Ch 35
Finally the sick waves stopped and the headache subsided to a dull throbbing, House's leg, on the other hand, was fully screaming out to be medicated. He cried out, the tears flowing freely, but no one came to offer him redemption. Cuddy watched him through the window and when he gazed at her he found that he would forgive her every sin if she would simply make the pain stop. She always turned away when his red rimmed eyes connected with her tired ones, however. House was always left alone in his agony.
"When are you going to help him?" Wilson asked worriedly after he had looked in on his best friend.
"When I'm sure he can stand the drugs," she replied. "You know I don't want to do this…"
"I know, but he's in pain. He can't control that."
"He needs to get used to the pain before I can give him treatment…he'll just go back to over medicating if I dope him up."
"This might be for the best," Wilson told her, "But you're an awful bitch sometimes." He had walked away from her and she felt the full weight of what she was doing. House would see it much the same. She decided it would be best to let him sweat it out for another full day before administering pain medication. It was cruel, she knew, but he needed to have his medication processes reset.
House was asleep, but feeling pain all the same when Cuddy entered his room with two Vicodin. She sighed heavily, not wanting to wake him. He stirred, anyway and looked up at her with accusation in his eyes. "I can give you meds now," she said softly. He studied her face, but said nothing. She handed him the plastic cup containing the pills and watched him down them without aid of liquid. "It should start to work within the hour."
He didn't take his eyes off her and she stood it for as long as she could before leaving him alone to feel the effects of the medication. House was grateful to have the medication, but he now resented Cuddy more than ever. If he hadn't needed relief so badly he would have refused her treatment on the principle that he would not be dictated to. The shooting pain in his leg subsided eventually and he felt a warm, comfortable feeling spread to the place between his eyes. He lay back and dozed, finally able to sleep without the burden of the full pain that racked his leg.