House walked into the sterile procedure room, gowned and gloved, as he had done countless times before. This time, though, was so different. This time it was his best friend who was prepped for the procedure which, House could not forget, could cause permanent damage to his brain.
It's not going to happen, House thought to himself, I won't let it. Looking around the room, he assessed the equipment and readiness of the staff in a few short moments. Locking eyes with Foreman for a moment, he saw the younger man give him a single encouraging nod. As if that was the cue he had been waiting for, House finally broke the silence.
"Are we ready?" he said simply to the entire room at large.
With several answering nods and affirmative responses, House nodded himself. His eyes happened to catch the observation gallery above him. Chase, Cameron, and Amber were all watching silently, their eyes seeming to reflect the gravity of the situation. Needing somehow to break the tension, he threw them the "rock on" symbol and was gratified to see the small smiles on their faces.
Looking back, House could barely remember the procedure itself, his mind somehow detaching itself from the work he was doing. It was the only way he could get through it, remaining coldly professional, remaining the composed and imperturbable Dr. House.
After leaving the procedure room House returned to his office. He simply sat there, throwing his ball against the window with his cane as usual. After several minutes he slowly stopped, the weight of what his friend was facing closing in on him. It seemed to crash over him even more intensely after his stoic efforts to keep it at bay. Making his way to the bathroom directly adjoining his office he locked the door, sinking to the hard floor. Sitting there alone, for the first time in years, Gregory House allowed himself to weep. He was determined that no one should find him in his moment of weakness, but at that moment he could think of nothing else to do but succumb to that weakness.
After a while, House didn't know exactly how long until he checked his office clock, he made his way back through the hallway of the hospital. Wilson would not be awake for several more hours and House did not want to visit him with the day's worth of sleeplessness now clinging to him. Numbly he made his way back to 221B Baker Street. Once he had changed and showered he was back at the hospital, waiting in Wilson's recovery room. There he fell asleep in the hard chair next to his best friend, his cane by his side, the sunlight slowly fading as it was swallowed by nightfall.
A/N: OK, please review because I'd love some feedback... :)