Chapter Twenty-Eight: Just Another Day in Paradise

March 21, 2008

House had all his eggs in one basket…and he was enjoying it. For the first time in a long while he was almost completely stress-free. Patients count as stress so he grudgingly started to accept patient-of-the-week files again. The regular routine that he had was so used to before he and Wilson got involved seemed foreign and out-of-place. He slowly eased his way back into being Dr. Sherlock Holmes.

Greg had also finished the clinic make-up before the deadline of May 20th; with little to no help from James for the final stretch. House had to prove himself, leg pain and all, that he could complete a job if it was given to him, and he could complete it well.

Sure, the last clinic hour seemed to drag on forever and the patient persisted there was something wrong with him, and House just dismissed the adolescent with a forced smile and a strained, "Take some DayQuil; its only seasonal allergies, not an upper respiratory infection. Surfing the web for reasons to come here is pain in my butt and yours because last time I checked those clinic chairs aren't that comfortable. I assure you…you will live." With the final clinic case filled out and filed he felt free. Free enough to whisk Wilson away for a celebratory trip to New York after work one Friday.

Wilson was the one who suggested their little escapade to the Big Apple. Over lunch he dropped a subtle idea that they should just get away for a few days. Just the two of them should disappear somewhere where they can just be concerned about themselves and their comfort and not patients and completed clinic hours.

He used his good work record to talk Cuddy into giving them Easter Weekend off. She obliged because she was astounded by House's ability to do what he was told and do the entire clinic hours assigned to him. He also had completed the case she had given him that morning. On his lunch break Wilson went home to pack a weekend bag of clothes for both men and met House at the parking garage at quitting time. He felt his heart swell with happiness because he could accurately say that House loved him again and that he loved House even more.

The weather was shining with early spring sunshine and for the first time in 2008 House was able to ride his motorcycle on the roads. He loved being on that thing. The wind whizzing by his body so everything was a blur and the fact that the 360 view of the world started to show signs of green and nature waking up after a cold winter sleep. But what he loved most was Wilson's arms wrapped tightly around his torso. It felt good to finally feel that connection of care around him and not the weight of guilt weighing him down.

Friday evening was mostly spent driving to New York on the all-too-familiar route that House took on the way to the concert. The bright city lights and long highways leading them to it was like a warm smile; beckoning them to visit. Sure, it was crowded in the city on that Friday night. Of course the streets were packed with people. But did the couple care? No. Of course not. All they cared about was reaching the hotel.

Once there, the doctors checked in, ate a delicious buffet of fantastic New York cuisine, and went to bed. That was where House and Wilson stayed in bed enjoying the opportunity to stay up and watch movies together, laughing and conversing with one another, and the fun of love a few times before they fell asleep and snored like the middle-aged men that they were. It was like they were on their honeymoon.

The following Saturday included sleeping in past the non-existent alarm clock and ordering in breakfast when they woke up around 10:30. It was nice to have a break from normal routine. They spent the day touring all of New York's sights that they had seen vaguely on doctor conferences to the city but never really got the chance to see first-hand. They obviously took the public transportation everywhere, for two reasons. One, a cripple leg plus a lot of walking on city blocks, equals a lot of pain. And two, public transport is part of the city experience.

They saw the Museum of Natural History which was extremely intriguing because of the funny movie they had rented from the hotel room the night before. They saw the Statue of Liberty on Her island and even went to Ellis Island, and when there they talked about their ethnic roots. It was House's idea because his curious mind kept on the curiosity about New York. House was of English and German decent and Wilson had a lot of European mix-ups such as Italian and French. They shrugged and carried on with their day, smiling at one another with that silent admiration whenever they could.

They concluded the jam-packed evening with last-minute tickets to a play. It was Wilson's idea. He had always wanted to see a play on New York's Broadway. Theater had always been a secret passion of his. When he was in high school he would look forward to reading Shakespeare in English class. He would also be called a nerd for it, but he didn't care. House and theater? Well he went because he knew it would make Wilson happy. And plus he was still apologizing internally for being such a jack-ass to his lover that week. So he went. And didn't complain. Much.

Easter was the next day…and the eggs of love and relief kept going in their baskets.

A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. I wanted to update one last time before I went on vacation. Expect a update as soon as I can and have a good time until I write again. Also I do realize once again that this is a bit different and maybe even out-of-character at times but I am rushed to complete this in enough time. Please leave a comment if you can and thanks again to all the kind people who favourite this story. Bye for now!