Fic : Thirty Days of Solitary 21/30
Jul. 17th, 2012 09:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
menolly_auTitle: Thirty Days of Solitary 21/30
Characters: House with small bits of various others
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: For everything up to and including Twenty Vicodins
Summary: House was sentenced to thirty days of solitary confinement for his actions in Twenty Vicodins. This is the story of his time in solitary, and what was happening back at PPTH while he was there. Story will mainly focus on House, but there are segments featuring the rest of the cast. Starts just before the end of Twenty Vicodins.
A/N : Many, many thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
damigella_314. Without her constant help and encouragement this story would be called 'Five Days of Solitary'.
Click for previous part
Day 21 Thursday 27th October 2011
There's a spider in his cell today and he watches it for a long time. It starts in one corner and gradually makes its way over to the opposite corner, pausing for many minutes at a time, as if frozen in place. Maybe it's seen House watching it, and thinks if it stays still House won't be able to see it. Or maybe it's just taking its time, sensing that there is no hurry in this place, that the strange man lying on a narrow bed isn't going anywhere.
House has always been fascinated with living creatures, as a child he used to try and capture as many as he could. He was never allowed to have a dog or a cat, his father always insisted his family must be able to pick up their lives at a moment's notice to go with him wherever he was posted, as the dutiful attendants to the great military man. So Greg made the best of spiders, tadpoles, frogs, lizards and pretty much anything else he could get his hands on. He had to be careful where he put them, his Mom screamed if she saw one of them and immediately threw it out, his Dad didn't scream but he did make his displeasure known at Greg bringing anything like that into the house and scaring his mother. Any of Greg's 'pets' that were discovered by his parents didn't last long.
In the end he kept most of them outside, hidden around the garden, where he could sneak out and watch them. Sometimes, on those cold dark nights when he was banished from the house, they kept him company. Eventually he grew out of it, when girls and music took over his life, and this small bit of rebellion against his father's rule wasn't worth it.
Steve had been his first 'pet' for a long time, and he'd only taken him in the first place to see if he could diagnose and cure him. He'd kept him afterwards because, well, he wasn't sure why really, he'd never been sure. Wilson had said he'd kept him because he reminded House of his time with Stacy, and House had mocked him for that, Stacy would not have been impressed to think that she was in any way associated with a rat that House took out of her home. But sometimes, after she'd gone, he'd look at Steve and remember those few weeks when she'd been back in his life.
Of course, it turned out rats didn't live very long and Steve hadn't been an exception (the cigarette butts he'd consumed probably hadn't helped). When Steve died House threw away his cage and what remained of his food and stopped thinking about Stacy.
He looks back at the spider, sees that it is nearly at the corner, showing a sudden burst of speed. Once it achieves its goal the spider makes its way over to the window, the small grimy, painted over window set high in the wall. House watches it probe around the window, feeling out the extent of it, and then it finds a crack and makes its way through, disappearing from sight - escaped.
House looks at the window for a few minutes more, wondering if the spider will come back in, but it's gone, back to the world outside where there's light and fresh air, and freedom. He lies back on his bunk and closes his eyes, he can’t physically leave, but sleep is the next best thing.
Chris Taub says goodbye to his last patient for the day with a sigh of relief and starts packing up to go home. The work he is doing now is nothing like the diagnostics work he did at PPTH. There's really nothing to compare to that, the intensity of it, the lunacy, the excitement. Plastic surgery once used to make his heart sing; now it barely makes it hum. But the hours are better, and the money is better, and now he has two small children to provide for.
He smiles automatically as he thinks about the girls. Sophie and Sophia. Okay, the name thing isn't good admittedly; House would have had a field day with that it if he'd known.
