Chapter Text
Wilson thought that it was probably right to offer House a ride. It’s not like a guy with just a motorcycle and a bum leg is fully equipped to drive who knows how many miles to a conference by himself. Also, didn’t someone say that there was supposed to be a snowstorm? As much as he wasn’t looking forward to the ride with both Amber and House exactly, he wasn’t too upset. It was his best friend and girlfriend after all.
As he sat in his office contemplating this relatively trivial possible event, he was interrupted by the man himself. House walked in, eyeing the sandwich Wilson was about to start. In one fatal swoop, he grabbed the food, sat down on the couch, and took a bite. “Were you planning on asking?” Wilson said with a grimace.
“No.” House said, still chewing. Wilson knew it was a dumb question. “House, we have the conference tomorrow, do you want a ride? You can’t take your bike, there’s going to be snow.”
“Oh, the conference? That’s tomorrow? I don’t think I'm going.” House said as he made himself even more comfortable eating Wilson’s lunch, on Wilson's couch.
“Seriously House. I was there when Cuddy told you. You have to go. Fortunately, so do I. I’ll pick you up at seven. Then we have to meet up at the hospital, I think we gotta pick up parking passes or something.”
House slowly got up, carefully not to land on his bad leg too quickly. He chucked the wrapping of the finished sandwich in Wilson’s trash can. As he walked out, he called back to Wilson. “If I have to.”
* * * * * * * *
Apparently, House and his ducklings' daily blunders and mishaps were inventive and ground breaking enough to be a main talking point for Princeton-Plainsboro teaching hospital. The hospital was set to put on a presentation of some of the services and departments available to patients, as well as general values of the hospital. Because of this, the diagnostics department all had to attend, as well as Cameron and Wilson, as heads of the emergency room and oncology respectively. The head of surgery was away for some reason or another, and as the next most respected member of the department, and someone fairly unlikely to do something insane in a room full of potential donors and colleagues, Chase was expected to attend as well.
Foreman, sensing an glorious opportunity to both not have to drive in a blizzard, but also pry into Chase and Cameron’s relationship, came to the conclusion to ask to carpool with them. Quickly as the couple was walking out, Foreman caught up with them and smiled uncharacteristically warmly. “Hey, you guys are going to the conference tomorrow right?”
Chase smiled back, and replied warmly that yes of course him and Cameron would be attending. Cameron sized Foreman up. “What do you want?”
“Uhhh, I was wondering if I could ride with you guys?” Foreman said, knocked a little off his game. Cameron and Chase shared a look. Quickly, Foreman added, “I’ll tell you what House’s been up to!”
Evidently, the former members of the diagnostics department wanted to know what their old boss was doing, so they agreed, somewhat begrudgingly, to let Foreman hitch a ride.
* * * * * * * *
As Taub and Kutner made their way through the lobby, they could see Foreman standing with Cameron and Chase in the far corner. Kutner wondered what they were talking about. He knew they’d all worked together under house before the current arrangement. Taub interrupted his train of thought, “Hey, how are you getting down to the conference tomorrow?”
Oh shit. Kutner hadn’t thought about that. “I don’t know. I guess I was planning to hitch a ride with you, Thirteen or Foreman.” Taub sighed. “Yeah that's what I was thinking too. You don’t Foreman would mind giving us a ride, right?” Kutner thought that he probably would mind, but would be too polite to flat out deny them.
“Yeah, I’ll ask him tomorrow when we’re supposed to meet to get parking passes here.”
Taub nodded in agreement. “Good plan. See you then.” Kutner smiled, and the two men broke apart to leave in different directions.
* * * * * * * *
The next morning, at precisely 7:13, after a good fifteen minutes at least of waiting on Wilson and Amber's part, House emerged from his apartment. Clearly this was an unholy hour of the morning for him, seeing as his hair was sticking in all directions, his shirt wasn’t fully buttoned over his band tee of choice, and he was leaning pretty heavily on his cane. Coat in one hand, bottle of Vicodin in the other, he stumbled into Wilson’s waiting car. Amber was annoyed, you would think any doctor would be pretty used to being up this early. She knew better though, when she was part of House’s great competition to find a new team, on multiple occasions he didn’t show up at the hospital until well past noon.
As House lumbered into the back seat, he called out to Wilson. “Back seat? Really? I thought you had more respect for cripples.”
“I do, just not for you. And Amber's doing me a favor by coming, so she gets first dibs on the passenger seat.” House looked at Amber, feigning surprise.
“Funny seeing you here. Kinda forgot you two were together” But of course he hadn’t, he cared way too much about Wilson’s business.
Amber shot him a knowing look.
