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If it had been any other day you would have missed it. The faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The freshly cleaned clothes. The scent of shampoo and combed hair. But it was a day like no other after being told you are useless. “Unteachable” your first year as an intern in a hospitable like you always dreamed about and it was already going horribly.
A couple months have passed since you started at the hospital. You moved to Jersey after hearing about the scary mean old doctor who can solve anything. He was compared to a Sherlock Holmes of medicine but with worse manners than anyone. On your first day you were warned about him. The silver hair and cane which made him unmissable as you knew who he was, you were told about how he had a gift for diagnosing people but also a gift for insulting people. You quickly learned of his cruel nature and were scared of him before you even met him. But a couple months after hearing your mentor saying you were useless and “just a basket case” you were wondering if you made the wrong choice. Tears welled up in your eyes as things started to get bleary. Heart thumping in your head along with the deafening silence from the corridor where you listen to conversations about you but not for you. Always knowing you were different and hearing someone say it in that tone were two different things.
“Hello?” spoke a cold yet confused voice. You looked up to see a tall skinny looking man with short grey hair and an old wooden walking stick. “House” you spoke quietly. As Cuddy came out of the room to introduce you and him.
“This is y/n she is being transferred to your team… y/n this is doctor Gregory house he will be your mentor from now on.” She diverted her attention to the house and spoke softly, “can I talk to you in private?” as the two wander off you couldn't help but think how she is probably telling him how useless you are, how you can't do anything right, how you mess everything up. A tear fell down your cheek as the tall man turned his head to look at you with saddening eyes, his head being to nod. “Come one then kid” he said. So far he wasn't anything like the other doctors described. He was soft and gentle; he spoke kindly with concern. Like she told him what happened. You walked behind him down the corridor in silence, not a word other than a pill box rattling and a few grunts of pain from him.
Walking into the elevator you wanted to ask but didn't and before you knew it you were in his office. “Sorry” you whispered “what did she tell you?” you asked not knowing what to expect.
“Umm… in simple terms” he paused “she told me how you have been leaning and shadowing of multiple people with little luck and while working with him you went through something… he … he didn't help and you got scared and he had enough of you” house now spoke in a sad low voice as if not to scare you “you don't have to tell me i know the gist of it but if you need someone to talk to then … you know where i am”
“OK thank you house and i'm sorry she had to call you in so late” taking a quick look around you noticed a spare cane leaning against a chair, a blanket loosely thrown on it. A small TV next to his desk with lots of little objects around the room.
You stood upset, feeling guilty for dragging him to the hospital in the middle of the night not knowing how far he has travelled. You have worked a whole shift and over time when your patient took a turn for the worse, sleeping in an empty room unable to go home.
“It's alright … i would let you sleep on the couch but that isn't really an option so take the blanket, find some place..” After laying on the floor covering yourself with a blanket you both said night. Soon after you settled down he moved to the desk to see if you were asleep. You shut your eyes quickly. He then went to sit back down with a loud thud, hearing the sound of a game which sounded like little laser beams shooting.
You wake up to a house standing over you, him pondering on how to wake you up. Quickly finding your feet before he leads you into the hall and down to the cafeteria. Refusing food you had a drink and then sat and watched house eat him hoping it would encourage you to eat something. Before long the house got a page coursing him to put everything down and go to his office. Once arriving you were met with silence. House put down cane before getting something out of his top draw. With a quick come, one kid followed him.
A grown man gasping for air huddled over in pain as the house grabbed his face before injecting him in the neck. Sudden panicked gasp leaped for air as the man threw himself upright as he calmed down. “Could none of you idiots see the vein in his neck?” at that you flinched as he walked away. A sharp piercing whistle caused you to turn to the house and follow him like a dog who found their new master. After a couple of days you got comfortable with the team and found a comfortable place. You quickly became close friends with everyone and started learning lots of new things after house had a meeting with the team. He reassured you that he didn't tell them anything about what happened. When in reality all he did was tell them you have autism and ADHD so you needed to learn things differently which the whole team helped to adjust things for you. As things started to look up you couldn't help but feel like you were a burden to everyone. A couple had gone by. Eventually you ended up living with house for more than one reason. Everyone thought you liked him, one for you two were always together and two he is never nice to anyone but you. He seemed to have a soft spot for you. Never once did he raise his tone with you or was cruel or rude to you. Always gentle and kind. Even when you made silly mistakes or forgot something you knew. He tried his best. Everyone knew it was odd but to you it was normal. You felt yourself start to trust him. To care about him. And he did you.
Nine and a half months after meeting for the first time house ran into your old boss in the cantine. “Has she finally started to remember things you learned from her a million times?” one asked him quickly interrupted by another “yeah or has she stopped acting like a kid?” As they went on to insult you. He shouted at them to shut up followed by insults about how one doctor is only making fun of you because you said no to a date and the other is only bullying you because his wife is leaving you. When their silence fell he walked away before seeing you.
“She's still a waste of time… that won't change” he screamed to house knowing you were around the door. You ran away, your footsteps echoing throughout the halls as the men began to laugh. House didn't care about what they said he was more focused on you. He knew where you would be going. The only place you feel safe.
His office. You sat on the couch in a ball crying quietly before house came to sit next to you, scooping you up into his arms as you shuffled closer to him, leaning on him crying into his jacket. His arms wrapped around your chin rested on your head as the height difference became obvious. Tears rolling down your face, whispering “i… im sorry im such a bother i'm so sorry i make everything worse” choking on your tears he put his hand on your face wiping your tears “your not a burden kiddo” he spoke softly. The words hit you before you relaxed into him, you bum on the chair, legs up to your chest, head on his chest and arms around him. He let you cry. Comforted you as you needed letting you know he was there and you were safe. You are safe with him.