8/23/2008
Disclaimer: I don't own House or Cuddy. David Shore does.
Rated M Please R&R.
A/N: This is dedicated to drgemini86 for the plot line suggestion and momsboys for encouragement to continue. The song title is sung by Keith Urban, from his CD "Be Here".
A/N 2: House centric. This deals with the issue of drinking/other dark issues, read at own risk. There is also the use of bad words in this story, read at own risk. AU.
A/N 3: I've done research on alcohol poisoning and complications from alcoholism on the body, particularly cirrhosis of the liver due to drinking.
A/N 4: This story deals with the issues of alcohol abuse. The term "prat" is British slang for "you butt head"
Nobody Drinks Alone Chapter 3
A while later…
House could feel himself starting to come to and the first thing he noticed was that he wasn't dead. He mentally cursed himself. The man opened his eyes and saw Cuddy and Wilson sitting next to him, both looked like hell. House knew one thing and that was lying in this hospital bed sucked. He groaned loudly, enough to wake Cuddy and Wilson from their stupor. Cuddy was the first to notice that House was awake and she smiled at him and told him that everything was going to be okay. Of course that was a lie because she didn't know, neither did Wilson. Cuddy roused Wilson from his sleepy stupor and told him to watch over House. With that said Cuddy quickly left the room and rushed over to the nurses' station demanding to know where House's blood work was. Seconds later, her worse fears were confirmed that House indeed did have alcohol poisoning. Her mind reeled for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. She sighed inwardly and silent prayed to God that she, along with Wilson and the Ducklings would be able to help House.
Over the next few days House was a cranky, pain in the neck patient, demanding to go home by day two. Much to House's displeasure, Cuddy, Wilson, Chase, Cameron, Foeman, Taub, Kutner and Thirteen, all made him stay in bed for the duration of his stay at PPTH. The Ducklings dare not try to talk to House about his alcohol poisoning much less, trying to get him into rehab. Whenever the topic was brought up, House yelled at anyone who was in the room and refused to talk about the topic.
Frustrated and annoyed House could do nothing until he was cleared for work. After all, alcohol poisoning isn't something to be taken lightly. With each hour that House stayed in bed, the madder he got. House demanded that since he was stuck in this "god-forsaken hospital" he demanded that he at least get his tennis ball, his TV and his PSP. All of which he got courtesy of the Ducklings.
It was up to Cuddy and Wilson to convince House to go into rehab, since all the Ducklings had turned tail and run. One night when everyone had left the hospital, Cuddy and Wilson walked into House's room to find him playing his PSP.
"Whatever it is that you want, I don't want it so get the hell out!" he demanded.
Wilson and Cuddy just ignored him. They knew he was pissed off about being stuck in this room. They also knew he had refused to go into rehab. They had tried anything to get House to go into rehab: bribery, pleading and yet nothing worked. Wilson had tried to talk to House time and time again to see if he would think about going into rehab, House refused. Cuddy and Wilson knew that House knew what happened to him, House wasn't stupid after all.
Wilson had no idea what Cuddy was up to as she smiled at Wilson. It was no secret that Cuddy and House had a relationship, however you might define that: former lovers, current lovers, or boss-employee. It was also no secret that House leered and commented on Cuddy's body every chance he got and as much as she loathed him for it, secretly, they both knew that it was House's way of saying, "I like you, like you." It was a strange way of showing affection towards someone but then again this is House. Cuddy was going to play to this idea of House's wants and needs.
Wilson stood back and watched Cuddy. House remained silent and all that was heard was the beeping of House's PSP. Cuddy meanwhile had shed her black jacket and took off her heels. All she had on was a royal blue low cut dress shirt, with a black skirt and stockings. She climbed on House's bed and leaned forward and took House's hands in her own.
House snarked at her as his blue eyes flashed with anger as he looked up at her. He was surprised to see her and his eyes changed from anger to lust. He stared down at her 'girls' and grinned at her.
"Why Cuddles, I always knew you had a thing for me. What's the special occasion?" He asked as he continued to stare at her 'girls'. Cuddy inwardly rolled her eyes and with her right hand, she guided his chin back up to her eye level. Her voice took on a serious but yet seductive tone.
