Diagnoses (Dubois Chronicles 2.92)

DJ Dubois

March 2006

Notes: The characters from Smallville belong to DC and the WB. The characters from House belong to Universal and the other copyright holders. All other characters are fictitious and of my own creation.

Introduction

Dr. Gregory House interjects…..

I guess this is where that Amazon chick does her usual intro piece. But I decided to be such a BAD, BAD BOY and horn my two cents in. smirk

Getting fired was such a happy, happy joy, joy experience. Makes me want to run down to the pharmacy and fill one of those warehouse-sized bottles full of vicodin to go with my bottle of Jack Daniels….

Or rather, it would if Cuddy weren't there to deliver another lecture. Since Stacy left, she's tried to be a friend. To both our surprises, it's turning into more. While we always knew, I finally needed to let the past go and look at something through the pain. I still can't believe she and the others really want me out in the Sandbox. Must be my irresistible charm or something.

Princeton, while it was fun, was getting *old*. Hell, Wilson will be close enough to there that visiting will be easy….and I can't resist making the Three Stooges jump. Of course, Vogler won't be there. It won't just be the stripes on his prison fashion that'll be making him look thinner. Serves you right, Ed, for messing with me and threatening Cuddy. Rot in Hell, you Bastard.

Damn it, Dubois. What you said in Fishburne's office was true—despite nearly puking over your and the Wife's gooshy moments, you showed me that you can deal with pain and have a life too.

Stevie, my boy, seems like things are looking up.

Chapter 1 [Princeton, NJ—Princeton Plainsboro Hospital; after the 'Vogler gets busted' scene in "Roadtrips"]

While the hospital normally pulsed with activity on most days, the FBI had set the facility on its ear during that early morning. It wasn't even lunchtime and already operations had been knocked out of whack….

…And House hadn't even been to the clinic to terrorize patients yet.

Instead, the doctor in question was being terrorized (or so he wanted everyone else to believe) by his ex-boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy. Granted, he had always had feelings and loved the banter fests between them. Despite maintaining a false cold front in the hospital, they had shared an occasional word, piece of advice or even exchanged a look when they thought nobody was looking. (Well maybe Cameron but who's counting?)

Now, however, she had him by the arm and was dragging him toward her Lexus. She was actually outing them and enjoying the whole thing.

He squirmed, trying to shrink away from the situation and not knowing what was worse.

The public attention that the spectacle was receiving?

Wilson's annoying smirk as he watched them leave?

Or maybe just the fact that he was letting Cuddy do this?

"Oh stop it, House. You're being such a baby," she admonished, breaking into his private thoughts.

"Hey, I do have a reputation, you know."

She rolled her eyes. "And that got you fired. Then again, that was responsible for Wilson and me being canned too. Now wasn't it?"

"Maybe we could meet in Newark?" he offered, letting that gibe go.

"Oh yeah. Like I'm about to let you cruise on your bike down there. House, you can barely make it to work without crashing into something," she retorted as they reached her car. "Besides, who knows what we'll both be like after the grilling?"

"As long as Ed gets equal treatment, I can deal with it," he insisted as he watched her get in.

She looked pointedly at him. "How are you going to find out if you don't get in?"

"Aw, Mom. What are the kids going to say if they see us together?" he whined half-seriously.

She tapped her fingers impatiently on the leather padding between the seats. After the Board meeting, she was in no mood for his scene. "Get in. Now."

He was going to say something but frowned. He knew better than to argue with her when she was like that. I'm going to regret this! Getting in, he shut the door and popped a few vicodin.

She sighed and drove them toward the interstate.

[Front entrance of the hospital]

Watching them leave, Dr. James Wilson shook his head. While he and those others closest to House suspected there was something under the surface between him and the administrator, they had no idea it could be this. None of us saw that coming. Then again, they did keep a good cover on their feelings.

"Can you believe that?" Foreman inquired as he and Cameron approached him.

"No but there's a lot going on today that I don't believe, Foreman." He held his hand out and wagged his fingers ever so slightly.

The African-American doctor grudgingly dug into his pocket and put a fifty in Wilson's hand. "Tell me about it."

She didn't say anything, choosing to keep her feelings to herself. Why did they do that? She wheeled around and stomped back into the hospital.

Foreman shook his head. "Dealing with her isn't going to be easy."

"House told her that he doesn't have feelings for her. She needs to accept that," Wilson noted while sticking the money in his pocket. "By the way, when's Chase coming back?"

"He's back next week. Still this is going to be a treat. Wonder which of us is going to be interim department chair? Or hospital administrator for that matter?" Foreman queried as he followed Cameron's path.

Those are some big questions. Wish they were my problem but now…. He scratched his head wondering what he was going to say to Julie about this matter. She's going to hit the roof. I know it. Feeling a tap on the arm, he turned to find Frank and Jolene Landers standing there. "Sorry, guys, I didn't see you there."

"Want a ride to Newark? We're heading that way," Frank offered.

"Some times being with friends is easiest at a time like this," Jolene surmised.

"That's true. Thanks. That'd be great," Wilson accepted before following them out toward the blazer.