House M.D. stuffs
I am reeling at the government of Canada. Too much red tape. However, luckily, anger makes me write. Presto!
Title: Delicate
Chapter: You Said Always and Forever (three)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: If I owned them, I would be writing the shows!
Summary: House is changed in a way that no one could have seen coming, and Wilson is left to pick up and take care of what's remaining. Can he handle it?
Warnings: sick!vulnerable!House, House/Wilson slash.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
“Here you go, nice and comfy.” House was lying on his side on the sofa, his long legs bent at the knees so he could fit. Wilson tugged a blanket out the back pack he had brought and laid it on top of the man who was already nodding off. “I’m just going to do some paper work, okay?”
“Mmm.” House nodded and rolled over so his face was smashed against the back of the sofa. For a moment, Wilson worried he might suffocate, but then he figured House’s body would at least know when it needed air. He sat down behind his desk and started to flip through his messages. A few younger/newer doctors had called requesting consults. There were some adverts for medical journals (most of which he already got anyways), a letter from an old colleague...and...Wilson felt his mind wandering. He wasn’t sure why he couldn’t focus. For the last few days he had been itching to get back to work - he missed the focus it took to do his job. Then at least he didn’t have to think about himself. He was about to get up and go down to the staff room for a coffee when someone knocked on his door. Glancing at House, who snorted but otherwise showed no signs of waking, Wilson called the visitor in.
Dr. Cameron pushed the door open. “Hey,” she smiled sadly, looking from Wilson to House’s sleeping figure, “Dr. Cuddy told me you were coming back today. I thought you might like someone to come and watch him for a while, so you could get out of the office.” He knew something had looked off about her. She wasn’t wearing scrubs or a white coat.
“Is it your day off?” he asked, walking around from behind the desk.
“Yes,” she smiled, letting go of the door knob and taking a few steps into the room.
“Well, then you shouldn’t be here. Go home, be with Chase.” Wilson put his hands in his pockets nervously. He wasn’t sure he wanted anyone to see House like this. House wouldn’t have liked it. Well, the old House wouldn’t have.
“It’s alright, he got called in for a four hour surgery. I have nothing to do. So, I thought I’m come up here, give you a bit of a break.”
“Oh. Thanks. Yeah, I have an appointment in a bit, I actually wasn’t sure what I was going to do with...” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck, ashamed that he had just talked about his best friend - his lover - as though he was a burden.
“Well, I can take him to his office. Dr. Cuddy still hasn’t moved anything. I thought I couldn’t let go.” She toed the ground and then smiled up at him. “He’ll probably be more comfortable in his chair anyway, he can stretch out his legs.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” Wilson smiled at the pretty girl in front of him. He felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t really wanted to go to her wedding - to him they had become just paperwork before more paperwork - but he felt a little guilty now for not feeling guilty before. He grabbed his wallet from his overcoat and brushed a hand lightly over House’s back. “I’ll come check on you guys in a bit.”
“Sure.”
As soon as he left, he regretted it - but there was no turning back now. Besides, he really did need the break.
Cameron knelt down next to House’s head and put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey,” she whispered, shaking him lightly. “Hey, can you get up?”
He rolled over smiling, but then almost jumped out of his skin when he saw her. “Who are you?!?” He sat up quickly, the blanket pooling at his waist. “Where’s Jimmy?”
“It’s okay, House,” she reached out a hand to touch him, but he pulled back.
“No! Where’s Jimmy?!” His pupils were getting larger, his breath was speeding up. If Cameron didn’t know better, she might think he was going to have a panic attack.
“Hey, it’s okay. My name’s Dr. Cameron. Wil - Um, Jimmy just needed to do some work. So we’re gonna hang out for a while together.”
“I don’t know.” He furrowed his brow and gathered the blanket up in his hands.
“I want to show you something I think you’ll really like. Come on, I’ll bring your bag.” She put out a hand to help him up, and after a moment’s hesitation, he took it and pulled his feet up. But as soon he moved his legs, he let out a loud howl. Cameron jumped back, but knew what it was when he put both hands on his right thigh.
“Owowowowow!” he cried, tears starting to run down his cheeks. He looked like he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to massage his leg or hit it. “Ow. It hurts.”
