The summer nights weren't always this bad. They were normally filled with a simple yet satisfying warmth that roamed in the air and eased on our skin. There would be a fresh aroma of cut lawns and ngọc lục bảo trees, refreshing to inhale-to replenish ourselves. Sounds of children's laughter, echoing through the ngày and the night as they ran freely and carelessly across their lawns and pavements. But not tonight. Tonight was one of those nights we spent trembling under the fury of lightning and thunder and the sadness of the rain. Tonight we had to hear them bicker and scream, and fight. Despite all this, something else was to occur. This would be an unusual evening. One, I find to believe unsettling--in many ways.
House's apartment was fairly quiet. His phone, as usual, was off the receiver. It appeared to be no where in the entire living room, signifying he had left it elsewhere at a different time.
House had gone through about nearly seven shots of scotch before passing out on the floor. He was sprawled out, his arm and leg residing on the đi văng while the rest of his body resisted and pulled bởi gravity, dragged onto the floor.
The poor fellow was dreaming in the trance he was in. He had a fairly good amount of REM as he slept, his breath, almost silenced on the wooden floor. He appeared to be dreaming of something, fairly exciting--worth dreaming.
But this dream had ended once insistent raps sounded from the door. They echoed through this lonely apartment, slowly, and readily.
His eyes shot open, unaware of what was going on. His eyes drooped, as if his eyelids were weights on his eyes and he rose from the floor. He needed to stop the penetrating knocks that were unsettling to the mind; his delicate mind.
He slowly opened the door, slightly aggravated as he wiped his face down, attempting to properly wake up.
"Gregory House, its wonderful to meet you," he uttered with a hoarse voice.
"I take it you've been drinking?" Lisa Cuddy replied.
"Let me guess, the way I am standing, the way I'm clinging for balance against the door or--option three which should ease your expression."
"Your breath. Couple shots of scotch."
"Couple, few, several. All the same, just different bởi value."
"Am I going to come in hoặc bạn waiting on your other hooker to arrive?"
"No, I set all my appointments prior to the times I think you're going to check up on me."
She walked in and scanned the room before her: the usual House pad it always was. She just stood in a motionless position as he moved around her, making his way back to the đi văng for shot number eight.
"You come here straight from work?" he asked as he poured out the scotch. She gave a nod.
Outside the thunder and lightning fought here and there. Streaks of bright light shot across the sky and rumbles of fury replied. Rain just fell, but heavily.
"I didn't expect it to get this bad."
"Your assumption was wrong." he retorted, almost mockingly.
"Why are bạn here?" he continued as he threw back the tenth shot.
"I figured, bạn take a few days off, and then change it to a vacation, and apparently I was right, judging on the looks of what you've done with yourself for the past five days."
"So, you've come here to bring me back?"
"No."
"You've come to yell."
"No."
"You've come to bribe me back."
"No. Just irritate bạn till bạn break."
A loud crack of thunder rumbled after a bright and blinding lightning had struck down onto the Earth. And then, darkness.
"Damn. Its okay, I got a flashlight and a candle. Somewhere.."
"I got candle bạn get a flashlight."
"We actually need one to find the other," he retorted sarcastically.
"Just come on."
Cuddy slipped off her high heeled shoes and put down her things, along with her áo khoác and ran around barefoot.
"Who knew that finding a candle, a flashlight--"
"--and a match hoặc lighter,"
"Would be slightly hard to find," House finished.
"It's a blackout, I'm not surprised we haven't found anything hoặc even each other yet."
"I know where bạn are."
"By my voice. bạn don't know where I physically am."
"I know your in the kitchen, based on the echo of your irritated voice. Got the candle."
"Found a match. No sign of the flashlight yet."
They both made their way into the living room again and sat down on the floor at the coffee table. Cuddy laid the candle near the edge and lit a match, putting it to a wicker lit flame.
"Why are bạn still here?"
"You really expect me to drive out there tonight?"
"You've done it before."
"No, I was IN a car while bạn drove, through a storm like this."
"Granted. But, where's that kid of yours?"
"With my sister."
"You left your kid with the bitch?"
"She was going for vacation and wanted to spend some time with her niece. And I agree. Her and Gary need to spend time with her."
"Gary?"
"Her husband?"
"But bạn still left her with the bitch."
