Wilson went to House's office looking for him and sighed when he walked in to find the office empty. Then went to his office which was also empty and sat down on the couch to try and think of all the places he might be. He was making a mental list when he glanced out the glass door and saw House out on the balcony. Wilson got up and walked out on it and then hopped the barrier and looked at House who was looking out at the sky. "It's a pretty day," Wilson said casually looking up.
"Yeah," House said looking up with a frown.
"Here, you forgot your lunch in the Cafeteria," Wilson said handing him the sack.
"Along with my pride, I think I'd rather have it back," House said looking at the sack.
Wilson sat on the barrier between their balconies, "So your plan is to hide out here all day?"
House was quite for a moment as he thought. He'd hoped if he went to work like normal and acted normal everything would just fade back into what his life was like before the men had broken into his home and done this to him, that's how he'd worked through his PTSD in the Marines. Now he wasn't sure what to do, all he knew was that he didn't want to be around everyone right now, he just wanted some time to think and relax, "It was either here or your office, I figured you'd rather me be out here."
Wilson could see the struggle on House's face as he'd been thinking and shrugged, "You can stay in my office if you want."
House rolled his eyes, "You're such an enabler."
"Don't act like you mind," Wilson said with a smile.
"You know what would really take my mind off of everything? A strip bar." House said wagging his eyebrows.
"Not going to happen House," Wilson said looking down at the plastic sack, "You need to eat the rest of your lunch."
"Why not? It's not like we haven't gone to strip bars before?" House whined.
Wilson sighed, "I'm dating someone House, and you have burns on 30% of your body, the last thing you need is to go to a germ ridden strip bar and get an infection."
"You've gone to strip bars when you were married, and you act like I'll be sitting there naked. I wont even be getting out of my wheelchair, so the likelihood of me catching something is pretty much nil." House said honestly.
Wilson thought about it for a minute, "And if one of the girls touches you and you freak out?"
"I'll just tell them not to touch me, that I like to be teased." House said knowing he was winning.
Wilson looked down at the plastic sack, "You eat the rest of your lunch and we'll go to the strip bar after work."
House opened up the sack and then the foam container inside of it and looked at the burger with only two bites missing and the fries. "I'm really not that hungry," he said looking at the food.
"I know, but you need to eat, you just ate a granola bar for breakfast," Wilson said watching him.
House took a bite of burger and then ate a couple of fries, "So, how long do you think it'll be before I can eat in the Cafeteria again?"
Wilson shrugged, "You can eat in there whenever you want, but I think the incident will die down in a couple of days."
Cuddy had noticed the looks she was getting from most of the staff and everyone she'd talked to had been eager to do what she asked or get her the reports she requested. Even thought she hated what they were all thinking of her, she had to admit that it was nice having everyone going out of their way to get her what she needed.
Cuddy spotted Cameron and walked over to her, "I was just needing last months reports and was wondering if you were finished with them yet?"
Cameron looked up at Cuddy and back down at a chart, "Nope."
The shortness of Cameron's answer let Cuddy know something was up, "Well do you know when you might be done with them? I need them to compile quarterly reports."
Cameron smiled as she looked back up at Cuddy, "I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I'm done with them, I wouldn't want to get a beating."
Cuddy rolled her eyes, "You and me both know I didn't do that to him."
Cameron wanted to yell at Cuddy for what she'd done. House had been through so much lately she didn't see how Cuddy could have acted that way to him. She thought about House and tried to keep his cool and emotionless demeanor as she talked, "Maybe not, but you knew he was suffering from PTSD, and you still went after him in a crowded place screaming and hitting him with a file. You knew what would happen, is that why you did it? Not only did you get to yell at him but humiliate him in front of most of the hospital staff, that should put him in his place, make him think next time he pisses you off." Cameron said with calmly with a bit of anger showing.
Cuddy had a snide grin of her face, "Wow, you're still not over him are you? I thought that working in a different department and being in a committed relationship would have been enough, but you're still keeping that flame alive even thought, from what I've heard he's never shown you the slightest interest." The smile on her face was her way of say 'he's mine bitch, back off.'
