Posion and Wine

Chapter 11

"Quit glaring at me like that," House muttered. "You look like I just made out with the guy."

Wilson continued to glare, and Chase glanced awkwardly at House. "Foreman will be here any minute," he said. "If you want, I can – "

"No." House broke his eye contact with Wilson, focusing on Chase instead. "Just do it."

Chase sighed, turning back to Wilson sympathetically. "I know you don't think you need this," he said, "but it's only going to help."

Receiving no response, he hesitantly took Wilson by the wrist, and at the lack of protest he began the procedure to insert the IV line. House observed with a watchful eye, and when it was done he took in the sight of Wilson, silent and resentful, sitting on the bed with an IV pole at his side and a tube of nutrients and fluids running into his veins.

"You knew this was coming," he tried at last. "It'd be pretty lame if you starved to death now."

"You didn't even ask me," Wilson sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "No warning, no heads up, no 'Hey, Wilson, just letting you know that I'll be force-feeding you tomorrow'…"

"Don't be such a drama queen."

There was a knock at the front door, and Chase looked relieved. "That's probably Foreman. I'll go let him in and he can finish up here...we're taking turns monitoring the patient. Okay, Dr. Wilson?"

"Yeah," Wilson sighed quietly. "Thanks, I guess."

House leaned against the wall as Chase left the room, not bothering to be discrete as he popped a couple of Vicodin. "You know I had to," he said. "Maybe I should've told you, but that would be very unlike me, wouldn't it?"

"And it would be very unlike me not to call you an ass, so here – you're an ass," Wilson deadpanned.

"And now we're even."

"Hey," Foreman greeted before Wilson could respond. "You guys doing okay?"

House turned towards the doorway, raising his eyebrows. "I see you brought a friend."

Wilson moved to face the side of the room, letting his legs hang over the bed as he fiddled with the IV pole beside him. Foreman had quickly double-checked the line before leaving the room with House, saying something about bringing in IV refills and talking about the patient.

Thirteen smiled wanly from the chair they'd drawn for her, her relentless twitching an undeniable sign of her failing health.

"You can say it," she said. "I look like shit."

Even her voice was beginning to catch on every other word, but Wilson held his gaze steady. "That makes two of us," he pointed out, managing a small laugh.

"At least our minds are still in tact."

"Sometimes I wonder if that's more a curse than a blessing, actually."

Her head jerked slightly in what Wilson presumed was a nod, and her expression resumed the quiet seriousness that he remembered from years past. "When did you find out?" she asked.

"Recently. I was – "

"With Amber. I know."

He didn't bother to correct her. "I guess you'll always think of her when you think of your own diagnosis," he said instead.

"The day she got her life back...I lost mine." Thirteen tilted her head, smiling in what looked like amusement. "Should've known you and House would end up together."

Wilson chuckled. "Was it obvious to you?"

"It did cross my mind."

"Wish you'd said something. Maybe we would've had more time." He cleared his throat, willing the wave of sadness to pass as he looked intently at her. "Remy...can I ask why you're here?"

"Foreman invited me along for the ride."

"You know what I mean. Not that it isn't great to see you, but…"

Her shoulders inched upwards into a shrug. "I'm dying, you're dying. Thought we could have a party, celebrate."

"Is that what House said?"

"House had no idea. I heard what was going on with you, and…I know we never talked much before, but sometimes it's nice to talk to someone else who's on the brink."

Wilson nodded. He couldn't argue with that. "Do you know how long you have?"

"You're too focused on time, Wilson," Thirteen sighed. "The time you could've had, the time you do have…it's not about that."

"Isn't it?"

"You were gone for five years, and suddenly you're back with who knows how many weeks ahead of you. If you're going to sit around and count the days, you may as well have stayed where you were."

"You've changed, you know that?" Wilson mused.

"Maybe," Thirteen said, a small smile forming on her lips. "It could be worse. But House lets me in on differentials and we've got our death pact. And when I think back on how I've lived my life…I actually feel pretty good about it."

Wilson's brow furrowed in confusion. "Death pact?"

"Didn't he tell you about the time I was in prison?"

Now Wilson's eyebrows shot in the opposite direction. "No."

"The details aren't important. Long story short, at the end of it all, he promised to kill me – you know, when the time comes."

Wilson's expression softened – into numbness or awe, he couldn't tell which. "You mean…?"

"'I'll kill you.' That's what he said." Thirteen leaned forward a bit, holding Wilson's stunned gaze. "It's a good thing," she said. "It's exactly what I want."

"I…look, maybe you think that now, but – "

"You're a doctor, Wilson. You know what the end of Huntington's looks like. This, right here? This is nothing." She sighed as Wilson remained silent. "To be more precise, you're an oncologist. You know as well as I do that liver cancer isn't pretty."

"Metastatic," Wilson muttered.

"Even better."

Wilson sighed, unable to muster up an argument. "'I'll kill you,' huh?" he repeated at last. "That's really what he said?"

"It's the best thing anyone's ever said to me." Thirteen paused, as if in thought. "You know he'd do it for you, too, if you wanted."

Wilson immediately shook his head. "I know you mean well, but – "

"Forget I said anything. Just…know that he would. That's what's important." She smiled again, in a way that made Wilson's heart break. "Don't let anyone talk shit about your boyfriend, Wilson. We may all want to push him off a cliff, but…he's one of the greatest men I know."

House took Thirteen's place when she left with Foreman, twirling his cane in his hands as he leaned back and propped his feet on the bed.

"Good talk?" he asked.

Wilson shrugged, letting his hand run gently up and down what he could reach of House's legs. "It was unexpected, but…interesting. I heard about your death pact."

"What about it?"

"Nothing."

"Too crazy for your moral compass to comprehend?"

"I didn't like it at first," Wilson admitted. "I'd be lying if I said I haven't done my share of it for patients, but it just seemed different, her being your employee."

"And now?"

"Now…the more I think about it, the more it seems…kind of sweet."

"Sweet?" House practically gagged.

"Well, you know," Wilson pressed. "It was nice…in your own, twisted kind of way."

"Sure. Save dying patients by day, kill dying colleagues by night." House paused his cane-twirling, meeting Wilson's gaze. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"My death pacts aren't exclusive."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to make that pact," Wilson shrugged.

"So think about it. You got time."

Wilson chuckled, and House frowned. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just…something that Thirteen and I were talking about."

"Is she your bestest buddy now?"

"Better watch out. If the past is any indication, chances are I'll cheat on you with her."

"Oh, yeah. I could get off just thinking about the sex you two would have."

Wilson shook his head with a snort. "Anyway…any other surprises I should know about?"

"Then they wouldn't be surprises," House replied smoothly.

"Seriously, House," Wilson frowned. "Today it's an IV, tomorrow it'll be a catheter up my urethra."

"As fun as that sounds, I was thinking more along the lines of Stacy coming over this weekend."

"You finally got in touch with her?"

"The bitch almost hung up on me," House grunted.

Wilson couldn't hide a chuckle. "Well, you are her ex."

"I'm her ex who saved her husband's life and saved her from a life of misery with me," House pointed out. "I guess I should tell you that she doesn't know about us."

"Guess we'll have to surprise her, then."

House's lips quirked into a smirk as he hoisted himself up to sit beside Wilson on the bed, carefully avoiding the IV line as he drew him into a tongue-filled kiss. "I like surprises," he said as they finally withdrew for air.

"Never said I didn't," Wilson breathed. "But when it comes to medical – "

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. In the meantime…you still like other surprises, don't you?"

"Always will," Wilson assured him, and leaned in to kiss House again.

TBC