For the prompt "Choices" for a writing challenge over at livejournal.
Lisa Cuddy sat at her desk staring at the files in front of her. It was yet another late night at the hospital, something she had grown accustomed to. She glanced up at the clock, a soft sigh escaping from her lips. She knew that the smart idea would be to go home and get some rest, but she just couldn't move. She leaned back in her chair, stretching a bit as she fought back a yawn. She ran her hands down her face, doing her best to wake up. She was exhausted, but the papers sitting in front of her called her attention. As she glanced back down to the papers, the sound of her office door opening up caused her to turn her attention away from her work. James Wilson was standing in front of her, looking just as exhausted as she. He walked over to her desk, handing her a file.
"I need you to sign off on this treatment." He said in a tired voice. Cuddy simply nodded and took the file, signing her name on the bottom. She trusted Wilson so going over the file wasn't necessary. After she had signed her name on the sheet, she looked back up to hand Wilson the file. "Thanks." He told her, offering a soft smile. Cuddy felt her stomach drop as she saw the smile cross his face. His smile used to be able to make her feel weak in the knees; now it was just a horrible reminder of what she could have had. Cuddy forced a small smile, nodding. She and Wilson had both made choices in their lives. Cuddy chose work; Wilson chose Amber.
Cuddy realized that work would always come first for her. It wasn't something that she was proud of, but it was the truth. True, she wanted a relationship and wanted to be love, but she had worked too hard to get where she was today. When Wilson had asked her to a play, she went with him as friends. Spending more time together like that caused Cuddy to see the real James Wilson, and she fell for him. She fell for him hard. The feeling scared her, so she retreated back into her shell; she was afraid to take the risk. She stayed buried in her work where nothing changed, and she felt safe. She regrets her decision.
Wilson realized that Cuddy didn't want to be with him. He's had feelings for her for years, but they never really connected. So when he asked her to the play, and she accepted, Wilson was surprised. He got to spend more time with her and get to know the real Lisa Cuddy. Wilson fell for her, he fell hard. That feeling scared him. He had never felt that way about his ex-wives. There was something about Cuddy that just intrigued him. He was willing to take the risk; she wasn't. Wilson knew he couldn't wait around for her, so he chose Amber. He regrets his decision.
Wilson turned to leave Cuddy's office, wanting to finish up with work, so he could go home for the night. Cuddy stared at his back, wanting to call out his name. She wanted to tell him she had made a mistake; however, she knew that it was too late. Wilson was happy with Amber, and she couldn't ruin that. She'd feel guilty. If only she knew that Wilson wanted to turn around and tell her that he had made a mistake.
They both made choices.