(1518 words) 

Your POV 

"Hello?" 

"(y/n), I need you to come into work." 

Looking at my watch I sigh, it's 3 in the morning. House moves next to me a little. checking his own watch. 

"I don't have a patient."

"You do." 

"I told you, I'm not going to treat Michael." 

"He's threatening to sue." 

"Then why are you calling and not Stacy?"

"She didn't think you'd answer if she called." 

"She was right." 

Cuddy sighs on the other side of the phone. "Just come in, do something so he doesn't sue." 

Hanging up, I throw the phone and put my arm over my eyes, House rubs his hand on my stomach for a moment as he leans on his side. "I'll help you treat him." 

Looking at him I furrow my brows. "That's not the point, I told him no. He should have dropped it already." 

"He still loves you." 

"I don't love him. That ship sailed and then sank in an inferno." 

He sighs as he rubs my back, sitting up with me. "Do you think he'll get a job at the hospital after he's treated too?" 

"You mean if I don't kill him first?"

He gives a slight shrug before smirking. "I smell a lot of angry sex later." 

Shaking my head I look at him. "You're a pain in my ass." 

"But you love me anyway." 

Sighing I nod before we get dressed, heading into the hospital I go with House to his office. Putting my hair up, I give a small huff before I walk off to his room. Grabbing his chart at the end of the bed and reading it over. House gets into the room not long after and glances at him in the bed. 

"I wanted only you, (y/n)." 

"That's Dr. (l/n) to you. And if you want me on this case, Dr. House is going to consult." 

"Fine." 

"Your Grandfather died of a heart attack when you were a kid. Cardiac issues runs in the family. I also know you had a drug history before we dated."

"Something you're attracted to," he looks at House who's popping a pill. 

"He's in chronic pain, you on the other hand, are just an idiot." 

"I started up again after we broke up." 

Humming I continue reading the chart. "Shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness. All of this can be from your family history of heart issues, and your drug use." 

Looking at Michael he swallows slightly. "There's something else." 

"Like what? Your broken heart? You need a surgeon for that, not me." 

He itches his arm slightly, walking over I lift his arm, finding a red patch. Getting a sample to be tested, I shake my head. Standing at the end of the bed with the chart in my hand again, I smack his foot with the clipboard. Making a small pained sound, I lift the blanket to look at his leg, edema and sores that aren't healing. 

Putting the clipboard down, I leave the room. House following me as I feel his eyes on me. "What are you thinking?"

"Right now, I'm thinking I'm pissed and he's an idiot." 

"What kind of drugs does he take?"

"It used to be just weed and alcohol, but from how his symptoms are, I wouldn't be suprised if it's cocaine in the mix too." 

Shaking my head as we get into the elevator, I push the button and lean on the back wall. House leaning on his cane his head down as he turns to me slightly. "Did you really have an issue with people with drugs before?"

"I had an issue with people who used drugs when they don't need them, spending money on a habit. You need it for your leg pain. He did it just for fun. He even lied to me about it quite a bit." 

"Who did he cheat with?"

"What do you think? She enabled his bad habits. Convinced him I was boring and he chose her." 

"Are they still together?"

"I didn't ask, it didn't come up in his history." 

He looks at me as he leaves the elevator. Getting into his office I take the lab coat off and look at the whiteboard. Writing down the symptoms I lean on the table behind me. House watching me from his office before he sits down. It was only a couple of hours before he started throwing clots, stroking out got him blood thinners.

Once he had an MRI that showed his weakened heart valves from the cocaine use on top of everything else and his history, he was getting kidney and liver issues. There was a good chance he was going to die. We can put him on dialysis for the kidneys, but he needs a new heart and a new liver. Can't get one without the other, and can't get either from his history of drug use. There wasn't anything we could do. 

"What if it's not cardiovascular disease?" 

"Then what would it be?"

Chase looks at me for a second before sighing gently. "What if he has a tumor?" 

Shaking my head I sigh. "We already gave him an MRI."

"Of his chest. Not his brain." 

"You think he's got a tumor in the pleasure center of his brain?"

"Sure make him sick with something, that explains why he cheated and his drugs, not that he's just a shitty person." 

Walking out of the office, I head outside. Shaking my head as I sit at a table outside. He cheats on me, started his drug use back up, a couple years later he comes back to have me fix him. This guy is insane. I suppose that's what I'm into. House is insane too, but his is different. There's a method to his madness, Michael doesn't have one. He just does it for no reason. 

Feeling a hand on my shoulder I look up to see Cameron. Sighing she sits with me and gives me her big sad blue eyes. "I think you should listen, anything could be causing this." 

"Not with his history." 

"you don't know that-" 

"I know that everybody lies. He did it to me for a lot of our relationship, I'm sorry I'm not beliving him, his track record is garbage." 

She sighs gently. "You sound a lot like House."

"Everyone keeps saying that," 

"You've only been together for a little over a year, don't you think it's bad?"

"No, I don't think it's an issue. House makes me happy, and I'm fairly certain I do the same for him." 

She looks at me for a second before nodding. "House is going to do a MR Angiogram and a stress test. See if the issue really is his heart." 

"It'll come back positive." 

~ 

"The results are back." 

"And?"

"They're positive for low blood output." 

"So he's going to die." 

"We think he's suffering from, a broken heart." 

"Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy? Are you kidding me?"

Cameron shakes her head gently. "His is severe enough it's causing all of his other issues." 

"Then treat him with beta blockers, and bed rest. While you're at it, have psyche talk to him. This case is done." 

Everyone leaves to do as they're told, House walks over to me putting his thumb between my eyebrows and rubbing slightly. Looking at him he gives me a small smile. 

"You're going to look like me if you keep them together like that." 

"I'm annoyed."

"Because his heart is broken, like how yours was?"

Nodding slightly I look down, putting the board eraser down. "Why does he think he has the right to show up after all this time, when I'm finally happy, and have the audacity to be the sick one? The one that's hurt?"

"What if seeing you brought everything back?"

Looking at House he shrugs as he looks down. "If we had broken up, and I saw you again for the first time, I'm sure I'd feel the same he does. Especially if I was an idiot like him." 

"But you aren't an idiot."

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't feel terrible. I don't think I could live with myself if I hurt you." 

Looking at him, I pull him towards me by his belt loops. Raising my head to look up at him he smiles gently before I kiss him. He returns it and we pull away as his arms find my hips. 

"That's the difference between you two, you can actually admit when you're wrong, when you do stupid shit. Not him, he tried to make it sound like his cheating and drug use was my fault." 

He leans down before kissing my forehead again, smiling gently as I look up at him. "We should get going, I have some stress to work out." Smirking at him I walk away from him, he smirks as he grabs his cane. 

"Don't have to tell me twice." He quickly follows after me, almost running behind me. 

~ 

The broken heart syndrome was all I could think of for what he was sick with. I tried to think of some other things, like his heart being weak from cocaine use and whatever, but eh. Hopefully this still makes sense.