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House seated himself in front of Cuddy as the fire he built crackled and popped beside them. He took his bottle of Vicodin from his pocket and popped one into his mouth. He swallowed it dry as Cuddy watched him.
"You should drink some water," she said.
Giving a short nod, House took the makeshift melted plastic bowl and sipped some water from it. He offered the bowl to Cuddy, but she shook her head in refusal. House set the bowl down and then extended his Vicodin bottle to her.
"Here." He gave the bottle a shake. "Take one. For your ankle."
"It doesn't hurt that much," Cuddy replied.
"You should keep it elevated," House told her.
Cuddy shook her head for the second time. "No, it's fine."
Ignoring her, House picked up her leg at the calf and lifted it.
"House, don't-"
Cuddy cut herself off and frowned at him as he scooted closer and placed her leg on his shoulder. House smirked at her.
"You know, Cuddy, this isn't the first time we've-"
"House," Cuddy warned.
House gave a nod toward her foot. "Nice sneakers, by the way."
Cuddy looked to her foot as well. "Bill found them."
"He's a winner." House rolled his eyes. "Real delight."
"He's not that bad," Cuddy said. "Although, he was listening to church hymns on the plane."
"Figures," House replied. "He was praying the Hail Mary when the plane was going down."
Cuddy stared at House, her volume dropping. "You remember the crash?"
House paused a moment, deciding on whether to own up to it. "Yeah."
"You stayed conscious?" Cuddy asked.
"Very," House answered.
Cuddy fell silent. House knew he shouldn't have admitted the truth, but he was pretty sure that if he tried to cover it up, Cuddy would have seen through his lies. It was Cuddy who spoke up.
"What are we going to do tomorrow if help doesn't come?"
"Tell MacGyver and the rest of Gilligan's island," House offered.
Cuddy's eyebrows drew together. "Do you think we're on an island?"
"I don't know, Cuddy," House replied, slightly annoyed. He frowned when he noticed a change in her face. "What?"
"Nothing." Cuddy shook her head. "My stomach was grumbling."
"Yeah, I don't know if we'll be finding any food," House said. "Maybe we'll go Alive style like those Andes Mountain folk and eat people."
"House," Cuddy scolded.
House gave an innocent shrug, moving Cuddy's leg up a touch. "If it comes down to it."
"I'm not eating anyone," Cuddy returned quickly.
"Guess you'll die then," House told her.
"Yeah, I guess I will," Cuddy snapped back. Silence sat between them for a moment before Cuddy looked back over at him. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes on House. "If you... if you hadn't been you, one or both of us could be dead now."
House let out a sigh. "Cuddy, don't-"
"I would have been in first class with you," she cut him off. "I'd be dead if you didn't move my seat."
"And I'd be dead if you didn't go empty your bladder when you did," House added in.
"What if I took a different empty seat when you were in mine?" Cuddy paused a moment, eyebrows drawn. "Or... maybe if I hadn't sat down, the woman I was sitting next to would have slid over and... she'd still be alive."
House shook his head. "Don't do this to yourself. What happened has happened. Nothing we say or do now will change that."
"You're cynical," Cuddy accused of him.
"And you're guilty." That got her to look away from him. House continued, "You take the weight of everything. Even if it doesn't concern you."
Cuddy brought her eyes sharply back over to him. "This does concern me."
House rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking about this."
Cuddy frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"In general, Cuddy," House said. "Just... in general."
House looked over to the fire and watched the flames flicker while pieces of lit ash intermixed with the light breeze. Cuddy placed her hands on her arms, feeling the smooth material of windbreaker she had been given.
"It's getting cold," she commented.
"Yeah." House set Cuddy's leg down gently. "I'm going to find something to sleep on."
"What?" Cuddy asked.
House forced himself to his feet. "I'll be back."
"House, it's dark," Cuddy told him. "You don't know what's out there."
"I'll be fine," he replied and headed toward the wreckage.
Cuddy watched House until she couldn't see him in the darkness anymore. She could hear him limping along with his stick that served as his cane. She heard him stop and then grunt before she heard him dragging or pushing something over the ground.
As House came closer to the light, Cuddy identified two airplane seats connected together. House continued on pushing them, finding it difficult with his limp. Cuddy would have gone to help if she felt she could walk herself.
House pushed the seats close to the fire. When he was satisfied with the positioning, he stood for a moment as he caught his breath. Then, House plopped himself down on the seats. His eyes went to Cuddy.
"What time is it?"
Cuddy looked at Dave's watch. "Almost one thirty."
"Did Bill get you enough clothes to keep you warm?" House asked her. "I saw some dead bodies I can rob."
Cuddy glared. "House."
"There was a suitcase with some things in it," House told her, clearing up his sarcastic joke.
"No," Cuddy replied. "I'm all right."
"You don't have to be so brave, you know," House said.
His words caused tears to spring to her eyes, but she blinked them away. "I'm not being brave. I'm not trying to be. I'm fine, House."
"Okay." House gave a shrug.
Cuddy looked up from the watch. "One thirty. I'll be back."
"Here."
House stood to his feet and made his way over to her. He helped her to stand and then gave her his walking stick.
"Use that to help you," he instructed.
"Thanks." Cuddy gave him a tight smile.
Cuddy limped over to where Dave slept as she used the stick to help support her weight. House watched her, making sure she was really okay. Cuddy stopped next to the sleeping Dave and gently shook his shoulder until he opened his eyes.
Dave looked up at Cuddy. "Is help here?"
Cuddy shook her head. "No. It's one thirty."
"Oh." Dave sat up and took the watch from Cuddy. "Thanks, Lisa."
"No problem," Cuddy replied.
"Goodnight," Dave told her. "I'll wake you if anyone comes."
"Sounds good."
Cuddy limped back over to House, glad she could finally try to sleep. House had picked up the airplane blanket that Bill gave to Cuddy. House wasn't very much liked by the others and had subsequently only received a single coat, which he was wearing.
"Come on." House nodded toward the airplane seats, which he had tipped onto their backside to provide more room. "We'll share."
"Sharing?" Cuddy cocked an eyebrow. "I'm shocked."
"Shut up," House said.
Cuddy set House's stick down and then climbed onto the seats, careful of her hurt ankle. She pressed herself against the seat cushions in order to provide room for House. He covered her with the blanket and then rested alongside of her, his back to the fire he built.
House placed an arm around Cuddy as she turned toward him. He brought her closer into him to try and warm her. She shivered slightly against him.
"Try to sleep," he said quietly to her. "I'll keep you safe."