Chapter: Oneshot.
Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D. or the characters. They belong to Fox and David Shore.
"What are you doing here?"
"I don't honestly know."
"How did you get here?"
"House, I don't know."
"You have to leave!"
"I don't know how!"
He sat, then, on the hospital bed. She remained standing in the white expanse, floating there. Like him. And the bed.
His hand skimmed down his right thigh to the hem of his hospital gown. He slid his hand under the fabric, feeling the rough and concave surface of his skin.
"Doesn't hurt here. Nothing hurts here."
"You're right."
She approached the bed, her stocking clad feet padding along the way despite the fact that her feet weren't touching any kind of floor. She sat next to him on the bed.
"I thought you didn't believe in heaven."
"I don't."
He stood from the bed and walked away from her, fully upright, without a limp. She merely watched. He stopped once he felt he was a far enough distance away.
"You need to go."
He kept his back to her. She let out a quiet sigh, her eyes narrowing sadly on his backside.
"Not yet."
"You shouldn't be here," he spat as he turned to face her. "This place wasn't meant for you."
She stood from the bed and quickly crossed to him.
"This is my goodbye to you! Why are you so quick to dismiss it?"
"Your goodbye," he sneered. "Lisa Cuddy's goodbye. This is about you."
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't."
Her hand reached up and found itself on his stubbled cheek. His eyes lowered, staring down at her, but not really seeing.
"Hey," she said quietly.
He lifted his eyes to meet hers.
"You need to go," he told her, just as quiet. "It'll go dark soon. I don't believe in heaven, remember?"
She nodded and removed her hand from his face. She took a step back, but he grabbed her at the wrists, stopping her.
"Close your eyes."
She did so.
He let her arms drop and leaned in close to her. He placed one kiss on her left eyelid, then placed one on her right. He took a step back from her.
"Goodbye, Cuddy."
-
Gregory House died two hours, six minutes, and forty two seconds ago.
Lisa Cuddy awoke in the dark, alone in her bed.
The night flashed through her mind—endless coffee, bare feet, House groaning, hand holding, mindless talking, him flat lining.
Drawing in a breath and holding back tears, Cuddy relaxed back down under her covers. She looked up at the ceiling before closing her eyes. She brought her hands up and gently placed her fingertips on her eyelids.
She let her fingers linger there for a few moments before she removed them. Cuddy turned over onto her side and attempted to fall back to sleep.