Title: Life Line (1/3)

Rating: PG

Summary: House has been in court-ordered rehab for a little over a week and you can't help but wonder how he is. A little AU but it's better than it sounds.

Disclaimer: Don't own em.

Spoilers: Up to "Finding Judas"

House has been in court-ordered rehab for a little over a week and you can't help but wonder how he is. You know that it's a stupid thing to wonder, you know he's miserable, but you can't help yourself. How was right, you are pathetic.

It has been oddly uneventful in the office without him and you hate it. It kills you to be there alone with the two of them. Chase has officially become the laziest person you've ever met. While you help out in the clinic and Foreman spends his time in Neurology, Chase sits in the office doing crosswords. Not that you're exactly thrilled with Foreman's attitude at the moment. He's taken up his 'I told you so' stance and every time the two of you happen to be in the same room at the same time, he brings up House and your interest in him. He's lucky you haven't resorted to kicking him in the testicles.

Wilson, on the other hand, is avoiding you like the plague. You don't blame him. You aren't really in the mood for confrontation and even though you can't blame him for House's current position, you know you'd take your anger and frustration out on him. Even though you know Wilson chose to rat House out to Tritter, you think you would've done the same thing if you'd been in his position. You know how humiliating it was for him to have to have you and Chase and Foreman writing his prescriptions and you know he felt that House was abusing their friendship. You understand his actions but you still don't agree with them.

The television is on in your apartment and you are sprawled out on you couch. You can't sleep because your brain is running in overdrive. There is an old episode of The O.C. on and that is what drew your mind back to House. You were never a big fan of this show but you caved one day and bought the first season on DVD. You're hooked. You aren't really watching the episode that's on now (you've seen it before) and you jump when your cell phone rings. When you pick it up, you don't recognize the number on the caller ID but you answer it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Cameron?"

"Yes?"

You do not recognize the voice of the woman on the other end of the line and you are immediately worried that someone has been hurt.

"My name is Emily Pierce. I'm calling from the Grossman Clinic in Tre-" House. "-nton, New Jersey. I have a patient here claiming to be your husband. Gregory House? He's demanding to speak to you. Is he-"

"Doctor," you say without thought, "Doctor House. Yes, he's my husband. Is he alright?"

"He's fine, ma'am. I'll let you speak to him."

Your throat is tight as you wait for House's voice to come over the phone. You think that something must be wrong because House wouldn't call you if there wasn't. He never called you unless it was work related.

"Allison?" His voice cracks and there are suddenly tears in your eyes. He's never called you by your first name before and even though you told the nurse you were his wife, it still surprises you. You aren't normally so emotional, but the tension from the past week is finally peaking and you think that this conversation is going to make you sob.

"How are you?" You ask, wanting to take the words back the second they roll off your tongue.

He laughs hoarsely and you can picture him sitting alone in a small room shaking and covered in a sheen of sweat.

"Peachy, detoxing is such a joy. You know how it is, the shaking, the vomiting. It's college all over again.

You smile to yourself because he is trying very hard to snark at you through the pain. You have tears running down your cheeks and you roll your eyes at yourself. You're glad that he isn't here to see you like this.

"I'm sorry," you say, "It was a stupid question."

For a few moments neither of you speak and you can hear him breathing on the other end. You can practically hear the pain. You want to ask why he called, you're going to actually, but you aren't sure what he'll say. You take a breath.

"House," you hesitate, "Why did you call? I mean, why did you call me?"
It takes him a minute to answer but you aren't rushing him.

"I couldn't call Wilson," he says slowly, "And you're the only other person worth talking to."

Wow. You weren't expecting that. You were expecting him to either dodge the question all together or just say something rude and tell you not to get you hopes up. But you understand why he's being honest. He's detoxing and his leg is probably not making the situation any better, he's going to be a little off his game.

"Oh," you say, not sure if anything else would make him uncomfortable, "Okay. Well, you'll be happy to know that work has been pretty lousy."

He snorts, "Of course it has, I'm not there."

You can't help the smile that creeps onto your face and then you tell him about your week, just to keep him on the phone. You tell him about your clinic patients but only the interesting ones. You tell him about Chase and the absurdity of his sudden laziness. You think this gives him something to look forward to when he comes back in two months, something to give Chase hell for. You don't talk much about Foreman because the last thing you want to do is bring up the remains of your awkward relationship. You also manage to avoid talking about Wilson mainly because you know that they haven't spoken to each other in a while.

You are happy to listen as his vents about rehab. He hates it and you knew that he would. He tells you about the group therapy he is forced to sit through every day. He describes some of the other patients and he tries to break them down, tries to convince you, and himself, that he isn't just another addict. Some of his stories have you laughing harder than you have in ages and some of his stories have you chocking on the sob stuck in your throat. He tells you about the pain in his leg, how they only give him aspirin and the fact that he doesn't sleep anymore. You understand that his insomnia is the real reason he called. You suggest a few things, asking him is he can listen to music or read books and he says that he can, they just don't have anything good. Before you can stop yourself, you promise to send him his iPod and a few new medical journals that are lying around the office. It is only when you catch yourself yawn that you realize you have to be at work in six hours.

"You need to sleep," he tells you, well aware that you are exhausted.

"It's okay," you tell him, "I can catch a nap at work tomorrow. My boss is out of town, he'll never know."

You know he is smiling.

"Goodnight, House," you say and you are surprised at how soft your voice suddenly is.

"Cameron," he says just as you are hanging up,"Thanks."

You can't help smiling even though there are tears in your eyes again, "You're welcome."

You finally drag yourself into bed and you think of his as you fall asleep.