He leaned his forehead against the window pane. "It should be raining," he thought. "If this were a movie, it would be raining."
The team was babbling on about the latest case, he was barely paying attention Foreman had asked him to come in for the diferential, but he knew it was just an attempt to keep him occupied, keep him from running out into the streets screaming.
"This is where House would pull something out of his ass, and amaze..." Taub didn't get to finish.
Wilson turned on him with an anger that silenced the room immediately. "Pull it out of his ass? Is that what the hell you think he does? You think he is some kind of sideshow freak? Some kind of babbling savant? Do you have any idea who the hell he is, you idiot?"
Chase went over to him. "He didn't mean it like that"
Wilson just turned back to the window, his breathing shallow and jagged. Where the hell was he, damn it?
Foreman walked over, frustrated at how little they could do. "Taub, " he said, looking straight at Wilson, "Anybody ever tell you about the time he had the ER resusitate a DOA and then cured them in an hour?"
Taub didn't answer, he knew the question was put out there for Wilson's benefit not for him.
It worked, Wilson turned to look at Foreman. "It wasn't an hour, took a day or so, and its not like he just picked any DOA." he relaxed into the story, into remembering the beginning. "Actually, it was the first case we worked on together. If you can call following him around and making sure he ate working together."
"See, there was a doctor over at General, not a diagnosician, but he was their "go to" guy. Hated House with a passion, Anyway, he had this case, a woman, had her for about a week, no idea what is wrong with her, but knows she is fading fast. Then he finds out that her brother is some kind of big Washington lawyer and he is on his way up here to see what is going on. I guess he paniced, cause Cuddy gets a call saying he is faxing over her file and transporting her to House. He claimed House had agreed, but I don't see how since House had been home pouting about something for a couple of days."
"Anyway, Cuddy sees this as a way to try and get House back to the hospital, so she sends me over to his place with the file." Wilson is smiling now, his hands gesturing, his color brightening, "I get there, knock on the door and one of his hookers answers. Good thing, cause he is out cold on the floor, naked. Tell her to leave, she claims he hadn't paid her yet, so it winds up costing me $100 just to get rid of her. I get him into the tub, turn on the water and he starts screeching at the top of his lungs, I'm killing him, the water is too cold, he is going to have me arrested, his leg hurts" shakes his head, the smile even brighter "And there's me. I'm sitting on the floor by the tub, reading the file at the top of my lungs, hoping something in there will catch his interest. Then my phone rings, its the ER she's just arrived but she expired as they were taking her out of the ambulance. Before I can hang up, he grabs the phone out of my hands, and " He has to stop for a moment, his voice is catching as he remembers "It was like he had sobered up in less than a second. He tells them he knows what's wrong and he wants them to resusitate, give her 2 cc's of this, 4 cc's of that. "
"Then he puts his arms out like a three year old who wants to be picked up, "Get me dressed" Took amost half an hour, just getting him out of the bath was a job. Then actually getting him dressed, the more he tried to help the worse it was. He managed to button his sleeve to his shirt front. Finally get him to the car, he threw up twice before we got to the hospital."
Wilson turned back to the window, "But when he walked through those doors, no more slouching, no more nodding out. He was so damned sure of himself and so damned dismissive of everyone else, so totally in charge and absolutely 100% right on every call. He was still stoned out of his mind, but he ran that case like he was, Like he was House."
"Not without you he wasn't " Chase said, looking at Wilson smiling.
Wilson just stared at him.
"How many times have you told that story and you never saw it.?' continued Chase. "Without you he was just another druggie passed out naked on the floor and the woman was dead. There was no House without Wilson."
"No," Wilson shook his head and smiled, the kid meant well "Anyone could have done what I did, but him... " he felt his throat start to close and his heart was beating way too fast, Without another word Wilson started back towards his office. He would wait for House alone, it was easier.