I'm so sorry for the late update but my exams are keeping me busy. Thanks for all your nice reviews! :-)
A few minutes later House cursed and swore. He shouldn't have started that fight as long as Wilson had not driven him home. It was a quiet neighborhood and took him a while to find a busy street where he could catch a cab. He was not in the mood for company so he went home instead of back to work. He got into his apartment and shut the door behind him and the world out of his mind once more.
Wilson went home as well. He was glad to be back in his own place all by himself. He was not glad about the results this week had brought them. They had lost and were due to clean up Cuddy's house the next Saturday, he was in a huge fight with House and his matchmaker qualities had not shown the desired outcome.
House had similar thoughts while he played his piano only joined by a glass of Scotch. By contrast to his colleague he didn't pity Wilson's matchmaker ambitions though but rather his own stupidity. How could he walk out of there just the moment he had won her over? Damn it, he was a chicken. A rather stupid one.
House was frustrated. He would have welcomed a long holiday right that moment. Anything that would keep him away from the hospital for a couple of days. And far away from Wilson and Cuddy.
Unfortunately he had to show up in his department the same night. At least he could concentrate on his case again. Time to get this over with. The poor guy had suffered enough.
"We can't figure it out. We stabilized his heart, couldn't find a underlying reason for the cardiac arrest and now since it's back in shape his pancreas gives in once more", Foreman updated his boss after House's arrival.
The diagnostician browsed the file to get the different levels.
"By the way, Cuddy was asking for you. She called half an hour ago", Taub told him suddenly.
House looked up.
"Did she really ask for me or did she only want to know if I was back at work?"
His team exchanged confused looks.
"She wanted to talk to you", Taub finally told him.
House only gave him a nod and returned to the board but he had lost his concentration.
Damn, once more his mind lost track of the ddx and was back with Cuddy.
But this time the distraction brought him an answer. House smirked while he went through their conversation again when it suddenly hit him.
The food chain. The natural fight for food that decided between life and death.
"They are in a fight", he mumbled and draw the attention of his team.
"What? Who's in a fight?", Foreman wondered.
"His organs. First his pancreas was damaged. It improved but then his heart gave up. Now the heart is fine again but his pancreas is back in the dumpster. They are fighting for something. Or against something."
"But what do they both share? And why would it kill these organs?", Taub asked.
House smirked. This lion thing really saved his day.
"When you get lost in the desert together with your buddy and a lion shows up you don't have to run faster than the lion just faster than your buddy", he explained. His team didn't get it.
"Let's say he's got an infection that is killing his pancreas. But it is faster and so the infection goes after its next victim. The heart. But this is a marathon not a sprint so the pancreas gets tired and is once more overtaken by the heart."
"And what infection would that be?", Thirteen asked.
"No infection. His white blood cells are in normal range. How about a fungus?"
"Good thing there is only one", Foreman mumbled.
House shrugged. "Why would I do all the work? Go check it out!"
He sent his team out and went into his office. Satisfied he leaned back. It was only a matter of time before they would find it out.
There were only a handful of possibilities and if they didn't come up with it he would tell them that rather complicated Greek name in the morning. Or maybe earlier since the guy was really close to dying.
At least one problem solved.
Another one he could see across the balconies. Wilson was obviously there as well since he just switched on the light. Time to get out of here.
House grabbed his helmet and made his way downstairs. He enjoyed the ride on his bike. Way better than driving Wilson's lame Volvo.
For the rest of the week House kept his head down. Avoiding Wilson was easy, they just didn't speak to each other. Without Wilson's wallet House had no reason to show up in the cafeteria. His diet consisted of whatever the vending machine down the hallway served him. Surprisingly the oncologist had obviously no intention to talk to him either. He didn't show up once.
Avoiding Cuddy on the other hand meant work. He even attended all his clinic hours on time only to make sure she wouldn't chase and force him downstairs.
Cuddy observed her department heads. She didn't know what had happened between the two of them but she didn't like it at all. She had found what she was looking for. House and Wilson didn't spend any time together but did their jobs. Unfortunately she hated it.
Cuddy was rather surprised when they both showed up at her place on Saturday morning 9am to pay their dept. House might be a jerk but a bet was sacred to him. And paying his dept was essential.
"Morning boys", she greeted them. They didn't even look at each other.
"So let's get this over with", Wilson mumbled and waited for instructions.
"I don't care what I do as long as I can do it far away from him", House told his boss. He ended up in the kitchen while Wilson cleaned her bathroom.
