Hell Week
Author: Prospero Hibiki
Disclaimer: See first chapter
Rating: M (Because it makes things even funnier)
Author's Comments: Expect different things. Laughter and tears. All is fair game. Buckle into your seat and don't stand up on the rollercoaster.
IMPORTANT: I uploaded 3 new chapters today. If you're reading this without reading the previous 2 you are missing IMPORTANT THINGS.
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"Battle Lines"
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"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
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For a week that's thus far been about cutting loose and kicking back, I've expended an incredible amount of effort and gotten very little sleep. I just hope that this whole plan works out as I intend it to. Everyone probably thinks that this whole thing is about House. For good reason too. I've done my best to make it seem that way. It's also somewhat true. But only somewhat.
It's been no secret that I'm attracted to House. Hell, everyone in the freaking hospital seems to know about it. I can't count the number of pitying looks I've gotten from people when they don't think I can see them. Apparently I'm some tragic figure in an unrequited romance.
Fuck that.
House himself once said that I shouldn't be a doctor because I was pretty. That I worked much harder than I should have otherwise had to work. That I was damaged.
So what if I am damaged? I'm still that same woman who was willing to work for something that I want. It's just that what I want has changed. Or rather maybe I should say who I want has changed.
House wouldn't accept a relationship with a mooning cow-eyed girl. He might have an affair with such a person, but he'd roll right over her with his personality and kick her to the curb pretty quickly. I doubt he'd be able to respect such a person. More to the point, I don't think I'd be able to respect myself if that was the sort of relationship I got into with him.
So how do I get House to acknowledge that I can stand up to him as an equal when I want to not taking any crap from him? How can I show him the parts of my personality that I just don't like using when I'm at the hospital? How do I prove that it's not weakness on my part when I go through my professional life being a kind and caring person?
Well I think he might be starting to get the message.
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This morning's outfit is carefully chosen. Despite my discussion with Wilson last night before I left work I decide to move ahead with what I'd originally planned to do.
Thursday was always meant to be something resembling a combination of Monday's tactics and what happened Tuesday. However while I'll still be launching a full scale assault on House's perceptions of me, I'm going to be cutting way back on the pranks. Mostly today is going to be super glue and air horns. Good times.
The only problem I've had by the time I arrive at the hospital is that I'd forgotten just how stiff these pants are before they conform to my body. Luckily for me that happens rather quickly, but for a few moments I'd been worried that I'd be chaffing all day. Which would have been a real shame. I love these pants.
The outfit is mostly the same as I wore on Monday. Same leather jacket, boots, and helmet. The tank top is just a fraction tighter and blue this time instead of red. But the real change is the leather pants that look like they were painted on. It's not that fake crap either. Real honest to god leather. On the outsides of my legs there are two inch wide laced up gaps that show skin from my boots to my upper thigh. I've never had to ask a guy if they liked my pants. Somethings a girl just knows.
There are no games played in the lobby this morning. I frankly don't care what anyone there thinks of what I'm wearing. I'm walking with purpose towards the elevator and only vaguely hear the sudden silence. The quiet whispered exclamation does make it to my ears though and I can't help but smile when I'm sure no one can see it. "That poor bastard doesn't stand a chance."
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I'm about to barge into House's office and begin the assault when Wilson grabs my arm from behind and drags me into his office. Well crap. This can't be good. He looks really pissed off at me. We're talking You just ran over my dog and then laughed at me level of pissed off. Surely he can't be this upset about the slinky thing.
"Well I hope you're happy with yourself." Hunh?
"I thought it was pretty funny. They're slinkys everyone likes them. I figure if enough people actually sign we could actually do it. It'd be fun."
Now he's practically yelling at me. "Not that. I'm talking using your deal with House against him with Cuddy."
I can feel the blood draining from my face. No. No no no. What the hell is going on? "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. The only people I've told about the deal have been you and House himself." I back up until I can sit on the couch with my face in my hands. Maybe it's not that bad. Maybe it's nothing. But then I think about the look in House's eyes yesterday and I know that it's not nothing. "What has Cuddy done?"
Wilson is still clearly angry, but at least he seems willing to entertain the possibility that this isn't my fault. "She somehow convinced him to be the keynote speaker at a medical conference in Vegas. He leaves tomorrow and won't be back until Tuesday. He was really pissed off about it last night. Apparently Cuddy left him the impression that you had something to do with it."
"Damn it!" Just when things were starting to go so well the wicked bitch of the hospital had to screw it all to hell. I grab the closest thing nearby and throw it at one of the solid walls. From the shattering sound I realize that it was a glass candy dish. "Sorry about that. I'll get you a replacement."
"That's fine. I take it by your reaction that you didn't set this up."
No shit! "A medical conference with House on stage as a keynote speaker? Seriously? He'd rather gouge his eyes out with a fork. I don't even bother to ask him about them when I get the invitations in the mail. I just throw them out." The look Wilson is giving me is kind of silly. "Please, do you have any idea how many requests to speak he gets every month? It's ridiculous." Standing up I set my jaw and head towards the door.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'm off to drop a House one someone."
