September, Late Summer: Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Princeton, New Jersey
"House!" Foreman said surprised as he turned from the dry erase board to find House suddenly standing at the door.The others immediately turned as well, as well as one new face among them that House did not know. "Don't let me stop you." House said. Foreman found his voice and ordered the team to run cultures, a lumbar puncture, as well as a number of other tests. The team moved to run the tests, but all moved toward House.
"You're back." Thirteen began as she moved toward House.
"Hey, hey, you have a life to save." House reminded them.
"Can't we at least welcome back our boss?" Taub asked.
"Foreman's your boss still. Don't try and come crawling back to me." House chided.
"You all seem to have a history together. So I'll go run that L.P." The young doctor, who House did not recognize, said as he walked around House out of the differential room.
"Who was that?" House asked.
"New guy Foreman hired. He's pretty good." Taub told House. House turned to Foreman, "What's he like?"
"He's young, smart."
"My favorite." House said with a glee, a glee that implied that he could not wait to psycho analyze the hell out of him and learn all of his secrets.
"We need to run those tests. Glad you're back, House." Thirteen said, touching his arm and then walking out. Taub nodded his head and followed her out. House watched them leave and then turned back to Foreman, his "protégé" many people believed. Foreman smiled at him and headed toward House's office. "So you must be really glad to be back?" Foreman asked as they both walked in together. Foreman quickly looked at some x-rays. House looked around the office, his office. Foreman had not moved anything. Everything was still in it's place. It was something that made House feel uneasy. But he had been feeling uneasy ever since he had stepped back into the hospital. He felt like an echo of his old self.
"You're probably looking forward to having all of this back, right?" Foreman asked.
"Actually, that's what I came to talk to you about." House replied. Foreman's ears immediately picked up, wondering what House meant by that.
"What do you mean?" Foreman asked.
"What does it sound like? I want you to stay in charge of the department and the team." Foreman stood in shock. It was like being told he would be the president. Or Jesus giving Peter command of the disciples. The second example seemed most appropriate. Foreman was speechless, "What…But, you're back." Was all Foreman managed to get out.
"I'm out, better, but not cured yet. I'm not ready to come back." House replied.
"Is this some kind of demented…some kind of joke? Some kind of a test?" House turned at the sound of the word demented. He did not like it, but he showed no signs of allowing it to bother him. "How accurate of him, you really did train him well." The whisper of Amber's voice said in House's ear.
"No joke, no test, no nothing. Not this time around. I'll admit that in the past that I took great joy in coming up with tortures to push you to your limits. But, as you can see, the opposite happened to me. And why should that surprise you any way? You're good at what you do, besides you've wanted my job since the day I hired you. Don't try to deny it."
"I always wanted to be a good doctor. You made me better at my job. That was all I ever wanted." Foreman retorted.
"Well then, you're dream of turning into me has finally come true. Of course I don't think you'll have any psychotic breaks. Why give it up?" House started toward the door and opened the door to leave. "I don't think you should be doing this." Foreman said. House turned and looked at him, "Why do you say that?" House asked.
"When I had that infection three years ago, I wasn't sure I could be a good doctor again. I was scared. You snapped me out of it and got me back on track. You shouldn't make the same mistake. You need to come back. You need to practice in this department again."
House narrowed his eyes, "Though I appreciate the pep talk, but the question of my practice is still up in question after my little break with reality. You're not me. I know what I have to do. Job's yours." Silence stood between them as House once again opened the door and limped out and down the hall. Foreman stood stunned, he never even saw that coming.
*
James Wilson looked up from his laptop computer to the familiar sound of his door opening and House walking into his office. It was something he missed during House's long convalescence. House limped in, the pain shooting up from his leg with every step he took. He made his way to Wilson's couch. As he passed Wilson's desk, he grabbed the bottle of water off his desk and brought the bottle with him.
"So, I assume that the changing of the guard has taken place in diagnostics. Or did you have to create an elaborate assassination plot?" Wilson inquired. House sat down on the couch and stretched his right leg out. He opened the water bottle and took out two prescription bottles, one his psyche meds, the other regular extra strength pain killers.
"Far from it." House replied, "I just finished telling Foreman that he's staying in charge." Wilson stopped typing and his eyes immediately darted up at House. "You what?" Wilson asked in amazed surprised.
"Foreman is staying in charge. I don't want it back." House said.
"Are you sure about that? Your doctor cleared you to come back and work."
"Look, don't tell me what I know alright. We still haven't pinned down a diagnosis of what this is. I haven't taken any vicodin for almost four months and I'm still hearing whispers."
