Title: "News Reports"
Author: Aquarius Seth
Speculative Fiction: "House, MD"
Creator: David Shore
Owners: Shore, Fox Networks, Heel-Toe Productions, Some Bad Hat Harry Productions and syndication rights belong to USA Networks.
Disclaimers: If I owned these characters I would not be using a handle now would I? I'm not making any money off of this. I'm just retaining my sanity and trying to write a decent story. I hope that's enough.
Rating: M for AC, AL, AS
A/N: Warning this spec switches points of view around page three. Why? Because sticking to House's POV would have created a melodrama far worse than what I have already produced. It would have be daytime soap opera worthy. (Shuddering in fear.)
Word Count: 4,449
(House, Cuddy)
James was away in some stupid conference in Seattle. Normally he was not bothered by Wilson's conferences but this one felt wrong. He had a harder time than usual to go to sleep and he kept staring at the clock. Wilson should have touched down in Chicago by now.
Before Wilson left Princeton today, he swung by to let him know what airline he was on and that he would call him once he hit Chicago. Then Wilson thought about it and changed his mind. Wilson figured it would be too late.
Annoyed with the odd politeness, he told Wilson to call him once he hit Chicago and the second he hit Seattle. Wilson nodded and said goodbye. The floor nurse came in to let Wilson know that his cab was there.
Normally, he would have gone with Wilson to the airport but he had a patient at the moment. Foreman told him to go he would cover the patient but that uneasiness plagued him. House figured it was his emotional reaction to the patient, miniscule as it might be. He had no problems with Wilson flying out. It is not like Wilson had never flown out to a seminar before but something just felt wrong.
Frustrated he flipped though the channels again. Leno was off and O'Brien was on, he groaned and flipped to the sports channels. Golf updates, who the hell would be up at almost one in the morning, watching golf updates? He flipped the channel and there was a breaking new headline on CNN.
Just slightly curious he stayed to figure out what was the breaking news. The last one was the on going divorce proceedings between Spears and Federline. Who knows this one might tell him they are having another terror?
Anderson Cooper popped up on the screen to announce that an airplane has gone down outside of Boise, Idaho. Of course with the networks big rush to be the first with the stories, there was no useful information
All Cooper could say was that CNN was waiting for the FAA to release information. In other words, there was nothing to report besides the fact that a plane had crashed. House looked back at the clock; it was one in the morning. Why had Wilson not called him yet?
He looked back at the television and wondered briefly if Wilson's flight was delayed somewhere. Yes. Wilson's flight was probably rerouted to avoid anymore chaos over the area. Wilson was probably just waiting somewhere. He was all right.
He turned off the television, picked up his cell phone, pager and cordless before he went to bed. Wilson will call him.
Banging. Something was banging nearby. He groaned and turned over.
"House? House are you in?" It sounded like Foreman. What the hell was Foreman doing here? He managed to get out of bed and slowly limp towards the door.
"What?" He asked as he opened the door. He was startled to see Chase and Cuddy in tow. Slightly embarrassed that he was only in his boxers and a tee shirt, he turned away and walked back further into the apartment.
"Did you just wake up?" Chase asked as they came inside.
"Obviously. What's wrong with the patient that all three of you had to show up?" He asked as he stepped into his bedroom and partly closed the door behind him.
"You didn't, by chance happen to watch the news last night?" Cuddy asked as Foreman walked into the room. House looked at Foreman, then Chase and finally Cuddy. She had tears in her eyes.
"Wilson fell asleep and he hasn't called me. He told me he'd call from Chicago. Maybe he overslept and decided to call me from Seattle. Wilson's fine, he's absolutely fine. Once he calls me, I'll tear into him for not calling me sooner." He rushed out as he remembered the unnamed airplane accident last night.
"House, reports say it was American Airlines flight 287 out of Jersey on it's way to Seattle." Foreman told him as Cuddy clinched her midsection.
"No Wilson was on…." American Airlines, his mind supplied but unwilling to accept it, he said, "Continental."
"House." Cuddy whispered, and suddenly pain shot up his leg and his knee buckled. Foreman caught him and helped him sit down on the bed.
