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Post by Dr. Lisa Cuddy on Jan 24, 2009 21:30:24 GMT -7
As Cuddy collapsed into her chair, her eyes caught the clock above the double doors she had just locked. Five twenty-three. It had been almost forty-five minutes since she'd walked out of her office to make her rounds in the clinic. And if she hadn't done that... 'No. Don't blame yourself for House being insensitive...' But she did.
Crossing her arms on her desk, she lowered her head into them, resting her forehead on her forearms. Already, she could feel the first prickles behind her eyes, see the first teardrop hit her desk, hear the first heart-wrenching sob break from her chest. Already, her vision began to blur as more tears came streaming down her cheeks; she could taste the salt of them as she blamed herself for everything.
None of it had been House's fault. All of it had been hers. If only she hadn't made some of those comments. If only she'd made her intentions clearer. Would anything have changed if she'd kept her mouth shut about the bet with Wilson? Would it have made a difference if she'd kissed him back? She'd lost him. And she'd never had him to begin with.
Cuddy's heartbroken musings were suddenly shattered as there was a tapping at the door. She'd drawn the shades, so she couldn't see who it was. She didn't care, anyway. She didn't want anyone to see her like this.
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Post by indiansfan01 on Jan 24, 2009 21:38:09 GMT -7
Wilson was in a rather chipper mood right now. Not only had House and him made up, but he had also won forty bucks in the process. He was simply going to collect his money from Cuddy and then tell House all about how surprised she was at the fact that he had won the bet. House had suggested that Wilson wear a micro-camera to catch her reaction, but Wilson didn't think it worth the trouble...and would he be glad that he decided not to wear one.
He was immediately concerned when he saw that her shades were closed. That wasn't like Cuddy. When tapping didn't invoke any response, Wilson asked, just loud enough to be heard through the glass, "Is everything all right, Cuddy?"
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Post by Dr. Lisa Cuddy on Jan 24, 2009 21:50:02 GMT -7
'Oh no...' Cuddy groaned at the sound of Wilson's voice. No doubt he was here to tell her the outcome of his talk with House. And she refused to let him see her broken down like this. Trying as hard as she could to keep the tears from her voice, she raised her head and called back tiredly, "What do you want, Wilson?" Judging by her tone, she had either pulled off a very accurate impression of a sore throat, or tipped the oncologist off that she had been crying. It didn't matter either way. If she let him in, he'd see the tears.
Slowly, she pushed herself back from her desk and walked over to the doors. Leaving the shades and lock alone, she stood there, leaning against the frame. She really wasn't in the mood to explain what had happened in the last forty-five minutes, but then....it was Wilson. He'd get it out of her eventually. Unfolding the sleeves of her long-sleeved shirt, she dried what she could of the tears remaining on her face. Resolutely, she clicked the lock and shuffled to her couch.
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Post by indiansfan01 on Jan 24, 2009 21:57:40 GMT -7
He thought about walking away because something clearly had happened, and that is exactly why he decided not to go. He needed to make sure that Cuddy was okay. He slowly opened the door, all thoughts of collecting his money vanished from his mind.
Wilson could see Cuddy's red eyes. He sat down on the couch next to her. "What happened?" he asked, concerned. "Was it House?" That was a logical conclusion to come to. Wilson had been pulled out of his talk with House because of an emergency, and he had just spent the last couple of hours with the patient. Who knows what trouble House could've gotten himself into in all of that time.
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Post by Dr. Lisa Cuddy on Jan 24, 2009 22:16:58 GMT -7
Her silence speaking for itself, she just nodded slowly and brought her knees up to her chest. Curled up in her corner, she tried to figure out where to start. But every time she opened her mouth to speak, her mind went blank. Finally, she thought she had something. Adjusting herself so that she was half-sitting on her legs, she wrapped her arms around herself. Taking a deep breath, she did what she had to do.
"He.....he kissed me." The moment replayed itself in her mind. She shook her head to clear it. But the image shifted to his exit. "It means goodbye." Hearing the words echo in her mind, she felt her throat constrict as the floodgates opened anew. Leaning forward, Cuddy buried her face in Wilson's shoulder. "He kissed me, and he said good bye...." she whispered, closing her eyes against the tide.
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Post by indiansfan01 on Jan 24, 2009 22:24:37 GMT -7
Wilson didn't want to get involved in Cuddy's personal affairs. He had to make this an exception, though. Only House would do something that stupid. Wilson let Cuddy cry on his shoulder. "Do--do you know where he is right now?" was the only thing he could think to ask. He had gotten through to him once already today and figured he could try again if he needed to. And, if he couldn't, well then, he could help Cuddy get even. Wilson hated how he was thinking more and more like House with each passing day.
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Post by Dr. Lisa Cuddy on Jan 24, 2009 22:55:34 GMT -7
Unable to answer clearly, or at least not confident that her answer would even be understood through the end of her choked sobs, she shook her head against Wilson's arm. When she was sure she could sit up straight again, she did so. She shook her head again. "He..he just left. He didn't say where he was going...just left me standing there. I...I think it was my fault...." It was all she could do to hold back at this point. If she kept breaking down, it would get her nowhere. "I...Wilson, I don't know what to do..." And for the first time in her career, Lisa Cuddy was admitting to helplessness; admitting to being weak.
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Post by indiansfan01 on Jan 24, 2009 23:03:45 GMT -7
Wilson took a minute to think things through, trying to go through the timeline of how House's day most likely went. Wilson knew that Dr. Fraser paid House a visit because she was the first person House mentioned when he came into Wilson's office. And Cuddy saying he just left made it sound like he had somewhere to go. House wouldn't just leave if he was just heading back to his apartment.