"But you said whispers, House. Not full on hallucinations or delusions."
"But, whispers, Wilson. It's not good enough. If it's not the vicodin, then it could be schizophrenia and with most cases I've studied, hallucinations and delusions are brought on by stress." Wilson stood from his chair and walked around his desk and sat on the edge of it.
"So, you're saying that you don't want to work because you're afraid you'll have another outbreak." House looked up at Wilson; he hated it when he tried to analyze what he was thinking.
"No, I'm not saying that at all. Yes, I'm allowed to leave the mental hospital. Yes I have these new meds which keep some kind of balance in my head. But every so many days I'm still vomiting inexplicably, sweating and shivering."
"You still think those are symptoms of vicodin with drawl. I suppose its possible, considering what you've taken over the years."
"Yes, yes." House said. House's statement was more of an annoyed way of telling Wilson that after all these years he was right about his insistence of his over use of the vicodin. House breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the mediocre pain killers begin to take effect.
"So what's the plan if you're not going to take up your mantle as the great diagnostician? Play your guitar? Travel?" Wilson asked.
"Nope, but I am going to practice." House replied.
"But I thought you were concerned about stress and everything?"
"I sat in a room for four months doing nothing while I detoxed. It was unbelievably annoying not doing anything. I don't want to go back on the team because I don't want to relapse. But, that doesn't mean I can't practice medicine down in the clinic."
"I see what you're saying. You want to stay away from the causes you think caused your hallucinations. That includes the puzzles you find in your cases." Wilson said in amazed surprise.
"You seemed to have summed that up nicely." House said in a matter of fact way.
"It's a big change. But it sounds like you've got it all planned out. You talk to Cuddy about it yet?"
"No, but I'm about to." House said as he sat up straight, placing both feet on the floor. Wilson noticed that he seemed to be hesitating.
"Going down to her office is going to require walking to an elevator and taking it down to the ground floor." House stood up and limped toward the door, the very act in defiance of what Wilson was saying and possibly thinking.
"Well, if memory serves me right, I believe my employment here is still on the terminated side." House said as he opened the door and left.
**
The elevator doors opened and house raised his eyes. When he came in today, he decided to come in through the emergency room instead of the front door. He felt uneasy wondering if he should walk through the main hallway again. His actions when he was last here resounded in his head. In the far distance, at the reception desk, he could see Cuddy working, talking on the phone and writing things on different files. He stood frozen. People around him got off the elevator. He stared at Cuddy then moved to the control board and pressed the button to another floor of the hospital. The elevator closed before Cuddy saw him standing in it. Why couldn't this hospital have more ways of getting to the dean of medicine's office? House wondered.
Cuddy had moved about the first floor after talking on the phone at the main receptionist desk. She moved from there to the cafeteria to get something to eat and then moved to the clinic, finally returning to her office for a break and to eat. She walked in and went to her desk, placing her things on the desk. She walked around and sat down, opening her water and salad box so that she could finally take care of the hunger pain in her stomach. As she drew the first bite to her mouth, she heard a tapping noise on her window. She put her fork down and turned around. There was nothing there. She considered it might have been a bird at first. She turned around again to eat but then heard the tapping sound again. This time she got up to investigate. She looked out the window, looking around the court yard, seeing nothing there. She looked from her right window to her middle window. As her eyes moved to the third window, House suddenly appeared. She jumped where she was standing, taking hold of the desk to steady herself. Her hand went to her heart, her heart racing as she let out a yelp.
"House!" House smiled at her as she looked back at him annoyed. House motioned with his hands that she should open the window. Cuddy complied, moving the small table in front of her window and then opened it. "House!" She said again to him. A large mischievous smile drew itself all over his face.
"I couldn't resist." House informed her. He then immediately began to work on removing the screen of the window.
"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked.
"What does it look like?" House said as he managed to remove the screen and then proceeded to climb in through the window.
"Why didn't you just use the door?" Cuddy bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying 'like normal people.' House managed to pull himself in, struggling a little bit with his leg, but got in, turning to close the window. "But, this is so much more fun." He said as he moved around her desk. "Oooo, bread." House said as he picked up Cuddy's bun next to her salad taking up one of the seats in front of her desk.
"Okay, that might be okay with Wilson, but next time you try stealing my food, I'm going to use my plastic knife to cut off your hand." Cuddy threatened. Wilson had told her of his release and that today he was returning to the hospital. In a way she was not prepared, she did not know how she would be able to handle it. But, here he was and things seemed to be normal between them. Not like how they were when House stared off and she tried to get his attention. The fear that had been in his eyes was long gone and what was left in place was a man who was himself again, but drained and tired. The drugs really had weakened him.