"Wilson was on Continental, he told me so. Besides you guys shouldn't believe anything reporters say until it's confirmed by an outside source. I'm going to call Wilson right now." House reached for his cell but Foreman stopped him.
"He won't be able to answer his phone House. He's, he's still possibly in flight." Foreman supplied. Willing to accept it House nodded and laid down. Foreman and Chase left as Cuddy stepped inside to help House with his tee shirt.
--
A few minutes later she came out with his vicodin.
"Shouldn't one of us stay?" Chase asked as Foreman went to go look for anymore medications.
"It won't be pretty. He's in denial right now, I don't know how fast he'll fly into rage when it finally hits him." Cuddy whispered as Foreman came out with a bag.
"God, this is a mess." Chase whispered as he began collecting the various sharp objects in the apartment.
"Cuddy maybe we should take him to Princeton. If we leave him alone, he could end up hurting himself. House will find a way." Foreman suggested and then looked back at the silent bedroom.
"Oh sure, give him greater access to more lethal medication which he could mix to kill him instantly if he got it in his head to end it." Chase supplied.
"So which one of us stays?" They all looked at each other and in the end Cuddy walked towards the door. She opened the door and waited for them to leave.
"Are you sure?" Chase asked.
"I know how to deal with him in bad moods. Just go on, none of you need to see what's going to fly here soon enough."
"Page us if you need help. If it gets really bad call the cops." Chase offered as he glanced at the bedroom door again.
"It won't and I will." The guys uneasily eased out of the door and Chased winced when Cuddy closed the door behind them. When they got to the car Foreman offered the only explanation he could come up with.
"They were dating at one point right?" They got into the car and went to work.
Hours later House came out of his bedroom to find Cuddy washing the dishes in his sink. He frowned at her and went to the restroom. When he returned Cuddy was rinsing off the last of the silverware.
"Why are you here? Are you all afraid I'd go running into oncoming traffic? You shouldn't have worried, I can't run remember?"
"Quit being an ass House. Are you hungry?"
"Shut up and get the hell out of here!"
"You really do need to quit being a jerk, my fridge isn't growing mold."
"Science fair projects."
"Obviously."
"When are you going to leave?"
"When I feel like it." She didn't flinch as he slammed his palm down on the counter space before he went to go turn on the television. House cranked up the volume on the stereo, which he had hooked up to the television. Seconds later she heard the moans and groans of people having sex-she sighed and put the dishes away.
She dried off her hands and went to go sit with him on the sofa. She was grateful that he wasn't masturbating, he was just trying to get her to leave. He had his legs propped up on the opposite arm rest but he moved them when she reached him. She sat down and waited.
"Since when do you enjoy watching porn?" House demanded.
"Wrong woman, I've never had a problem with porn remember?" He mumbled something under his breath but continued to watch the movie. After another segment, she slid closer to him and put her arm around him. She felt his body tremble and she knew it wasn't from the movie. He was losing control of his death grip on his emotions. She said nothing as she waited.
After he didn't make another move, she decided to help him save some scraps of his dignity by gently easing his face into the nook of her neck. He didn't protest much but it did surprise her when he went limp in her hands. With his warm breath on her skin and his trembling arms wrapped around her shoulders, she tried not to gasp when she felt a hot tear drop onto the dip of her collarbone and neck. She closed her eyes as the tear continued to travel down her left breast and tried not to squirm when it pooled briefly at her nipple. Her bra absorbed the liquid as House tightened his hold on her.
"I never told him." He confessed. She didn't need him to explain what he meant, she knew.
"I can guarantee that he knew." She immediately reassured him.
"But I never told him."
"You never had to."
"I needed to tell him and now I'll never have that chance. Why do these things happen to me Lisa? What have I done to deserve this?" The painful honesty and wonder in his questions made her wince inwardly.
"You haven't done anything Greg, it's just…life I guess."
"No. It's that cosmic joker that's trying to drive me to suicide. I can take any crap He throws at me but why go after James?" She sighed and tried to come up with the impossible answer.
When none came to her she was surprised by House's next comment.
"I guess I have to get a hold of Alex."
"Who's Alex?" She asked confused.
