Chapter 2
Chase, Cameron and Foreman sat in the cafeteria eating lunch. Cameron just finished describing the morning's events when Chase looked up from his sandwich, "Ok, so House was early, Wilson was late. They both had wet hair. That doesn't mean anything."
"It's just odd, that's all."
"Oh, come on Cameron," Foreman said, "You don't honestly believe that Wilson would do House?"
Cameron thought on that for a minute and nodded her head, there was just no way. "Speaking of Wilson, he's lending me a manual and I forgot to ask him for it earlier. I'm just going to run and get it, be right back."
"Cameron, wait a minute. I'll go. House just paged me, wants me to meet him in his office." Chase stood from the table, put his pager away and motioned for Cameron to sit back down.
"Why would he page just you and not all of us?" Cameron said as she sat back down.
"No idea. Who knows why House does anything anyway?" Chase held his hand up in a quick wave and headed off.
"Oh, and by the way I told Cuddy I spent the night with 'Wanda' to throw her off a bit. Just play along. Chase should be here any minute, I just paged him. When I give the signal, come on in and give me the rose. Now Wilson, this is your moment, your one and only chance on the big Broadway stage. I want a performance worthy of a standing ovation and an encore. Feel your character, be the charact…"
"If you don't shut up, he's going to be here before I can get outside this room."
Wilson left and just managed to get into position outside of House's office when House nodded his head. Wilson put on his absolute best 'shy boy in love' act with his head tilted slightly down while looking up at House, red rose behind his back. House did equally as convincing an act. He nodded his head again and Wilson handed him the rose and House every so coyly accepted it, in a 'gosh you shouldn't have' sort of way. The two men embraced and to play the part convincingly, House actually hugged back.
"Wanda Wilson, I wuv you," House said, nearly cracking a smile. This was just too much fun.
Chase walked in, not believing what he had just seen. Wanda Wilson? WANDA? House wuvs Wanda? Should he wait for this obviously personal moment to pass, should he leave? Cameron was right, Wilson and House were involved! And with pet names for each other. He could only imagine what Wilson called House. Just then, House glanced at Chase and feigned embarrassment at being caught with his secret lover.
"Now House, that's the sort of hug I give to all my dying cancer patients. It would do you good to at least try and hug back in the event a patient hugs you," Wilson mumbled while trying to sound like he was hiding something.
"Right, like I'd ever hug a patient" House replied, trying to sound like his usual self, "and just what…" House gave a little show of mocked embarrassment at having been given the rose without knowing what to do with it, "and what should I do with this?"
"Oh, I found it. On the floor, I thought it was yours." Wilson looked sheepish.
"Right," House turned his attention to Chase, "So I paged you Chase. See you later Wilson, I'm sure you have dying bald people to hug."
"I can come back later," Chase mumbled, "give the two of you some time if you need it."
"Oh that? Oh no, that, that was just Wilson being Wan…Wilson. You know, the hugging oncologist. He was just trying to show me the finer points of hugging a patient, against my will of course." House stammered, "No, no. He's got work to do." Wilson promptly left and headed for his office. He didn't want Chase to see him laugh uncontrollably.
"So, you paged?"
"Right, I just wanted you to know that I have four extra clinic hours this week with your name on them." House actually didn't have any extra hours but he needed an excuse.
"Ya, thanks for that. Happy Valentine's Day to you too." Chase was sure House was hiding his relationship with Wilson and was just trying to get rid of him. Wanda Wilson, who knew? He left to find Cameron.
"Did you see the look on his face?" Wilson was ecstatic. House smiled. "And who knew, Greg House actually knows how to hug." Wilson raised an eyebrow and eyed House.
"It was all an act. What about the rose? You found it on the floor? That was less than encore worthy." House joined Wilson in his office.
"Well, that was the best I could come up with on the spot. Chase bought it."
"Chase is a sap." Both men chuckled. House set out two small paper cups and poured a shot of single malt whiskey in each and handed one to Wilson.
"We're at work House," Wilson took the cup anyway.
"It's ten minutes until checkout, drink up."
"Cheers." Wilson looked at House and shook his head, "You are having way too much of a good time with this. What do you think they're doing right now?"
House smiled, "Oh, right about now Chase is telling Cameron and Foreman all about the rose and 'Wanda Wilson'. Then they will tell Cuddy, Cuddy will sink into her couch in her office and wonder what the hell's going on in her hospital and then she'll come up with a plan to confront us with tomorrow."
"Not that you've thought this through or anything." Wilson downed his shot and watched House set his on the desk, "Aren't you going to drink that?"
"In a minute. I just got an idea, be right back."
Wilson shrugged, grabbed House's glass and downed his too. House took the elevator to the clinic and peeked out. Just as he thought, Cameron was talking to an obviously shocked Cuddy. House hobbled back up to the office and found Wilson on his third or possibly fourth shot.
"Hey, save some for me would you?"
"Sorry. Damn, I had a budget meeting with Cuddy scheduled."
"You can't show up hammered. You've had enough, too much. You can't drive home like this."
"You aren't my mother."
House smiled, "Now we sound like a married couple." Wilson laughed.
"I have an idea anyway, but we have to move quickly. Let me drive you home. Cuddy and Cameron are near the clinic, so they'll see us leave together."
Wilson was feeling the effects of the whiskey, not so much so that he couldn't help but feel this little ruse was fun but had run its course. Admittedly though, he couldn't argue with House, he knew he shouldn't drive.
"Ok, but then that's it and we give up on this prank tomorrow. It can't go on forever."
"Ok, let's go." House popped a vicodin, twirled his cane and headed towards the elevators.
"Wait House."
"What?"
"I've come up with a name for you," Wilson watched House smile, intrigued.
"Poppy."
"Poppy? That's the best you could come up with?"
Wilson gathered his thoughts, "You pop vicodin all day long, and it's what my grandmother called my grandfather."
House smiled, "Perfect."
