Chapter 6

Thursday morning—9:55 AM

House finished cramming a few odds and ends into his duffel bag including a somewhat carefully rolled (by his standards) sports coat and slacks. After zipping it up, he set it on the floor and checked over the contents of his backpack. Then he made sure Steve's food and water were set.

As he limped around the front room, his mind focused on that night's events, the dinner and meeting Fishburne. Since their conversation two days earlier, he had wondered what had possessed the man to offer him a chance. Mike's a straight arrow guy according to those in the know. This should be REALLY INTERESTING. Then again, flying across the country with Cuddy might do it anyhow. Feeling a slight twinge from his thigh, he swallowed some more pills and took a seat. I can't believe she booked my fare too. She can't stop bossing me around. Figures!

Hearing a sharp knock at the door, he looked at his watch. "9:58. Surprise, surprise." Leaning heavily on his cane, he labored across the room to the door and opened it to find his former boss standing there in a white blouse and dark pin striped suit. "I was expecting the limo."

Cuddy raised an eyebrow, not giving an inch as she entered the apartment. "All set to go?"

"Suitcase is packed, ready to go, still waiting for that limo though," he quipped.

"My Lexus will have to suit you." She looked him over. "You'll have to change at the hotel. You have your c. v.?"

"If you mean the pack of parchment paper in my bag, yes, Mom."

She arched her eyebrow at him. "Someone's got to look after you, House. And by the way, it's a taxi, not a limo."

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"The lyric. The song says 'the taxi's waiting outside my door'. If that's everything, let's go. Our flight leaves out of Philly at 2 and traffic's going to be murder as it is," she indicated.

"Yes, Fearless Leader," he deadpanned while turning out the lights and locking the door. Looking his jeans, tweed jacket and button down shirt over, he shook his head. "What's wrong with how I look?" Muttering that, he slowly made his way down the stairs toward her car.

Somewhere over Kansas

Having taken dibs on the window seat, House alternated between periodic glances out of the window, glancing at the notes in his satchel and trying to close his eyes.

Unfortunately, the boring landscape below, the minimal notes and the screaming toddler four rows back defeated these efforts. To make matters worse, he was missing his soap and his Game Boy was missing. I had to leave it at the office. Great.

Another loud screech made him spasm and grimace.

Cuddy looked up from her own notes. "You okay?"

"Other than wanting to kill the Little Noise Machine, peachy," he growled. "Wish I could buy something stronger than coffee, Cuddy."

"You don't need to be getting drunk before dinner, House," she reminded him.

"Which etiquette rule would that violate, Miss Manners?" he countered.

She took her glasses off and scrunched her brow. For a minute, she thought of what to say. "Look, House, I don't know how or why Michael Fishburne arranged for these interviews. Please, try to go along with the program tonight. I suspect that Angela Dubois and Lex Luthor put in a good word for us."

"After that scene with her hubby, I'm surprised. He thinks I'm a creep. Hate to tell him what I think of him," he countered.

She sighed. "House, David doesn't think you're a creep. Your pain sets his condition off. And he's not a puzzle for you to figure out. All right?"

He rolled his eyes. "Like I'm scared of the big bad kid."

"If what Angie says is true, you should be. You two are more alike than you think. Consider that," she countered before opening her bag. "Sorry. I should have given you this earlier." She put his Game Boy in his lap. "Wilson dropped that off for you. Why don't you play for a while?"

Between being put out by her mothering and glad over having his toy, he felt torn over what to do. Seeing her urging look, he shrugged, put in his ear phones and began pushing buttons intently.

She sighed and went back to her paperwork. Boys and their toys…..

Tucson International Airport—4:30 PM Mountain Time

As she waited in the greeter seating area, Dr. Belinda McDermott checked her watch for the third time and looked at the security gate about twenty feet away. Finally, she saw a mass of people coming through the exit gate heading her way. She held up a sign marked "CUDDY and HOUSE".

About five minutes later, she saw the two passengers in question approaching her. "Good afternoon. How was the trip?"

"The flight went all right," Cuddy replied as they shook hands. "Good to meet you, Dr. McDermott. I'm Lisa Cuddy and this is Gregory House."

He let his bag drop to the carpet and supported himself on the cane so he could shake her hand. Forcing his best smile, he added, "Hi. Interesting place."

"We think so," Belinda agreed. "Do you have anything checked? If not, I can take you to the hotel."

"Thank you but we're fine," Cuddy accepted while following their guide toward the parking lot.

Two bosses. Ain't this gonna be fun? He grabbed his bag and limped after his female companions.