The weekend went by without incident although House was on edge some and the shakes returned from time to time they didn't fight about anything an he seemed to be doing a lot better than Wilson had thought he would be. House had spent the time between reading on old files and medical books in the morning and watching TV at night.
House woke up Monday morning and took his medications then got dressed in a pair of black track pants and a shirt that said 'I'm with stupid' that had arrows pointing to both sides. House grabbed a granola bar in the kitchen and waited for Wilson to get done blow drying his hair. When Wilson came out he smiled down at House, "You ready for this?" he asked handing House his back pack.
"I'm ready, quit worrying," House said grabbing his large tennis balls and stuffing them in his backpack as well.
"Alright, then let's go," Wilson said grabbing his briefcase and opening the door.
They both entered the building ten minutes till eight and Wilson felt better about finally having House back at work, they were greeted by Cuddy who was wearing a delightfully tight purple skirt suit with a low hanging cream blouse.
"Rough!" House barked looking at her ass.
Cuddy gave him a patronizing smile, "I'm glad to see you approve of my wardrobe today House, it means everything to me."
House smirked, "This wheelchair has it's perks, but then again, now I can't see down your shirt." he said giving a slight pout.
Cuddy rolled her eyes, "Oh my god the tragedy, how will you ever learn to cope."
Wilson smiled at the normalcy of the conversation, "I'm going up to my office and let you two do what you usually do."
House rolled in Cuddy's office with her following him. "So what new and exciting cases do you have for me Dr. Cuddy," He said as he wheeled back and forth on only the back wheels.
"Here," Cuddy said picking up a file from her desk and tossing it to House.
He looked it over and looked back up irritation, "I don't think so," he said tossing it back.
"Well that's all I had so you can either do that or get caught up on your paperwork," She said with a smile sitting on her desk.
"It's a cold, it's a waste of both me and my teams time, and you know it," House said back with contempt.
Cuddy tried to look innocent, "I don't know what it is, I haven't even seen the guy, it could be anything."
He studied her with disappointment on his face, "Why are you doing this?"
Cuddy sighed, "I want to see how you handle a light day before I give you a busy one. I already let you come back before the doctor recommended, I'm just trying to make sure that it was the right decision for the patients as well as for you."
"So, you don't trust me," House said flatly as his eyes became guarded.
She looked at him and could tell he was pulling away and shutting her out. She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice as she talked to him, "Don't make this into something it's not. You think you'll be okay, but we both know there's a chance you wont be, so please, just take the case and have a nice relaxing day."
"What about the clinic?" He asked narrowing his eyes on her, "Don't you want me to work a couple of hours in there?"
Cuddy looked down and swallowed, "You can't work the clinic until you are completely over the PTSD. I can't have you in a small inclosed room with only you and a patient. You don't touch anyone without someone else with you."
House's eyes were boring into her at the implication, "You think I'd hurt someone?"
Cuddy looked up to see his eyes angry and she swallowed, "You hurt Wilson, didn't you."
He's face showed a glimpse of hurt before his eyes became cold and his face turned relaxed and emotionless, "That was the medicine."
Cuddy walked over to him, "House there's no way of knowing if that was just the medicine or not and this Hospital doesn't need anymore lawsuits. I know you didn't mean too, but I can't take the risk and neither will the board."
"What do you mean by the board?" He asked looking at her and then his eyes narrowed slightly, "What did you tell them?"
"You've been gone for a month House, people can't take that long off unless they put in for it a month in advance, with out the board approval. I had to tell the board you were attacked and hospitalized." She said as she played with her bracelet and looked anywhere but at House.
"But that's not all you told them, was it," He said bitterly as his cold eyes stayed on her.
Cuddy swallowed, "If a doctor is exhibiting symptoms of a disease or disorder that could effect patients or patient care, I'm obligated to report it, so I told them about you being diagnosed with PTSD and they wanted to know if you had any physical injuries, so I told them about you breaking your leg and that you had some burns since it would be obvious when you came back to work." She couldn't help but look at his neck when she mentioned the burns, and when she looked up she saw his cold eyes. "I was just following policy House."
"Of course, I wouldn't want you to bending the rules," House said coldly, "Anything else I should know?"
"No that's it," she said looking at him with regret, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to tell them."
"Well I better go, who knows what could be wrong with Mr. Sniffles, I'd hate for it to be fatal," He said taking the file.
"Just try and take it easy House," Cuddy said pleadingly.