"You know House; it's no secret that the rumor mill about us is constantly running. And I know you know why you always make those comments about me. The nurses have a running pool about us, let's not let them down." she said with a sexy smile, one that Cuddy knew had an effect on House.
Cuddy then leaned forward as she held House's hands in her own and whispered in his ear, "I can tell that you like this" as she took one of her hands and ran in through House's hair, she knew that that was something that he loved.
She continued to speak, "I'll do something for you, if you do something for me." Now House wasn't stupid, but at this point in time, all of his logic went out the window as Cuddy continued to run her hand through his hair. It was one of his biggest turn on's and she knew this.
"What do you need me to do Cuddles?" he asked in a whisper. "I need you, to go into rehab. If you…" As soon as she said that, House got angry again and pulled away from her. His blue eyes flashing with anger.
"What the hell are you trying to pull here Cuddy?" he asked angrily.
"You didn't let me finish you prat! Now listen, I was going to say that when, not if you go into rehab, for every day you are there I will take off 3 days off of your clinic duty. Think of it House, 3 days for every day you're in there…28 days in rehab is a lot of hours. However, if you don't go into rehab I will fire you and make your life a living hell, have no doubt about that."
The look in Cuddy's eyes as she said those words and House knew she wasn't kidding around. They both knew Cuddy could be deceptive and cunning just as much as he could.
Cuddy leaned in close and whispered so only House could hear here. "Plus, I'll give you almost anything you want. Let's show those nurses what our 'relationship' really is about." Cuddy smiled at House, but inside she knew that she was making a mistake.
"Anything Cuddles?" He asked with a leer. "Within reason of course." she added. "Think about it House. Do this for you, me and Wilson." With those words spoken, Cuddy leaned down and kissed House like he'd never been kissed before and just as soon as House was getting into the kiss, she pulled away with a sassy grin on her face.
"Think about it House. You have 1 day." Then Cuddy maneuvered off the hospital bed, put her jacket and pumps back on and bid Wilson and House good night.
Wilson was shocked; he never thought he'd see the day where his boss, seduced and most likely blackmailed House into going into rehab. Wilson stood there dumbfounded while House on the other hand, lay in his bed, pondering over what Cuddy said with a look of lustfulness in his eyes. It creeped Wilson out to think of House and Cuddy like that and with that thought, Wilson left the room and headed home.
House went to bed that night, his mind reeling from what Cuddy said.
The next day, House was back to his usual behavior and snarky words. The next night, Cuddy and Wilson were both back. Cuddy had a stern look on her face, one that House knew all too well.
She spoke up, "Well, House what will it be? Rehab or getting fired?" she asked.
"Rehab." House replied. Cuddy smiled at him and said, "Good choice House, you'll leave tomorrow. I'll notify the Ducklings. We'll be in touch." With that she and Wilson left the room.
House was left to his thoughts of how the hell he got to where he was. House knew that rehab was the better choice if he didn't want to find himself without a job. What was the worse that Cuddy would do to him other than fire him? Take away his pills and make him detox on his own? Cuddy wasn't that cruel, was she? For a moment, House was actually afraid of what Cuddy would and could do. But little did Cuddy know that House was just playing along.
'Let the games begin' House thought as he drifted off to sleep that night.
House was woken up by Cuddy and Wilson early the next morning. "Rise and shine House. You leave in one hour. We have enough time to get you to eat breakfast, showered, dressed and discharged."
In that one hour, House had eaten breakfast, showered, dressed and was discharged into the care of Cuddy and Wilson. They drove for what seemed like forever and House, being House was a pain in the neck when it came time to actually admit him to the rehab facility, which specialized in detox and rehab for addiction to drugs and alcohol. Both Wilson and Cuddy knew that House was being his usual self, but soon he settled down and they both knew that when House 'settled down' it was only a matter of time before he started acting up again.
House was soon admitted and Cuddy and Wilson promised they'd write and would call often. It was after they left that House let all hell break loose.
What happened now was anyone's guess. Would House actually go through the rehab or would he mess around and cause trouble? Time would tell.
