A/N - So the chapter has come :D Please please let me know what you think! :D
Cuddy had made a light lunch of a choice bananas, crackers and apples, all foods that were bland and wouldn't upset his stomach. Cuddy wasn't all that hungry as her mind was worrying about how the next 48-hours were going to be.
She had gone to let him know that lunch was ready when he was only to find him asleep, touching the water to check if it had gone too cold yet, she decided that it was warm enough to leave her for a little bit, if he was managing to get some rest she was not about disturb him.
Instead she went to her bed, stripping it down to bare minimum sheets, putting all her throw pillows away in her closet, then she grabbed his case, opening it up ready for when he needed it after he got out of his bath. She continued to get the bedroom ready for the withdrawal's symptoms, she knew that she needed everything to make this as easy as possible, for them both.
After about twenty minutes, she went to the closet in the hallway and got a large towel, big enough to wrap around House's waist easily and have extra left over. Going back to the bathroom she got down on her knees beside the bath, laying the towel on her lap she ran her fingers over his cheek gently. "House…." She spoke softly trying to wake him as gently as possible. "Come on Honey, time to get out of the bath before you get hypothermia." She went on to say.
House heard her voice and felt her soft touch. He opened his eyes and looked at her, "I would need to be in the bath for a long time before hypothermia kicked in."
"I know, but I got your attention." She smirked.
"It is getting cold in here though. Help me up please." He asked as he offered her his hand to help pull him out of the bath.
Cuddy got him to standing, then supported him until he was standing on the floor, she wrapped the towel around his waist, and leaned into his lips softly as she tucked it in place. Kissing him for a moment she pulled back and looked at him. "Did you want to get some food?" She asked running her fingertips down his cheek.
House's leg actually didn't feel too bad after getting out of the bath, he looked at her and nodded. "I could try eating something I guess."
Cuddy smiled and took his hand, leading him to the bedroom, House grabbed a pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt from his case, he quickly pulled them on, then set the towel at the bottom of the bed and grabbed his cane. Cuddy had already gone through to her kitchen. She was making the toast she hadn't set out yet. She had put spread on the table already, so all he had to do was sit and eat. She wanted House to have this as easy as possible. She watched him come through and sit at the table as the toast popped.
House sat and managed to eat a slice of toast and some fruit, before heading back to Cuddy's bed and laid down, he needed to stretch out his leg and close his eyes, he was feeling achy and sore all over and his head was starting to get sore too. He had told Cuddy that he was going for a lie down, but not many words had been said after that.
Cuddy took her time cleaning up the kitchen, not that much mess had been made, she wanted to give him the space he was craving at the moment, knowing House the way she did she didn't want to crowd him, but she also wanted to be there for him. After finishing up in the kitchen she headed through to the bedroom and climbed gently on the bed then cuddled up with him, his arm instantly wrapping around her, slowly she drifted off to sleep after listening to his breathing evened out signalling that he was sleeping.
She didn't know how long they had been asleep before she was awoken by House grabbing his leg and groaning in pain. She could see the beads of sweat on his forehead and his t-shirt soaked in sweat too. She knew this wasn't going to be easy getting him clean, but she did what she had to do. Grabbing the Biofreeze cold therapy pain relief gel from the bedside table she had set when she had come through after cleaning the kitchen she opened it and squeezed it into her hand before she put her hands on his leg, knowing that she needed to rub it in and let his muscle relax a little under her touch like it had done when they were in Scotland. And it did work, for a few minutes, he managed to relax enough for Cuddy to help him change out of the sweaty shirt and get a fresh one on. She noticed that he was shaking a lot more now, he was in full detox.
Letting him lay back down on the bed she went to the kitchen and grabbed the IV kit and Saline bag, she had set up a hook already beside the bed, ready for when the time came. Walking back into the bedroom she gave him no choice, he had to get this drip put in, he was sweating more and more, and starting to cough, which she knew was a sign that he would be throwing up anytime soon.