This was the first time she had seen him all day, since he had returned from Pennsylvania. Though she had kept her eyes open to find him she had not run into him. Mostly because he was avoiding her. She could now easily surmise why he had decided to come in through the window instead of her office door. Cuddy found this to be curious because an embarrassing situation never stopped him before.
"So I assume you're here to take up your old job again? Cuddy asked.
"That remains to be seen." House replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, considering what I've been through; and my memory is still good, I remember you fired me. And meant it."
"That's never stopped you before." Cuddy replied, "Besides, given the circumstances…"
"You still were justified." House interrupted. Cuddy froze, unsure of what to say. Was this some kind of game House was playing? What was the angle here?
"House…what are you getting at here."
"I embarrassed you, you fired me. What's there to get at?" House replied. Cuddy sat back in her chair, just what had that mental hospital sent back. Was this House?
"Yes, but…"
"Look." House began, "I know what I was going through but I don't think it excuses what I did. I understand if you don't want me back here. But, I just wanted you to know that I would still like to continue working here."
"Yes, of course. So, you'll be wanting to be heading up diagnostics again?" Cuddy asked.
"No." House said.
"No?" Cuddy repeated in amazement.
"I want to come back but I don't want to go back to my old job, not yet. Not until I know what it is that's affecting my mind."
"It was psychological, House. There's no differential you can run in that area."
"Psychological is just one symptom. I know there are more. Until I nail those down, I won't be diagnosing." Cuddy's hand went to her chin and she weighed her hand on it.
"Foreman is more than capable of running things while I'm doing other things." House continued. Cuddy shook her head, she was still amazed.
"Alright." She said some what shocked, "Are you sure that's what you want to do?"
"Yes." House replied.
"Okay, Foreman stays in. But if you won't be diagnosing, what will you practice?"
"I'm going to practice regular medicine, I do have the initials 'M.D.' at the end of my name, remember?"
"Okay, I'll need you to get a physical…"
"Will you do that personally?" House asked mischievously. A small smile crossed Cuddy's lips, "But I think you could get either Wilson or Chase to do that for you." Cuddy began to write notes to herself on a near by legal pad, "Where in the hospital do you want to practice?" Cuddy asked.
"The clinic." House replied. The tip of Cuddy's pencil broke from the pressure from her hand. "Okay, now I have to ask if this is some kind of game?" House sighed, prepared for this. "No games, Cuddy. I want to practice medicine and I want to work out of the clinic." Cuddy sat stunned and speechless, "That…that can definitely be arranged." She finally said. "Good, thank you." House said. Another stunned silence from Cuddy. "You…you're welcome." Cuddy managed.
House shook his head and stood to head to the door. Cuddy began to look down, to find a pen to write more notes. Silence enveloped the room. House stopped in his tracks and stood for a moment in the middle of the room, thinking. He slowly turned around and walked back towards Cuddy's desk.
"There's still a few more things we haven't ironed out yet." House said. Cuddy looked up surprised that he was still there. What else did he want to talk about? Did they even want to talk about what was going on between them? "I assume by you allowing me to practice out of the clinic, that I still have a job here."
"Yes, yes you do. I want you to work here." Cuddy replied relieved. House drew in a breath and continued.
"I owe you an apology, Lisa."
"Greg, you know I understand you were…"
"No, Lisa, don't cover this up and try to push it to the side or sweep it under the rug, like so many other times before. I owe you an apology. More than one in fact. But, the incident before I left in the hallway." Cuddy shook her head, remembering exactly what happened.
"I'm sorry. Very sorry." House said apologetically. Cuddy almost cried and smiled at House. She got up from her desk, crossed around and embraced House. She then suddenly felt his hand on her rear end. "Just not for that." House said. Cuddy shook her head at House's ability to invade her personal space and touch her body. She ended the embrace and smiled at him, both of her hands on his shoulders. "Apology accepted." She replied. They stood that way for a moment, looking at each other. "Well." House said, some what mesmerized, "I better get back upstairs, tell Wilson the good news." House moved from the desk and headed back toward the door.
"House." He turned, wondering what else she wanted to talk about. His heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"I got your message from Cameron. What was it that you wanted to say?" She asked.
"You didn't go to my apartment?" House asked.
