House didn't realise how much he actually wanted Cuddy and Wilson to stay until he heard the nurse tell them they had to leave. Up until that point, he'd been wavering on the cusp of being very glad to see them and ashamed that they were seeing him in such a vulnerable state and environment. But the news that they had to leave in a minute brought it home to him just how lonely he was in here and he almost started to feel a little panicky.
He absently listened to Wilson tell Cuddy about paperwork that might need to be signed, and just nodded when Wilson told him to look after himself. He glanced over his shoulder to watch Wilson head out of the room, turning back to Cuddy when he felt her other hand on his. God, it wasn't like this was a final farewell. It wasn't like his stay here was even permanent. But it sure felt like it was. It felt like a farewell. Cuddy and Wilson were heading back home and would get on with their lives while he was stuck here.
He nodded at Cuddy's assurance that she'd be back. He gave her hand a squeeze before reaching his other hand up and he took both her hands in his. He rubbed his thumbs over the backs of her knuckles, then drew one of her hands up to his lips and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her palm with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes again, he kept her hand pressed by his cheek for a moment, looking at her.
"Come on, House. Time to say goodbye to your guests now," the same nurse said, standing by House's chair. "You can walk them to the end of the ward."
Five more minutes, House wanted to say to the nurse. Just let me have five more minutes. But if he had five more, then he'd want another five more, and another five more. He lowered Cuddy's hand and gave it one final squeeze before he let it go and reached for his cane. He stood up and drew Cuddy to him with his arm around her shoulders and his face tucked in against the side of her neck as he hugged her tight, not wanting to let her go. He inhaled deeply, taking one last chance to bask in everything familiar about Cuddy.
"I miss you," he murmured loud enough for only Cuddy to hear, against her neck. Resting his cane against the side of his thigh, he moved his other hand to her belly and rubbed the side of it. He pulled back from Cuddy just enough to look down at her stomach. "I miss you, too," he told the baby, again only loud enough for Cuddy to hear.
no subject
He absently listened to Wilson tell Cuddy about paperwork that might need to be signed, and just nodded when Wilson told him to look after himself. He glanced over his shoulder to watch Wilson head out of the room, turning back to Cuddy when he felt her other hand on his. God, it wasn't like this was a final farewell. It wasn't like his stay here was even permanent. But it sure felt like it was. It felt like a farewell. Cuddy and Wilson were heading back home and would get on with their lives while he was stuck here.
He nodded at Cuddy's assurance that she'd be back. He gave her hand a squeeze before reaching his other hand up and he took both her hands in his. He rubbed his thumbs over the backs of her knuckles, then drew one of her hands up to his lips and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her palm with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes again, he kept her hand pressed by his cheek for a moment, looking at her.
"Come on, House. Time to say goodbye to your guests now," the same nurse said, standing by House's chair. "You can walk them to the end of the ward."
Five more minutes, House wanted to say to the nurse. Just let me have five more minutes. But if he had five more, then he'd want another five more, and another five more. He lowered Cuddy's hand and gave it one final squeeze before he let it go and reached for his cane. He stood up and drew Cuddy to him with his arm around her shoulders and his face tucked in against the side of her neck as he hugged her tight, not wanting to let her go. He inhaled deeply, taking one last chance to bask in everything familiar about Cuddy.
"I miss you," he murmured loud enough for only Cuddy to hear, against her neck. Resting his cane against the side of his thigh, he moved his other hand to her belly and rubbed the side of it. He pulled back from Cuddy just enough to look down at her stomach. "I miss you, too," he told the baby, again only loud enough for Cuddy to hear.