A Year In Misery Almost Sort Of: Chapter Nineteen
Title: A Year In Misery Almost Sort Of
Chapter: Nineteen out of ?
Pairings: House/Cuddy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Don't sue me.
Summary: Cuddy recalls her past and the relationship she had with House during the college days.
Start from the beginning
OR
One thing Cuddy couldn’t quite understand was her loyalty to him. She blamed it on knowing him that long time ago, or on the fact that he had helped her in their past, or simply because those in the medical field have a certain loyalty to each other.
In any case, she knew that being loyal to someone like House was frowned upon. However, on rare nights when her mind took her to places she tried not to examine, she found herself glad of her loyalty, knowing that even though he would never admit it, he reciprocated that very same loyalty.
She was sitting on the couch in the med student lounge, a book in her lap, when two young men and a woman entered. She glanced at them, wondering what they were doing here at one in the morning. Noting their lack of books, she was beginning to have a bad feeling.
The group seated themselves at the table, which made her even more nervous since her back was to them now. They began whispering and she tried hard to pick up any part of their conversation.
“There’s the man of the evening!”
She glanced up and saw Gregory House standing in the doorway, staring past her and at the table where the voice came from. He entered, coolly, and ignored her presence as he made his was to the table.
“What are you doing here?” he asked the group.
“Sable’s been saying you’ve been coming to the lounge late at night,” the male voice and leader of the pack spoke up. “Guess it’s true.”
“Sable’s a jackass.” he replied. “It’s a waste to listen to him.”
“Then, what are you doing here?” the female asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, we heard what you did to Ed,” the scruffy, chain smoker voice of the other young man jumped in. “Man, he freaked out. That’s why you’re not on campus anymore.”
“You can always count on rumors to spread lies,” he said, remaining standing.
“Come on, Greg, it was Ed,” Female said, glaring and not letting her guard down. “He doesn’t make shit up.”
“Yeah,” Chain Smoker agreed.
He let out a sigh and took a look around the room before bringing his gaze back to the three. “It was a joke.”
“A joke?” the Alpha Male repeated. “He was writing a will.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want what he has to give away.” He debated sitting, but decided against it. He wondered for a moment how intently she was listening over on the couch.
“Like he would give anything to you anyway,” Alpha Male shot back.
“So, what are you up to?” Female tried to pull the question off as casual, but it came out rather harshly.
“Yeah.” Chain Smoker gave a nod.
“Nothing.” He gave them a shrug.
“We’re only asking because we want in,” Alpha Male said cruelly.
He raised his eyebrows. “Care to repeat that?”
“Ed told us everything you did to him and we think you’re on to something,” Alpha Male explained. “If you’re experimenting in here, we want in.”
“Even if I was messing around in here, I still wouldn’t include any of you,” he replied.
Female practically jumped out of her seat. “Greg-”
“Oh, come on, you think I would?” He asked them. “If you hadn’t noticed, you’re all on the same playing field while I’m about ten above you.”
“Above us?” Chain Smoker repeated.
“You’d be crying ‘unethical’ before I’d even get a chance to cut someone open or get ‘em to pop a pill,” he said in response.
“You’re really all about the unethical, aren’t you, Greg?” Female locked eyes with him.
“Let me guess, you’re the reformer.” He leaned down in her direction.
“You just don’t want to talk because we’re not alone,” Female replied and then looked past Greg and towards the couch. “Hey, you, with the hair.”
She had been listening the entire time and knew she couldn’t play it off as if she hadn’t been. So, she turned and stared coldly at the woman who had addressed her.
“You a med student?” Female asked.
“Yes,” she answered crisply.
“Freshman, right?” Female waited for a response, but only received a glare. “Huh. Thought so. Listen, we’re seniors, so get out. Seniority ranks here.”
“You know, getting the fresh meat out of here isn’t going to make me tell you my diabolical experiments considering I don’t have any,” he butted into the little exchange.
“Right, like Ed was your only attempt at human experimentation,” Alpha Male replied with sarcasm.
