Megan let Cuddy speak, moving her gaze between her and House. When she'd finished talking, Megan waited for House's response, if he had one. Again, she had to prompt him. "How do you feel about what Lisa said? Do you feel what she's saying is at all unreasonable?"
He slowly shook his head.
"Do you believe Lisa when she says she's willing to do whatever she can for you?"
He hesitated, then nodded.
"Tell me about that. Why do you believe her when she says that?"
He turned to Megan. "What, you're saying I'm not telling the truth?" he asked defensively.
She held her hand up. "No. That's not what I'm saying. I'm simply trying to guide the conversation."
House sighed. He lifted a hand and rubbed his chin and his forehead. That tight feeling was still squeezing at his chest. Part of him wanted to simply get up and leave the room. Part of him wanted to get up and approach Cuddy and pull her close to him because he didn't know how to convey how he was feeling or thinking.
"I believe her because--"
"Don't talk to me about this," Megan interrupted. "Tell Lisa. She needs to hear it more than I do."
He looked over at Cuddy. He jiggled his leg and fidgeted his hands together before he sat a little straighter. "I know you're willing to do whatever you can for me. For us. I know this because... you've stuck by me much longer than I deserve. That either means you're very stupid... or it means you love me deeply."
"Why would her sticking by you be stupid, Greg?" Megan asked.
"Because... I've lost count how many times I've hurt her," he admitted to Megan. "Why would someone stick around someone who hurts them all the time?"
Megan glanced at Cuddy, then back to House. "Greg, did you listen to what Lisa said about you earlier? About the things she loves about you?"
"Yeah. Said I was a pain in the ass."
"She said more than that, too," she replied pointedly. "She told me a number of good things about you. She said you're funny, passionate, creative, loving." House wanted to squirm. He clasped his hands together tightly on his lap. "Do you really think she'd say all those things about you if she didn't love you?"
"I know she loves me," he argued.
"Then why did you focus on the one negative thing she said about you? That you're, as she said, a pain in the ass?" She waited for him to respond, then prompted, "Is it because you have a hard time believing there are good things about yourself?"
"Of course I have a hard time believing it," he snapped at her. "I don't even like myself. I hate myself. I hate who I am. I hate..." He looked away with a slightly shaky sigh.
no subject
He slowly shook his head.
"Do you believe Lisa when she says she's willing to do whatever she can for you?"
He hesitated, then nodded.
"Tell me about that. Why do you believe her when she says that?"
He turned to Megan. "What, you're saying I'm not telling the truth?" he asked defensively.
She held her hand up. "No. That's not what I'm saying. I'm simply trying to guide the conversation."
House sighed. He lifted a hand and rubbed his chin and his forehead. That tight feeling was still squeezing at his chest. Part of him wanted to simply get up and leave the room. Part of him wanted to get up and approach Cuddy and pull her close to him because he didn't know how to convey how he was feeling or thinking.
"I believe her because--"
"Don't talk to me about this," Megan interrupted. "Tell Lisa. She needs to hear it more than I do."
He looked over at Cuddy. He jiggled his leg and fidgeted his hands together before he sat a little straighter. "I know you're willing to do whatever you can for me. For us. I know this because... you've stuck by me much longer than I deserve. That either means you're very stupid... or it means you love me deeply."
"Why would her sticking by you be stupid, Greg?" Megan asked.
"Because... I've lost count how many times I've hurt her," he admitted to Megan. "Why would someone stick around someone who hurts them all the time?"
Megan glanced at Cuddy, then back to House. "Greg, did you listen to what Lisa said about you earlier? About the things she loves about you?"
"Yeah. Said I was a pain in the ass."
"She said more than that, too," she replied pointedly. "She told me a number of good things about you. She said you're funny, passionate, creative, loving." House wanted to squirm. He clasped his hands together tightly on his lap. "Do you really think she'd say all those things about you if she didn't love you?"
"I know she loves me," he argued.
"Then why did you focus on the one negative thing she said about you? That you're, as she said, a pain in the ass?" She waited for him to respond, then prompted, "Is it because you have a hard time believing there are good things about yourself?"
"Of course I have a hard time believing it," he snapped at her. "I don't even like myself. I hate myself. I hate who I am. I hate..." He looked away with a slightly shaky sigh.