"Was it a stupid thing of me to blurt out all those feelings like that?" Cuddy asked Wilson as she sat on his couch in his office.
"Iiii think it was brave. It couldn't have been easy for you to not only acknowledge but CONFESS those feelings." Wilson told her in an almost awe. "He's not an easy guy to love-"
Cuddy scoffed, "no, he's not."
"But, I think it's good you told him. Because now, at least he knows someone BESIDES me cares whether he lives or dies. That means a lot to him. Whether he'll say it or not."
"Which he probably won't."
Wilson hesitated, "yeah, he probably won't. At least, right now. But, it's a start. Have you talked to him since you last saw him?"
"No, I told him I'd call and check up on him tomorrow, which, now is today. The thing that gets me is he told me he never stopped loving me."
"And that surprises you?" Wilson's eyebrows raised showing surprise himself.
"No," Cuddy looked away from him and down at her feet. "I guess not. I just thought if either of us felt any good about what happened, it would be him. I mean, he's the one that got all his anger out."
She looked back up at him. "No, he's miserable about what he did to you."
Cuddy took a deep breath through her nose while twisting her mouth in thought. "I'll just have to see how he acts when I call him."
"I think that's all you can do at this point."
She got up and walked towards his door. "Thanks, Wilson," he nodded and she walked out, leaving him to replay all the events that she told him happened. All the confessions. He couldn't help but smile for his friend.
House was limping quickly from the bathroom when he heard his cell phone ringing. He remembered Cuddy saying she was going to call to see if he was okay and he told her he would answer. He half didn't believe her when she said that, but, he didn't want to take the chance of missing her call. He looked down at the screen and smiled at her name.
"So you did mean it when you said you were going to call," he said instead answering with a hello.
"Why would you think I wouldn't?" she asked looking confused, even though she knew he couldn't see it as she sat at her desk holding her cell phone in her right hand.
"I don't know. You had time to think about what happened. Maybe changed your mind about how you felt."
She looked down at her desk frowning. He didn't believe what she said was true. "House, I wasn't lying about what I told you yesterday. Were you?"
There was a long pause from his end that rattled her nerves. After talking to Wilson she stopped wondering about his point of view of things. But, did they both have him wrong? "No, I wasn't lying," he said softly into the phone. An uneven breath escaped her.
"So, have you thought about coming back to work?"
"Freddy's doing a good enough job isn't he?"
She smiled at the nickname he gave Fredrickson. "Yeah, he's working out. But, he also knows that there's a chance of you returning and he knows that Department was built around you and wouldn't mind stepping down to be a member of your team. If you decide to come back."
She hoped with that he would say that he'd be in tomorrow. "I don't think I'm ready."
"Okay," she said in an understanding tone, not wanting to push him into anything. She wanted him to take the time he needs. Cuddy heard a request for her in the Clinic over the speaker on her desk phone that House heard on his end. "House, I got to-"
"Go. I know."
"I'll call you later."
"Sure," was all he said then hung up.
She looked at her cell phone when he disconnected their call unsure of what to make of it. Was he getting help or just ignoring coming back? She got up off her chair and headed to the Clinic trying to not think of him for the rest of her shift...
