Chp Two

"I need thirty-six Vicodin."

"For who?'

"Me."

"You can't – "

"Dr. Wilson's the prescribing physician."

"I'm sorry, but without a prescription or personal consent, I can't distribute thirty-six Vicodin to you."

Dr. House sighed and glanced around the room. Wilson usually showed up out of nowhere, and now would have been a good time for that. But it wasn't happening and the older doctor was getting frustrated. Jeez, where was the pretty oncologist when you needed him?

"House, where have you been? You're two and a half hours late."

House had the urge again to take a Vicodin, but before he reached into his pocket for the bottle he remembered it was empty. So, instead, he turned around and gave Dr. Cuddy his 'I-would-say-I'm-sorry-but-I'm-actually-not' look. Cuddy wasn't amused.

"We are very backed up today. All exam rooms are taken, so don't think you can hide in one, 'cause you can't." She handed him a blue file. "Exam room five." She turned around and walked away before House could say anything.

The file Cuddy had handed him was of a twenty-six-year-old woman complaining of leg pain that wouldn't go away. It also said she had been running four miles a day and exercised regularly beside that. House groaned to himself and looked out into the waiting area. He called her name.

"Aimee Parker."

The young woman got up quickly, but then remember her leg hurt and limped the rest of the way.

"Hi," she said, smiling at House. The she noticed his cane, along with no lab coat and the scowl on his face. "Are you a doctor?"

"Well, I could be. I have diplomas that say I am." House gave her the 'you're-too-stupid-to-be-asking-questions' look and turned away, starting to make his way to exam room five. This will be interesting, he thought, and fun, knowing his game boy was in his other pocket, opposite of the one that contained the empty bottle. He scowled again, reminded of the pain in his leg, but what hurt the most was that there was nothing he could do about it. But he had to try, even if it meant Cuddy would yell at him.

"I need a consult. Get Dr. Wilson for me," House told a nurse, who was standing around there not doing anything but pretended to be busy. She gave him a nod and then was gone. House figured it would he at least twenty-five minutes before Wilson did come along. Five minutes for the nurse to find him, ten minutes for her to flirt with him, and then the remaining ten minutes for Wilson to apologize to his patient, get through the mod and away from Cuddy if she caught him, say hi to all the nurses who would wave and smile, and then eventually get to his room. Stuff like that annoyed House, but he had his game boy so the time would pass fairly quickly.

As he made his way around the corner of the desk area, unknowingly to the older doctor there was a small puddle of water left forgotten after it spill. A patient who was complaining of a sore throat begged a nurse to get him a cup of water. She did so, trying to be nice, but because of the hectic rush, another nurse bumped into her. The nurse delivering the water made a note to clean up the spill, but that later hadn't come yet.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts about what else made him annoyed that he didn't notice the little things, like the spilled water. His cane was the first to slip upon contact. The expression on his face turned sour as he realized what was going on, when it seemed everything was going up or he was going down. His bad leg gave up quickly, and he lost his balance before he could find it. He grabbed for the edge of the counter on top of the desk but he couldn't get a hold on it and his hand fell away. He hit the ground hard, his cane slipping out of arm's reach along with the file. Pain shot through his right leg, and House couldn't hold back the cry that came out getting everyone's attention. He did, though, hold back his tears, because Dr. Greg House didn't cry.

People were suddenly all around him, and it seemed like they all became doctors in the past ten seconds. Half were telling him things to do; half were telling him things not to do. Nurses pushed their way through, telling people to please step back and calm down. No one seemed to be listening.

House took in a deep breath and slowly sat up. Someone was yelling at him to lie back down because he could have a concussion.

"I'm a doctor! I know what I'm doing!"

Dr. Cuddy noticed something was going on. She didn't see it happen but she heard House's voice above everyone else's. It was full of pain and stressed out.

"What's going on here?" Cuddy approached the crowd and worked her way through.

"Oh my god, House!" She ran up to him and wanted to help, but when she reached out she saw the look on House's face and pulled back. It was the one that said 'don't'.

House placed his left hand on the floor and turned to lean on it.

"People, please calm down and take a couple steps back." Everyone did do and Cuddy gave them a sincere smile. "Okay, now, House, what happened?"

House could feel her stare on him; it was burning and piercing and he didn't want to meet it.

"I slipped."

"How?"

"Does it really matter? God, I'm in so much pain…" The last few words were whispers. He knew people could see the pain he was in, but he didn't want them to know that he actually felt it.

"Okay; can you get up?" It was a 'you can look but don't touch' matter with House.

"Yeah. Yeah, I can." He pushed up on his left hand and very slowly slid his left leg under him. With as much strength he had in his right leg – which wasn't a lot, really – he tried to get on his knees. Unfortunately, it didn't happen because the small puddle of water was still there and this time, instead of his cane, it was his right foot that made contact with the water. His sneakers betrayed him and let his foot slip. House fell back on the ground and more pain accompanied the amount he was already feeling.

