[House staggers into Wilson's office. He limped all the way to his couch to lay down. Wilson knows he's there but doesn't bother to look up from his paperwork]
Wilson: Avoiding Cuddy, again?
House: No, I just love hiding out in your office.
Wilson: She'll turn up, eventually, and then you will have to see her.
House: Not if I know where to hide. After here I go to the clinic, because she's supposed to go check on the team today. And when she sees that I'm not there she will go look for me and that's when I go back to my office and wait for my teams arrival with the results of an MRI scan.
Wilson: Sounds like a plan. It could work, for now, but you can't hide from her forever.
[Wilson still hadn't looked up and House stood up about to leave]
House: I can and I will.
[House started for the door expecting Cuddy to check up on Wilson any minute but Wilson finally looked up at House and stopped him in his tracks.]
Wilson: House.
[the door was cracked open and he was prepared to leave but the seriousness his Wilson's voice brought on the hesitation. He just stood there but not looking at Wilson.]
Wilson: Sit down.
[It took a while for House to comply but he finally came back in and closed the door behind him. Instead of sitting down he found himself looking out the window leaning on one hand against the wall.]
House: She'll be here in a few minutes.
[Wilson ignored his comment]
Wilson: Why are you avoiding her?
House: I have my reasons.
Wilson: Why?
[House still hadn't said anything yet. He was afraid to admit anything, so he was prepared to deny everything, even if they all were true.]
Wilson: You play with her and her feelings like she's some kind of man's toy that can be thrown here and there. And you know you don't want to treat her that way. You just do.
[House still looked away]
Wilson: And your forcing her away every since you guys kissed, because you don't want to get hurt!
[That's when House's eyes dropped to the floor and he finally spoke]
House: I'm not afraid of hurt. I already live with it so there's no surprise. I've been living it my whole life. She hasn't.
[There was a pause]
House: I'm not forcing her away, I'm forcing the feelings. I don't want her to want me. It only complicates things!
Wilson: No--That's not why your forcing her away. You do want her to be with you! Your just--afraid of messing up. Your afraid of losing the one person that might actually love you back. The one person who can actually stand you. Your afraid, she's the one, and....the only one.
[Wilson let out a sigh when House popped in four tablets of vicodin.]
Wilson: Your afraid to love her...Because you don't want to lose her..and...and your afraid of hurting her.
[House began to ignore him now]
Wilson: What brought this on?
[House ignored his comment]
House: Now if you'll excuse me I have to refill my vicodin.
Wilson: House.
[House was really leaving now. He limped out as Wilson continued trying to stop him]
Wilson: House! HOUSE!
[And with one blink of an eye the door shut and he was gone. Wilson let out another sigh figuring he could confront him later. He sat back down and continued his work.]
__________________________________________
[House limped through the halls quickly before anyone could spot him and talk to him. He finally made his way to the safety of his office and sat down in his chair. The thought of everything Wilson had said still rung in his ears. That's when Cameron walked in.]
Cameron: It would be nice to once in a while actually help diagnose what's wrong with your patient.
House: The team thinks it's Lymphocyte.
Cameron: You think it's?
House: Dermatomyositis. He doesn't have IBM so its the Derma.
Cameron: Wait Dermatomyositis, autoimmune?
House: Yeah. I'm guessing he had a viral infection. But it explains his rash, muscle weakness accompanied by the pain.
Cameron: And have you told the team to start treatments?
House: They don't even know where I am.
Cameron: Didn't bother to look in your office? Those are some good colleagues you got there.
House: I've been hiding out all morning.
Cameron: Wilson's office?
[House nods suspiciously]
House: That's why your here isn't it? Cuddy sent you.
Cameron: Yes. She's been looking for you all morning. And she took me out of the ER to come look for you. She said, whatever your doing, get off your ass and do the job she wants to fire you from.
[He just rolls his eyes]
House: Do me a favor? Tell my team to get their asses over here before they kill our patient.
Cameron: I'm on it. Then I gotta get back to my ER.
[She started walking to the door but then she stopped and turned around]
Cameron: Why were you in Wilson's office
anyway?
