Cuddy leaned, almost straining to reach him over her belly. She pressed her mouth to his, focusing all her concentration on the feel of his lips, the heat, the texture.... She always loved kissing him but this kiss was more. It was an entire conversation in itself. It was a vow of love and a promise of better things to come. That was a lot to ask of simple kiss but she did her best.
She forced herself to smile at him as they parted. It wasn't easy to do but she was determined to make this as easy as possible for him. And maybe, just maybe, making it easier on him would make it easier for her to say good bye.
"I love you, too." She pulled back, running her hands down along his arms until she could grasp his hands. "It's going to be okay, House. Just...let your therapist help you and you'll be home in no time."
She looked over her shoulder as the nurse unlocked the door and held it open for her. She gave House's hands another squeeze, then let him go. She had to make herself take the first step through the door. Just one step, and then another, and then she nearly faltered as she heard it close behind her and the lock shoot home.
"You okay?" Wilson asked as she drew close to him. He'd been watching through the door as House and Cuddy parted. He hadn't been able to see Cuddy's face but he'd had a look at House and he could see just how hard it was for his friend to watch them go. Seeing Cuddy's face now, he could see how upsetting it was for her as well.
"No," she said as she walked up to him...and then continued walking right on past him. "But don't let House see it."
Wilson tilted his head, puzzled until he realized she was trying to spare House from feeling her pain as well as his own. He looked back into the ward and gave House a jaunty little two-fingered salute before he turned and followed Cuddy.
"Do you need a moment?" he asked once they were outside, standing on the front steps of the building.
She shook her head and swallowed hard before she could look at him. "He needs to be here," she said, trying to reassure herself this was the right thing to do.
"He needs help," Wilson agreed. He wasn't completely convinced House needed to be committed but he did agree that something had to be done. He'd decided not to second guess House's decision to check himself in because it was a positive move and those were few and far between for House.
"Come on," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Let's go home."
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She forced herself to smile at him as they parted. It wasn't easy to do but she was determined to make this as easy as possible for him. And maybe, just maybe, making it easier on him would make it easier for her to say good bye.
"I love you, too." She pulled back, running her hands down along his arms until she could grasp his hands. "It's going to be okay, House. Just...let your therapist help you and you'll be home in no time."
She looked over her shoulder as the nurse unlocked the door and held it open for her. She gave House's hands another squeeze, then let him go. She had to make herself take the first step through the door. Just one step, and then another, and then she nearly faltered as she heard it close behind her and the lock shoot home.
"You okay?" Wilson asked as she drew close to him. He'd been watching through the door as House and Cuddy parted. He hadn't been able to see Cuddy's face but he'd had a look at House and he could see just how hard it was for his friend to watch them go. Seeing Cuddy's face now, he could see how upsetting it was for her as well.
"No," she said as she walked up to him...and then continued walking right on past him. "But don't let House see it."
Wilson tilted his head, puzzled until he realized she was trying to spare House from feeling her pain as well as his own. He looked back into the ward and gave House a jaunty little two-fingered salute before he turned and followed Cuddy.
"Do you need a moment?" he asked once they were outside, standing on the front steps of the building.
She shook her head and swallowed hard before she could look at him. "He needs to be here," she said, trying to reassure herself this was the right thing to do.
"He needs help," Wilson agreed. He wasn't completely convinced House needed to be committed but he did agree that something had to be done. He'd decided not to second guess House's decision to check himself in because it was a positive move and those were few and far between for House.
"Come on," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Let's go home."