A/N ~ Thank you all for such inspiring reviews. I do apologise for the delay in chapters, this summer has been complete chaos for me; unfortunately i find that I am only capable of writing in the wee hours of the morning, therefore I called upon my inner insomina to help me continue on. I do hope these next two chapters are to your liking and your reviews feed my inspiration, so please continue to leave them! Enjoy, and Chapter 4 won't be far behind.
Chapter 2
Reality Rebuilt
It was suppose to be a typical morning for Cuddy; but as she danced her way through her daily morning routine the thoughts of last night would rise to the front of her mind and a girlish smile would form over her face and her cheeks would grow with a heated fury. His presence was like a ghost upon her; haunting her mind and her body until it felt as though she would lose control over herself. Raw memories, so fresh in her mind, kept tantalizing her; so much that she kept forgetting what she was doing and had to stop and remember the simple tasks she had to perform. It was utter madness. She felt as though she were balancing upon the edge of reality; and though this new sensation terrified her, it was indeed the most thrilling experience she ever would encounter; so therefore she relished the euphoria.
There was a balletic grace to her steps as she quickly moved into the kitchen; her eyes catching the steamy pot of coffee just freshly perked as she simultaneously pushed a silver hoop into her left earlobe. Rachel sat in her highchair giggling to herself as she smashed up cuts of banana upon her cheerios; her attention only breaking when one daring roll of oat would jump from her plastic table and bounce itself upon the floor. Along side of her sat Joan, Rachel's main caregiver when Cuddy was working. She was an elderly woman around her mid 60's; she was once the head nurse for pediatrics but had since retired. Joan had been there since the day Cuddy brought Rachel home and over the last year had became more of a grandmother to the little girl, and a great friend to Cuddy.
Joan seemed content as she sat next to Rachel drinking a hot cup of coffee and reading the morning paper; her brown eyes rising up towards the sound of heels rhythmically prancing upon the painted tiles of the floor. One glance towards Cuddy and the lady chuckled and returned to her reading.
"What is so amusing Joan?" Cuddy questioned before taking a sip of the hot, bitter liquid she just poured.
The woman rose and folded her paper neatly and placed it upon the table out of the reach of Rachel's curious fingers and turned towards Cuddy.
"You, little miss, must have had one hell of a night." She laughed as she walked towards Cuddy carrying her empty coffee cup towards the sink.
"Oh yeah, what makes you think that?" Lisa's eyes shifted towards Joan as she began to wash out her cup.
"I don't know, maybe the fact that you have been fluttering through this house all morning long as though you were in LaLa land; or maybe that it is going for ten o'clock and you usually leave by seven. You are NEVER late m'dear." She winked and laughed at the expression of shock that slapped and plastered itself upon Cuddy's face as she glared upon the ticking clock above.
In dismay, Cuddy quickly kissed Rachel goodbye and gathered her belongings before rushing out the door and making a quick dash for her car. Her mind erased all thoughts that didn't pertain to getting her to the hospital on time and being prepared for her meeting in an hour. House was shoved far into the dark corners of her mind; that was until at 10:25 am, when he came crashing down upon her once more.
Cuddy inhaled a deep breath as she parked her car in the lot; despite road repairs and heavy traffic she made it to the hospital with enough time to spare before the meeting. She was relieved to know that she was 100% prepared and took a moment to relax her mind. Her body leaned into the comfort of the cushioned seat and she closed her eyes.
Something happened within that moment, and that something made Cuddy's eyes shoot open and her heart to begin pumping wildly against her chest. Panic rushed through her like a tidal wave at the memory that was just released.
It was a flashback of the incident that occurred one year ago, when House's hallucinations were out of control; especially the time when he had imagined the pair having sex. Her pulse began to race at the thought of what he did to her the next day; how he hounded her and tormented her until finally announcing to the entire hospital that the two were involved. Of course he was sick then, it was all just a hallucination; but damage was still done. The shame and embarrassment Cuddy was put through, plus the danger her reputation was placed in put Cuddy in a tough situation. Though now it was a completely different story, they really were together this time. Cuddy's mind exploded in all the possibilities she might face once walking into the hospital doors; of course she began preparing herself for the most extreme situation. With a few deep breaths she exited her car and began to make her way towards the entrance.
