I Need You

Cuddy walked down the hallway towards Madison's hospital room. She had taken Madison in there over an hour ago to let her get some sleep. She wanted to check on her to make sure that she was sleeping soundly.

Cuddy peeked into the room and what she saw shocked her and made her smile. Madison was curled up on the bed with her head resting on House's chest. House lay beside her, his legs stretched out across the bed.

Cuddy never thought that she would see House sleeping next to a child.

"I know you are there," House said without opening his eyes. "And stop smiling."

"How did you that I was smiling?" Cuddy asked as she walked into the room.

"I know you Cuddy," House said, opening blue eyes to stare at her enter the room.

Cuddy walked over and sat gently on the right side of the bed next to Madison. "Has she said anything?"

"No," House said. "I was walking past the room after leaving the bathroom and she woke up. I was at the elevator when I felt her grab my hand. She pulled me back in here."

Cuddy smiled thinking that was sweet that Madison trusted House.

Madison's foot kicked in her sleep.

Suddenly, Madison started shaking. Cuddy looked down at her in concern wondering what could be wrong. Madison started to moan in her sleep.

House also looked down at Madison.

"She's having a nightmare," House said.

"Are we supposed to wake her up?" Cuddy asked. She started shaking Madison's leg. "Madison! Madison! It's okay. It's okay. You're safe," Cuddy said as she picked her up in her arms.

Madison stopped shaking. She then started pushing herself away from Cuddy's arms.

"Calm down," House said firmly to her. "Madison, calm down" he said again louder.

Madison's eyes flew open and she grabbed back onto Cuddy. House watched Cuddy try to calm her down.

"I'm here," Cuddy said gently stroking the child's back that had started to shake again. "It's okay. You're safe. It was just a dream and nothing can hurt you here," Cuddy said assuring her.

Madison pulled her head up from where it had been buried in Cuddy's shoulder. She looked up at Cuddy and Cuddy felt her heart break as she watched the tears streaming down the little girl's cheeks.

Madison reached out a tiny hand tightly held onto Cuddy's jacket. Madison then laid back down on Cuddy and looked over at House.

Madison's shaking slowly faded as she hugged Cuddy. The whole time, she kept staring at House.

Madison then pulled away from Cuddy and laid back down next to House, once again resting her head on his chest.

Cuddy laid down next to her.

House was afraid to move because he didn't want to upset Madison. He was pinned under Madison, unable to move without waking her. He looked over and saw that Cuddy had fallen asleep.

House sighed. He knew he was stuck here until Madison got off him, so he closed his eyes and let himself doze off.

The first thing House was aware of when he woke up the next morning was the throbbing pain in his leg. The second was that he was lying in a bed and that he wasn't alone.

This realization caused House's eyes to shoot open to try to see who was with him.

His eyes darted around the room taking it all in. He looked over and saw Cuddy sleeping in the bed with him. Madison was now lying against Cuddy with her head buried under the covers.

Cuddy shifted beside him and opened her eyes to find House staring at her. Cuddy lifted her head off of the pillow. Her blue eyes looked very sleepy and her hair was missed up a little and thought that was incredibly sexy.

"Morning," she said quietly. "I can't believe I slept the whole night."

House nodded in agreement. He carefully untangled himself from the sheets and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. He looked around for his cane.

"I saw it lying on the floor next to the table when I came in last night," Cuddy said knowing what he was looking for. House got up and picked up his cane from the floor. He then stretched. He winced as his leg throbbed painfully. Cuddy sent him a sympathetic look as he retrieved the bottle of Vicodin from his pocket and dry swallowed two pills.

Madison stirred slightly against Cuddy. Cuddy thought she had gone back asleep, but then Madison poked her head out from under the covers. Her black hair fell in a tangled mass around her face.

She glanced at Cuddy and smiled.

House rubbed his leg. He sat back down on the side of the bed. He wished he had taken some Vicodin before he went to sleep. He knew that his leg would be sorer than usual today.

Madison sat up and looked at House with her blue eyes. House looked at her and wrinkled his nose at her and Madison laughed in response.

House and Cuddy instantly looked at each other and then back to Madison. House had made her laugh. That was the first time they had seen her make a noise of pleasure. Madison then crawled over to the other side of the bed and hugged House's back.

She then looked up at House to see if it was okay.

"He doesn't mind you hugging him," Cuddy said trying to tell House to be nice to her.

Madison looked at Cuddy and then shifted her gaze back to House. House nodded that it was okay, so Madison hugged him again.

"Okay Madison," Cuddy said to get the girls attention. "Dr. House has a patient that he needs to go check on." House made a pouting face, even though he knew he hadn't checked on his patient in a while. "I have a meeting to go to a meeting, but I will be back later to check on you," Cuddy continued. Madison crawled back over to Cuddy and climbed in her arms.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Cuddy said to her. "You can't come with me."

Madison looked up at her with her shimmering blue eyes and it took every ounce of self-control Cuddy had to shake her head at the little girl. She leaned over and hugged her tightly and then carefully pulled Madison away from her and walked to the door.

Cuddy didn't look back, because she knew that if she did, she'd end up right back in the hospital bed with Madison.

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