Tuesday, September 05, 2006

The day of reckoning

2:04 PM and nothing new.
All this waiting is tearing at my nerves.
To distract me I am hearing Smashing Pumkins'Ava Adore really, really loud and totally go off to it.
Sometimes I regret not to play in a band anymore.

Since 9:00 AM I am here and since 9:00 AM I am awaiting the verdict. I met Vogler this morning in the elevator and he danced around me shaking his fat body singing:
"Da-Da-Da, Dr. House is in da house!"
We were lucky not to crash.
Unimpressed I glanced at the elevator-door and waited for my floor.
"Dr. House, why don't you go and play some gameboy and watch your daily soap? The handsome doctor gets fired today."
Without a wird I descended.

Wilson told me it would be make-or-break for me today and he would never vote against me. I jus fear Cuddy will 'cause she thinks that she otherwise will lose her job. Like the whole rest of them. Sonn I'll know more, I think.

Without caffeine in high application rates as well as Vicodin I cannot keep my eyes open today.

My hopes for Allenby's invisibility did not fulfill also.
I was meeting Wilson to ask for his help in a really dodgy case. He sat in his chair and studied the file, I was sitting with a cup of coffee on his desk glimpsing into the file when someone knocked at his door. James hardly looked up as he said "Come in!" and I didn't bother either. The door flung open full of verve, but for a while no one came in until we heard hesitating steps.
"H...."
I looked up. "H...?"
"He-hello, D-Dr. House...Dr. Wilson..."
I am such a lucky devil! Allenby stood some part away from the desk and looked as if he didn't know whether to betake himself to flight or coming closer.
"He-hello!" I replied in a demonstratively bored way.
Wilson drooped the file and smiled broadly "Helloooo, Louis! May I help you in any way" I took the file from his hands, ran over its pages and gasped impatiently.
"Um...n-no. I d-don't want to disturb you, you're busy. I'll c-come back later, if that's..."
I shortly looked up to him and raised a brow.. "Do you always stammer like this or do you even suffer from aphasia?"
Allenby watched me nervously. "N-no...this is...it has...I dn't know."
"Exciting", I meant and turned back to the file. From the corner of my eyes I noticed Wilson's grin geting even broader. The bastard relished the whole situation. He stretched and cracked with his fingers. I hate it when he does that. "But no, you don't disturb in the least! What's on your mind?"
The one spoken to remained silent for a while and then replied: "I'm sorry. I have forgotten about it..."
"What an idiot!" I hissed quietly but still audible, getting a quick glance from the side by James. I looked up and flashed an amiable smile at Allenby. "Okay then..." Don't waist our time! I did not add, because Wilson's eyes were stinging at my face.
Allenby observed me for a while, then nodded and turned around. He wasn't out of the door for a single second as it opened again. "Sir?"
"Who are you? Columbo?", I snapped.
He took a deep breath and seemd to take courage. I desperately wanted to close my eyes, put my fingers in my ears and loudly sing La-La-La and prayed silently Don't let him say it!Don't let him say it! Don't let him say it! On the corridor behind him I spotted a young assistant doctor and two nurses who seemed to waylay him and impatiently waited that he left us.
"I asked myself...."
Pause. He looked into two pairs of asking eyes.
I sighed at the end of my tether and helped myself with Wilson's coffee.
"Is that Halston you use, Dr. House?"
I banged the mug on the table. "What? This was what you asked yourself?"
"Um...no....yes...no."
"Halston Z-14, if this satisfies your curiosity. Was it that for now?"
He awkwardly shrugged one shoulder. "No, actually I wanted something else."
Wilson raised his eyebrows. "Did your problem come to your mind again?"
Allenby blushed. "My problem?"
"Yeeeeeeeeees. You wanted to ask me something."
"I see. I SEE! You meant that... Um...no."
LORD, please thrwo brain out of the sky!!!
"Iwanted to ask Dr. House if he would like to come with us tonight..." He exhaled deeply and looked at me, all asking. I looked the same way at Wilson. "Any idea what he wants from me?"
James nodded. "I have! He's talking about our Onkology-Pub-Evening."
"Oh, I didn't know about that. Are you meeting there more often?"
"Nnno! This evening it's the first time."
I turned to Allenby. "How considerate of you to ask. But you should know I'm no member of the oncology."
James drew his chair in my direction, leaned back and grinned at me. "But that doesn't matter at all!"
If he doesn't watch out, I'll break his neck sometime and will arrange it in a way it seems to be an accident.
His grin grew broader. "You'll fit perfectly well in our happy round, Greg!" Then he turned to Allenby. "What do you think?"
Some spots began to show on his cheeks. "Y-yes...I subscribe to that. I...erm...hrm...I'll buy you some drinks, Dr. House."
I looked surprised. "Well, that sounds alluring! Really seductive! Lovely day for a Guinness!" I wanted to snap a quick "No!", but James already clapped his hands. "Done! Fine. I am very pleased!"
Stunned I stared down to him. After all, I managed to gnarl: "Okay, YOU drive!"
"But...I could be driving!" Allenby hastened to say. James clapped his hands again. "Wonderful! 7 PM at Dr. House's place?"
"7 PM at YOUR place!", I snapped.
James shook his head with a smile. "No, I'm the one with two good legs", he pointed at mine.. "Wait, Allenby, I'll just write Greg's adress down for you..." He scribbled it quickly on a memo and put it into Allenby's shivering hand. He stammerd a goodbye and fled from the office.

