057. Lunch

Tell Me

It was almost a week before anyone noticed that House wasn't eating lunch. Not surprisingly it was Cameron who noticed; Wilson had simply assumed that House was busy with his current patient and, being too wrapped up for the moment in his own problems, had not delved any further and neither Chase nor Foreman took that much interest in House's eating patterns. When she'd confronted him about it, he'd sneered at her and dismissed her concerns out of hand. Cameron had been annoyed at that but time and experience had taught her that the best idea now was to sit and wait. House would do one of two things; either he'd start eating lunch again to prove her wrong or…he wouldn't and now that she was watching she might be able to figure out what was wrong.

Another week passed and Cameron discovered two things. One, House wasn't eating lunch and two, she wasn't sure exactly how much he was eating period. He was looking thin and drawn and his clothes were starting to hang on him. He was spending most of his time in his office, poring over medical books and letting them deal with their patient. She debated for a moment confronting House again but then decided that maybe the 'softly, softly' approach might work better. So she went to see Wilson.

The oncologist was deep in paperwork when she knocked on the door but he seemed relieved for a reason to stop and waved her in.

"Allison, how can I help you?" he asked pleasantly.

"Is there something wrong with House?" she asked carefully as she sat down. "I know you've been staying with him. I was hoping you'd noticed."

Wilson blinked. "I'm…not sure what you mean."

Now it was Cameron's turn to blink. "He's…thin," she said with surprise. "Far too thin and he certainly hasn't been eating lunch. He looks like he hasn't been eating much at all. You haven't noticed?"

Wilson frowned and mentally ran through the last couple of weeks. He'd been wrapped up in dealing with the divorce from Julie and had gotten back to House's place late most nights. There'd usually been take-away of some description left on the table but now that he thought about it, it didn't really look like House had eaten much. And now House's lack of filching at lunch took a bit more significance.

"You're right," he said slowly. "And I think he's been hiding it from me. And I've been too wrapped up in my own problems to notice." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Leave it to me, Allison."

Cameron smiled with relief and got to her feet. "Thank you, Dr Wilson."

Wilson watched her go with a sense of chagrin, mentally kicking himself for not noticing what was happening. He quickly tidied up his paperwork then ambled next door, wandering in and sitting down in his usual chair. Now that he was paying attention he could see that House was definitely looking unwell. The older man looked thin and tired and he was reading a medical text.

"Well, well, if it isn't the prodigal Wilson," House said with a distinct lack of his usual sarcasm.

Wilson considered his method of attack for a moment then mentally shrugged, deciding on a frontal assault.

"What's wrong? You look like crap."

House smirked. "That's just as well. I feel like crap."

Wilson's eyebrows went up at that admission. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"You've got enough on your plate right now," House said dismissively.

Wilson felt something inside warm slightly at that then exasperation took over.

"Why is it that the only time you show compassion to me is when there's something genuinely wrong with you?" he snapped. "Christ, House! Why didn't you go to one of your team?"

"Them?" House said with distinct sneer. "They can't even diagnose our current patient. Why should I trust them with me?"

Wilson swallowed his automatic response then gestured to the books spread around the room.

"You've obviously been looking for yourself. What are the symptoms?"

House scowled at him before admitting reluctantly, "Diarrhoea, gastrointestinal problems, weakness and loss of appetite."

"That's…general," Wilson said with a frown. "What tests have you run?"

"None," House said, turning back to his book. "Not much point running tests until I have some idea what's wrong."

"House!" Wilson said. "Dammit! If this was one of your patients you'd have run them through a gamut of tests."

Wilson got to his feet and walked over to the door to the conference room, pausing with one hand on the handle.

"Tell them and get them to help you work it out or I'll have you admitted and they can do it anyway without your input," he said firmly.

House glared at him. "Why?"

Wilson sighed and glared right back. "Because this is ridiculous. You're sick, House. Stop being so damn stubborn and let them help."

House glared at him for a moment longer and Wilson wondered whether he really would have to make good on his threat. Finally House got to his feet and limped over to the door. Wilson held it open for him and they walked out into the conference room.

"You've got a new patient," Wilson announced as House leaned against the bench and scowled.

Cameron glanced over at House and managed to look both relieved and concerned. Foreman looked curious while Chase looked slightly confused at Wilson taking the lead.

"Who?" Foreman asked and Wilson could almost hear House sneer at the side of the room.

"House," Wilson replied and Foreman looked over at House with an appraising look. House snarled back at him but that only made the neurologist look mildly amused.

"What's wrong?" Foreman asked of Wilson.

"Loss of appetite, weakness, diarrhoea, gastrointestinal upset," Wilson listed and the three young doctors frowned.

"Nothing else?" Foreman asked.

"If there is, I'll be sure to tell you," House snapped.

"Hey, you're the one who says everyone lies," Foreman said mildly though clearly enjoying throwing House's words back in his face. "I presume you include yourself in that 'everyone'."

"Let's get back on the point," Wilson said before House could reply.

House settled back with an air of general disgruntlement as the three young doctors began to throw around ideas. After nearly half an hour they came to an agreement on the tests they wanted to run and those House would let them run and Wilson took him off to get the samples they would need.

"You are a stubborn ass who almost deserves to get sick," Wilson said in a conversational tone as he drew blood.

House mocked a shocked gasp. "Is that St Wilson speaking?"

"Greg," Wilson said in something close to a growl. "When precisely were you planning on telling someone about this? When you finally collapsed?"

House shrugged as he watched his blood flow into the small vial. "I was going to tell you but you were…distracted."

Wilson sighed. "House," he said helplessly. "Some things are more important."

House looked uncomfortable and Wilson let the matter drop, finishing what he was doing and taking the samples back to House's team.

When they got the results back it turned out that Cameron had made the correct diagnosis. The tests indicated that House had a parasitical infection, specifically Hymenolepis nana. When Chase read out the information they had on the parasite which included the fact that rats often carry the parasite, Wilson gave House a hard look.

"Steve McQueen goes," he said firmly. "It's a wonder we're both not sick."

House grumbled and argued but Wilson stood his ground.

"Fine," House finally growled. "But you get to take him to the vet, just so he knows who's condemning him to death."

Wilson rolled his eyes and agreed, mostly just to shut House up and ordered the treatment House needed. Once that was done they both settled back into House's office and Wilson gave House a long look.

"Will you promise me that next time something like this happens, you'll tell me?" Wilson said quietly. "You know I've always got time for you."

House nodded then smirked. "Of course you do, you live with me."

Wilson rolled his eyes then smiled. He might have couched it in a joke but House had agreed.