"I'll see what I can do," House said with a fake smile and rolled out of her office.
As soon as House rolled behind his seat Wilson came in through the balcony door and House jerked looking back at him, then looked back at the desk, "You could have given me a heads up about Cuddy telling the whole board my personal life."
Wilson sighed and walked around to sit in one of the chairs, "She didn't tell them everything, just what she had to and what would have been apparent as soon as they saw you."
"What happened with bro's before ho's, Cuddy let you see her tits?" House asked condescendingly as he studied the file as if it was interesting.
"Yes actually, you know me, a good pair of knockers go a long way," Wilson said sarcastically to which House looked up at him with warning eyes. "I'm joking, and I'm not going to be mad at her for doing her job and trying to protect you. You could have been fired for missing that long if she hadn't handled like she did."
"I have tenure, I wasn't going to be fired," House snapped.
"Yes you do, and in that contract it stipulates how you must request for time off. Give her a break on this House, she was only trying to help," He said as he looked at House with those sad puppy dog eyes.
House hated when Wilson looked at him like that, it reminded him of Rocket and made him feel bad for what had happened to him, "Alright, I'll give her a break," he said looking back at his file to break eye contact with Wilson, "you want to do lunch?"
"Sure, just come over and get me when your ready," Wilson said happy to have been able to get through to House.
House was waiting in the DDX room when the team arrived, with a copy of their patients file for each of them and the symptoms written on the white board which were, coughing, fever, watery eyes, and difficulty breathing through nose. "Welcome, welcome my fine doctors, Cuddy has given us one of the hardest cases of our careers so everyone put on your thinking caps."
Kutner looked at House with confusion, "So you're excited that Cuddy is sticking us with a patient who has a cold."
"A cold? I mean it could be, but I don't think so," House said with a frown. "Cuddy is a professional and she knows that this team is used to solve only the most confusing and complex cases, she wouldn't just waste our time on a COLD."
Taulb rolled his eyes, "Great, just what I was hoping for, a day fighting the good fight between you and Cuddy."
"Look at this as an opportunity to be thorough and look at the ordinary in an extraordinary way," House said with a smile, "I'll go first, SARS fits just as easily."
"Pneumonia," Thirteen threw out.
"See I knew there was a reason I kept you around. Good, we can test for both bacterial and chemical Pneumonia." House said rolling to the white board and writing the list.
Foreman looked at the list, "It could be Tuberculosis."
"Ah, the old TB, good... next," House said writing it down.
"Sarcoidosis," Kutner said looking at the list.
"This is stupid, and Sarcoidosis doesn't usually present with a fever," Taulb said condescendingly.
"He's a genius and I've personally seen Sarcoidosis with a fever, remember usually doesn't always apply to us. So short one, you have anything better?" House asked looking over at him.
"Put me down for Pertussis," Taulb said frowning.
"Whooping cough for Taulb," House said writing it down and then looking up at the list. "Looks like a good start, I want you as a team to test for everyone of these."
"SARS was your idea, I think you should do the testing," Foreman said with a smile.
House smiled, "Sorry, Cuddy won't let me play with the patients."
"What do you mean?" Thirteen asked with concern.
House sighed and looked at them, "Evidently Cuddy and the Board don't think it's wise to leave me alone in a room with a patient on the account I have PTSD which means I could just loose it. Since I just got back I figure I'll give her what she wants on the patients, for now."
"That's bullshit," Kutner said watching him.
"Life is bullshit, now go and run tests," House said watching them as they piled out.
By lunch time Wilson and House were in the cafeteria, "So how does it feel to be back?" Wilson asked as he watched House take one of his fries.
"It' better than just sitting around at your apartment. Your place is so boring, no porn, no video games, all the alcohol is put up where I can't reach it,and on top of all of that you internet isn't even good. So it's better than that but I'm already getting tired of the stares I'm getting," House said looking around slightly.
Wilson was about to rebut, but then he looked around and noticed eyes just shifting from House to him giving sympathetic looks. He looked back at House and gave a small shrug, "It'll die down after a little time, it's only your first day back."
"You're always the optimist Jimmy, the dumb, naive optimist," House said with a smile.
"Surprisingly that part of my charm. Plus if I wasn't so nice and optimistic then we wouldn't balance each other out so well," Wilson retorted. "How's your patient?"
House saw Cuddy marching up to him and looked down.
