A/N: The part in italics are from the story 'Peas in a pod' and are used as reference to the conversation.
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Cuddy scoffed and walked away. "I'm leaving, It's starting to get deep around here and I don't want to ruin my new heels."
Liz snickered. Hadley stood up and addressed Wilson. "I have to check on some labs and she's supposed to be under constant watch. Would you-"
"Certainly" Wilson smiled. "Id like to know a bit more about this enigma. The girl who made House care."
As he sat down in the chair Hadley had just vacated Liz grinned. "That sounds like a children's story." she said with a laugh. Liz was about to say something else when another dizzy spell hit her. her face flushed. Wilson got up and walked to her. "I'm okay." Liz assured him when she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Happens a lot these days. It'll pass." After a few minutes the room stopped spinning and she looked up at Wilson and smiled.
"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked her as he sat back down. Liz nodded. Wilson sighed and leaned back. "I see what she meant by constant."
Liz smiled weakly. This spell had sent her stomach into a barrel roll. "It happens every time I move."
Wilson shook his head. "Now, tell me about how you and House are so similar." He leaned in intent on hearing every sordid detail.
Liz laughed. "There isn't much to tell." she started. "I guess he likes me but I dont know why. I honestly couldn't tell you why. Its just as big a mystery to me as it is to all of you guys."
Wilson looked confused. With a sigh he bit his lower lip. Liz thought he was kinda cute. A quick check revealed no ring. Single, she thought. nifty. It seemed that he had been thinking the same thing because he asked her quietly "Is your boyfriend coming to visit you?"
Liz laughed. Not very smooth, this one. But she had to give him an A for effort. "No boyfriend. Not lately." she said with a smile.
Wilson was reaching. His face split into a wide grin "Girlfriend?" Liz put her hands on her hips and scoffed. "Okay, no." he said with a laugh.
Liz could only shake her head. "Not very coy are we?" she asked him. "Do you always hit on House's patients or am I special?"
Wilson blushed again. "I, uh.." he started to laugh nervously. "Wow, you really are alike. Only House can make me this nervous."
Liz was stunned. Only Dr. House was able to make him this flustered. "I..." she paused. "Thanks" she asked with a confused look on her face. Wilson laughed out loud.
"I didn't mean to embarrass you." he said sheepishly. Liz looked at him. He was like a little boy. His posture suggested a wounded spirit.
"No, you didn't embarrass me." she said as she reached out to him. He leaned forward and she took hold of his hands. They were warm, Unusual for a doctor. "It's ok, really." she tried to assure him.
Wilson blushed again when she touched him. She was younger than he was. A lot younger, by ten years at least. "You should be resting in bed." he said as he eased Liz back onto her pillow. Liz allowed herself to be babied. She wasn't usually into such things but he seemed like the kind of guy who liked to do things for women.
"Thanks." she said once she was comfortable. Wilson smiled. "You know what? I don't think I know your first name."
Wilson smiled. "It's James." he replied.
Liz nodded. "Good name. Biblical." she was trying to make conversation. She was failing horribly.
Wilson nodded. "I'm Jewish actually." Hi seemed like he was wary of giving that information out. "Does that bother you?"
Liz smiled. "Only if my being Wiccan bothers you." She left it open to him. He grinned.
"No. It doesn't. You know, you're more honest than House, I think. He'd never just come right out and say anything."
"Maybe it's because I'm a woman." Liz said with a grin. "Dr. House seems like the type to keep things all bottled up. He's gonna explode one of these days. It isn't healthy."
Wilson looked relieved. "I'm glad I'm not the only person who sees that. Cuddy thinks I'm being overly cautious."
Liz shrugged. "Better over cautious than under cautious. Better safe than sorry."
Wilson smiled. The two were laughing when House entered the room. "I'm here, you can stop talking about me."
"Why should that stop us?" asked Liz. "Now you're here to tell me whether its all true or not." Wilson flushed scarlet.
House smiled. Pulling up a chair he asked Liz. "Do you have any allergies that aren't listed in your history?"