Cameron smiled, "I'm just a friend defending a friend, but it's interesting you would think I'd have other motivations, because if there is someone here that House has made his interests known about it would be you. The way he watches you, and is always seeking your attention, good or bad, just to have you chase him down. He's like a school boy pulling on your pigtails, the only real question is if you care about him at all." Cameron said looking at her with searching eyes hoping to see at least a fraction of the love in Cuddy's eyes that she saw in House's when he was talking to Cuddy.
"Whatever goes on between Dr. House and myself are none of your business Dr. Cameron," Cuddy said in an authoritative tone.
Cameron was disappointed by the lack of emotion in Cuddy's face and voice, "He loves you, I can see that, so my advice is just to stay away. It's pretty clear you don't feel the same way about him, and you're going to end up hurting him more than those men ever could if you play with him. He isn't as inhuman as he wants everyone to believe. That's not from your employee, that's from a women that's loved the man who's heart you are playing with."
Cuddy couldn't believe Cameron had the audacity to talk to her about her theories on House at work. She narrowed her eye's on her, "I'm not playing with him."
"Really, so you're in love with him?" Cameron asked and watched as Cuddy said nothing not even a blink, "If you're not in love with him, your playing with him Lisa and in the end you're going to tear him apart, not that you care."
Cuddy licked her lips, "When will you have the report to me?"
"Tomorrow morning," Cameron said.
"Great, I'll talk to you later Dr. Cameron," Cuddy said walking away.
House and Wilson were leaving the balcony heading to Wilson's office when House's team started rolling in, and he waved Wilson on.
They all were looking at him, "We heard about the cafeteria," Thirteen said with worry.
"I've been saying the meat wasn't real for years," House said seriously and looked at the testing results.
"Are you sure you're ready to be back, no one would hold it against you if you took a couple more weeks, you weren't suppose to come back for at least another month." Foreman said with serious concern.
House didn't look up, "Wow, all those test and nothing! I feel just terrible about putting him through all of that just to prescribe him so cold medicine, and evidently so does Cuddy. She's promising no more lame patients... well lame patients in the since they might not be able to move, but not lame diagnoses, which is what really matters here."
"You screamed like a scared girl in the cafeteria in front of everyone because Cuddy yelled at you and raised her hand. Do you really expect us to just pretend that didn't happen?" Taulb asked tilting his head.
"It wasn't like a girl, whoever you heard that from was exaggerating," House said putting down the file.
"Actually it was like girl, Taulb and me were in the cafeteria," Kutner said looking at House with down cast eyes.
House chewed on his lip and ran a hand threw his hair.
"I talked to a shrink about my infidelity, she was great. Her name is Susan Porter, here's her card, please use it." Taulb said with a sad smile.
House took the card, "She must have been so good since you haven't even thought about cheating on your wife since, oh wait you have. Hmm, call a bad therapist and from what I can see," House said looking at Taulb, "be no better off, or just suck it up."
"PTSD isn't a medical condition, it's emotional, talking about it could help," Kutner said truthfully.
"Have any of you ever had PTSD?" House asked looking around the room, "No? Then go prescribe our patient some cough drops and rest, and leave me alone about the PTSD."
Everyone got up and left except Foreman, "I know you don't like taking help from people, but if you need anything we're all here for you House, all you have to do is ask."
"Great, Cuddy is on my ass about filling out some paperwork on some old cases, when you and the team get back it would help me if you would get those filled out. I'll be Wilson's office if you need me." House said.
Foreman stood up, "Okay, I'll make sure it gets done."
House watched him leave a little surprised Foreman had agreed and then wheeled himself into Wilson's office.
Wilson looked up from his files, "So had news hit them?"
House sighed, "Taulb and Kutner were in the cafeteria when it happened, so yeah."
"What did they say?" Wilson asked watching House roll over to the couch.
House stood up and bit his lip at the pain of having all his weight on his right leg and laid down on the couch, "Same crap, talk to someone, are you sure you're ready to be back, we're here for you bullshit."
"Man I don't know how you put up with those assholes," Wilson said sarcastically. "So did you put them in their place or what?"
