"I don't know why I'm here." House said as he propped his leg on the pillow and lay across the plush leather sofa.
"What could be some reasons, Dr. House?"
"Uhh, is this what the whole hour is gonna be like? Me saying a statement and you basically flipping it into a question?"
Dr. Auden took off his glasses and rubbed between his eyes.
"For a man who spends much of his time asking questions you seem have a problem with answering other's questions of you." Dr. Auden stated.
"I ask questions to save lives. You ask questions to break people down into simple little boxes, and if they don't fit those boxes then they're emotionally damaged. Blah, blah, blah."
"So, you're completely healthy inside and out? I've never met such a perfect specimen of humanity do you mind if I take a few pictures?" Dr. Auden asked with a grin.
House couldn't help but to grin back.
"The leg is the first cue of my imperfection. The cane only helps to magnify it." House said as he pulled out his bottle of Vicodin and dry swallowed three pills.
"But the leg is only part of how you see yourself. I'm guessing the damage goes deeper than your chronic physical pain."
House turned his gaze out the window.
"Don't underestimate how painful pain can be."
"Let me clarify, Dr. House. You're here because something else has been irritating you. See, if it was merely your leg then you would have been in my office fifteen years ago to deal with that. The leg pain has only been a catalyst for all the emotional stressors of your life. The feelings aren't tangible. The leg pain is so that's what you use to define yourself."
House turned his gaze back to Dr. Auden.
"Lately, the pain in my leg has been worse. My life has been better these last few months but alot of things have been..."
"Different?"
"Everyone is moving on in ways that I have never been able to. It's hard to feel happiness for them. I've never been one for happiness. It's such a fleeting emotion I'd rather not get invested."
"So, instead you feel contempt?"
"More like I want to make them feel ashamed of their good fortune. I want them to feel like their living on borrowed time..."
"An interesting phrase to use, Dr. House."
House rubs his leg gently.
"Why is that?"
"Because we're all living on borrowed time. There is no way to know when our last breath will come."
"Believe me I understand how fragile life is."
"Of course you do. You have saved lives that others have all but given up on."
House shifted his head back against the sofa.
"Reading up on me?"
"It's always a good idea to do a little research." Dr. Auden said as he opened his notepad and scrawled something down.
"Well, I'm not always a success at saving those lives."
"You have a very high percentage of saved patients."
"Sometimes the percentage left over is larger." House stated as he twidled his thumbs.
"No. It's smaller, Dr. House."
House smiled at the exchange it reminded him of a similar one he had years ago with Cuddy about Emma Stone and her baby.
"Why the smile, Dr. House?"
"I was smiling?"
"Yes."
"Thinking of my friend and her blind optimism."
"Why do you call it blind?"
"Because as a doctor she would be better if she kept her heart in her chest and not on her sleeve."
"What's her name?"
"Cuddy...Lisa Cuddy...She's my boss at Princeton Plainsboro."
"So, she is your superior."
"In job title only." House snickered.
"And otherwise? How do you classify her?"
House started to lean down to pick up his cup of coffee.
"She's alot of things, a pain in the ass, too motherly for her own good, too sexy to be Dean of Medicine but people respect her nonetheless. She's neurotic, guilt-ridden, sympathetic, surprising, smart, funny, and..."
House trailed off and looked up to find Dr. Auden staring intently at him.
"She's alot of things." House finished saying.
"It definitely seems that way."
"I've known her since I was in medical school and she was an undergrad."
"Tell me about that time."
"She was really only a kid, 19 years old, and very eager to learn. I was 25 and in my second year at med school. She was dating a friend mine. He was her T.A."
"So, you two became friends through him?"
"No. We weren't exactly friends. She couldn't stand me and I couldn't stand her. But I liked that she fought with me on everything especially medicine. She always had balls as well as amazing breasts."
"What mattered more? The balls or breasts?"
House chuckled at Dr. Auden brazen question.
"I'd say it was about a tie."
"So, she was a challenge to you and your philosophy of life."
"And I was hers."
"You light up talking about her." Dr. Auden stated as he wrote down a note.
"I do not."
"Yes. It's very noticeable. The way you talk of her now and the way she was then, creates a noticeable glow in your face. You smile alot when talking of her."
"It's more of a smirk than a smile."
"The point is your body language went from slouched and withdrawn to sitting upright and engaged within a few short minutes."
House scratched his head.
"It's not like she revitalizes me."
"Interesting word choice."
"Why? Can't I use a word without there being a hidden meaning?"
"Yes and no. But we'll get to that next time. Our hour is up. I am free next Wednesday at 2 and Thursday at 4. Which day time would work better for you?"
"An hour is up already? That went surprisingly fast...Why do you automatically assume I'll be seeing you again? Maybe I'm all talked out." House said as he eased his leg off the sofa.
"Because you're a man who loves to solve mysteries and the biggest mystery is that of Gregory House, himself." Dr. Auden said as he closed his notebook and stood up.
House rolled his eyes and grabbed his cane.
"Thursday will be fine." House said as he limped out the door.
