Chapter Text
“Guess what Cuddy just did.”
House comes inside Wilson’s office, with a file in his left hand.
“What is going on this time? Clinic duty hours are over the roof?”
“For once it’s not about the modern water drop torture! No, she gave me one of the most boring cases. And I thought about you taking it. You don’t have any urgents patients-”
“Yeah, I don’t.”
“I was gonna say an affirmation. I got access to your schedule at the time.” House sits on Wilson’s chair, his feet on the table. “Nelly Overstreet, 14 year old female.
Wilson starts to shift in his seat, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut.
“Hey, I think that finally, I have 20 chemios to do in the next week, so uh, I’m gonna-”
“Come on Jimmy, what are you hiding?”
“Nothing! I’m not just sure it’s a good idea to take your case, especially without Cuddy’s approval.”
“Hey, it’s not like she wasn’t used to us doing some bullshit like that. Now, let’s go meet the scary teenage girl.”
“Goddamnit love! I just think you should take your responsibilities. You’re a grown man, you can survive one ‘boring’ case!” House looks at Wilson with that look that could make his boyfriend do everything, and the brunette tries not to cross his stare. “Okay fine, I’ll take it. But if I have more emergencies, you’re having it back!”
They both leave Wilson’s office, even if the oncologist is really hesitant.
“Come on, go see her, this kid is not going to bite you.”
“She could if she has rage!”
The oncologist looks inside the transparent hospital room. He hopes that the parents aren’t here. Looking nervously, from the corner of his eyes, there’s nobody in the room, except for the young girl.
“I’m gonna see her. If the parents arrive, just keep them away.”
“There’s something interesting… you recognize the name of your elementary school bully?”
James rolls his eyes and replaces his hair before entering Nelly’s room. He analyses her face, seeing any traits. She has a triangular face shape with a soft chin that he saw a lot of times in his high school days. Some light wavy chestnut hair, a slightly bumpy nose and blue-gray eyes. He goes and says the typical doctor stuff, just treating this case as if this kid was just another one.
“Hey, I’m Dr. Wilson, and I’m one of the doctors in charge of your case. Do you know where your parents are?”
The young girl gives him a quick side eye as she’s trying to relax. The exact same side eyes he saw so many times on one of his friend’s face. As she’s about to just simply nod, she suddenly locks her eyes with Wilson’s.
“‘Scuse me doctor… Your face tells me something.”
“I might have a common face, but how can you be so sure? I’m pretty sure we just met…”
“Yeah, but sti-”
“Hey, you’re tired, and when you were sent into the hospital, it said you threw up and had temporary aphasia. It’s better to keep you overnight, and relax. Your brain must be mushy now, but based on your symptoms, I’m guessing you’re having a really bad migraine, but it could also be worse. I’m gonna leave the room for now.”
As Wilson starts to walk away and grabs the part of the door that slides, he hears a determined, but weak voice.
“I saw your face on my dad’s desk.”
The oncologist rolls his eyes and turns towards her and does a gentle smile, trying to stay calm.
“I think there’s an actor who looks like me, you might confuse him with me. Sorry kiddo, but now I have other cases to take care of. Press on the red button if you need urgent medical help.”
“No but-”
Wilson leaves the room, going to see House, visibly stressed.
“I can’t treat this kid. She’s a puzzle, you will like her.”
The brunette slides Nelly’s file back into House’s hands, before looking around him. In hopes none of the parents will come. And then he sees the elevator door opening. A lean man, freshly shaved, who looks professional. Except for some wrinkles around the corners of his eyes, that must come from stress, Knox hasn’t changed. His hair is still the same length, and he doesn’t seem to be greying by now. Before both of the men can lock eye contact with each other, James turns around, so his back is facing the elevator. He walks fast towards his office, trying to escape Knox. In hopes he won’t recognize him. He locks himself in his office. There’s a reason why he left everything. He opens his MacBook, just going through emails back and forth, until the words he reads doesn’t make any sense. The oncologist takes off his lab coat, the weather starting to get really hot for some reason. Out of fear. If Knox sees him, what will he say?