House closed his eyes, "Told them to leave me alone about it, and got Foreman and the team to get the paperwork done Cuddy's been wanting to me to finish for the last six months. I told them I'd be in here if they needed me."
"Hey, did you take you medicine after you ate?" Wilson asked as House gritted his teeth some.
House shook his head, "I forgot it's in my backpack."
Wilson got up and took the backpack off the wheelchair. House opened his eyes, "Just hand it to me, I'll get it." Wilson did and House fished it out.
"Here," Wilson said handing him a bottle of water, "I hate watching you dry swallow them."
House took the medicine and soon was fast asleep on the couch.
A couple of hours later Cuddy knocked on Wilson's door. Wilson got up looking back to make sure House was still asleep and opened his office door.
Cuddy smiled, "Hi was just wondering if..." but she stopped as she saw House on the couch over his shoulder.
Wilson looked back at House and then at her, "Did you need to talk to him?"
Cuddy just kept looking at House, "How is he?"
"He'll make it," Wilson said opening up the door, "it's just been a rough first day back."
She walked in and over to House, "Cameron thinks I did it to him on purpose in the cafeteria."
Wilson sighed, "Don't let her get to you."
"She say's that I'm playing with his heart and that I'm going to end up hurting him worst than those men did, she said I'd tear him apart." Cuddy said looking at House with worry.
"She's jealous that House cares about you and isn't afraid to show it. She wanted to believe that the only reason he didn't make a go of her is because he's so broken he couldn't, now she has to accept that he just didn't love her. As long as you are honest with him and yourself you don't have anything to worry about, if you two ever get a shot again, that is." Wilson said putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I miss him so much," She said looking at him.
Wilson nodded, "Me too, all I want to do is have a night of my friend making fun of me while drinking beer and watching fighting."
Cuddy smiled, "I never thought there would be a day I'd be happy to have him barge into my office, it's just not the same in the wheelchair."
Wilson sat down at his desk, "Maybe someday things will be normal again and you won't be too afraid to admit you love the jerk."
Cuddy looked up at Wilson, "Who said I love him?"
Wilson smiled, "Cuddy this is the first time you've taken your eyes off him since you spotted him."
Cuddy looked back at House, "I don't know, I know I care about him a lot but what if that's not enough. I mean what's the difference between caring a lot and loving someone?"
Wilson shrugged, "If I knew the answer to that maybe I wouldn't have been married and divorced three times."
"He said he loved me, do you think he meant it," She asked.
"Yeah, I do," he said with a sad smile.
"His beard is getting to be ridiculous, and his hair is getting long," Cuddy said her hand hovering just above it.
"I know at some point I've got to take him to get a hair cut and get him to trim up the beard," Wilson said with a frown as he imagined how that would go over with House.
Cuddy let her fingertips barely touch his hair, "I could take him, or I wouldn't mind coming over sometime when you go on a date with Megan."
Wilson smiled knowingly, "Yeah, you're totally not falling for him."
Cuddy narrowed her eyes on Wilson, "Shut up," she said looking back at House, "he doesn't make it easy on a girl."
Wilson let out a small laugh, "If you haven't noticed he doesn't make it easy on anyone, even himself."
Cuddy got up, "When he wakes up tell him there are a stack of patients files on his desk for him to look through."
"He heard you, he's been awake for the last minute or two," Wilson said looking at his paperwork.
Cuddy looked down at House who now had his eyes open, "You're an ass."
House smiled, "Like you would have it any other way. If you want to spend so time with me all you have to do is ask."
"I don't want it to awkward," She said looking down at him.
House pulled himself into a sitting position with a grimace, "You said we're friends, friends hang out. You don't have to have an excuse to spend time with me, but if you need one, you could always cut my hair. I figured there's less of a chance with me freaking out with you as long as you're not screaming at me, and if I do, you'll know how to handle it."
Cuddy was surprised, "You'd trust me to cut your hair?"
House moved his right leg trying to get the stiffness out, "Why wouldn't I?"
"Fine, I'll be over tomorrow to hang out and cut your hair," She said as if it wasn't any big deal.
