Hold On
folder
G through L › House
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
19
Views:
14,551
Reviews:
31
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
G through L › House
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
19
Views:
14,551
Reviews:
31
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own House, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 18
Chapter 18
House sat down on the bench, his hand on his cheek. She had kissed him. Why would she do that? Was it gratitude? Just a ‘thank you for being here?’ or something else? He decided he was reading way too much into it. It was probably just an impulse on her part, just Allison being her usual overly nice self. Placing the kiss squarely in his mental box labeled ‘Allison = Nice’, he shoved the thought out of his mind.
He stared at the clock as the seconds ticked by, starting to worry. How long do these things take? How long could it possibly take to point and say “that’s him!” or “I don’t know.”? He tapped his cane on the floor in rhythm to the second hand on the clock, wishing he’d brought his GameBoy. He began pulling Kleenex out of the box on the end table and wadding it up, tossing it toward the trash can in the corner, mentally keeping score.
By the time the floor surrounding the trash can was littered with Kleenex basketballs and House had awarded himself seventeen points, the door opened. Allison and Officer Milligan stepped out, and he noticed that Allison was shaking slightly and her skin tone was a bit more green than usual. He wanted to ask how the lineup had gone, and had intended to when his mouth suddenly overrode his brain and blurted “Are you okay? You look awful.”
Her hand lept up to her mouth and she shook her head, bolting for the trash can turned basketball hoop. As she emptied her stomach in the can, House found himself beside her, holding back her hair and stroking her back until the retching stopped. As he looked up, he saw Officer Milligan standing there with a cup of water. Accepting it, he passed it to Allison. “Swish and spit.” She complied, her face flushing with embarrassment. “Better?” She nodded.
Officer Milligan helped him to his feet, and he reached down to help Allison up. The officer smiled and touched Allison’s arm. “You did just fine. I’ve seen quite a few people lose their lunch into that same trash can, a lot bigger and meaner than you.”
Allison smiled slightly, still blushing. “Can we go now?”
The officer nodded. “Sure. We’ll call you if we need anything.”
House took Allison by her elbow and led her out to the car. As they pulled out of the driveway, he finally asked what he had intended to earlier. “How’d it go?”
She shook her head. “Not well. It was awful, standing in there, knowing he was up there, looking right at me, talking to me, and I didn’t know which one he was. You’d think I’d remember something like that, right? The face or voice of the man who raped me? But I don’t, and he was standing there talking to me and I didn’t know who!” She covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking.
He pulled the car over. He could drive and he could comfort her, but not both at the same time. “You had morphine and a head injury. They’ve got DNA and other evidence. They don’t need your testimony.” He rested his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it lightly.
“But what if what they have isn’t enough?” She looked up at him through tearstained lashes, her eyes pleading with him to tell her it would be enough.
“Allison, I took the fingernail scrapings from you myself. The GYN took a DNA sample. Those samples were good. They’re strong scientific evidence. You can’t argue with DNA. It’s either his or it’s not. Everyone knows that eyewitness identifications are unreliable. The other evidence should be enough.” He gripped her shoulder, trying to make her understand.
She nodded. “You’re probably right.”
He pulled the car back onto the road. “Of course I’m right.” They finished the rest of the drive in silence.
They pulled into her driveway and she asked “Stay for dinner?”
House sat down on the bench, his hand on his cheek. She had kissed him. Why would she do that? Was it gratitude? Just a ‘thank you for being here?’ or something else? He decided he was reading way too much into it. It was probably just an impulse on her part, just Allison being her usual overly nice self. Placing the kiss squarely in his mental box labeled ‘Allison = Nice’, he shoved the thought out of his mind.
He stared at the clock as the seconds ticked by, starting to worry. How long do these things take? How long could it possibly take to point and say “that’s him!” or “I don’t know.”? He tapped his cane on the floor in rhythm to the second hand on the clock, wishing he’d brought his GameBoy. He began pulling Kleenex out of the box on the end table and wadding it up, tossing it toward the trash can in the corner, mentally keeping score.
By the time the floor surrounding the trash can was littered with Kleenex basketballs and House had awarded himself seventeen points, the door opened. Allison and Officer Milligan stepped out, and he noticed that Allison was shaking slightly and her skin tone was a bit more green than usual. He wanted to ask how the lineup had gone, and had intended to when his mouth suddenly overrode his brain and blurted “Are you okay? You look awful.”
Her hand lept up to her mouth and she shook her head, bolting for the trash can turned basketball hoop. As she emptied her stomach in the can, House found himself beside her, holding back her hair and stroking her back until the retching stopped. As he looked up, he saw Officer Milligan standing there with a cup of water. Accepting it, he passed it to Allison. “Swish and spit.” She complied, her face flushing with embarrassment. “Better?” She nodded.
Officer Milligan helped him to his feet, and he reached down to help Allison up. The officer smiled and touched Allison’s arm. “You did just fine. I’ve seen quite a few people lose their lunch into that same trash can, a lot bigger and meaner than you.”
Allison smiled slightly, still blushing. “Can we go now?”
The officer nodded. “Sure. We’ll call you if we need anything.”
House took Allison by her elbow and led her out to the car. As they pulled out of the driveway, he finally asked what he had intended to earlier. “How’d it go?”
She shook her head. “Not well. It was awful, standing in there, knowing he was up there, looking right at me, talking to me, and I didn’t know which one he was. You’d think I’d remember something like that, right? The face or voice of the man who raped me? But I don’t, and he was standing there talking to me and I didn’t know who!” She covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking.
He pulled the car over. He could drive and he could comfort her, but not both at the same time. “You had morphine and a head injury. They’ve got DNA and other evidence. They don’t need your testimony.” He rested his hand on her shoulder, rubbing it lightly.
“But what if what they have isn’t enough?” She looked up at him through tearstained lashes, her eyes pleading with him to tell her it would be enough.
“Allison, I took the fingernail scrapings from you myself. The GYN took a DNA sample. Those samples were good. They’re strong scientific evidence. You can’t argue with DNA. It’s either his or it’s not. Everyone knows that eyewitness identifications are unreliable. The other evidence should be enough.” He gripped her shoulder, trying to make her understand.
She nodded. “You’re probably right.”
He pulled the car back onto the road. “Of course I’m right.” They finished the rest of the drive in silence.
They pulled into her driveway and she asked “Stay for dinner?”