Hours later, House was still sitting on the same bench outside the O.R. Wilson had been wheeled into. He had had the option, of course, to watch the surgery from the observation gallery, but somehow he could not bring himself to. Chase and Cameron had sat with him for a while, but eventually they had to get back to their own patients. Eventually, after what seemed an interminable wait, Foreman finally walked out of the double doors that House was beginning to loathe. Standing, House spoke without preamble.

"How is he?"

"The surgery went just fine," Foreman said, "we think we got the entire tumor and there shouldn't be any long-term effects to his brain function."

House nodded.

"How long will he be in the hospital?"

"Just overnight for observation. It's going to be a hell of a recovery, but there's no need to keep him admitted any longer than that."

"Can I see him?" House asked.

"He'll be asleep for a while, and even when he wakes up he'll be pretty out of it."

House gave Foreman the 'do you think I give a damn' look he knew so well. Foreman sighed.

"Follow me," Foreman said resignedly, leading House to Wilson's room.

House walked into the recovery room behind Foreman. In his long career in medicine Gregory House had seen virtually every kind of disease and suffering imaginable. He had gotten used to seeing patients in recovery a long time ago and it had been years since he had been fazed by anything within the walls of this hospital. His first glimpse of his best friend, however, stopped the diagnostician cold. House slowly made his way to Wilson's side, taking in the numerous I.V.'s, the gauze wrapped around his best friend's head, the painful slowness of the heart monitor's rhythm. House simply took the seat next to the bed as usual, his eyes never leaving the younger man's face.

"You won't be able to stay for very long," Foreman said quietly.

House did not bother to look at the young neurologist.

"I'm not leaving," he said coldly.

"House," Foreman began pleadingly.

"Talk to the head of neurology if you have to, hell I'll talk to him myself," House said flatly, "but I'm not going anywhere."

Foreman sighed, but finally nodded.

"Don't worry about it," Foreman said, "I'll take care of it."

Foreman made his way out of the room then, leaving House by Wilson's side. Foreman could never be sure, but as he closed the door he thought he had heard House's voice.

"Thanks."

A/N: Hope you all like where this is going... :)

I think I have to say one thing, though...I've been sensing some Amber hostility lately and I have to make clear that I don't hate the character, quite the opposite. In the episode "Don't Ever Change", she proved herself to House as someone worthy of Wilson, and thus, IMO, made the relationship a real possibility. It can all be summed up in one line:

"All my life I thought I had to choose between love and respect. I chose respect. With Wilson I know what it's like to have both." - Amber

(Don't get me wrong, though, if she hurts him in the upcoming episodes, that b--h should die!)

:P

TTYL, all!