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Even the whiskey is tasting wrong.
Life is tasting wrong.
Gregory House decided a long time ago he didn’t want anybody around.
If you let people close enough, you end up, like any human being, to be attached to them.
Being attached hurts.
It hurt really bad.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The day had however well started.
They had an interesting case
House’s leg didn’t hurt too much
Only problem, the vicodine bottle was almost empty.
So as any normal person, Gregory House made his way to his favourite oncologist’s office to ask for a refill.
Of course Wilson was busy, whats more, with a dying patient.
So House takes his duty to explain to Wilson that, it wasn’t that bad to interrupt him cause his patient were “always dying”
Maybe Wilson had sort of bad leg day too cause he got really pissed.
-“ You see House, That’s your problem ! You don’t care about anyone, I’m not even sure you care about yourself when I see how you act ! This woman learned she was gonna die and you acted like an egocentric bastard !”
Wilson yelling was something pretty unusual but that just annoyed House, his leg started to hurt slightly more.
-“ Im acting like a bastard cause I’m in pain ! I need the pills !”
Wilson gave him a bitter laugh.
-“ don’t you think this woman is too ? Don’t you think we all are ?! Stop trying to find excuses, you are miserable and you want others to be ! You’re a bloody junky and you’re not even ashamed of it, you’re pathetic House.”
That hit too close from home, House imperceptibly flinch, shifting his weight.
-“ yeah I don’t need a reminder ! It been years, don’t act like it was new, why now ? Why did you decide it was the moment to let me rote in pain ?”
House is now truly angry, his left hand, who was previously resting on his cane, is now gesticulating violently towards Wilson.
-“ Oh c’mon you’re being dramatic !”
Saying that, Wilson broke the eyes contact for the first time in their conversation, avoiding to answer House’s previous interrogation.
-“ Oh I know !”
House got a perfidy smile back and stepped closer, pointing at Wilson.
-“ I should have known ! It’s Amber ! Today is that cut-throat bitch’s death anniversary and you still think it’s my fault, you still blame me and you’re trying to punish me for it.”
Wilson stays still, eyes burning from rage and maybe tears.
House immediately regretted his words.
He still does.
But at the moment he was just blinded by the pain and the frequent spams in his leg.
-“ don’t dare bringing Amber…”
Wilson’s voice was low, dangerous and broken as he weakly attempted to stop House.
He was right, House shouldn’t. But the pain was killing him, making his already sharp behaviour worst.
-“ Get the fuck over it Wilson ! She was an unbeatable and manipulative bitch ! You only been with her for five small months and you asked me to risk my life for her. And I fucking did it ! You know what ? Maybe it’s your fault ! If you answered my call instead of her, she wouldn’t have been in the bus !”
While saying that, House grew angrier and came closer, slapping his free hand on the desk. His tone was bitter, disgusted and hurt by the past memories.
“Out.”
Wilson’s voice was cold like ice, his usually warm brow eyes were too and locked on House.
Before House could speak again, Wilson muttered.
“I said get out.”
Deep inside House knew he went too far, he tried to apologise, yes Gregory House tried to apologise but James got up and walk to him, their noses almost touching.
“Get the hell out of here or I’ll drag your bloody ass myself”
House doesn’t step back, he has a defiant expression.
“Oh the great James Wilson gonna hit a cripple because he insulted his dead girlfriend ?”
In fact, James Wilson did hit a cripple,
In a second, Wilson was on him, hitting over and over again his best friend face.
When he stopped, they were both panting. House’s nose was full of blood and surely broken, his right eyes was swell and he was coughing blood but still,
He was smiling.
Wilson wanted to rip off this smile, he wanted to destroy everything, his was blinded by his rage.
So he did something he didn’t think he was capable of,
He got up and punched House’s right tight with his foot, digging is heel into the scar.
House screamed
He screamed like a ten year old locked out of his house on a winter night.
He screamed like he was forced in an ice bath.
He’s sure every soul in the hospital heard his scream.
He tried to pull away but any movement was making the pain worst, spreading it in his whole body. House pleaded and cried for Wilson to stop, the tears he usually kept for himself now running free on his cheek.
Eventually, Wilson stepped back, he didn’t look down, maybe because he was ashamed ?
The pain didn’t leave with Wilson foot, it was even worse. House couldn’t breathe.
But Wilson left, he left his best friend in agony, bleeding and shaking on his office’s floor.
After a few minutes, Greg managed to sit against the wall, he couldn’t catch his breath.
What now ?
He wasn’t able to walk or even stand and his vision was blurred. His only solution was to page someone.
So that’s what he did.
Laurence Kutner pushed the door, his so bright smile fading away when he saw the state his boss was.
It’s true that House looked pathetic, bloody and teary face, both hands clenched on his right tight.
Kutner kneeled and tried to understand what happened while inspecting the older man’s face but House stopped him.
-“just help me get up already”
But the young man didn’t move and put a hand on House’s shoulder, who flinched at the contact
-“ House you need an MRI… you’re bleeding”
Kutner’s voice was calm and professional, only his eyes betrayed his worry and panic. House palpated his noise, slightly wincing.
“Well my nose is broken, don’t need an MRI to confirm”
The young man tilted his head,
-“I was taking about your leg…”
Finally, House dared releasing his tight and looked down. A large dark stain was expanding there,
This wasn’t good, this really wasn’t good.
House bite his lower lips, and look at the celling swallowing his tears.
-“ok you made a point. Bring me Vicodine so I’ll be able to-“
Kutner handed him a yellow bottle and the older one swallow three, hell maybe four.
With his employee’s help, House managed to get in the MRI room without seeing anyone from his team, or worst Cuddy.
After removing his belt, House sat on the MRI with relieve, the walk has been exhausting and so painful that his vision started to tunnel.
-“ House I need you to remove you pants please, I’d like to check on your leg”
Oh
Having one of his fellow looking at his biggest insecurities wasn’t exactly his plan but damn it, he’s a grow man, he can handle that. So he did what Kutner asked, exposing his hurt tight. It was usually “only”ugly, savage but now it was bleeding and some disgusting purple bruises were growing all around.
House quickly looked away from the hurt skin, focus on the younger one, daring him to say something.
Luckily Kutner shut his mouth during the whole exam and only talked after getting House out of the MRI.
“ The nerves aren’t too damaged, but you need to rest and eventually take stronger pain killers for a short time, I’m hospitalising you.”
The young man’s tone was unsure but still professional, House was still his boss after all.
That didn’t stop House to put his pants back on.
-“ yeah, but I’m still a grown adult, and I got all the good strong stuff at my apartment so, no thanks “
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
House takes another sip of his whiskey. He ran out of “good stuff” about an hour ago and his leg started to bleed again due of the frequent pain spasms.
Someone knocked at the door.
House wasn’t able to walk and he didn’t want to fight with Wilson -it was him behind the door, who else- again, so he just keeps his mouth shut.
-“ House I know you’re in there, just open the damn door”
His heart dropped, it was Cuddy’s voice
It wasn’t Wilson.
Wilson didn’t came check on him
Wilson had left him.