Disclaimer: I don't own House, M.D. or the terrific song Neon Moon sung by Brooks and Dunn. What a pity.
Forgetting
House sits at the bar he had found that night hoping to drown his thoughts a drink at a time. It wasn't his usual kind of place. The walls are smoke damaged and of dark wood. The floor is dusty and there are drink rings all over the wooden surfaces. Apparently no one every told the big hairy bartender about coasters or at least a napkin. There are a bunch of rough guys sitting at bar stools and benches but so far no one's bothered him and he's quite happy about that. There was a stage in the corner made of cartons and plywood and a guy was sitting up there strumming his guitar and signing in a slightly slurred voice.
A train rolls down the tracks a few hundred feet away and the place gives a shudder but no one seems to notice. The three rednecks at the pool table give a laugh from some joke one of them told and House throws back the last of his drink.
He motions to the bartender to fill it back up and the big man takes out the whiskey bottle. He fills it up and moves down the bar to grab some beers for a table near the door. House stares at his drink for a moment trying to remember why he was there.
Oh. Yeah. He was there trying to forget her. He couldn't help but glance down at his leg and winced. He took a drink but it didn't erase her name from his mind. He took another swig and her memory faded just a degree.
He had picked the place because it was convenient. When he found out that she had moved out and had moved out of the city he had jumped into his car and had started driving somewhere, anywhere. He had been looking for something but he couldn't figure what it was until he realized he was looking for her. When he realized this he found out that he was near some tracks and that there was a bar just down the road. He pulled up and limped into the place. A few people looked at him with interest but most just looked at him disinterestedly or just ignored him completely.
He sat down at the bar and ordered a whiskey. He hooked his cane on the edge of the bar finally after trying to figure out what to do with it. The bartender stood there studying him a moment before politely asking what he was doing there.
"Forgetting," House answered as he took a drink of the strong liquor. The bartender nodded understanding and continued with his bartending duties.
Now House looked up as someone, maybe one of the ladies of the night, started up the jukebox near the stage and a mournful song came out.
When the sun goes down
On my side of town
That lonesome feeling
Comes to my door
The whole world turns blue
There's a rundown bar
Cross the railroad tracks
I've got a table for two
Way in the back
Where I sit alone
And think of losing you
I spend most every night
Beneath the light
Of this neon moon
If you lose your one and only
There's always room here for
the lonely
To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams
Of a neon moon
House looked above the bar and shook his head at the sight of a neon moon advertising the name of some beer or other.
I think of two young lovers
Running wild and free
I close my eyes
And sometimes see
You in the shadows
Of this smoke-filled room
No telling how many tears
I've sat here and cried
Or how many lies
That I've lied
Telling my poor heart
She'll come back someday
Oh, but I'll be alright
As long as there's light
From a neon moon
If you lose your one and only
There's always room here for
the lonely
To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams
Of a neon moon
The jukebox plays on
Drink by drink
The words of every sad song
Seem to say what I think
This hurt inside of me
Ain't never gonna end
Oh, but I'll be alright
As long as there's light
From a neon moon
If you lose your one and only
There's always room here for
the lonely
To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams
Of a neon moon
To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams
Of a neon moon
To watch your broken dreams
Dance in and out of the beams
Of a neon moon
The guy on the stage had stumbled off of the platform when the song started and had gotten a drink at the bar. He spotted House sitting at the end near the back alone and walked over towards him. He plunked his drink next to him and sat down.
"Wha's yar name buddy?" he asked slurred.
"Leave me alone."
"Lemmy Lone? Wha' kin' of name is dat? Dat's okay. Your secret's my secret." He pressed his finger to his lips, or tried to at least but managed to bring his finger to his nose.
House was wondering if his cane could be a considerable weapon when the bartender came over and waved his dirty rag he used to wipe the bar at the man. "Get out of here Lenny."
"But Ahh'm sitting heer wit my buddy Lemmy."
"You've had enough Lenny. Git. Git before I have to call John over here."
Lenny looks over at a particularly big fella sitting near the door with a wife beaters shirt on and with about a dozen tattoos.
"Dar's no need to do dat Paul. I'm gitting'. I'm gittin'. See ya Lemmy."
The man quickly left before finishing his drink and gave a wide berth to John as he left through the door.
The bartender nodded to House before leaving him again to his thoughts. House looked down at his drink and was contemplating how many more he might have to drink before he was drunk enough to forget her. Probably not enough, but maybe if he drank enough he might get into a crash on the way home. That is if he could find his way back.
A woman sat next to him and ordered a brandy. She studied him a moment before saying, "I'm Ramona." House looked at her and studied her as she waited for him to introduce himself.
She had long brown hair that fell to her waist and had brown eyes. She had a round pale face with just a trace of makeup. She had on a white blouse with embroidery around the collar and down the front and he could tell she wasn't wearing anything under it. She had on low rider jeans and sandals.
"Greg." She nodded and noticed the cane hanging next to him. She didn't say anything but he knew she was wondering. "I had leg surgery."
She nodded again and looked at him pointedly. "I got a room in a hotel just down the road…"
House looked at her for a moment trying to figure out if it would help him forget her. Then he figured that he could at most forget her for a few hours. He looked down at his drink for a moment before downing it in one gulp and getting up. She smiled at him before leading him out the door.
He figured as he limped to his car that in the morning either him or her would probably be long gone when the other woke up. At least this time he would know about it.