He tried and wanted to reconnect with the poets, but with the hours at the hospital, it was almost impossible for him. Plus, it’s been a while since he tried to end it all. 22, almost 23 years. By this time, the Hellton guys must've had time to mourn him enough. Some years ago, he would have loved to see them, but now it’s not a good idea. The seven of them took different paths in life, they have full time jobs and visibly, some have families, and it’s too late to come back. Not like if it was life who decided to separate them, and that he would bump into one of his high school friends, with nothing to justify, except the hard time adulthood can give, their schedules absorbing their existences. He knows he can’t say anything to anybody.
All of a sudden, his pager beeps, and he sighs. House paged him. Now he’s gonna have to explain all of this. “I am James Wilson. I take care of your daughter. Huh? Who is this Neil guy? You must have confused me with that one Sean actor, or whatever his name is, people told me I look like him. I have a common face.” He repeats to himself all the lines he practiced in his head. All the excuses he can pull. He puts his lab coat back on, and wishes he would have let his beard grow instead of shaving it. He would maybe look just a little bit different, just enough to look less like Neil. He grabs the handle of his office’s door, and walks towards the location House paged him. As he looks around him, and he feels like his head weighs tons, James lowers his head to look at the file again. Get this done, keep the parents out of the room. The noise around him disappears, and as he’s stuck in his head, he bumps into someone else, probably a man, by the way the stranger was grunting when he fell.
“I’m very sorry sir, I have an urgent ca-”
As Wilson offers his hand to help the man, he sees the face of the man. Charlie Dalton. His old classmate grabs his hand and stands up. Wilson sighs and freezes, not knowing what to do. On one hand, if he leaves Charlie like that, he’s gonna be really rude, but on the other hand, he wants to run away back into his office. And it’s better to act as if he wasn’t Neil Perry, right? James Wilson, the perfect doctor, who always lived in New Jersey, would never know Charlie Dalton.
“Hey sir, I’m real-”
Charlie’s gaze stops, his eyebrows raising in disbelief.
“Neil?”
“Sorry?”
“No, this can’t… Neil?”
“Sorry, that’s not me. You must be searching for Doctor Nielsen. If you had an appointment, the Gyn-Ob section is thi-”
“Tell me why would I have an appointment in Gyn-Ob?”
James’ head starts to burn more and more. In an apologetic voice, he says
“If your wife has an appointment, or something…”
“Me? I am quite the handsome fellow indeed and they all want me, but I don’t have any, Neil.”
“My name is Doctor James Wilson, not Neil. What, you know a Neil that looked like me? Because I can show you my documents, and you’ll see.”
Charlie looks still at him, then rolls his eyes, looking frustrated and confused.
“I’m sorry sir, but I have a really common face.”
“Your eyebrows! Did you glued them? Got botox to make those puppy eyes bigger?”
“Hey, I didn’t want to assume anything about your wife. I know divorces can be tough, and I know a good therapist.”
Charlie stops for a second, then sighs and runs a nervous hand through his greying hair.
“No, it’s fine. I have a kiddo to go see. We’ll talk again.”
Then James nods and goes into the same direction as Charlie. Why, oh just sweet why? He’s gonna kill House later on for sure. He controls his breath, thinks of what Rita told him too many times. Focus on the present. You are James. Except thinking of her hurts. Then, he’s reassured when he sees that House paged him again. This time, he’s skipping Nelly’s room and instead, goes towards House’s office.
“Wilson! Where the hell were you?”
“Uh, I bumped into a man. And I think he might be crazy or something.”
“Wow. Have you told him that the psych ward is upstairs?”
Wilson rolls his eyes at the words of his crush. He likes House more than good can do to him.
“Have you met Nelly’s parents?”
“Yeah. I saw the dad. Why do you look so surprised? You didn’t expect me to go meet the patients and their parents?”
Wilson smiles at House. Right now, he’s holding on to everything that makes him feel good. And House counts. He really wants to explain to Knox and Charlie. But how?
—---
House drives Wilson back to their place. Surprisingly, Wilson is really silent and thoughtful. Usually, he cracks some words or the two men have a simple conversation. But now, he’s completely silent.
“Jimmy, did the guy you bumped into cut your vocal cords?”
