sick_wilson | Fic: Without a Paddle

Characters: House and Wilson
Spoilers: yes, for Out of the Chute; this is Yet Another of Those.
Warnings: none
Rating: PG-13ish; gen/UST
Length: ~700 words.
Summary: Neither of them really knows what they're doing here.

House was alive, for now at least. Shirtless, dressed in a pair of Wilson's sweat pants, stretched out in Wilson's bed because the hotel kicked him out and this is where he'd had the cabbie deposit him. Wilson had damn near called a second cab to take him away, but in the end ... well, there was probably enough Vicodin and God knows what else at House's place for him to finish the job he'd started, OD and get it done with. It was safer for him to be here for the night.

House still smelled of chlorine and alcohol, and Wilson kept thinking another drink for himself might not be a bad idea. That or Ambien, if he wanted to sleep at all. He wasn't House, so he wouldn't combine the two, but he was close enough to being House to have thought of it.

He'd settled on the Ambien and then settled into bed, close enough to feel the warmth coming off House's body. Between that and the pills, he hoped he wouldn't be seeing House's jump all night long.

___________________

"Wilson."

"Yeah."

"Why am I here?"

"Because you're an idiot who jumps off balconies. This is where you landed."

"I thought there was a pool."

"There is." Wilson's propped up on his side, peering into the darkness around them. He can see lights from buildings, but they seem far off. The bed is afloat in water that glows green, lit from below. House's hair is wet, but his skin is dry.

"Okay. But why'd I land here?" House repeats. He grabs hold of Wilson's left hand and presses it flat against the left side of his own chest. "I wasn't supposed to live."

Wilson feels warm skin, coarse hair, the cardiac rhythm bumping his hand. He hasn't ever touched House's chest except to push House out of his face when they were fighting, or administer CPR when there was no pulse to feel.

The instant he thinks it, the pulse stops. "House? House, no! You son of a bitch --"

_____________________

"Hey!"

Wilson came to with a sharp inhalation. "Oh, God."

The bathroom light was on, so the room was bright enough for Wilson to see House staring at him. "I'm pissing you off in my sleep now? Or is 'son of a bitch' our latest term of endearment? I still prefer 'idiot' and 'moron,' myself."

Wilson took another breath, listening to the faint clicking of the bathroom clock. "Just ... go back to sleep."

"You first. Ambien makes your dreams into talkies. Next time, I recommend whiskey, which only causes you to snore like a cute little smush-nosed dog. Gotta admit your nightmares are entertaining, though."

"I'm glad at least one of us is enjoying my misery." Wilson thought about his present state of mind and came to a conclusion he didn't like. He was exhausted in every possible way, but he wouldn't get back to sleep until he knew one thing. Yeah, he'd get mocked, but what else was new.

"I want to check your heart rate," he said.

"Why? You're the one who --"

"Just watched you jump to your death. Yes. But ... humor me. On the very slight chance that there's something my subconscious noticed, aside from the fact that you're a suicidal asshole."

"So you did just dream that I died."

"Make that, 'smug suicidal asshole,' then." Wilson reached over, resisting the urge to place his hand where it had been in the dream, and pressing his fingers over House's carotid instead. "Fast," he noted, and waited a while. The pace slowed, and the rhythm felt right, steady and strong.

"We done cuddling now?" If House intended the question to be cruel, he'd failed. The edge wasn't there, and his pulse jumped when he said it.

"Well, unless you're afraid of the dark," Wilson took his hand away. "Good night. Again." He'd flipped onto his side with his back to House, waiting for it. Waiting ...

... but House was quiet. There was just his slightly uneven breathing and that damn clock, which Wilson kind of wanted to get up and smash.

Eventually, he drifted off, with his hand curled tight like it was trying to hold onto something.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A wonderfully realistic after scene.

Eventually, he drifted off, with his hand curled tight like it was trying to hold onto something.

And a lovely wrap up line that speaks volumes.

Very nicely done!

