She had seen him go through more ups and downs in the time she'd known him than she most people go through in a lifetime. He seemed prone to hurt, pain and misery. As if cosmically some higher force decided on the day the Gregory House was born that his life would be nothing but a giant obstacle.

When he had his infarction, she'd been his attending physician. There wasn't a day that went by when she watched him limp passed her office or pop a pill, that she didn't feel the tug of guilt in her stomach. What if he'd been right? What if she'd listened to his wished and ignored Stacy? Would he be better off? The only thing she'd ever used to get her through were simple words that she knew could be wrong; you saved his life.

She'd been there when Stacy walked out on him. She'd watch him shut down what small piece of his heart cared for other people, could love other people. Even without hearing the words, she knew very well that House had a heart and that Stacy had broken it. He'd been very fragile before her. He was destroyed by her. But of course Stacy had no way of really knowing that. No one did. Not until the aftermath, drowning himself in Vicodin and diagnostic puzzles.

And when he'd been shot she'd sat by his bedside for days to ensure no complications from the ketamine. She had no way of knowing if he knew she was there but it brought her comfort. When he relapsed later, whatever the reason, she knew it had hit hard. It was a blow that she knew he might not recover from. She had her answer with his battle against Detective Tritter and the fake cancer. But it never occurred to her that the day would come when Gregory House would give up hope.

And as she watched Wilson and House through the glass walls come to a head, she ran it through her mind. She never saw this coming. Lisa Cuddy had never expected House to try and kill himself. She never thought he'd hit rock bottom. Mostly because she didn't want to.

"Well he did it to himself just as we thought. No apology, no regret, no nothing. Oh one regret. His failure to succeed. I guess that's just one more thing for him to be miserable about." Wilson startled her as he came from House's room; a mix of hurt, anger and frustration coated his tone. "I have a patient."

She watched him go down the hall. Lisa looked back into the room, and not once in the entire time she'd been standing there had House noticed her. He didn't look over now. She watched him slump backwards and the body language alone ripped at her heart. She took a deep breath and walked into the room.

"Round two." House responded to the click of her heels, he didn't look up.

"House…" She started.

"What? Are you going to do the same lecture as Wilson? Because I really have better things to do." He snapped.

"Like what?" She responded.

He looked at her, quiet for the first time in all the time she knew him. Finally he managed to mutter his usual response. "Nice."

She took his hand. He pulled back at first but she took it again. He gave her a look, almost pleading not to touch him. She didn't listen. She met his gaze and he looked away. That's when she knew he'd really given up. He didn't even fight her.

"I just want to help. You don't have to give me any answers. You don't have to give me any reasons or explanations. You don't have to say anything. But if you want to, I'm here. And I always have been. I'm sorry that I didn't let you know that sooner." She said, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes.

He rolled his. "Is this going to be a one by one thing? Who's next? Chase? Is he going to come hug me and say" he mocked an accent. "I'm sorry you're suicidal. I'm going to hug you."

"House… that's not what we're doing." She reasoned.

"And then Foreman. I think you're a manipulative bastard but don't kill yourself."

"House…"

"Finally Cameron will come in and she'll cry and tell me she's sorry and say that she still likes me and that I have reasons to live and she'll have a little bunny and paint rainbows on the walls…"

"HOUSE!" She cut him off and he was quiet.

They sat in silence for a minute. She sighed after she couldn't take it anymore, getting to her feet and walking toward the door. She stopped when she reached it, putting her hand on the frame and turning back to look at him.

"The walls are glass." She commented before leaving.

Lisa didn't see the smirk, but she knew it was there. She'd gotten through a little. Sometimes the small victories felt just as good as the big ones.