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"It's getting late," Cuddy said as she stepped into the living room from the kitchen. "Do you want to stay here tonight?"
House looked over at her from his place on the couch. "Yeah."
"You want me to order take out for dinner, too?" Cuddy asked.
House turned his attention back on the newspaper in his lap. "Whatever."
Cuddy made her way over to the couch. She removed the paper from his lap and sat down next to him, her eyes on him the entire time.
"House." Cuddy placed her hand on his knee. "If we're staying here tonight, you have to be honest with me, okay?"
House gave her a look of annoyance. "Okay."
Cuddy spoke slowly, her eyes locked with his. "Is there any Vicodin in this apartment?"
House was quiet and he closed his eyes, an internal debate going on inside of him. He swallowed hard and then opened his eyes. He kept his focus ahead of him, unwilling to look at Cuddy.
"In the bathroom." His voice was low. "The bar on the towel rack is hollow."
Cuddy raised an eyebrow. "Is that it?"
"Yes," House answered and directed his eyes to the floor.
Cuddy stood and headed for the bathroom. She took the two towels from the rack and set them on the sink. It took her a minute to free the bar from its constraints, but after she did, she turned the bar so she could see inside of it. A plastic baggie was wedged in there.
Reaching a finger into the bar, Cuddy pulled the end of the baggie along until she was able to extract it from inside. She stared at the dozen white pills before she replaced the bar back to its proper place.
Cuddy walked over to the sink and dumped the contents of the baggie into it. The pills hit the ceramic with light clanks and slight vibrations as they bounced around. Cuddy knew it wasn't helpful to the environment to get rid of the drugs by placing them in the sewage system, but it was the only way to dispose of the pills without having to leave House alone.
She picked up the towels and turned on the water to make sure the pills went down. Cuddy returned the towels to the rack before turning the water back off. She let the plastic baggie fall into the trash can before making her way back into the living room. House hadn't moved from his place on the couch.
"Thank you," she told him sincerely. "You still want to stay here?"
"Yeah." House really did miss his own bed with his own sheets. "For a change."
Cuddy moved to the side of the couch and looked down at him. "Want me to call for something for dinner?"
"I don't care."
House stood from the couch and moved around it, away from Cuddy. He headed for his bedroom, already regretting that he gave up the only stash he had left for himself.
"Or we could go out," Cuddy added as she moved into the hall after a slight hesitation.
That peeked House's interest and for a moment, he forgot about his Vicodin and the lack thereof. For a moment, he was in a state of surprise that Cuddy was suggesting they go out in public. But, it was only for a moment and the pain settled back in.
"My leg hurts too much." He gave her the truth, but he didn't face her just in case she was disappointed.
"That's okay." Cuddy was actually relieved. "We can order in. Do you want pizza for dinner since we had Panera for lunch?"
House turned halfway and looked to her. "That's fine."
"I'll order it."
Cuddy headed into the living room to retrieve the phone while House continued on into the bedroom. He let out a sigh as he moved to the bed and crawled onto the left side, his preferred side. He felt completely drained and let his cane fall from his hand to the floor. Before he even realized it, he had fallen asleep.
House awoke to a dark bedroom. His head was pounding and his body felt sore. He sat up and looked to the empty space next to him. He wondered where Cuddy was as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, preparing to stand.
His thigh tightened the instant he stood. House placed his hand there and massaged gently, hoping to ease the tension. He looked to the floor for his cane, but realized Cuddy had set it against his side table. House grabbed his cane and began limping from the bedroom.
There was sweat on his forehead by the time he reached the hallway. The lights were on in the living room, but Cuddy wasn't there. He looked toward the kitchen, where the light was on as well. Again, there was no sign of her.
"Cuddy," House called out as his heart began to beat faster. "Cuddy!"
The bathroom door opened, the light casting a glow from behind Cuddy as she stood in the doorway.
"What?" she asked him.
"I... I didn't know where you were," House said.
"I was going to take a shower since you were asleep." Cuddy made her way over to him. "Do you want pizza?"
"I don't know." House looked away from her.
A look of concern crossed over Cuddy's face. She placed her hand on his arm. "You're practically shaking. Let me get you your medicine."
"I don't want it," House replied.
"You're in pain," Cuddy pointed out. "Don't do this to yourself."
Cuddy retrieved the medication for his withdrawal pain from her purse. She dumped a pill into her hand and returned the bottle to her purse. Cuddy crossed back over to House and placed the pill in his palm.
"I'll get you some water." Cuddy headed for the kitchen.
House swallowed the pill dry, almost getting it stuck in his throat on the way down. "Don't. It's gone."
"Well, you should still have something to drink," Cuddy called over her shoulder as she crossed into the kitchen. "And something to eat. If you don't want pizza, I can make you something else instead."
House limped towards the kitchen. "Pizza's fine."
After Cuddy poured the glass of water, she handed it over to House, who took a long drink from it. Cuddy smirked.
"See, you were thirsty," she told him and moved toward his kitchen table where a pizza box rested.
Cuddy lifted the lid of the box. House eyed the pizza, noting there was only a slice missing. He leaned his back against the counter.
"You didn't eat much." House nodded toward the box.
"Wasn't hungry much." Cuddy shrugged it off as she slapped two pieces of pizza on a paper plate and placed them in the microwave.
"Anything bothering you?" House asked and took another drink of his water.
Cuddy stared at the microwave as it rotated the pizza, her back to House. She drew in a breath and faced him. She gave a shrug.
"I was just thinking about us."
House lowered the glass. "What about us?"
Cuddy shrugged again. "Just... everything that happened. With us, between us." She paused. "To us."
"And?" House prompted.
Cuddy shook her head, not wanting to talk about it anymore. "Nothing."
She moved away from the microwave and out of the kitchen. Cuddy sat down on the couch and picked up the remote for the television. She turned it on. House watched her the whole time and his eyes lingered on her until the beeping of the microwave sounded.
House limped toward the microwave and retrieved his pizza. He set the pizza on the counter as he refilled his glass with water. House balanced the paper plate on top of his glass and limped carefully into the living room.
Cuddy looked up at him as he approached the couch. She reached for the plate of pizza on top of his glass and took it. House set the glass of water on the coffee table and sat down next to Cuddy. She handed his pizza back over to him.
"You can take a shower if you want," House told her.
Cuddy frowned as she looked at him. "Thanks for the permission."
"Really." House locked eyes with her. "You can. I'll be fine."
Giving him a small smile, Cuddy stood to her feet. This was a means to test her trust in him. She dropped the remote for the television at his side and began toward the bathroom.
"I shouldn't be long."
House limped toward his side of the bed and rested his cane against the side table. He slipped into bed alongside of Cuddy, whose back was to him. Her hair was still wet and her skin held the scent of his favorite soap, which pleased him in a way, as if it somehow made her his.
He didn't realize she was crying until she spoke and her voice was thick and coated with the tears she was trying to restrain.
"I wish I had my old life back."
House scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her front. He found one of her hands and took it within his own.
"Me too," he whispered and gently placed his lips to her damp hair. "Me too."