The only logical conclusion Wilson could come to was that House was currently with Dr. Fraser. But where were they? House wouldn't take her out to a restaurant...nothing fancy like that. They'd be somewhere simple. A bar perhaps.
Jumbled thoughts were floating all around Wilson's head. He hated to see Cuddy suffering like this. "I know what you can do...Get even." He wasn't sure what he meant by that but given time he could come up with something that would piss House off.
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Post by Dr. Lisa Cuddy on Jan 24, 2009 23:16:10 GMT -7
Folding her hand up into her sleeve, Cuddy ran her cloth-covered fist over her eyes, drying them again as best she could. She watched Wilson in silence, wondering what he was thinking. Apparently, something had come to him, something that he must have known she wouldn't want to hear, because what he'd suggested was quite possibly the most un-Wilson thing she'd ever heard from him.
"Get even?" she repeated incredulously. "How do you 'get even' with House?!?" Realizing that she was practically screaming, she drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her voice lower this time, she continued. "It's impossible, Wilson. The man is twisted...how do you compete with that? It's like bringing a knife to a gun fight." Cuddy knew she was talking nonsense. She always did when she was this deep in emotional turmoil. But she didn't know what Wilson could possibly be thinking. "What do I do....?" she repeated in a sad whisper, hanging her head. House was impossible to deal with, even when she wasn't constantly thinking about him. How would it be any easier now that he'd shoved her out of his life before she was even there?
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Post by indiansfan01 on Jan 24, 2009 23:28:18 GMT -7
Wilson was struck by what could only be called a moment of inspiration. What was one thing that was always on House's mind? Sex. What was one thing he probably always fantasized about? Two beautiful women having sex together. One of those beautiful women was with Wilson and the other was with House. If House happened to see his boss making out with the woman he no doubt wanted to get into his bed he wouldn't know what to think...Better yet, if he thought it was just a hallucination he'd be so embarrassed to find out that it really wasn't and that he had seen his boss doing the dirty thing with another woman. It wouldn't be so hard to make it seem like a hallucination...if he was getting drunk at a bar.
How to get Cuddy to go along with it, though..."I have an idea," he said, cautiously. "How much money would it take for me to get you to make out with another woman?"
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Post by Dr. Lisa Cuddy on Jan 24, 2009 23:42:43 GMT -7
Not sure she liked where this was going, but too curious to let it go, Cuddy narrowed her eyes and tilted her head in confusion. "What?" Had she heard him right? "What do you mean? Another woman?" She shook her head slowly. "I want to make House feel as miserable as I feel right now, and you're trying to bribe me into making out with a girl?" Was her misery making her delusional? Or was her friend completely serious?
"A couple thousand, at least, to make out." Confused as ever, she gave Wilson her best "out with it" look, which was a chore in and of itself when her eyes were puffy from crying. "Anything more will cost more." Figuring she should just go with it, she sighed and waited for the explanation that was sure to come. And it had better be a damn good one, for Wilson to bring girl-on-girl into the conversation.
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Post by indiansfan01 on Jan 24, 2009 23:51:15 GMT -7
"I know it sounds strange," he said, when he probably should have said that before he even asked the question. "I know House. I know he's hanging out with Dr. Fraser at a bar right now. I know there's nothing in the world that will make him more miserable then to see the woman he wants to sleep with making out with another woman." He wasn't explaining himself very well. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before going on. "But you two need to make it look like a hallucination. That way House will think that the most wonderful thing in the world is happening to him at first, only to find out later that it wasn't all just in his mind."
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Post by Dr. Lisa Cuddy on Jan 25, 2009 0:02:39 GMT -7
'Strange' didn't even begin to cover it. In fact, she was pretty sure that was the understatement of the century. But, she heard him out. And, in spite of herself, thought it was a pretty decent plan. Except for the hallucination part.
"Making him think that Doctor Fraser and I are making out will make him regret what he did to me?" It didn't sound very likely. In fact, it sounded like exactly the sort of thing House would use to forget what he'd done in the clinic. "Convincing him that Fraser is a lesbian or bisexual is not likely to make him miserable," she added skeptically. This wasn't going to work. It couldn't. Making House happy.......was exactly what she wanted. He was miserable all the time, so actually being happy was a horrible experience for him. That must be why he avoided it at all costs.
Unconsciously, her lips twitched into a small smile. "Make him happy to make him miserable," she contemplated aloud. "Wilson....I..." she stopped before she said something stupid, and merely ended with: "How do you fake a hallucination?"
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Post by indiansfan01 on Jan 25, 2009 0:09:36 GMT -7
That was an excellent question. "Well, it can't be that hard because he's going to be intoxicated. I should call Angel and see if she's willing to do this. If she is, I'll ask her to get House to bring her back to his apartment but to stall for as long as he can so we have time to get you over there." And from that point forward Wilson had to make up things on the fly. "I suppose we could hide you in the bathroom, and Angel can excuse herself to use the restroom. She could make a quick wardrobe change, and you two come out together wearing the sexiest outfits you can find...and let the hallucination begin."
Wilson hadn't known that he was that good at making things up. He hoped that it would work. The only thing left to do was to get Angel's agreement.
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Post by Dr. Lisa Cuddy on Jan 25, 2009 0:21:08 GMT -7
If sexy outfits were going to be part of the equation, there was nothing in Cuddy's wardrobe sexier than her red lace thong panties with the matching bra. "We'd have to stop by my place....if lingerie is really necessary." She couldn't believe she had agreed to this. She'd never made out with a girl before. Hell, she hadn't even experimented with anything but guys in college. Of course, thinking about her college days made her think about House, and what they'd had back then. She shook those thoughts away and focused on the task at hand.
"You should know...I've never done this before..." Why she felt the need to tell Wilson this was beyond her. But, she felt it was important.
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[My5:]