"James's brother. I have his number somewhere. God, I don't want to call him. I don't want to have to tell him that his younger brother is dead. The poor guy has had to deal with the disappearance of one brother and now this? God, I'd give the poor guy tranquilizers without a moment of hesitation."
"Maybe we should wait until…." She began but House cut her off.
"I think it'll be worse knowing that someone knew and didn't tell me."
"But House, we don't know if he got on the plane."
"Lisa." House's exasperated voice made her scramble for something to say.
"Look give me his number, I'll call him and let him know that his brother's missing." Wrong word, House began to laugh bitterly at her.
"Oh sure, he'd freak out on you so fast you won't be able to calm him down."
"House." She pleaded.
"I'll call him Lisa." She winced at the determination in House's voice. She did not try to hold him in place as he pulled out of her arms and got up. She watched as he went to his bookshelf and pulled out a thin notebook. House's opened the book to the second page.
House picked up his land phone and she shut off the movie and the stereo. She was awe struck at how he managed to keep his hands still as he dialed. House didn't look at her he was staring off into some far away space on the front door.
"Yes, I need to be connected to London please. Wilson, Alexander Wilson, yes I'll accept the charges." She saw House's lips continue to move but could not understand a single word he said. According to the clock behind House there was a three-minute delay before he spoke again. "Yes, thank you." There was a longer pause. So long she thought that something had gone wrong.
"What's wrong?"
"It's dialing. I'm waiting for someone to pick up."
"House, please I'll talk to him."
"I don't need you to…yes hello? Is this Susan? Hi Susan it's House, Gregory House, James's friend." A slight pause. "Yes it's been awhile, Susan is Alex there?" Again he paused for a moment. "I'll wait."
"House?"
"He's outside, she's getting him the phone. She's worried."
"Why?"
"I rarely call them. The last time I called them was to consult them over an illness Katie got."
"Katie?"
"Wilson's niece."
"Oh God."
"Now you know why God and I are at a bitter stalemate Lisa?" He lashed out unexpectedly. Before she could fully fight off the initial pain of his outburst, he sat down on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. If it was to calm him down, it didn't work. His hands were still shaking. "Hi Alex. I don't know how to tell you this…Jesus, I can't." Cuddy watched horrified when the tears flowed freely from House's eyes and he dropped his head to his bent knees. "He was on his way to Seattle for some dip shit conference. The news reports say that…. He hasn't called me Alex. He hasn't called me!" House shouted into the phone and continued to sob. "I don't know Alex. I don't know what to do Alex. We've never discussed what he wanted. I would have to get in touch with his ex-wives to find out. No, I haven't called any of them. No I haven't contacted your parents. I knew he would have wanted me to call you first.
"No, it's not official yet but have you heard of people walking away from airplane crashes!" House shouted the last of his response before another wave of spasms shook his body. There was a long pause that followed. "I'm sorry Susan, I'm so sorry." He whispered and that was all she could stand. She walked over to him and took the phone from him.
"Susan? I'm Lisa Cuddy, Wilson's co-worker." She explained before the woman uttered a word.
"Hello Lisa."
"I'm sorry Greg is falling apart at the moment."
"What's going on?" The concern was plastered on top of her words.
"James was on his way to a conference in Seattle. The news reports say that a plane went down and it's out of New Jersey on it's way to Seattle."
"Oh Lord."
"Nothing has been confirmed yet and I can't tell you that Wilson was on the plane."
"Oh Lord please don't do this to him." She heard the woman whisper. "Lisa can I get phone numbers in order to let you know what we're doing over here? I know I have to find plane tickets, our damned passports and let the school and work know."
"Sure." She waited as she could hear stuff being moved around.
"Okay I'm ready love."
"This is House's cell phone number." Cuddy rattled off House's cell, his home, his office, her office, her cell and her home number. "And if all else fails call the damned hospital and demand to get a hold of myself, House, Dr. Cameron, Dr. Foreman or Dr. Chase."
"Okay. Can I call you when I manage to get airplane tickets?"
"Yes, you can call me to ask me if purple is in style if you want." She reassured the woman.
"Thank you."
"Should I track down their folks?" She had to ask.
