Author's Note: Yay new chapter! Yay longer chapter! Yay for readers still reading! :) I'll try to spice up the action/drama next chapter. ;)
Lisa walked through the halls of the hospital, or she should say in the future, her hospital. She grasped House's cane between her fingers, gripping it tightly enough so she wouldn't drop it, but loosely enough so that it swung rhythmically along with her strides. It was partially hidden behind her, as she meant it to be, lest someone somehow make a connection with it, her, and the particular patient she was going to visit. Conscious of its pendulum-like movement, Lisa held it tighter, arm pressing gently on her hip. She wondered, as always, if she was making a mistake in doing this supposed 'good deed', or whatever she thought it to be. The blinds were shut, as requested, so she still had time to turn back with a more-or-less good conscience.
The purpose of her visit was not only for niceties, pleasantries, or small talk. She, well, she wasn't sure what the purpose was, precisely, but as far as the present level of her mind knew, she was also attempting to badger him to take the job. Before he was released from the hospital and possibly - something. Maybe he would run away to another country. Whatever the reason, Lisa felt that doing this was a 'sort of' life-or-death matter. As well, though she wouldn't admit, she really wanted to be thanked, in a true and not sarcastic way. Maybe she was just vain like that.
Having made up her mind - 'sort of' - Lisa took a deep breath, as always wondering at her jitteriness. She passed one of the attending nurses, Chrissy, on her way there. Ridiculously, she felt like she was being watched. Not really in that 'creepy stalker' way, more like 'co-workers noticing her actions' way. But there! One of the male nurses glanced at her! No. She was being paranoid. Of course they'd look at her. She (believed that she) had a somewhat commanding presence, and if she was most-likely-sort-of-probably-almost-certainly going to be the Dean of Medicine, of course they were going to look at her, if not try to suck up to her. Even at her current position as the Head people were apt to pay her attention, and sometimes that 'the boss is here' edge of wariness. Shaking her head to clear it, Lisa slid open the door with the hand that held the cane.
She saw House, who was sitting - legs an inch or so off the ground - on the side of the bed. She noticed him start just slightly at her sudden appearance. Lisa also noticed his eyes definitely looking at the cane in her hand quizzically. She swallowed, wondering why her mouth was always dry in his presence. He didn't turn his head to look at her, merely flicked his crystalline eyes in her direction before looking down again. He seemed to be either preoccupied, ignoring her, or both. She noticed a dark object between his palms and she wondered at it.
"I have your cane", she said weakly, holding it out. Wow. Superb opening sentence. Could win awards for that.
His lips twisted into a wry smile. "I noticed", he said, raising his eyebrows. He didn't ask how. He probably knew anyway. Lisa saw a metallic thing that passed for a temporary cane off in a corner. She wondered if he had used it, or if he had been too proud for it, and just limped around when necessary. Her lips turning down ever so slightly, she walked two steps forward. House dropped the object on top of the upturned sheets. It was a cell phone. Lisa took another step, hurriedly this time, and pressed the cane into his palm. She smiled, brightly but also nervously. More awkwardness was not fun.
House spun it slowly in his fingers, his hand almost automatically clasping over the handle. "Thanks", he muttered, obviously grudgingly, but she was happy to hear it. Holding onto it, he stood up, reminding Lisa how tall he was. He wavered, unsure of what he was doing, or had been planning on doing. He turned to look at her. "Thanks." This time it was a dismissal. She wasn't going to take the hint that easily. Of course, he knew that too, but one could always hope.
"Have you thought about the job?", she asked, a little more eagerly than she had meant. There was a heart-dropping length of silence. Her smile slowly faded.
"Obviously you have", he said. Did this evasion mean 'yes'? Lisa wished she was better at reading people. Not as good as, say, House, but... better.
"Wouldn't you like having a team working for you?" She knew that, at least, he preferred it to working for someone else. She knew he was probably very qualified for the position, but the fact was that he had no job experience in the field. The others were going to resent her if she allowed him the job, too. The latter issue wasn't of much importance, it was just the first she was a little worried about. Lisa was willing to take risks, and she knew, she knew that he was a good doctor but she wasn't sure. She was willing to take risks, but not lawsuits.
"I would like to get out of this room", he responded.
More evasion. His hand slid out of the cane as he sat back down on the bed. This was so confusing. Lisa wondered if he'd ever talk about what had happened that day, in more detail than that one miraculous night of confession. If he was being evasive about that, she wondered what it would take to learn his past. She had already given up on her 'ultimatum'. She had been bluffing, anyway. She just didn't expect the reaction he had to it. She had just been curious. The current Dean was pressuring her to hire at least one doctor. But Lisa didn't want any doctor but House, and House didn't want to be there. Well. She wasn't sure.
"The Vicodin", she said suddenly, bravely, though she was scared of his reaction. "Why? Couldn't you have chosen anoth-"
"It works for me", he said flatly, interrupting her.
Lisa was relieved he had answered, rather than dismissed her from the room. This was a good sign. She continued on. "What do you mean? You've used it before?"
"For years."
Years?! That was a long time. Lisa had thought he had just been desperate and been prescribed a potent drug recently... not that he had been using it for years. Not for the first time Lisa wondered how much pain he was perpetually in. "But- It's addictive, isn't it?"
"Not in prescribed amounts." Was he lying to her? Maybe. He got up without warning and paced around the room a few times, limping on his cane. She wondered if he was completely aware of his actions, or if it was just a natural thing.
Lisa backed up against the wall to give House more room to maneuver. She couldn't think of another question that he wouldn't shoot down and/or be angry about. Her eyes travelled left, right, left, right as she watched him. It was almost dizzying. He stopped his movement. "I need to change", he said abruptly, clearly dismissing her. "Unless you want-"
"Right, okay", she said, unable to stop a blush from spreading. "Have a good day." Lisa quickly stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her and exhaling. That had been absolutely, brutally exhausting, to hold a conversation like that. Well, at least it was an exercise for the mind. Biting her lip, she turned to look at the closed blinds once before walking away.