"Sounds good," House said looking up at her.
Cuddy nodded and left.
After work Wilson and House got in the car and House told him were to go, they ended up at a mid class Gentlemen Club named Scotch 45. Wilson held the door open for House who wheeled himself up the ramp and into the Club. The place was covered in dark toned woods and low wattage lights except for the stage which had black lights pulsing as woman danced around the five poles. House smiled and rolled over to the bar. "Two Scotches, one on the rock and one plain make them single malt top shelf," he said handing the man forty dollars.
Wilson sighed, "And how many of those do you plan on having tonight?"
House looked at Wilson, "Just one or two, loosen up, let me unwind a little."
"I'm loose," Wilson said defensively looking around, "Want to go to one of the tables?"
House nodded and rolled over to one pulling away the chair, Wilson sat down and looked at the stage, "You been to this one before?"
"No, just heard about it," House said watching the girls dance.
A young woman with blond hair dressed in short leather motorcycle shorts with fish net hose and a short cropped motorcycle jacket just zipped at the bottom revealing a lacy red bra brought out the drinks and put them on the table. "I haven't seen you two here before," She said with watching them closely.
"Is that a problem?" House asked taking a sip of the plain Scotch.
"Listen here Wheels, I own this place and my girls aren't hookers. I don't run this place like most of the clubs around here, no sex in a back room, or bondage shit in the basement. So if that's what you're looking for you can leave, other wise have a good time. Each girl has their own prices for lap dances and such," The blond said.
"Hey, we're not here for trouble just to relax and unwind some, my name is James, this is Greg, and I promise you wont have to worry about us," Wilson said with a warm reassuring smile.
"My name is Alexandra. The strippers on the stage are off limits, the girls walking around are up for grabs for table and lap dances. Tonight is know as fantasy night so the girls wear costumes and will like to play role playing games, but don't forget the golden rule, don't touch the girls unless they ask you too." She said.
"I thought you couldn't touch the girls no matter what," Wilson said surprised.
"I'm not a pimp, I don't have any misconception about owning my girls. If they are okay with it, then I'm not going to say no, as long as it doesn't turn into sex, which it wont. You touch a girl that doesn't want to be touched, she gives one look and both of you are out of here." Alexandra said looking at House's neck then in his eyes, "Like I said no bondage here."
House smiled with narrowed eyes, "I heard you, now can we enjoy ourselves or not?"
Alexandra sighed, "Here's the menu in case you get hungry and we don't keep tabs so you have to pay for your drinks and food as you order them unless you bring your own liquor. Have a good time boys," She said with a smile and left.
House and Wilson looked around the dark room noticing the girls walking around, "She was a little intense, sure this is where you want to be?" Wilson asked looking back at House.
"Yeah, she's just making sure we know the rules," House said smiling at some girls who walked up. One was dressed as Marlin Monroe while the other was was an Asian dressed in wide ribbons covering all her breast and bottom with bows between her breast, one on each hip and one between her legs.
"What are you suppose to be?" House asked.
The Asian girl smiled, "I'm a present, you want to open me up and see whats inside?" she asked seductively.
"How much for a lap dance from both of you?" House asked.
The girls looked at each other and whispered something, then Monroe looked over at him, "40 for a couple of minutes, and eighty for a good time."
House pulled out a hundred, "How about a hundred and you two drag my friend away and give him a good time."
"House, I don't think we should split up..." Wilson started.
While the girls nodded and House handed them the money and they pulled Wilson from his chair one bringing his drink for him off to a more discrete table.
House took another sip of his drink and looked at the girls dancing trying to forget the day.
It wasn't but two minutes later a girl in a spandex nurses uniform walked in front of his him. "You look lonely, want me to dance for you?"
House looked her over, she had dark hair and blue eyes. He swallowed as he thought of a younger Cuddy, "How much?"
She smiled with her red lips shining in the dark light, "What all do you want?"
House looked her over, "Everything comes off, you do a good dance, and also no touching the merchandise, I just got this suit pressed."