“No you didn’t. Kinda forgot you were friends with James, but I guess even he has faults right?”
House stared daggers at her. Wilson looked between his best, and arguably only friend, and his girlfriend, not wanting to pick a side. He finally spoke up. “Hey. Play nice. The drive hasn’t even started yet. We still gotta stop at PPTH to get something and for Cuddy to tell us where to drive in.” Wilson relaxed back into his seat and started driving. This might have been an even worse idea than he thought.
* * * * * * * *
Foreman was first of the group going to the conference to show up at the hospital after Cuddy. She looked ridiculously prepared, a stack of parking passes on a table next to her and a notebook no doubt holding all the things she wanted to remember to tell everyone. After a few awkward minutes of small talk, Kutner and Taub arrived. They, somewhat awkwardly, sidled up to Foreman. Taub decided to bite the bullet. “Hey, Foreman. We were wondering if we could ride with you?”
“Sorry, I’m already riding with Chase and Cameron.” he smoothly replied.
Taub looked worried. “Me and Kutner-” Kutner shot him a glance as if to say, “Don’t drag me into this.” “-were planning on riding with you… and I rode my bike in…” Foreman sighed, as if to signal his moral superiority because of his pawing rides off of his friends a day earlier. “I guess we can ask Chase and Cameron when they get here.” Taub smiled at Kutner.
“Good plan!” Kutner told him. It just now hit Foreman that he’d have to explain to Chase and Cameron how two more people were going to ride with them.
House, Wilson and Amber arrived in the lobby of PPTH just as Cameron and Chase did. Cuddy called everyone into her office. “Who’s riding together? I need to hand out the parking slips.” She said just as everyone got through the doors. Foreman shuffled closer to Cameron and Chase. “Er, so Kutner and Taub need a ride…” Cameron sighed. She wanted the chance to just talk with Chase, even though they were basically living together at this point, they didn't get a chance to talk much because of both of their busy schedules.
“Sure, what will two more people do at this point? You’re riding in the back with them.” Foreman was outraged at this grave injustice. “Can’t you sit in the back? I’m taller, I need leg room.” Cameron stared daggers at him. “First, you invited yourself to ride with us. Then you invited two more people. I really don’t care about how much leg room you have.” Foreman backtracked, seeing as this is the person who might be driving the car he’ll be riding in. “Oh sure, of course. Thanks for the ride again.”
Cameron sighed, and looked at Chase for support. “Oh yeah of course!” Chase replied to Foreman, fully unaware of how outraged his girlfriend was about three people carpooling with them.
Cuddy shot them a look. “I assume you guys are riding together?”
“And me and Kutner!” Taub added. Cameron scowled at this reminder of the situation that she fell into.
* * * * * * * *
Cuddy handed a parking pass to Chase, and one to Wilson. “Is that everyone?” She checked her list, no, it wasn’t. Thirteen wasn’t there yet. “Has anyone heard from Dr. Hadley?” The assembled group shook their heads. Cuddy sighed. Why can’t people just show up? She told them about this months ago, and sent a reminder email out just last week. “I’ll wait for a little bit and see if she shows, you guys can leave now, parkings around the back. House, after last year, they gave you a special handicap spot. Please don’t deface another car.” Amber looked at Wilson. He grimaced and nodded back at her.
Everyone filled out of the office, including Cuddy who went to go wait outside for the wayward member of House’s team. Navigating around the mounds of snow in her heels, she stopped to sit on the arm of a bench. She told herself, turning around to look at the clock in the lobby, that she’d wait 30 minutes. Then she’d be out of here. She wrapped her coat around herself, it really was cold and dark out. It looked like it was going to snow soon too. Good thing she’d be in her car by then. On the other end of the sidewalk, she caught a glimpse of someone running, no sprinting at her. As they got closer, it became clear that it was a very underdressed for the weather, coated in sweat, Thirteen. When she reached a bewildered Cuddy, she stumbled a bit. “-so sorry Dr. Cuddy…car wouldn’t start… had to run here-” Thirteen said between breaths. When she regained the ability to breathe, she seemed to realize the situation at hand. “I’m so sorry for inconveniencing you, can I still go to the conference?"
Cuddy realized the predicament. She was going to the conference, and there was no reason the other doctor shouldn't go. But Thirteen’s car definitely wasn’t going to be an option for her from what Cuddy could gather. “Uh, Dr. Hadley, do you wanna ride with me? I was waiting to see if you were coming, I can leave now” Thirteen looked embarrassed but relieved. “I’m so sorry I made you wait, a ride would also be great please.” Cuddy had never really interacted with the young doctor before, just knew that she was interesting to House. And House was only ever interested in violent illnesses and monster trucks.