Tears wanted to pour out but House wouldn't let them. He didn't cry, especially in front of other people.

The sound of heels could be heard clicking down the hallway and soon Cameron arrived at the scene. Chase was right behind her, but it weren't his shoes that were making the clicking. He watched as Cameron ran up to House and squatted down next to him.

"House, are you okay?"

House wanted to scream at her, maybe ever make her cry, but she didn't understand what happened and what he was feeling.

"Does it look it?"

"Can I help you? Come on, House." Cameron obviously didn't know House well enough to ask that.

House shook his head no and sat forward. But Cameron wasn't going to stop at that.

"House, you need help. Let me?" She reached out, and when the older doctor pushed her away, somewhat forcefully, she must have understood. Chase was there to place a hand on her as she stood up. Her stare was on House, worried and scared. She knew House didn't like to be helped, especially in public, but he clearly needed it. She didn't know why he was acting this way.

Cameron pushed her way through the crowd and Chase followed, worried about as to what she was up to. She started pacing the area, and then just stood there becoming part of the crowd as she stared. Chase stood close to her, ready for a breakdown is there was one.

Foreman was now at the scene. He was the one who had gone to get Cameron when House was refusing help. When he refused Cameron's help, he just shook his head, sighing.

Cuddy had her hands on her hips and was looking at House disapprovingly.

"Greg, let someone help you. Stop being stubborn. You can't do this alone."

"Yes, I can." He tried to get up on his knees again but he just felt too tired to succeed. It was as if he was seventy, not forty-six.

Cuddy was ready to push House into submission is she had to, but before she could try another familiar voice came about onto the scene.

"What's all the fuss about?"

"Wilson…" The voice was weak but loud enough for Dr. James Wilson to hear.

"House!" The file in his hand was thrown, not really caring where it landed, and he ran up to his best friend. He knelt down beside him, fear branded on Wilson's face.

"What happened? Did you fall?"

"Yes." House nodded his head and closed his eyes, sighing. Pain shot through his leg again and he hissed, grabbing the leg like that would stop the pain.

"When did you last take a Vicodin?"

"Last night."

"Really? You weren't in any pain this morning?"

"Wilson, please…"

"No, answer the question."

"I'm all out. Wasn't able to take one this morning." House's eyes were closed tight now; he refused to cry, even if Wilson was here.

"Someone get a Vicodin, NOW!"

A nurse rushed over to the pharmacy, got a little white pill from the man behind the counter, and rushed back to Wilson and House. She gave the Vicodin to Wilson, who turned to the hurting man and pushed the pill past House's lips and watched him swallow it. That was probably the only situation he would encourage House to take the painkillers.

"Okay, you need to get up. Where's your cane?"

House lifted a hand and waved it to nowhere in particular.

Wilson looked out into the crowd. "Does anyone know where his cane is?"

A random person handed Wilson the cane. He didn't say thank you as he took it – either he forgot or didn't care – and turned back to his best friend.

"Come on, Greg."

Wilson held out the cane and guided House's hand to it with his own. He then placed a hand on his back for support. Now, with the help of his cane and Wilson, House was able to get to his knees without much pain.

"There you go. Just one more time, okay?" Wilson whispered to him as his hand slipped and an arm went around the older doctor's waist. As House pushed himself up, slowly, Wilson pulled gently, giving him some extra help. He was then on his feet, with his breathing short; he felt so tired.

House let out a heavy sigh, slumping forward against Wilson. His breathing was loud, as his forehead rested against Wilson's shoulder and a hand was lightly holding on to Wilson's left arm.

"I need to sit. My leg hurts so much." His voice was low and said against the oncologist's neck.

Wilson's hand bunched up a bit of the casual suit jacket at the back that House wore. "Then come on; let's get to your office." His hand let go and now laid flat on his lower back. He was ready to support his best friend, if it were with each step he took or to stop him from falling again.

House lifted his head slowly, eyes only opening when they could meet Wilson's. Everyone else seemed to disappear when a smile passed between them both. The smile was for reassurance; Wilson reassuring House that everything's was okay, and House reassuring Wilson he still appreciated his help.

"Okay, people, please take a seat or step to the side," Cuddy said over the small crowd, clapping her hands as well. "Dr. House and Dr. Wilson need to get by."

As both doctors left the clinic, they could hear Cuddy briefly explaining the situation about House and they shouldn't worry at all. Dr. Wilson wasn't mentioned once, and no one had a second thought of it. But Cameron did, because she didn't miss the looks and touches that passed between her crush and his best friend. The expression on her face led Chase to only wonder what she was thinking. Foreman had left five minutes ago, now being assigned to clinic duty. His first patient was Aimee Parker.