"Dr. House, can you explain to my why Mr. Garrett had to get a Lumbar Puncture?" Cuddy said obviously fuming.
"I had to rule out SARS, wouldn't want to get this wrong being my first case back and all," House said with a snide smile.
"And the CT?" Cuddy said screeched.
"Sarcoidosis, nasty disease, just trying to make sure I'm thorough, you understand," House said still smiling even thought her screaming was making him more edgy.
"Are you planing to pay for all these useless tests?" She asked leaning down over the table.
House kept his smile in place, "Nope, he has insurance, he'll be fine."
"YOU ASS..." Cuddy started as she raised the file to hit him with.
"NO PLEASE STOP!" House screamed with panic as his arms came up to shield himself.
It was as if time stopped every eye was on him, Cuddy put down the file with a stunned and regretful face, while Wilson sighed with pity in his eyes, "House, it's fine." House met his eyes and shook his head then quickly started to roll away, which seemed to take forever as he saw them all watching him with shocked expressions and his face grew redder. He wasn't sure where he was going all he knew is he wanted to get away from everyone as fast as possible. Wilson stood up, "Don't you people have more important things going on in your life?" he said loudly and watched them turn away and start talking. He looked to see Cuddy, but discovered she had went after House and gathered up their food since House hadn't eaten much before the scene.
Cuddy didn't have a hard time finding House the sound of someone beating the crap out of the wall pretty much gave it away. She walked in the empty patient room and just stood there as she saw him hit the gurney in the room. When he had finally tired out or calmed down, she didn't know which, she sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean too... you know."
House jumped as he looked up to see her, then looked back down. "I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at this!" he said looking down at his shaking arms. "You acted normally, it's me that acted like some sorority girl in a bad thriller movie."
"You couldn't help it and I should have thought before I did that," She said softly.
Wilson opened the door and walked in, "You okay?" he asked with a plastic sack with the remains of their lunch.
House looked down in shame, "I'm fine," he said, his voice heavy with disappointment still shaking.
Wilson glared at Cuddy, "Well now everyone will know who's boss, won't they."
Cuddy frowned, "I didn't mean too."
"It's... not her... fault... that I'm... fucked up... right now!" House snapped at Wilson.
Wilson watched House taking ragged breaths and shaking, "Come on I'll take you home."
House looked up at him, "I'm... not... going... home... I can... handle it," he said trying to calm down.
Wilson looked at Cuddy, "Just so you know there's a rumor going around that you're the one that beat the crap out him."
House started laughing, and Cuddy looked at Wilson with shock, "What? You've gotta be kidding."
"Nope, I over heard a couple of tables saying that it made since why you were gone so much and why you would be talking to the police with House. I'm guessing someone from New Jersey Medical said something, and Mayes found out." Wilson said watching her with only a little sympathy.
House was still laughing, "Oh, can you imagine what's in their heads. Cuddy dressed in some sexy leather dominatrix outfit with little old me wearing some mid-evil chain collar."
"House, this isn't funny, they think I seriously hurt you," Cuddy said with worry.
"It's kind of funny," He said with a smirk.
"You better watch out before I decide to act on those rumors," Cuddy said bending down to look him in the eye.
"The only way you could hurt me is if I let you, I think I proved that last time you decided to tie me up don't you," House said softly with a smirk leaning forward in the chair so he was only a couple of inches from her face.
Cuddy felt her body tingle at his proximity and knew he was challenging her and wasn't going to give in, "Getting a good view there Greg?"
House's eye shot from her breasts to her eyes at the mention of his name, "Why are your nipples so hard Cuddy, thinking of me got you all ready to go?" He said with challenging eyes.
Cuddy laughed, "Like you would do anything if it did," she said her eyes running up and down his body, "you've been running scared of me for weeks now."
"I believe rolling scared would fit better, and I'm not scared of you," House said with certainty.
"Really?" Cuddy said as she leaned just a breath from his ear, "You sure about that?"
Wilson saw House's hands hovering just inches from her legs, "Should I leave?"
Cuddy narrowed her eyes on House, "Saved by the Wilson," she said with a smirk.
House smiled, "Just so we're clear, you're the one that chickened out that time."
Cuddy stood up, "You want me to get down and dirty with you in the Hospital with Wilson watching?"
"Ohhh, don't use the hospital as an excuse, it wouldn't be the first time we went at it here," House said with a grin.
"I really didn't need to know that," Wilson said taking a step back from them.