"See you then." Dr. Auden said with a knowing grin.
"What could be some reasons, Dr. House?"
"Uhh, is this what the whole hour is gonna be like? Me saying a statement and you basically flipping it into a question?"
Dr. Auden took off his glasses and rubbed between his eyes.
"For a man who spends much of his time asking questions you seem have a problem with answering other's questions of you." Dr. Auden stated.
"I ask questions to save lives. You ask questions to break people down into simple little boxes, and if they don't fit those boxes then they're emotionally damaged. Blah, blah, blah."
"So, you're completely healthy inside and out? I've never met such a perfect specimen of humanity do you mind if I take a few pictures?" Dr. Auden asked with a grin.
House couldn't help but to grin back.
"The leg is the first cue of my imperfection. The cane only helps to magnify it." House said as he pulled out his bottle of Vicodin and dry swallowed three pills.
"But the leg is only part of how you see yourself. I'm guessing the damage goes deeper than your chronic physical pain."
House turned his gaze out the window.
"Don't underestimate how painful pain can be."
"Let me clarify, Dr. House. You're here because something else has been irritating you. See, if it was merely your leg then you would have been in my office fifteen years ago to deal with that. The leg pain has only been a catalyst for all the emotional stressors of your life. The feelings aren't tangible. The leg pain is so that's what you use to define yourself."
House turned his gaze back to Dr. Auden.
"Lately, the pain in my leg has been worse. My life has been better these last few months but alot of things have been..."
"Different?"
"Everyone is moving on in ways that I have never been able to. It's hard to feel happiness for them. I've never been one for happiness. It's such a fleeting emotion I'd rather not get invested."
"So, instead you feel contempt?"
"More like I want to make them feel ashamed of their good fortune. I want them to feel like their living on borrowed time..."
"An interesting phrase to use, Dr. House."
House rubs his leg gently.
"Why is that?"
"Because we're all living on borrowed time. There is no way to know when our last breath will come."
"Believe me I understand how fragile life is."
"Of course you do. You have saved lives that others have all but given up on."
House shifted his head back against the sofa.
"Reading up on me?"
"It's always a good idea to do a little research." Dr. Auden said as he opened his notepad and scrawled something down.
"Well, I'm not always a success at saving those lives."
"You have a very high percentage of saved patients."
"Sometimes the percentage left over is larger." House stated as he twidled his thumbs.
"No. It's smaller, Dr. House."
House smiled at the exchange it reminded him of a similar one he had years ago with Cuddy about Emma Stone and her baby.
"Why the smile, Dr. House?"
"I was smiling?"
"Yes."
"Thinking of my friend and her blind optimism."
"Why do you call it blind?"
"Because as a doctor she would be better if she kept her heart in her chest and not on her sleeve."
"What's her name?"
"Cuddy...Lisa Cuddy...She's my boss at Princeton Plainsboro."
"So, she is your superior."
"In job title only." House snickered.
"And otherwise? How do you classify her?"
House started to lean down to pick up his cup of coffee.
"She's alot of things, a pain in the ass, too motherly for her own good, too sexy to be Dean of Medicine but people respect her nonetheless. She's neurotic, guilt-ridden, sympathetic, surprising, smart, funny, and..."
House trailed off and looked up to find Dr. Auden staring intently at him.
"She's alot of things." House finished saying.
"It definitely seems that way."
"I've known her since I was in medical school and she was an undergrad."
"Tell me about that time."
"She was really only a kid, 19 years old, and very eager to learn. I was 25 and in my second year at med school. She was dating a friend mine. He was her T.A."
"So, you two became friends through him?"
"No. We weren't exactly friends. She couldn't stand me and I couldn't stand her. But I liked that she fought with me on everything especially medicine. She always had balls as well as amazing breasts."
"What mattered more? The balls or breasts?"
House chuckled at Dr. Auden brazen question.
"I'd say it was about a tie."
"So, she was a challenge to you and your philosophy of life."
"And I was hers."
"You light up talking about her." Dr. Auden stated as he wrote down a note.
"I do not."
"Yes. It's very noticeable. The way you talk of her now and the way she was then, creates a noticeable glow in your face. You smile alot when talking of her."
"It's more of a smirk than a smile."
"The point is your body language went from slouched and withdrawn to sitting upright and engaged within a few short minutes."
House scratched his head.
"It's not like she revitalizes me."
"Interesting word choice."
"Why? Can't I use a word without there being a hidden meaning?"
"Yes and no. But we'll get to that next time. Our hour is up. I am free next Wednesday at 2 and Thursday at 4. Which day time would work better for you?"
"An hour is up already? That went surprisingly fast...Why do you automatically assume I'll be seeing you again? Maybe I'm all talked out." House said as he eased his leg off the sofa.
"Because you're a man who loves to solve mysteries and the biggest mystery is that of Gregory House, himself." Dr. Auden said as he closed his notebook and stood up.
House rolled his eyes and grabbed his cane.
"Thursday will be fine." House said as he limped out the door.
"See you then." Dr. Auden said with a knowing grin.