Chapter 9 – Call Me a Doormat

House had barely slept and knew that playing his guitar was completely out of the question. He'd dressed about 2 am, gathered a few of his things together and had gone back to his own apartment to play the piano. He needed an outlet, something to relieve the depression he felt settling in. He'd played for a few hours before finally laying down to a fitful sleep, the pain in his leg seemed excruciating.

Work the next morning was miserable. House was worried that Wilson had been considering the liver donation. To House, that idiot Tucker was far from worth Wilson jeopardizing his own health for. He really didn't want to tax his friendship with Wilson further but his inclination was to go down there and give Tucker a verbal bashing. To do that would be to alienate Wilson completely so House refrained.

He hadn't tried texting Maya yet today, she hadn't answered in days and he couldn't see a point in trying. He really felt lonely this morning and the ibuprofen didn't seem to be doing a thing to touch the pain in his leg. He'd managed to muddle through most of the morning without completely ripping his team to shreds. Finally Wilson had entered his office.

He looked up questioningly at Wilson; he hadn't spoken to him since last night when Wilson had told him to get out. He said nothing, just waited for him to say why he'd sought him out.

"Call me a doormat, get it all out of your system, but I'm doing it."

"Why?" was all House could reply with.

"I didn't come for an argument."

"Why are you here? Wanna make sure that I've called the moving van?"

"No." Now Wilson just looked sheepish. "The operation is in two hours and I'd like you to be there with me."

House seemed to ponder this for a second. "No," he finally replied adamantly.

Wilson looked thoroughly stunned at that. "Wha.. Why?"

House looked more vulnerable and genuine in that moment than Wilson had ever seen him. "Because, if you die… I could end up alone." With that House looked around as the full weight of what he'd admitted sunk in. He said nothing further, just sat down at his desk rubbing his scarred thigh to relieve the sudden onset of increased pain.

Wilson stared at him and suddenly realized the full impact of his decision. He'd been manipulated and because of his misplaced feelings of guilt he'd succumbed. But it wasn't just about him, other people counted on him, cared about him. He thought about how there were so few people in the world that House trusted enough to care about. He was closer than the brother that resided in the mental institution. He was family, and Wilson felt the weight of responsibility that comes with family, of being needed for more than just your professional expertise or spare organs. He couldn't back out on this now, not so much because of Tucker, but because of Melissa. But he did now regret his impetuous decision and wished above all else that his best friend would be there with him. House was a pain in the ass, but he was loyal to a fault. He'd proved that loyalty at the conference a couple of months ago. He cared deeply, more so than most gave him any credit for, and he was a true friend. Wilson needed to keep that in mind in the future.

House on the other hand did feel vulnerable. He was pretty sure now that he wouldn't hear from Maya again but maybe because of that he felt safe to unveil himself a little. Rubbing his thigh with one hand he reached for his phone with the other. He dialed her phone feeling certain that she was in class. After several rings he heard her familiar voice:

"Joe's bar and grill, leave a message don't empty the till."

"Maya, its Greg. I'm not really sure why I'm calling. Looks like you figured out I'm not worth your time. I… my friend… Wilson… he's having surgery in a couple of hours; donating part of his liver to some loser. I feel… God… never mind… shit… I wish I could erase this damn thing. Have a good fucking life!"

Maya had been knee deep in finals. She'd avoided Greg, he was such a distraction. Even without talking the suggestive text messages were a lot. They conjured such images of their two days together. She'd never felt such a connection with another person. Even with her parents there had never been that level of understanding or well connection was the only word for it even if it was cliché. There certainly hadn't been that kind of unique oneness with her ex, it was something spectacular and it was too much of a detour from her studies at this crucial time. Most of her finals though had now been turned in, she had two left to go but was so exhausted that she'd needed a nap. She'd been asleep for about 40 minutes when she heard her phone ringing. She'd been so heavily asleep it took forever for her to come to her senses to pick up her phone from the nightstand. She'd just missed the call. Damn! Why on earth was she so tired lately? Yeah she'd been up till all hours studying for finals but it wasn't like she'd never done that before. Maybe it was the realization that this was the last of it. She'd finally have her degree and be able to move on from school. Her phone beeped to indicate that the missed caller had left a message.

As Maya listened to the message she was stunned. She didn't realize that her lack of response to Greg over the last few days would be met with such insecurity in regards to their relationship or whatever it was. Well that just answered the question didn't it? If she couldn't even describe what it was that they had, why should she expect him to have faith in it? He sounded so forlorn about his friend. She could tell how he hated revealing that vulnerability in himself. She felt something warm within her that he had chosen her to be that vulnerable with and even though she was a bit scared of this thing with him and where it was going she knew that she desperately wanted it. To call him back at this point she knew would not be well received. She packed up what supplies she would need for studying the next couple of days before her last finals, programmed PPTH into the GPS in her phone, switched on the Bluetooth in her helmet and started up her bike. She wouldn't get there before the surgery started but maybe she could be with Greg while waiting for his friend to wake up.