“What are you so interested in anyway?” He asked the three of them. “You’re appalled at my actions and the school doesn’t appreciate them all that much either. Expulsion isn’t a word they simply toss around unless I play a factor and you want to associate with that?”
“We know you’re onto something and you think you are under the radar here.” Alpha Male stood to his feet. “Let us in on it and we won’t tell the Dean.”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” He rolled his eyes. “Threats? Over the want to be expelled?”
“Let the freshman be our witness.” Alpha Male indicated the freshman on the couch. “Either you’ll let us in on your discoveries, Greg, or we’ll shut you out. We need our names out there as much as you do.”
“That’s because you suck at being doctors.” He couldn’t hold back the insult. “And the freshman is a witness to your blackmail."
“Yeah, like she’s really going to oppose us,” Female tossed an irritated glance to the couch.
She was still watching the scene and bit her tongue. She hoped they would be leaving soon because she couldn’t just sit and watch much longer.
“See?” Female looked up at Greg. “She’s too intimidated to even say anything.”
“Hey,” the words came out of her mouth as she stood from the couch. “As a matter of fact, I’m not some defenseless freshman. I get top marks and I don’t try to steal the ideas and discoveries made by other worthy doctors.”
“Worthy?” Alpha Male asked her. “Obviously she doesn’t know she’s referring to Greg House. You have heard the name Greg House, right?”
“Of course I have and he’ll be better than anything you could ever be,” she spat back. “Sure, he may be arrogant, dismissive, and rude, but his mind can’t be matched by any of yours. And he would never try to piggyback anyone else’s work.”
Alpha Male chuckled. “Greg, it seems the freshman is infatuated with you.”
“Shut up, Artie.” He glared in the direction of Alpha Male.
“I heard you blackmail him and don’t think I’m not going to-” She caught the look on Greg’s face that told her she could stop now. So, she did.
“Not going to what?” Chain Smoker asked. “Are you trying to be intimidating?”
“It’s not even worth it to waste my time on such untrustworthy doctors such as yourselves.” She raised her chin a little. “It’s pathetic really.”
Chain Smoker stood to his feet. “Maybe we should escort you out.”
“I’ll be fine on my own,” she shot back and slammed her textbook shut.
Without another glance at them, she took off out of the room. Once outside, she stopped and took in a deep breath. She couldn’t believe what those three doctors had said to Greg.
Shadows quickly approaching the door caught her attention and she ducked behind a pillar. The three exited the building, one of them smoking a cigarette. She watched them go and waited, hoping he would be coming out next.
After a minute, he stormed out of the building. He blew right by the pillar she was standing behind. She hurried after him.
“Greg,” she spoke through the darkness and caught up alongside of him.
“Those guys are assholes,” he said to her, but wouldn’t meet her eyes. He was still riled up.
“Yeah, I kind of got that,” she replied. “They’re graduating with you?”
“They’re the assholes that just scraped by,” he told her. “They’ll be the future black market, sleeping with the nurses, taking bribes doctors. Not that that’s a problem or anything.”
“It’s disgusting is what it is.” She placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. She softened the tone of her voice. “I can’t believe they thought they could really get away with threatening you like that.”
He faced her. “It’s not that big a deal, warrior princess.” He suddenly smiled. “You really went to town in there.”
“They thought I was a worthless freshman.” She folded her arms across her chest in offense.
“Told you.” He shrugged. “They’re assholes.”
“Did you notice we didn’t say we knew each other.” She uncrossed her arms and gave him a small smile. “It was like... something switched.”
“Like you would want anyone to know you’re friends with someone who’s arrogant, dismissive and rude,” He repeated the three things she accused of him.
“You know that’s true.” Her smile grew. “Besides, you wouldn’t want anyone to know you’re friends with an intimidated freshman anyway.”
“Right.” He gave her a nod.
“Right,” she agreed and suddenly didn’t know how his lips became pressed against hers. Although, in the moment, it didn’t very much matter.