"What happened between you guys?", Cuddy asked Wilson while he scrubbed her bathtub.
"House being House. Seems as if you were right. Nobody can take this 24/7."
"But you guys are friends. You can't throw away this just because of a little fight."
Wilson sighed annoyed. "Sooner or later we all reach this point with House. Now I can join the long list of people he jerked out of his life."
"James, he killed your girlfriend last year and you stayed friends with him."
The oncologist looked at her. "Not a good argument."
"I just mean….", she got interrupted.
"I know. Why don't you go downstairs and make sure House does his chores."
"He's cleaning my kitchen", Cuddy explained.
"Right", Wilson sneered and returned to the bathtub.
Cuddy got suspicious. She went downstairs and sneaked into the kitchen. House wasn't there. But she could hear the TV in her living room. She rolled her eyes and marched over only to find the doctor on her couch, his feet on the table watching his soap.
"House!", she yelled and stood in front of the screen. House tried to look around her but she grabbed the remote control and switched off the TV.
"You are supposed to clean my kitchen!"
He shrugged. "I did."
"Show me!", she ordered him and yanked his feet off the table.
"Ouch! Careful woman!", House yelled and rubbed his thigh.
"Keep your dirty shoes of my table!", she said and walked over to the kitchen. He followed her.
"See? Everything is clean."
Cuddy looked pissed. "You cleaned one cup", she said and pointed at the washed mug that was standing next to a pile of dirty dishes.
"Ever heard of pre-washing that stuff?", House snapped. "And this baby stuff is just disgusting. I won't do that."
"Then do something else. Just sleeping and watching TV won't do it."
"Can I clean your bedroom?", he asked her now.
"No!"
"Can I make it dirty together with you?", he wondered and raised an eyebrow.
"NO! Go tidy up the nursery."
"But there is a baby in there", House objected.
"How very observing of you. That's probably why I have a nursery. Just be silent."
House smiled. "Ok. But you come along and show me where everything belongs", he suggested.
"Well for starters, the baby stays in bed."
"We could leave her with Wilson and have a nice day", House offered her now.
Cuddy smiled. "That's what you think. Tidy up my house and we can talk about this later."
House raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. You didn't say no."
Right that moment Wilson came downstairs.
"Done with your bathroom", he announced.
"Great. You can go on in the kitchen."
"I thought House did the kitchen", Wilson objected.
"Well he tried but since he never uses a kitchen he got lost", Cuddy explained.
"Oh really?", Wilson asked annoyed. "Lazy ass!"
House stuck out his tongue to him and followed Cuddy upstairs to clean up the nursery.
Wilson sighed but went into the kitchen finally.
"Jesus Christ. That girl can't even walk. Why is her stuff distributed all over the floor?", House wondered when they entered.
Cuddy shushed him down. "Not so loud."
She looked into the crib and smiled. "Isn't she sweet?", she asked him.
House joined her and shrugged. "She's boring. You can't do anything useful with her."
Cuddy sighed. "House!"
That moment the baby woke up. Rachel looked around and probably thought about whether she should start crying or not.
"Crap!", House mumbled.
Cuddy punched him in the side. "Don't swear in here!"
"Yeah, she will definitely start speaking any moment now", House snapped.
While Cuddy watched her daughter House started picking up toys, stuffed animals and romper suits.
"How could this guy approve you as a foster mum? This place is a mess", he told her.
"That's why I got my private slaves", she smirked.
House sighed. "I could do so much better. You are wasting my talents here!"
"Don't even think about flirting with me, House!"
"You are telling me now? After 20 years?", the diagnostician wondered.
"You can keep on chasing after me after you solved your issues with Wilson!"
House rolled his eyes.
"Oh lucky me. Since there are no issues concerning Wilson we can go on right now."
"House, you are not talking to each other. You didn't miss a single minute of your clinic duty this week. Not that I would complain about this but I want my two department heads back."
House chuckled and shook his head. "I thought you put up that whole game to get us doing our jobs. Oh woman!"
Cuddy sighed. "True, but it didn't work out the way I wanted."
Rachel started crying and her mother picked her up. "She's hungry", Cuddy explained.
"So am I. But not for food", House smiled.
"Get your friendship in order and maybe I'm gonna feed my lion", she told him and left the room to get downstairs.
House looked at the small stuffed donkey in his hands.
"Get it in order…. Easier said than done with two stubborn mules like us!", he mumbled and put the donkey on the shelf together with its animal friends.