Name: Post Prison.
Writer: Ann.
Fandom: House.
Rating: PG13.
Ship: Huddy. 3
Summary: When Cuddy comes bailing House out of jail House knows something is up. Can Cuddy, Wilson and the hospital deal with House's return?
Timeline: Post "Twenty Vicodin".
Disclaimer: All rights for House reserved to Fox and the studios. I don't own anything (unfortunately).
Chapter 1.
The days and nights seemed all the same to him. He did not know how long he spent in that room. Or rather, he did not want to know how many days he had spent in that room. His mind kept counting the meals and dividing them by three at the end of each day, but he kept ignoring it, pretending days did not go by. The truth was he did not care how many days have gone by. There was nothing for him, not in prison and not out of prison. He would be released one day, but during those days it could not matter less to him. He was alone in his isolation room, and he was happy about it.
It was right after the second meal that day – meaning it was early afternoon in the outside world – when his guard opened the door. It was a big, bald man, who despite everything he did kept being nice to him. He even managed to get him more food every now and then, which was something he was grateful for. He needed food as much as anybody else, and getting extra food was excellent for him.
"Get up," He ordered.
House did not move. He looked at him for a moment, his eyes meeting the guard's black ones. "Why?" He questioned, not caring that it was out of line for a prisoner.
"You have a visitor." House opened his mouth to ask who, even though an idea was already forming in his mind. "It's Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's Dean of Medicine," The guard replied to the unasked question.
House sat up, looking at him in surprise. He had a few guesses about the identity of his visitor, but the Dean of Medicine was not one of them. The truth was she could not have been further down the list, especially considering the fact he was never allowed to come anywhere near her again. He quickly weighted in all that he knew about her before lying back down, his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. "I don't wanna see her."
"She said you'd say that. She said she has a job for you that you can't ignore."
House shrugged, his eyes still closed. "In case she hasn't noticed, I'm in jail. I can't really take any job right now. But I'll call her when I'm out of here."
The guard did not move. "She said you'd like it."
House hesitated. On one hand, he did not like the idea of meeting his former boss and ex-girlfriend again. He knew there would be nothing there but pain for the both of them. She would be cold towards him and will only say what she has to. He will ask something stupid, because that is just the way he is, and she would remember why she hates him and would leave again. There was nothing good there for any of them. On the other hand, if she came all the way to prison for him, she must have had something serious, a case only he could solve.
Making up his mind, he got up. "Let's go."
He followed his guard outside and to the room where Lisa Cuddy, the Dean of Medicine in Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, was waiting. As House walked through the door he quickly studied her, immediately noticing how beautiful she was. She was wearing a long dark skirt and a blue tight shirt, and on the chair she was sitting on lay a light dark coat. She did not look any different than she ever looked – except, perhaps, slight nervousness he could see in every one of her features – but to him she was beautiful, even if she did not want to see him ever again and even if she was still mad at him. He loved Lisa Cuddy, and nothing could change it.
"We need your help," were the first words she said to him as he sat down.
"No 'how are you'?" He asked, as sarcastic as ever. "No 'how's life in prison?"
She ignored him. "Lungs. We couldn't identify the disease that they carried. Foreman tried for a few hours, but if we delay it any longer we won't be able to transplant them."
"Foreman?" Of course it was Foreman. He should have thought about it. No one else would hire him, so obviously he would stay at Princeton Plainsboro and continue working in the diagnostic department.
"Doctors Foreman and Hadley continued running the diagnostic department. The rest of your team took off. Another doctor recently joined them, Doctor Adams-"
"Jessica Adams?" He cut her off.
She seemed slightly surprised. "Yes. Do you know her?"
He nodded briefly. "She was a doctor here. She got fired."
"Because of something you did, I presume." He just nodded. He did not see any reason to continue this discussion. It was not about him. It was about the lungs. Seeing as he was not going to explain, she continued. "I can offer you a temporary job until you find a normal one or until you return to prison, that's your choice."
"Whoa, wait. You let me go back to PPTH?" He asked, surprised. The last time he heard from her she told him she did not want him anywhere near her or her hospital again.
"I don't have a choice." She did not seem happy about it. "It's either I give you a job for a year or you stay here. I can't just get you out of here for one case and send you back. But," She completely added, already knowing he was thinking about the possibilities in it for him, "One wrong step and I'll send you right back in here. And while you're in Princeton I expect you to look for a new job as well. Once the year is over, I don't want to see you anywhere near my hospital again."
"Sounds fair."
She seemed slightly relieved to hear him say that. He looked away, thinking. He did not mind staying in prison for a while, but the truth was it started annoying him. He was bored. A year of puzzles would be the best thing he could get, especially when these puzzles were in Princeton Plainsboro. He will be the head of diagnostics again, at least until he finds another job. He knew there was no way Cuddy would let him stay, not after everything he did to her.
"I accept." He said quietly, his blue eyes focusing on her again.
She got up. "I'll have someone drive you to the hospital as soon as you're out of here," She said. "I'll make sure you'll be out as quickly as possible."
He got up as well. "Thank you."
She looked at him for a long moment before responding with a brief nod. Then she wore her coat and turned to leave, leaving him standing and staring at her. She opened the door as he spoke again.
"Cuddy… I'm sorry."
She turned back to look at him, still holding the door open, and in her eyes there was something sad. It was the first time in their meeting that she actually showed him some feelings, which made him realize just how sad she really was. When she spoke, her words threw him off. "Me too."