The Touch Chapter 2: Dr House, I Presume?, a house, m.d. fanfic

Title: The Touch - Chapter Two - Dr. House, I Presume?
Author: Linda/Brynna/Brynnamorgan
Rating: M for Graphic Language
Categories: Romance/Supernatural/Spiritual/AU
Characters: H/OC
Spoilers: None

Summary: "Yeah, well, you know us famous people. We eat publicity for lunch. It's even better than bringing smiles to dying kids' faces."

Lyrics Credits:

"Somebody tell me you love me
Somebody tell me you care
I've got a heart full of giving
Going no where."

Chapter Two - Dr. House, I Presume?

"What in the hell did you think you were doing, Brina?"

Sabrina stirred from her position in one of Wilson's guest chairs, taking another sip of the bottled water Jimmy had brought her. She'd protested going into E.R., instead insisting that all she needed to do was relax for awhile. Which was true - she hadn't rested up from the little girl she'd been with earlier. Fortunately Jimmy backed her up, ignoring the odd looks that everyone gave him as he whisked House and the rest aside, helped her to her feet and had her in his office before anyone could raise a fuss. Never mind that Cuddy would raise a huge stink if she knew that the entertainer had collapsed in her hospital hallway. No, Jimmy had done the right thing, even if only Sabrina and he knew it. No doubt Cuddy would find out in short order, but he'd cross that bridge when he got there.

"Proving a point? I mean, you did warn me about House. How could I resist?" she admitted, watching as Jimmy threw up his hands in frustration.

"Oh, that's just great. Just great. You go out of your way to not reveal…"

"What?"

House was standing at the balcony entrance, one brow cocked at her. At the resulting silence he limped in, looking from one to the other. "It's so much more entertaining to be in on a conversation when one's being talked about, don't you think?"

"Nah. I prefer outright gossip. It's the female in me. I can't resist ripping a person to shreds behind their back."

A small choking sound caused House to glare at Wilson. "Well, aren't you going to introduce us, Jimmy?" He smirked at the flush in Wilson's cheeks.

"Here, let me try." Suddenly an old song from the Sixties came to mind; she grinned and broke into a stanza. "'Doctor Livingstone, I presume, stepping out of the jungle gloom, into the midday sun.'"

He smiled slightly and softly sung rest of the stanza, surprising her with the smoothness of his vocals under the roughness, "'What did you find there? Did you stand awhile and stare? Did you meet anyone?'" Oh, who could resist those dimples? And those eyes just delved right into her being.

Wilson coughed and they both turned to see him giving the pair a sly grin. "Greg, meet Sabrina Wallace. Sabrina, this prickly son-of-a-bitch is Greg House."

"Prickly?" She lifted a brow at Greg and he smiled fully. Finally. Oh, that was much better.

"Only if I'm rubbed wrong."

Wilson ignored the double-entendre and interjected, "Which isn't difficult to do."

Greg snorted and reached into his pocket for the bottle of Vicodin, popping the bottle open one-handed and shaking a pill into his mouth. "This, my dear lady, is my addiction of choice. To answer your question in advance," he added just before dry-swallowing the pill and shutting his eyes for a moment. Get your bearings, Greg, he told himself firmly. Even with eyes closed he could still envision the sensuous curve of her smile, the hazel eyes that reflected pure devilishness, hair he could tangle his fingers in while she… shit, there went those bearings, straight out the window.

"So, back to the subject at hand," he finally said as he sank into another chair opposite her and propped his legs up on a stack of books. "You were trying to keep from revealing… what?"

"My presence here." Hopefully that would deter him; nope, from the look in his eyes he didn't believe her. "The last thing anybody here needs is a bunch of groupies tearing the hospital apart." He still didn't believe her. "After all, there is the performance here tomorrow afternoon." Ah, a blank look from him. Finally. "You know… live performance…"

"In this hospital."

"No, in some other hospital. I'm just advertising it here." At the glare he shot her she added, "Make-A-Wish performance with Whistle Stop for one of the young patients here. Maybe you heard about the Darrelly case?"

He barked an unpleasant laugh. "Considering the kid is one of my cases, I guess you could say I've heard about it. And now his dying wish is to hear you and… your band, I assume, perform for him. Well, I'm sure he'll enjoy it as much as you'll enjoy the publicity."

"Yeah, well, you know us famous people. We eat publicity for lunch. It's even better than bringing smiles to dying kids' faces." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, a finely honed skill her father had taught her when she was young. When Jimmy started to open his mouth she shook her head at him. Let House find out on his own, she thought, taking grim pleasure in the way that Jimmy threw his hands up and sat back.

"Well, Doctor, this has been a meeting beyond my wildest expectations." Sabrina rose to her feet, then bent to pick up her guitar. "We must do this again sometime." With a sugary smile she extended her hand to House's, taking note of the firm, callused grip, the single lifted brow as he rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. Okay, the attraction was mutual, barbed comments aside.