"Oh, no way. I'll get in touch with that battleaxe myself. I have quite a few things to tell that woman and I won't be denied easily." Lisa was amazed at the fury in the woman's voice.
"If James gets in touch with us you're the first number we're dialing."
"Hum, can't use cell phones in planes love. Tell you what I have a pager. Page me and leave me the number 34."
"Thirty-four?"
"The number of times James called them back when they let him know they were expecting." House supplied. She blinked and stared at House amazed that he would know that but after considering their relationship, it didn't really surprise her.
"Okay."
"I'll call you when we're boarding love." Susan said.
"Sure no problem, call for whatever reason."
"Will do." They hung up and she rushed to the restroom.
After she emptied her stomach in the toilet she rinsed her mouth out with mouthwash and splashed cold water on her face. She dried off her face and flushed the toilet before she walked back out. She was amazed not to see House where he was only a few moments ago.
She heard something being moved in his bedroom. She rushed over and was amazed to see House handing a dusty wooden box.
"House?" She watched as he opened the box.
"In ancient civilizations it was customary for wounded warriors to be given words of praise for their bravery and their contribution to their people. When the wounded warrior was able to, he handed his best friend his weapon and that best friend…."
"House stop."
"Proceeded to kill him with it. Wilson isn't around to shoot me up with enough morphine to kill an elephant is he? Well I guess I'll have to do the next best thing." She watched as he lifted a pistol from the box. "It's a single action army. My dad bought it for me years ago. This was when he was actually able to stay sober enough to be almost grateful to have a child. Almost."
"House give me that thing." It took everything she could to keep herself from shouting at him.
"It has been called the greatest revolver of all time. At least that's what the old man said. In college I looked up the history of this revolver and I was amazed that it was ranked as the best pistol in history. I guess my dad didn't lie to me after all."
"House please? You can't give up hope." She pleaded.
"Hope? You think Jimmy's going to call me up and tell me he made it to Chicago? Give me a break, he's dead, deceased, terminated, muerto and all the other synonyms to the word dead." She took a step into the bedroom but stopped immediately when he pointed the gun at her. "Take another step and I'll take you with me."
The phone rang making her jump but House remained oddly calm.
"I've been living in an odd interlude of the death custom. I've been wounded but I've hung on because Wilson was always able to offer me much needed praise. Praise that no one else could because I didn't love others the way I did him. But now it's time for me to put an end to it." The phone continued to ring. She watched in terrified stillness as his long fingers slowly picked up a single bullet from the case and slowly eased the copper casing into the pistol's chamber.
She heard the answering machine click on and House's bored tone telling the caller to 'go.'
"Please House?" He said nothing as they both watched the chamber guard slide back into place. The hum of the answering machine seemed too loud and then House's cell phone began to ring. She kept her eyes on him as he looked at his phone on the bed. She slowly inched her way into the bedroom and picked up the phone. She didn't bother looking at the caller id terrified he'd pull the trigger if she did. She flipped the phone open and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Cuddy?" Her knees almost gave out from under her as her body forced all of the air out of her lungs in a huge sigh of relief.
"Oh thank God! Here talk to him, I have to call your brother." She felt the tears sting at her eyes as her trembling hand held out the phone to House. He took the phone from her in complete disbelief. She gently eased the pistol from his hand and hurried into the living room to call Alex. She put the gun down on the nearest end table and picked up the phone.
She tried to call using House's house phone but it just irritated her when the automatic voice came on. Giving up she hung up and dialed the number on her cell phone.
"Hello?" It was Susan.
"He's alive Susan. He just called House. He's alive!"
"Oh thank you dear God." Cuddy overheard her give her husband the news. Then she heard the sound of air rushing out. She could only guess he had hugged the breath out of his wife. She wept silently and waited for someone to get on the line.
"Lisa?" A deeper Wilson-like tone filled her ears.
"Alex?"
"I'm guessing Gregory's on the phone with him right now?"
"Yeah. He's probably yelling at him for not calling sooner."
"Is he alright?"
"I'm guessing so, I didn't ask him. I just handed House the phone."
"We've just purchased our tickets. We're on our way over there. I have to yell at him in person." Cuddy smiled.
