"House MD" Speculative Fiction

Owned by David Shore

Title: "Beethoven's Damnation"

Author: Aquarius Seth

Disclaimers: Mr. D. Shore owns the rights which he allowed Fox network to air the show to the great enjoyment of "House, MD" fans. Fox Network shares the syndication profits with USA Networks. The handling companies in between are Heel-Toe Productions, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Z Shore Productions and NBC Universal (?) I believe. I am not making money off of this in any way; I'm just staying semi-rationale. Thanks.

Rating R just to make life easier.

Word Count: 2,244

(Wilson, House)

Chapter Seven: Scorched Ground

Our paths haven't crossed at all. Not that either of us is trying to find each other. I've nursed my heartache with a couple extra shots of bourbon at night and an extra anti-depressant halfway through my workday. I hope I still look like normal. I've emerged myself with my patient care and updating my charts. Ever since Foreman started his clinical trial work, House's clinic paperwork has slowly began to pile up again. I do them and drop them off at Records every time he has any.

Luckily for us he's been so busy with his patients that no one has noticed how we are not speaking as much as we were before. Not that we're back to our normal bantering but that's to be expected.

Then out of the blue he shows up at my door in the middle of the night and asks, "Should I ask Cuddy out?"

If my heart still had a slight pulse that question stopped it cold. I wanted to yell at him "No you're mine" but what could I do?

His actions are clear enough.

"Yes go ahead. Give it a try, have a normal relationship." I say or at least I think I said that. I have no idea what the hell came out of my mouth but I knew I had said yes. He hesitates ever so slightly but I turn away and make a big deal of getting ready to go back to bed, alone. He left before I could sum up the courage to ask him to go.

If I thought that night was bad enough he then gives me updates on his attempts to get a date with Cuddy. I some how manage to keep encouraging his attempts even though it kills me every time. I'm beginning to suspect he is just torturing me because he can.

Then the world stopped when I found out some crazed patient with a gun had House and other people hostage in Cuddy's office. I went through my rounds again unable to stay still but unable to leave either. My patients commented on the odd behavior-as I talked to Nurse Brenda and the rest of the staff, on how to get people evacuated in case we needed to.

We cleared the floors above Cuddy's office and I took care of moving patients to other hospitals through an ambulance bay that was not visible from Cuddy's office. I handed Peterson all the patient files I could get safely and he went with them to Princeton General. I couldn't leave, I wanted to but I couldn't leave House.

I went back to my office and caught up on my files and handled patient care questions from Peterson and the rest of Princeton General's staff through out the crisis. When Cuddy called my cell phone to let me know that House had stayed behind I rushed through the empty hallway and threw up in the bathroom. I felt my tears as they burned their way out of my tear ducts, into my eye and down my face.

I vaguely remembered hearing an all-clear announcement as I washed my face and dried my hands. I collected my briefcase and exited the back door. I did not need to see House and Cuddy give each other grateful, longing stares from across the room.

I upped my bourbon intake and took an extra pill that night just so I could sleep.

The next morning Cuddy went into House's office and nearly drove House insane by commenting on his patient's case. Not that I was called in for a consult-I heard all about it through the grapevine. Cuddy hadn't thanked any of the nursing staff for their help clearing out patients so I did her thanking for her but it wasn't the same. Even though the staff didn't show any signs of resentment I could only imagine what was going through their heads as I was giving out the thank you speech.

Nurse Brenda brought me a cup of coffee in my office a few minutes after the meeting. Knowing she had to get something off her chest I accepted the cup and watched as she stirred hers with a bit more force than necessary.

"We appreciate your attempt to cover for Cuddy Dr. Wilson." Oh yeah this wasn't going to be pleasant. She never addressed Cuddy as Cuddy. "We see what's going on between her and House, there are hundreds of empty rooms she could use instead of his. He's an idiot if he decides to take her up on her offer." Before I could utter a sound of protest she continued. "He needs her to reign him in and she's not, if she's all over him. He's a damned fool if he doesn't get his shit straight and come back to where he belongs." Without another word she turned and walked out of my office.

It wasn't until the next morning that I heard about Cuddy's hasty exit and House walking out with some blonde that night. I eyed my phone and lost myself in the oncology wing for the rest of the day. I hoped and prayed Cuddy didn't call me. I could not be her shoulder to cry on. There was no way in hell I could ever do that.

While I was focused on my patients and my cell phone I never realized House had tracked me down. I literally bumped into him as I walked out of a patient's room. I groaned and rubbed my chin as I tightened my grip on my file.

"When are you free for lunch?" He asked as I turned away and started to leaf through my file.

"I'm not, I'm working all the way through. Dr. Peterson has asked me to cover his shift at General tonight." I explained as I walked towards the nurse's station.

"And you said yes because?" House asked as I left my file and answered a few questions for the nurse. After she nodded she shot House an evil glance and walked away from us.

"Because he came in last week."

"I didn't see him."