"She doesn't hate you, bạn know. Well, not as much, anymore."
"Yes she does."
"Can bạn blame her? Did bạn hear the speech bạn gave at her wedding."
"Hey, first, I was slightly drunk--"
"--Slightly?"
"Very, drunk and second--you invited me."
"That--was not my fault. My mom invited you."
"You needed a date, and I just happen to look good in a tux."
"Granted, however, I did not invite you. I wasn't planning to even ask you, I was going to call up Wilson hoặc something--"
"But bạn were glad bạn didn't."
"Who knew bạn looked good in a tux," she smiled slightly and got up from the floor, walking to the phòng bếp, nhà bếp for a glass.
"What's your sisters' name again? Heidi?"
"Heather."
"Close enough," he whined as he threw back shot twelve.
Cuddy came out from the phòng bếp, nhà bếp and walked over. She got low, and bent down on the floor and began pouring half a glass. Their faces barely showed as the light from the ngọn lửa, chữa cháy flickered on their faces.
"All in all, I have to admit. We had a good time that night."
"You had fun taking care of a drunk guy at a wedding?"
"You were morally sane for majority of the reception. The service bạn wouldn't shut up however."
"How is an atheist supposed to shut up, when he's being held against his own will in a CHURCH."
"You aren't an atheist. Deep down bạn believe there's a God."
"Don't give me that bull."
"Then why'd bạn go? bạn weren't forced against your own will, don't start going melodramatic on me. bạn wanted to go. bạn enjoyed yourself. Maybe not the service, which isn't a surprise, because bạn haven't developed that skill of sitting still for a long period of time."
He silenced himself. Refusing to reply, he finished off the bottle of scotch. He gulped it all down and rose his knee up and rested his arm against it as he swung the bottle around. The thunder and the lightning continued as the rain poured harder and harder against the glass windows.
"You'd figure I'd be drunk bởi now hoặc at least buzzed but."
"Your certainly not sober."
"I don't even think your sober."
"This is my only glass."
"Even so. bạn get drunk a lot faster than I do."
"I beg to differ. Fourth năm at U of M for me, Daniel Delemonte's party. I found bạn dead on the floor in his bathroom."
"Okay, một giây năm at U of M for you, Jeff Growth and Heidi Kendall's party okay? I found bạn in their bedroom closet. With Steve Greene."
Cuddy began to smile. She shut her eyes tight and left her smile on as her mouth opened. House waited for her to reply. He too gave a smirk. This was his kind of entertainment.
"I cannot believe bạn remember that."
"It wasn't hard not to. Based on the way your clothes looked, bạn both were drunk and bạn crashed before bạn got to third base."
"You remember what I was wearing?"
"Again, it wasn't hard not to. bạn wore the same style back then. The only difference now is that bạn wear skirts. bạn wore blue jeans back then but not faded. bạn hated faded. But bạn still wore those low cut tops. Every kind there was."
"Not every--"
"New hàng đầu, đầu trang every week. I swear to God."
"Hypocrite."
"Oh, don't start."
Thunder rumbled once more, but it was mild. Cuddy reached her hand up towards the armrest of the đi văng and grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her like a shawl. House finally rested the empty bottle down on the table.
"That's a lousy blanket. Use this one."
And he tossed a much thicker and longer blanket on her head. It took her a while before she could pull it all off.
"I didn't need a blanket House. I'm not cold. I just like the feeling of it around me."
"Who đã đưa ý kiến bạn were cold?"
"You threw me a thicker and longer blanket."
"Because the other blanket was lousy. Your faulty assumption was me, reacting to your action."
She embraced the large blanket anyway and laid herself across the couch.
"Realistically, your actually hiển thị me bạn care but bạn try to hide that factor, deflect because your insecure and uncomfortable."
"Realistically, yes, that is true. But bạn can never really tell when I'm like that. I'm either deflecting hoặc I'm just being a smart đít, mông, ass like that."
"Most of the time your just deflecting."
He slowly stood up from the floor and grabbed all the empty glasses left on the table.
"Alright, bạn know where the extra pillows are, blankets, bathroom, if bạn wanna get cozy bạn know where my bedroom is.."
"I'm sleeping here?"
"I don't believe your driving out there, so I'm going to assume bạn staying here. I mean, if your up for getting electrocuted, go ahead, have fun, be my guest but, I figured bạn might as well stay here."
