CHAPTER 16
She's too young
House and Harris were sitting in a dimly lit smelly bar near the hospital drinking and having an odd conversation. Maybe it wasn't even a conversation as she was the one to do all the talking while House would stare around blankly.
"And so my Grandpa agreed to pay for my studies..." She said and took a sip of the wine she was drinking.
"Hmmm." House mumbled and she looked at him carefully.
"But in the end I killed him with a rusty ax and buried him in the garden." She finished and frowned.
"Uh huh..." He mumbled again and Harris reached out and grabbed his face softly.
"You're not listening to me."
"S...sorry, I should go home, I'm drunk." He sighed and tried to get up but she pulled him back down to his seat.
"Not until you tell me what's wrong with you." She insisted.
"Nothing. I'm gonna go home. You should join Chase and Foreman, they're more fun than me." He shrugged and looked at her for the first time.
"I doubt that." She gave him an encouraging smile and supported her head with her hand. "I like being with you, you know."
He gave her an almost imperceptible, yet sad smile.
"You did a good job today." He said after awhile trying to change the subject.
"Thank you. That's why I'm getting you another Scotch and then you can tell me what's bugging you." She stood up and made her way to the bar. When she came back to the booth, she was happy to see he hadn't left. She sat down and handed him his drink smiling. "Sooo, what is it, House?"
"I'm fine."
"Yeah, I can see that." She replied with a snide tone in her voice. "Come on..."
House downed his drink and gulped. Then he, despite being himself, looked at her and told her about Cameron and what happened earlier that day, as well as how busy she had been and how angry he was feeling. When he was done she shook her head with a smile.
"She's young. That's normal. When she gets older, she'll see what's important in life." As she said that, she put her hand on his and he jerked lightly but she quickly squeezed his hand and moved closer to him. "It's all fun and games when you get yourself a teenage girl with a great body but in the end you'll realize these things never last. One day she will leave you for a young stud anyway."
"I... I don't think she...would..." He said and rubbed his face. "Gosh, I'm drunk."
"I think you can handle one more drink." She said and wanted to go to the bar again but he stood up himself, staggered a little and shook his head resolutely.
"I'm going home."
Harris let out a sigh of despair and took her jacket and put it on. Then she followed him out but when she saw he was about to hail a cab, she decided to take action.
"What about me? You would let me walk home on my own?" She called at him and he turned to look at her and put his hand down.
"Okay, okay... Where do you live?" He asked and yawned.
"Just around the corner. Be a gentleman, House." She said and gave him a sweet smile. Then she put her arm around him as she saw his bad leg started betraying him and he took a Vicodin frowning again. Before they reached her place, it started raining and at one point House's cane slipped and he fell down with a yelp.
"Damn it.."
"You okay?" She laughed.
"I guess..." He said and she helped him up. "This night just gets better and better." He growled and she pulled a face.
"What a compliment, Doctor House. Come on in, we should check your leg." She said and led him to her apartment. House started protesting, claiming he could take care of himself but the truth was he was drunk and she didn't seem to take no for an answer.
They walked into her apartment and Harris helped him to take off his coat leading him to her couch. "Just give me a minute." She said and left the room. Soon she walked in with two glasses of red wine and House shuddered.
"Are... are you trying to get me drunk?" He asked eyeing her suspiciously but she just laughed and sat down next to him putting her head on his shoulder.
"I think you already are... And so am I." She purred.
"I have to go..." He murmured and tried to get up again but she stopped him.
"Hey, you have to drink this." She said and pointed at the glasses on the table.
"I don't drink wine." He stated matter-of-factly and she laughed nestling against him more. "And I've got a spaceship-shaped dog waiting for me at home, you know."
"That's just sad." She burst out laughing and closed her eyes running her hand across his chest and stomach. "Just stay..."
"Nah... I ... Um, Cameron'll be back from work in the morning." He objected again.
"She traded you for work... And, and nobody is irreplaceable, you know."
"What... what does that mean?" He asked and gulped feeling dizzy. She looked up at him and caressed his cheek lightly. Then before he knew he could feel her lips on his as she started kissing him softly. He mumbled something and tried to push her away when everything became blur for a mere moment. He was sick and angry, tired and lightheaded and he knew it was the most stupid thing to do but when he felt her hand in his boxers touching him, he couldn't help it anymore. He grabbed her fiercely and put her on her back taking off her underwear without bothering with her skirt or shoes...
It was almost three in the morning when House left Harris' place feeling worse than ever before. He decided to walk home to sober up a little and he was cursing himself for what he had done. Okay, maybe he was not the most faithful guy in the whole world but he had never cheated on his long-term girlfriends like his high school/college girlfriend, Stacy and he definitely didn't plan on cheating on Cameron either. Yes, things weren't good between them at the moment but he did love her and he didn't want to lose her.
He felt awful. After the twenty-minute walk of shame to his apartment he made up his mind about everything. He knew Cameron wouldn't be home until the morning, so he would take a long shower, get some sleep and he would get up early to wait for her with coffee and breakfast.
He even contemplated telling her but in the end decided against it. She would never forgive him and he just wanted to make sure things would go back to where they were before.
He struggled to unlock the door to his apartment and when he walked in, he sighed with relief. But before he could take off his coat, he heard a low groan coming from his couch. The lights were still off but he made out a petite silhouette sitting up on the couch and his heart skipped a beat.
"House?" Cameron said, an exhausted tone in her voice.
"A.. Allison?"
"Hey..." She said and he could tell she was smiling. "I... I wanted to surprise you. I'm sorry about the last couple of weeks." She added and got up making her way to the closest switch. "You were out drinking with your team, weren't you?" She said softly and reached out to turn the lights on.