[House was looking at his paperwork]
House: Don't you have stitches to stitch?
[Cameron gave a half smile and walked to the doors and held one open with one hand]
Cameron: You know, I figured, it's gonna happen sooner or later, one way or another. It's only natural, for you guys at least.
[House's head shot up and Cameron just walked out smiling at him through the glass with her hands in her pockets and then finally looked away. House just sat there with eyes wide open and a shocked face.]
__________________________________________
[The team came in through the swinging doors]
Thirteen: Its Dermatomyositis.
House: I know that's why I called you guys back in here. Start him on prednisolone.
Kutner: Where were you this morning?
House: I was in a pasture milking cows! Now does your knowledge of my whereabouts satisfy you? Good! Now go heal our patient!
[Kutner was the first one to leave followed by Taub and Thirteen. Foreman was the last to leave. Unlike the other three he didn't hurry out of there. He gave House a look before leaving. After they all left House got up to go refill his vicodin. As soon as he left his office Wilson came running after him.]
Wilson: House! House. Why don't you do something for her?
House: I'm incapable of acting like a human and you want me to do something nice for her? Do you have any idea how bad that would end up?
Wilson: It doesn't have to be something big. But like you said, do something that shows her you can try to be a human being.
[They made it to the prescription counter and House gave the empty bottle to to him while Wilson still tried convincing him again]
Wilson: Just try to do something. SOMETHING. Think of anything you could do.
Pharmacist: Here. You should really lay off those.
House: It's like you don't know me at all!
Pharmacist:I know your an ass.
House: Thank you. Now let's walk. Going to my office, its the last place she'd expect me to be right now.
Wilson: Whose got your clinic duty?
House: Foreman.
[they walked into the office and House kicked back in his chair while Wilson sat at the edge of one of House's file cabinets. He looked down suspiciously. Then he came to a conclusion.]
Wilson: Something happened last night. That's why your avoiding her. I know she had no part in this otherwise she'd be acting weird too. What was it then...
[House just threw back some vicodin while he watched Wilson try to figure this out.]
Wilson: Your also lucky that you left when you did. She came in like a minute after you left.
House: I know. That's why I left. That's one of the places she expected me to be, first my office then here. I was safe in my office because she wouldn't go back.
[Wilson ignored his comment and finally came to a conclusion]
Wilson: Dream.
House: More of a hallucination.
Wilson: About Cuddy. So you hallucinated that?
House: Eliminate the obvious.
Wilson: Well, whatever happened in the dream was serious.
[House nodded]
Wilson: Not? Well it was probably something sexual?
[House nodded again]
Wilson: Okay, it was something depressing?
House: Let's just shut you up because you are not thinking outside the box. Your over-complicating some things. First of all, it was a vivid hallucination. Second of all it was sensitive, third it was simple. Happy and simple.
Wilson: You were married?
[House got up in Wilson's face]
House: THANK YOU.
Wilson: Wow! Okay so, what exactly happened?
House: Her office, her couch. Closed blinds, closed doors. You do the math.
Wilson: You guys had sex in her office? And on the couch? Jeez. Wait. You said it wasn't sexual.
House: It wasn't. We just fooled around. It would've gone farther and would've turn sexual if YOU hadn't walked in. Idiot. You needed a conformation on something then I woke up. That's why I said closed doors instead of locked. And I would never have sex on a couch. We would've used her desk. That makes you a moron, you would know that.
Wilson: So, I, walked in on you guys, you and her, House and Cuddy,
[He enunciated every letter]
m-a-r-r-i-e-d?
House: Yeah. But the reason, the reason why I am avoiding her is because of what I saw. I saw a side of me that I didn't want to see. Compassionate side. Sensitive side. I was human. It was what she turned me into. That's why I'm avoiding her. I don't wanna turn into that.
Wilson: There's something...But..Just because you're around her I mean. You can't not be around her. She's your boss. Close friend. You can't cut her out of your life. Especially because of a stupid dream.
House: Let me avoid her for a little while. It'll do me good use. She's been on my back since freshman year in college. I could use a break.
Wilson: Fine. She could get a break from her pain-in-the-ass anyway. So just ignore her the whole day and get out of here as soon as your done before she can even get a glimpse.