For a while we both were silent, then I crashed my cane on Wilson's shoulder. "Brutus! JUDAS! What the heck are you thinking??? Now he even knows where I live!!!" Wilson warded me off, he was near breaking down from all his laughter. "Just wait and see, I'm sure it's going to be a fairly nice evening! You both like Guinness and Irish pubs. And you like me!"
"I don't!" I gnarled.
"Give it a rest, you do. And you know that I know." His grin just did not want to leave. I hurled the file into his lap. "We should better pay attention to this!"
"Yes, you're right", he chortled and we finally discussed the case.
Whilst walking out of the door I turned to him once more. "What dou you think is it he likes so much about me?" I grinned. "My blue eyes? Oooooor this big and hard cane?"
Wilson snorted with laughter and his coffee landed on his screen. "I think, it's your blistering good looks and your disarming character."
I greeted him with my cane and went down the hallway heading for my office.

About 6 PM James phoned me as if to make sure I didn't leave the country. "Fine, I'll be there in approximately 45 minutes. And don't dress that scruffy again."
"No, Dad", I sighed and hung up. Not anyone is able to always look as neat as a pin as he always does. But I did my best:

Had I already known yesterday about how advantageous my red shirt seems to look, I would have put it on...
I had not the slightest intention of letting Allenby ring the door bell or even step inside, so I forced Wilson to wait at the roadside with me. Just on time at 7 PM an unspeakable car came around the corner.
"Are you mad?" I declared and turned to James. "This dude's driving the Jeepers Creepers Car!!!" If any of you has forgotten about this eye candy of a car, here you are:

James nodded not less stunned and with open mouth. "Yeaaaaah", he drawled. "But it's not that...flea-bitten."
"Amazing! So we're taking a ride in a sparkling Jeepers Creepers Car! And where? On the cargo area?"
My question got superfluous as the car halted and Allenby opened the door from inside. It had three front seats, the monster.
"Fine then!" grinned Wilson. "Just sit down in the middle!"
I glared at him and climbed into the car with an effort - assiduously ignoring the helping hand Allenby offered me. Wilson happily flung himself into the other seat and beamed at Allenby. "Ever so nice of you! Really!"
"Sugar!", I grumbled and glared outside of the window in defiance.
Allenby killed the engine twice, then we finally were on our way.

The other colleagues from oncology were still waiting at the pub and with no one smirking at me, it got clear Wilson had not told anyone about my dilemma. Maura Ward beamed at Allenby full of expectation and offered him the chair next to herTo my displeasure he sat down to my right. I bet, Maura Ward was oblivious to the fact this was more unpleasing to me than to her. Afte all, Wilson sat to my left, so I was able to unabashedly talk away the evening with him.
Or I'd just stay silent.
A red-cheeked, irish waitress brought the menu and half of the oncology ordered burgers.I just peered which drink would be the most expensive. Unfortunately this was a creamy cocktail, so that Allenby just would have to pay Guinness for me. Aaaah, Guinness...always a pleasure!
They were playing live music at the pub - a colorful section right through all sorts of irish music, rock etc.This was something I liked already. I had a look-around and found the pub quite appealing, too, but no one had to know this. James could that tell from the tip of my nose anyway and grinned at me.
"Why are you grinning that moronic?", I flew in his face. He just smiled indulgently. "I see that you like it here. Are you still determined not to have any fun?" I sighed, lifted my pint to my mouth and muttered a "Better than sitting at home wondering what will happen tomorrow" into its froth. Wilson watched me sympathetically and briefly held my shoulder. Then he leaned toward me and whispered conspiratorially "And... nothing will happen to you this evening. He won't pitch into you, he's much too british and nuts about you to do so." I rolled my eyes and then turned to the conversations again. Most of the time I just listened, but when the band played "Can't take my eyes off you", I tapped my cane to the music. Wilson lowdly bawled the refrain and tried to incite me to sing along. "Come on, they're all chanting!" "Yes, and they're all looking like complete idiots!" Finally he talked me into singing along and I'll never admit that this was fun to me. Somewhere down the road I had enough Guinness to let me push to the stage, take a guitar and to the collectiv ardor of the audience performed "Tonight". Reamonn is irish, isn't he? I'm not sure, but it was the only song which came to my mind and wouldn't let me look like a baboon.
As I hobbled back, everyone was hooting."Dr. House, I didn't know you can sing!" "And play the guitar?"
"Oh, he even plays piano", Wilson grinned and was tapping on my shoulder.
Allenby just gawped at me and was lost for words.
I sat down without looking at hi, and heard James susurrate: "Congrats! In the last three minutes he totally fell for you!"
My Goooooood...
Before we hit the road, I downrightly begged James to bail at my place and not let Allenby drive him to his front door. "But surely I'll drop out at your place! I won't leave my best friend in the lurch!"
Allenby seemed fairly disappointed, but I felt brilliant as I dropped out of this car from hell.

As recently as I reached my front door it came to my mind which day was awaiting me and my heart dropped. Outwardly I seemed emotionless, as Wilson waved to me and turned. "What?", I asked playfully. "No hug to say goodbye?" Wilson turned to me again and peered at me. "You're seriuos, no?" I didn't answer, but as a matter of fact he embraced me and whished me luck for tuesday.
Inside I leaned against the door and popped 3 Vicodin. I swallowed them without water, made myself ready for bed and laid there for long, my second pillow hugged close to me, and stared into darkness. Although I never would have admitted it, of course I was worried.
I would have given anything for Wilson staying here this night, just to have someone to talk to.
I felt oddly hollow and found no sleep for hours.

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