Thanks as usual to my reviewers. I'm going to try and upload longer bits from now on. I've got to work hard for those reviews!
Thirteen tore through her apartment in search of her phone. She rushed to the couch, looking between the cushions and pushing aside the blanket she had curled up in the night before. As she pulled a pillow back, Thirteen came across Rachel's hoodie. She picked it up, swearing as her phone tumbled out from under it and onto the floor. She ran her fingers over the fabric before briefly bringing it to her nose. Nearly two weeks had passed since she'd tossed it there, but it still smelled of Rachel. She tucked it into her handbag, grabbed her phone, and hurried out.
Taking shortcuts and breaking traffic laws, Thirteen managed to arrive at the hospital before she was unreasonably late. She headed for the office, finding it surprisingly empty. Determined not to let the day get the jump on her, Thirteen grabbed a cup of coffee and settled at the table to look over the patient file. Just as she was beginning to loathe the silence, Taub walked in.
"How's the patient?" Thirteen asked.
"The nurses say there's been no change."
"The nurses? Why didn't you check on him?"
"We spent the night surgically implanting a tube into the guy's penis after he spent hours with a painful erection. I'm getting sore just talking about it."
Thirteen rolled her eyes, "You men are so sensitive."
"Speaking of which, where's Foreman?"
"Haven't seen him," Thirteen said. The sudden ringing of her phone sent her rifling through her purse. "This is probably him, though."
Taub watched as Thirteen confirmed her hunch before shoving the phone in her pocket, ignoring the call. "You're not going to answer?"
"Nope. He's been calling since I skipped dinner. Sooner or later he'll figure out that I don't want to talk."
Thirteen began replacing the things she had pulled from her bag while Taub took a seat. Looking across the table he eyed Rachel's hoodie. "What's with the jacket? Didn't you go to Sarah Lawrence?"
"A friend lent it to me," Thirteen replied as she fingered the fabric for the umpteenth time that morning.
"That pretty doctor from physio?" Taub asked, immediately garnering a glare from Thirteen. "I've seen you two talking."
"It's Rachel and she's the head of physio."
"Seriously? She's your age," Taub said, sounding surprised. He cleared his throat as his expression quickly turned serious. "Don't be mad, but I've also seen the way you look at each other. You definitely don't look at Foreman that way."
Thirteen fixed him with a withering stare, "We're friends, Taub. Nothing more."
"So you're just rubbing her jacket for good luck?"
Realizing that she had been running her fingers over the hoodie absentmindedly, Thirteen quickly shoved her hands in her lap.
"Take it from someone who's had an affair or two," Taub started. "The emotional stuff causes the most damage."
"I'm not cheating on Foreman."
"It might not seem like it, but you kind of are. It's obvious you have feelings for Rachel. I know it can be confusing, but it's unfair to both of them if you don't make a choice."
"I'm not confused," Thirteen said tersely. "I've made my choice. Rachel is my friend, Foreman is my boyfriend."
"And yet you're avoiding both of them," Taub added.
In a huff Thirteen stood to leave, snatching Rachel's hoodie from the table and hurrying from the office. She went tearing through the halls, her sights set on the physiotherapy department. She was more than eager to return what had become a reminder of how lamentable her last meeting with Rachel had been. She charged up to the door of Rachel's office, but as her hand hit the knob her intensity started to deflate. She couldn't anticipate what might happen once she opened the door. Thirteen slowly turned the knob and entered unannounced. Suddenly she found herself startling Rachel from a phone call and standing anxiously in the middle of the floor. For a long while she said nothing, even after Rachel hung up the phone. As Rachel rose from her desk and moved closer, Thirteen could feel her heart leap forward in her chest. She awkwardly thrust the hoodie between them, hoping to maintain some distance.
"Thank you," Rachel said. "You missed your session last week." She waited for Thirteen to respond, but nothing came. "I understand that you're angry with me, but you shouldn't skip therapy. I can assign you to another therapist."
"That's not necessary," Thirteen said quickly. She jammed her hands in her pockets as she squirmed under Rachel's gaze. "I just need some time. I'll have to miss this week's session, too."
"Don't blow all the progress you've made just to avoid me."
"I skipped last week to avoid you, I'm skipping this week because I'm actually busy. I'm back in diagnostics and we've got our hands full."
"House is back?" Rachel asked.
"He's out of the hospital, but he's not coming back. Cuddy's giving Foreman a chance to run the department. Maybe working together again will be good for us."
"I hope so," Rachel nodded. She hesitated before speaking again. "Listen, I think while you're working things out with Foreman we should keep our distance; not spend so much time together."
"Less time would be none."
"I just think it would be best."
"Fine," Thirteen said through gritted teeth. "If that's what you want, to completely push me away, then I guess I'll leave you alone."