She held her breath and closed her eyes as the sliding doors opened. Fear ran its' course through her veins as to what waited before her when she opened her eyes again.
Was it going to be a huge banner strung across with some obscene message spewed upon it? Perhaps he was secretly recording their lovemaking and it was now playing on every T.V within the hospital. Or maybe he just made sure he told every single person (dead or alive) of what happened last night.
Whatever it was, Cuddy was sure she was doomed.
Stepping forth, she opened her eyes as she held on to the last remaining bits of courage she possessed. Those crystal blue eyes poured over the scene before her; they shifted left, then right, up, down, center and soaked in every possible corner that they could reach. The sight before her was completely and utterly…
NORMAL?
Confusion struck her for a moment; this was not what she expected. Slowly she made her way towards the head nurse's station where a young redhead sat behind. Beth McTeer smiled sweetly as she caught glimpse of the approaching boss. Though her main job was a triage nurse, over the years she had slowly become more of Cuddy's assistant; for she would keep record of appointments, schedules, issues and of course House's whereabouts for the rather busy administrator.
"Good morning Dr. Cuddy." Beth spoke softly as Cuddy leaned against the counter.
"Thanks Beth. Are there any messages for me?" Cuddy returned the smile, trying her best to be the strong, calm woman that everyone assumed she was.
"Um…" The young girl glanced down at some notes before her. "Nope, nothing as of yet. Just so you know the oncology meeting is going to be held in conference room 4A today. Unfortunately the A/C in the bigger conference room still isn't working properly. Is that okay with you?"
"What?" Cuddy was lost in thought for a moment but quickly regained herself. "Oh. Yes, yes that is fine. I'm just going to get some things from my office and head up there." She turned slightly as though she were going to walk away, and then suddenly turned back around again.
"By the way Beth, did you see Dr. House around at all?"
The girl shot up a glance of concern at Cuddy's question; she knew all too well that when questions about Dr. House were brought up that it meant he was causing trouble, or attempting to cause trouble for her dear boss.
"I know he came in very early, but I haven't seen him myself. Do you need me to page him?"
Cuddy shook her head. "No, just find out where he is and what he is doing, please. I don't need him for anything important, I just need to know that he is…"
"Staying out of trouble?" Beth finished the uncompleted statement with a smile crossing her lips.
"Yes" Cuddy smiled in returned. "Exactly and when you do find out please come and let me know; even if I am still in the meeting."
Feeling more at eased Cuddy made her way towards her office. Beth was rather surprised to be told to interrupt a meeting, and for a moment she sat silently wondering with great curiosity exactly what Dr. House had done this time; for surely it must be really big if Dr. Cuddy wanted to be taken out of a meeting.
Eight doctors muffled themselves about the small, yet comfortable, conference room; each one trying to secure a seat and to gather their paperwork together before the meeting began. Dr. Wilson was off to the side pouring a glass of water when he caught Cuddy's image through the window pane. His eyes glanced at the clock, 10:55; for being Cuddy, she was late.
She quickly walked in, though the doctors were too busy chit-chatting to notice; only Wilson noticed that something was amidst.
"Are…are you okay?" He said handing her a glass of water. Wilson had a talent for picking up on certain things, and his inner gut was telling him that something was definitely not right.
"Is it that obvious?" She whispered as she placed her folders upon the table.
"Your face is very pale, your hands are shaking." He stopped and sighed. "What has House done this time?"
"Have you seen or heard from him today?" She asked, her brow crinkling in despair.
"Come to think of it, no. I haven't seen him at all today, which is rather unusual. I haven't heard from him since yesterday. What is going on, Cuddy?" His curiosity had peaked; yet he was also very concerned for he never saw her out of sorts like this.
