FIC: Getting Out of Reverse 2/15? (Rated PG-13)
See general and medical disclaimers in Chapter 1.
-- chapter two
House and his crises are not my responsibility anymore. Disasters like this one are the reason why I left in the first place. If Cuddy is so concerned about House then she can deal with the fallout from him losing his good leg, and what fallout there would be too! Wilson pitied anyone who would have to deal with it but he also was relieved that this could not directly effect his life if he didn't want it to.
“Just like I'm letting it effect me now,” Wilson muttered. “I've got work to do so that stops right now.” He was surprised when that actually worked and he didn't give House another thought, at least not until during the last patient consultation he had for that day.
The patient had been a 16 year old boy named Donnie and had an osteosarcoma tumor growing just below his knee in the tibia of his right leg. Wilson carefully went over the steps that would be taken to treat Donnie's cancer, answering the questions his parents had as they discussed each step. The entire time they were talking Wilson noticed Donnie didn't once contribute to the discussion. It was about his leg and his treatment so before the meeting ended Wilson spoke directly to him.
“Donnie, do you have any concerns you want to talk to me about? Are there any questions you want to ask me about the surgery or any part of your treatment?” he asked.
Donnie nodded, “Yeah are you going to have to cut my leg off?” The boy was a promising young talent in his school's track program and who could blame him for wanting to know if he was about to have this part of his life taken away from him.
Although the teen hadn't used the word amputation in his question, House immediately invaded Wilson's thoughts again, and he didn't answer him.
“Uh, Dr. Wilson?”
Wilson smiled at him, “The good news is, Donnie, I believe your leg is going to be just fine.”
The fear in the boy's eyes visibly melted and he smiled, “Thank you, Dr. Wilson.”
“That's why I'm here,” Wilson answered, forcing aside another memory of House the words had provoked.
The moment after Donnie and his parents were gone, Wilson made a call to another office in the hospital and once he had confirmed the person he wanted to see was available he left his office. Wilson nodded politely to the various new colleagues he passed in the halls but didn't slow down for any, not even for those who looked like they wanted to talk or ask him something. Since he had arrived at this hospital, Wilson had kept his interactions with the other doctors strictly work related. It wasn't he didn't want to have new personal relationships in his life but rather the fact he didn't feel ready for any so for now so he avoided them.
In just under two minutes later Wilson rounded the corner, and entered the reception area of the office of Dr. Reginald Thierry, the administrator of this hospital. Sean the assistant looked up from whatever he was typing to wave a meaty hand at Wilson, “You can go in, Dr. Wilson. Dr. Thierry is expecting you.”
“Thanks, Sean.” Wilson replied before proceeding on. He knocked softly but opened it as he hadn't expected an answer. He had been right too.
Behind his desk and talking on the phone sat Dr. Reginald “Reg” Thierry with a wistful smile on his face. He was intently listening to whomever was on the other end of the line. With a shake of a head that once had more red on it than the current grey , he motioned for Wilson to sit down across from him while he finished up his phone call. Dr. Thierry was a man in his early sixties and was as frail looking as his assistant looked like a world champion bodybuilder and linebacker rolled into one. But in the little time since he had known him, Wilson knew the man's looks were deceiving as he had one of the strongest, fiery spirits Wilson had ever encountered but it was also fieriness tempered by a great compassion for the sick children he fought to save.
The man smiled at him sheepishly at Wilson before he said gently into the phone, “Lacey, sweetheart, your Grampy has got to go.” Pause. “Of course I'll see you this weekend.” Pause. “I love you too, honey, and I'm proud of you, Tell your mother I love her too. Okay honey?” Pause. “All right. Bye, bye.” He put the phone down and looked at Wilson. “My granddaughter got the lead in her school's play and was too excited to wait for the weekend to come to tell me.”
Wilson nodded politely but didn't comment on it.
“So what can I do for you, Dr. Wilson?” Thierry asked after a moment.
Wilson was surprised by what he told Thierry as an answer. “I need to take the rest of the week off. The deal to sale my girlfriend's apartment. . .” Wilson paused to swallow down the painful lump in this throat that still came whenever he thought of or mentioned Amber, “fell through and the realtor has somethings he needs to see me about.”
Thierry arched and eyebrow and laced his hands before him, laying them carefully on the desk. “James, I know you were the department head of Oncology at Princeton-Plainsboro and as such you reported directly to Dr. Cuddy, so it's been awhile since you were directly under someone besides the dean.”
Wilson shook his head as he realized the other doctor's point. “I should have talked to Dr. Parker instead. I'm sorry about my mistake and that I've taken up your time, Dr. Thierry.”
Dr. Thierry motioned for him to sit back down again. “You made an honest mistake, Dr. Wilson, and no harm has been done.” He gestured towards a corner of his office where an electric kettle was set up. “I'm going to make myself a cup of tea. Would you like some?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Silence reigned in the office while the older doctor prepared their tea. He only spoke to ask Wilson what he liked in his tea. A short time later he sat back down with two steaming mugs of hot tea and he watched Wilson cool it off by blowing on it a few seconds before he asked, “So how are you finding things at this hospital?”