(1240 words) 

Your POV 

"So you mean to tell me that if you can go a week without your Vicodin then Cuddy will let you out of a month of clinic duty?" 

House nods as he sits at his desk. 

"And you're going to prove her wrong that you can go a week without them?" 

Shaking my head I pinch the bridge of my nose. "You're insane, you're going to be more miserable than you are with them, and for what, to prove a point?" 

He stands as he walks over to me, putting his hands on my waist as he holds me. "Don't worry about it, I have you to help get me through it, if you don't decide to leave" 

Sighing as I lean into him, his chin resting on my head as I listen to his heart thud in his chest. He puts his hand on my hair as he strokes it slightly, he was worried that the pain was going to make him into a monster, one that pushes me away entirely. One that would try and get me to leave. 

Pulling away from him I sigh as Chase comes into the room and House raises his brows at him. "Speak." 

"I think we should remove some of the vitrious humor in his eye, the less pressure might expand the artery, allowing the clot on his eye to move on its own." 

Raising a brow I look at House. "It isn't a bad idea. Why are you only saying something now?"

"I didn't think of it earlier." 

"You should have." 

Looking at House as Chase leaves to go do the procedure, House turns to sit at his desk, sighing as he rubs his leg. 

"It's already starting isn't it." 

He looks at me, a slight nod as he looks down again. Sighing gently I walk over to him and hold his hand. "Maybe we should go home, I can give you a massage." 

He looks at me before smiling gently. Nodding before getting up and following me out to the lobby. Cuddy finds us as we walk past the reception desk. 

"Where are you two going?" 

"Home." 

"You have a patient." 

"Do you want me to be in pain here, or at home?"

"If you're home how will I know you aren't going to take any meds?"

"I'll be with him, I know where his stashes are. I can keep them away from him." Cuddy looks at me for a second before looking at House again, nodding. We leave and head for the apartment. It didn't take long for Chase to call saying that the kid had his sight back. Now he was throwing up and was moved to the ICU, his liver failing. House's eyes were starting to get red and watery from the pain. 

He sits on the couch as he watches me move all of his stash somewhere else, finding each of the hidden stashes. Putting them all into an old cedar chest of mine, locking it with the key I had and putting it on a necklace, wearing it. It's been about 70 hours or so since he started the bet with Cuddy. 

Sitting on the couch with him, I hold his hand as I lean my head on his shoulder. His head is leaning on the back of the couch before I look at him. He looks miserable, more than usual. Getting him up and pulling him to the bedroom I get his clothes off of him before getting him to lay on the bed. Crawling on top of him I start massaging his muscles, trying to get some of the tension out of his body. Keeping my weight off his right leg as much as I can. Once the massage was done and he was dressed, I saw he was feeling a little better. Sitting on the bed he puts his hand on my leg before I look at him. His eyes are watery making them look bluer than usual. 

"I need a distraction." 

Nodding slightly, he lays me down on the bed and kisses me, keeping his weight off his leg, he kisses along my jaw and neck. Moving to my collar bone and back up, the scratching of his stubble giving me goosebumps. Putting his weight on his left arm, his free hand trails up as he kisses me, before it goes for the key on my necklace. Breaking the necklace as he pulls on it, he gets off the bed. 

"House!" 

He ignores me as he stumbles towards the cedar chest that I left on the piano, catching him he stumbles as I try and pull the key from his hand. He lays on his back as he tries to fight me for the key again, I'm sitting on his lap. Grabbing the key from me he shoves me off of him, and I hit the door frame of the bedroom. 

"Get off of me, bitch!" 

My eyes are wide as I watch him get up off the floor slowly, not even looking at me. Noticing that i didn't say anything he turns to look at me, seeing me on the floor against the doorframe. Standing up slowly I grab my bag and my coat. He watches me for a second, glancing from his meds to me before he throws the key somewhere and closes the door after i open it to leave. Not looking at him as he leans on the door I hear him pant. 

"I'm sorry, it wasn't me." 

"Then what was it, House?" 

"The pain, you know I would never hurt you." 

"You don't have a very good track record of that." 

"I know. My leg hurts, it feels like the infarction all over again." 

Sighing gently I put my stuff down next to the door and grab his hand. "Let's get you into the tub." 

Holding my hand I walk with him to the bathroom, where I start the water. Keeping it a little cooler than he likes, worried he'll burn himself. "My hot water only reaches 140 degrees. That's not even hot enough to cook an egg." 

"I know, but I still worry." 

Feeling his hand on my back as he leans on the wall, I look up at him. Nodding slightly I turn the water all the way over and watch as the tub fills. Helping him into the tub, I sit on the floor next to the tub, taking off my silk blouse and wearing my tank top underneath it to help with the heat of the bathroom. It was quiet, the sound of the water sloshing as House moved in the tub. Feeling his hand on my arm as he rubs it I look at him. He leans towards me slightly as he wipes my face. I didn't even realize I was crying. 

"You are so going to owe me with all your extra time out of the clinic when this is done." 

He smile at me slightly as he nods. "I'll pay that for the rest of my life if I need to. Last thing I want is to hurt you but I keep doing it." 

"Neither of us were expecting the bet from Cuddy. It's just going to be for the week, then we can figure it out from there." 

He nods before he kisses my knuckles. Rubbing my knuckles with his thumb again as he looks at me.