"This is my process."
"Granted."

He tossed his cane on his recliner and then leaned in. She wrapped her hands around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up off the ground. Her head was slanted high above him as they walked towards the wall. It helped him support her better than oleh one leg alone. Every now and again they released for brief breathes of air, which were accompanied with smiles from both sides. Suddenly, the doors opened. Wilson walked in. He managed to catch the tampil before him, but he ignored it. He smiled at first, but then walked in normally, and went for House's desk. He raided the drawers for something, money what it appeared to be and left, eyes averted, after saying,

"Have fun, be safe."

And he left the two as the sun shone through the windows on their faces, making the room glow in vast streaks before descending behind the towering trees of Princeton.

:::

8:00 p.m.


"Come on, I gotta get halaman awal to Rachel."

Cuddy walked barefoot over to House who was focused on the computer. He was skimming through his email as she came up behind him, and rested her hands on his shoulders as they read through his mail. She shifted them to drop oleh his chest, keeping her arms around his neck.

"When was the last time anda checked your mail?"
"Three months ago."
"Clearly."
"Well, it's not like majority of it's important. atau even relatively important."
"Well anda got a few in there. One from Mayo Clinic. One from Yvenstier..? In, New York."
"What does he want with me?"
"What does a neurologist want with you?"
"What's his sub-specialty?"
"Sleep disorders."
"Drug trials?"
"Looks like it."

They both curiously read the email. Their eyes shifted from side to side.

"You think I have to go?"
"Did it say? Read it aloud."
"'Dr. Gregory House, we are pleased to inform anda about our upcoming drug trials on the eighteenth of June here in Manhattan Teaching Hospital(MTH). These drug trials are for the treatments of epilepsy, neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's Chorea, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and sleeping disorders. We are inviting anda to help participate in these drug trials for the benefit of any future patients that may be carrying any of these diseases atau disorders. We would especially like anda to come and help supervise and hopefully participate in these drug trials here in Manhattan. We would be honored if anda could attend these trials, starting on the eighteenth of June, ending on the sixth of August.
Yours truly, Dr. Jakob Yvenstier.'"
"So it's up to anda if anda want to go?"
"I'm not going."
"I'm not surprised. Not even for a few days?"
"No. I'll probably send Foreman in my place."

He shut down his computer and spun in his chair to face her. He stood up and grabbed his cane as he walked her back over to the recliner to put on her shoes, blazer and jacket. Then they shut off the lights and grabbed their belongings and left the room at peace, going for their journey home.

:::

"I don't remember her being this quiet."

They were both standing in the archway of her dapur as they drank their scotch on the rocks.

"She doesn't know you're here."
"Nice."

House set his glass down on the side meja nearest to him and walked toward Cuddy. They both stood up against the arch, just leaning.

"I wouldn't expect anda out of all people to be drinking so much now. anda do have moral responsibilities to take care of. anda got a kid, anda got a hospital, anda got me. Worst of all your problems."
"You may be the worst, but you're certainly not the hardest."
"Aw. No fair."

They stood motionless for several minutes. He latched his eyes on her as she swayed her head against the dinding from left to right. Then, out of nowhere, he finally removes his jaket and throws it at the couch, then rolls up his sleeves, tampilkan his bare arms and his watch. He turned back to her and stretched out his arms, keeping his hands flat on the wall, as his arms extended, with Cuddy in between. She gave a faint smile and rested her forehead on his own, before reaching for his lips. Suddenly, his phone began to ring, and he heaved an irritated sigh before lifting his hand off the dinding to grab the phone in his pocket. It was the team.

"He's definitely got an infection."
"Good. Go broad spectrum antibiotics. Find something, call me. Like, later. Goodbye."

He slapped the phone shut and tossed it onto her floor rug in the living room. She gave him a concerned look as he limped back over.

"Team needs you."
"Not right now they don't."
"Call them back."
"We should have an answer within a half hour."
"Do not depend on broad spectrum antibiotics, to diagnose your patient. Do that, when I'm not around to see."

He just stared at her for several seconds, before turning around to grab his phone from the rug and dialing back Foreman.

"I knew this relationship would come back and bite me in the pantat, keledai somehow."

She just laughed and walked into the dapur to wash her glass. He smiled and watched as the phone continued to ring. Foreman finally picked up.

"Don't go broad spectrum. Round up the usual suspects with them, give the meds and when anda get something find me. I don't care what it is, a reaction, atau a cure. Just call me."
"Where are you?"
"At home. Attempting to sleep. Goodnight."
"I thought anda wanted me to call you--"
"Shut up."

And he hung up the phone and stowed it back into his pocket. He walked into the dapur towards her and leaned against the counter as she rinsed out her cup. As soon as she finished, a faint cry sounded from the nursery.

"I'll be back."

She tried her hands on the hand towel, and scurried a little into the nursery as Rachel's cries grew. House walked over to her dining meja and took a seat. He dug into his pocket and went for his vicodin; the first today. Suddenly, his phone began to ring. When he flipped it open, the ID read as "Unknown Number", which caused him to ignore the call. However, these calls did not stop for the remainder of the time Cuddy spent calming down Rachel. Tired of having to end these calls, he finally answered, unsure of who it would be.

"Yeah?"
"Gregory House?"
"Speaking."
"Hello Dr. House, I'm calling from Princeton General."

Cuddy came out slowly, shutting the door to the nursery. She saw him on the phone, sitting in her chair turned away, talking in a hushed tone. So she walked toward him and put her hand on his back as he continued to talk on the phone. After a minute, he finally hung up. His head dropped to the floor.

"Who was it?"
"That was, Princeton General."
"What do they want?"

He looked up at her. His face, slightly angry and sad.

"My mom, had a jantung attack."

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