It's been FOREVER since i updated, and I'm SO sorry!! Well...here's the fourth chapter. refresh your memory by re-reading the other chapters if you must. Any questions of comments? review or message me!

special thanks to Simone for once again doing an amazing job beta-ing for me :) you are a life saver!!!

So...R&R! enjoy!

Wilson sat in his office, anxiously staring at the phone. Both he and Cuddy were awaiting any type of news on how House was doing at the facility. So far, nothing had come.

Earlier that day, Cuddy had a mental breakdown. While Wilson tried to console her, he forced himself to stay strong. As soon as he got back to his office, though, he felt like breaking down, too. Instead, the star oncologist was scheduled to meet with a lung cancer patient to tell him that he only had a few months left to live. The patient took the news extremely well, or at least didn't show any signs of a breakdown. Wilson found it all ironic. The patient was about to die, and he didn't cry, but accepted the fact that life's a bitch; House had only been in the institute for a week, and both Wilson and Cuddy were already loosing all hope.

Maybe it's because the patient saw it coming, thought Wilson. The patient had been terminal for quite some time, and it was only a matter of exactly when it would be officially declared that he didn't have much time left. What if Cuddy and Wilson knew it was coming with House, too? What if they had made sure House was all right more often, and had helped him before everything was all blown completely out of proportion? If only they were like the patient, there wouldn't be this much pain. If only they knew the road ahead.

Neither of them did, though. Both doctors had hit a wall, and only when the bricks were removed would they be able to see the full picture. The only thing left for them to do was wait. Wilson sighed and rubbed his forehead. He needed to get back to work.

He decided to make everything easy on Cuddy by doing House's clinic hours, along with his own. As he slowly got up from the chair at his office desk, he grabbed his pager and cell phone just incase there was an emergency. Desperately trying to push all of this insanity out of his mind, the oncologist closed the door of his office as if all of his worries would be left behind in the room.

With a quick wipe of his hands on his black suit pants, he made his way over to the crowded clinic.

It seemed like forever since she had seen or heard from House, and all Cuddy wanted to do was cower in a corner and wait for the worst of the storm to pass-but she was a busy woman, and there was always work to be done.

Since Wilson had left, Cuddy had mindlessly filled out about six legal documents, ignored about four phone calls from toll free numbers trying to sell pointless products, and had thought about House more than 430958043958 times.

"Oh my gosh." Cuddy groaned, pulling her messy hair into a perfect-enough-for-the-circumstances ponytail. She needed to get out of that office. Quickly getting up from the chair, her head began to swirl. The head rush lasted about two seconds before everything settled back into its place, allowing Cuddy's vision to be clear again. She had been sitting at that damn desk for about an hour, slowly allowing the many truths of this mess to sink deeper into her body and soul. Something productive needed to be done, Cuddy thought.

At first, she considered checking up on House's team, but knew how that would unfold. Of course, they would demand an explanation, but Cuddy wouldn't give one to them. She couldn't give one to them; it hurt too much to say it all aloud. It was as if saying it aloud made it that much more…real. Like this whole nightmare was truly happening. As she turned to look out her window, aimlessly observing the way the clouds covered the sun, she concluded that it wasn't the best idea to talk to the team.

Cuddy let out a small, helpless sigh.

Stepping out from behind her desk, Cuddy decided that she would tell Brenda, the head nurse; that she was leaving early. She had to get home. Hoping to escape to her safe, tranquil room; free of all her worries. Cuddy felt that she needed to see Rachael's face to make her feel somewhat better; plus, she needed some sleep. The Dean of Medicine lifted the desk phone receiver to her ear, lazily dialing the number of Rachael's baby-sitter. Cuddy let her know that she would be home in about a half hour, and quickly hung up.

As she grabbed her bag and coat from the coat rack, she stole one last look out of the huge window in the back of the office. The sun's light barely reached out from behind the heavy storm clouds, and instead was swallowed by the heavy, black fog that was surrounding it. It reminded her of the relationship she had with House. There was more to it than what met the eye. Something covered their true feelings for each other, and didn't allow their true emotions to be seen, and as much as they tried to tell each other how they really felt, the dark clouds kept them from doing so, engulfing their words and letting just a little flirtatious behavior push past. She sighed. Was there anything that could keep her mind off him?

Cuddy closed her eyes and quickly shook her head, making sure she was composed. She inhaled and stepped out of the office, heading over to the clinic desk to tell Brenda her plan.

As her lilac Steve Madden pumps clacked along the tile in the clinic, she pulled her black coat over her purple v-neck blouse and smoothed out her black skirt. She slid her designer purse onto her shoulder effortlessly and approached the desk. Brenda was hard at work filling out a patient file on the large desk in the center of the clinic lobby.

Brenda looked up, noticing Cuddy standing in front of her. She straightened up her posture, making sure she was presentable for her boss.

"Hello, Dr. Cuddy." She spoke kindly, not wanting to upset the Dean of Medicine. She knew something was amiss, and had noticed Cuddy's unusual behavior. The rest of the hospital seemed to be wondering what was wrong, also. Cuddy had never actually fully explained the whereabouts of House, so the rest of the staff was clueless as to what was going on.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Brenda quickly put down the pen she was using to fill out the file, signaling she was available to any task that her boss may have for her.

Cuddy gave a week smile, thankful for her hardworking staff. "Hello, Brenda. I just need you to tell anyone who may need me that I'm leaving early today. The baby-sitter has a family get together in about a half hour, and I need to watch Rachael," she lied.

Brenda noticed the false tone hidden beneath Dr. Cuddy's words, but decided that it was best not to mention it. "Ok, let me just notify the staff in the other wings." She picked up the PA to give notice to the rest of the hospital.

Cuddy thanked her and turned around to head out of the hospital, only to find Wilson speed walking into the clinic.

"Wait, Cuddy!" He yelled to her. Her heart stopped.

She quickly began to walk in Wilson direction, meeting him in the middle. Her deep blue eyes were wide; begging to know what was going on.

"I was about to leave to…watch Rachael. Is everything ok?" Her voice trembled.

Wilson's voice was full of panic, and his breath was short from running around the hospital looking for Cuddy, "The institution called."

Cuddy's heart stopped. Either this could go really good or really badly, she thought. She tucked a falling curl from her ponytail behind her ear.

"What? What's going on?"

Wilson spoke so only Cuddy could hear him.

"He's coming back."

Cuddy felt her heart lift, until she noticed his pained facial expression. The world suddenly came crashing down on her as Wilson continued.

"Only this time, he's not the doctor."