093. Silence

Sounds of Silence

The first thing Wilson noticed when he slowly opened his eyes was that he was in a hospital bed. The second thing he noticed was the utter silence in the room. He frowned at that, feeling the fuzz in his brain that was obviously caused by the IV snaking into his arm. He looked around and saw that he was connected to a heart monitor and a number of other machines and he knew that those machines made noise. Quiet beeps but noise nonetheless. They should be making noise right now. He frowned and levered himself into a more upright position and looked around the room. His eyes widened a bit when he saw House sitting in a chair beside the bed, asleep with his head pillowed on his arms on the side of the bed.

"House?" he said softly then he stopped and drew in a sharp breath.

He knew he'd said that word out loud but he had heard nothing. He swallowed hard and one hand crept up to touch his ear.

"Hello?" he said a bit louder this time but again he heard nothing.

House shifted and slowly raised his head, blinking blearily until he saw that Wilson was awake then he snapped into a sitting position so fast Wilson winced in sympathy for what that must have done to the muscles in House's back. House didn't seem to care, instead he grabbed for Wilson's hand and looked at him intently.

"James?" he said carefully.

Wilson frowned. He'd seen House's mouth form the word but once again he had heard nothing but silence. That fact overrode any thought he might have had as to why House had used his first name.

"House? What? I can't…hear," he stammered, his hand closing around House's in a fierce grip as panic started to rise within him.

House grabbed at both of his hands and held onto them tightly. It was just enough, just enough of a break in House's normal demeanour, to hold that panic at bay for a moment.

"It's the head injury," House said clearly, looking directly at Wilson so that he could hopefully work out what was being said. "They think it's due to the swelling. There's still some left but they think your hearing might return once the swelling goes."

Wilson blinked then a series of memories slowly came back to him. Visions of the accident; looking out the driver's side window to see the car coming right at him, the sound of the impact, pain, horrible, incessant pain then nothing. Waking up in the hospital, more pain, House and other doctors, being unable to hear anything they asked, panicking and the pain that resulted from that panic. Seeing House look helpless and slightly lost as he was taken away to the operating theatre.

Some of that helplessness was still present in House's eyes but when Wilson nodded slowly it began to fade. Then House untangled one hand and reached out to run a soft caress over Wilson's cheek.

Wilson's eyes widened. "House? What?" he said, hoping that he sounded confused and hopeful.

House's eyes flickered away. "Don't know what you've got 'til it's gone," he muttered.

Wilson frowned as he tried to work out what House had just said. When he did, his eyes widened and he hoped he was right. He sat up a bit more then winced and grunted as his body reminded him of the limitations he had right now. He collapsed back onto the bed and concentrated on his breathing as the pain slowly ebbed. When he opened his eyes again he found House watching him with a guarded expression.

He smiled slowly and beckoned House closer. "Come here," he murmured, hoping he was speaking clearly. He was fairly sure he was.

House gave him a slightly suspicious look then stood and moved forward, bracing himself against the bed. Wilson reached up and grabbed the back of House's head, determinedly ignoring both how weak his grip was and the pain that lanced briefly through his side as he pulled House down into a kiss. It wasn't a very good kiss; their mouths were slightly off-kilter and Wilson knew his mouth tasted like slightly medicinal crap but then House shifted their mouths into a better position and the kiss improved. House pulled away far too quickly for Wilson's liking but when the pain in his chest returned with a thud, he realised how utterly horrendous their timing was.

He couldn't help but laugh breathlessly, wondering how much he felt came from the drugs and how much came from what had just happened. He noticed House scowling at him and got his laughter under control.

"Timing sucks," he said.

House's scowl faded into a look of wry amusement then he caught Wilson's chin and made sure the injured man was looking directly at him.

"Get better," he said clearly so that Wilson would understand him. "I have plans."

The look in House's eyes was enough to have Wilson catching his breath then he flinched.

"What about?" Wilson couldn't finish the question and he shuddered.

House's hand tightened just a fraction, just enough to get Wilson's attention again.

"The plans don't need you to be able to hear," he said.

Wilson looked into House's face, at the message written in his eyes, then nodded slowly.

"Good plans," he said with a tiny smile.

House nodded and let Wilson's face go, returning to his chair with a wince. He gave Wilson a half-smile full of promise.

"Very good plans."