Cuddy's office was somewhat dark when Wilson walked by the empty secretary's desk in the outer office. He could see that the blinds were open, but the overcast day did little to pull sunlight into the large room. A small, stained glass lamp on her desk spilled a warm glow of amber and garnet colored light onto her pale features and dark hair as she worked. Wilson hesitated for a moment at the large wood and glass door before gently letting it swing closed behind him.
"Dr. Wilson. To what do I owe the pleasure? Got any updates on our little project on the fourth floor? Oh, I saw House at Sebastian's meeting, that's a good sign" Cuddy said, without looking up, as she pulled various papers together before signing them and placing them in neatly configured stacks along the side of her desk.
Wilson watched her silently, wondering what would be the right words to make her separate from the paperwork on her desk.
Conceding that she was not going to give him her undivided attention, he finally spoke up. "Lisa, we need to put a stop this. I think we've made a huge mistake".
Cuddy gave his words a moment to sink in before she acknowledged him. Quietly, she put her pen down before looking up. "Why?" she scoffed. "Because House is suffering a little? Oh, come on, this is what makes him excel. Besides, it only hurts a little at first, but it will be the best thing for everyone involved, you'll see".
Wilson began to pace back and forth in front of Cuddy's desk. "No, it's not going to be the best thing for everyone. It's gone too far, anyone can clearly see that. The question is why can't you? We need to tell them, Cuddy. Either we do it together or I'll do it by myself".
Cuddy shook her head as she pushed her chair away from her desk. "You'll do no such thing. I know what I'm doing. You just have to be patient and give it a little more time. You'll see… it's going to all work itself out and then everyone will go back to their jobs and their dull little lives and I'll have my hospital back, the way it should be".
Wilson's hand pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're…you're actually enjoying this, aren't you? Watching two people get banged up just for the hell of it. You can't help yourself".
"Oh, please," she said, as she lowered herself back down into her chair. "House brought this on himself. If he's in doubt as to how he feels about Cameron, this will only speed things along. And, then one of two things will happen. He'll either decide he wants her and they'll try a relationship that will be doomed to crash and burn or he'll realize he never really wanted her and she leave quietly on schedule—maybe even with Dr. Charles. Either way, he'll go back to being his brilliant but miserable self and I'll get my Diagnostics department back. See the pattern? It's a win-win".
Wilson was dumbfounded. "No, Lisa. Nothing about this is a win-win situation. They're miserable. How can you be so cavalier about all of it? You know, there's more than one person's feelings involved here. Someone in this equation is going to lose".
"Then why did you agree to it? You thought it was pretty darn clever a few weeks ago. You wanted to help House see the light just as much as anyone. Why the cold feet now?"
"Yes, well I should know better than to trust in diabolical plans hatched over a meal of four back to back martinis. Besides, I didn't think it would turn out like this. If we stop it now, there's a good chance they'll all forgive us".
Cuddy rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I should have known you wouldn't have the stomach for this. No one is going to get hurt, James. Think of it like an intervention. Neither Cameron nor House knows how to move on. At least this way, they'll either see they have feelings for one another or she'll leave, as planned.
Wilson stared in disbelief at Cuddy . "You know," he said, wagging his pointer finger at her, "This isn't about them at all. Ah, how stupid could I be? This is about you…you and your feelings for House. I think somewhere along the line you wanted more from him, but you realized he couldn't give it to you, not when his affections belonged to someone else…have always belonged to someone else all along. You couldn't let it go and now you want to hurt him for it".
Cuddy stared at Wilson in silence as an awkward smile crept across her mouth and a light burst of nervous laughter escaped from her throat.
"What? Don't be ridiculous. We were two adults that entered into a consensual relationship that didn't work out. I was not then and have never been in love with him".
"No, maybe not. But, you did want something from him. You'd made an emotional investment in him. What could make someone more indebted to another person than bringing them back from the precipice of death and giving them a second chance at a better life? You gambled on the possibility that he would want to try and repay you. And, what would be better for your lifestyle than a child with a loosely defined commitment from its father?"
"That's the real win-win, isn't it?" he added softly, as he leaned across her desk, his eyes locking onto hers. "To get a baby and a lifetime of obligation from House. You just didn't plan on him not wanting to give that part of himself away and by the time you realized it, you knew you could never have it".
Cuddy pushed herself up roughly from her chair and walked past him to the large office door. "Am I through being cross-examined, counselor? And, so what, maybe some of that is true. It still doesn't change the way things are".
She casually turned her wrist over to look at her watch. "I've got a meeting," she said, as she pulled the wooden door open. "We're all done here. If you change your mind Dr. Wilson, then this conversation never happened. But if you tell him, he'll never forgive you—trust me on that. I can live with him hating me, but can you?"
Wilson turned his face up towards the ceiling as if to better comprehend her last words before returning his gaze to hers. "Dr. Cuddy," he said, as he brushed past her and out the door.