Cameron hated that voice. It brought tears to her eyes, and made her realize why House had popped so many pills in the past. He had never shown how much it hurt before, and she mentally berated herself for all of the times she brought up his addiction. “House,” she tried to stay calm and put one of her hands on his, which had now taken up a slow kneading motion on his muscle. “I know you’re in pain, but I need you to tell me if you’ve taken any medicine today.”
“I don’t know!” he whined, batting her hands away. “Oh, it hurts so bad!”
“Okay...okay. Did Jimmy give you anything to drink? Any little things to eat?”
“No!” his shout startled her - a small boys words in a big man’s voice - “We left the house when I was still sleeping!”
“Okay, just...hang on a second.” She started digging frantically through the bag that had a change of clothes for House in it. There must be something here! Her hands were shaking as she unzipped all the pockets, looking for anything - any bottles at all. She desperately shoved her hands into the jean pockets of his pants, but of course Wilson wouldn’t let him carry any medication with him. She was fumbling when she ran over to Wilson’s desk and punched his cell phone number into the telephone, ripping open his drawers, rifling through the contents. All the while, House hadn’t let up a constant stream of noise, although he was starting to tire himself out now. His voice was going hoarse, but as the phone rang, Cameron chanced a glance at him. He was banging weakly on his leg, forehead to his knee, sobbing desperately.
“It really hurts...”he moaned quietly.
“I’m trying House, really I -“ she was cut off when Wilson answered the phone.
“Dr. Wilson.” She heard him sip his coffee.
“Dr. Wilson! It’s me. Thank God you answered. Have you given House any medication today? He’s in pain so horrible, he crying and was screaming when he woke up.”
She heard him spit out his coffee. “Shit! I knew I was forgetting something. My first God damn day back at work, and I forget about him. Really good care taking skills...”
“Dr. Wilson! He’ll be fine.” She tried to cover the receiver to muffle the sound of House leaned over the side of the couch to vomit.
“’m sorry,” he mumbled sadly, wiping his mouth.
“It’s okay,” she said to him, before taking her hand off the mouth piece, “I just need to know where it is and how much to give him.”
“I have it in my pocket. I’m already on my way there. Give me 60 seconds.”
“Alright,” and she hung up the phone. She walked over to House, who had slumped over and was dry heaving into his lap. Rubbing his back, she started carding her fingers through his hair, he was sweating and crying, but seemed to have completely worn himself out. He had stopped talking. “Jimmy’s going to be here soon, I promise.”
Wilson burst through the door and hurried over to House, side stepping the pile of sick on the floor and lightly pushing Cameron out of the way. He had a bottle of water in one hand and bottle of green fluid in the other. “Hey, buddy, look at me.” Bloodshot blue eyes met his own, and it was all he could do to keep from crying. He was such a loser, he shouldn’t be allowed to care for someone. “I am so, so sorry,” he muttered, handing the older man the water bottle. House unscrewed the cap and drank some. “Here,” Wilson had managed to measure out House’s dosage, and was handing him the cup. “Drink up.”
House obediently took the cup and chugged what looked like toxic waste before drinking half of the water. “Thanks.” He smiled weakly at Wilson, who took the water bottle from him and dropped it on the floor. He reached out and wrapped his arms around the man, shoving his face into the crook between his neck and shoulders. “I’m sorry I threw up.” He sniffled.
“It’s all my fault, don’t even worry about it.” Wilson pulled back, trying to smile, and turned to Cameron. “Um, Dr. Cameron,” he cleared his throat, “He’s going to need a shower, now. If you can just take him downstairs, I’ll clean this up and meet you guys down there. He’ll take a while, with his leg, anyways.”
“It’s alright,” she glanced at House, who was looking hopefully at Wilson’s back. “I’ll clean this up, you take him.”
“No, I mean..It’s my fault it’s there, and...I should be the one to -“House was frowning behind him, and reached out to poke him in the back. “House?” Wilson turned around slowly to look at him. “I’m in the middle of a conversation with Dr. Cameron. Can you not interrupt, please?”
“I was just gonna say...um...it’s my fault.”
Cameron clucked her tongue. “It is no one’s fault. Both of you just go down stairs. I clean up vomit all the time.” She passed House’s bag to Wilson, who took it unwillingly. “Go. Now.”
So Wilson helped House up, stuffing a cane in a reluctant hand and assisted him in hobbling to the elevator. Just before turning the corner, he glanced back at Cameron and mouthed, “Thank you.”
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