The Surgeon hovered around for a moment while everyone sat down. "Well…" the surgeon said. "He managed to pull though the surgery." A collective sigh was heard as everyone released the breath that they had been holding. "But there is some bad news. We almost lost him on the operating table, he was gone for about four minute and I'm sure I don't have to tell you all that anything over three can result in brain damage, and he did fall into a coma. We won't know the exact extent of it until he wakes up, if he does. However there is a good chance it may not be permanent. You can go see him in recovery" The five of them walked down to recovery to see Wilson. House grimaced at the sight of his friend. It didn't look like Wilson he told him self. The man on that bed was too pale and week to be his friend, also Wilson's bright brown eyes were not there to greet him. House could not stand to see so many tubes keeping him alive, the slow beep of the heart monitor and the whoosh of the ventilator pumping much needed oxygen directly in to Wilson's lungs brought him back to reality. This was his friend, and he was still alive. House hung back until everyone was through holding Wilson's hand and giving words of encouragement. Final after everyone had left and House cursed the fact Cuddy took a long time talking to Wilson. House sat down in the chair next to his bed, and took Wilson's limp, cold hand in both of his.

"Okay James, It's hard for me to say this," he hesitated and fought back the stinging tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Maybe I'm not, but you are all I have left. Look I'll make an agreement with you, you wake up form this, I promise from the bottom of my miserable heart that I will attempt look into other alternative to Vicodin for the pain." Wilson didn't stir. "Alright I'll do more than attempt; I will look into other alternatives. But I wont guarantee anything" House saw the Wilson's heart rate had picked up. "I see we have an understanding." House smiled a little, then finally let go. "Oh God James, what were you thinking. You should have just stayed down with the other people. Why must you always think of others first?" House stayed the night with Wilson, the doctor's came in periodically to do checks but there was still no change in his condition.

Cuddy found House the next morning asleep in the chair next with Wilson with his hand still clasped in House's hand. "You should go home and get cleaned up. Don't worry about working on Monday. I'm giving you the week off. Please take it." She said to him. House looked at Wilson and shook his head.

"I should be here, incase he wakes up."

"I can stay here if you like."

"Yeah, you're probably right." House felt like taking a hot shower anyway. "I should probably stop on my way and check on Wilson's dog too. You know make sure he's got food and water." Cuddy was worried. House wasn't being sarcastic anymore, in fact she had just heard with her own ears, Greg House taking into account someone else's needs other than his own. She could not imagine how this could be destroying him. It was hurting her so much because she loves Wilson, but House loves Wilson more than anyone.

"Oy, Wilson…James," She said quietly, "I wish it had not taken me this long to see how much I really care for you. I promise you, that if...when...whenyou wake up I will tell you exactly how I feel, and possibly consider letting House off some clinic duty. That way you'll hear less whining when you come back to work." There was a knock on the door and a teenage girl in a wheel chair holding a small brown stuffed bear came in with a woman behind her.

"I'm Mrs. Lezel and this is my daughter Alia," the woman said. "My daughter wanted to meet the man who tried to help her. When we heard he was here she begged to come visit."

"This is for him," she said holding the bear up, "my Mom though it would be nice to give a thank you present. You know the man who helped me can you tell me his name."

"His name is James Wilson," Cuddy replied, "Dr. James Wilson, he's an oncologist who works in this hospital." The teenage girl looked in awe and motioned for her to bring her closer, and noticed the different machines.

"I want to be a doctor some day as well," Alia told Cuddy, "I always though they were so brave. Now I know they really and truly are.Cuddy couldn't help but smile at the girl's sincerity.

"The criminal thatshot him must have done quite a bit more damage to him than to me. How could you just shoot someone like that?" She sighed. Alia then stood up slowly her face contorted in pain from her recent injury, and walked over to Wilson's bed dragging her IV bags behind her. She took Wilson's hand and brought it to her face "James Wilson, you are my angel, and now I will pray for your recovery. Please, if for nothing else get better so I can invite you to my family's picnic as a token of my thanks." With her strength failing Alia had to sit back down in the wheel chair so she could be taken back to her room. "Please let me know when he wakes up." Alia said on the way out, "I'm in room 231." Cuddy just watched as the girl fell asleep in the wheel chair on the way back to her room. House came back in looking a bit cleaner, at least he had a change of clothing.

"Who was that?" he asked as.

"That was Alia, the girl Wilson was trying to help at the bank."

"I don't like her," House said shortly, "how can I believe that her life is worth that of Wilson's, a doctor who could save more lives just doing his job than he ever could trying to be a hero. If it wasn't for her Wilson would probably be home right now maybe out on a run or reading a news paper in front of the TV. Certainly not laying in hospital bed clinging to life." House sat down, he needed something to be angry at and the girl seemed the easiest scapegoat. But Cuddy just looked at him.

"Look House, Wilson obviously though her life was worth saving. How can you judge his decision, knowing Wilson if he hadn't helped that girl, he probably would have never been able to live with himself. It's not the girl's fault, blame the bank robber who shot him, blame him for not letting the paramedics get to Wilson until he was almost dead, but House,do not blame Alia." House got upset and walked off. He found himself in front of room 231, and decided to see what was so special about the girl Wilson was so willing to give his life for. He walked in and saw a copper haired girl asleep in the bed. He went over and looked at her charts. One gun shot wound to the torso, grazed the kidney, went into surgery to repair, and expected to make a full recovery. She was on morphine for the pain and other drugs to help her heal. He then looked at her medical history, broken foot, torn ligaments in both knees, pulled muscles, and stitches in her arm. As he was reading her mother walked in.

"Are you her new doctor?" The mother asked.

"No I'mDr. House, I'm just making rounds to see different patients," he lied He looked curiously back at her medical history chart. "She hashad a lot of musculoskeletal injuries," he said trying to sound causal.

"She's a figure skater. It was her dream to go to the Olympics; she also takes ballet so to improve her skating. It's a rough sport. That's why she was at the bank that day. I told her to take out some money to buy new point shoes. She's starting to love ballet more than skating." House nodded. "You're not making rounds are you?" The mother asked gently.

"No, I'm not."

"Then why are you here?"

"Dr. Wilson's my best friend, I just wanted to get to know the girl that he put his life on the line for. I'm sorry I've been blaming your daughter for his injuries and I know its not her fault." Then thegirls mother did something he did not expect, she pulled him into a strong embrace.

"Your friend is my hero. My Alia is all I have left after my son and husband were killed last year in a car crash. I don't know what I would have done without her." House found himself returning the hug. "You must be strong, I have a feeling things will get better."

House returned to Wilson's to room to find Cuddy hanging another bag of IV fluid to the numerous number that were still there. "He's started developing a low grade fever; we're just taking precaution so the infection doesn't get worse. I'm going to head out for the night. Also don't tell the doctor the Alia was here, you know as well as I in the ICU he's not suppose to get visitors but I arranged for her to come in." House smiled a little.

"You're breaking the rules, I see I'm started to rub off on you." Cuddy returned his smile.

"Yes, just a little." House sat down next to Wilson and took his hand again. House could have sworn he saw a ghost of a shadow cross Wilson's face.

"Just so you know you're indirectly changing all of us just a little. I'll get you back for this someday." He laughed lightly, but then his face fell, "you just have to wake up now."