Caution and Enjoyment

disclaimed

(Near to you I'm healing but it's taking so long

Cause though he's one and you are wonderful

It's hard to move on.)

- A Fine Frenzy, 'Near to you'

'So, how are you?'

Their voices are dim in the din of the crowd.

'Oh, I'm fine.'

Somebody knocks into her and some of her coffee spills out of the papercup.

'Hey, watch where you're going!'

She's exasperated but he's the one who's angry.

The man who spilled her coffee walks off, annoyed and unapologetic.

'You should call me, sometime.'

She looks prettier than she ever has in a long time.

He smiles back at her.

'I'm scared,' Cuddy tells him in a small voice.

He puts his arm around her in a fraternal way.

'Don't be,' and it's all he can manage.

They can away from the psychiatric ward and they get into the hospital elevator.

'You know, he's all we ever talk about,' she utters, suddenly.

'No, that's not true.'

'Well anything else we talk about is superficial.'

There's silence in the elevator.

The door opens.

'I met Stacy today.'

Cuddy looks at him, eyebrow raised, mouth quirked.

They step out.

'How is she? It's been a month or two since I last talked to her.'

'She's doing okay.'

Wilson looks at the television.

He's tired of paying attention to Nigella Lawson's figure.

Since House started getting treatment, he's been lonely. He ocassionally takes Cuddy out to dinner and he'll meet up some of his more closer acquaintances for lunch. He had breakfast with his college roommate yesterday.

He tries to think of things to do but nothing interests him.

He bites his lip and thinks about taking a chance.

He dials a number on the phone.

'Hello?'

'Hi, Stacy.'

'Wilson,' her voice sounds pleasant.

'I just called to see how you were doing.'

'Oh, I'm doing fine. I'm in the middle of work, so I'm sorry to sound rude but do you have something important to say?'

His mouth goes a little dry.

'Would you like to have dinner with me?'

The restaurant is posh and he's not quite sure why he's come to a place where his wallet will hurt.

Stacy's ring finger is missing a wedding band and it's funny but the last time he met, they both had spouces.

'I like working here, better.'

'I'm glad.'

'I know this is awkward, but does it bother you that Mark works with you?'

'We parted on agreeable terms. Which is possible.'

He chuckles.

The remark is sly and he lets it pass.

He imagines that House would have said that as soon as Mark learned how to walk ,he had to get away from her.

'I didn't mean to sound catty, James.'

It sounds genuine and Wilson thinks of Amber.

(He's not taking Stacy out on a date; he isn't.)

'I know, you didn't.'

'He still has … this thing for me. Like we'll get back together again.'

He shakes his head.

'If you do plan to do that,' (and her gaze becomes harder and he raises a hand to try to to calm her down) 'Be careful.'

'The proud divorcees club, look at us.'

'We're a happy pair.'

He doesn't mean it.

'How are you doing? Emotionally?'

He knows she's talking about Amber.

The second last times she called to see how he was, he'd told her about Amber and the time after that, he'd

told her that Amber was gone.

'I'm actually doing okay.'

She looks sympathetic.

'I'm doing better than House, anyway.'

'I heard,' she nods. 'I talked to Cuddy.'

The waiters serve them their food and he's the first one to take a bite out of his dish.

'So what are his doctors saying?'

He chews thoughtfully and he looks at her.

'They're saying what all doctors usually say. To not lose hope.'

House is improving and he likes to think House is improving. He also likes to make Cuddy think that he is improving.

They usually make their visits together.

Sometimes, House is cranky and irritable. At other times, he seems more calm, like he's feeling at peace with the fact that his illness is out in the open and there are people who can help him.

They walk out of the hospital.

He puts his hand on her back and feels sexist for doing it. Like making her feel like she's more fragile because she's a woman in love.

(Although on some days, he's not really sure about who's more delicate.)

'I think I should take Stacy out to dinner, myself,' she confesses.

'Maybe, we can all have dinner sometime soon.'

'I referred a patient to you.' She says. 'A friend of mine.'

'Oh,' he replies, worried. 'Do you think she has cancer?'

