A.N.: I do not own.
Wilson felt like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. All of Cuddy's test had been coming back just fine. She was still in a lot of the pain from her injuries, but other than slow reactions and slightly forced movement she was doing amazingly well. After the hell of waiting for her to come out of the coma good news just felt too good to be true. On top of that she had told him what House said after he left. They basically had his blessing? It was all too much. He wasn't usually a pessimist, but it was much easier to protect yourself against pain in these situations if you were prepared for the worst. He was still in protective mode of both himself and her. He was limiting the amount of time her visitors could stay. He hoped he was doing it subtly. She hadn't complained yet. The only one he hadn't done it to was Rachel, but that was only because she would have flipped out on him if he had tried and he knew it. She had obviously needed that time with Rachel. He wished she was spending more time resting. It was only her second day out of the coma, and she stayed relatively alert most of the time. Part of him worried if she was afraid to spend too much time sleeping that she might slip back into the coma. Logically she would know herself to be wrong, but it was normal to be a little paranoid after a traumatic experience.
After running out a nurse from the clinic who had come to check on her, Lisa had had about enough. She had been trying to give him time before forcing him to talk, but she couldn't wait anymore.
She pulled herself into a slightly better position to sit up, "Wilson. What is your problem? She just wanted to talk."
Wilson looked at her with a 'busted' face. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, "You should be resting not having these people running out of here. This is the ICU. There isn't even supposed to be visitors allowed to come in and out like that."
She smiled a little, "Well they probably figure that they should allow the Dean of Medicine to see whoever she damn well pleases." She loved the extra little something that her job got her without her having to ask. She didn't usually exploit it, but it was still always there, "But that isn't the full story. There is something going on with you. Talk to me."
Wilson shook his head, "I have no idea what you are talking about."
She gave him a look to let him know she didn't believe him for a minute, "Yes you do." She pressed.
"You are the one not resting." He deflected, "You fight sleep. Why?"
"I fight sleep because I would rather be awake and talking. I want to make sure I can in fact stay awake. I want to be awake in case Rachel comes back because God knows you won't wake me up if she comes, but you are just deflecting." She smiled at him, "Has House rubbed off on you too much?"
"There is nothing to deflect. I have nothing to say."
She held out her hand to him wanting him to come closer, "Why can't you just admit that you are scared. I am. I could have died. I could have left my daughter. I could have left you, my friends, this hospital. I don't like that feeling. It has been the second time in under a year I have felt it. That's a lot of death scare for one year."
Wilson slowly moved over and took her hand, "You could have died..." He said quietly.
She nodded and squeezed his hand, "I know."
Tears gathered in his eyes, "While I waited for you to come out of the coma I kept thinking of Amber." He admitted in a strained voice, "I found myself preparing for never having you come out of it. I would remind myself of all the bad things that could happen even if you did." Tears began to spill down his cheeks but he continued, "I didn't want to lose you, but I didn't want to be blindsided by the loss if I did. Now I just feel like everything is going so well that I am just waiting for something to go wrong. I feel set up to lose you. To lose any woman I care about." He was sobbing openly now. Every feeling that had passed through him in the past few days was flooding through him and he couldn't hold back anymore.
Lisa stared up into the eyes of the man who really and truly cared for her and let himself feel it completely. Her heart swelled with complete and absolute love for him. She knew it now. She wanted to comfort him. She wanted him at her side. This was the dependable, loving man that she needed. She didn't doubt it anymore. She wasn't scared of it anymore. This was real and she deserved it. So did he.
She scooted over as best she could and tugged on his arm for him to come onto the bed. He shook his head, "I might hurt you." He got out through his tears.
She shook her head, "We will be careful. Sit with me James." She insisted.
He sat carefully on the edge of the bed and she pulled him down to be leaning on her shoulder with his head at the crook of her neck much like Rachel had. She stroked his hair and turn her head to kiss his forehead, "I'm not going anywhere. Stop waiting for the bad part. I have a lot of recovery to do. That is bad enough. I didn't die. I am here with you where I belong." She brought her other hand over to wipe away a few of his tears, "I love you. Please don't worry about losing me."
His eyes searched hers when she made her final statement. He was looking for pity, but all he found was love. She meant it. She wasn't appeasing him. He had been holding back so much. He didn't want to rush her. After all they had only technically been together for a short time, but the build up had been over the span of months. He raised his hand to her cheek and stroked it lightly, "I love you too, Lisa." He leaned in and began to kiss her ever so gently. She returned it in kind. Both of them knowing that this couldn't go very far at all, but both needing that contact after the tough confessions they had finally allowed themselves to make.
"Well isn't this charming." The couple broke away from each other hearing the voice coming from the foot of her bed, "Who here is going to explain to me why I just now found out that my daughter was in a near death accident." Arlene Cuddy was staring harshly at the couple, and she would not be leaving until she had an answer.