Getting the IV in his hand, she taped it in place and hooked up the IV bag and started it, hoping that would help him feel a little less pain. She made her way back to the kitchen, grabbing the kidney dishes and taking them to House, just in time as well as he started to throw up the toast and fruit, he had eaten a few hours before. Cuddy hated seeing him like this, she just wanted to take his pain away. Wiping his forehead with a washcloth and cold water her eyes focused on every move he made. Now he was in full detox they both knew neither was about to get much sleep.
It was now 7.30pm, House had taken his last Vicodin at around almost twelve hours before. His body was in agony, He knew Cuddy was doing the best she could given that he was the one detoxing and it had been his idea, he was regretting putting Cuddy through this, he should have asked Wilson to help him or gone to a proper clinic for help, but none of them was who he trusted like he did Cuddy.
Rocking in the bed with his knees near his chest, in the foetal position he groaned every so often, his stomach was on fire and he didn't want to move because he knew if he did then he'd vomit again and again. His stomach had nothing left inside it, Cuddy had tried to get him to drink some fluids, but he had refused. Hence her now attaching a banana bag to his IV instead of the saline.
He looked at the clock 11pm then looked over at Cuddy in the armchair in her bedroom, knowing that she was keeping her eyes on him, she was ready to move if he needed her to. She had changed into pale pink scrubs when he had vomited on her slacks earlier, he had a stack of sweaty t-shirts and lounge pants stacking up as Cuddy forced him into changing so he wasn't lying in his own sweat. He looked up at his IV noticing that the bag was less than a third full House knew Cuddy would be attaching a new bag soon.
Cuddy had gotten liquid acetaminophen, so when the time came to change his bag, she put it in with the Saline, hoping it would give him some relief of the pain he was currently feeling. It was now 1am, House was lying with his eyes close, but Cuddy knew he wasn't sleeping, he was avoiding looking at her as he knew it was taking its toll on her seeing him like this. She freshened up the bowl of cold water and got a fresh washcloth she tried to make him feel a little cooler. She felt his pulse making sure it wasn't going too fast she was happy enough with it for now. Sitting back in the chair leaned her head back waiting for the next time he needed her.
House managed to drift in and out of sleep most of the night, with Cuddy checking on him regularly but hadn't gotten any sleep herself, instead she had kept herself busy with reading, but still keeping her eye on him.
It was 9am when House decided that it was time for a cold shower, he needed to wash the sweatiness away properly, Cuddy agreed and helped him get into her shower, she hadn't let it go too cold but cold enough that House would feel the benefit of it. Cuddy had taken the opportunity while he was in the shower to change the sheets, giving him fresh bedding to lay in would also make him feel better, or so she hoped.
Getting another acetaminophen IV bag ready she waited for House to come back through from the bathroom, he looked exhausted and weak, she had never seen him look so weak before. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched as she attached the IV bag to his IV line and nodded as he laid back on the bed. Closing his eyes, he hoped that sleep would take him to a more comfortable place.
By the time the afternoon came, Cuddy hadn't eaten since House had eaten with her the day before, she wasn't feeling hungry, but her stomach was rumbling a little, she saw House look at her. "Go get something to eat, I will be okay." He sighed. Doing as she was told; she grabbed a quick sandwich and a banana before going back and joining House in the bedroom. Taking her spot on in the armchair she saw that he had managed to drift back to sleep again.
Waking at around 6pm, House held out his hand and she instantly went to him. "You okay?" She asked, feeling guilty that she had left his side.
"I'm better than I was a few hours ago anyway." He smiled as he looked up at her. "Come join me in bed, it feels lonely without you in it." He spoke out softly.
Cuddy smiled at him, she looked up at his IV bag seeing it was nearly empty. "Let me change your IV then I'll join you." True to her word, she changed his IV to a banana bag then climbed into bed beside him, curling up in his arms sleep came easy to her as it did him. He only woke to his leg cramping at about midnight, Cuddy started him on tablet naproxen, a NSAID, she knew would help him better than Vicodin could ever do as it was a pain reliever more than an opiate that Vicodin was.
I have never dealt with Detox before, I wouldn't know how tbh but don't shoot me, please!