CHAPTER 2
The team didn’t know what to do, no one wanted to follow him, nobody knew what to say and they really didn’t have a case, so they let him be.
***
House didn’t want to risk running into anybody else, but he was hungry, he had left without breakfast this morning and the hunger pains on top of his leg was just too much. So despite his better judgment he headed to the cafeteria, he thought briefly about gluing the sunglasses to his head, but that wouldn’t work. He was going to have to do something about this sooner or later, more likely sooner. And there he was again, ‘should I sit with him? Might as well if I try to avoid it he’ll just find a way to make me’ he headed over to the table to sit next to Wilson.
“Hey there, you usually don’t end up bothering while I’m eating till lunch”
“I was in a rush this morning”
“Oh well that’s fine with me, anyway, got a case today?”
“No”
“I thought so, since the team was just sitting around in the office”
(House sits silent)
“It was funny they weren’t actually doing anything, they were just staring around at each other”
“They have a right to do that”
“House is everything okay? I heard you screaming at them earlier”
“They’re idiots; sometimes they just need to be screamed at”
“Really”
They sit in silence for quite awhile.
“You really should take off those sunglasses they make you look, weird” Wilson stated as he gave House one of his looks
“But mommmmm!” House whined
The situation was getting uncomfortable, he was about to figure it out, House could see it on his face, he couldn’t let that happen. He started to get up to walk away but when he turned around there was Cuddy standing behind him, she had heard most of the conversation from an adjoining table
“Yes House please take off the sunglasses especially if your gonna go do the clinic hours you owe me”
Before he could protest Cuddy reached up and snatched the glasses off his face ‘dang I knew I should’ve glued them!’ Cuddy just stood there mouth gaping open, Wilson got up to see what could possibly still surprise Cuddy about House after all these years, the sight was too much, he immediately looked away.
“House” Cuddy said in almost a whisper “I’m so sorry”
She handed him his sunglasses, they were all doctors here, and they all knew what it meant
“Why wouldn’t you tell me?!” Wilson said in a sorrowful hiss
“I just saw it this morning, it must’ve happened in the night”
“Are you still taking your Vicodin?” Cuddy couldn’t help but ask, she had to know he wasn’t that stupid
“Not since I saw it and let me tell you my leg is really punishing me for that one” House sits back down rubbing his leg
“So, the team, they already know?”
“Yeah, Kutner knocked em’ off and then Foreman had the guts to state the obvious”
“We shouldn’t be having this conversation in public, come to my office”
Without another word House and Wilson followed Cuddy to her office. He had tried to avoid this, but now it had happened they knew and he would just let them say what they needed to, listen to them get it all out. He hoped it wouldn’t get too sappy, I mean sure he could die but he had let them see it soon enough. And besides he couldn’t have handled it himself anyway with Cuddy being the dean of medicine and Wilson spying on him all the time. They got to the office, Cuddy sat down at her desk, House plopped himself into the couch and put his leg up, Wilson just stood in the doorway.
“House what are we going to do about this?” Wilson asked sincerely
Cuddy was getting a penlight out of her desk; she walked over to House and shined it in his eyes
“You’re severely jaundiced, you need to be admitted”
“That bad?”
Cuddy nodded, she obviously felt for him, she knew this could happen but every time she asked him he said he had it under control. One time he even got so frustrated with her he told her every little thing that he did to make sure this never happened. After that she hadn’t worried as much, but looking into his eyes a few minutes ago had chilled her to the bone, especially because he was claiming that much had happened over night.
“I’ll leave you two alone, I have things to do” with that Wilson walked out
They sat on the couch in silence, House was in huge amounts of pain, he had usually taken 4 of his pills by this time and he had only taken one. And wasn’t ready to take another and make things worse. House almost didn’t want to be admitted, it would mean lying in a hospital bed, forbidden to get up, he hated that. But he was going to let Cuddy do it for two reasons, one he know he needed tests to see just how bad it was already and two from the look in Cuddy’s eye he could tell she would have pity on him and give him morphine as soon as she was sure he wasn’t gonna try to get up.
“I’m gonna go fill out the paper work and get you a room, okay?”
“Fine with me boss, I’m gonna go rest in my office till that’s ready”
“I can send the team elsewhere if you want to be alone”
“Nah might as well talk to them, better now than later”
And he got up to head back to his office.
