Chapter Three
Playing Dirty
Thanks to house's phoenix, Amanda Strickland, RHSecretLove, RogueButterfly, DrusillaBraun, 1985laurie, and HouseAddiction for their reviews!
Sergeant, he got beat up because bad things happen in jail. That's why I always tell you to never end up there.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in House. Sadly.
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Cuddy visited him everyday after that. Everyday for every minute that the prison allowed. Through the glass, there were a lot of times were they would just stay silent and watch each other, feeling the weight of House's fate on their shoulders. She had stayed strong for him throughout this time and he had leaned on her heavily. She let him. He rarely leaned on anyone and if this time he needed an emotional crutch, she would be it. She never told him how scared she was, or how she stayed awake every night worry about him. Not even when he called her on it.
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"You haven't been sleeping." It wasn't a question. It was a statement, blunt and to the point.
"No I haven't. I've been busy." She replied.
"Worried about me?" he asked.
"Don't flatter yourself." She retorted, being Cuddy, not Lisa. "Been trying to do too much in the hospital that's all."
"So you haven't been worried about me at all." He said.
"No." she replied, keeping her voice light.
To her surprise he cracked a smile at her. "That's my girl."
She blushed. "How's prison treating you?" she asked, gently, tone completely caring.
"Just fine. I haven't been raped yet." He said, trying to brush off her worry. It scared him to see her so worried about him.
"Really? Or sarcastically?"
"Really," He said, seeing the worried look in her eye. He knew Cuddy would never admit that she cared, but it was just so cute to call her on it and watch her blush.
Cuddy's cell phone chirped and when the conversation was over, she leaned her head into her hands, trying to hold back tears.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice gruff yet with a gentle undertone.
"We just lost another patient." She muttered. "No biggie. Happening a lot lately."
"Who's heading my department?" he asked, cocking his head to one side, already sure he would not like the answer.
"Cameron." She replied.
"WHAT?" He demanded.
She jumped and stared at him with wide eyes.
"How the hell do you put her in charge? She plays too safe. Almost like you, but unlike you, her moral conscience is the sole thing that keeps her from putting patients through what she thinks is wrong. At least you listen to reason. She listens to morals." He yelled at her.
She glared back at him. "Well if you hadn't gotten your ass arrested, maybe she wouldn't be heading the department and you would be."
"Well it's not my fault that I had to have surgery and now I feel pain every damn second of my life."
"I tried my best House." She said, knowing where this was going.
"If you hadn't played it so safe early on, I may not be here." He muttered, before he could stop himself.
That had been one push too far. He had pushed her over the edge of what she could handle, knowing fully what her limitations were.
She stared at him, mouth open. Then the tears came and would not stop. She got up so fast, he had no time to react, no time to tell her she was sorry. She just stood up and strode away, steps fast and furious. He slammed his fist against the glass screen. His lips moved but she could not hear him from the other side. He kept banging until a guard grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away. He looked back one more time to find her gone and out of his sight.
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Cuddy had managed to dry her tears by the time she got back to her office, but her eyes were still puffy and slightly pink. The she realized who was sitting at her desk. Tritter, the last person in the world she wanted to see at the moment…maybe forever.
"Dr. Cuddy." He greeted with sick politeness and mock concern. "How are you? Have you been crying? What did Dr. House say this time?"
"Nothing." She retorted. "What do you want?"
"I've been reading about your visits to House. I was wondering why someone so pretty and busy and successful would associate themselves with the scum of the world like House." He said, pacing around her, almost as if a predator stalking his prey.
She ignored him as she sat down behind her desk and tucked her briefcase neatly underneath it.
"What I think is scum is very different than your definition of what it is." She replied coldly, meeting his eyes pointedly.
"Well I was thinking a pretty thing like you should not be going into the prison everyday. There is a dangerous risk for those felons to take out their jealousy on House you know." He said slyly.
She did not like where this conversation was turning. She liked it even less when he placed a document before her. She skimmed it over and then looked up at him with shocked eyes. Her face turned into a disbelieving smile.
"You've got to be kidding right?" she gasped, completely knocked off her feet.
"No Dr. Cuddy. I'm not. It's right in front of you. For House's safety, you are barred from visiting him until he is either convicted or released." He said smiling at her. "For his safety of course."
"You bastard." Cuddy growled at him. "You sick lowly bastard. You twist the law to fit your ways and the only thing you want is to see House miserable. You don't think twice about the patients in this hospital who need him. You are a sick son of a bitch."
He tutted at her. "You should really watch your language. It isn't becoming from a woman of your stature."
"Screw you." She said to him. "The door is right behind you. Walk through it and shut it behind you. Don't come in here again."
They stared each other down for a moment. Her blue eyes held an undeniable anger in them, full of blue flame and ice. He walked out, his secret victory a little bit hindered, by her anger.
Cuddy put on her glasses as she reread the court order. Her heart plummeting with every word her eyes crossed over. Finally she threw her glasses down and slammed the paper onto her desk, tears flowing fast down her face. She put her hands over her face and leaned back in her chair.
Damn him. She thought. Damn that son of a bitch.