"Of course not. As I recall you were being held hostage at the time." Before he could ask I cut him off. "I interrupted his vacation time so now I have to cover his shift. He and his wife are going on their second honeymoon."

"Aren't there other oncologists in the state of New Jersey? I think New York could spare one." He commented.

"We don't like other doctor's dealing with our patient's files. Now if you'll excuse me I've got a ton of work to do." His hand clasped my elbow holding me still.

" 'We?' 'Our?' " I pulled my elbow free and looked at him for the first time during this conversation.

"Yes 'we, our' he is my colleague and we do work together. Now if you'll excuse me." It took everything I had to not sprint down the hall in order to get away from him.

What I told House wasn't necessarily a lie. I volunteered to cover Peterson's shift as a thank you for coming in. Thanks to that ever efficient grapevine we call a nursing staff- the honeymoon lie seemed to have a solid footing whenever a doctor asked. House bought it and I was able to get some sleep without any sleeping aides.

I had gotten used to taking care of Peterson's workload and he didn't protest too much when we managed to catch up on all of his pending patients. I took an hour break in between my shift ending and his beginning and went to the diner to grab some food.

We got our work done and ended up talking about a variety of different things as we went over paperwork.

"I heard Cuddy's office was completely trashed." He commented.

"Yeah. It's being remodeled." I replied as I signed another chart.

"I hear the nurses at PPTH aren't as happy as they usually are."

"You're hearing right. Hopefully everything will cool down soon."

"Has Dr. Cuddy noticed the difference?"

"If she has, she's not showing any signs."

"Hopefully she'll get her head out of her ass and stop them from committing mutiny. Even the nurses here are taking bets how long it'll be before we see another picket line outside PPTH's doors." I winced.

"Please don't say that. I don't think we can handle another strike."

"That's what's going to happen if she doesn't get her head back on straight and you know it." I nodded and opened another file. "We hear they are chasing each other. It's moved beyond his comments on her figure." Another nod as I tried to focus on the file. "He's an asshole James. Why do you want him?" I looked up to see him closely studying me. Before I could even remember his name we heard a familiar limp come down the hall.

"Oh shit." I whispered and tried to stop myself from shaking. Peterson got up and went to a medicine cabinet. He came back with a needle and a swab. He pushed my sleeve a bit further up and injected me with whatever was in the needle. I watched as he recapped the needle and shoved it into his coat pocket. I lowered my sleeve and soon felt my jumpy nerves calm down.

He had given me a sedative and I shot him a grateful look as the door opened. We both glanced at the door and House was standing there. He had caught the end of my expression and frowned ever so slightly.

"I thought you had gone home for the night?" He asked while never looking at Peterson. "Weren't you on your honeymoon?" He asked Peterson as he shifted those blue eyes away from me.

"Not that it's any of your business Dr. House but my wife had a client she had to deal with. What are you doing here?" I forgot that Peterson could lie with the best of them.

"I saw your car in the parking garage and recalled Wilson saying he was covering your shift so I got curious." House offered as he directed his gaze back towards me. Before I could open my mouth Peterson cut me off.

"Oh sorry Dr. House. You missed the group sex seminar by five minutes. They'll be back next week though." My nerves threatened to override the sedative as House took a menacing step into the room.

"I've asked the nurses and all of your patients are asleep. You are going home right now Wilson, that stupid paperwork can wait." I wanted to say something, anything but I found myself handing over my file to Peterson.

"Good night Jack." I muttered as I followed House out of the hospital.

It wasn't until we had climbed into a cab and were halfway back to House's apartment that I realized I had called Peterson Jack. Jack wasn't his first name. Jack was the name of the kid's file I had been working on. Peterson's first name was Robert. I know House wouldn't have missed that screw up but he didn't comment on it as the taxi dropped us off. House paid the fare and gave a guy a decent tip before leading me to his front door.

I had just closed the door behind me when he caught my biceps and squeezed it.

"What did Peterson give you?" I looked at him as he pointedly looked at the tattletale bruise on my arm.

"He gave me a sedative that's all." His fingers shot to the side of my neck and began taking my pulse rate.

"Did you tell him you were self-medicating on anti-depressants and booze before he gave it to you?" I pulled away slightly and his glare had me pinned to the door. "You don't remember putting me on you're e-mail's cc list? I got every single e-mail requesting and granting prescription refills. I requested your bank statement and noticed an alarming amount of booze purchases over the passed few weeks."

"You have no right to…."

"I have no right? I have every single right! You are my best friend and occasionally a lover. You don't think I wouldn't notice how you're hiding away in Oncology?"

"I'm an oncologist. I work…."

"Don't try giving me that bullshit. I thought…." He cut himself off and focused on his watch. "Come on, if you pass out on me I can't drag you to bed." I had just sat down on the edge of his bed when I felt the full effects of the sedative. I let him take off my shoes and guide me to lie down on my side. I didn't protest I just let him take charge.

I was asleep before I could glance up at his alarm clock.

To Be Continued.