"Your caring."
"This time I have nothing to use to deflect. bạn should take that as a good thing."
And he limped into the phòng bếp, nhà bếp setting the glasses and the empty bottle in the sink and went for his bedroom. Behind him, a content Cuddy was smiling as she cuddled up to the thick blanket.
House's apartment was fairly quiet. His phone, as usual, was off the receiver. It appeared to be no where in the entire living room, signifying he had left it elsewhere at a different time.
House had gone through about nearly seven shots of scotch before passing out on the floor. He was sprawled out, his arm and leg residing on the đi văng while the rest of his body resisted and pulled bởi gravity, dragged onto the floor.
The poor fellow was dreaming in the trance he was in. He had a fairly good amount of REM as he slept, his breath, almost silenced on the wooden floor. He appeared to be dreaming of something, fairly exciting--worth dreaming.
But this dream had ended once insistent raps sounded from the door. They echoed through this lonely apartment, slowly, and readily.
His eyes shot open, unaware of what was going on. His eyes drooped, as if his eyelids were weights on his eyes and he rose from the floor. He needed to stop the penetrating knocks that were unsettling to the mind; his delicate mind.
He slowly opened the door, slightly aggravated as he wiped his face down, attempting to properly wake up.
"Gregory House, its wonderful to meet you," he uttered with a hoarse voice.
"I take it you've been drinking?" Lisa Cuddy replied.
"Let me guess, the way I am standing, the way I'm clinging for balance against the door or--option three which should ease your expression."
"Your breath. Couple shots of scotch."
"Couple, few, several. All the same, just different bởi value."
"Am I going to come in hoặc bạn waiting on your other hooker to arrive?"
"No, I set all my appointments prior to the times I think you're going to check up on me."
She walked in and scanned the room before her: the usual House pad it always was. She just stood in a motionless position as he moved around her, making his way back to the đi văng for shot number eight.
"You come here straight from work?" he asked as he poured out the scotch. She gave a nod.
Outside the thunder and lightning fought here and there. Streaks of bright light shot across the sky and rumbles of fury replied. Rain just fell, but heavily.
"I didn't expect it to get this bad."
"Your assumption was wrong." he retorted, almost mockingly.
"Why are bạn here?" he continued as he threw back the tenth shot.
"I figured, bạn take a few days off, and then change it to a vacation, and apparently I was right, judging on the looks of what you've done with yourself for the past five days."
"So, you've come here to bring me back?"
"No."
"You've come to yell."
"No."
"You've come to bribe me back."
"No. Just irritate bạn till bạn break."
A loud crack of thunder rumbled after a bright and blinding lightning had struck down onto the Earth. And then, darkness.
"Damn. Its okay, I got a flashlight and a candle. Somewhere.."
"I got candle bạn get a flashlight."
"We actually need one to find the other," he retorted sarcastically.
"Just come on."
Cuddy slipped off her high heeled shoes and put down her things, along with her áo khoác and ran around barefoot.
"Who knew that finding a candle, a flashlight--"
"--and a match hoặc lighter,"
"Would be slightly hard to find," House finished.
"It's a blackout, I'm not surprised we haven't found anything hoặc even each other yet."
"I know where bạn are."
"By my voice. bạn don't know where I physically am."
"I know your in the kitchen, based on the echo of your irritated voice. Got the candle."
"Found a match. No sign of the flashlight yet."
They both made their way into the living room again and sat down on the floor at the coffee table. Cuddy laid the candle near the edge and lit a match, putting it to a wicker lit flame.
"Why are bạn still here?"
"You really expect me to drive out there tonight?"
"You've done it before."
"No, I was IN a car while bạn drove, through a storm like this."
"Granted. But, where's that kid of yours?"
"With my sister."
"You left your kid with the bitch?"
"She was going for vacation and wanted to spend some time with her niece. And I agree. Her and Gary need to spend time with her."
"Gary?"
"Her husband?"
"But bạn still left her with the bitch."
"She doesn't hate you, bạn know. Well, not as much, anymore."
"Yes she does."
"Can bạn blame her? Did bạn hear the speech bạn gave at her wedding."
"Hey, first, I was slightly drunk--"
"--Slightly?"
"Very, drunk and second--you invited me."
"That--was not my fault. My mom invited you."