Thanks. I think the reason I love these characters so much is that we can think of an almost infinite number of responses they might have to this situation, and any of them could be right. These guys are predictable in a few ways but completely unpredictable in so many others.

In short: Still not boring.

Poor Wilson -- you think about it, and other than his job, what does he have that he can hold onto? He has House.

Yet Another of Those, but if they're all this good, I say keep 'em coming.

Home is where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.

Why, thank you.

Yup, pretty much. Even after what had just happened, I have a hard time imagining that Wilson could turn House away if House were to come to him.

He may be very angry and very hurt, but he's still Wilson.

Yes, we've been getting all kinds of great reactions from Wilson, but I have to admit that this one rings the truest to me. Although I also adore the way he flips out just enough to give House a taste of his own medicine in

jezziejay's fic.

I love how much Wilson's dream says about him.

"resisting the urge to place his hand where it had been in the dream"
That's so good.

And I also love the final sentence, but barefootpuddles was faster than me.

I think we need a post on house_wilson collecting all the post "Down the chute" fics. And possibly keep updating it for a while.

Thanks. I think there's an awful lot Wilson is trying to hide from himself, so if that comes through, that's good to know.

Speaking of hiding ... I should confess that this account is a sock. I'm not like a BNF or anything, just someone who has been around a while.

I'm just playing with this account, not trolling, though. :-)

I think we need a post on house_wilson collecting all the post "Down the chute" fics.
Excellent idea!
And excellent fic.

I'd like to third this motion. I was even tempted to do it on my own website, but that seemed kind of presumptuous.

I'd been thinking the same thing!

Someone needs to do it. :-)

I would totally do it except that I've been such a loudmouth on the comm lately that I'm nervous that the mods will start to think I'm gunning for their jobs or something, lol.

... and this account doesn't have posting permission at house_wilson, just having joined.

If you've been saving links, you could do a post on your journal and I'm sure someone will want to use it.

I have the links, but I'd better ask around to make sure no one minds me reposting them. Will do.

Really, really good. Honestly, I almost feel like I shouldn't be reading these, because the new episode will undoubtedly be disappointing and inferior, and then I'll be ticked off. Then again, so much of the fiction here is better than what's onscreen anyway. It's good to see folks energized and inspired, in any case!

In all likelihood, they won't even show a follow-up to the jump in the new episode. Might as well enjoy these!

You mean like they haven't followed up at all on House's ten day challenge to Wilson? Sometimes I wonder if all the writers actually do get together to get an idea of what is being written.

Thanks. I hope tomorrow's episode doesn't end up pissing us all off. :-)

I'm getting a lot of enjoyment from the sudden fandom resurgence, that's for certain.

Poor Wilson"( It's hard to love an idiot but women do it all the time"/ Look out House, the title mentions a paddle, who knows you just might push Wilson far enough he applys one to you") Great story!!!

Well, yes, as in the old expression about being "up the creek without a paddle." Poor lost Wilson.

Thanks for reading!

Lovely story. The last line was perfect.

Thanks. Wilson, these days, really has so little to hang onto. If he'd lost House, I don't even want to think about what would happen next.

I don't think Wilson wants to think about it, either.

No need to apologize for writing a response to that episode -- I'm another one who's just so happy to see all the H/W writers coming out to play in the fields of fanfic again!

I really liked House's response to being cared about -- the snark that didn't work, and the jump in his pulse. With House, it's always the little things that say the most.

:-) I meant it more as humor than an apology, and thank you.

I think we've seen a few fail!snark attempts from House on the show. Where you could tell his emotions just wouldn't cooperate with the things he was saying.

You wish they'd give up the fight and just hold onto each other a while, but, well. They are who they are.

Somehow its a really good description of their relationship that the only times Wilson has touched House's chest is when he's pushing him away or giving him CPR...That was very good, I like House's pulse jumping when Wilson is taking it, I'm suprised it slowed down at all :) Like the last image of Wilson curling his hand, trying to hold onto something.

Hated the episode, but liked your take on the aftermath.

Fic: Without a Paddle

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