A couple of people, correctly but post-emptively, commented that this story should be betaed despite the fact it was marked as FIRST DRAFT. I have now posted the corrected chapters of LEGACIES AND LOLLIPOPS.

I thank Taruia for so kindly offering to edit my work. You will see how much a good editor gives to a writer's work without imposing their own words or attitudes on the text. Taruia is a fine editor and she is also the person who provides us with those invaluable transcripts of HOUSE MD at http/malaquent. . I also thank MacNMolly for her invaluable information on microdiscectomy spine surgery.

This story is a continuation of my previous fic "Breakfast with an Orang Utan" therefore the characters behave in character with their shared experiences in that fiction as well as their shared experiences at PPTH as seen on HOUSE MD. All characters from the series HOUSE MD are the property of the producers.

LEGACIES AND LOLLIPOPS - Part Six

Written by Magdala

Editor/Beta Taruia

PART SIX

Cameron stood up immediately. Very much the doctor, she sought to immediately establish her authority.

"Mr. Warner. This is not the time or the place."

"Oh the cute doctor. Another one in love with him." He put his hand back on the wheel rims, pushing backwards. I just sat staring at him. Cameron moved towards him, but he wasn't going to let her touch the chair. He moved it forward. Fast. Really fast.

I was almost not quick enough. If I hadn't lifted my legs up, and swung them over the chair beside me, he would have driven the footrest straight into my leg.

"You're quick, you bitch. What you afraid of? Having a bum leg like him? That what you're scared of ... or not being able to walk like me?" There was deadness in his eyes and his voice was cold with fury.

"You are going to be able to walk Mr. Warner." Cameron had taken charge of the chair and was pushing my husband out of the waiting room.

"House put me in this damned thing!" he yelled, turning his head to look at her. "House and my loving wife there. You're sick, you've got to see him, '...he can cure you, my dear' she said. Yeah and now I'm in this chair."

"He did cure you," said Cameron. "You will be out of that chair soon. You would have died if Dr House hadn't taken your case"

"Oh yeah. Well after I've told my story he won't be messing with anymore patients." He hadn't taken in Cameron's words. His anger was feeding on itself.

I knew I had to stop this right now. I chased after them and told Cameron I would take it from there. As she moved her hands from the chair so I could take it, she said to me under her breath, so I could only hear, "Do you want me to call security?"

"No. His therapist," I whispered back. I started to push Mark as fast as I could out of the waiting room. I hurried into the corridor and headed for the lift.

"Where are we going, wife?" He asked. "All that talk of your lover make you hot?"

"Shut up," I said. But that was all I dared say I had to try to keep everything even. I knew that showing annoyance would only make his anger increase.

"Shut up, eh. You married me for better or for worse. Welcome to the worse." Mark spat out,

As we arrived at the lift, the door opened to reveal Wilson who was about to get out. I mouthed 'Don't move" and he instantly understood, moving back so I could push Mark into the lift and turn the chair around so it faced the door.

"Hi Mark, therapy day? What floor, Stacy?" asked Wilson stepping around the chair to press the lift button.

"Uuhm." I hadn't a clue then I made a quick decision, "We're going to my office," I said, and Wilson pressed the button. The doors closed and the lift moved.

"How cozy. Here I am stuck in the lift with both of House's lovers."

Wilson laughed at him. "I have a hard enough time with the women in my life without turning to House for love." he said trying to lighten the mood.

"You think a school counselor isn't smart enough to know things?" Mark turned his head to me. "Let go of my chair, dammit."

"So you can take another run at my leg? No way."

"Think I might break it next time?" Mark challenged.

Wilson clenched his jaw. Then he pressed the red 'stop' button, and stood in front of the lift controls looking straight at Mark. He was establishing that he was in charge, and I relaxed a bit, feeling much safer.

"Okay. What's going on?" Wilson asked looking straight at the furious man in the chair.

"One of the nurses rang him and told him to come in." I said.

"She thought I should know what was going on." Mark said as though he was the injured party.

"And what did she tell you was going on?" asked Wilson in a calm professional manner.

"Why should I tell you? You'd already know?"

"What I want to know is why you are here and why you are threatening your wife?"

"Because she is my wife. Mine and nobody else's."

"And you cannot talk to her like that. Nor can you threaten her. What century do you think we are living in?" Wilson pressed the restart button, and indicated that I should move away from the wheelchair. He placed his hands where mine had been on the handles.

"Like you're the expert on marriage. I've heard about you." He seemed to have switched his attack to Wilson.

"As least I have never verbally or physically abused my wives," Wilson said calmly.

"Maybe your wives have never gone after Greg House" he spat out Greg's name. "Cuckold. That's the old English term. You never been cuckolded by your wife and your good friend House."

"Save that for group therapy, Mark" said Wilson and then turned to me.

"Stacy if you get out on the next floor you can get back to what you were doing. I'll stay with Mark and make sure he gets to therapy or has a ride home."