His smile fades as his thoughts touch on House. He wonders how he is faring, in New Jersey State Prison; it seems in one way bizarre that the foremost diagnostician in the United States would be languishing in prison, and in another way almost natural. Taub remembers his mother once, talking of a boy he used to know, 'that child will either end up in jail, or become President'. House is that sort of guy. He's also a survivor, he bounces back. Taub remembers the time when he disappeared into a mental hospital for months, the exact circumstances a mystery to everyone but Wilson and Cuddy. He'd come back from that, buzz cut and all, apparently off Vicodin and looking healthier than he had in a long time. Then he'd come after Taub with a single minded, and somewhat flattering, determination to have him back on his team.
He can't help thinking that House will come back this time as well. After all he hasn't even had his license suspended, and Cuddy isn't at the hospital anymore. With Foreman in charge, it won't be so difficult for House to come back, if he wants to, after he finishes his stint in jail – if he's still in one piece. It seems almost ironic that his license was suspended while he was in Mayfield and he had to prove himself on his return, but apparently domestic violence and a year in jail was not considered an obstacle to being a doctor.
Sometime, maybe a year or so down the track from now, he thinks House will come looking for him again, wanting him back on the team. Taub doesn't know what he will do when, or if, that day comes, although he knows what he will want to do. He has two small children to consider now, and he doesn’t want to miss more of their childhood than he has to.
Characters: House with small bits of various others
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: For everything up to and including Twenty Vicodins
Summary: House was sentenced to thirty days of solitary confinement for his actions in Twenty Vicodins. This is the story of his time in solitary, and what was happening back at PPTH while he was there. Story will mainly focus on House, but there are segments featuring the rest of the cast. Starts just before the end of Twenty Vicodins.
A/N : Many, many thanks to
damigella_314. Without her constant help and encouragement this story would be called 'Five Days of Solitary'. Click for previous part
Day 21 Thursday 27th October 2011
There's a spider in his cell today and he watches it for a long time. It starts in one corner and gradually makes its way over to the opposite corner, pausing for many minutes at a time, as if frozen in place. Maybe it's seen House watching it, and thinks if it stays still House won't be able to see it. Or maybe it's just taking its time, sensing that there is no hurry in this place, that the strange man lying on a narrow bed isn't going anywhere.
House has always been fascinated with living creatures, as a child he used to try and capture as many as he could. He was never allowed to have a dog or a cat, his father always insisted his family must be able to pick up their lives at a moment's notice to go with him wherever he was posted, as the dutiful attendants to the great military man. So Greg made the best of spiders, tadpoles, frogs, lizards and pretty much anything else he could get his hands on. He had to be careful where he put them, his Mom screamed if she saw one of them and immediately threw it out, his Dad didn't scream but he did make his displeasure known at Greg bringing anything like that into the house and scaring his mother. Any of Greg's 'pets' that were discovered by his parents didn't last long.
In the end he kept most of them outside, hidden around the garden, where he could sneak out and watch them. Sometimes, on those cold dark nights when he was banished from the house, they kept him company. Eventually he grew out of it, when girls and music took over his life, and this small bit of rebellion against his father's rule wasn't worth it.
Steve had been his first 'pet' for a long time, and he'd only taken him in the first place to see if he could diagnose and cure him. He'd kept him afterwards because, well, he wasn't sure why really, he'd never been sure. Wilson had said he'd kept him because he reminded House of his time with Stacy, and House had mocked him for that, Stacy would not have been impressed to think that she was in any way associated with a rat that House took out of her home. But sometimes, after she'd gone, he'd look at Steve and remember those few weeks when she'd been back in his life.
Of course, it turned out rats didn't live very long and Steve hadn't been an exception (the cigarette butts he'd consumed probably hadn't helped). When Steve died House threw away his cage and what remained of his food and stopped thinking about Stacy.
He looks back at the spider, sees that it is nearly at the corner, showing a sudden burst of speed. Once it achieves its goal the spider makes its way over to the window, the small grimy, painted over window set high in the wall. House watches it probe around the window, feeling out the extent of it, and then it finds a crack and makes its way through, disappearing from sight - escaped.