The team didn’t know what to do, no one wanted to follow him, nobody knew what to say and they really didn’t have a case, so they let him be.
***
House didn’t want to risk running into anybody else, but he was hungry, he had left without breakfast this morning and the hunger pains on top of his leg was just too much. So despite his better judgment he headed to the cafeteria, he thought briefly about gluing the sunglasses to his head, but that wouldn’t work. He was going to have to do something about this sooner or later, more likely sooner. And there he was again, ‘should I sit with him? Might as well if I try to avoid it he’ll just find a way to make me’ he headed over to the table to sit next to Wilson.
“Hey there, you usually don’t end up bothering while I’m eating till lunch”
“I was in a rush this morning”
“Oh well that’s fine with me, anyway, got a case today?”
“No”
“I thought so, since the team was just sitting around in the office”
(House sits silent)
“It was funny they weren’t actually doing anything, they were just staring around at each other”
“They have a right to do that”
“House is everything okay? I heard you screaming at them earlier”
“They’re idiots; sometimes they just need to be screamed at”
“Really”
They sit in silence for quite awhile.
“You really should take off those sunglasses they make you look, weird” Wilson stated as he gave House one of his looks
“But mommmmm!” House whined
The situation was getting uncomfortable, he was about to figure it out, House could see it on his face, he couldn’t let that happen. He started to get up to walk away but when he turned around there was Cuddy standing behind him, she had heard most of the conversation from an adjoining table
“Yes House please take off the sunglasses especially if your gonna go do the clinic hours you owe me”
Before he could protest Cuddy reached up and snatched the glasses off his face ‘dang I knew I should’ve glued them!’ Cuddy just stood there mouth gaping open, Wilson got up to see what could possibly still surprise Cuddy about House after all these years, the sight was too much, he immediately looked away.
“House” Cuddy said in almost a whisper “I’m so sorry”
She handed him his sunglasses, they were all doctors here, and they all knew what it meant
“Why wouldn’t you tell me?!” Wilson said in a sorrowful hiss
“I just saw it this morning, it must’ve happened in the night”
“Are you still taking your Vicodin?” Cuddy couldn’t help but ask, she had to know he wasn’t that stupid
“Not since I saw it and let me tell you my leg is really punishing me for that one” House sits back down rubbing his leg
“So, the team, they already know?”
“Yeah, Kutner knocked em’ off and then Foreman had the guts to state the obvious”
“We shouldn’t be having this conversation in public, come to my office”
Without another word House and Wilson followed Cuddy to her office. He had tried to avoid this, but now it had happened they knew and he would just let them say what they needed to, listen to them get it all out. He hoped it wouldn’t get too sappy, I mean sure he could die but he had let them see it soon enough. And besides he couldn’t have handled it himself anyway with Cuddy being the dean of medicine and Wilson spying on him all the time. They got to the office, Cuddy sat down at her desk, House plopped himself into the couch and put his leg up, Wilson just stood in the doorway.
“House what are we going to do about this?” Wilson asked sincerely
Cuddy was getting a penlight out of her desk; she walked over to House and shined it in his eyes
“You’re severely jaundiced, you need to be admitted”
“That bad?”
Cuddy nodded, she obviously felt for him, she knew this could happen but every time she asked him he said he had it under control. One time he even got so frustrated with her he told her every little thing that he did to make sure this never happened. After that she hadn’t worried as much, but looking into his eyes a few minutes ago had chilled her to the bone, especially because he was claiming that much had happened over night.
“I’ll leave you two alone, I have things to do” with that Wilson walked out
They sat on the couch in silence, House was in huge amounts of pain, he had usually taken 4 of his pills by this time and he had only taken one. And wasn’t ready to take another and make things worse. House almost didn’t want to be admitted, it would mean lying in a hospital bed, forbidden to get up, he hated that. But he was going to let Cuddy do it for two reasons, one he know he needed tests to see just how bad it was already and two from the look in Cuddy’s eye he could tell she would have pity on him and give him morphine as soon as she was sure he wasn’t gonna try to get up.
“I’m gonna go fill out the paper work and get you a room, okay?”
“Fine with me boss, I’m gonna go rest in my office till that’s ready”
“I can send the team elsewhere if you want to be alone”
“Nah might as well talk to them, better now than later”
And he got up to head back to his office.