"Thanks, Jim," I said, but as a stepped forward, Mark grabbed my wrist.

"Ouch" I couldn't hide the pain in my voice. My wrist, bruised from Greg's grip, was starting to show color.

"What happened to your wrist?" Mark asked. As he looked at the wrist his anger seemed to dissipate.

"I hurt it." I said.

"I'm sorry." Mark looked really concerned. Truly upset for what had just happened.

"I am so sorry," he said.

"I know you're sorry. I'll see you later alright?" I said the door opened. A bunch of students were waiting to enter the lift.

"Yes see you later," Mark said, and he winked at the students. "What, no kiss my love?"

I leant down to kiss him on the cheek, and as I did his hand came up and he hit me hard in the face. The blow was hard enough to throw me against the wall of the lift. I saw the surprise on the students' faces.

"Call security" Wilson ordered. "Look after Mrs. Warner."

"Yes Dr. Wilson ... yes sir" the chorus confirmed his orders would be followed to the letter. One of the female students took me to a chair, and one of the males grabbed his pager. Instead of continuing on their journey, Wilson wheeled Mark out of the lift past us all.

"I am taking him to my office," Wilson said making sure everyone knew where they would be. "Tell security."

The tallest, strongest looking male student fell in beside Wilson "Want me to come too?"

"Good idea," Wilson answered.

The student opened the door of Wilson's office and held it. Mark started to look anxious.

"I don't want to go in there," he said.

"Tough," said Wilson allowing his disgust with Mark's behavior to show.

Mark started to flail his arms grabbing for the wheels of the chair trying to take control of the situation But the big young student was too quick for him grabbing his hands and holding them.

"I have a ride waiting. I was brought in by a friend?" said Mark worried for the first time that he might be in trouble.

Seeing the fracas I called to Wilson. "Cameron's calling his therapist, Jim,"

"Good." Wilson called back. "The more the merrier."

And with that Wilson and the student got Mark in the office and closed the door.

Two of the students were looking at me, "Does it hurt Mrs. Warner?"

"I think I'm just shaken," I answered.

For a while they examined my face; careful not to ask why he had hit me. Simply dealing with the injury. My face felt hot, but as yet it did not hurt. The lift opened and a security guard and Dr. Cuddy emerged.

"They are in Dr. Wilson's office," said one of the students. The security man wasted no time in entering.

Lisa turned to me.

"He hit you?" asked Cuddy who seemed surprised that violence would occur in our marriage. "Your husband hit you?"

"We all saw it. It was a closed fist," confirmed the student beside me.

"Was it the first time?" Cuddy wanted to know if this was a one off event of part of a pattern of spousal abuse.

I shook my head. It was not the first time. The first time I thought it was because he was ill. I thought it was the same reason the second time.

"I thought it was because he was ill. I thought it was a symptom."

Cuddy looked at her watch as she addressed the students. "You had better go to your lecture now. I don't want you discussing this alright?"

They nodded their agreement. It took several minutes for them to leave, as there were too many students for the two lifts. The girl student who had first taken care of me said, "I hope it doesn't hurt too much. It was assault you know that?"

"Yes I do. I'm a lawyer."

"I'm sorry ... I didn't mean..." she didn't mean to presume to tell me to press charges or leave my husband.

"It's alright. Thank you for being so kind. You were one of the student's at Dr. House's lecture weren't you?" I knew she was because she fitted Cameron's description. She nodded.

"Doctor Cameron told me about the lecture. You were right. It was wrong of me to use the proxy against his wishes," I said.

"We heard Dr. House was in surgery and Dr. Steigler was here from New York?"

"The surgery went well. He's just going in recovery. Dr. House will be fine," said Cuddy to the student, and relief flooded over me as I too heard the news.

"He's been through so much." The student gave me a sad smile and walked into the lift. As the doors closed I turned to Cuddy.

"And Greg doesn't think they care."

"He knows they care he just can't cope with the fact they care."

I nodded of course Cuddy was right.

"You should go now so you can be there when House wakes up," Cuddy said. "We'll look after your husband."

"But Mark is my husband, I have to deal with this. He is my responsibility." I said.

"This is my hospital. My legal counsel has just been assaulted by a patient, and my top diagnostician will soon be coming round from an operation. House won't want to see any face but your's when he opens his eyes. Leave Mark to us okay?"

I nodded and stood. Cuddy accompanied me part of the way to the lift.

"Right. Get down to recovery and get someone to ice that for you, okay."

I stepped into the lift and as the doors closed I saw Cuddy knock on Wilson's door.

I felt my face where Mark had hit me. It was tender. I looked at myself in the reflective panel around the lift buttons. My cheek was reddening, and there would probably be a bruise. It was no worse than the other times he had hit me and I knew how to handle it.

Makeup had become my friend. Like Greg's Vicodin it masked my pain and allowed me to do my job.