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I brush straight by Cuddy's secretary and push through into her office proper. She's not seen me yet so I request her attention in the most polite manner I can at the moment.
HOOOOOOOOOOOONNNKKKKKKKK!
I'm not feeling all that polite at the moment. But I really love this air horn. It's also really amusing watching her attempt to pull herself together after I just scared the crap out of her.
"Good morning, Dr Cuddy. How are you today?"
"Dr Cameron, just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" She's running red hot and radiating fury. Me, I'm taking the opposite approach at the moment.
My voice when it comes out is the type of ice cold that cuts into a person's bones. No one who hears me has any doubts as to what I'm feeling. "That's quite the coincidence. I was wondering that very thing about you." I seat myself into the chair in front of her desk quite properly, completely ignoring the fact that I'm dressed in the sexiest leather outfit I've ever worn into the hospital. "It's come to my attention that Dr House is going to a conference in Vegas and leaves tomorrow. I find this especially interesting since I hadn't realized he'd changed his mind since I personally sent his regrets that he would not be attending as their keynote speaker."
"Clearly Dr House has changed his mind." It's not much but I can see a somewhat uncomfortable look in Cuddy's eyes once I mention the previous declining of the invitation.
"Let's cut out the bullshit here." Now that shocked her. I guess that Cuddy doesn't realize where I stand on this. Which I suppose doesn't bode well for what she must have said to House. "What did you say to him to make him go to this? He hates public speaking with a passion, which is a real shame since he's really good at it."
"So you think he should speak there as well?"
I can only stare at her in complete shock. "Are you high or something? No, think this is a horrible idea! He'll be miserable. I'd never in a million years sign him up as a keynote speaker which is why I rejected that invitation out of hand." Only now do I realize that I'm standing and have knocked over my chair.
"Dr House is a important resource of this hospital that needs to contribute to our medical program more than he does. If you recall he recently cost this hospital an enormous amount of money when Vogler pulled his funding. I feel that he should have a hand in restoring our reputation."
"Dr House also is the best doctor you have on staff. Don't bother to deny that fact either because I've heard you telling other doctors, donors, and even patients that. He's also the most widely published doctor in this hospital. He's published more articles in various professional journals than any other three doctors combined. And you don't even know that because he doesn't submit the paperwork so he could get the bonuses the hospital offers for those articles that enhance the reputation of the hospital."
I'm yelling now and I can't find it in me to stop. "You talk about the reputation of this hospital as if it's not something that he's had a huge hand in building. I'm the one who does his mail. I'm the one that sees the dozens of requests he gets each month from around the world to speak. I'm the one that has been editing his articles so that the journals are flat out begging him for more. I'm the one that reads through every consult request from countries that you might not even know exist. Don't fucking tell me that he needs to do more for this hospital's reputation!" When I see that she's about to open her mouth to say something I cut her off.
"But none of that matters. You're technically his boss, so if you manage to convince him to speak at one of these conferences that's your business. What is my business is when you somehow use me to do it when I had no hand in it. How fucking dare you use me against him." My voice has gone cold again and I'm leaning over her desk. "I don't know what you think you figured out about our deal for my coming back, but I can assure you that whatever it is is wrong. I'm going to tell him the truth, that I had nothing to do with this. I'm going to tell him that he can do whatever the hell he wants without any repercussions on my part. I'm also not going to be coming into the hospital until Tuesday."
I spin on my heel and start to walk off when Cuddy's voice causes me to turn back to her. "He's never going to change. He's never going to become a guy you can love. He'll always be the same person he's always been. He's not going to suddenly become a better man no matter what you try."
"That right there's always been your problem. You try to change him, to use him, to make him a better man. You're completely overlooking the one thing I've always known about him. He's already that better man. Why would I want to change him? He's already someone I can love just the way he is."
"You'd ruin your career over him?"
I can't help but laugh at this. Maybe she really is this stupid where House is concerned. "You don't actually think I came back to this hospital because I missed the work do you? I was the student of the famous Dr Gregory House and he wrote me a letter of recommendation that most doctors would cut off an arm for. I could go to any hospital in the country and practically write my own ticket. I came back because he wanted me to. I came back because he showed he was willing to do anything to get me back. He could have backed out of the whole thing and I still would have come back. And if he left I'd follow him."
I can't stand the idea of being in the same room as this ungrateful witch any longer. I step through the doors of her office that apparently didn't shut after I stormed in. And neither did the ones to the clinic. Apparently my voice carried quite well. Everyone in the vicinity is staring at me. Including House. Perfect.
I continue on my way out of the hospital without a backward glance.
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End "Battle Lines"
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Chapter Notes: This chapter had one of the scenes that this story was designed around. I'm hoping that it reads as well as I've pictured it in my head. That being said, I'd really appreciate some reviews on this chapter telling me what you think about it. Also, as some of you may have noticed I've updated 3 chapters today so if you skipped straight to this one you might have missed something important.