James Wilson walked through the doors of an unfamiliar hospital. He walked past the front desk and into the elevators. He was surprised to find the layout quite similar to his own place of employment. He wondered how similar the two buildings actually were. Pressing the button for the second floor he stood in silence and waited to arrive on Liz's floor.
The doors opened and he stepped into a hallway that was nothing like the second floor at Princeton-Plainsboro. The walls were a teal color and the carpet was sparse. The tiled floors were in a Native American pattern and the walls to most of the offices were actually walls instead of the glass walls they had.
He walked and followed the signs on the wall towards Pathology. He saw her office. She was a Department Head. Head of Pathology. James smiled. He could see Elizabeth in her office doing paperwork. He leaned in on the door frame and knocked. "Busy?" he asked.
Liz looked up and smiled. "No, not really. Just charting." She set aside the charts that hadn't been touched yet and thumbed through the rest of the one she had been working on. "This'll only take another second or two." She skimmed over the pages and nodded. As she signed her name at the bottom of the last page she flipped the folder closed and looked Wilson in the eyes. "I missed you." she said sweetly.
Wilson smiled back. "I missed you too.." He stepped into the office. The walls were covered in photographs of various people. A collage caught his eye. Liz was standing the the center photo surrounded by four familiar faces. To Lizzie's left were Jack and Jesse. To her right were the twins. They were all smiling. The surrounding pictures were of Liz and Amy, Liz and Jesse, There were pictures of Lizzie with people he'd never seen before. "Looks like you have a lot of friends." he said motioning to the collage.
Liz came out from behind her desk and looked at the picture he was indicating. "Yeah, they're my family. More of a real family then the one I share blood with, anyhow. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. "I just need a picture of you and me to add to it." she purred.
Wilson pulled back to look Liz in her eyes. "You consider me family?"
Liz laughed. "Of course not... I consider you to be an important person in my life. Just like all those people. Jesse is like a second mom to me. Jack is my brother, and the twins are ..." she paused, searching for an appropriate term. "The twins are... the twins." she chuckled. He laughed as well.
"A picture, huh?" asked Wilson as he hugged Liz tightly. "You want to add me to the wall, then."
Liz grinned. "Why not?" She motioned to the rest of the room. "I have pictures of a lot of people. My friends from college, my friends from back home, my friends from the Circle, and my friends from here." Her grin widened into a large smile. "Your photo, though, won't go on the wall. It'll go on the desk."
Wilson, still holding her in his embrace, smiled. "Priority?"
"Of course." He grinned back at her.
"So..." Wilson started. "I never expected you to work at Freehold. I thought you'd work somewhere more..." he trailed off, leaving the ending open for Liz to finish.
"Posh? Respectable? Why can't Freehold General be as respectful as Princeton-Plainsboro? We're just as good, except for the state and Government grants you guys get. You guys have more money than we do, that's the only difference." She was grinning and her eyes had a shine to them.
A noise from behind Liz told her that Amy had reappeared. "Ewww. I did not need to walk in on THAT. I should have knocked." She made her way into the room and seated herself on the corner of Liz's desk. "So how are you two kids doing today?" she asked with a smile.
Liz shook her head and turned her gaze back up to James. "You know, I'm beginning to think she has some kind of radar. Everytime I either pick up the phone to call you or you're actually in the same room with me, she seems to know." She turned to Amy. "How do you do it?"
Amy leaned back and fiddled with the small candy dish on the desk. She shrugged. "I guess I'm just cool like that." Liz scoffed. Amy looked insulted. "As a matter of fact I know I'm so much cooler than you are Elizabeth." She crossed her arms.
Liz gave James an incredulous look and rolled her eyes. "Here we go." she whispered to him. She winked at him and mouthed "Watch this." Turning to face her best friend, Elizabeth Sullivan glared at Amy. "Is that so?" she asked rather curtly. "Well, I happen to think that you're no cooler than I am."
Amy, realizing what her friend was doing decided to play along. "Oh really." She stood and took a step toward Liz. She was trying to repress a smile. "Well miss suave and sophisticated Lady doctor... I found what you asked me to look for." She grinned at Wilson and tossed him his tie. "Here ya go. Keep better track of your stuff." She turned back to Liz. "I found that thing by the balcony door. Now... how in the hell did it get way over there."
Wilson stood looking sheepishly at his tie. There was a flush to his cheeks. When Amy asked how it had gotten that far he grinned and said "I guess we weer just throwing things off as we went." the flush had turned to a deep scarlet. Liz was blushing too.
"Amy, you promised." she said simply. She was laughing but she still wanted her friend to stop.
Amy held up her hands and laughed "Ok, ok. I'll stop. But you have to let me know when you're going to be making out. I would have knocked if I'd known he was in here." She sighed. "Honestly."