"Name's Candy, and I'm all yours for 30, shall we?" She asked walking away and House saw the bottom of the red guarder belt holding up her white stockings.
House took the last sip of his drink and followed her. She lead him to what looked like a cubical, it had walls on both sides and in the back but the front was open, she pulled out a chair that was in it and House rolled back into the spot. He handed her forty and she put it in a pocked on her costume she leaned down to him, "So, let's say that your the mean doctor, and I'm the naughty nurse who has to work her way up the hard way." Candy said with a smile.
House chuckled, "Fine."
"I'm so sorry Doctor it wont happen again, it's just I was so horny I couldn't help but masturbating." She said with biting her bottom lips with big eyes.
House grinned, "I don't care about excuses, just do as I say and I wont report this."
"Okay, I'll do it, whatever you ask, just don't report me sir, I need this job," Candy said getting on her knees and unzipping the top of the dress some.
House licked his lips, "Rub your breasts," he said watching her hands move over her covered breast he smiled.
"You like that Doctor? Tell me what else you want," She said putting her hand on his knee. He pushed it way hard and took some ragged breath. Candy was about to call the guards but noticed the panic in his face, she stood up and saw his arms and hands were shaking some. "You alright?" She asked watching him.
"I... just... I'll... I'll be fine.. just don't touch," He said with worried eyes.
Candy looked him over and bit her lip taking out a pack of cigarettes, "Here, have one," she said holding it out. House looked at it noticing it was hand rolled and took it. "I call it cancer with a kick, it's mainly tobacco but there's some Mary Jane playing around in there too. It'll help calm your nerves." House put one in his mouth and she lit it for him and got an ashtray. "I wasn't going to hurt you," She said softly.
House held a deep puff, "I know, just been though a lot lately, I'll be fine."
"I feel horrible, I thought when you said not to touch, it was a joke. I've never had someone ask me that before. How about you give me an extra sixty and I'll give you our royal treatment package which usually cost one-fifty?" Candy said looking down at him.
"What exactly is the royal treatment?" House asked letting go of his puff.
Candy smiled, "You'll enjoy it more if you let it be a surprise."
House eyed her and she just gave him a wink, "Okay, I'm game as long as you promise to tell me where you got the pot from, this is medicinal grade."
"Deal," She said and he handed her over sixty dollars, "I'll be right back."
House smoked while he waited and she returned with a red headed girl with ponytails and dressed in a trampy Catholic school girl uniform. Candy smiled at him and bent over and the school girl pulled a paddle from her back and gave the nurse a little swat. Candy winked at him and took the paddle from the red head and held it out for him, "Have some fun."
House took the paddle looking at it with interest and the looked up to see the girls rubbing on each other. He put down the paddle and smoked as the girls danced and grinded against one another still in costume. House was feeling relaxed as he watched the girls hands cupping the others curves and giving small hand slaps on the others ass. Then he saw Alexandra come over and hand something to Candy who turned around with a plate and fork with what looked like cut up steak on it. "Open up," she said with a smile.
House did and watched her as she put the fork in his mouth. He pulled off the meat and was surprised when the steak was decent. He chewed it up and she got him a bite of mashed potatoes which he ate up. Then the school girl smiled big as she held an open bottle of red wine, "Here you go, something to wash that down with," she said putting it to his lips and lifting slightly. House took a couple of sips and she pulled it back then Candy came back at him with the steak and potatoes again. It wasn't long before they had stuffed him full. "You enjoying yourself sweet heart?" Candy asked.
House felt warm from the alcohol and relaxed from the weed as he looked at her breast, "I am, now do you get naked?" He asked smiling at her.
"Would you like that?" She asked him seductively handing him another cigarette.
House lit up then nodded and the school girl unzipped the nurses uniform past her breast and squeeze chocolate syrup on them and started licking it off. House smiled as he watched them lick syrup off of each other while getting more and more undressed. When they finally finished House was feeling good and content.
"Looks like you had a good time," Wilson said with a smile.
House looked up at him, "Best strippers ever, how about you?"
Wilson nodded, "I enjoyed myself, you ready to go?"
"Yes, I'm full and feeling good," House said rolling out.
