Disclaimer: See Part One
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Kristin entered the room cautiously and found herself in total darkness. She couldn't make out a thing as Lucas had kept the curtains drawn and had the lights out. The doctor guessed the teen was on the bed but couldn't see well enough to tell. "Lucas, where are you?"
She heard a muffled "On the bed" come from a direction on her left. She made her way over to it and bumped into the table/nightstand but finally came to the bed, she hoped. "Lucas is it okay if we turn on a light?"
She heard another muffled sound that she took to mean yes. Slowly reaching out to the table she had hit earlier she found a lamp and turned it on. The room slowly filled with a bright white light and the older woman blinked a couple of times to get adjusted to the lights before turning her attention back to the bed.
The teen was curled up into a small ball and had his face buried deep in a yellow pillow. Kristin sat her bag on the table and slowly came to sit next to the boy. She could hear his gentle sobs and was a bit surprised; normally Lucas kept his emotions so much in check and didn't even act like he had them at times. The doctor was afraid to touch him without him having seen her first, it was no telling the kind of reaction she might get.  Why she knew he knew she was there the mind could still do some pretty unusual things when startled. Instead she placed her hands on her lap and said gently, "Lucas, it's Kristin. Please look up at me. I only want to help, honest."
For several seconds she didn't think he was going to acknowledge her and then slowly the blond head started to move. Cautiously and apprehensively he looked up at the older woman and she smiled at him. Lucas couldn't help it, no matter how bad he felt she would always smile at him and he always felt things were going to be okay. Somewhat shakily he sat up and brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them tightly. For the first time Kristin noticed how tired the teen looked. His hair was mused and was soaked in sweat and his eyes were drawn and red from the crying and the emotional turmoil. His body also slumped which signified to Kristin how tired the boy still was. Kristin slid a little closer to him and gently placed her hands on his upraised knees. "Lucas are you okay?"
Even though he knew it probably wouldn't work he slowly just nodded a yes, hoping that his friend would let it drop. True to form though she gave him another gentle smile and said, "Lucas you're not okay. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but I would really like to help if you'll let me."
The teen slowly looked at her, as though in amazement and curiosity, could she really mean that? Could she really want to help? Slowly he spoke the one-word question "Why?"
"Why what dear? Why would I want to help you?"
The young man only nodded and waited patiently for the answer, but Kristin wasn't sure what the answer was. To her it was obvious but to the emotionally searching teen he needed something tangible. After another minute she squeezed his knee and looked him right in the eyes. "Lucas there are several reasons. First of all you're my friend and that's reason enough. I don't want to see you hurt or in pain if I can help it. Secondly I'm a doctor and that's part of what I am, I help people. But the last reason is the one I want you to pay careful attention to, okay?"
Lucas slowly nodded and waited for her to begin again. "You're very special to me Lucas, more so than either of us probably knows. I can't explain what it means to have you in my life. I'd do anything in the world I could for you and to keep you from being hurt. You see I love you Lucas, very much."
The teen sat up a little straighter, had he heard her right, she loved him. How could she, why would she? He was a bratty little child that caused she and the Cap both undue stress and strife. Not even his own parents loved him so how could anyone else.
Kristin could tell the teen was thinking about what she said and wasn't quite sure but she thought he was trying to figure out how she could mean what she had said. "Lucas what's wrong?"
His voice was soft whisper as he answered her slowly. "How could you love me? Why would you?"
Kristin had tears in her eyes as she listened to his question. In his young voice she could hear the turmoil, desperately wanting anyone to love him but at the same time not believing anyone could. She got up and came to sit right beside him and pulled him close to her and hugged him deeply and said, "Lucas how can you ask how? You're so special Lucas. I'm so sorry you're finding this so hard to believe but Nathan and I both love you more than you know. We want you with us as all as much as you want to be. I can't explain it but let me ask you a question. Do you love Nathan?"
The teen pulled away from the doctor enough to look up to her and shook his tear stained face in the affirmative. Kristin nodded and said, "Then can you tell me how you can love Nathan? Why you love him?"
Lucas thought about that a minute. The truth was he couldn't, he knew how he felt and why he felt that way but he couldn't explain it to anyone else. Just like the feelings he had for the doc, he knew what they were and why he had them but they couldn't be explained. He slowly said, "No doc I can't."
She smiled and pulled him into another hug and said, "See Lucas. We know when we love someone and to each of us the reasons are as clear as glass but when they're trying to be explained it isn't so easy. You can believe the fact that Nathan I both love you very much dear, and we'd do anything for you."
He clung to Kristin a little tighter and they stayed that way for several minutes, Lucas leaned in against the older woman and she with her arms pulling her close to him and quietly humming to him. She could feel the teen slowly begin to relax. Finally after a couple more minutes she said quietly, "Lucas do you want to talk about your parents? We don't have to but I'm here if you would like to."
Lucas sat up and lowered his head a moment and then decided he really did. It was hurting to keep the feelings in and he had shared a small part about his past with the Cap before and he was sure he had told the doc. Slowly he nodded but couldn't hide the yawn that escaped his lips. All the crying and emotions had finally caught up with him.
Kristin was glad to hear that the teen was going to share some of the emotional turmoil with her but she was again struck with how tired the young man looked. She debated whether or not to try and get Lucas to rest for a little while and then talk to him but she was afraid if he put off talking it might be a long time before it came again. Before she could debate it anymore Lucas lowered his head and began to talk and she gave him her full attention.
