Well, I guess I'm not her patient anymore so she doesn't have to. He stood. "Uh, thanks again for everything you did. If you hadn't found that cure I'd be…" he left the sentence unfinished.
"You told me where to look for it. We did it together." Linda told him. "It was an honor to work with you."
"Yeah, I guess we did do it together. It was an honor to work with you too. Well, I should, uh, go now and not take up more of your time." He reached the door and turned back giving her a little wave, "Thanks again."
Reid ran across the street to Starbucks. Garcia had insisted on meeting him there afterward. He saw her sitting at one of the tables, a coffee in front of her. He wanted to turn tail and run right out of the place but he didn't have the heart to do that to his friend. He got his own coffee and went to the table, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Well, sweet cheeks, how did it go?"
"She signed my return to work, that's the important thing," he told her.
"Reid," Garcia said suspiciously, "you did ask her out didn't you?"
Reid looked at the table for so long Garcia began to worry. "Reid, it's okay honey if she said no. It happens to everyone, even Morgan. Look at Jordan, she never said yes to him."
"She didn't say no. I didn't give her the chance because I didn't ask her."
"Reid, why not?"
"I just don't think she'd be interested in me," he said.
"Why, did she say something?" Garcia asked.
"No, she was totally professional. There I was, I could hardly breathe when she told me to because I'm lost in the scent of her and she's totally professional. She said it was an honor to work with me." Reid took a sip of his coffee.
"Oh well, don't worry about it." Garcia smiled broadly at her friend. "JJ and Emily are meeting me here. We'll cheer you up."
"Oh Garcia, I'm not in the mood for that." He stood. "You guys have a good time. I'm gonna take off. I'll see you tomorrow." He turned before Garcia had a chance to reply and headed for the door, his head down and in the process, bumped into a woman who was coming in. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."
"Dr. Reid, it's nice to see you again," the voice said as he looked up to see Shirley, one of his nurses. She was followed by Sandy and Connie who both waved at him.
"Hi," he waved back, "nice to see you again." He was quickly out the door.
"I'll get a table. Get me my usual okay," Shirley said as she found an empty table next to Garcia.
"Hi," the tech goddess said, "I recognize you. You were one of Reid's nurses."
Shirley pointed to the others, "We all were but we can't talk about him if that's where you're going."
"Oh yes, I understand, confidentiality, but maybe you could tell me something. How well do you know Dr. Kimura?"