Reluctantly she pulled her hand from his, enjoying the way he flashed his dimples briefly before releasing her. Good. I'd hate like hell to be in this alone, she thought as her smile relaxed into one more genuine. With a quiet nod of the head she exited the room, leaving both men gazing after her. Finally Wilson snuck a sideways glance at his friend, taking in the thoughtful, dazed expression.

"And, what the hell was that about?" Wilson finally asked him. "Oh, that's right. She's rich, she's famous, and she's a philanthropist. Ergo, hidden motive." As House shot him a glare Wilson added, "Of course, your testosterone level didn't go up the moment you first saw her, so I'm sure just being your charming self wasn't a way of keeping her at a distance."

There was an extremely brief pause, then, "What my testosterone level has to do with anything…"

A-HA! Wilson thought triumphantly as he zeroed in on his friend. "I was right. You are attracted to her. In fact, I'd bet if I hadn't been here you'd been all over her like bees on honey."

Snort. "No, I would've taken her into the supply room and nailed her. Better yet, Cuddy's office, right on the sofa." House rose tiredly to his feet and limped toward the balcony sliding glass doors. "So, when is this performance of your little friend's?"

"Tomorrow, three p.m.. Conference room 401a. Why? You thinking of crashing?"

House shrugged. "I like music."

"Huh. Not her kind of music." When House gave him a puzzled look Wilson continued, "Greg, last I heard you weren't into bluegrass."

"So I'll wear my cowboy boots and ten-gallon hat."

"Jesus, you are one ignorant son-of-a-bitch, for a music lover. Bluegrass is folk music with origins in Ireland and Scotland." Wilson shook his head. "Sabrina has enough awards for it to fill a mansion."

"And I'm supposed to be impressed?" Actually, he was, but he'd be damned if Wilson was going to find out.

"No, but at least be informed before you go and make a total ass of yourself."

"Wouldn't be the first time," was Greg's muttered reply as he opened the balcony door and made his way back to his office.

Dr. Lisa Cuddy tipped her chair back, crossed her ankles neatly and propped both of them up on her desk, letting her skirt trail gracefully to the floor. Stretched out on her sofa was her friend, Sabrina Wallace. The other woman looked tired, and, for the moment, old beyond her years.

"Sabrina," Lisa finally said softly.

"If you're gonna reprimand me, forget about it."

"You know better than to overdo it. This past year..."

"That's it. Remind me I'm an old lady now," was the grumbled reply from the sofa. "Bad enough my only child is almost twenty, in college, and now he doesn't want to come home for Labor Day Weekend. Going out of town with his friend," she sniffed.

"They have to leave the nest sometime."

"There you go reminding me again that I'm getting old."

"Well, if you keep up this pace you will get old. You know it."

Sabrina sighed and opened her eyes. "Lisa, I already know, okay? Ever since the surgery I've known time is running out."

"Takes longer and longer to recover each time, doesn't it?" At the resulting silence Lisa went on. "And then you choose to… of all people, House. I warned you about him."

"Yeah. But you didn't tell me about his beautiful baby blues, either." A groan came from Lisa and Sabrina chuckled. "Baby blues, nice legs, great ass, all scruffy and dangerous-looking. Looks like he's packing, too."

"Oh good God…"

"Wonder what other uses he finds for that cane?"

At that Lisa broke into a braying laugh, folding her arms onto her desk and resting her forehead on her hands. "Dammit, Brina, you haven't changed one bit, have you?" she gasped out, wiping at the corners of her eyes. For a few moments the two shared laughter before Lisa sobered thoughtfully.

"Sabrina?"

"Yeah?"

"I really do need to warn you."

Sigh, then, "Warn away. You will anyhow."

"Greg House… he's not the most pleasant of people to know. He's blunt, sarcastic and goes out of his way to put people at a distance."

"I know."

A short laugh, then, "You would. Just… just don't try to fix him. He'll resent you for it."

"That's what worries me the most." A deep breath, then, "I have no control over the urge to fix what's broken and something tells me he's very badly broken."

"He is."

"Not talking about the leg, right?"

"Right."

"It's related to what happened to his leg, though." Sabrina's voice went soft, trance-like. "And the cause... she still works here."

"Yes. Sabrina, I..."

"She's a force to be reckoned with. Betrayal." Suddenly Sabrina blinked and pulled herself upright. "Damn, I hate it when that happens," she muttered. "All I need is a fucking crystal ball to make it complete."

"Such language. Do you eat out of that mouth?"

Another snort. "I learned from the best, Cuddy."

"Fuck yeah, you did."

"Lisa?"

"What am I going to do?"

"Brina, you don't even know him."

"But I do. That's the scary part. Those eyes... Lisa, one look into his eyes and I knew."

"Great." Lisa rested her forehead on her hands. "My best friend is falling in love with my worst friend."

"I didn't say..."

"You didn't have to."

Both women fell silent before Lisa finally spoke up again. "You said earlier you knew time was running out. How long?"

The voice from the sofa grew very soft. "A few days."

"That soon? How do you know..." She sighed. "Never mind."