7-
After a moment's silence, House suggested they walked back to his room. Once back in his room, after having had the chance to think about all that had been said and done in the garden, the atmosphere between them was a lot less tensed and cold than what it had been an hour and half prior.
"At times like these, I could really do with a nice cold beer" House said with a sigh.
"Tell me about it" laughed Wilson. "When you're leaving this place anyway?" After all, this was the question he had been burning to ask ever since he had walked in. Such a place didn't befit his best friend. Not at all.
"Ah, the big question. Soon, I think. My shrink says I'm pretty ripe." He laughed. "I still need to find a way to deal with the pain and to keep away from the Vicodin. The hallucinations are gone. So that's a relief. It's just I've started thinking about all those things now, and I don't know what to do about them. But obviously I'm not going to be able to do anything about my 'pushing people away ' issues locked up in here. So I'll need to get out sometime soon. Before this place really drives me crazy." They laughed. For the moment I'm just content seeing my shrink and figuring things out. "
"That's the big question: 'Who am I? What am I? Where am I going?' " He laughed." But don't worry, no one actually finds the answer to these.
Another silent.
House broke it: "How are you anyway? It's just me these days. Everything okay at the hospital? How are you cancer kids? How's your luuuuv life?" He winked.
Wilson laughed good-heartedly, recognizing his friend's bantering. "I'm fine. Work is the same, you know. The team's doing good, under Foreman's lead. Pretty sure him and Thirteen have split up though. Chase and Cameron are sickingly happy."
"Cuddy?" House asked.
"Cuddy, hey?" Wilson laughed. "She's doing fine. It's hard managing a hospital and raising a baby on your own, but she's strong, we know that. We didn't really talk about what had happened to you before the phone call the other day. I mean, she'd ask me if I had any news and I would tell her anything I knew but we didn't talk about why or how it had happened. I guess she still feels guilty about some things. And we both felt bad about the fact that we hadn't seen it coming, you know. We had no idea what you were going through. I should have seen the signs. I mean, such a quick detox…"
"Yeah, well, no one could know, not even me, so…" House cut in.
"I'll keep a closer eye on you in the future, anyway." Wilson laughed. "If Cuddy lets me, that is." He winked. "I have the feeling she wants you all for herself." He laughed some more.
House raised an interrogative eyebrow. "Yes?"
"Yes!" Wilson laughed. "I'm pretty sure you couldn't screw this one up, even if you tried."
"Yeah, I still need to figure how I'm gonna manage it."
Wilson was worried all of a sudden: "What do you mean? You are going to give this a try, aren't you?" He looked quite panicked.
"If that's what she wants. I'm talking of my general 'I don't know how to show people I care' problem" offered House.
Wilson was visibly relieved. "Well, take the time you need." And then, as an afterthought: "But not too long, we really do miss you."
"Ok, ok, Mr Puppylove, that's enough." House laughed.
Wilson joined in, shrugging. "Time for me to go anyway. It was nice seeing you. You seem to be doing good. Keep up the good work with the shrink."
"I will." They hugged for the second time this evening.
"See you soon outside."
"Yes."
"Let me know the day you leave, I'll come take you home" suggested Wilson.
"Ok. Thanks. Say hi to Cuddy. Don't say anything to the rest, if they ask, just don't mention you saw me. I still don't know how I'm going to handle them."
"Ok" agreed Wilson, opening the door to House's room "But don't worry too much about it. Just…"He paused. "Just take of yourself, ok?"
"Same to you" smiled House.
And with that, Wilson stepped out and closed the door to his friend's room.
