Ch 53: Don't Rock the Boat

House was a bit annoyed when Cuddy came into the differential room later when Foreman and Sundai had come to present him with the findings of his panels. His fiancé had been quite rude to Sundai without any cause that he could see beyond her being at his bachelor's party. Fortunately, Sundai had been very professional and House took Cuddy aside to ask her to lay off the snide remarks. Cuddy was not pleased, but she acquiesced to his requests to please him.

The diagnostician left the hospital that evening with a lot on his mind and more test results to be delivered. Cuddy was quiet on the ride home and he was grateful for that. They didn't talk until she asked him if he wanted to order pizza for dinner or have her cook. Pizza ended up being the conclusion and he was left alone for a while with his thoughts. His cell phone rang from the kitchen and he got up to retrieve it, only to be thwarted by Cuddy. "I'll get it!" she announced, getting it before he could even enter the kitchen. She was rather displeased to find out that it was Sundai.

"What's up?" House asked when Cuddy handed him the phone. "Are you sure?" He walked into the hall to take the call and Cuddy was left feeling like she was being ignored. House was informed that the tumor had been removed and the patient was still bleeding irregularly. He ordered a CAT scan and returned to the living room, only to be accosted about his conversation.

"What's going on?" Cuddy asked in a tone that he knew meant trouble. He could tell she had been hurt by something and was wary of finding out exactly what was on her mind.

"The team removed a patient's tumor and they updated me on some conditions," he told her nonchalantly.

She frowned. "Why did you take the call in the hallway?"

"Because I didn't want to disrupt your TV show…" he replied, not liking where the conversation was going. "Do you have something personal against Sundai?"

"No. Nothing I can put my finger on. Why are you protecting her?" Cuddy wanted to know.

"Because you're circling her like a tiger ready to pounce on some smaller animal."

"She could have been the one to slip you Vicodin!" Cuddy said rather more loudly than she would have liked. "You're overlooking that fact."

House shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around his fiancé's accusations. "You think she drugged me?"

"Yes. Possibly. Who else was there that you don't know that well. Unless you know her better than you're putting on."

"I don't know her that well, but I have worked with her for long enough to peg her for a conspirator if she was one," House informed Cuddy. "Where is this coming from."

She sighed. "She was at your party."

"Yeah."

"Well she had the opportunity to drug you then."

"Why would you automatically suspect her?"

"I don't know…I don't know her!"

House took in that information. "Is this about Taub being fired. Do you think I was trying to actually cover something up that he witnessed?" he asked.

"No…I just don't know this girl!"

"You're not going to know lots of people who I deal with. Why her?" House wanted to know."

"She's young and pretty. She can get under your skin and completely ruin everything we've built…" she said after a few moments. "I don't want to put us in danger."

He had to take a few moments to let her words sink in. "You're jealous?" he questioned her finally.

"I-I…"

"Either you're jealous or you don't trust me at all," he pointed out. "You don't trust me around a young doctor."

"You like to play games with people…what if she takes something the wrong way?"

"You think I'd let her take something THAT way?" he asked. "Cuddy, I'm not going to lead her on or flirt with her when I've got you waiting at home for me. I thought you knew me better than that. Wilson's the chronic cheater…"

"I know…I just…"

"I'm sorry," House said, standing up. "I just need to clear my head. I'm going to get in the shower."

Her heart sank as he walked away. She felt more alone than she had ever done in her life. Her biggest fear in life, having a relationship then losing as he walked away, was playing over and over in her mind. Only Rachel crying in her bedroom brought her out of the doldrums of despair that were threatening to overtake her. She went to her child and sought comfort in the presence of a warm body.

For the next week, things were tense between House and Cuddy. She was trying to stave off suspicions of him wanting someone else and he tried to figure out a way to show her that he loved only her. Wilson advised him to lay it all out for her, but he brushed the idea to the side, telling his best friend that there was not helping it if she thought he would leave her for someone else.

"She just needs reassurance," Wilson pointed out.

"I think I need a vacation," House replied.

"You guys are about to get married and go off to the Bahamas."

"A vacation from her," House said sadly.

"Don't go that route," Wilson advised. "It'll work out in time, but you can't give her up or she'll never believe that you want to work things out."

House sighed. "We need to get away for the weekend, just you and me. We'll drive to New York and see a play or something. I just need a day or two alone."

Wilson sighed. "I've got a kid now, House."

"Are you still my best friend?"

"Yeah. I'll make the arrangements."