[Wilson began to leave]
House: Thanks for the advice but I didn't need it....
Wilson: Except you did.
[Wilson left and House got back to his paper works. Then House let out a sigh.]
__________________________________________
[When nighttime came around House began to pack up all his stuff. After he had turned off everything and packed up, he was about to leave when Cuddy came through the doors. He knew it was her because he could hear her stiletto shoes clacking against his tiles]
House: Shit. Wilson told you I wanted to see you huh?
Cuddy: Yeah but I was--
House: It's fine. He lied. I don't need anything. So you can leave.
[He didn't bother looking up]
Cuddy: I was planning to come to your office anyway. You haven't come to my office all day, you haven't tried to aggravate me nor pull another pain-in-the-ass-stunt or even manipulate me into playing one of your unnecessary games.
House: I have my reasons. Now get out. Go home to Rachel. Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning.
[Cuddy's face widened]
Cuddy: You just called her "Rachel". No parenting remarks. Nothing. That's it? What the hell is wrong with you?
House: N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Go home to your damn baby already!
Cuddy: Rachel can wait. She has a babysitter. I'm not leaving till you tell me what's going on. You annoy me on daily basis and your always in my office. Today you ignore me completely and actually stay away from everything that relates to me. Including your clinic duty which I know was done by Foreman.
House: Damn.
Cuddy: For that I'm doubling it for you next week. Now if you don't do it again, make someone else do it, I'll triple it. But that's not the point, look--
House: I'm alright okay? You shouldn't be worrying about how I act in the first place. You have that infant of yours to mess up.
Cuddy: I told you already I'm not leaving--
[House began to walk out]
Cuddy: Where are you going?
House: Just because your not going to go home doesn't mean I can't.
Cuddy: Were not done!
[House walked out of the office and Cuddy chased after. Her heels clicked and clacked repeatedly in the halls as she attempted to stop House from leaving. She kept calling out his name to stop him, and he started laughing, acting as if her calls would stop him. She finally stopped outside in the parking lot.]
Cuddy: HOUSE.
[House began to get on his bike. He faced Cuddy and kicked back the stand and put his cane at his side. He held his helmet in his hands]
House: It's nothing you need to worry about. It's my personal life. The last thing I need is my nagging boss on my back about my personal life which doesn't even concern her.
Cuddy: She's not your boss right now! She's being your friend! She's concerned! It is so wrong to be worried about you? So wrong to care? So wrong to show a sense of humanity that I might have left for you?
[Her voice echoed loud through the parking lot and out into the open air]
House: Yes.
[She was pissed now]
Cuddy: Is this about me? Because I wouldn't have to beat you to try to get you to tell me something simple if it wasn't.
[He tried tricking her]
House: It isn't about you, otherwise I would let you try to get it out of me.
[Her tension released a little, yet her anger was still clearly there]
House: I don't need you to worry about me! I don't even need you to be my friend! I just need you as my boss. This isn't about you, believe me. Go home. Take care of your damn kid!
[Cuddy scoffs. She begins to walk back through the doors]
Cuddy: Fine. I try to help you and you just--
[She broke off for a moment]
You know--Sometimes, I ask myself why I'm your friend in the first place; Most times, I can convince myself otherwise. Other times, I really don't know.
[House just looked at her and put on his helmet. He slid his key into the chamber and turned the key. The engine revved and roared. He took one more glimpse of the pissed and hurt Cuddy who had the fury embedded in his eyes. He then revved up the engine again and rode away.]
__________________________________________
[House rode away into the night. The last words of Cuddy roamed throughout his head. They burned. Or that was the sensation he was feeling at least. He couldn't grasp the things she had said to him. She cared, A lot. Enough to want to know something so meaningless and useless just because it changed his pattern. He let all these thoughts sink in at a red light. Then once the light turned green everything happened in one swift movement: A car on the opposite light that was red hit a car already there at sixty miles per hour, causing that car to go sliding across the entire intersection, spinning out of control causing cars to thrash into other simple bystanders, which all in the end, knocked House off his bike, with helmet off, no less than twenty feet where he was before, with his cane, no less than a foot away from him.]
