Fic : Silent Companions

[menolly_au]

Title: Silent Companions
Author: menolly_au
Words: 345
Warnings :  Angst / Character Death
Summary : It's been one year since the bus crash that killed Amber and House

Written for Camp Sick!Wilson Banner Drabble challenge



 

Wilson stares into the glowing camp fire, holding his marshmallow over the flames. He looks up at House and Amber who sit silently watching him.

“I can't believe it's been a whole year since the bus crash. Been a busy year. Everybody is moving on with their lives. Cuddy got married, adopted a kid.” He turns the marshmallow over, watching the flames lick at its surface, gradually turning it brown.
 

“I miss you both so much. I look for you at the hospital all the time House, it just isn't the same there any more. It's too quiet."

He turns to Amber, gazes at her, thinking again how beautiful she is.

"The apartment is so empty Amber. I... I've kept everything just the way you left it. I haven't touched your things. I know you wouldn't like that.”
 

He watches as the marshmallow slowly burns, turning black and then shrivelling up on itself until there is nothing left. He throws the stick into the fire and then watches as it too burns up.
 

“Cuddy said I should take a break, get away from the hospital for a while. Try and find some peace. So I came out here.”
 

He laughs but there is no humour in it.
 

“It's funny because neither of you liked camping. You would have hated this. I can just hear you both bitching about it.”
 

He pokes at the fire with a stick, watches the flames dance.
 

“I haven't told anyone that I can see you both. This is just our little secret. If I tell anyone they will try and 'cure' me, make it so I can't see you anymore. I couldn't stand to lose you like that. Not again.”
 

He stares at them both, sitting there on the other side of the fire.

“I just... I just wish you would talk to me... just once.”
 

He stops, takes a deep shuddering breath and wipes away his tears. Stares into the camp fire.
 

“I wish I had been on the bus with you.”

Comments

[resm.livejournal.com]

Aw that last line was a heartbreaker. Really enjoyed this, though it suitably creeped me out lol. Poor Wilson.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it even if was creepy :)

[babyboyjon.livejournal.com]

yeah that last line is enough to make you cry...=( i liked it

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Thanks for reading and commenting, glad you liked it :)

[babyboyjon.livejournal.com]

i really did like it. i actually did cry a little bit when i pictured the last scene. House and Amber probably "smiling" at Wilson, Wilson wishing he was dead with them. yeah i cried a bit.

[srsly-yes.livejournal.com]

The story had a lovely buildup to the last line. Wilson talking about about House and Amber while incinerating the marshmallow. Great read.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Poor marshmallow, what did it ever do:) Thanks for reading!

[barefootpuddles.livejournal.com]

I sometimes wonder when watching Wilson's heart is Wilson worried about losing House too from all the brain stuff. He was really rolling the dice with the deep stimulation, or could have well been double or nothing.

BTW, a love death fics where the dead character is still somehow there. Did you intend for them to be ghosts, hallucinations or were you leaving that open?

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

I think Wilson is just really caught up in trying to save Amber and although he knows what he is asking House to do he doesn't really think about what could happen. I really wish they had revisited that in the show - even with just one line.

(I have this private theory that part of the reason he does the liver thing in Wilson is that he is is remembering what House was willing to do for him and he thinks that if he is a good friend to Tucker he should be prepared to make that kind of sacrifice too.)

I had hallucinations more in mind with this fic but there's no reason they couldn't be ghosts :) If you are interested I did write a short ficlet for comment_fic a while back where they are ghosts - here

[barefootpuddles.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link. I left a comment there. That is just the kind of thing I meant!

Just curious, but if they are hallucinations in this story why won't they talk to Wilson (or why can't get himself get them to talk to him)? Is there something symbolic there? Guilt maybe? Survivors syndrome?


It's always House as the ghost too, every notice that? I can't real one with Wilson as the ghost (there was one good one Wilson as a hallucination.) I wonder if Wilson as a ghost would count as a sick!Wilson?

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

When I was writing it I was thinking about that episode when Wilson is lying in bed talking to 'Amber' so this being just another degree of that, where Wilson is conjuring up the image as well (so maybe not really a true hallucination?) Truthfully I was going to write it with them all chatting happily around the campfire and then only gradually do you realise that Amber and House are in fact dead - but I didn't :)

I'm thinking that are a lot more stories about House being dead in general - probably because it seems more likely that he will die first? Yeah I think ghost!Wilson could count as sick!Wilson - you can't get much sicker than dead can you :) Maybe I can come up with something for the latest challenge :)

[barefootpuddles.livejournal.com]

Maybe I can come up with something for the latest challenge :)

Oh please do. And if you are ever interested in a longer fic with Wilson and as a ghost I've had some ideas in my head for a while (though sadly they don't seem to want to turn into any kind of real fic and I don't do long things that well anyway).

[cresty-on-ry.livejournal.com]

That was fantastic. Needless to say, I have tears in my eyes and I need a hug right now. I love how the presence of both Amber and House was so great, even though they never moved, talked, or did anything. Wilson seeing them standing there, and remembering them before they died was all that was needed.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Sorry to make you sad (: I was going to have them both chattering away to him but liked this way better, glad it worked for you.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_slytherin_girl/]

Wow, that was incredibly sad. Poor Wilson. *hugs him*

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Yeah, poor Wilson, he's having a rough summer isn't he :) Thanks for reading!

[alternatealto.livejournal.com]

This packs so much emotion into a little space. I especially love Wilson watching the marshmallow turn black and shrivel away in the flames -- so real, and yet so symbolic. You're left wanting to comfort Wilson, but no comfort is possible.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I don't usually do a lot of symbolism so I'm glad that worked okay :)

[3rdgal12.livejournal.com]

Wow. That one was so heart wrenching. I love it!

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Gotta love a bit of angst :)

[fleurione.livejournal.com]

oh this is beautiful. the last line is a killer, just perfect. I love the twist on canon, that House died on the bus and that Wilson was the one with the hallucinations.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I love the whole bus crash thing, its so much fun to play around with :)

[yarroway.livejournal.com]

The warning kept me away from this fic until now. I'm glad I read it even though it's so sad. I knew right away what was going on, and that just made it more poignant. I particularly liked him incinerating the marshmallow.

[menolly-au.livejournal.com]

Gosh, this one was a downer wasn't it? I'm glad you liked it anyway - thanks for reading and commenting!