When they entered Damian’s room, Margo was just standing up and waved the men in.
“Good timing,” she touched Luke’s arm in silent support and then turned to Reid.
“Could I talk to you for a minute?”
“Of course,” but Reid didn’t move and when Margo sent a worried look to Luke, Reid shook his head. “Luke is strong enough to handle real life, Detective.”
Margo wanted to comment on his callousness, when she noticed the effect on Luke. He straightened his back, stood taller and looked at her with a calm, determined and powerful smile. Reid expressing his faith in him, obviously had helped Luke to find his inner strength. Wow!
She gave a nod, waiting for Luke and Reid to greet Damian and then shared her information.
“I’m inclined to believe that Damian doesn’t know anything about our dead friend in your car,” she started. “Not totally convinced,” she glanced at Damian, “but for now he’s getting the benefit of the doubt on that one.”
She checked her notes and continued: “After you’d stepped out of the car, yesterday, Damian says he went to see Lily and his account of your meeting led to a hell of a row. I’m also inclined to believe that, because Holden shared a similar experience. Lily took off with Reid’s car and had taken her own car keys too, so Damian decided to stay at their hiding place. He doesn’t want to share the location of it, because he doesn’t want to rat out Lily. Very noble, don’t we all agree?”
Her sarcasm made Reid smile, but she didn’t notice and continued: “Anyway, Damian claims he was so tired, he fell asleep for a couple of hours and woke up when Lily came back. She didn’t want to tell him where she’d been, but did tell him where she wanted to go. Your place. Last night they went there in Lily’s car and Damian had not noticed your car being gone. We know it had to be gone, because my men found the car that same morning. Anyway…”
She took a deep breath, turned over a page.
“When they arrived at your house, they climbed the wall, because Lily wanted to see if you,” she looked at Luke, “were all right and she became very frustrated when she found all the curtains drawn, so she couldn’t watch you. The door to one of the outbuildings had no lock on it, and they stayed there. They argued about the next move. Damian didn’t feel well and wanted to leave, but Lily was trying to come up with a good excuse to knock at your door. She’d stood up and Damian had followed her, trying to talk some sense into her. He suddenly felt dizzy and remembers falling to the ground and waking up in the hospital.”
She shut her notepad and gave Damian a nod.
“There. I spared you the trouble of telling it all over again.”
Her face turned softer when she looked at Luke and Reid. “So we don’t know where Lily is, yet. We do have more information on the dead guy, but I don’t want to share that in front of Damian, so I’ll fill you in later.”
After Margo had left the room, Luke took another good look at his father. If was so confusing. He felt detached and yet worried. He felt hate and yet love. He felt pain and yet relief. He couldn’t make sense of it, so he stopped trying.
“Thank you for seeing me, “ Damian’s voice was soft and meek. “I know I…”
Luke lifted his hand to interrupt him.
“I’m not here to restore our relationship. Yes, I want you to recover, but that’s who I am. I don’t wish harm on anyone. Not even you. But don’t turn this into something it isn’t. I still acknowledge you as my father, but I don’t want you in my life. Ever.”
Damian took it silently. For some reason Reid respected that. No protest, no argument, no emotional blackmail, no drama. He just nodded.
Luke made his way to the door and Reid followed him, but turned to Damian after hearing his name.
“Remember my comment about you saving more lives? Never imagined I was talking about my own. Thank you for saving it.”
“Just make sure I will never regret that,” Reid stated calmly and followed Luke to the coffee corner.
Reid noticed Kim too late. Before he could guide Luke to another place – any place – she’d seen them and asked them to join her. It would have been rude to ignore her and Reid could handle that, but his socially conscious boyfriend didn’t even want to try. Luke smiled at the older woman and set next to her.
A lot of – even valid – excuses to leave them alone came to mind, but Luke’s eyes pleaded with him and he couldn’t refuse him. What else was new?
So he sat down, folded his arms and let Luke handle the babbling. Until Kim looked at him.
“I’d like to clear the air,” she said.
“Really? You can do that? I know you a very influential woman, but I didn’t realize you are in command of our weather too.”
“Ha ha,” Kim replied, not amused at all. “Do you always have to be such a smart aleck?”
“I do. I can’t help it. It’s an IQ thing.”
In the corner of his eyes he could see Luke trying very hard not to smile and Reid congratulated himself. This conversation with Kim was pointless to begin with, but if it could distract Luke from the recent events, it was worth his time.
Kim shook her head.
“You’ll be the Chief of Staff soon. Memorial’s reputation will be in your hands…” Kim’s eyes flashed with anger, “and you don’t seem to take it all very seriously.”
“I take this hospital and my role in it very seriously, Mrs. Hughes. This job wouldn’t be offered to me if I didn’t.”
Kim looked at him. “So you really think you’re the right man for the job?” She snorted. “That tells me something about your self-knowledge.”
“No, it doesn’t. It tells you something about your impression of me. That’s all. And your husband obviously doesn’t share that opinion. So what’s your outlook on that? Don’t you trust Bob’s judgment?”
Her dilemma was showing.
“He’s convinced about you and I’m not.”
“Obviously,” Reid gave a nod. “But why should you be convinced?”
“What do you mean? My opinion doesn’t count?”
“I’m sure it does to a lot of people, but when we’re talking about the Chief of Staff position, I don’t understand why you think you should have a say in it. Or confront me with your opinion every time we run into each other. You don’t like me. I get that.”
“And you don’t care.”
“And I don’t care.”
“That’s exactly my point! The Chief of Staff should care.”
Reid didn’t say a word.
“This hospital deserves someone who’s able to acknowledge the talents of others, not someone who’s only blowing his own horn.”
Reid kept silent.
“Someone with manners. With social skills.”
Luke stared at Reid. Why wasn’t he responding? This was so unfair! He was ready to come to his defense, when he intercepted Reid’s look. Don’t. Let me handle this.
Kim’s voice became louder and sharper.
“What? All out of snappy remarks, Dr. Oliver? No response?”
“I only respond to honesty, Mrs. Hughes.”
Luke knew that tone of voice. Kim was in trouble.
“And you’re not. So I’m done.”
“What do you mean? I’m absolutely honest! I really think…”
“Yes, Mrs. Hughes, I know…” Reid sounded absolutely bored, “but pointing the finger at me and blabbing on and on about my inadequacy, isn’t my definition of an honest conversation. That’s just a personal attack in my book. And you can lash out like this as much as you feel like it. You really can. But don’t expect me to give it my time or energy.”
He moved his chair, as a signal of leaving, but he wavered and continued: “Whenever you’re ready to look at your intentions in all this, I’m more than willing to clear that air you were talking about.”
He was ready to go now, but Luke decided he couldn’t leave without giving Kim a piece of his mind.
“You’re being very unfair to Reid. He bent over backwards to help Chris out, in more ways than you realize. In more ways than Chris deserved, as a matter of fact. Why are you so determined to think the worst of him? Why do you feel this need to put Reid down every chance you get? I really don’t know you like this and I don’t understand.”
And in a moment of frustration, the truth came out.
“Because Reid is the son Bob always wanted and didn’t get.”