'She might. I told her that you are the best oncologist I know and you will be the person who will be able to handle the job best.'

'Thank you,' he replies, watching the TV while it's on mute. 'I had a jackass at work today. Hypochondriacs are difficult to deal with.'

'I have a client like that.'

'Oh, a hypochondriac?'

'No, but he thinks everyone is out there to sue him and he wants to sue people before they sue him'

He laughs.

The conversation goes on for about an hour and he doesn't notice it.

They all have dinner together and this time it's at a more low-key place.

The rapport is easy and the conversation is good, despite everything.

When Cuddy goes to the bathroom, Wilson offers Stacy some of his dessert.

She accepts his gesture and her well-shaped lips close around the spoon.

He watches her.

Cuddy comes back and the flirtation is forgotten.

They leave the restaurant sometime after they finish dessert.

Cuddy is the one who pays for everything but Wilson is the one gets her coffee from a nearby store.

Stacy hugs before Cuddy leaves.

She gives Wilson a lingering on peck on the cheek.

Wilson is only too happy to return the gesture.

They text each other sometimes when he doesn't have patients.

(-What's the German for unrest?

Unruhue. Why do you ask?

I had this patient who used to have panic attacks very often. House used the word when he would talk about her.

Unruhue sounds like a sad word.)

Sometimes, she'll text him in the middle of the meeting.

(A man wants to countersue his employee's daughter whom he slept with.

Wish, I could be there. It sounds scandalous.

I'll give you details when I go home.

I thought your clients could expect confidentiality from you. I thought they taught you that stuff in law school.

I thought you weren't supposed to sleep with your patients.

Lol, Mea Culpa.)

Cuddy's mood is good today. He knows that it's because she's bonding well with her daughter and that House was sweet to her that the last time they met.

'Do you think that you like Stacy?' Cuddy asks after she's made sure that she has swallowed her food.

He looks at her.

'Crap,' she laughs and he laughs with her. 'I sound like a teenager.'

'You sound like a teenager,' he agrees.

He wipes his mouth with a napkin.

He'll leave the cafeteria in a while.

'I like her but I don't know if I like her like her.'

'No need to mock me,' she replies, amused.

He thinks about asking her to meet him for lunch but he doesn't go ahead with it.

'Do you think this is age appropriate?'

She looks at the mirror in front of her.

The dress is red and it's long. It hugs her curves and it shows off what it generally thought to be the right amount of cleavage.

The years haven't been unkind to Stacy, her body is for the first part, still firm and her skin, tight.

(If Cuddy can pull off her blouses, then why not?)

'Of course, I do. You look fantastic.'

She smirks.

'We should run into each other at Macy's more often.'

He's not dating her and he tells her that it's not annoying when he has to point it out to other people.

When they meet, they never really talk about Mark or Amber and they rarely mention dating.

When they meet, she's always careful to tell people who ask that they are not seeing each other.

He asks her casually if she's doing anything on Thursday afternoon and she tells him that she might be busy.

He has a feeling that she's not being entirely truthful but it doesn't matter.

He has plans, himself.

'I'm seeing Stacy these days.'

(Oh fuck you, Freudian slip.)

House stares at him.

'That came out wrong, I swear, ask Cuddy, ask Stacy …'

'God, shut up, you sound like Ned the nervous guy. Everyone hates him.'

There is silence.

'I know you're not … dating her. I'm sure you're not.'

Wilson looks at him, wide-eyed.

'It might be the drugs but I'm not really sure I would care if you did.'

'You might wanna check if those drugs are legal.'

They laugh.

They talk some more.

'Hey, Jimmy,' he calls before Wilson leaves. 'I'm glad you came.'

Wilson grins; he is happy.

He's bored, he looks at the ceiling.

Doctors are workaholics. He needs to be doing something.

He wants to go take a walk and go see the museum or something.

Anything.

He dials a number.

He puts the cellphone to his ear.

'Hey, Stacy.'

'Hi, how are you?'

'Great, are you free right now?'

'Yeah.'

He's certain that she's smiling.

He can't be sure but he thinks that he just might have plans for the afternoon.