"No." Cuddy replied
"Well, you'll know once you go there." House replied as he opened the door and slipped out. Cuddy leaned back against the desk, in complete disbelief at what had taken place between them. She sat back down, her appetite suddenly gone and something like butterflies in her stomach caused her heart to race and exhale air quickly from her mouth and nose. She thought for a moment about what she and House had between them. She thought back to when they knew each other in college and the crazy and sometimes mixed up fun they used to have. It was different back then, not like how it was now. She smiled to herself at all the good times they had while at Michigan. She further tried to figure out just what it was that had changed between them when they were first in college to when she hired him here. And just what was it that had begun to change between them last year till his psychotic break almost four months ago.
She turned a ring around on her finger thinking over all of the events of the last few months. Where would they go from here now? Her concentration in her reverie was finally broken by the intercom. "Yes?" she asked as she pressed the button.
"Dr. Cuddy, there's a matter that requires your attention out at the main reception desk." A nurse informed her.
"I'll be right there." She said as she got up, walked out of her office and crossed the clinic until she was outside in front of the receptionist's desk. A guard held out a phone to her and she took it. "This is Doctor Cuddy." She said into the receiver.
"Watch this." Came the reply over the phone and then it hung up.
"House?" Cuddy said.
House was leaning against the railing on the second floor that looked over the main hallway, his cell phone pushed against his ear. He saw people coming and going, new patients in and old patients out. He joked to himself. It was busy, height of the lunch hour. A good crowd, he thought to himself. The elevator doors opened behind him and a lone doctor walked out. It was the young one, the one working up in diagnostics now. House had not gotten a good enough look at him. He noticed that he had short blonde hair, blue eyes; fair skinned and looked as old as Thirteen. He wore glasses on his face reminding House of a young high school junior. One thing that made him stand out was under his white lab coat, he was wearing a red hoody sweater, emblazoned on the front was the symbol of the hockey team the New Jersey Devils and the symbol was surrounded by the team's name. House also noticed he was wearing jeans. A rebel, House said to himself. The young doctor walked past House, nodding his head at him. House watched him walk by him and continue onward and watched him go to the other side of the building and enter the chapel. House smiled, oh the fun he would have with that one.
House's attention was immediately drawn down again, like an eagle, to the busy hallway as he saw Cuddy walk out of the clinic and head for the reception desk and take the phone.
"This is Doctor Cuddy." He heard her say over the phone.
"Watch this." He said as he immediately hung up the phone. He noticed the confused look on Cuddy's face. Show time.
"ATTENTION EVERYONE!" House called out. Everyone in the hospital immediately stopped what he or she was doing, drawn up to where House was. Cuddy covered her face, was everything he said before all a joke? "CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU HEARD, I DID NOT SLEEP WITH LISA CUDDY. SHE REMAINS, AS ALWAYS, THE UP RIGHT PERSON SHE ALWAYS HAS BEEN. THAT IS ALL." House immediately picked up his cane and walked back toward the elevators. The people down in the main hallway began to move back into their routine. They always thought he was insane, why not reinforce it even more and get them to stop looking at Lisa like she was a hooker. That was his job anyway.
Cuddy leaned back against the desk, phone dangling in her hand, almost laughing. She didn't know how to react, but she was touched by House trying to right his wrongs. She saw him disappear into an elevator taking him back up into the hospital.
***
The elevator opened and House was met by Wilson in the hall. "Hey." Wilson said. House nodded his head, saying hello to him as he fell in step with Wilson. "Where are you coming from?" House asked.
"Your old office, giving a consultation on a possible cancer diagnosis."
"Ah." Was all House said, slowly fuming inside his head. "Temper, temper." Came Kutner's voice.
"You're not the least bit interested?" Wilson queried.
"Nope." House said, ending the conversation on it. Wilson looked at him; perhaps this change really was taking hold. He decided to ask another question instead, in regards to their previous conversation.
"So you talked to Cuddy?" Wilson asked.
"Yep, she signed off on it. Tomorrow I'll be down in the clinic."
"That's good news to hear." Wilson said, glad that House would still be able to practice medicine. "Did you two discuss anything else?" Wilson asked, knowing House would know he was referring to their relationship. House looked at him annoyed. "No, and if I did I wouldn't tell you. But, I do have a question for you." House said as they reached Wilson's office.
"Sure, what?" Wilson asked.
"When did she get engaged?" House asked angrily. Wilson stared back at House, unable to think of anything in response. House turned in anger, giving Wilson a painful angry look and stalked off down the hall, not looking back. "House, wait." Wilson called out. "Save it." House called back as he disappeared down another hall.
End of Part II. Part III coming soon.
Author's note: To all you House and Cuddy fans, hang in there. I'm a big fan of them too and it pained me to write that. Just stay with me and keep reading. Thank you.