"I'm sorry, Remy," Rachel said, Thirteen's name coming out in a quiet sigh.
"Just tell me one thing. Did you ever care about me or were you just using me as a distraction?"
"That's not fair," Rachel murmured.
"Isn't it? Any time we get close to having a moment you practically jump out of your skin to get away from me. You'd rather push me back into a strained relationship than kiss me."
"If things aren't working between you and Foreman, you should end it, but I am not the better choice."
"That's not the point and you know it. Do you care about me?" Thirteen asked again desperately.
"A lot more than I should," Rachel nearly whispered.
"I don't get this," Thirteen gasped. "I really thought I understood you, but now…"
"It's better if you don't understand."
"Right, because if I understood I might not be angry with you."
"That's the general idea."
"Fuck you."
Shaking her head in frustration, Thirteen walked out on Rachel. She plodded back to the diagnostics office and settled in just in time for the differential and the inevitable confrontation with Foreman.
Another long day at the hospital was coming to an end. The remaining staff members trudged through the half-empty halls while they counted down the time they had left for the night. Thirteen slowly walked from her patient's room. She had started his treatment and he seemed to be on the mend. The only thing left for her to do was apologize to Foreman. She tried to keep the facts straight in her mind. She had gone against him–challenged him–by checking the online responses again for clues. She hadn't supported him. Thirteen could still imagine the hurt expression that stretched across Foreman's face when she had told him what she'd done. But still she wasn't sorry.
It was her job to challenge him, not to go along with what he thought. More than that, it was her nature. She would only be apologizing for being herself. Even so, Thirteen wanted to at least try to salvage her relationship and there was only one way to go about that. Mustering up the courage to put her pride aside, Thirteen stepped inside the office. Foreman was settled behind the desk, already looking comfortable in his new position.
"Heard Cuddy made it official. Department's yours. Congrats," Thirteen said. She stuck her hands in her pockets and rocked awkwardly on her heels before tentatively walking to the desk. "I'm sorry. I went behind your back. On a scale of one to ten how mad are you?"
"A seven," Foreman admitted. "And that's stupid. You did the right thing, it's my fault you thought you had to go behind my back."
"I should've stood up to you."
"But you didn't because you didn't want to fight again."
"It's our first case. It'll take time to adjust," Thirteen said. She took a seat at the desk with Foreman and he eyed her with a look she couldn't quite read.
"What if by the time we get adjusted we don't like each other anymore?"
"That's not going to happen," Thirteen insisted.
"You sure? Because ever since I took this job we've been making each other miserable." Foreman dropped his gaze, "I really don't think this is going to work."
Thirteen tried again to discern Foreman's expression. When she thought she had it, she was taken aback, "You're breaking up with me?"
"No," Foreman assured her. "The other night when I thought I was done, you were there. I need you. I don't want to lose you."
Thirteen had never heard Foreman admit how he felt about her. She shifted in her seat, becoming slightly uncomfortable; there was still something unreadable in his eyes. "Why are you–" Things began to click as Foreman refused to look her in the eye. "You're firing me."
"I'm sorry," was all he offered.
Thirteen glared at him a moment before storming out of the office. She charged to the locker room, stopping only to get a box from the supply closet. When she was in the locker room and sure no one else was around, Thirteen threw the box aside and began slamming the broad side of her fist into her locker. As her anger got the better of her, her aim wavered and she hit the locker squarely with her last knuckle. With her hand inflaming with pain Thirteen slowly regained her composure. She was just beginning to dump the contents of her locker into the box when she heard to door open. She glanced up quickly to see Rachel headed to her own locker.
"Going somewhere?" Rachel asked.
"You're speaking to me now?" Thirteen scoffed.
"Fine, don't answer."
"Foreman fired me," Thirteen sighed. "This should do wonders for our relationship."
Rachel stood, jaw dropped, frozen in the middle of grabbing her things, "Will you be alright?"
"I would think it'd be easier for you this way. Without me around to constantly push away, you'll be so much more productive."
"You're the one doing the pushing right now," Rachel noted. "I was only expressing concern."
"But that's just it. You can't tell me to keep my distance and then swoop in to save the day when you see me upset." Thirteen paused a moment, "The worst thing about this is we actually had a good friendship. Now it's all messed up and I really don't have a lot of other friends."
Rachel leaned against the locker by Thirteen's. "I'm sorry I screwed this all up. I wish things could be different. I wish you didn't have an asshole of a boyfriend who would put you out of work. I wish I didn't have to push you away."
"But we are where we are," Thirteen concluded.
"But I'm still your friend. Nothing's really changed."
"Are you serious? Everything has changed."
"Circumstances have changed, not the way I feel about you," Rachel said. "I'm still here if you need me, so don't be a stranger."