Liz thought. There's Codeine, I know that one's in there." She pointed to her file. Her eyes lit up and she gasped. "Just recently." she started. "I started having headaches and I was told it might be due to my sweetener. Aspartame." She said, hope in her eyes. "I would get headaches and my stomach would hurt. So I stopped using it and the headaches went away. I never saw a doctor about it."
House's eyes flashed. Inspiration had hit him. Without a word he jumped up and bolted from the room.
Liz looked to Wilson. "What do you suppose that's about?" she asked Wilson only shrugged.
"I don't know. But when he does that it usually means he's on to something that will undoubtedly be hailed a miracle of modern science." Wilson looked out into the hall to see where House had gone to. He saw his friend returning from the side hall. Liz's mother was in tow, a security guard not far behind. "He's coming back... with your mom." He turned around to see Liz sitting back up. Her face flushed and her hands shaking.
Wilson walked over to her and held her hands until they stopped shaking. By that time, House and Liz's mother were just entering the room.
"You mom sent you cakes." he said as he walked in. "Little cakes in disposable tins."
"Yeah. She's my mother after all. She knows how much I like chocolate." Liz was confused. "Why? What's going on?" About that time Liz's mother walked into the room.
Her eyes were filled with tears and she tried to go to the bedside, but House stopped her. "Did you know Liz was having a bad reaction to the artificial sweetener Aspartame?" When Her mother stammered around the answer House got louder. "It isn't a trick question. Did you know?!"
Liz watched in horror as her mother nodded in the affirmative. "Mother?! You were poisoning me?" Tears welled in her eyes. "How could you?"
Liz's mother straightened herself. "If you hadn't thrown your life away. If you had stayed home and not gone off and joined that cult! I wouldn't have to do these things to keep you safe!"
Liz was sitting up straight. "Safe?! What a joke! You wanted me sick so you could take care of me? Get away from me." She flung her arms out in front of her. "Get her away from me."
House watched as Cuddy had the sobbing woman escorted out of the hospital. He turned to Hadley and Kutner. "Lets get her detoxed, ok."
House walked out of the room after the guard and her mother, who was in tears... and under arrest. Hadley and Kutner walked around to the bed and lowered one of the rails. "Lets get you into a wheelchair." said Hadley. Liz complied. She glanced up in time to see Wilson exiting the room in silence. Not even a goodbye, she thought.
It took three hours to get all the toxic sweetener out of Elizabeth's system. It wasnt a pleasant thing to endure either. Lots of vomiting. Liz didn't think she could endure much more when Hadley instructed her that they were through.
"Oh, thank the gods!" she exclaimed as she sat back fro the pan she had bee throwing up into. "If I never throw up again I'll be the happiest person in the world." she groaned.
Hadley helped her to stand and then to sit back in her wheelchair. Then it was back to her room. Once she was back in her bed Hadley, gave her some medication to help her sleep then asked her if there was anything she could get her. "yeah, actually there is." said Liz. She pulled her keys out of her table drawer and handed them to Hadley. I need you to get something from my apartment for me. A box. It's in the top drawer of my jewelry chest. You cant miss it. It's about yay big." she measured the size out with her fingers. Hadley nodded and exited the room.
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. "busy?" asked a voice. Liz smiled. It was Wilson.
"No, not at all. Come in." she said. When he came back in he had flowers for her. They were really pretty. Liz grinned. "Either you're gay or you've been on the bed end of a relationship one too many times because those flowers are almost too pretty." Wilson laughed out loud.
"I'm not gay." he said with a roll of his eyes.He handed her the flowers. "You like them then?"
"I love all flowers. I'm Wiccan. Although next time you can get me a potted flower. It'll live longer. I'm partial to hyacinths."
Wilson sat down in the vacant chair he had occupied earlier. "Next time?" he asked with a grin.
Liz smiled wearily. "Yeah, next time. Flowers like this aren't for a one night thing. You wanna see me again." She began to yawn. "I think my sleeping pills are kicking in." she said lazily.
Wilson walked over to her bed and gently kissed the top of her head. "Sleep well." he said to her just before she closed her eyes and rifted off to sleep.
