CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – War of Words

Cuddy rushes back into Wilson's room and approaches the bed.

"You're on a respirator," House tells Wilson as Cuddy examines the brain wave and blood pressure monitors then the oxygen levels. She then takes a mini light, lifts his eyelids one at a time and checks the pupils. She gives an even bigger smile because they are reactive to the light.

Cuddy stands by the top of the bed and gives House a smile. "We should be able to take it out soon. Your stats are stable so all you need to do is come back to us. Julie has been here, too." Cuddy tells Wilson in a soft, encouraging voice.

House is silent for a moment then says, "We'll be back, Buddy."

"He's asleep. Come on, you need to get back to bed yourself, House." The two leave the room and walk back toward the elevator in silence.

Cuddy isn't sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing – House being quiet. He's either deep in thought with relief now that Wilson is back or he's pissed because she hasn't told him Wilson was in a coma for the past two days. As the door opens they get on and Cuddy presses the 'L' for her office and '3' for House's room.

He looks over at her and suddenly grabs his side. "House, are you okay?" she asks as he almost falls to the floor but catches the bar with his left hand just in time.

"Sharp…pain…," he groans. She puts her arm around him to get him steady on his feet and the door opens on the 3rd floor. She helps walk him to his room and he easily sits on the bed. Almost immediately he straightens up and gives her a big, faked smile.

"Wha…?" she asks confused.

"I needed to talk to you."

She glares at him, puts her hands on her hips and says as she shakes her head, "You couldn't have just told me you wanted to talk to me?"

Seeming to ignore her question he asks rather harshly, "Why didn't you tell me Wilson was in a coma?" She hesitates and he knows she is just buying time to think. "Yeah, that's right, I knew. Julie told me."

"I didn…didn't think you needed the stress."

"Stress? You mean like the stress I'm in now because you didn't have the common courtesy to tell me?"

"No, it's just…I don't know," she stammers.

"And why in the hell wouldn't you let me see Wilson? What is wrong with you?" he says, starting to raise his voice.

"Look, lower your voice," she says more confidently than before. "At the time I thought it was for the best. I didn't do it to be cruel."

"I don't believe you. You didn't even want me in the same room with Wilson alone. Why?"

"I don't have to tell you."

"Yes, you do. I think I deserve that much."

It was then that House notices the tension grow in her body by her stance and she appears to be shaking slightly. He knows that he has finally pushed her too far, but he isn't going to back down; this concerns him and he needs answers.

She crosses her arms over her chest and says, in barely a whisper, "Because I've promised his parents."

His eyebrows crease and he asks, "You promised them what?"

"House, they don't know why Wilson was on your bike but since it was your bike they blame you for what happened to him."

"What? I wasn't the one behind the wheel that hit him!" he yells loudly.

Cuddy takes a deep breath, walks to a wall and leans against it. "They know enough about you to know that you asked Wilson to do something for you since you were shot, and I know it's just because they're stressed and concerned about their son but it's enough for them to know that they don't want you anywhere near Wilson," she finally gets out in one long breath.

"No, no, that's a crock. Give me a break."

"I'm sorry, it's true. You didn't know his parents were here - Chase, Foreman and Cameron didn't even know. And his parents wanted…want it that way. You are still prohibited to visit him until further notice."

"Cuddy, God, you can't do that to me," he cries out. "I was the one that brought him out of it, NOT his parents!"

Cuddy pushes herself off the wall and walks toward him on the bed, putting her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He briskly pulls it away. "House, you know if there was anything I could do I would, but I can't. My hands are tied, legally."

House doesn't look at her as he pushes himself back on the bed and lies down while slowly crossing his right leg over his left. "I'll have a nurse in to reinsert the I.V. You are still dehydrated." House doesn't respond as Cuddy, depleted of all her strength, turns and walks out of the room.

She walks into the ladies room down the hall, enters an empty stall, throws herself against the side of it and explodes in an outburst of hot, heavy, emotional and regretful tears. After several minutes she is still crying and so hard so that she starts to hyperventilate. She doesn't hear any noise resonating in the bathroom to indicate she isn't alone, which is good because she continues to cry and let out her own frustrations and stress, aside from the fact she hasn't slept much the past two days.

Fifteen minutes have passed and Cuddy composes herself enough to leave the stall. She has stopped crying but now her eyes are incredibly swollen and her nose is completely stopped up. She opens the stall door with her head down and walks toward a sink. She turns on the cold water and splashes her face with it.

Her eyes are closed and she turns to grab a paper towel when she feels a towel floating in the air, and as she reaches out for it she feels a hand. She pats her face gently, and when she removes the towel and opens her eyes, she sees Cameron standing before her.

"How…how long have you been in here?" she asks, crumples the towel and throws it in the trash.

"The past ten minutes. I was going to see House when I needed to pop in here, first. Are you okay?"

Cuddy doesn't answer her right away but only looks at her. "Yeah, I'm just a little tired."

Cameron frowns a little and says, "I don't believe you."

Cuddy starts to feel the tears build up again as he fights them back. "I hate that I can't have House see Wilson and I hate that Wilson is even in here and I hate seeing Julie with Wilson and…and…"

Cameron is silent for a moment then says, "Dr. Cuddy, you've worked with House long enough to learn a few things from him, right? Have you thought about maybe sneaking House in to his room?"

"I…I can't do that, not against his parents wishes. It's a legal matter."

"But Wilson is conscious now. If you can prove that he is completely out of his coma and able to make medical decisions on his own, his parents don't have a ground to stand on," Cameron says smartly, and very proud of herself for thinking it in the first place.

Cuddy's eyes widen at the idea. "Cameron? Why would you even suggest something like that, especially after our little 'spat' earlier?"

Cameron shrugged her shoulders, looks her dead in the eyes and says, "Because, I've learned something the past few days." She hesitates a moment. "You were right about House. And Chase has always been there for me. I think, maybe, oh, I don't know for sure yet…"

"Cameron," Cuddy says with a small smile, "I think you and Chase should start dating!"

And the two women walk out of the bathroom as if they've been pals for years, and the words they exchanged before has suddenly been erased, forgotten, filed away in the 'done deal-never to be mentioned again' cabinet.