Chapter 1: Power Outage
House limped into the hospital and glanced down at his watch. 8:55. He walked up to the circulation escrivaninha, mesa and leaned over the counter. “Psssst. Psssst!”
A nurse looked up at him, annoyed. “What do you want?”
“Is Cuddy in yet?”
The woman rolled her eyes and pulled out the call log looking at it. “No. She isn’t due in for another five minutos or so.”
House sighed in relief. “Thank you Nancy.”
The woman ignored him and went back to her computer as House limped quickly to the elevators and then into his room. He took his casaco off and sat down on the couch. He put his head in his hands.
Suddenly House heard the door to his office open and he looked up, alarmed, and put his hand to his chest when he realized it was just Wilson.
“Wow House. We’re a little jumpy today,” Wilson smiled a little and let the door shut behind him. “Are you waiting for the wrath of Cuddy?”
House looked down at his hands and said nothing. Wilson sighed. “House. I bought the loft. It’s under my name. You’re just living there.”
House continued to say nothing and Wilson’s jaw dropped. “You’re…you’re actually…speechless! Does this mean you are actually feeling…guilt?” He looked shocked at his friend who scoffed. “No! I just don’t feel like listening to her screeching today.”
“Uh huh.” Wilson nodded knowingly and crossed his arms. “Listen, House. Do you want me to sell the loft back to Bonnie? We can always…”
“No!” House turned to Wilson. “Don’t.”
“Well…?” Wilson looked at House, an eyebrow raised. “You’re atuação funny about this. Three days atrás you were happy about it.”
“She hasn’t been to work in two days,” House said fiddling around with the ball on his desk. “She never skips work. She comes to work sick!”
“So…she’s upset.” Wilson shrugged. “She’ll get over it right?”
House looked up at Wilson and nodded quickly before looking back down. “Yeah. It’s not like that was the only loft in New Jersey. Besides she doesn’t REALLY want to mover in with Lucas.”
Wilson opened his mouth and decided not to argue with House’s rationality. He bit his lip. “House. She’s going to come in to work today. And she’s going to know. Bonnie told me that she called her and Bonnie had to tell her that we bought it.”
House nodded. “Exactly. That’s why I need to hide.”
“Actually I think it might be better for you NOT to hide. The longer you hide, the angrier she is going to be.”
House looked down at his best friend and knew that he had better listen to him. He sat down at his escrivaninha, mesa and began rolling the ball around again. Wilson walked back to his office, his stomach in a tense knot.
MD
House looked down at his watch again. It was 9:30. She still hadn’t been up to see him. He grew worried. She hadn’t skipped work again…had she? House glanced up and then saw her walking down the hallway towards his office. Trying to act cool, he leaned back in his chair and twirled the ball around in his hands.
Cuddy approached House’s door and he immediately frowned. She was walking slowly and her head was not erect like normal. Her camisa hadn’t been ironed and she hadn’t straightened her hair. It was curly and pulled back in a ponytail. Cuddy slowly walked into House’s office.
“Good morning!” House said cheerfully. Cuddy ignored his remark and chucked his file at him. House noticed her eyes were red rimmed and he knew that she had been crying. She immediately turned to walk back out.
“Cuddy,” House said, almost begging. She stopped in her tracks but didn’t turn around. “WHAT do you want now?”
“Is there something wrong?” House played dumb and then realized it was a bad move.
Cuddy’s fists clenched and unclenched and then she swiveled slowly back around to face her employee. “Did you just ask me if there was something wrong?” Her eyes were squinted down into little slits and House was honestly afraid for his life.
He cleared his throat. “Yes.”
Cuddy walked back up to his desk. She opened her mouth and closed it. She repeated this several times and it made her look like a fish. House waited patiently for an outburst of yelling, screaming, throwing things, hitting him…but it never came.
Instead Cuddy began to cry again. But there was no bawling; tears just started pouring down her face. “When will you EVER be satisfied that you’ve ruined my life?” Cuddy accused.
House stared at her, amazed. He had NOT been expecting this. “I didn’t buy that loft Cuddy.”
Cuddy snorted. “You are not only the biggest bastard on the face of the planet you are also the best liar.”
“I didn’t!” House exclaimed. “Just because I live there doesn’t mean I bought it!”
“But it was your idea!”