"We have to get this meeting started, I'll tell you later." With that she turned her attention to the remaining doctors and cleared her throat to make them aware of her presence. "Good morning everyone let's begin so we can get out of here before lunch." She smiled as everyone began to sit down and the meeting officially started.
The meeting seemed to drag on for an eternity, and Cuddy was having a hell of a time trying to keep track of the issues while her mind continued to freak out over House. No one seemed to notice her though, that is except Wilson. Numerous of times he caught her trailing off into her own thoughts while the doctors verbally battled over this issue and that issue. Cuddy was lucky that she was at least paying half attention to the arguments, and from time to time she would interject before the problems escalated; though to Wilson it was obvious she didn't want to be there.
One hour through the meeting Wilson saw Cuddy's head shift towards the direction of the large glass panes that viewed the hallway. Just outside Beth stood; she seemed hesitant to knock and instead shifted her weight back and forth from each foot anxiously deciding what to do. Cuddy rose up and interrupted Dr. Martin's speech on the effects vs. benefits of a new chemo drug.
"Excuse me, I'll be right back." She said and immediately left the room leaving Dr. Martin speechless for a moment before he resumed his rant.
Wilson watched intensely on the two women outside; their expressions seemed to weave a tragic story. Beth seemed to be baffled and fearful, her arms moving in unison with the rhythm of her soundless lips. Cuddy on the other hand stood very still, her arms firmly planted upon the base of her hips. He couldn't see her face though and this left him very worried. After only a few moments he saw Cuddy place her hands upon Beth's shoulders, in what he could only assume was a reassuring statement on Cuddy's behalf; immediately Beth's face softened and she nodded her head a few times and then turned and left. A second later Cuddy re-entered the room and took her seat, her eyes never once shifting towards Wilson's but she seemed more aware of the conference before her.
The meeting could have possibly continued for hours if not for Cuddy stepping in and putting a sudden stop on the arguing. "Alright everyone, it is obvious that we aren't able to come to a complete agreement on this subject and we honestly do not have enough time to continue this debate. As for the question about us affording the new equipment; well with Princeton being a teaching hospital, I'm pretty sure we can get a grant for updated equipment. Also I want all information about the new drugs on my desk by Monday. Everything else we will slowly but surely get through; we'll have another meeting in a month to see where progress is heading. Anyway, everyone enjoy your lunch." She stood up putting the meeting to a close.
As everyone noisily shuffled their way out of the room, Cuddy and Wilson stayed behind. Cuddy frantically began compiling her papers as Wilson leaned against the table.
"Sooo, what in the world is going on?" He questioned.
Cuddy didn't respond, instead she quickly shoved her work into her briefcase and dashed out the door as fast as she could. All she wanted to do was to get to her office as fast as humanly possible. Wilson followed her without question. Cuddy and he had become very close friends over the years, and he was now capable of picking up her silent signals. He knew that whatever was bothering her was huge and that she needed to know she had complete privacy before revealing to him her secret. He eventually caught up to her as she boarded the elevator and the pair remained quiet until reaching her office.
Cuddy rushed into her office, threw her briefcase upon the couch and began to pace the length of the room. Wilson quickly made his way in and shut the door, just in time for Cuddy to turn around.
"What is…?" He threw his arms open in a questionable gesture.
"We slept together last night." Cuddy blurted out, her face riddled with panic
"What?" Wilson was confused and he stood still watching the frantic woman dance back and forth.
"I broke up my engagement, I told House that I loved him and we slept together last night. Now I think he is going to do something completely HOUSEish to mess this all up."
Wilson shook his head in confusion. "Alright, so let me get this straight." He began to make his way to the couch, not sure exactly what was told to him but trying to make sense of it all. "You and Lucas?"
"A few weeks ago Lucas proposed to me and I said yes." She paused for a moment, her face showed the trouble of her thoughts. "I actually told House that he proposed to me the other day." That last statement seemed more directed to her than to Wilson.
"Why did you tell him that?" Wilson asked, still confused.