"Noo, don't." He let out breathlessly. "Please, don't."
"What?" She asked not getting what was going on but once the room was lit and she turned to look at him, she froze. House took a deep breath and looked at the floor closing his eyes. She was still staring at him not knowing what to think before she took a few steps closer to him and grabbed his jaw fiercely turning his head and examining his face. Her eyes widened in shock and she blinked away the tears forming in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't as she saw a dark red lipstick smudged all over his neck and left cheek, and took in an unfamiliar scent. Another woman's perfume.
"Where... where were... you?" She let out desperately, the tears now falling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry... I'm... sorry." Was all he was capable of telling her. He looked at her hopeless expression and took another deep breath feeling awful. There was nothing he could tell her to make things right.
"Where were you?!" She asked again, yelling this time.
"It's not... I'm sorry." He babbled as she turned and started pacing the room sobbing lightly. Then she looked at him again.
"Who was it?" She asked him biting her lower lip, her jaw trembling. When he remained silent she started yelling again feeling completely desperate. "WHO WAS IT?!"
"Nothing... it... it... was nobody. Allison, listen." He said and took a few steps but she started backing up instinctively.
"How could you do this to me?" She sobbed and ran her hand through her hair. "I trusted you and you..." She burst out crying unable to finish the sentence.
"Come here." He said softly wanting to calm her down even though he knew she probably wouldn't let him touch her ever again.
"I never thought you would hurt me. Never. We're... over." She whimpered and turned to go to the bedroom. When House followed her, he found her packing some of her stuff hastily and he gasped.
"Cameron, don't do it, please."
She only shook her head silently as she threw the last T-shirt in her bag and zipped it. "I'll come by for the rest of the stuff tomorrow." She said in a slightly calmer voice and took Aupa's collar and put it on her neck. "Goodbye, House."
When House didn't show up at work the next day and two more, both Cuddy and Wilson started to be worried. It was almost 8 pm when House heard a knock on the door. He didn't bother to get up from his couch but the knocking was becoming more and more urgent.
"House! Open the door!" It was Wilson.
"Go away!" He growled loud enough for his friend to hear him.
"Are you okay? Cuddy's threatened to fire you if you don't come to work."
"Tell her to fuck off." House said but at that point he heard the keys in the lock. He completely forgot he had given Wilson his keys and regretted it immediately. When Wilson opened the door he gasped shocked by the sight.
"What...the... hell?" He let out when he looked around and took in an appalling smell. The apartment was a mess, empty bottles of Scotch were scattered all over the floor as well as small empty orange bottles, Chinese take-out boxes were on the table, floor and piano, dirty T-shirts and socks everywhere.
House was sitting on the couch watching SpongeBob and drinking whisky from the bottle, he didn't even look at Wilson.
"What happened here?" Wilson asked but got no response besides a loud burp. "Where's... where's Allison?"
"Obviously not here." House finally said and took another gulp of the whisky.
"She...she left...you?" Wilson couldn't believe it. He walked over to House and took an empty pizza box from the couch and put it on the already overflowing table to sit down next to his friend. "What happened?"
House shushed him and laughed out loud at a rather lame joke on the show he was watching. Wilson reached out and grabbed the remote control turning the TV off.
"What the fuck, Wilson?" He hissed angrily.
"We need to talk about this."
"No, we don't. I'm fine... Give it back."
"House, you're not fine." Wilson said, his voice concerned.
"I said I'm Finland, Patrick!" He said with a snort and Wilson blinked in surprise.
"What? Just tell me why she left."
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" House let out angrily, swallowed two Vicodin and got up.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what happened." He said resolutely and crossed his arms.
"Hi, Lisa... you wanted to talk to me?" Harris said with a smile as she entered Cuddy's office.
"Oh, yes, Samantha. Please, sit down." Cuddy said and signed one last paper on her desk before closing the file and looking up at her.
"What is it?" Harris asked and put a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Um, I'm letting you go." Cuddy said emotionlessly and took a sip of her coffee.
"What? Why?!" Harris couldn't believe what she heard.
"Your work's done here. I'm not denying you're a very good doctor but there are some rules we all have to follow, you see." Cuddy said narrowing her eyes a little.
"What do you mean?"
"I know about what happened between you and House, and..." Cuddy started but Harris interrupted her.
"I'm sorry? How would you... What?"
"I don't want to deal with this kind of things here at my hospital." Cuddy shrugged. "I'm sorry."
"I have no idea what you're taking about, Lisa!" Harris lied. "He's my boss, that's it!"
"And he's my friend and so is Wilson. I know everything. Look, he's an important part of this hospital, I want him here and I don't want him to be distracted by..."
"What the hell is it?!" She was losing it. "Some sick revenge for what happened in college? Lisa, that was almost twenty years ago!" Harris yelled and got up pacing the office. "I'm a good doctor, I didn't screw up anything, you have no right to fire me!"
"No, it has nothing to do with you banging my guy... But it's true you haven't changed a bit. All I'm just saying is that I want you to pack your stuff and leave."
Harris stopped abruptly and looked at her former friend clenching her teeth. "It was your plan all along, wasn't it?"
Cuddy's eyes never left hers even though she didn't reply.
Okay, guys... Probably not what you expected to read or wanted to read but, um... it is what it is. The important thing being THIS IS NOT THE END! Don't worry. Just a few bumps along the way. Thank you soooo very much for the wonderful reviews, and just so you know, I'll be the happiest person if Iget some more again. I'll update soon... :)
