Disclaimed.
Serious Piano Man is well on its way. I think it's about half done now so you can all go check that out! It's called Piano Man Deja Vu. Anyways, on with Just Not Right.
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It was raining. Not a heavy rain, but a serious drizzle. It was also early Saturday morning. Half past four in the morning to be exact. House was staring out the speckled window into the dark. He was deep in thought. Why does it always seem to rain like this when someone dies? It reeks of cliche'. House hadn't given Wilson or Cameron an answer yet as to whether or not he was going to go to John's cremation. But he hadn't given himself an answer yet, and since it was his father he thought he should be the first to know.
"Hey." Turning his head to his open door he saw a very sleepy Wilson leaning on the door frame. "Couldn't sleep either?"
"I really hope you were getting up to began your daily ritual of exfoliation and painting your toe nails because if you came in here to check on me I'm going to have to start locking my door." The words were a joke but there was no sarcasm in his voice. He just didn't have it in him yet.
"I figured I could take a quick bubble bath and still have time to blow dry my hair before you woke up. Guess you ruined this girls plans." Wilson smirked at his friend. It was easier to joke when it was just them. Wilson rarely let his funny bone show to anyone other than House. House on the other hand was perfectly ok with showing all his bones to everyone. Minus the ones that feel that is. "I take it you haven't made a decision yet?"
"What makes you say that?" House raised his eyebrow.
"You're staring out the window in the rain. No one who does that has made a decision." Wilson said matter of factly.
"Maybe I'm not at peace with my decision." House retorted.
"Then you haven't decided yet." That shut House's mouth. Sometimes he forgot Wilson could mimic him pretty damn well when he really wanted to. "Want a drink?"
"You're going to turn me into an alcoholic if you keep this up Jimmy Boy." At that Wilson just gave his friend a very pointed look.
"Fine...you're going to turn me into even more of an alcoholic if you keep it up. Better?" House conceded. Wilson gave a rueful smile and nodded. House carefully swung his legs over the side of the bed. Not at all an easy thing to do when one is in a cast. At least I didn't broken the good leg. He tried to console himself. Didn't work. Probably because he knew the months of painful physical therapy that awaited him. The humiliation of having to learn how to walk yet again, and falling over and over. He knew Cameron would want to come to his sessions, just like Wilson had the first time. Wilson had been good enough to stay away until it was time to pick his friend up however, and House wasn't so sure Cameron would do the same. He also wasn't so sure that having her there wouldn't make it easier to bear. One thing he did know though, was that the only thing more humiliating that being a grown man and falling down, was being a grown man and falling down in front of the girl you really, really like, might even someday love. Greg House was a thoroughly conflicted man. Wilson came back with the beer and a bowl of chips.
"Now that's what I call brain food." House commented, taking a beer. Wilson smiled sadly.
"I figure today is a day your brain needs to eat until it falls asleep." Holding up his bottle, the two men clinked necks and muttered Cheers before tossing back a long swig of liquid gold.
"I think I'm going to go. If for nothing else, to watch the bastard burn." House spat out bitterly before taking another drink and a fistful of chips.
"I'll drive you. We'll have to leave in a couple hours to get there on time...should you call Cameron?" It was House's turn to nod.
"I don't know whether or not I want her to go though. And I don't think I want you at the cremation. No offense...I just think it's something I need to do alone, you know?"
"Yeah I know. Do you want to shower?"
"Yeah...let me get one before you. I don't want you to use up all the hot water washing your hair and shaving your legs." Wilson chuckled as he wheeled House's chair up to the bed so his friend could get in.
"You know, since I'll be at your mom's house while you're at the cremation, you could ask her to go with you for more company on the drive there and back. Two and a half hours is a long time for two guys to be alone in a car."
"There's another guy coming?" House questioned hopefully, inspiring another deep chuckle from his friend. Wilson wheeled House into the bathroom and they went through the whole ritual again. And once again, when he was in the shower, House tossed his boxers over the curtain. He missed Wilson's shoulder, but it landed on the counter.
"Did I make it?" There was that hopeful child voice again. Wilson gave a half smile as he swept the stray boxers into the sink.
"Don't you always?"
"Hey go call Cameron for me while I get all squeaky clean to watch some strangers set my father on fire!" Wilson looked down and clenched his jaw. He knew House was just trying to deal with this one of the only ways he knew how, through humor, but all he could hear in his friends voice was bitterness. He left the door cracked and went to call Cameron.
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Cameron was sitting up in bed with just a lamp for light. She held her phone in her hands and had six numbers dialed before she clicked end. Only a moment after she placed the phone back on the dock, it's shrill ring surprised her. Glancing at the number, she snatched it up and answered it.
"Hello? House?"
"Sorry Cameron, it's Wilson. House decided he was going to the cremation."
"Does he want me to go with him?" Her voice hopeful, yet reserved at the same time. Was that really the place she wanted to meet his entire family?
"Not to the ceremony, but I'll be waiting for him at his mother's house while all that is going on. I know he would like it if you drove up there with us though. You obviously don't have to if you don't want-"
"No I'll come. Um...I guess I'm going to take a shower and I'll be right over, alright?"
"Sure that sounds good. I'm going to start some breakfast, so you can just come on in."
"Deal...be there in a few." The two hung up the phone and Wilson began making, what else, his macadamia pancakes.
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House sat on the couch. He knew Cameron was on the way and he was listening to music as he waited for her. Wilson was in the kitchen finishing up breakfast. The door opened, and House looked over his shoulder to find a damp haired Cameron in dark clothes.
"I know you don't want me at the ceremony with you, but I thought...just out of respect to you family." House nodded and she sat beside him on the couch. He could easily feel the nervous rays emanating from her tense body. This was...huge. Neither one was really sure what the other was thinking about the situation. So House sucked it up and shared his thoughts. Clenching his jaw and clearing his throat, he adjusted his body as best he could and wrapped his long arm around her thin shoulders. Giving him a bright smile, she leaned into him.
Wilson walked in and had to try hard not to grin. He couldn't, however, stop an "Aw" escape his lips. Cameron giggled and House rolled his eyes, but the pair sat up and grabbed plates of food off the tray Wilson had set on the table. Pulling up a chair, Wilson took his own plate and they began eating in silence, just listening to the sounds of Miles Davis that House had put on. Calming strains of "Blue in Green" wove it's way around the three and throughout the room, binding them all together through the beauty of music. Cameron almost smiled when he realized he was eating pancakes and listening to Miles Davis. She didn't though. She knew this was probably a regular thing for the two men, and didn't want to make herself feel like even more of an outsider. And of course, House would never think anything he did was ever weird or silly. To him, it just made sense.
They finished eating, but no one tried to wash dishes. House grabbed some cds, and they headed out to the car. It was still dark out, and the rain was coming down harder, so they rushed to get in. Wilson drove. So began one of the longest days in House's life.
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Blue in Green is my favorite Miles Davis song and you should all go listen to it right now. If you're not in the jazz mood you should check out the video for Julie Goldman's song Commitment Ceremony. It's kind of hilarious. I shall be quoting it forever! Now review. ..Smile..