Another unknown case, another million tests to run to find the mystery diagnosis.
It had been a long and gruelling day at the hospital. Rather, a long night considering it was almost 2AM before House was able to finally go home and go to bed. He was just about to doze off when he was snapped awake from his cellphone's shrill ringing. He groaned, considering answering the phone to stop the incessant noise, but ultimately went against it and let it go to voicemail. After about ten seconds of silence, his phone went off again. House sighed, just wanting to go to sleep. He blindly felt around his nightstand for his cellphone, hitting answer when his fingers wrapped around it. Bringing it under the covers up to his ear, he groaned sleepily. "...What?" He answered impatiently.
"...House?"
The quiet yet frantic voice on the other line sent a chill up House's spine. He quickly sat up, turning on the lamp beside his bed. "Wilson?"
"Y-Yeah, yeah.. it's me." Wilson's voice was shaking between his labored breathing.
"Wilson, I told you, if you want to send a stripper-gram to my house, you don't have to-" House tried to joke, but James quickly cut him off.
"House, please! J-Just listen!" Wilson almost shouted as his breathing got quicker. House stayed silent so he could continue.
"I-I was about to go home when my heart just started... pounding.. i-it felt like it was going to beat out of my chest.." He sounded terrified, his breath still coming in ragged gasps. "A-And my chest started tightening and I-I.. I can't breathe!" His voice was now higher in pitch from his stress.
House was stunned. He never saw Wilson as someone who would ever freak out like this. "Sounds like a panic attack." He stated uneasily.
"I-I know.. I know.." Wilson gasped, sounding worse by the second. "I know it's a panic attack, b-but I-I feel like I'm gonna die.." His voice broke and House knew he was crying.
"Alright, Jimmy. It's okay." House said calmly. "I'll be right there."
"Thank y-you.."
"Just stay on the phone with me, okay? Take some deep breaths." He instructed, getting dressed and heading to his car. As he got into his car, he heard Wilson's shaky breaths on speakerphone. "Good. Keep going. I'm on my way now." House started driving, listening for any improvement from his friend.
"House, I-I'm.. I'm gonna die.. I'm-"
"Wilson, you're not going to die. Relax. Don't talk, just keep breathing." House stayed calm as he turned onto the freeway to the hospital. Wilson continued to breathe, but wasn't sounding any better. After a moment of silence, Wilson made a noise that was a mix between a groan and a sob as his breathing got even faster. "Greg.." Wilson could barely speak through his gasps.
"James, breathe. You're okay." House tried to stay calm as he pulled in front of this hospital. "I'm here. I'm gonna hang up now, okay? I'll be there in a few. Keep breathing." He hung up the phone and ran inside. Briefly considering just throwing his cane aside to get to his friend quicker, he ultimately decided to keep it and made his way to Wilson's office as fast as possible.
After a ride in the elevator, he got on the proper floor and almost ran down the hall to Wilson's office. He quickly opened the door to see the dimly lit office almost empty besides his trembling friend sitting in the corner of the room beside his couch.
Despite the ache in his thigh, House was quick to kneel in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Wilson?"
The oncologist was still gasping for air, emitting painful sobs in between each breath. He couldn't speak through the spasms wracking his body.
"Wilson, you have to breathe. Take deep, slow breaths for me." House instructed calmly. Wilson tried to take a slow breath but it was cut off as his chest continued to spasm with uncontrollable sobs. "I...I-I can't..." He frantically shook his head and grasped House's arm in a panic.
"Look at me." House gently lifted Wilson's chin to look him in the eyes. "You can do this. Breathe." He took slow, deep breaths to demonstrate.
James' chest was tight and his heart was pounding in his ears. Still, he watched his friend taking deep breaths and tried to follow.
House nodded. "Good. Keep going." He took his hand away from Wilson's chin and placed it on his shoulder. James continued to breathe slowly as tears ran down his face, his chest feeling less tight with each breath. House kept watching him, instructing his breathing. After a while, Wilson's breathing was back to normal; his heart finally slowed back to a normal pace.
"There. You okay?" House asked, watching Wilson carefully.
James didn't answer and looked away, his eyes shut tight in an attempt to stop the flow of tears as his shoulders shook with sobs. His hand came up to cover his mouth to keep from making noise.
House was taken aback slightly by Wilson's sudden emotional outburst. He sighed sadly and put a gentle hand on the back of his friend's neck. Wilson kept trying to stifle his sobs, wiping his eyes quickly as the tears continued to stream down his cheeks.
"Let it out." House said suddenly, his tone was uncharacteristically parental; one of genuine concern. "You can cry if you need to. Let out the residual panic and emotions."
Wilson broke. The floodgates opened and the oncologist's body trembled violently as he let himself cry openly. He kept his face turned away and covered by his shaking hands, embarrassed to be this emotional in front of House but appreciative for the warm, comforting hand still resting on the back of his neck. "I-I'm sorry.." He managed to speak quietly through his tears.
House shook his head slightly. "Don't apologize." He gently rubbed the back of his colleague's neck soothingly, the only sound in the room being Wilson softly crying into his hands.
"It's okay. You're okay."
