Gabriel blushed to the tips of his ears, his stomach twisting uncomfortably.
“Thanks,” he mumbled, not really wanting to think about it. “And thank you for going out of your way to help me, by the way. But maybe don’t mention that last part to your professor?”
Reid shrugged. “You’re welcome, and I won’t. How’s your pain today?”
“Pretty much the same as it has been,” Gabriel said. “Maybe a little better? It’s hard to tell.”
“I get that,” Reid said. “But you should be seeing some improvement as early as our next appointment. You’re young and healthy. I promise thiswillgo away, and faster than you think.”
Gabriel trusted that Reid knew what he was talking about, but it was hard to believe that right now. He was sick of being sore and tired all the time.
Which was his own fault. He’d spoken to Connor, who he was starting to realize had kind of taken him on as a little brother, and he was in much better shape despite having been in space just as longandbeing older than Gabriel.
Gabriel had neglected himself, and he was paying for it.
Which could have been the title of his autobiography. It wasn’tnewthat he’d ignored his own wellbeing in the pursuit of his goals, but it had never been quite so painful.
“Thank you for your confidence in me,” he said. “Seriously, feel free to share my details with anyone you want. I’m not used to not being generally healthy.”
“You should see me when I get a cold,” Reid smiled wryly. “I get it. I see a lot of patients who’ve had life-changing things happen to them. Normally they’re more along the lines of car accidents, but the principle is the same.”
Reid had no idea. Life-changing seemed like too small a phrase to really capture the way Gabriel felt. His life was divided into pre-space and post-space, and he felt like an entirely new person now that he was in the post-space phase.
It was a lot to process, and he could only tell the people he knew what an amazing experience it was and how good it felt to achieve his dreams.
That wasn’t making it any easier. He almost felt as though Reid would listen, and understand, but they didn’t know each other evencloseto well enough for Gabriel to open up to him.
Besides, he wasn’t that kind of therapist.
“Your coffee is probably getting cold,” Gabriel said reluctantly. If he took any longer, he’d have to explain himself to Alice, and while he liked her, too, he knew she wouldn’t understand why Gabriel desperately wanted to cling to his physical therapist. Of all people.
More to the point, Reid felt like his secret. He didn’t want to share him.
“Oh, uh.” Reid straightened up as though he’d been pulled out of a trance. “Yeah, probably. I should go. I’ll see you at your next appointment,” he said.
Gabriel’s stomach sank, but he couldn’t stand there and bask in Reid’s presence all day. Even if he was the only person in the whole city who made him feel like someone genuinely cared about him.
“You will,” Gabriel promised. He’d hated the idea of needing actual medical intervention at first, but Reid knew what he was doing and he wasn’t a nightmare to deal with. Gabriel was almost lookingforwardto their next appointment.
It was the only physical contact he got, so he was starting to savor it.
“See you later, Rocket Man,” Reid waved at him as he left, disappearing in the crowd of students outside within moments.
Gabriel smiled at him as he went, glowing after the brief conversation. He’d clearly picked the right therapist.