"And Wilson's my best bud, I wouldn't care if he watched. Hell, maybe he could pick up some tips," House said smiling bigger.
Cuddy shook her head, "I don't know why I'm surprised you have no shame."
House was in thought, "Explain something to me, your the Dean of Medicine, so isn't it against policy for you to bonk another employee at the Hospital during work hours?" Cuddy stared at him. "I'll take that as a yes, so why is it okay to break that policy and but it isn't okay for you not to report my PTSD?"
"What we didn't wasn't planned, it just happened, and I'm sorry it did," Cuddy said with irritation that seemed to melt when she saw the hurt in his eyes. "I don't mean I regret what we did, I regret where we did it."
House looked down, "Still I didn't hear you telling everyone about that."
"That's personal," Cuddy said quickly.
"And me having PTSD isn't?" House quipped back.
Cuddy sighed, "You'd get into trouble too, if I told."
"No I wouldn't," House said flatly.
"Yes you would, it states it in your contract," Cuddy said with a smile.
House grinned, "Not in my contract, I'm positive."
"House the hospital lawyers looked over it, it's in there," She said with her hands on her hip.
"Wasn't Stacy working here then?" House said watching her jaw fall, "She helped me write my proposal contract and then she's the one that went over it and told you it was fine. You really think she's going to point out a clause that allows me to bonk her at work?"
"Whoa, you have it in your contract that you can have sex at work and not get in trouble," Wilson said smiling.
"Actually I think the words were that I could not be punished for my shows of affection and love at work under any circumstances unless someone was harmed directly in the process." House stated, "I'm pretty sure the last part was in there so I wouldn't get pissed and knock out one of the guys she was screwing and then claim it was an act to show my affections."
Cuddy looked down, "So you want me to tell the board about our indiscretion?"
House looked back at her, "No... we both know you'll never tell anyone about our relationship."
Cuddy could hear a hint of bitterness in his voice, "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Take it how like," House said rolling to the door.
"Where are you going?" Cuddy asked.
House smiled back at her, "Work, still have a lot of tests to run."
"No more tests, I got the point. I won't waste your time tomorrow if you stop wasting this guys money today." Cuddy said watching him.
"Fine," House said and rolled out quickly.
Wilson started to follow but Cuddy put her hand on his arm stopping him. "What did he mean?" she asked.
"What do you think he meant?" Wilson said condescendingly.
Cuddy frowned, "I told Martha."
"Oh yeah Martha! Just out of curiosity how long have you two been close friends?" Wilson said with a smile, "Do you two visit often, talk on the phone, text, email, maybe catch up on facebook?"
"So who was I suppose to tell exactly?" Cuddy asked with irritation.
Wilson sighed, "Why do you think House told me?"
"You're his only other friend," Cuddy said flatly.
"He told me because what happened was important to him, so he told someone that was equally important to him. So if the only person you told was Martha... it logically means one of two things, that what happened between you two wasn't very important to you, or that you were to ashamed of him to tell anyone significant in your life." Wilson said with a frown, "I don't really think it matters which to House either way it hurts."
"He broke up with me, remember," She said with contempt.
"Believe me I'll always remember that day, I've never seen a man more broken," Wilson said with narrowed eyes.
Cuddy crossed her arms, "You know I'm not the one that did this to him right? I understand that every time you see him it hurts you and that when he gets upset you want to protect him, but Wilson I'm not the enemy here. I feel the same way you do about him, but I'm not going to let you treat me like shit because I'm an easy target. We broke up, it was his decision and it didn't just hurt him."
Wilson stood there thinking and Cuddy started to walk by him and he stopped her, "You're right, I'm sorry. It's just every time he get's scared I just want to beat something with my fists until its dead and cry all at the same time," he said with watery eyes.
Cuddy nodded, "I know," she said and hugged him, "I just wish I could kill those bastards all over again." She said and swallowed as her eyes watered too.
He hugged her tight, "I just hope I can keep it together long enough to get him through this. He can't handle anything else going wrong right now."
Cuddy leaned back from the hug and looked at him with worried eyes, "What else could go wrong?"
Wilson looked down, "Trust me, you don't want to know."
Cuddy grabbed his shirt, "Wilson, I know he doesn't want to tell me what's going on, but I might be able to help if I just knew."
Wilson shook his head, "Cuddy you can't help, just like I can't help. I should go, I need to make sure he eats the rest of his lunch."