__________________________________________
Wilson: Avoiding Cuddy, again?
House: No, I just love hiding out in your office.
Wilson: She'll turn up, eventually, and then you will have to see her.
House: Not if I know where to hide. After here I go to the clinic, because she's supposed to go check on the team today. And when she sees that I'm not there she will go look for me and that's when I go back to my office and wait for my teams arrival with the results of an MRI scan.
Wilson: Sounds like a plan. It could work, for now, but you can't hide from her forever.
[Wilson still hadn't looked up and House stood up about to leave]
House: I can and I will.
[House started for the door expecting Cuddy to check up on Wilson any minute but Wilson finally looked up at House and stopped him in his tracks.]
Wilson: House.
[the door was cracked open and he was prepared to leave but the seriousness his Wilson's voice brought on the hesitation. He just stood there but not looking at Wilson.]
Wilson: Sit down.
[It took a while for House to comply but he finally came back in and closed the door behind him. Instead of sitting down he found himself looking out the window leaning on one hand against the wall.]
House: She'll be here in a few minutes.
[Wilson ignored his comment]
Wilson: Why are you avoiding her?
House: I have my reasons.
Wilson: Why?
[House still hadn't said anything yet. He was afraid to admit anything, so he was prepared to deny everything, even if they all were true.]
Wilson: You play with her and her feelings like she's some kind of man's toy that can be thrown here and there. And you know you don't want to treat her that way. You just do.
[House still looked away]
Wilson: And your forcing her away every since you guys kissed, because you don't want to get hurt!
[That's when House's eyes dropped to the floor and he finally spoke]
House: I'm not afraid of hurt. I already live with it so there's no surprise. I've been living it my whole life. She hasn't.
[There was a pause]
House: I'm not forcing her away, I'm forcing the feelings. I don't want her to want me. It only complicates things!
Wilson: No--That's not why your forcing her away. You do want her to be with you! Your just--afraid of messing up. Your afraid of losing the one person that might actually love you back. The one person who can actually stand you. Your afraid, she's the one, and....the only one.
[Wilson let out a sigh when House popped in four tablets of vicodin.]
Wilson: Your afraid to love her...Because you don't want to lose her..and...and your afraid of hurting her.
[House began to ignore him now]
Wilson: What brought this on?
[House ignored his comment]
House: Now if you'll excuse me I have to refill my vicodin.
Wilson: House.
[House was really leaving now. He limped out as Wilson continued trying to stop him]
Wilson: House! HOUSE!
[And with one blink of an eye the door shut and he was gone. Wilson let out another sigh figuring he could confront him later. He sat back down and continued his work.]
__________________________________________
[House limped through the halls quickly before anyone could spot him and talk to him. He finally made his way to the safety of his office and sat down in his chair. The thought of everything Wilson had said still rung in his ears. That's when Cameron walked in.]
Cameron: It would be nice to once in a while actually help diagnose what's wrong with your patient.
House: The team thinks it's Lymphocyte.
Cameron: You think it's?
House: Dermatomyositis. He doesn't have IBM so its the Derma.
Cameron: Wait Dermatomyositis, autoimmune?
House: Yeah. I'm guessing he had a viral infection. But it explains his rash, muscle weakness accompanied by the pain.
Cameron: And have you told the team to start treatments?
House: They don't even know where I am.
Cameron: Didn't bother to look in your office? Those are some good colleagues you got there.
House: I've been hiding out all morning.
Cameron: Wilson's office?
[House nods suspiciously]
House: That's why your here isn't it? Cuddy sent you.
Cameron: Yes. She's been looking for you all morning. And she took me out of the ER to come look for you. She said, whatever your doing, get off your ass and do the job she wants to fire you from.
[He just rolls his eyes]
House: Do me a favor? Tell my team to get their asses over here before they kill our patient.
Cameron: I'm on it. Then I gotta get back to my ER.
[She started walking to the door but then she stopped and turned around]
Cameron: Why were you in Wilson's office
anyway?
[House was looking at his paperwork]
House: Don't you have stitches to stitch?