"You needed a date, and I just happen to look good in a tux."
"Granted, however, I did not invite you. I wasn't planning to even ask you, I was going to call up Wilson hoặc something--"
"But bạn were glad bạn didn't."
"Who knew bạn looked good in a tux," she smiled slightly and got up from the floor, walking to the phòng bếp, nhà bếp for a glass.
"What's your sisters' name again? Heidi?"
"Heather."
"Close enough," he whined as he threw back shot twelve.
Cuddy came out from the phòng bếp, nhà bếp and walked over. She got low, and bent down on the floor and began pouring half a glass. Their faces barely showed as the light from the ngọn lửa, chữa cháy flickered on their faces.
"All in all, I have to admit. We had a good time that night."
"You had fun taking care of a drunk guy at a wedding?"
"You were morally sane for majority of the reception. The service bạn wouldn't shut up however."
"How is an atheist supposed to shut up, when he's being held against his own will in a CHURCH."
"You aren't an atheist. Deep down bạn believe there's a God."
"Don't give me that bull."
"Then why'd bạn go? bạn weren't forced against your own will, don't start going melodramatic on me. bạn wanted to go. bạn enjoyed yourself. Maybe not the service, which isn't a surprise, because bạn haven't developed that skill of sitting still for a long period of time."
He silenced himself. Refusing to reply, he finished off the bottle of scotch. He gulped it all down and rose his knee up and rested his arm against it as he swung the bottle around. The thunder and the lightning continued as the rain poured harder and harder against the glass windows.
"You'd figure I'd be drunk bởi now hoặc at least buzzed but."
"Your certainly not sober."
"I don't even think your sober."
"This is my only glass."
"Even so. bạn get drunk a lot faster than I do."
"I beg to differ. Fourth năm at U of M for me, Daniel Delemonte's party. I found bạn dead on the floor in his bathroom."
"Okay, một giây năm at U of M for you, Jeff Growth and Heidi Kendall's party okay? I found bạn in their bedroom closet. With Steve Greene."
Cuddy began to smile. She shut her eyes tight and left her smile on as her mouth opened. House waited for her to reply. He too gave a smirk. This was his kind of entertainment.
"I cannot believe bạn remember that."
"It wasn't hard not to. Based on the way your clothes looked, bạn both were drunk and bạn crashed before bạn got to third base."
"You remember what I was wearing?"
"Again, it wasn't hard not to. bạn wore the same style back then. The only difference now is that bạn wear skirts. bạn wore blue jeans back then but not faded. bạn hated faded. But bạn still wore those low cut tops. Every kind there was."
"Not every--"
"New hàng đầu, đầu trang every week. I swear to God."
"Hypocrite."
"Oh, don't start."
Thunder rumbled once more, but it was mild. Cuddy reached her hand up towards the armrest of the đi văng and grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her like a shawl. House finally rested the empty bottle down on the table.
"That's a lousy blanket. Use this one."
And he tossed a much thicker and longer blanket on her head. It took her a while before she could pull it all off.
"I didn't need a blanket House. I'm not cold. I just like the feeling of it around me."
"Who đã đưa ý kiến bạn were cold?"
"You threw me a thicker and longer blanket."
"Because the other blanket was lousy. Your faulty assumption was me, reacting to your action."
She embraced the large blanket anyway and laid herself across the couch.
"Realistically, your actually hiển thị me bạn care but bạn try to hide that factor, deflect because your insecure and uncomfortable."
"Realistically, yes, that is true. But bạn can never really tell when I'm like that. I'm either deflecting hoặc I'm just being a smart đít, mông, ass like that."
"Most of the time your just deflecting."
He slowly stood up from the floor and grabbed all the empty glasses left on the table.
"Alright, bạn know where the extra pillows are, blankets, bathroom, if bạn wanna get cozy bạn know where my bedroom is.."
"I'm sleeping here?"
"I don't believe your driving out there, so I'm going to assume bạn staying here. I mean, if your up for getting electrocuted, go ahead, have fun, be my guest but, I figured bạn might as well stay here."
"Your caring."
"This time I have nothing to use to deflect. bạn should take that as a good thing."
And he limped into the phòng bếp, nhà bếp setting the glasses and the empty bottle in the sink and went for his bedroom. Behind him, a content Cuddy was smiling as she cuddled up to the thick blanket.
