CHAPTER FIFTY TWO

House paced in the living room.

"Relax House. She's home. Yang wouldn't have discharged her if he didn't think she'd be fine." Wilson tried to calm his best friend.

"Yang is a putz."

"Yang is as highly regarded in his field as you are in yours." Wilson corrected.

"Besides, he didn't discharge her because he thought it was safe, he did it to protect his job."

"He knows as well as you do, she wouldn't have fired him. Cuddy's not you House."

"James is right." Vala bounded over and put her hand on Wilson's shoulder. "Lisa's fine. She's tough. She's a Cuddy. We come from healthy stock." She straightened her back and stuck out her chest. The visual was less, we're strong, and more, we're stacked. House took a moment to admire the effect, but it didn't distract him long enough to not notice the body language between his best friend and his sister in law. And he didn't like it one bit.

"JAMES is a romantic, albeit a lying cheating romantic, but a romantic none the less. He likes to see the good in people." House said it with distain.

"That's not a bad thing Greg." Vala looked at him with pity. "You should try it some time."

House scowled. "So, Vala, talk to your father since you've been back?"

Rage flashed momentarily through Vala's eyes. "No."

"Why not? Don't you see the good in him?" House snided.

"Go to hell Greg!" Vala turned and went to the kitchen.

"What? What was that?" Wilson looked from his friend to the kitchen door and back.

"Nothing." House knew he'd hit below the belt. He should go apologize but he was House.

He went and knocked on the bedroom door. "Are you two done yet?" He called through the door.

"Come in Daddy." Lizzie's voice called back.

House opened the door. "Come on Lizzie. Time to leave your mother alone." House looked into Cuddy's eyes. She looked so tired, so weak. He hated seeing her like this.

"Yes Daddy." Lizzie kissed her mothers cheek then begrudgingly left with her father.

Cuddy closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, the one thing she'd wanted to do all day.