The Genius Has to Go

"But..", she tried to argue again. She was sitting in front of the twelve severe doctors like it was a jury that had just sentenced her to eternal misery.
"Our decision is final, Dr Cuddy", said the Head of the Board.
"But, I could...", nobody seemed to listen to her. She felt desperate.
"Dr Cuddy, we can vote about your discharge too, if you want us to", he said without any feelings in his voice. "We were patient for ages, but he does not even try to tolerate any rules, not even you. That was his final deed of a mistake. He has a one month grace period starting today. And now, if you excuse me..." He stood up and walked out.
All the Board members left the room one by one, some of them watched her with a kind of pity as she stayed there. She stared at her papers knowing that everything is over. She wasn't prepared for this. When two days ago, after that accident with the MRI machine, the Board decided to have a sudden meeting, she knew it will be about his deeds. She knew that Walker hated Hose an wanted to 'get rid of him' from the first second after he was elected as the Head of the Board. He also argued against House last year when he got back his licence after the rehabilitation in Mayfield. But she thought she can assure the members, well, at least some of them, that the hospital needed his work. She made lists of his successes with patients, even tried to get some recommendations from some of the influential people he treated, but nothing was good enough in comparison with the substantial losses he made all the time. Walker had all the aces in his hands and she seemed to get the worst cards ever. "Dammit. What they are thinking!? He is the best doctor of this hospital.", she cried out. She knew that two broken MRI machines and a nearly dead patient in a week was a good reason for his discharge, but still, he was House. He always destroyed the hospital's property. She had many argues about these things with him, all of them ended with her cry-out of "You are fired", but none of them actually resulted his discharge. In most of the cases he was right in his decisions. He cured most of his patients even if any other doctors failed to diagnose them. He really was the best doctor at PPTH. But now, he also was the one who had to leave the hospital in four weeks time. "What will I do now?", she sighed.
At that moment the door of the conference room opened and James Wilson, Head of Oncology entered.
"What's the matter? What is it that you should do something about?", he asked. She opened her mouth, but no voice could come out of it, so she closed it again, and her eyes too.
"Is it about Hose again?", he asked, though he knew the answer from her look. She remained silent. He gave her a second and tried to start the conversation again. "Um. Your assistant told me you are at a Board meeting, when I was looking for you at your office. I waited for you outside, but when all the members came out and you didn't, I thought that something must be wrong. What did he do this time?"
"He is fired", she said. "They said they had enough of his demolition and all the mess he makes. They think that the hospital wins more with his discharge than it loses by it." She nearly cried. "I tried everything I could. Nothing can convince Walker. He decided to fire House this time and as the Head of the Board he could make nearly all members to vote against him."
"When?", he asked.
"A month from now." He can not say anything for a moment. She stood up with a sigh and said "I have to tell him."
"Sorry. If I can help in anything..." She stopped for a moment.
"Thank you, Wilson", she said not even looking at Wilson, then she walked through the door slowly. But not even her slow steps could lengthen much the time she had before reaching her office. She flopped down her chair, took a deep breath and reached for the receiver.

Gregory House sat in his office playing with his huge tennis ball when a message popped up at his screen. It said he got a new e-mail. Normally, it was Cameron who would answer his mails, but since she left half a year ago, House had to read this e-mails himself. He missed the girl especially for that. He opened the message and stared at the sender field. After he sent Stacy back to her husband, Mark Warner, nearly four years ago, he hadn't got any message, mail, text or call from the lawyer. He thought she realised that Mark is the one for her and she finally became happy with him. He had to believe it. He send her away though he loved her, because he knew he would mess it up sooner or later and he was not ready for another disappointment. It was hard to live without her for a while, but after some time he got used to it. And after some certain events started two years ago, he realised that there is someone who he can love even more than Stacy. Of course he didn't really tell this anyone. Not even himself. Putting those feelings into words would make them reality and, as she was with another man for some more than a year now, it would have meant disappointment for him again. After the first shock about the sender he read the e-mail. Than he re-read it twice to be sure what is said.

Dear Greg,
after these years without you I realised how miserable my life and marriage was. I lied to myself and Mark for a long time, but finally we agreed to finish this comedy of a marriage. We divorced last week and I moved to New York where I opened a new lawyer office with one of my earlier schoolmate. I temporarily lived with her but now I managed to buy an apartment on my own.
I know, that you may be angry with me, but I want you to know that I really miss you. Always missed you. I'd be pleased if you came to New York and meet me. Maybe we could talk our things over and at least become friends again.
You can come any time. I will always waiting for you.
Love,
Stacy.

After reading the mail four times in row he was sitting there still staring at the monitor, when his phone began to rang. It took him a while to realise what have just happened. He picked up the phone "Yes."
"House, I need you in my office right now", she sounded weird - maybe a bit sad - he thought.
"It wasn't me" he started not even knowing what he is talking about.
"Just come down now", she said and hung up the receiver.
House looked at the screen again, closed the e-mail and stood up. 'What does she want from me now?' he thought while walking toward the elevator. He didn't recognised that his only friend was watching him from his office. Wilson sighed and looked back at the file he was reading.

He entered her office without knocking as always. He was a bit confused by Stacy's mail and he didn't recognise that something is wrong with Cuddy, so he started the conversation being as jerk as he is always.
"So, Cuddles, what can I do for you? Maybe the twins are feeling lonely" he said with a grin on his face. "Of course it is not likely to be lonely while being not alone, but I can tell you, they must be missing some hands to play with. Maybe Lucas is not giving them that much attention they needed."
"House", she stopped him talking. "You are fired." She sounded miserable.
He didn't even listened to the rest. 'This is another try to make him do more clinic hours', he thought.
"I won't." he said making her become confused. "There is no chance to spend more time with those idiot teenagers who don't even have the clue to buy condom before they go to a date. But, as we are here to talk", he continued, "I'm bored, Cuddles. Can you give me a case of some poor dying guy that only my genius mind can solve? Or maybe you yourself and the twins could entertain me a bit." he grinned again.
She stood up and walked to him. She just looked into his blue eyes enjoying the deepness she found there before talking. He looked down to her and now realised the sadness in the pair of grey eyes. He even saw a teardrop.
"What's wrong, Cuddy?", he became nervous.
"It's true, House. You aer fired." she said wanting to hold her tears without any success. "The Board..." she didn't need to finish. He saw everything in her eyes. That he went too far, that she tried everything what was possible, maybe some impossible things too to save his job. And all the pain she felt because of the loss. Her loss. He loved Lisa Cuddy. At that very moment all those feeling came to surface with such intensity he could not resist. He didn't want to see those eyes so sad. He lifted his hand and removed the tear off her face with his finger. He couldn't say a word. They were just staring at each other for some minutes when he said "I..." but he was not able to finish. He found himself staring at her lips. So many feelings, so many desires and sadness were in her eyes that he couldn't look back into them. He knew how many mess he made, how many sadness he caused to her and yet she had that sparkling in her eyes when she looked at him, even when like now she was in pain. He felt all her breaths in the air, smelled her perfume and suddenly wanted to hold her tight. Wanted to apologise for everything he caused. To tell her how he feels for her. But the words betrayed him. And at that very moment, his love decided to act on his own, and without real consciousness he started to lessen the distance in between their lips. Right at the moment of the kiss Cuddy closed her eyes letting all her tears come out.
After a moment or two, or maybe an eternity, neither of them could tell, their lips parted. House looked into the sad grey eyes one more time and said "I'm sorry." Not waiting for an answer he turned around and walked out of her office.