&&&&&&&&
Greg House walked around in his office. It hurt him to walk but he couldn't just sit. The look on Wilson was happy. So much for him though. He brooded all day. His fellows left him alone, partly out of respect but mostly out of fear that they'd be fired. The only one who gave him any trouble was Foreman. The man just wouldn't let well enough alone. House remembered the exchange that had happened earlier.
"Why don't you just get up the nerve and ask Liz for Jesse's new number. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even realize that you didn't get it."
"Mind your own business."
"You're upset. You need to talk to this woman if you're going to be able to function."
"Thanks... Cameron..."
"Your petty name calling doesn't effect me anymore. Besides, you can do better."
"Foreman, go away."
"No."
"Yes."
"You're not my boss."
"Thank you for reminding me."
"Just as for the damn number and get on with your life. If she wants to talk to you, she'll answer, If not.. well then, I guess you'll have your answer."
"Go away."
sigh "Whatever, fine."
House sat down. He looked to his phone. He debated whether or not to call Liz at work or wait til she got home. "Either way she'll more than likely be with Wilson." he said aloud.
"Talking to yourself? Not a good sign." came Cuddy's voice from the hall. House looked up and glared at her. "Spill it. What's wrong."
"Nothing." he replied. It was his fail safe answer.
"Bull... Tell me. When one of my doctors is being unusually depressed, even for you, I need to know. Spill."
House looked into Cuddy's brown eyes and muttered one word. "Jesse."
Cuddy sighed. "What about her?" she stepped inside the office and closed the glass door behind her, ensuring their privacy from the marauding nurses.
"Liz knows her. I... the concert that she and I went to the other night was at Jesse's club."
Cuddy's gaze softened. "Was she there?"
House's gaze turned to the floor. "No."
"Then what's the problem?" When House didn't reply right away she knew. "Ahh, you still have feelings for her."
"No. Things were just...not done right... finished properly." His dander was up, much like a dog backed into a corner.
Cuddy reached over and patted him on the shoulder. "It'll get better. Trust me." She turned and walked out of the office, leaving House to stew in his own emotions alone once again.
&&&&&&
Liz had decided to leave the rest of the charts for the next day and she, Amy and James left Freehold General together. They laughed as they passed through the lobby and out into the chilly early spring air.
"You know." started Amy."
"Oh, here we go again." Liz interjected. Wilson laughed, intrigued at the banter between the two younger women.
"Shut up." Amy retorted. "Anyways, I was thinking." Again Liz interrupted.
"That's never good." Amy gave her the finger. "Please, continue."
Amy cleared her throat and was about to go back into her speech but stopped and waited to see if Liz was going to say anything else. When Liz was silent, she continued. "We need to have a night. Just the four of us. You two and me and Danny. It''ll be fun."
Wilson interjected. "What will we be doing exactly?" Hie experiences with the Wiccan faith had left him wondering if all they did was have sex. He was smiling though.
"A game night." Liz said. "Either couples versus couples or guys versus girls, right Aim?" Amy laughed. "Winner decided the punishment of the losers. Last time we played was in college and it was guys against girls and Amy and I lost. Dan and Joey made us streak the front yard of the frat house while yelling at the top of our lungs that Joe and Dan were "gods among men" Terribly embarrassing."
"Sounds like a ton of fun." Amy said cheerfully. She turned to Wilson. "Are you game?"
Wilson turned to Liz. "So I'll get to see you naked?" he asked with a grin.
"Confident that you'll win?" she asked back, her arms crossing in front of her chest.
"I'm a good game player."
Amy snickered. "I'm not saying you aren't but Liz is ruthless when the stakes are high enough. Very brutal. You might be weeping by the end of the night."
"I doubt that." Wilson said. He glanced down at Liz. She was looking off of his opposite direction. "Elizabeth?" he asked placing his arm around her shoulders.
"Hmm?" she asked. She was trying to hold in a fit of giggles.
"Is Amy lying?" He was getting a bit worried. All Liz could do was shake her head. James let his chin lower onto his chest. "Crap." was all he replied.
&&&&&&&&&&&&
House hobbled out of the hospital and to his car. The cold air made his leg hurt worse than it had all day. "Great." he groused. He rubbed it in hopes of relieving the pain, but to no avail. He got into his car and started the engine. The classic rock station blared out from the speakers a Fleetwood Mac song that he knew well.
"Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night,
Wouldn't you love to love her?
She rules her life like a bird in flight and
Who will be her lover?"
Why this of all songs that had to be playing House could only assume it was some kind of Karma. The song went on.
"All your life you've never seen a woman, taken by the sky,
Would you stay if she promised you heaven,
Would you even try?
She is like a cat in the dark and then she is the darkness.
She rules her life like a fine skylark, when the sky is starless.
Once in a million years a lady like her rises
Oh no Rhiannon cries but then she's gone and your life knows no answer."
