Over the next 12 hours House slept in short bursts, afraid of being asleep when Wilson awoke. Several times House thought he saw Wilson stir, but the younger man simply fell back asleep. Nurses came in and out of the room several times to check on Wilson, but House simply ignored them. It was during these brief minutes that House would step out of the room to stretch his legs or grab something to drink. He always returned, however, before the nurse left.
Finally, as House was staring out of the hospital room window at the midmorning light washing over the buildings surrounding Princeton-Plainsborough Teaching Hospital he heard the unmistakable sound of hospital sheets moving against each other. Spinning around to face Wilson's hospital bed he saw that Wilson was shifting restlessly, his eyes struggling to open.
"Hey," he said quietly as he reached the bedside, "take it easy."
Slowly the brown eyes opened and House waited until the younger man's eyes found his own. The familiar warmth was still there, but the vibrant energy House knew was dimmed by fatigue, pain or both; House could not tell which.
"House?" Wilson said, his voice soft.
"Yeah," House reassured him, relieved despite himself to hear his friend's voice.
Wilson slowly sat up, House keeping a supporting arm underneath him. For several long moments the two men sat in silence, House watching Wilson carefully while Wilson gradually got his bearings again. House finally spoke, his voice clear but quiet.
"How are you feeling?"
"I don't suppose a truck has recently plowed over my head, has it?" Wilson said, wincing as he closed his eyes briefly.
House smiled, but sobered quickly as he saw the pain Wilson was in.
"I'll call the nurse to adjust your meds," House said, his hand moving towards the phone on the bedside table.
"No," Wilson said, placing his hand over House's, "it's OK."
"Are you sure?" House said.
"Yeah," Wilson said, nodding. As House watched Wilson took a deep breath and let it out slowly, seemingly mastering his pain. Looking around him more carefully, Wilson caught House's gaze.
"What time is it?" he asked curiously.
House glanced at his watch.
"9:15," he said.
"So it's Tuesday," Wilson said, looking at House for confirmation.
House nodded.
Wilson continued to stare at House.
"Have you been here all night?" Wilson asked.
House did not reply, but simply nodded.
Before either man could say anything more Dave Brown walked into the room.
"You're awake," he said, looking at Wilson with an encouraging smile, "how are you doing?"
"As well as can be expected," Wilson said, his voice still small and strained.
Brown flipped through Wilson's chart as he spoke.
"Well, good news is you'll be able to get out of here later this afternoon," Brown said, "and you and I can follow up in a couple of weeks," he finished, looking back at Wilson.
"Thanks, Dave," he said, "I appreciate it," Wilson said, smiling.
"No problem," Brown replied, returning the smile.
"Hey, Dave?" Wilson said as Brown made to leave, "can you do me a favor?"
"Sure," Brown said, turning back to face Wilson.
"Would you just get him out of this room for a little while?" he said, indicating House.
"I'm not leaving-" House began vehemently.
"House," Wilson said, the strain in his voice intensifying, "you've been here all night to make sure I woke up all right. I have. There's nothing more you can do right now and honestly I just need to crash again. Get some food, take a nap, and then you can come back and get me."
House still didn't like the idea, but he could see in Wilson's face that he was simply telling him the truth.
"All right," he said finally, turning to look at Brown.
"You tell me if anything changes," he said, leveling the oncologist with his most piercing gaze.
"Of course," Brown said, looking back into the blue eyes unflinchingly.
Nodding curtly to Brown, House glanced at Wilson once more before leaving.
"I'll be back later," he said to the younger man.
Wilson nodded, letting his eyes fall closed as he heard the door slide shut behind the two other doctors.
A/N: Up next, House and Wilson back at 221B Baker Street...this should be interesting... :P :D