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She didn't visit him again and he wondered if it had been what he had said. He kept his hopes up, however, something completely unlike him. He refused to believe that she would simply abandon him and he held onto the hope. Yes he was pushed around and he was battered over and over again, but it was the hope that he would see her face again that continuously made sure that he got up again through the withdraws and through everything else.
Two months passed and she hadn't come. He became to lose his hope. She had been his strength and she had turned her back to him. He closed his eyes as he tried to remember what she was like, but this place had a way of sucking the life out of its prisoners. He could barely remember her. Her face, her voice, her laughter. All that seemed to far away in the past, that his memory was cloudy. What made her laugh again? Was it his sarcastic comments? The only thing he could remember were her eyes, eyes of crystal clear blue with the ability to grow cold or warm to match her moods.
Damn you Greg, you've pushed her away again and this time, she may not come back. You're just an idiot. Idiot. He told himself. He kept looking up toward the door of the prison, however, praying that maybe, just maybe she would come walking back in to him. Each day he watched, but she still didn't come.
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Wilson didn't ask Cuddy what was going on. He knew that she had been visiting House, and was surprised when the visits suddenly stopped. She didn't tell him why and he didn't ask. He had seen Tritter enter her office and when he left, she had been visibly upset through the glass doors. He didn't want to push it, though he did want to speak to House.
After her last visit, she had been crying when she returned to the hospital. No one had said a thing about it. Dr. Cuddy hated to be vulnerable, but there was one thing she hated more than that. She hated to be seen vulnerable. Letting her know that you were a witness was suicide.
He didn't like the feeling of the jail. The moment he entered, it was dark and damp with shouts everywhere. He made his way into the visitation room as House sat down across from him. They picked up the phones as guard watched on.
"How is it in there?" Wilson asked.
"Orange." House replied sarcastically. "Do you think it's my color?"
"No seriously, House. Are you okay?"
"Never better. Got the caviar and the limos in here. Didn't Cuddy tell you that?" House replied.
Wilson sighed. He could feel his patience fading fast. "Cuddy isn't okay you know."
That caught House's attention. "What happened?"
"We've lost two more patients and she's feeling the guilt." He said. "Tritter paid her a visit the last time she was with you. Whatever it was it wasn't good. She was crying when he left."
"Well no changing that she's not here anymore. Maybe I scared her away. BOO! Was that scary?" he asked.
"House, go and screw yourself, because you're making things worse for everyone." Wilson said, getting up. "Seriously, sometimes I wonder why Cuddy and I are even friends with you. All you ever do is run us through the gutter."
"Aww boo hoo. Wilson's gonna go crying to Cuddy. Maybe she'll protect you with that Raising Kids for Dummies book she has." He yelled at Wilson as he slammed the phone down.
Wilson rubbed his temples, deciding it was best not to mention this visit to Cuddy.
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The case was not going as well as Madeline had hoped when she met with Cuddy for coffee on late afternoon. Cuddy had mentioned Tritter's warrant barring her from the jail and it had pissed her off. Tritter was clearly using Cuddy as a way to get to House, and though attorneys were known to, Madeline did not play dirty.
"How you holding up?" the attorney asked.
"Been better," she replied. "How's the case coming?"
"I've had easier cases." Madeline replied heavily. "Bigger, but easier. I can't seem to work the evidence in my favor, but you're his doctor right? You know his conditions?"
Cuddy nodded, "Better than anyone else. I treated him when he lost the use of his leg."
"Well then I guess I can trust your judgment when you say he can't go to jail."
"Not in his condition. He'll die. I've seen him in the prison now and it's gotten pretty bad. If he has to spend much more time there, he'll die." Cuddy said firmly.
"Well the case is pretty solid for the prosecution, so we're gonna have to trust in the goodness of the human heart to win over the jury." Madeline said, flipping through her case file. "I have an idea, but it's only if you're up to it."
Cuddy put down her coffee. Her eyes were determined, almost fierce as she said lowly, "I'll do whatever you ask me to, just get him out of there."
"Okay, here's what you need to do."
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The DA and Tritter were talking in the squadroom when a sergeant handed Tritter a small piece of paper. His eyes narrowed as he handed the paper to Paul. They both exchanged glanced.
He did not like what tricks the defense was up to this time. Whatever they were planning he would get to Cuddy before she could do any lasting damage to the case.
Paul was looking at him. "We can't risk this. Our evidence may be solid, but she could turn the case."
Tritter was already on his feet. "I'll take care of it. Just don't call me on what I'm about to do." He replied.
"I didn't hear anything." Paul replied.
Tritter grinned at him, wickedly, "Just make sure you're ready for trial. I'll handle the doctor."
Now the battle was no longer between him and House. Cuddy had brought it into new levels. Now it was him against Cuddy and House. He laughed to himself. Huddy. That was a funny thought. Of course, he wasn't that worried. He had ways of forcing people into corners. Cuddy would be no different. Now it would just become a battle of wills between him and that blue eyed doctor that kept getting in his way.
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Author's Note:
OOOOOOHHHHH. What is she gonna do? What is Tritter gonna do to her if she goes through with this? Is House gonna die? Find out! In the next chapter!
Oh wow, that sounded like one of those cheesy advertisements. Anyway. I was hoping this one would bring a bit of suspense. If this fic is short, please forgive. I want to keep it moving, not dwaddle in chapters. I hope I don't at least. Hehe. Enjoy!