Rachel shot Thirteen a weak smile before she turned and left. Going back to her locker, Thirteen packed up the last of her things and slipped out of the hospital.
When Thirteen arrived home she dropped the box onto her desk and went to wash up. She gave herself a long, hard glare in the bathroom mirror before slinking wearily off to bed. As she drifted off to sleep, Thirteen tried to remember the last time anything had been simple in her life.
Thirteen darted clumsily into her apartment. She was juggling coffee and breakfast in one hand; her mail, dry cleaning, and a stack of books and brochures in the other, while trying to retrieve her phone from her pocket before it stopped ringing. "Hold on!" she yelled at her phone, sitting her food and the rest of her hindrances on her desk. Finally reaching her phone, Thirteen saw Foreman's number in place of what she had hoped would be a potential employer. She breathed out a frustrated sigh. Foreman had taken to calling her no less than three times a day since she left the hospital. Thirteen set her phone aside and checked the answering machine that sat on her desk. She still had no messages. Flopping onto her desk chair, she opened her laptop, and quickly checked her email. Finding it empty as well, she slammed the computer shut and turned her attention to her breakfast.
It had barely been a week since she'd been fired, but already Thirteen's impatience was getting the best of her. She had sent out nearly a dozen copies of her resume and still had no leads on a new job. Her gaze wandered to the books and brochures she had brought in. Each one of them promised to hold all the information she needed to plan a trip to Thailand. She grabbed the first one on the stack and flipped through its glossy pages, letting her mind wander as she imagined herself visiting all the sights in the pictures. An exotic getaway was sounding better by the moment.
Just as Thirteen's daydreaming was beginning to put her mind at ease there was a knock at her door. She stayed put and ignored the interruption. Not expecting any visitors, she had a fair guess who it might be. Even if it wasn't him, she was in no mood to talk to anyone. She grabbed another brochure and waited for the knocking to stop.
To her disappointment, the stubborn nuisance at her door refused to give up. Every few seconds the knocking repeated without relent. Even after she had given her brochure a thorough reading, the knocking still came. With no end in sight, Thirteen rose and slowly plodded to the door. She reluctantly swung it open to find Foreman looking as stubborn as ever.
"The only reason I let you go is because our relationship wouldn't work if I was in charge," Foreman started. "But I won't be in charge soon so… I came to offer your old job back."
Thirteen nearly laughed in his face. He'd been pestering her for days only to show up at her door muttering about a job offer. Foreman suddenly seemed so pathetic.
"I know I look bad," Foreman continued. "Circumstances have changed."
"I don't want the job," Thirteen said shortly.
"Why not?"
"Because there's a much simpler explanation for you firing me. You wanted to break up with me but you were too weak to do it yourself."
"Then why would I try to hire you back?" Foreman asked, shaking his head. "Can we please get some dinner tonight?"
"I'm sorry."
Thirteen promptly shut the door and retreated into her apartment.
It wasn't until the next morning that Thirteen realized she couldn't simply walk away from Foreman. After taking a long run to blow off steam, she returned just in time to hear her answering machine taking a message. "Dr. Hadley, this is Andrew Douglass at Princeton General. I've got your résumé here and I'd like you to come in and interview with us. If you could give me a call back…"
Thirteen let out an exasperated growl as she headed for the shower. She quickly cleaned up, threw on some clothes, and headed to Princeton-Plainsboro.
When she arrived at the hospital, Thirteen wasted no time in having a nurse point her in Foreman's direction. She found him speaking with a patient and waited for him outside. When he suddenly turned to look at her, she waved awkwardly. She could feel her annoyance with him growing as he nonchalantly crossed the hall to meet her by the nurses' station.
"I got a call from Douglass' department at Princeton General, they want me to interview with them," Thirteen said. "Which is weird because when I called last week they said they had nothing available, so I never sent in my résumé."
"Douglass owes me a favor," Foreman said.
"Most people send chocolates."
Foreman eyed Thirteen with a look of determination she had come to know very well, "I'd stand outside your apartment all night holding up a boom box, except you told me you hate eighties music."
Thirteen tried and failed to hold in a small laugh. Foreman would choose now to try being sweet. Still, it was hard to be angry with him when he was showing actual emotions. She looked away, tentatively thinking through her answer. "So, about dinner, um," Thirteen began, clearing her throat. "I'm free tomorrow night."
Receiving a slight smile from Foreman, Thirteen headed off. On her way out, she found herself going the long way. She was taking the route that lead past the physiotherapy department. When she reached Rachel's office, Thirteen watched her through the blinds for a few moments before being caught. Rachel smiled nervously and, as always, Thirteen did the same. Thoroughly embarrassed, she turned around and made her exit.