"Oh James." Stacy came flying into the room holding a vase of flowers in one hand and a get well card in the other. "I wasn't going to come but when Lisa told me you were stuck in the same room with Greg I just felt so bad for you."

House lay in his bed pretending to sleep. The last person he wanted to talk to was Stacy. Especially when he was wearing Sponge Bob pajama bottoms and a dirty t-shirt. He could hear Cuddy laughing at Stacy's lame joke.

"House is actually doing a really good job of looking after Wilson when he isn't kidnapping him and dragging upstairs or throwing bowls of oatmeal around the room."

Stacy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Greg is bending over backwards to make sure James is comfortable. That sounds so like him."

"I'm serious! He even brought Wilson a teddy bear." Cuddy pointed to the bear that sat next to Wilson's pillow.

"Probably to embarrass him." Stacy countered. She turned to Wilson. "If House gives you any crap just tell him you know about his teddy bear."

"What?" Cuddy burst out laughing as Wilson gave Stacy a confused smile. "You're kidding me right?"

Stacy looked over at House's bed. "Is he really asleep?"

Cuddy looked at the lump of blankets that covered House. "House if you don't sit up right now I'll make you work in the clinic every day until Wilson is discharged." House didn't move. "He's asleep."

"Are you sure?" Stacy looked nervously at the pile of blankets.

"Trust me. Nothing motivates House like the threat of clinic duty. He's asleep."

"Okay, if you're sure. It isn't really a bear, it's a stuffed cat. He's had it since he was a baby. It's a sad story really." Wilson shot Stacy a questioning glance. "It was his favorite when he was kid. He loved it to death. But his dad was such a jerk that he was always using the cat against him. Threatening to throw it away or set it on fire. When he was six years old he couldn't take the threats anymore. He hid the cat in a trunk in his grandma's attic and told his parents he was too old for stuffed toys and he had given the cat away to another kid."

House had to force himself to stay still. He wanted to jump up and strangle Stacy for telling Cuddy and Wilson the story of the stuffed cat. Hopefully they wouldn't believe her. Stacy continued. "Anyway House let the cat still in the trunk for years. When his grandma died he moved the trunk into his parents' attic. Every time they moved he made sure it came with them. And when he moved out of the house he retrieved the cat and brought him it with him."

"You're making this up." Cuddy accused. "House would never be that sentimental."

"I'm dead serious. It sat on our dresser for years. Now it's in a box in my closet. I was so mad at him when we broke up that I hid it from him when he was moving out. I kept meaning to return it but…" Stacy paused. "He is such a jerk that I didn't think he deserve to have it back."

Cuddy laughed again. "Didn't he ever ask you about it?"

"No. I think he knows that I kept it."

House clenched his fist under the blanket. So that is where Puss went. He wondered if that is where his missing bowling ball had gone as well. He wanted to jump up and demand that Stacy give him his stuff back but there was no way that he could live that down in front of Wilson and Cuddy. It was bad enough that they had heard the story in the first place. House didn't move until Stacy and Cuddy left the room. When he finally got up he turned on the Xbox and sat playing a game, not even glancing at Wilson, who thankfully didn't stutter a word.

A few hours later he heard Cuddy entered the room. "Ready for dinner? You missed breakfast and lunch." House didn't respond. "I heard you are letting the nurses in to take care of Wilson. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. He's stable." House motioned at Wilson's, who was fast asleep. "He doesn't need me."

Cuddy smiled softly. "I think he does and you know it. He likes having you here. But I also think Wilson would like it if you ate dinner and maybe got some real sleep."

"Are you telling me to go home?" House switched off the game he had been playing and looked at Cuddy.

"No. I'm telling you that you are coming to my office and eating dinner. Then you are coming home with me and spending the night in my guest room so you can get some real rest."

Cuddy expected House to make some lewd comments about spending the night. Instead he whispered softly. "I can't. I need to stay here with Wilson."

"I thought you just said…."

"Never mind what I said." House turned back to the blank TV screen.

"House, Wilson will be fine for one night. You can come back rested. Maybe it will help you figure out what it going on with him." Cuddy gave House a hopeful smile.

"Fine. But if you try to crawl in bed with me I am going to file sexual harassment. And they better page me if anything changes."

"Of course. Now change your clothes. I'm not being seen anywhere outside the hospital with you when you are dressed like that."

It took two hours just to get out of the hospital. House insisted on checking Wilson's vitals, then threatening each of his fellows with certain death if they didn't page him the minute something changed with Wilson's status. He also had to threaten the entire nursing staff on the floor with torture if they so much as laid a finger any of his things. When they finally made it out the door House had changed his shirt but was still wearing the Sponge Bob pajama bottoms.

"Are you sure you want to eat here?" Cuddy asked as they pulled into the McDonald's parking lot.

"I like it. I think it's yummy." House said dryly. "And let's go through the drive through. I wouldn't want you to have to been seen in public with me dressed like this."

"Sure thing."Cuddy rolled her eyes and pulled into the drive through line. She had a feeling that she was in for a long night.

But House was surprisingly quiet on the ride home. When they entered her house he sat quietly on the couch munching down his Big Mac and fries. He actually looked a little nervous.

"Do you want to take a shower?" Cuddy asked gently.

"Are you going to come too?" House countered.

"I wasn't planning on it. The last time I check you were still capable of showering alone. Or does Wilson help you with that at home and that is why you have been avoiding the shower?"

"Wilson probably looks better naked." House grumbled as Cuddy pointed the way to the bathroom. When he opened the door he was surprised not only to find a clean towel but a clean set of his pajamas hanging on a towel rack and his shampoo and bodywash from home sitting on the side of the tub. He wondered how long Cuddy had been plotting this.

House stood in the shower. The warm water actually felt pretty good and using his own soap was sure a lot more pleasant than trying to wash with the cheap crap they gave patients at the hospital. House got out and quickly dried himself off and changed into the clean pajamas. It was an ugly pair covered in a Santa print that his mom sent him for Christmas. He usually left them at the bottom of the dresser door to collect dust but the clean clothes felt almost as good as the warm water. He wandered uncertainly into the living room carrying his dirty clothes in one hand.

"Give me those." Cuddy snatched the dirty laundry out of House's hand. "They probably smell like an ape has been wearing them. I'm going to wash them. The guest room is on the left. Go get some sleep."

"My other mommy tucks me in and reads me a story." House leered at Cuddy.

"Does she charge by the hour too?"Cuddy watched House's leer turn into a frown. "Go to bed. I'll see you in the morning. If you're good I'll get you something to else besides those pajamas to wear back to the hospital."

"You're mean." House said over his shoulder as he went into the guest room. It was small but cozy. The bed had been made and House noticed something familiar sitting on the pillow. He bent over and picked up the ratty stuffed cat. "Why Puss, long time no see." He looked around the room, half expecting Stacy to jump out at him from the closet. When she didn't appear after a few minutes he crawled into bed, a strange mixture of relief and disappointment filling his gut. He laid the stuffed cat down next to him and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

A few minutes later the door opened. Cuddy stood watching House sleep peacefully, his old stuffed cat by his side. "I am going to give you so much shit about this later." Cuddy said to House's sleeping form. She walked over to the bed and gave him an affectionate kiss on the forehead. House stirred gently but didn't wake up. "If I didn't know you any better I'd think you had a soft side under that grouchy outer shell." She smiled to herself as she closed the door, wondering to herself what kind of justification House would come up with for keeping the stuffed cat around for so long.