In My Time Of Need – A Wilson/House fanfic
„But House, we NEED you in the hospital. We've never had so many cases of the common cold before, we don't have enough nurses, and…"
"Cuddy!" House barked, "This is my first free day for months, and I won't let me spoil it by some random people who don't wash their hands frequently and therefore get sick. I'm not going to go into this hospital."
He heard an annoyed sigh.
"Either you come here or I'll fire you. You got that? See you."
"But…" Before the MD could even give an answer she had hung up.
"Bitch," he cursed and grabbed his cane. This day was going to be a real sucker.
Chuckling, House smashed the door of his office shut and sat down on his chair.
Cuddy just told him to come, she didn't say anything about working.
Yawning the doctor had a stretch and made himself comfortable. While you're at it, you can just as well relax a little. After all it had been a long night of partying. After a few minutes he must have dozed off, his mind somewhere between dinner, porn and music, because he didn't notice his door swinging open and a guy entering his room.
"Ab I really sigg Dogtor?"
House was startled and looked lost for a second, then he regained his composure again and barked, "What do you think, you moron. It's just a simple head cold, go to the pharmacy, get some tissues and pills and get out of here."
The patient gaped for a fraction of a second, grabbed his jacket and left the consultation-hour.
House sat down on his desk and buried his head in his crossed arms. How he hated Cuddy right now. He could have been at home watching TV. Or eating something. Or even better, both at the same time. This hospital was really kicking his ass. He didn't notice that he drifted off to sleep again as his door opened again and Chase walked in.
Startled because of the sound, House lifted his head and faced the young Aussie.
"What?"
Chase hesitated for a second.
"I know that you don't like patients with ordinary diseases like the common cold, but there is this one who, I guess, really needs to see you because he won't listen to me."
House groaned in annoyance.
"It's okay, bring him in."
Chase twiddled his thumbs.
"It would be better if you went to him, alone."
"Admit it, you're just too lazy to organize something, I know that you're just a…"
"…- it's important." Chase interrupted him.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming. What are you waiting for, lazy ass. Move it!"
"So? What exactly do you need my help for?"
House opened the door of the diagnostic room with his cane and scanned the room.
"Hehh…Hehh'DGTZshh",
The sneeze made House's hair stand on end. He knew the only person who sneezed like this.
But it couldn't be. He was way too sensible and careful to catch something dull like a cold from one of his patients, wasn't he?
"Heh'MPGTshh." Apparently not.
House gave in and turned around.
His eyes met the shiny ones of the oncologist that was sitting on a bed beside him.
"Wilson," House breathed sharply.
"House." Was his reply, his voice sounding deeper and rougher than usual.
"You okay?"
His friend rubbed his forehead.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little ti- ihh -tirehh'KSH-uhh. Excuse me."
"Tiredness maybe explains your eyes being a little red and swollen, but what's about your nose? It's red-rimmed and sore. Is there anything you know and I don't?"
Wilson shirked from his friend's look and absently scratched his nose.
"No, no, it's just…allergies acting up."
As if to prove he took another involuntary inhale and held his breath to hold the sneeze back.
"Uh-huh. Allergies. In Winter? Who do you think you're kidding?"
"I'm nohhh…huh…not kidding. It sta-hahh…started yesterday eveniehh-ihh…Hihh'GKTshh-ehh, god dabbit."
House raised his eyebrows in confusion, it's been a while since he heard his best friend swear the last time, he had to be feeling pretty poorly. He watched him snatching two paper towels out of the container and discretely trying to blow his nose.
"Whatever. I was told that it's important, so I guess you're not feeling that good as you say you do. Right?"
His friend blushed deeply and buried his face in a pile of tissues, quietly blowing his nose.
"I…I'm not sure. I'm not feeling that bad, but Chase and Foreman are telling me the whole time that it's the beginning of that nasty cold going around in the hospital."
House sat down beside him and played around with his cane.
In that moment Cuddy stormed into the room and gave House one of her best bitch-faces.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? There are HUNDREDS of patients waiting for you! It's your turn to do the consultation, so get ready at once."
Annoyed, House rolled his eyes and patted Wilson on his knee.
"Maybe they're right. Probably you should take a little rest. See you later."
With these words he left the room and reluctantly devoted himself to the patients waiting in front of his office.
A couple of Vicodin, three cups of coffee and about 20 patients later House was done. Done like, tired to death, bored and exhausted. The only encouraging thing was that he only had about 10 minutes left till he was allowed to go home.
With a deep sigh he put his feet on the table and closed his eyes, hoping to make the time pass faster. Once again he was startled as the door swung open and Chase entered the room.
Before the young doctor could have even said something, House gave him a warning.
"If you tell me that there are another hundred patients waiting for me, I'm going to rip off your sweet little blonde head and go bowling with it."
Chase swallowed hard and turned to the door, but hesitated.
"Ahm. Actually it's just one. And he's still not listening to us although his condition is getting worse by every minute."
"Wilson being stubborn? It's okay, I'm gonna take a look."
Determinedly, he passed the door and crossed the hospital, opening the door of the diagnostic room where he expected his friend to be.
Indeed, there he was. Sitting on the bed, shivering badly and looking plainly miserable.
"H-H-House? Wha-What are you d-d-doing here?" He got out through chattering teeth.
"I was told you were feeling pretty crappy so I thought I'd stop by and say hello."
His friend's condition was worse than before, besides the constant sneezing, he apparently developed a nasty cough too. Obviously embarrassed, Wilson muffled the coughing into his fisted hand and tried to suppress the urge which wasn't all that easy. With teary eyes he looked up and gave House the most pathetic look ever. House went over to the closet and grabbed a blanket for Wilson, who took it gratefully and tightly wrapped it around himself.
"I really don't feel well," he admitted. "Maybe they were right and I'm really sick. But it doesn't matter anyway, I can't go home. Not now." He sighed and drew circles with his finger on his trousers.
"So? What happened?"
House's steel blue eyes faced him and Wilson felt somewhat embarrassed.
"My wife, we're having kind of a fight. And she doesn't want to see me at the moment, and to be honest I don't wanna see her either." He sighed and muffled some more coughing into his hand.
House shrugged and took a look at his watch.
"You can't stay here either, there are no sleeping rooms over here, besides you'll get the patients sick. If you ask me I only see one possibility."
"What's that?" Wilson whispered.
"I'll take you with me."