He couldn't take it anymore. He switched off the radio in anger. But it was too late. A single tear rolled down his stubbled cheek. He wiped it away angrily. "Damn." he said. He shifted the car into drive and drove home in silence.
&&&&&&&&&&
Liz, Amy James and Danny were sitting int he livingroom of Liz's apartment. "So what's the game tonight?" asked Danny.
Amy sat down with a bowl of popcorn. "Drinking game. To the movie Van Wilder."
Dan groaned. Wilson shrugged. "I've not seen that movie."
Liz sat down beside him on the sofa and hugged him. She smiled and laughed. "Uh-oh, we have a Van Wilder virgin!" Amy and Dan laughed. James looked completely confused. Liz straightened her face and began to explain. "Ok, this is a stupid college movie. You drink whenever you see or hear a certain image or phrase. For instance... Amy." Amy looked up, giving Liz all her attention. "Everytime you see Van's marker board you drink."
"Got it."
Liz continued. "Danny, everytime you see a teacher or any member of the Lambda Omega Omega Fraternity, you drink."
Danny hung his head. "Damn."
Liz smiled at Wilson. "And you, my dear, since this is your first Van Wilder experience... you must drink everytime you see the dog... the golf cart and everytime someone says the work Fuck."
"What about you?" asked Amy.
"I drink everytime The DIK guys are on screen, everytime the word dick is said and whenever Taj makes a reference to getting laid." Amy started to laugh. She fell over and slapped the pillow she had been sitting on.
"You're going to get so trashed..." she panted through her hysterical laughter.
Liz shrugged. "That's the point of the game."
Dan cleared his throat. Liz looked up to him. "What happens after we're drunk?"
Liz joined Amy in her hysterics. Both girls piped up with one word. "Charades!"
Dan groaned and turned to Wilson. "I feel bad for you, bud." He sighed. "To be stuck in this situation... on a work night more than likely with those two insane people." He shook his head. "I really feel for you."
Wilson could only smile. He nothing else to do. He began to wonder what he had gotten himself into by agreeing to come over.
Amy stood up suddenly, knocking her popcorn over in the process. "Lady and gentlemen... I give you our feature presentation, completely commercial free... Van Wilder... Starring The yummy Ryan Reynolds."
"Hey!" interjected Dan.
"Oops, was that out loud?" she asked Liz with a childish grin.
"On with it!" Liz said impatiently. Amy put the DVD in and the movie started...
&&&&&&&
House sat on his couch with the phone in his hand. The piece of paper that Liz's number had been written on was sitting on his good knee. To call her or not was his biggest dilemma. If he called her and she was busy he's feel bad or worse, grossed out. But if she wasn't busy he might have made her night. He started to dial. Halfway through he stopped and set the phone on the coffee table. He sighed and got up to go take a shower.
&&&&&&&&
The movie was about half way through and all four of the players were showing signs of inebriation. Dan could hardly walk and Liz was failing miserably at holding in her fit of giggles as she watched Dan try to make it to the bathroom. "Ooh", she said suddenly, the flash in her eyes warned Amy that she was going to do something rotten. Liz jumped to her feet and zipped past Dan a few steps and hollered "Me first, me first!" Dan panicked and nearly threw Liz to the floor in his mad dash to get to the bathroom. Liz slid down the wall and laughed until she was in tears. "Oh, that was so funny." she whined through her giggles. "My sides hurt! and I can't get back up... Jaaaames!" she called out. "Help!"
Laughing as well, James Wilson tried to get up and go to the aid of his girlfriend. He managed to get to her but once there he slid down to her and was then unable to get up himself. "I suggest we stay her tonight." he said as he put his arm around her and leaned over, resting his head on her shoulder.
Liz's tears flowed like a river and she laughed and laughed. She gasped and tried to say "I cant laugh breathe, laugh, laugh you gotta laugh stop. laugh It hurts...;laugh"
Amy had fallen over again and it was obvious that the movie was over. The four drunken adults spent the remainder of the evening laughing at one another as they tried, in turn, to get up off the floor.
&&&&&&&&&&&&
Greg House had given it up for the night. Or had he? Just once more. He got his nerve and dialed Liz's number. The sound that met his ears was nearly deafening. Amy had answered. "Lizzie's house.. Amy speaking.. kind of."
House sat there, unable to speak.
Amy waited a second before asking into the phone "helloooooooooo??" This was met with peals of laughter from the room. Amy shrugged and said "Ok, fine then. Talk to ya tomorrow." She paused, hiccuped and added. "Night, y'all." and hung up the phone.
In shock House tried to process what he'd just heard. He recognized Liz's laughter as well as Wilson's, there was another man's and then the girl who answered, Amy. They were having a party... on a Monday night. Wilson was not like this at all.
Still disturbed and unnerved, House went to bed. He decided to have a talk with his best friend in the morning. Hang over or not, he was going to have this talk.