“No! It wasn’t!” House was adamant.
Cuddy continued to cry but backed away from his desk. “Why can’t you just be happy for me? Huh? WHY?!” Cuddy let out a sob and turned away.
“Because you’re making a mistake!” House blurted.
Cuddy whirled on him. “How dare you?!” Her voice rose and House winced. “You have no right. NO RIGHT to tell me whether I am happy. I finally found a man who can take care of me, who loves me for who I am, and will be there for Rachel. If you care about me so much leave me the hell ALONE!” Cuddy’s voice broke.
House looked down. “You really want me to leave you alone?”
“Yes.” Cuddy’s face was set in a straight line.
“Alright then,” House looked up at her, his face pained. “If you’ll excuse me I have a case to look at.”
Cuddy stormed out of the office and waltzed over to Wilson’s throwing the door open.
Wilson looked up at Cuddy, unfazed, and went back to his papers. “Is there a problem?”
“How could you?” Cuddy’s voice was low and Wilson almost didn’t hear it. “I trusted you. As a friend. I trusted you and you turned your back on me. Why?”
Wilson looked up at Cuddy, guilt-ridden but said nothing.
Cuddy sat down in the chair across from Wilson’s escrivaninha, mesa and put her head in her hands. “You are my only real friend James. I’m finally HAPPY and you turn on me!” She put her head up and stared at him.
“I’m…sorry Lisa,” Wilson shook his head. “But House…”
“Yes, yes it’s ALL about House!” Cuddy spat. She stood up so quickly that the chair fell behind her.
“He’s my best friend. And he’s miserable. He was there for me after I had surgery. Do you expect me to not return the favor?”
“So this was your idea of returning the favor?” Cuddy threw up her hands and couldn’t help but let another little sob out. “By interfering with my personal life?!
“All I want is for him to be happy.”
“At my expense!” Cuddy pointed to her chest, angrily. “I can’t believe this!” She put her hands to her head and paced across the floor a couple times. “You know…I have the mind to fogo you. Right now.”
Wilson stared at her unblinking. “House’s friendship is mais important to me than my job ever will.”
Cuddy looked over at him and said nothing.
“You are mad at me for making your life miserable when all you’ve done since House returned from Mayfield is make his life miserable. He’s changed. And you aren’t willing to accept that. And until you are, you are no friend of mine. I’m sorry Lisa. I really am. But sometimes tough amor is the only way.”
“Fine. If that’s the way you think about it…” Cuddy got up slowly and walked out the door. Wilson ran a hand through his hair and sighed putting his head in his hands. He hated this. When was it EVER going to end?
MD
House continued to bounce his ball against the wall. Slowly. He had never seen Cuddy so upset. It made his chest ache…and his leg too. He stopped and rubbed his temples.
“Anything?” Taub stuck his head through the door.
“No!” House yelled and Taub backed off quickly returning to the adjacent room to work on the case.
House took the ball and angrily threw it at the wall. It bounced back hit the other mural and rolled under the escrivaninha, mesa near the window.
“Damn you Cuddy! Why Lucas?! Why!” House shouted in his head.
Wilson stuck his head in the door. “Hey are you alright in here?”
“Do I look like I’m alright to you?” House said sarcastically.
Wilson came all the way into the room. “Cuddy came into my office earlier this morning. She is really upset House. I feel like this was the last straw.”
House said nothing. “Maybe I should just leave.”
“No. You wouldn’t be able to get a job anywhere else.”
“I can’t come to work every dia with her hating me,” House responded miserably.
“Time heals wounds. She will get over it eventually.”
“No. She won’t. She will settle down with Lucas and they will start their happy little family,” House spoke in a mocking voice but Wilson could hear the misery behind it.
“Maybe…that’s the way things are supposed to be,” Wilson shrugged. House merely looked over at him, despondent, and slowly got to his feet, rubbing his leg. It was killing him.
Wilson suddenly felt his beeper go off. “It’s from Cuddy. She’s calling an emergency meeting of the hospital.”
They walked out together and stood at the topo, início of the balcony. Most of the staff was gathered around her on the ground floor and others filed around House and Wilson.