[Cameron gave a half smile and walked to the doors and held one open with one hand]
Cameron: You know, I figured, it's gonna happen sooner or later, one way or another. It's only natural, for you guys at least.
[House's head shot up and Cameron just walked out smiling at him through the glass with her hands in her pockets and then finally looked away. House just sat there with eyes wide open and a shocked face.]
__________________________________________
[The team came in through the swinging doors]
Thirteen: Its Dermatomyositis.
House: I know that's why I called you guys back in here. Start him on prednisolone.
Kutner: Where were you this morning?
House: I was in a pasture milking cows! Now does your knowledge of my whereabouts satisfy you? Good! Now go heal our patient!
[Kutner was the first one to leave followed by Taub and Thirteen. Foreman was the last to leave. Unlike the other three he didn't hurry out of there. He gave House a look before leaving. After they all left House got up to go refill his vicodin. As soon as he left his office Wilson came running after him.]
Wilson: House! House. Why don't you do something for her?
House: I'm incapable of acting like a human and you want me to do something nice for her? Do you have any idea how bad that would end up?
Wilson: It doesn't have to be something big. But like you said, do something that shows her you can try to be a human being.
[They made it to the prescription counter and House gave the empty bottle to to him while Wilson still tried convincing him again]
Wilson: Just try to do something. SOMETHING. Think of anything you could do.
Pharmacist: Here. You should really lay off those.
House: It's like you don't know me at all!
Pharmacist:I know your an ass.
House: Thank you. Now let's walk. Going to my office, its the last place she'd expect me to be right now.
Wilson: Whose got your clinic duty?
House: Foreman.
[they walked into the office and House kicked back in his chair while Wilson sat at the edge of one of House's file cabinets. He looked down suspiciously. Then he came to a conclusion.]
Wilson: Something happened last night. That's why your avoiding her. I know she had no part in this otherwise she'd be acting weird too. What was it then...
[House just threw back some vicodin while he watched Wilson try to figure this out.]
Wilson: Your also lucky that you left when you did. She came in like a minute after you left.
House: I know. That's why I left. That's one of the places she expected me to be, first my office then here. I was safe in my office because she wouldn't go back.
[Wilson ignored his comment and finally came to a conclusion]
Wilson: Dream.
House: More of a hallucination.
Wilson: About Cuddy. So you hallucinated that?
House: Eliminate the obvious.
Wilson: Well, whatever happened in the dream was serious.
[House nodded]
Wilson: Not? Well it was probably something sexual?
[House nodded again]
Wilson: Okay, it was something depressing?
House: Let's just shut you up because you are not thinking outside the box. Your over-complicating some things. First of all, it was a vivid hallucination. Second of all it was sensitive, third it was simple. Happy and simple.
Wilson: You were married?
[House got up in Wilson's face]
House: THANK YOU.
Wilson: Wow! Okay so, what exactly happened?
House: Her office, her couch. Closed blinds, closed doors. You do the math.
Wilson: You guys had sex in her office? And on the couch? Jeez. Wait. You said it wasn't sexual.
House: It wasn't. We just fooled around. It would've gone farther and would've turn sexual if YOU hadn't walked in. Idiot. You needed a conformation on something then I woke up. That's why I said closed doors instead of locked. And I would never have sex on a couch. We would've used her desk. That makes you a moron, you would know that.
Wilson: So, I, walked in on you guys, you and her, House and Cuddy,
[He enunciated every letter]
m-a-r-r-i-e-d?
House: Yeah. But the reason, the reason why I am avoiding her is because of what I saw. I saw a side of me that I didn't want to see. Compassionate side. Sensitive side. I was human. It was what she turned me into. That's why I'm avoiding her. I don't wanna turn into that.
Wilson: There's something...But..Just because you're around her I mean. You can't not be around her. She's your boss. Close friend. You can't cut her out of your life. Especially because of a stupid dream.
House: Let me avoid her for a little while. It'll do me good use. She's been on my back since freshman year in college. I could use a break.
Wilson: Fine. She could get a break from her pain-in-the-ass anyway. So just ignore her the whole day and get out of here as soon as your done before she can even get a glimpse.
