Ok - if you are following this from before, please go back and read chapter 9 because I had to do a rewrite of it and this chapter might not make sense. If this is your first read of the story then you won't be affected. Please go back and read chapter 9 as well as the note at the beginning before reading this chapter. Review and let me know what you think.
Foreman walked in to Wilson's room to find him awake and propped up in bed. He looked like hell. He couldn't believe that he was here to do these tests on Wilson. It just didn't seem right, but he knew that he needed to be thorough. House would kill him if he missed something.
"Hey Wilson, how are you feeling?" Foreman asked.
"I've been better. I guess House sent you to check me out." Wilson stated.
"Actually it was Cuddy, but I'm sure House would have done it soon anyway. So anything that you have noticed that you want to tell me about? I guess we'll start with the basics and see what you remember and then we'll do the motor and sensory tests and as soon as you are all clear, I can have someone come in and get you washed up and ready. I wanted to clear you before they move you around too much as I figured your pain would probably spike and then as we both know, answers get more unreliable." Foreman explained.
"Alright, fire away. I can't remember anything after the wedding reception. Since I have woken up things are a little fuzzy. House said that he was telling me the same things over and over, but I'm pretty sure that is more due to the pain medication than anything else." Wilson admitted.
Foreman put him through the basic questions of who he was and where he was, the date, the president, remembering words that he told him, spelling things and identifying things. He did pretty good with all of it. His memory was good with the exception of the night in question. They were both pleased. Foreman tried to trigger some memories of the previous night, but Wilson was just drawing a blank.
Next Foreman got out his reflex hammer and his filaments to check sensation, reflexes and motor ability. He wasn't able to do much due to all of the injuries that Wilson had, but what he could get at seemed to be functioning OK. It appeared as though Wilson had been very lucky. Time would tell if any of the injuries were worse than they looked, but for now, Foreman was happy with what he saw. He was sure that Wilson's memory loss of the previous night was nothing to be worried about and that in time he would regain those memories.
He looked at the oncologist and realized that all of the testing had not only tired him out, but had certainly put him in some pain. They finished up their conversation and Foreman headed out to find Cuddy and House to share the good news about Wilson. On his way he stopped and asked the nurses to go in to assist Wilson and to get him some pain medication before they moved him as he was in a great amount of pain already.
House had been unable to go back to sleep after Cuddy had left. He got up slowly from the couch. Sure, his leg was better, but maybe not quite as good as he had led Cuddy to believe. He would be able to make it next door though. He slowly got to his feet. He gimped to the door. Then he pulled himself up and walked to the diagnostics office. He went to his office, turned on the lights and sat in his chair and heaved his leg up. No one would fault him for that or even think it strange. He waited. The pain wasn't subsiding. He tried a pillow under his knee and it helped a little. He laid back and waited for his team. Sure enough, within a few minute they were all in his office with questions.
Chase carefully eyed House. He was worried about the older doctor. He could see the pain etched around his mouth and eyes. He also saw the stiff way he was sitting. His leg was elevated which was normal, but there was a pillow under it as well. Chase knew that was a big clue. House would never do that unless the pain was bad. House noticed the examining look from Chase and did not appreciate it. Chase had been part of his team for quite a few years and had really started to be able to read House a little. Not to the degree that Wilson could, but he was more intuitive than anyone else on the team.
House started talking before the Austrailian could. "Foreman is checking out Wilson now. He's pretty beat up and he's a little confused, but I think he'll live to save more bald headed brats." he said. "Since Wilson is all sappy, I am sure he would want you guys to come and say hi. Once his pain is under control, I am sure that he is going to want to get out of here. He hates hospitals and he hates to be a bother to other people..." He said and he watched all of their faces take in the information and watch them struggle with what to say to him. They all mumbled their well wishes and empty offers of help. House continued right on to business. "So I hear we have a new case." he added.
"Well, we have a new case. Cuddy told us that we were not to let you near it until you were OK." Chase said.
"What exactly do you think is wrong with me? I walked in here on my own two, well two and a half feet, didn't I?" House snapped holding up his cane.
"Maybe she thought that you would want to be with Wilson more or something." Taub added.
"Well I'm not your babysitter, if you say you are fine, then you're fine. But you are also out of luck. It seems like the patient has cancer so we are pretty much done." Foreman said as he joined the group. "Pretty boring stuff."
"Are you sure that it is cancer? Maybe we need a consult from a certain boy wonder oncologist to confirm." House said.
"Are you serious? You are going to ask Wilson to consult on an open and shut case when he is a patient in the hospital?" Taub asked.
"Yeah, House that's low even for you. The man had surgery last night. He is in pain and on painkillers, do you really think that he needs to work on top of all that?" Foreman asked.
"I don't know. You are the neurologist. Did he pass all your tests?" House asked.
"Well, yes. Besides the memory of the incident, he seems to be neurologically intact." Foreman said.
"Then I think that is precisely what he needs. He needs something familiar. Something that gives him some sense of his identity. He's feeling pretty low right now and this is precisely what he needs. Let's go down there and ask him. Then you can all see for yourself that I am right." House said.
"Well I'm glad to hear that Wilson will be OK. I am sure that he has a rough road ahead of him. At least he has Sam to help him through it. Speaking of Sam. I haven't seen her since he was admitted. You did call her to let her know didn't you?" Chase asked accusingly.
"No, I didn't call the harpie. She dumped him right after the wedding. She's the reason that he was out drinking and why whatever happened to him happened. No I didn't call her. She doesn't deserve Wilson. She was never good enough for him. He deserved someone who wants him for him, someone that doesn't want to change him, someone who knows all of his quirks and loves him anyway. That was never her. Not the first time and not this time. He's better off without her." House spit out.
"Well he may not see things that way. He may be upset that he isn't going to have anyone there with him when he goes home. He is going to have a really rough road ahead of him and he is going to need all the support that he can get." Chase argued.
"He will have plenty of help." House snapped back.
"Well that's good to hear. I for one would be happy to help and I'm sure the other guys would be too." Chase volunteered.
The others shook their heads in agreement. There were very few people in the hospital that weren't fond of Wilson and House's team was especially so because of his ability to deal with House and make their lives easier.
"We can work something out. I know that is still some time away, but you are probably right that he is going to want to get out of here as soon as he can." Chase said.
"He's not going anywhere until he's better. If I have to I will handcuff him to the bed. He needs to get a stable bill of health before he can walk..well, roll out of here." House said.
"I should probably get back there. I am sure he has half of the floor nurses swooning over him already. I don't want him to get too comfortable with everyone waiting on him hand and foot you know." he said to Chase.
"Yeah, wouldn't want the injured patient being comfortable now would we?" Chase said with a chuckle at how transparent House was sometimes. Chase knew that House didn't often show emotion, but he knew that he genuinely cared for the oncologist and that House wanted to get back to Wilson so that he could be sure that he was alright.