Life Goes On-Or Does It?
AN: I have never been to the New Jersey area, and so any locations I have in this may be inaccurate. I did do some research as to what is around the Princeton University area, and so all of these locations do exist, just I have no idea if they're around the supposed location of PPTH (which is a fictional hospital, according to my research) after all.
AN2: This is meant to be short. I apologize. Each chapter is about 600 words or so. I am horrible at creative writing, and this is my first attempt at a fanfic. Critique is welcome, but no flames please.
Disclaimer: Despite me wanting to, I do not own House, which belongs to Fox, David Shore, and all those other people. Not me. I do not own any of these songs/lyrics either. I'd be rich though. ha.
Prologue-The Funeral
House's funeral was held the week after his death. Despite his aloofness and unfriendliness toward the hospital staff, an amazing amount of co-workers and colleagues showed up to say their goodbyes. Sitting in the front row of the church were the ones closest to him: his ducklings, Cuddy, and Wilson.
Cameron, as usual, was unable to control her emotions and was sobbing through the whole ceremony, while Chase made futile attempts to comfort her. Foreman, doing his best to maintain his usual tough-guy image, did his best to hide that he was shocked with House's death. Despite their boss's attitude toward each of them, House's death dealt a huge blow to each of the ducklings.
Cuddy, to the surprise of the ducklings, had tears running down her cheeks as well. She never realized until now just how much she truly cared for her trouble-maker diagnostician. Wilson seemed to be lost in thought, staring off into a faraway distance. He appeared to have aged greatly in the one week after his friend's death, and was incapable of doing anything without Cuddy's and the ducklings' help. Much like a child on his first day of kindergarten, Wilson appeared lost and vulnerable without House with him.
Sitting in the back, hoping to be unnoticed, was Stacy, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She had originally wanted Mark to attend as well, for support, but decided against it, considering the past between House and Mark. Much like Wilson, she was lost in thought as well, what would life be like if she still lived with House? Would he be nicer to patients with her influence? And the most pressing question of all, would he still be alive today? A glittering drop brimmed over, and she impatiently swept it away, knowing the past was the past, there was nothing she could do to change it anymore.
As the priest said his final words, Cuddy slowly stood up and headed toward the lectern for her part of the funeral. Looking at the dozens of colleagues that showed up, Cuddy was unable to withstand the overwhelming grief and amazement at how many showed up to say goodbye. Breaking down, she fell to the floor and was moved by the ducklings to a separate room, with Cameron's feeble attempts to comfort her.
After Cuddy had managed to recover enough, all five of them followed the hearse carrying House to the cemetery on hospital grounds, where he could be as close to the place where he had worked countless hours to save many patients. Fitting his personality, the weather was slightly overcast with some drizzle and occasional bursts of sun. After the casket was lowered into the ground, the ducklings placed his cane on top, and the hole was filled.
Nobody was in much of a mood to go out together in a group, and each returned to their own homes to think about the time spent with House and what the future would have in store for them.
August
evenings
Bring solemn warnings
To remember to kiss the ones you
love goodnight-Thin Paper Hymn, Anberlin
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