Cuddy spoke loudly. “I just got off the phone with Anders. He was warning me about the storms that are heading our way. He said they are going to be nasty and there is a possibility that the power may go out. We have the generators of course, but you all need to be in emergency mode we cannot afford to have anyone making mistakes. The storms are supposed to hit us from now through tomorrow morning so be prepared and look sharp people!”
“She called an emergency meeting for some storms? Oh please!” House rolled his eyes and walked away.
MD
“Lisa will you calm down?” Lucas was sitting on the sofá holding Rachel.
“How can I calm down?! How do you expect me to calm down?!” Cuddy continued pacing in her living room, nearly ripping her hair out.
“That was not the only loft in the state! There are plenty mais to choose from!”
“But he was my friend Lucas! I trusted him!”
“House isn’t your friend though.”
Cuddy turned and started fooling around with the stuff on the shelf in front of the fireplace. “He’s mais than a friend,” she muttered.
“I didn’t catch that, hon.”
“I said…I can’t handle this anymore!” Cuddy burst into tears.
“Come here!” Lucas motioned to her and she sat down seguinte to him burying her face in his shoulder. “House is an bunda Lisa. An ass! Why are you getting so upset over all of this? Why do you care? He proved to you that he doesn’t care por doing this.”
“No Lucas!” Cuddy picked her head up. “He’s doing this because he loves me!”
Lucas made a face. “He hallucinated a night with you and suddenly he’s in amor with you?”
“I..I think he’s always loved me.”
“So?” Lucas looked down at Rachel and bounced her on his knees luckily missing the realization dawning on Cuddy’s face.
“Look Lisa. If this is causing you so much pain, why don’t you just go to a new hospital? You have the credentials to get a job wherever the hell you want!”
Cuddy looked over at Lucas. “You aren’t seriously suggesting…?”
“Well it’s not like you have anything holding you back,” Lucas shrugged.
Cuddy bit her lip, considering Lucas’ suggestion.
MD
House woke up the seguinte morning to rain beating against the windowsill and thunder booming. He looked outside and noticed the sky was deep black despite the fact that it was 8am.
He slowly got ready and met Wilson at the front door. “Are we going to be able to make it in this?”
“We have to.” Wilson shrugged and the two of them left for work, saying nothing in the car ride on the way there. They were soaked to the skin from the walk from the parking lot and entered the hospital meeting the faces of angry and wet employees rushing around treating angry and wet patients.
“This is going to be a fantastic day. I can feel it!” House said walking to the nurse’s station and signing in.
“Here you go!” House took off his wet casaco and handed it to a nurse passing by.
She made a face. “Excuse me?”
“Hang that up for me will you? You’re a doll.” House walked away slowly and made his way to the elevators. He pushed the up button and waited patiently, tapping his good foot.
The elevator dinged and opened and House stepped inside. He pushed the button for his floor and as the doors were closing, Cuddy squeezed her way in.
“Wow. You always just make it don’t you?” House said.
“I’ve got another case for you,” Cuddy said with lack of emotion in her voice.
“Oh boy! I’m looking progressivo, para a frente to it!”
As they neared the segundo floor House took a step progressivo, para a frente so he was standing right in front of the doors. Suddenly the lights went out and the elevator jerked around for a couple times before stopping. Cuddy screamed and grabbed onto the rail. House, with nothing to hold onto lost his balance and fell.
“House! House!” Cuddy yelled in the dark. “Are you alright?”
He grunted. The lights turned back on. Cuddy kneeled down seguinte to him. He was gripping his injured leg. “I fell on my damn leg!”
“Let me see let me see,” Cuddy reached out and touched his leg and House winced. Cuddy turned her concerned face to House. “You don’t look so good.” She got up and hit the emergency button. Nothing happened.
“I’m fine!” House said and slowly got to his feet. “It’s not like I fell down the steps.”
Cuddy continued to push the emergency button. “Nothing’s happening!” She began to panic.
House put his ear to the mural and could hear the other elevator starting to move. “Well, the other one seems to be working! That means the generators came on!”
“But not in here!” Cuddy banged on the elevator doors. “Help! Someone let us out!”
House rolled his eyes. “They have to prioritize Cuddy. Patients first then employers trapped in elevators.”
“We could be here for hours!” Cuddy groaned and put her head against the doors.
“I KNEW this was gonna be a super awesome day!” House said in a mocking joyful voice.
House and Cuddy love thier ship as well
