Title: The Department Meeting, Part 3

By: longstrt

Summary: Wilson has a meeting . . . with Cuddy.

As James Wilson walked into the clinic to face his first patient, his stomach was in knots, his eyes were moist, and he felt as if breathing was a struggle. Must be coming down with a cold.

He stopped, rubbing his forehead. You're an idiot, Wilson. You know very well why you're feeling like this. It's not every day that you kiss off your best friend. He looked so . . . I don't know . . . when I said I had made other arrangements.

Wilson stood staring at nothing for a few seconds before he pulled himself together. For the next four hours he encountered almost every disease known to man and some that weren't, but never once during that time did he forget the stricken face of the man that he had loved for almost 20 years.

The day seemed interminable, but it was finally over. Not once since he had stalked out of his own office had he seen House. That wasn't terribly unusual, but the fact that House had not sought him out for one of the thousands of myriad reasons that he came up with in the daily routine of the hospital, was unusual, unless you considered that James Wilson had declared his independence, and Gregory House was going to make him pay for that . . . and pay for that - - DEARLY.

The next three days were just as bad. Wilson was called in to consult, but it was always one of the ducklings who asked for the help. Wilson badly wanted to ask about their sarcastic leader but hesitated to do so. He was not about to sell his new found independence so cheaply. He wanted Greg House's friendship, but it had to be based on mutual respect and equality. So far, Greg House had done all the taking and Wilson all the giving. The handsome, younger man did not dare ask himself why it had taken him almost 20 years to notice the unfairness in their relationship.

Wilson's days seemed to be getting longer. He stayed around the hospital later and later into the evening. He told himself that this devotion to duty was necessary to complete the piles of work being hoisted upon the Head of Oncology. The fact that the lengthier work day also offered Greg House more time to come and apologize for his behavior, was never admitted in Wilson's sinking heart.

The 20 hour work days ceased abruptly, however, with it was learned that the ungrateful and selfish doctor in question was seen - - by, at least, three staff members leaving for home at the unholy hour of 6:00 pm. So much for giving the man a chance to make up with his badly treated friend!

On the fourth day of avoidance, fate in the form of Dr. Lisa Cuddy, took a hand. Like a mischievous hoodlum who had pulled Sally Sweet's pony tail, James Wilson was called to the Administrator's office.

Lisa Cuddy had had her own run-ins with Greg House, and they had been monumental. She had known Stacy Warner, James Wilson and the scruffy one for a long time. She had put up with a lot from House, and even sacrificed $100 million for him, but she had never had any trouble with the handsome man, standing in front of her - - well, never any trouble except the things that Greg House had started and Wilson went along with. Now there was trouble and it was big time.

"Dr. Wilson, will you please tell me what is wrong with Dr. House?"

Wilson stood there stunned. Why is she asking me?

"I haven't seen Dr. House; so I don't know that anything is wrong."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Doctor. You two practically live and breathe together. You visit each other; you gossip together; you watch soap operas together, and ONCE IN AWHILE, you even practice medicine together, but never . . . never do you go three days without seeing or talking to each other - - so I ask again, what did you do to him?"

"That's not what you asked the first time, and why does it have to be me doing something to him?"

Cuddy scrunched up her face in a look of total disbelief, opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish. Finally, she found the words she wanted, "Because Dr. Wilson, I am not blind. Gregory House is a sarcastic, opinionated, totally uncontrollable fiend, but he worships the ground you walk on and would do nothing to endanger your relationship."

"Whaaaaaattttt? Are we talking about the same Gregory House? Scruffy, caustic, attached to a cane, blue eyes, doesn't give a damn attitude?"

Cuddy closed her eyes as if she had a headache then she nodded, "Yes, all of that is true, but he cares about you, and you damn well know it. Who else has he let get close to him all these years?"

"Uh, Stacy?"

Once again the dark-haired woman gave a man-sized grimace, "Oh, and is she with him now? Could she stay with him? Didn't he drive her away? Doesn't he always drive everyone away? Everyone, but you, that is."

"Could be I've just been too stupid to go."

"Very funny - - ha ha! Now tell me the truth; what's happened between the two of you, and don't tell me that there's nothing wrong."

Wilson's shoulders fell slightly. "All right, I won't say that, but ask House if you want to know."

"As a matter of fact, I did ask him."

For a moment Wilson stared into Cuddy's eyes, trying to glean the answer without asking, but the almost blank stare gave away nothing.

"Okay, I'll bite; what did he say?"

He looked so strange and then he said something really idiotic, "Wilson doesn't like department meetings. Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"That's all he said?"

"Yes, but he looked so exhausted. I asked him if he was having a lot of pain in his leg. For a minute I didn't think he was going to answer, but then he replied something about his leg not being his only pain."

Once again, Wilson stalled for time then he answered. "I really don't understand Dr. House anymore than you do sometimes. It isn't easy being his friend."

Now it was Lisa Cuddy's turn to stare. Her eyes indicated an intense debate going on within herself but finally she sighed and said, "Why are you his friend? What do you get out of it?"

Wilson smiled bleakly, "I've been asking myself that quite a bit lately, and I haven't come up with an answer."

Cuddy nodded her dark locks, "I can understand that. It's not always easy to like the person you love sometimes."

Silence.

Silence continued for several long seconds then Wilson whispered, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Smugness . . . a smirk . . . something crossed Cuddy's face. "All right, Doctor. It's not my business, but you forget that I was here when you came to be with House after the infarction. It took a lot more than friendship to put up with the crap you took from the man during his recovery. Very few friends would have stayed, and you did. I don't think anyone understands what you went through putting Greg House back together again and keeping him alive."

"I . . . I was just here. House did it."

"Yeah, pull the other one. Okay, Dr. Wilson - - whatever. The point is - - what are you going to do now? Are you going to lose him or are you going to fight for him . . . one more time?"

"What makes you think that he even wants me to do something? After all, it works both ways - - he could come to me, you know."

Lisa Cuddy began to shake her head; a look on her face much like a mother would give her stubborn, recalcitrant child. "James Wilson, I give you credit for, at least, being sane. Perhaps your long acquaintance with Dr. House has sent you over the edge but not yet. Here's the bottom line: how badly do YOU want Greg House in your life? Right now, House has all his barriers up; I don't know why, but you do. Only you can get them back down. Is it worth it to you to do what you have to? You've been close for a long time." Here she stopped and held up her hand as Wilson started to open his mouth. "I don't want to hear how close although I have my suspicions. Just make up your mind, Jamie and do it."

Wilson's dark eyes opened wide as he stuttered out, "Ja . . . Jamie . . . nobody calls me that!"

Cuddy's sardonic look covered her face, "Oh really, I could have sworn I heard SOMEONE call you that; maybe HE'S the only one that does so?"

A new look of respect and apprehension entered Wilson's eyes, remembering some of the times that House had called him Jamie, but he didn't protest the name any further. "All right, I'll think about it."

As he was leaving the office, Wilson turned to look at the seated woman as she tried to get in the last word, "Just be sure that you do so pretty quick; I can't have two department heads behaving so childishly for too long, and the child care center refuses to take either one of you in tow. So fix it, Doctor."

Wilson grimaced openly, "Wow, you sure are learning from House, aren't you?" With those words, Wilson made his escape before the diminutive woman could get in a further retort.

Shedding his white coat, Wilson headed out of his office. Now what am I going to do? Wilson sat in his car for several moments before starting the ignition and heading towards the inevitable.

End of part 3, one to go.