Chapter Twenty.
Chapter: Nineteen out of ?
Pairings: House/Cuddy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Don't sue me.
Summary: Cuddy recalls her past and the relationship she had with House during the college days.
Start from the beginning
OR
One thing Cuddy couldn’t quite understand was her loyalty to him. She blamed it on knowing him that long time ago, or on the fact that he had helped her in their past, or simply because those in the medical field have a certain loyalty to each other.
In any case, she knew that being loyal to someone like House was frowned upon. However, on rare nights when her mind took her to places she tried not to examine, she found herself glad of her loyalty, knowing that even though he would never admit it, he reciprocated that very same loyalty.
She was sitting on the couch in the med student lounge, a book in her lap, when two young men and a woman entered. She glanced at them, wondering what they were doing here at one in the morning. Noting their lack of books, she was beginning to have a bad feeling.
The group seated themselves at the table, which made her even more nervous since her back was to them now. They began whispering and she tried hard to pick up any part of their conversation.
“There’s the man of the evening!”
She glanced up and saw Gregory House standing in the doorway, staring past her and at the table where the voice came from. He entered, coolly, and ignored her presence as he made his was to the table.
“What are you doing here?” he asked the group.
“Sable’s been saying you’ve been coming to the lounge late at night,” the male voice and leader of the pack spoke up. “Guess it’s true.”
“Sable’s a jackass.” he replied. “It’s a waste to listen to him.”
“Then, what are you doing here?” the female asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, we heard what you did to Ed,” the scruffy, chain smoker voice of the other young man jumped in. “Man, he freaked out. That’s why you’re not on campus anymore.”
“You can always count on rumors to spread lies,” he said, remaining standing.
“Come on, Greg, it was Ed,” Female said, glaring and not letting her guard down. “He doesn’t make shit up.”
“Yeah,” Chain Smoker agreed.
He let out a sigh and took a look around the room before bringing his gaze back to the three. “It was a joke.”
“A joke?” the Alpha Male repeated. “He was writing a will.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want what he has to give away.” He debated sitting, but decided against it. He wondered for a moment how intently she was listening over on the couch.
“Like he would give anything to you anyway,” Alpha Male shot back.
“So, what are you up to?” Female tried to pull the question off as casual, but it came out rather harshly.
“Yeah.” Chain Smoker gave a nod.
“Nothing.” He gave them a shrug.
“We’re only asking because we want in,” Alpha Male said cruelly.
He raised his eyebrows. “Care to repeat that?”
“Ed told us everything you did to him and we think you’re on to something,” Alpha Male explained. “If you’re experimenting in here, we want in.”
“Even if I was messing around in here, I still wouldn’t include any of you,” he replied.
Female practically jumped out of her seat. “Greg-”
“Oh, come on, you think I would?” He asked them. “If you hadn’t noticed, you’re all on the same playing field while I’m about ten above you.”
“Above us?” Chain Smoker repeated.
“You’d be crying ‘unethical’ before I’d even get a chance to cut someone open or get ‘em to pop a pill,” he said in response.
“You’re really all about the unethical, aren’t you, Greg?” Female locked eyes with him.
“Let me guess, you’re the reformer.” He leaned down in her direction.
“You just don’t want to talk because we’re not alone,” Female replied and then looked past Greg and towards the couch. “Hey, you, with the hair.”
She had been listening the entire time and knew she couldn’t play it off as if she hadn’t been. So, she turned and stared coldly at the woman who had addressed her.
“You a med student?” Female asked.
“Yes,” she answered crisply.
“Freshman, right?” Female waited for a response, but only received a glare. “Huh. Thought so. Listen, we’re seniors, so get out. Seniority ranks here.”
“You know, getting the fresh meat out of here isn’t going to make me tell you my diabolical experiments considering I don’t have any,” he butted into the little exchange.
“Right, like Ed was your only attempt at human experimentation,” Alpha Male replied with sarcasm.