"We'll let you cut in line then."
"Thank you Lisa."
"You're welcome."
"Tell House I'm calling Jimmy in two minutes."
"Yes sir." She hung up the phone after he did. She walked back into House's bedroom and was amazed to see House sitting on the bed and muttering 'I love you' over and over again. He looked up at her and smiled. He handed her the phone.
"Wilson?"
"Is he alright?"
"Yeah, considering you scared the living hell out of him. I'll have to finish lecturing you later; Alex is going to call you. He's hopping mad at you."
"Alex? Oh shit."
"Yeah oh shit. Just for putting me through all this hell, you're gonna give me three hundred more clinic hours!" She demanded.
"Yeah well I guess I owe you. It wasn't my fault the idiot I told to call House lost his number and I couldn't find the little shit later on. I was elbow deep in traumas."
"Yeah, yeah don't try to weasel your way of it. By the way Alex is flying in so you're in deep, deep shit."
"Oh crap." She heard him sigh. "Thanks for dealing with House Cuddy."
"Oh you owe me big time Mr. I'm-not-going-to-call-people. Call him back after Alex fillets you."
"Will do. I'll talk to you later Cuddy. Say bye to House for me."
"Bye James."
She hung up and watched as House flopped back onto the bed. His body was shaking ever so slightly and she knew it was the relief relaxing his body.
"Are you okay House?" She murmured as she slid onto the bed next to him.
"Yeah. He got bumped onto another flight when the plane filled up. He was on Delta on his way to Chicago, they obviously got redirected and he let the pilots know he was a doctor. They dropped him and a RN off close to the sight and radioed EMS. The EMS people picked them up and they helped out. That would be Wilson." She cuddled up next to him and let her head come to rest across his chest. His arms came around her as his chest moved her up and down with each breath he took and released. "Thanks Cuddy."
"I want your dad's phone number and mailing address."
"Why?"
"Because I'm gonna skin him alive for giving you a gun!" House laughed.
"I wouldn't doubt it. He's alive Cuddy, he's alive." House whispered.
"Yeah, you had better take him out on a very, very nice date after we all yell at him."
"Don't yell at him too loudly, he needs to be able to hear me later on." She didn't ask him to elaborate; she didn't need him to. "Cuddy?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you spend the night?"
"Sure, I'll just steal one of your shirts and a pillow."
"Why the pillow?"
"I'm assuming the guest bedroom doesn't have pillows, right?"
"No, I meant in here. Just sleep nothing else I swear." She knew he meant it.
"When will Wilson get back?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Okay, I'll leave when you go to the airport."
"Thank you." Just then the phone rang again. She went to the closet and pulled out one of House's shirts. She slipped into the bathroom as House began to talk to Wilson again.
Suddenly exhausted she slipped off her clothes and jumped into the shower. She heard a faint knock on the door before it opened and closed again without House saying a word. She used his shampoo and soap. She didn't care if she didn't smell like a woman should, she was just grateful to wash away the tension in her body. She stepped out of the shower and was amazed to find a pair of House's boxers on top of his shirt. She towel dried her hair as much as she could and used her finger to brush her teeth before she stepped into House's clothes.
She walked out of the bathroom to find House in bed with his back towards her.
"It's weird." He muttered.
"What?" He turned towards her and watched her walk towards the bed.
"You smell like me, you're dressed like me and someone with my type of ego might actually go for that narcissism but all I want is Wilson." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders at him.
"Figures." She slipped into the bed and was amazed to realize that House was lying on top of the bed sheet. She did not protest when he pulled her close. Their bodies instantly fell into their ancient sleeping pattern.
"I guess I'll have to go visit a shrink soon." He mumbled into her hair.
"Why?"
"Let's see, I have a woman with an killer rack and an enormous…."
"Shut up House."
"But…."
"Good night."
"Night." After a few moments of peaceful silence House spoke again. "Remind me to give Anderson Cooper a rectal exam if he's ever in Clinic Hell." He sighed as he drifted off to sleep. She smiled and soon joined him in sleep.
The End.
Please review and respond- I'm drowning out here in deep space. Thanks.