Heartbeats
Title: Heartbeats
Pairing: House/Wilson
Word Count: 1262
Rating: R (language)
This is for the sickwilson_fest.
Prompt 87: Wilson has palpitations and tries to keep it from House. This takes place after 5 x 24, Both Sides Now.
Disclaimer: Of course the characters belong to David Shore and company.
Heartbeats
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It started a few weeks after House went into Mayfield. He was in a meeting, a long boring budget meeting, and suddenly his heart started pounding. He tried to ignore it, and he looked down at the numbers on the printout in front of him, but it didn’t help. His heart beat louder and louder, and it got faster and faster. He looked around, to see if they were all staring at him, cause of all the noise, but no one was. Not even Cuddy. She was looking out the window. He stood up and said “I’ll be right back” and ran down to the bathroom. He was grateful that no one was there.
He sat down in a stall and loosened his tie. His heart was beating even faster. He gasped for breath, and he twisted the tie in his clenched hands. The pounding got louder, and louder. Then it seemed to stop.
He felt his pulse at his neck. It was almost normal. He stood up, but his legs were shaking. He walked over to the sink and splashed cold water on his face. Then he put his tie back on and slowly went back to the meeting.
He sat back down in his seat, and looked around. No one even looked up when he came in. Not even Cuddy. She was still looking at the window.
It happened next when he was with a patient. But it wasn’t as bad as the first time.
Then it happened when he was visiting House. They were sitting at a table in the visiting room. House was going on and on about how crazy everyone was in there, and how bad the food was, and what idiots all the doctors were.
Wilson was listening to him intently, even though he pretended to be bored. But he never would admit to House how much he missed his daily rants.
But suddenly the pounding began again. Wilson clenched his hands under the table, and stared at his coffee cup. Then he looked at House.
“Wilson?”
“House, just go on....”
House stared at him for a moment, then he looked away, and went on ranting about the nurses. Wilson clenched his hands even tighter in his lap. Then the pounding stopped. Thank goodness it wasn’t that bad this time, and House didn’t seem to know what happened
But Wilson cut the visit short, and left, muttering something about having to go check on a patient. Wilson ran out to his car, and drove back home as quickly as he could.
He spent the evening on the couch, the TV flickering, unwatched in the dark.
But after that, the spells stopped. House came home, and went back to work. Everything seemed almost normal again. The lunches in the cafeteria, House barging into his office, several times a day, the evenings on House’s couch, with pizza and beer, despite Wilson’s’ lectures that House really shouldn’t be drinking anymore.
They even went bowling again.
Everything seemed back to normal. Wilson never told House, or anyone, about the spells. After all, everything was back to normal.
Until that second time they went bowling.
House was in a good mood, and he was rambling on and on, about the team and Cuddy and the nurses that he missed before. He was even bowling better than before. Wilson kept glancing over at him. Things just seemed too good.
Then it was Wilson’s turn down the lane. He picked up the ball, and took two steps, and then it happened again. His heart suddenly began to beat, faster and harder then it ever did before. He took one more step, and was about to release the ball, when it felt like his heart was exploding in his chest. He dropped the ball, and leaned over as if to try to catch his breath, and then he fell down on his knees.
The ball rolled meekly into the gutter.
“Wilson!!!!!!!!!!”
House had been filling out his scorecard, but he looked up just as Wilson was falling to his knees.
“Wilson!!!!!” House yelled again, and ran to him, as best as he could, without stopping to pick up this cane.
Wilson was motionless, on his knees, hunched over, trying to still the freight train in his chest.
“Wilson? What the hell…..” House yelled, but then he stopped, as he kneeled down and put his hand on Wilson’s back.
“Wilson, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“House, I don’t……I …..I don’t know…… My heart….it’s like….”
“Is there pain?” House asked, with the fear heightening in his voice.
Wilson managed to shake his head. “No….not really…..it’s just…..it’s like…” he stammered, but was stopped by House’s hand at his neck.
House kept one hand on Wilson’s neck, and then he looked at his watch, the watch Kutner gave him, that he had been so happy to finally get back.
“Wilson” House said, his voice growing softer. “Tachycardia, two hundred beats a minute.”
Wilson looked up at him. House put both hands on his neck.
“Wilson, just breathe, just breathe” he said quietly.
A crowd gathered around them.
“Will you mind your own business” House yelled. “I’m a doctor. Haven’t you ever seen a sick person before? Just go away.”
The people in the crowd looked at each other, then they slowly drifted away.
House kept his hands on Wilson’s neck, slowly and gently moving back and forth, and then gently massaging his back.
Finally it passed. Wilson looked up at House.
“House, I’m okay now” Wilson said, his voice still shaking.
House checked Wilson’s pulse again and nodded. He stood up, and helped Wilson stand up too. They went back to the seats, with House’s arm around Wilson’s back. Then they sat down. Wilson put his head down in his hands. House stared at him.
“What the hell was that?”
“Nothing, House. Forget it. I’m fine.”
House’s eyes widened. “Nothing? Your heart was racing like a fucking freight train. How could that be nothing?”
Wilson looked up.
“House, it’s nothing. It happened before. I’m fine.”
House glared at him. “This happened before? Are you crazy? Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest, and you’re telling me you're fine? Come on, let’s go….” House said loudly, standing up and picking up his cane.
“House, I’m fine.” Wilson said, looking down again.
House stood in front of Wilson, and stared down at him, and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Wilson, get up, you’re going to the hospital. Now.”
Wilson shook his head.
“House, I just want to go home. Please. I’m fine.”
House kept staring at him, then he sat back down. He leaned close to Wilson, and put his hand on his thigh.
“Wilson, you almost scared me to death” House said softly. “I can’t let you go home. I just can’t.”
Wilson looked up at House, and stared at his eyes, now moist and red.
“House?”
“Wilson, please….”
Wilson looked down again. “You…they’ll make me stay there all night. House… I just want to go home, to my bed……...please…..”
“Wilson, look at me…” House said firmly.
Wilson looked up. House gently touched his cheek.
“Wilson…I need to know that you’re okay….”
“House....”
“I’ll stay with you. I promise.”
“All night? Wilson asked, his voice shaking.
“All night. All week, if that’s what it takes. I swear…” House replied, his voice gentler and softer than ever before.
Wilson stared at him, till he couldn’t see through his tears.
“Okay, House. Let’s go… .”
And they went, although neither of their hearts were quite the same after that.