Part 27- S&M

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

"Can I do something for you?" Madelyn questioned sincerely, standing at Cuddy's desk.

Cuddy had taken it upon herself to page Madelyn, so she'd meet her at her office; there was something they needed to discuss.

"Yes, actually," Cuddy answered, "now I know it's the middle of the week, and House's team is busy. However, I thought you might find this worth your time". Cuddy turned her monitor screen to face Madelyn. 

With careful eyes that scanned the words, Madelyn gasped:

"I won the research abroad scholarship?"

"They want you, Dr. Gilmore." Cuddy beamed. 

She seemed satisfied with Madelyn's achievements thus far, if not genuinely proud. 

Madelyn shook her head, her lips quivering with shock, "I have you to thank."

"Actually, you have yourself  to thank. And House, of course." Cuddy enthused, clasping her hands together upon her desk. 

Madelyn nodded thinking on Cuddy's words; while she believed she had worked hard for the win, she couldn't have done it alone. 

"I appreciate you telling me." 

Cuddy looked at her and smiled, "I appreciate your work ethic." Madelyn released a deep breath of relief and sat, astonished. "The conference is at the end of next week. At this point, you only have to worry about bringing a revised version of your proposal, and the rest will settle itself out when you meet with the people in charge of the scholarship, sound good?" 

Madelyn cleared her throat, "Sounds wonderful. Thank you so much for your supervision, and I'll be sure to thank Dr. House as well." 

Cuddy withheld her dazzling smile, "I think he'd really like that." 

Watching Madelyn leave her office, Cuddy felt a warm sensation in her upper body. While she had wished things with herself and House worked out, she was glad he was exploring new options. Cuddy saw a lot of herself in Madelyn, and felt House might actually benefit from a fresh, youthful perspective. It was Cuddy's personal belief that whatever connection there was between House and Madelyn was worth pursuing even if she thought it was likely to fizzle out. 

After exiting Cuddy's office, Madelyn continued trying to orient herself around the jaw-dropping news. She just couldn't find the words to properly express how arresting the feeling felt. Taking the stairwell to return to the second floor, she reached the top near Wilson's office instead of by House's where it usually led. 

Knowing she soon had to get back to House's office for a team meeting anyways, Madelyn decided to confide in Wilson first. 

Before she had the chance to knock, Wilson had opened the door.

"Oh sorry, are you busy right now ?" Madelyn asked.

Wilson looked down at his watch and decided, "I have some time before I have to meet with a patient."

He held the door open for her as he walked back towards his desk. Wilson didn't have the slightest idea why Madelyn was back in his office where things only seemed to turn awkward. The other night was one thing, however, the kiss with House the other day was quite another. 

"What's going on?" Wilson asked, genuinely interested. 

As he finished his words, Wilson noticed Madelyn's eyes glimmer, not from sunlight reflections, but from tears.

"Are you okay?" He asked, frantically reaching for some tissues. As he handed them to Madelyn, a small chuckle escaped her lips, and it made Wilson nervous.

"I... I got the scholarship." Madelyn announced in a whisper, as if it were a bad thing. Her nerves still hadn't settled. 

"Scholarship?" Wilson repeated, not following her. 

"Yes. James, I won!"

"The NMA research abroad study?"

 Madelyn nodded. Wilson attempted to reply but only let out an enthusiastic exhale. 

"That's incredible news, Madelyn." He cheered as both of them simultaneously reached their hands out for the other. "I'm really happy for you. What you've done with the short time you've spent here... it's amazing." 

"Well, you helped me get the job here, so thank you." Madelyn gushed with nothing but a happy heart in this moment. 

Wilson's gaze was stuck on her, and his mind stuck on the many things she'd achieved, 

"Where do you get to study? Or is that hashed out at the conference next week?"

"Next week I think? I can't believe it." 

"Maybe, but I always did." 

Madelyn blushed as she always did at his compliments. He was just really good at it is what she told herself. 

"So, have you told House?" Wilson inquired disingenuously. He watched Madelyn's eyes drop to look at the floor. 

