Chapter Five
In the end, Allison allowed House to buy her enough clothes for work and off days to last two weeks. He also sent her into Walgreens to buy all the "girlie" stuff she'd need. Wilson helped her carry all the bags into the apartment and she left the two of them on the couch while she went to wash all her new clothes. While she was washing clothes, she slipped into House's bedroom and gathered up all his dirty clothes. She put everything for him on his bed and left her clothes folded on the dryer and hanging from the pole in the corner of the tiny laundry room. She went out to the living room and cleared her throat.
"What?" House asked without taking his eyes off the television.
"Where should I put my clothes?" she asked.
House and Wilson exchanged a look. Clearly this wasn't something House took into consideration. House sighed and pushed himself up off the couch. He turned Allison around and took her arm. He led her to his bedroom. He looked at the neat piles of clean clothes on his bed and went to the dresser that sat against the wall. He opened one of the drawers. It was empty.
"Put your stuff in here. Anything that needs to be hung up can go in the armoire. I'll make myself scarce when you need to change," he told her.
"I can put your clothes away if you'll show me where they go," she said.
"Just cram them in the drawers."
She nodded and he limped back out to the living room. Living with him was going to be interesting.
On Monday morning, Allison woke early, showered, dressed and then sat on the couch reading a medical journal waiting for House to appear. Around ten, she heard the water running in the bathroom. She got up and began to prepare breakfast. She opted for scrambled eggs, bacon and toast since those were things she knew how to make. She didn't dare touch the coffee maker since she never managed to learn to make decent tasting coffee.
House shuffled down the hall in a black t-shirt with a yellow skull and blue snakes on it along with jeans and black and grey Nikes. His hair was still tousled from sleep and he stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and squinted at her.
"Good morning," she said quietly as she scooped eggs onto two plates.
He grunted and limped over to the coffee maker. A few minutes later, the smell of coffee mingled with the smell of bacon and House was sprawled on the couch, eating like he'd never been given food before. Allison ate more slowly, savoring the warm food. As House got up to get the coffee, he pilfered a piece of bacon from her plate and shoved it in his mouth. He returned with two mugs of hot coffee which he set on the coffee table. Then he went back into the kitchen and set the rest of the bacon and toast down beside the mugs.
"Eat," he told her as he lowered himself down onto the couch. He picked up his coffee sipped it and watched her out of the corner of his eye.
She took another slice of toast and three more strips of bacon. She looked at him questioningly.
"What time are we supposed to be at work?" she asked as she picked up her mug. House had added plenty of cream and sugar to her coffee. She sipped it and watched him.
"I'm the department head so whenever I feel like it," he told her. "We don't have a patient now that you're somewhat healthy again." He grabbed two pieces of bacon off the plate and ate them. "Besides, today will be spent getting all your useless paperwork filled out so you can officially work for me. Have you got an ID?"
She nodded.
"Great," he responded. He put his mug on the table and got up. He limped past her and disappeared down the hallway. Allison gathered up all the dishes and carried them into the kitchen. She was halfway through washing everything up when House appeared again.
"What are you doing?" he asked with a slight edge of irritation edging his voice.
She swallowed and turned to look at him. "Cleaning up." She saw he wore a grey suit jacket over his t-shirt and leaned on his cane.
"Fine," he sighed and went to sit on the couch.
She finished the dishes, left them in the drying rack and went out to the living room. She saw House holding her silk bag. She darted forward and snatched it from him. Clutching it against her chest, she looked at him with wide eyes.
"If you don't want me to look in it," he remarked as he stood up, "don't leave it lying around where I can find it. Now, let's go."
Allison shoved the bag into the pocket of her pants and went to get her coat.
It took about two hours for Allison to fill out all the paperwork, get her hospital ID and her radiation monitor. She was also given a plain white lab coat which she folded carefully over her arm. When she came out of the HR offices, she saw House sitting on a couch, arms braced on his knees, twirling his cane.
"Finally," he grunted as he got up. "Let's go get something to eat. Wilson's waiting for us."
They went down to the cafeteria where Wilson waited. He smiled when he saw Allison.
"Welcome to Princeton Plainsboro," he said. He wore a lab coat, grey wool trousers, a crisp white shirt and a red and grey striped tie.
"Thanks," Allison replied with a smile. Then she stopped. "I don't have any money."
"Neither do I," House said as he pushed her forward. "That's why we keep Wilson around."
House grabbed a tray and began loading it up with food. Wilson smiled at Allison.
"Get whatever you want," he told her with a smile.
"I'll pay you back," she told him.
Wilson put his hand on her arm. "You don't have to pay me back."
"I'm not going to sleep with you," she whispered as she looked away.
His eyebrows drew together. "I don't expect you to do that. Did someone else?"
House appeared at her elbow. "Food, now. I'm hungry," he told her with a hard look at Wilson. He grabbed a tray and slapped it down in front of her. He put her hands on the edges of the tray and moved her along the line as he tossed food onto it. Wilson watched her with concern. Something happened to her and he intended to find out what it was so he could get her the help she needed.
After lunch, House took her upstairs to the Diagnostic's offices. They didn't enter his office but instead went into the large brightly lit room where three men sat at a glass table. Allison hung back at the sight of them until House sighed loudly and pulled her into the room.
"This is Cameron," he said. He pointed to Chase. "You already met Chase. And no, she isn't going to go out with you; any of you." He pointed to a man with dark hair and brown eyes. "That's Henderson." He pointed to a balding man with bright green eyes who smiled at her. "That's Jenkins. Stop smiling at her, Jenkins. She's here to work and learn, not fulfill your sad little fantasies. Now, git. All of you. Find me a patient."
They all rose from the table and left.
House pointed to a desk next to the wall. It was piled with letters, papers and files. Several boxes rested on the floor around it. "That's your desk. Get to work," he told her. Then he limped into his office and soon she heard music.
She sat down and began to sort everything into piles. If living with House was interesting, working for him might turn out to be sheer hell.