The oncologist turns towards House, his brown eyes confused.
“What? No, I’m just tired. I don’t want to talk right now.”
“You saw one of your ex-wives? She tried to do her right there and here?”
“No! I saw nobody that I knew! I was just making sure the man was okay, we bumped into each other pretty hard…”
“Everybody lies.”
House takes a sip of his coffee, suspicious of what his boyfriend is hiding.
—---------
Back at the two doctors’ residence, James brings his things with him. Usually, he leaves them on the table. Everywhere he goes, he has his work little brown wallet with him. Even when he goes to the bathroom.
The hot water is running over his tired body. The droplets are running on his skin, and he just wishes the droplets could make everything go away. The attempt, the escape, how his father almost killed him. All the things between that fatal December day and when he found the Wilsons. He would also like to forget today, blame his too soft heart for accepting to take House’s case. His soft heart, and the need to make sure his relationship, platonic or romantic, with House won’t go downhill, unlike with his ex-wives.
He gently washes himself, as if the soap could clean his past. He wants to tell the truth, but after a bunch of years, it’s impossible to come back to his old friends, who imagine him dead. And his work facade! Things are going great at the hospital, he’s respected, has a boyfriend, nearly is the perfect man- perfect is an euphemism, okay? There’s no need to get Neil to be considered living again.
Wilson finally steps out of the bathroom, in a worn out Rolling Stones shirt and some loose flannel pants. He goes to see House, who’s laying on the couch and looking at his work briefcase really intensely.
“Such a lovely thing you got there. You’re hiding an engagement ring for me here?”
“House, seriousl-”
“I think I know what you’re hiding.”
“Oh yeah? And what would that thing be?”
Oh. Yeah. Explaining a change of identity based on a failed suicide attempt and an abusive dad is so easy to tell!
“Something so atrocious that you did in your ‘perfect’ past that even your ex-wives didn’t know of.”
“Exactly. It’s nothing that concerns you. Listen, you need to stop being nosy about my business-”
“Wow, guess I can’t even make sure my boyfriend is okay! Since I’d like to know what’s going on!”
“You don’t want to help me! I’m just another nice puzzle to decrypt, right? Just stop it!” James’ voice gets louder and louder, his nerves breaking. “I don’t need this right now!”
Before House can even say a syllable back to Wilson, a faint knock can be heard on the door. The arguing couple look at each other, and Wilson takes a deep breath.
“Listen, I promise I will tell you, but there’s nobody here that knows. It’s just… not the easiest thing to say, and it takes time. And I have to make sure you won’t go and tell it to everyone.”
For one of the few times, James saw his boyfriend’s eyes lose their confident sparkle. The other time was when he realized he needed detox because of his Vicodin addiction. Then, the older man limps towards his boyfriend and grabs his lips in a soft, but not passionate kiss. Wilson knows his boyfriend will not say ‘I understand’ directly to him, but that’s his way of showing his support. Even if there’s a high chance that the day after, House will probably ignore the oncologist’s request again. The knock on the door can be heard again, and Wilson lets go of his boyfriend.
“It’s okay, I’ll get it.”
House walks to the door, cane in hand. He unlocks the door and Wilson can’t see who’s at the door, but they answer to House quick and fast.
“Hi, I’m sorry but I don’t have anywhere to sleep and I wanted to know if you knew any good places around.”
“You know, making reservations are always a safe bet.”
“Oh, I was just wandering around, going where my flesh was guiding me. Now, I’m tired and I don’t know where to go. Sleeping in the middle of the road isn’t a good idea.”
“Pft, I live here, you’d think I know the hotels around?”
“No, I was just asking like that.”
As he hears the voice of the other man, he immediately feels bad for him. Wanting to offer his help, Wilson goes behind House, not yet facing the man waiting.
“House, this man doesn’t have a place to sleep.”
“House? What a name for a man who seems to lack hospitality.”
“Oh, he’s always been like that. Don’t worry, we’ll… arrange the couch for tonight.”
Wilson hasn’t dared look up at the ‘stranger’ before the middle of his sentence. His voice drops low, but he’s trying to ignore the view of Todd Anderson in front of him.