“What are you so interested in anyway?” He asked the three of them. “You’re appalled at my actions and the school doesn’t appreciate them all that much either. Expulsion isn’t a word they simply toss around unless I play a factor and you want to associate with that?”
“We know you’re onto something and you think you are under the radar here.” Alpha Male stood to his feet. “Let us in on it and we won’t tell the Dean.”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” He rolled his eyes. “Threats? Over the want to be expelled?”
“Let the freshman be our witness.” Alpha Male indicated the freshman on the couch. “Either you’ll let us in on your discoveries, Greg, or we’ll shut you out. We need our names out there as much as you do.”
“That’s because you suck at being doctors.” He couldn’t hold back the insult. “And the freshman is a witness to your blackmail."
“Yeah, like she’s really going to oppose us,” Female tossed an irritated glance to the couch.
She was still watching the scene and bit her tongue. She hoped they would be leaving soon because she couldn’t just sit and watch much longer.
“See?” Female looked up at Greg. “She’s too intimidated to even say anything.”
“Hey,” the words came out of her mouth as she stood from the couch. “As a matter of fact, I’m not some defenseless freshman. I get top marks and I don’t try to steal the ideas and discoveries made by other worthy doctors.”
“Worthy?” Alpha Male asked her. “Obviously she doesn’t know she’s referring to Greg House. You have heard the name Greg House, right?”
“Of course I have and he’ll be better than anything you could ever be,” she spat back. “Sure, he may be arrogant, dismissive, and rude, but his mind can’t be matched by any of yours. And he would never try to piggyback anyone else’s work.”
Alpha Male chuckled. “Greg, it seems the freshman is infatuated with you.”
“Shut up, Artie.” He glared in the direction of Alpha Male.
“I heard you blackmail him and don’t think I’m not going to-” She caught the look on Greg’s face that told her she could stop now. So, she did.
“Not going to what?” Chain Smoker asked. “Are you trying to be intimidating?”
“It’s not even worth it to waste my time on such untrustworthy doctors such as yourselves.” She raised her chin a little. “It’s pathetic really.”
Chain Smoker stood to his feet. “Maybe we should escort you out.”
“I’ll be fine on my own,” she shot back and slammed her textbook shut.
Without another glance at them, she took off out of the room. Once outside, she stopped and took in a deep breath. She couldn’t believe what those three doctors had said to Greg.
Shadows quickly approaching the door caught her attention and she ducked behind a pillar. The three exited the building, one of them smoking a cigarette. She watched them go and waited, hoping he would be coming out next.
After a minute, he stormed out of the building. He blew right by the pillar she was standing behind. She hurried after him.
“Greg,” she spoke through the darkness and caught up alongside of him.
“Those guys are assholes,” he said to her, but wouldn’t meet her eyes. He was still riled up.
“Yeah, I kind of got that,” she replied. “They’re graduating with you?”
“They’re the assholes that just scraped by,” he told her. “They’ll be the future black market, sleeping with the nurses, taking bribes doctors. Not that that’s a problem or anything.”
“It’s disgusting is what it is.” She placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. She softened the tone of her voice. “I can’t believe they thought they could really get away with threatening you like that.”
He faced her. “It’s not that big a deal, warrior princess.” He suddenly smiled. “You really went to town in there.”
“They thought I was a worthless freshman.” She folded her arms across her chest in offense.
“Told you.” He shrugged. “They’re assholes.”
“Did you notice we didn’t say we knew each other.” She uncrossed her arms and gave him a small smile. “It was like... something switched.”
“Like you would want anyone to know you’re friends with someone who’s arrogant, dismissive and rude,” He repeated the three things she accused of him.
“You know that’s true.” Her smile grew. “Besides, you wouldn’t want anyone to know you’re friends with an intimidated freshman anyway.”
“Right.” He gave her a nod.
“Right,” she agreed and suddenly didn’t know how his lips became pressed against hers. Although, in the moment, it didn’t very much matter.
Chapter Twenty.