"He made me so mad and I guess I lied for dramatics. I don't know why I said that; he was hounding me for information all night. At first I thought he knew because of him giving me that book; but once I found out that he didn't, telling him that became my leverage. I guess I knew it would sting worse if he thought it just recently happened." Cuddy shook her head as though she were trying to place her mind back to normal. "Anyway, that is beside the point!"
Cuddy walked over to where Wilson sat, her arms wrapped around her as though she were comforting herself. "The fact is I broke it off. Once I had time to think about it, I realized that it would never work; my heart just wasn't there."
Wilson raised a brow as Cuddy collapsed next to him upon the sofa.
"Okay, and then you and House?"
"I told House last night that I loved him, and we ended up sleeping together last night." She shifted her eyes to meet his.
Wilson's face was illuminated with happiness. It took everything inside of him to stop him from squealing with excitement at that news; though the large, clownish smile sweeping across his face revealed his joy.
"Don't even start Wilson!" Cuddy scolded seeing that her friend was almost dancing in his seat at the news.
"I can't believe it! This is amazing! So it is official that you two are going to try this? This is definitely a dream come true!"
Cuddy rolled her eyes at that statement and shoved her face into her hands not sure if she should cry or laugh; but wanting to do both.
"Okay. Okay." Wilson chuckled. "So what was going on with Beth? Did she find something out?"
Cuddy raised herself up, there was so much adrenaline rushing through her that she couldn't keep still. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you." She crossed her arms as she gazed down upon Wilson.
"Try me."
With a deep sigh she explained the bizarre incident. "Beth says that he has apparently been in the clinic all morning long; and has in fact seen almost every patient in there."
"Oh no." Wilson replied, knowing that whenever House was even near that clinic it meant disaster. "So what did he do this time? I'm sorry Cuddy. I'll definitely help out with all the paperwork and complaints that will be hitting your desk shortly."
"That is just it. There was none." Cuddy responded creating an expression of disbelief to fall upon Wilson's face. "Beth checked all the records and skimmed through the patient surveys; there was nothing but compliments about House. Apparently he practically gave Mauve a heart attack for how wonderful he has been working. And you know that nurse hates it when I send him down there; that poor woman practically tears me a new asshole every time I place him on clinic duty."
Wilson laughed. "Oh God what did you do to him." He rose up, the boyish smile still glowing upon him while he shoved his hands in his pockets. "This is indeed something, so what do you want me to do?"
Cuddy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know; maybe talk to him. You know House, I know House and together we both know that despite how wonderful he could be that there is always this mischievous, little demon lurking somewhere inside him that tells him to do bad things."
"Well we can always call an exorcist." His suggestion caused Cuddy to glare coldly at him. "You know perhaps you are making this out to be more than it is. Perhaps he is honestly trying to prove to you that he wants to change. Perhaps you should trust him; I mean isn't that what you are suppose to do in a relationship? This is new territory for the both of you. You are living a brand new reality, Cuddy; it is time to actually start realizing that what lies ahead of you and House is a great change."
Wilson's words stung at Cuddy's heart. She felt foolish and ashamed at herself; for didn't she last night beg House to trust her with his leg. Part of her knew that she was wrong, yet her brain was logical and told her that she was justified to worry. She simply shrugged her shoulders. "I know, but you do understand that we are talking about House here. I…I…" She became speechless and felt herself finally defeated.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll talk to him and make sure he understands the situation." His words brought a shimmer of hope to cross over Cuddy's eyes and for the first time since she arrived at the hospital a smile actually kissed her lips.
"Thank you." She smoothly whispered.
"But first can I say that I'm am over the moon about you two. I want details." He stopped once realizing what he was saying and re-phrased his words. "I mean I don't need any details about what happened between the sheets; but I do want to know…"
"Wilson, just go and talk to him." Cuddy laughed while extending her arm towards the door.
"Will do boss, will do." He said bashfully and made his way to find the man of the hour.
TO BE CONTINUED…
