I'm back!!! I know it's been forever, but I'm home now so I'll be uplloading more frequently.
I guess you could call this the warm up chapter, as I'm still getting back into fic writing mode. It's short but significant, so be patient. For all of you wondering about the cliffy from chapter 6, this may help a bit :)
of course, thanks again to Simone... BETA :)
So as always, R&R! (please :] )
enjoy :)
He had left the spare key under the mat he seemed to have carelessly thrown upon the ground. It seemed as if he wanted Cuddy to find it. She did.
The sight of the empty room was painful. It looked exactly like it would've if House was still residing there; empty scotch bottles scattered along the table in front of the TV, the remote stuffed between to cushions in the couch, the guitar sitting nicely in it's place in the corner just waiting to be touched. There was one thing missing – he wasn't there.
Cuddy had slipped out of the hospital about an hour ago, hoping that no one would notice her disappearance, though that seemed unlikely. Her tears had blurred her vision as she drove the short distance to House's apartment. Now as she grasped the spare key and stood in the doorway, she didn't really know why she was there.
As she reluctantly shut the door behind her and made her way to open the blinds, her cell phone rang. Wilson. Cuddy quickly pushed the ignore button for the 12th time since House had arrived at PPTH and she had made her great escape. She was overwhelmed by the urgent and rushed vibe the hospital gave off after House had arrived on a stretcher, clearly in critical condition. Cuddy needed to be away from all craziness, away from Wilson, Cameron, chase, the team, and the entire hospital in general. After all, she was the boss, so who could complain?
Suddenly, as she realized she had finally gotten away, she sighed and took it all in. The aroma of cheap cologne and alcohol filled the room, intoxicating her as she remembered House's exact scent. The same scent that sent her heart racing every time it reached her nostrils. The bad weather had cleared up a bit and the sun was covered by a single grey cloud, dimming it's light slightly. The remaining light poured into the room, engulfing the furniture just enough to make everything seem more alive. Cuddy had been in this room before, but she had never seen it through these desperate, worried eyes.
Knowing that she would have to return to the hospital sooner or later made her blood run cold, while the thought of seeing his face again gave her a short rush of excitement. What would House say if she just showed up to visit him in the hospital? She was sure she needed an excuse to see him. Cuddy then concluded that the best thing to do would be to gather some of House's belongings and bring them over to the hospital for him.
Before entering his bedroom, she looked around feeling guilty for breaking in like this. His presence haunted her as she slowly opened the door. Cuddy sighed and blinked away a tear as she went to sit on the unmade bed. This is the place she belonged - waking up in the morning next to the one man she loved. Constant thoughts of being with House rushed through her mind 24 hours a day, every day at work. There was no getting away from it. Now, the extremely powerful Cuddy had faced a battle that she had lost, and her mind was cluttered as she sat defeated on the bed. Her thoughts came to an abrupt stop as she remembered the purpose for even being in the bedroom.
She stood up slowly to avoid a head rush, and grabbed a pillow from the bed to bring to House. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of a magazine sticking out from under the bed. She chuckled. Typical House. She had no intention of bringing that to him.
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After about a half hour, Cuddy had gathered the basic necessities to bring with her to PPTH- His pillow, some blankets, a spare cane (just incase Mayfield didn't transport the other one to the hospital), a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a water bottle she had found in his virtually empty fridge.
Then she stuffed a few socks into a bag and closed the sock drawer, but something jutting out from the bottom of the dresser caught her eye. Her heart stopped and her eyes widened. It was a picture. As she reached under the dresser to grasp it, her hand touched something else. As she pulled both objects towards her, she could practically hear her heart pounding.
From that point on, her mind had begun racing in a sort of panic. Cuddy immediately stuffed both objects into her bag, along with the rest of the possessions she had picked up, and rushed out of the apartment, slamming the door firmly behind her.