[Wilson began to leave]
House: Thanks for the advice but I didn't need it....
Wilson: Except you did.
[Wilson left and House got back to his paper works. Then House let out a sigh.]
__________________________________________
[When nighttime came around House began to pack up all his stuff. After he had turned off everything and packed up, he was about to leave when Cuddy came through the doors. He knew it was her because he could hear her stiletto shoes clacking against his tiles]
House: Shit. Wilson told you I wanted to see you huh?
Cuddy: Yeah but I was--
House: It's fine. He lied. I don't need anything. So you can leave.
[He didn't bother looking up]
Cuddy: I was planning to come to your office anyway. You haven't come to my office all day, you haven't tried to aggravate me nor pull another pain-in-the-ass-stunt or even manipulate me into playing one of your unnecessary games.
House: I have my reasons. Now get out. Go home to Rachel. Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning.
[Cuddy's face widened]
Cuddy: You just called her "Rachel". No parenting remarks. Nothing. That's it? What the hell is wrong with you?
House: N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Go home to your damn baby already!
Cuddy: Rachel can wait. She has a babysitter. I'm not leaving till you tell me what's going on. You annoy me on daily basis and your always in my office. Today you ignore me completely and actually stay away from everything that relates to me. Including your clinic duty which I know was done by Foreman.
House: Damn.
Cuddy: For that I'm doubling it for you next week. Now if you don't do it again, make someone else do it, I'll triple it. But that's not the point, look--
House: I'm alright okay? You shouldn't be worrying about how I act in the first place. You have that infant of yours to mess up.
Cuddy: I told you already I'm not leaving--
[House began to walk out]
Cuddy: Where are you going?
House: Just because your not going to go home doesn't mean I can't.
Cuddy: Were not done!
[House walked out of the office and Cuddy chased after. Her heels clicked and clacked repeatedly in the halls as she attempted to stop House from leaving. She kept calling out his name to stop him, and he started laughing, acting as if her calls would stop him. She finally stopped outside in the parking lot.]
Cuddy: HOUSE.
[House began to get on his bike. He faced Cuddy and kicked back the stand and put his cane at his side. He held his helmet in his hands]
House: It's nothing you need to worry about. It's my personal life. The last thing I need is my nagging boss on my back about my personal life which doesn't even concern her.
Cuddy: She's not your boss right now! She's being your friend! She's concerned! It is so wrong to be worried about you? So wrong to care? So wrong to show a sense of humanity that I might have left for you?
[Her voice echoed loud through the parking lot and out into the open air]
House: Yes.
[She was pissed now]
Cuddy: Is this about me? Because I wouldn't have to beat you to try to get you to tell me something simple if it wasn't.
[He tried tricking her]
House: It isn't about you, otherwise I would let you try to get it out of me.
[Her tension released a little, yet her anger was still clearly there]
House: I don't need you to worry about me! I don't even need you to be my friend! I just need you as my boss. This isn't about you, believe me. Go home. Take care of your damn kid!
[Cuddy scoffs. She begins to walk back through the doors]
Cuddy: Fine. I try to help you and you just--
[She broke off for a moment]
You know--Sometimes, I ask myself why I'm your friend in the first place; Most times, I can convince myself otherwise. Other times, I really don't know.
[House just looked at her and put on his helmet. He slid his key into the chamber and turned the key. The engine revved and roared. He took one more glimpse of the pissed and hurt Cuddy who had the fury embedded in his eyes. He then revved up the engine again and rode away.]
__________________________________________
[House rode away into the night. The last words of Cuddy roamed throughout his head. They burned. Or that was the sensation he was feeling at least. He couldn't grasp the things she had said to him. She cared, A lot. Enough to want to know something so meaningless and useless just because it changed his pattern. He let all these thoughts sink in at a red light. Then once the light turned green everything happened in one swift movement: A car on the opposite light that was red hit a car already there at sixty miles per hour, causing that car to go sliding across the entire intersection, spinning out of control causing cars to thrash into other simple bystanders, which all in the end, knocked House off his bike, with helmet off, no less than twenty feet where he was before, with his cane, no less than a foot away from him.]
__________________________________________