"Not yet, I thought you'd like to be the first to know," she smiled, "I couldn't wait to tell you." 

"I appreciate that, Madelyn. I do." Wilson stated with pride. 

To him, her words conveyed the fact that her kissing House was a joke or set up.

"If she was in a relationship with House, Wilson thought out loud, "she would've told him first." 

As Madelyn left to return to the team in House's office, Wilson began to feel relieved again. He believed there was no chance of a scenario in which his former love falls in love with someone like House. Yes, Wilson loved and cared for House, but he also believed Madelyn to be leagues above his best friend. He was jaded, brash, and miserable, while she was a hopeful, warm light.

Off to visit one of his patients, Wilson tried to pass House's office briskly averse to the idea of seeing Madelyn with House in any context. Inconveniently for him, however, Cuddy noticed him and looked as if she were about to stop for a chat. Right outside the transparent windows of House's office, Cuddy stopped Wilson in the nick of time:

"Dr. Wilson, got a minute?"

Wilson forced himself to come to a halt, "I'm actually on my way to meet with a patient." 

"It'll just be a minute." Cuddy restated. 

Wilson reluctantly turned his attention to her, "What's going on?"

"How're the soiree rehearsals going?" 

Wilson, who was absent-mindedly staring at Madelyn through the window, mumbling "Yeah pretty good. She's great." 

"She?" Cuddy repeated, "I'm referring to the whole group. You are overseeing it, right?" 

"Yes, of course." Wilson collected himself, "I'm sorry. I seem to be distracted..." 

"That much is apparent." Cuddy sighed without knowing what else to say. "You said she? Are you referring to Dr. Gilmore?" she asked picking up on the signals, " I didn't know she was performing."

"Yeah I asked her to. She's a pretty talented singer." Wilson explained, his voice monotoned as if he were trying to conceal all that he was feeling inside. 

"She's pretty talented all around it seems, huh?" Cuddy added, "Maybe she'd appreciate you saying so. " 

"Maybe..." Wilson hesitated looking down at the floor, insecurity building up inside him. 

Cuddy gave him a sympathetic look and said, "You two seem close. Don't let House get in the way of that." 

Wilson snapped up straight, "What?" 

Cuddy bit her bottom lip hoping she hadn't said something she shouldn't have. Wilson continued, "So there is something going between them!" 

"I didn't say that!" Cuddy tensed up. 

"You didn't not say it..." 

"Look, whatever they're doing it's their business. You have to respect that." Cuddy insisted, trying to remain rational. 

Wilson knew she was right, but he didn't want to hear it, 

"What are they sadomasochists?!" Wilson shrieked beginning to frenzy. Cuddy shushed him panicking because people were beginning to look. "Well they must be," Wilson nodded, "why else would two people like them be involved in any way?"

"I don't know," Cuddy replied calmly, "all I'm saying is that whatever is going on between Dr. Gilmore and House, it might not even last. For all we know, it was just an expression of pent-up energy... if you know what I mean." 

"Yeah." Wilson sighed becoming incredibly frustrated with the situation, regardless of how serious it was. 

"Surely, House isn't suave enough to allure a beautiful 30 year old woman with plenty of other options." 

"Remember that Ukrainian woman? His fake wife?" Cuddy reminded him. 

"That was different..." Wilson shrugged off. 

Cuddy gave him one of her stern looks as she was about to walk away from the conversation, but she had one thing left to say:

"Don't catastrophize this, Wilson. It's more than likely that it won't last, so leave it alone. You don't wanna put yourself through all this distress for nothing."

Wilson looked back around one more time, and saw House walk back to his desk as he and the team split. House looked expressionless and eagerly put his headphones upon sitting down, while Madelyn sat on the couch in the other section of the office–her eyes focused on the files. 

Wilson began his journey to visit his patient and moved on with the day. He started thinking that Cuddy had every chance of being right, and he concluded that people like House and Madelyn don't work. On the other hand, however, Wilson concluded that people like Madelyn and himself do.




You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net