House looks at the window for a few minutes more, wondering if the spider will come back in, but it's gone, back to the world outside where there's light and fresh air, and freedom. He lies back on his bunk and closes his eyes, he can’t physically leave, but sleep is the next best thing.
Chris Taub says goodbye to his last patient for the day with a sigh of relief and starts packing up to go home. The work he is doing now is nothing like the diagnostics work he did at PPTH. There's really nothing to compare to that, the intensity of it, the lunacy, the excitement. Plastic surgery once used to make his heart sing; now it barely makes it hum. But the hours are better, and the money is better, and now he has two small children to provide for.
He smiles automatically as he thinks about the girls. Sophie and Sophia. Okay, the name thing isn't good admittedly; House would have had a field day with that it if he'd known.
His smile fades as his thoughts touch on House. He wonders how he is faring, in New Jersey State Prison; it seems in one way bizarre that the foremost diagnostician in the United States would be languishing in prison, and in another way almost natural. Taub remembers his mother once, talking of a boy he used to know, 'that child will either end up in jail, or become President'. House is that sort of guy. He's also a survivor, he bounces back. Taub remembers the time when he disappeared into a mental hospital for months, the exact circumstances a mystery to everyone but Wilson and Cuddy. He'd come back from that, buzz cut and all, apparently off Vicodin and looking healthier than he had in a long time. Then he'd come after Taub with a single minded, and somewhat flattering, determination to have him back on his team.
He can't help thinking that House will come back this time as well. After all he hasn't even had his license suspended, and Cuddy isn't at the hospital anymore. With Foreman in charge, it won't be so difficult for House to come back, if he wants to, after he finishes his stint in jail – if he's still in one piece. It seems almost ironic that his license was suspended while he was in Mayfield and he had to prove himself on his return, but apparently domestic violence and a year in jail was not considered an obstacle to being a doctor.
Sometime, maybe a year or so down the track from now, he thinks House will come looking for him again, wanting him back on the team. Taub doesn't know what he will do when, or if, that day comes, although he knows what he will want to do. He has two small children to consider now, and he doesn’t want to miss more of their childhood than he has to.
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no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 09:36 am (UTC)I love what you did in House's section here. The spider and Steve McQueen and how it all ties in to his childhood and the prison. If this isn't canon, it should be. It explains how he even thought of keeping Steve. The tie in to his loneliness is brilliant.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 10:04 am (UTC)I loved the whole Steve McQueen thing, it just seemed so random of House to take this rat home, but it added to the depth of House's character I thought - and there have been some great Steve McQueen stories.
Glad you enjoyed the chapter, thanks for reading :)
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 04:50 pm (UTC)Taub remembers his mother once, talking of a boy he used to know, 'that child will either end up in jail, or become President'
Heh. My mother used to say a version of that! She would say "in the White house" rather than "President". Sometimes she would add "dead" as an option. :P
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 08:21 pm (UTC)Heh. My mother used to say a version of that! She would say "in the White house" rather than "President". Sometimes she would add "dead" as an option. :P
I think 'dead' as an option could equally be applied to House :)
no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 07:04 pm (UTC)Throw out the rat - stop thinking about the woman. Oh, House, if it were that easy, then you'd have tossed Cuddy's hairbrush out of the window of your car, and all would have been well.
I always liked Taub and Kutner - they were a dream team, Kutner with his boyish enthusiasm and Taub with his dry humour. They embodied what was best in House, without most of his faults. And although I hated the whole Taub/Rachel plot, House trying to kit their marriage was rather touching. For all his mocking, I think he envied Taub for having a relationship and priorities other than work (rather like the Mormon guy who alone of all the team was allowed to go home early because of his child).
no subject
Date: 2012-07-19 06:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-23 07:02 pm (UTC)So glad you kept up with this!
no subject
Date: 2012-07-23 09:12 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading :)