I know this is a short chapter, but I'll post longer ones.

Also, I know that House can seem a bit OOC, but in canon, in quite intense moments when he is all alone, he shows he has feelings and that he is hurting. This could be considered a quite intense moment and I decided that I was going to let Wilson get a bit inside his shields because of his illness. Of course, you can complain about it, if you want.

Chapter 2:

Seven months before

"Have you solved the puzzle?" asked Wilson, his voice trembling.

"I think so." House answered, without looking at the oncologist, yet. "But I need your confirmation." Actually, he didn't need the confirmation. But he had the ludicrous hope that he could be wrong in his own diagnosis.

House sat up and put the dossier on the table of the oncologist, who looked at it as if it was a bomb on the verge of exploding. Not that it wasn't that.

Once he finished studying the dossier, he stayed looking at it for a long time, knowing that the unshed tears in his eyes would be too evident to House if he looked at his friend. It was a bad type of cancer, one of the worst ones.

"It's cancer, isn't it?" came the subdued voice of the diagnostician. When House saw that his friend was having a hard time in finding his voice, he knew he was right. So, he continued talking. "I want you as my doctor".

Only then, Wilson found his voice although he still was avoiding looking at his friend. "I… I can't."

"Why not?" It was the almost angry response to his refusal. "You're the best oncologist in this damned hospital and of the whole state. And I want the best."

"Sorry, House. I can't be your doctor. You must understand, please." He lifted his gaze and looked into those impossibly blue eyes. "Too… too emotionally involved." He explained to House while two twin tears escaped from his eyes.

He saw the understanding in House's eyes as his anger abated. It was a rule of that profession of them: you mustn't treat those you care about, because it's impossible to remain objective.

"Any suggestion, then?" House asked calmer.

Wilson told him about one of the best oncologists of his Department, Dr. Davey, and House agreed to him. Although to say that he agreed could be an exaggeration. He simply said: "OK, whoever you want, but I don't want to hear you complaining about me terrorizing your colleagues." That gained a weak smile of Wilson who told his friend that he himself would be the one to give the dossier to his colleague.

After the meeting of the two oncologists, the treatment of House's illness started immediately.