Titled: Pain in my heart chapter 14
Author: curseofavalon
Rating: PG
Summary: turning points

Authors Note: comments, reviews and critique are very welcome.
Pairing: Huddy
Disclaimer: I don't own House or its characters Fox does tho, I just used them shamelessly for this snippet.

House walked for what seemed to him like hours, aimlessly wandering the streets while the rain pelted down on him in straight lines. He was thoroughly soaked, and lost.

Cuddy sat down behind her desk again, her computer still on, the calendar still open. She had to swallow hard. Had she left it that way or had House found out. Frustrated she rubbed her eyes. How could she even have fooled herself with thinking that she could forget Greg? Lunch with Jeremy had been fun, but it lacked the sparkle, the deepness of her conversations with House. She had left promising to call, both knowing she wouldn't. Now she thought about going home early and take a soak in the tub then spend another night, alone, in bed , crying her heart out, then falling asleep around midnight.

A knock made her jolt.

'Come in.'

With ducked head and slow deliberate steps Wilson made his way to her desk, looking at her slightly peeved.

'You ok?'

She actually felt for him. He must've picked up on the wipe between her and House.

'Yeah, actually ...uhm. Do you have any idea where House could be? It's his first day back, he has a case and the Duck...Dr.'s Chase, Cameron and Foreman have no idea where he is. No reaction on paging him, no answer on his cell which is of, he's not at home nor in his usual hiding spots.'

He ended his sentence breathless, coming off in an actual scared tone. Wilson was worried and House's behavior was puzzling she had to admit.

'I'll let the front desk know to report whenever he makes his way back in. Until then, I can tell the security to watch out for him. He's probably just watching his stupid shows in some patients room.'

Lisa rolled her eyes for added effect, her stomach churning with an ounce of fear. Had he seen her calendar and left to do something stupid? Was it really that important to him? She didn't know nor wanted to think of it. Wilson looked at her worried.

'Jimmy...look you know how he is. He's gonna be back.'

Still she couldn't stop gnawing on her lips.

'What the hell happened between you two?'

Lisa had been waiting for the inevitable and Wilson picked up on such things. He new lovers crisis better than anyone else. He sat down opposite of her and looked at her with that I-know-what-you-feel-like-and-you-can-talk-to-me look.

'House happened.'

'What does that mean? Look, Lisa I saw him before he went to you. He was down, drank himself into delirium, because of you. And now I can't believe that you spend almost a week together without a big murder in the news and then come back and be like this.'

'He was sorry, until he wanted his license back and got nasty. Which no one will ever hear of and now please go back to your job.'

House had walked back to his apartment, it had taken him hours. His mind was somewhere else. Back at the restaurant watching her. Trying to analyze what the hell it had been that he had felt. Was it possessiveness?Simply downright dirty lust? Or something more he hadn't wanted to feel ever again after Stacy had left him? He didn't know. Peeling of his drenched clothes he showered and then went to bed, feeling weak and hot and cold at the same time.

House couldn't sleep though. He kept thinking about standing in front of the restaurant watching them. It should've been him with her, making her laugh, talking to her. It wasn't because whenever he felt like it he took his anger out on her. He should've kept his mouth shut and consulted with the Ducklings. That would've achieved more than him not being allowed to treat the patient at all.

Sometime around 2 he fell into an exhausted slumber.

The next day House was still not in, not answering phones or pagers, and she was worried sick. By noon Lisa couldn't sit still, couldn't stop biting her lower lip or trying to reach him. This wasn't like him. He had disappeared through clinic time, but never a whole day. Not when he had an highly interesting case. Picking up the phone again she called Wilson and told him to take over for her, then she grabbed her coat and purse and left the Hospital in search for House.

House felt like a battered dog. Cold sweat clung to him, his throat was sore and his joints felt as if on fire, he couldn't keep his Vicodin down long enough because each time he swallowed something he had to retch. His day long stroll in the rain had left him with more than soggy clothes, it had also left him a severe cold.

He tried standing up again from his position next to the toilet, his world tilting only slightly this time, then tried getting back to his bed, or at least the couch. He didn't make it to either. House tried to grab for the wall, succeeding in keeping him standing a few more seconds before he slowly toppled to the floor. Groaning he rolled into a kind of ball hoping the nausea would subside.

The pounding in his head intensified, he tried squishing it by grabbing his head in both of his hands and squeezing. A knock echoed through the room and House groaned as the pain got even worse.

'HOUSE? House...open...god...please.'

Lisa leaned her head against his door. He had to be home, his bike was outside, he had nowhere else to go. She feared that something had happened to him, a fall thats hurt his leg, made him miserable.

Sighing she stretched up and got his spare key, she knew it was for emergencies only, but this seemed like one to her.

As she stepped in she was overwhelmed by the smell of puke lingering in his living room, no lights on she walked straight into his couch.

'Greg? Are you home?'

Cuddy listened carefully, silence, the dribbling of a faucet, neighbors walking up and down over her. A painful moan, a retching sound.