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Kristin entered the room cautiously and found herself in total darkness. She couldn't make out a thing as Lucas had kept the curtains drawn and had the lights out. The doctor guessed the teen was on the bed but couldn't see well enough to tell. "Lucas, where are you?"
She heard a muffled "On the bed" come from a direction on her left. She made her way over to it and bumped into the table/nightstand but finally came to the bed, she hoped. "Lucas is it okay if we turn on a light?"
She heard another muffled sound that she took to mean yes. Slowly reaching out to the table she had hit earlier she found a lamp and turned it on. The room slowly filled with a bright white light and the older woman blinked a couple of times to get adjusted to the lights before turning her attention back to the bed.
The teen was curled up into a small ball and had his face buried deep in a yellow pillow. Kristin sat her bag on the table and slowly came to sit next to the boy. She could hear his gentle sobs and was a bit surprised; normally Lucas kept his emotions so much in check and didn't even act like he had them at times. The doctor was afraid to touch him without him having seen her first, it was no telling the kind of reaction she might get.  Why she knew he knew she was there the mind could still do some pretty unusual things when startled. Instead she placed her hands on her lap and said gently, "Lucas, it's Kristin. Please look up at me. I only want to help, honest."
For several seconds she didn't think he was going to acknowledge her and then slowly the blond head started to move. Cautiously and apprehensively he looked up at the older woman and she smiled at him. Lucas couldn't help it, no matter how bad he felt she would always smile at him and he always felt things were going to be okay. Somewhat shakily he sat up and brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them tightly. For the first time Kristin noticed how tired the teen looked. His hair was mused and was soaked in sweat and his eyes were drawn and red from the crying and the emotional turmoil. His body also slumped which signified to Kristin how tired the boy still was. Kristin slid a little closer to him and gently placed her hands on his upraised knees. "Lucas are you okay?"
Even though he knew it probably wouldn't work he slowly just nodded a yes, hoping that his friend would let it drop. True to form though she gave him another gentle smile and said, "Lucas you're not okay. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but I would really like to help if you'll let me."
The teen slowly looked at her, as though in amazement and curiosity, could she really mean that? Could she really want to help? Slowly he spoke the one-word question "Why?"
"Why what dear? Why would I want to help you?"
The young man only nodded and waited patiently for the answer, but Kristin wasn't sure what the answer was. To her it was obvious but to the emotionally searching teen he needed something tangible. After another minute she squeezed his knee and looked him right in the eyes. "Lucas there are several reasons. First of all you're my friend and that's reason enough. I don't want to see you hurt or in pain if I can help it. Secondly I'm a doctor and that's part of what I am, I help people. But the last reason is the one I want you to pay careful attention to, okay?"
Lucas slowly nodded and waited for her to begin again. "You're very special to me Lucas, more so than either of us probably knows. I can't explain what it means to have you in my life. I'd do anything in the world I could for you and to keep you from being hurt. You see I love you Lucas, very much."
The teen sat up a little straighter, had he heard her right, she loved him. How could she, why would she? He was a bratty little child that caused she and the Cap both undue stress and strife. Not even his own parents loved him so how could anyone else.
Kristin could tell the teen was thinking about what she said and wasn't quite sure but she thought he was trying to figure out how she could mean what she had said. "Lucas what's wrong?"
His voice was soft whisper as he answered her slowly. "How could you love me? Why would you?"
Kristin had tears in her eyes as she listened to his question. In his young voice she could hear the turmoil, desperately wanting anyone to love him but at the same time not believing anyone could. She got up and came to sit right beside him and pulled him close to her and hugged him deeply and said, "Lucas how can you ask how? You're so special Lucas. I'm so sorry you're finding this so hard to believe but Nathan and I both love you more than you know. We want you with us as all as much as you want to be. I can't explain it but let me ask you a question. Do you love Nathan?"
The teen pulled away from the doctor enough to look up to her and shook his tear stained face in the affirmative. Kristin nodded and said, "Then can you tell me how you can love Nathan? Why you love him?"
Lucas thought about that a minute. The truth was he couldn't, he knew how he felt and why he felt that way but he couldn't explain it to anyone else. Just like the feelings he had for the doc, he knew what they were and why he had them but they couldn't be explained. He slowly said, "No doc I can't."
She smiled and pulled him into another hug and said, "See Lucas. We know when we love someone and to each of us the reasons are as clear as glass but when they're trying to be explained it isn't so easy. You can believe the fact that Nathan I both love you very much dear, and we'd do anything for you."
He clung to Kristin a little tighter and they stayed that way for several minutes, Lucas leaned in against the older woman and she with her arms pulling her close to him and quietly humming to him. She could feel the teen slowly begin to relax. Finally after a couple more minutes she said quietly, "Lucas do you want to talk about your parents? We don't have to but I'm here if you would like to."
Lucas sat up and lowered his head a moment and then decided he really did. It was hurting to keep the feelings in and he had shared a small part about his past with the Cap before and he was sure he had told the doc. Slowly he nodded but couldn't hide the yawn that escaped his lips. All the crying and emotions had finally caught up with him.
Kristin was glad to hear that the teen was going to share some of the emotional turmoil with her but she was again struck with how tired the young man looked. She debated whether or not to try and get Lucas to rest for a little while and then talk to him but she was afraid if he put off talking it might be a long time before it came again. Before she could debate it anymore Lucas lowered his head and began to talk and she gave him her full attention.