Thanks for the reviews, guys! I fear this is going to be long, I just don't want to make it like they just automatically jumped into bed or whatever, so... if nothing else, it is amusing me...
~*~*~
Michael Weston had fit into the cast and crew of the House MD set quickly and easily, as he was an easy-going personality and had been a fan of the show for years. Lisa had only exchanged words very briefly since he’d begun, and so she sought him out early in the filming of Adverse Events, before the first scene they would be shooting together with Hugh.
“Mike?” He turned to see who was speaking to him and smiled when he saw it was Lisa. “Hi, how are you?”
“I’m doing pretty well, you?”
“Can’t complain.” She took a seat next to him. “I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to you since you’ve started—how has everything been going since you came?”
“Oh, it’s great. Everyone’s been so great, and David even—well…” Suddenly he stopped, looking at the floor. “Everyone’s been very welcoming. Especially considering what a small part it is. Do all your patients of the week get such a warm welcome?”
“Pretty much…”
“Or is it just that you make everyone feel really special?”
Lisa blushed and looked at her hands. From across the room Hugh looked over the pages of his script and watched their interaction, though he couldn’t hear what was going on. When Michael cross his leg and leaned closer to her, Hugh glared and quickly reverted his gaze to the pages. Andrew Bernstein came up behind him and tapped his shoulder.
“Everything going ok?”
“Yeah.” Hugh looked up again and saw Lisa laughing at something Michael had said. “We ready to start?”
“Sure. Lisa! Mike! Cafeteria set!”
“Coming!” Lisa started up out of her chair and nearly ran straight into Mike, who had stood already and was holding out a hand to help her up. “Oh. Thanks.” Without thinking, she looked over at Hugh, who was watching them both—until she looked at him. Then he quickly turned away and started toward the set.
“Hey—” Mike nudged her as they headed after him. “Listen, I know we just met or whatever, but I was thinking maybe you might want to get a drink sometime?”
“Oh, that would be fun! We should get a bunch of people to go, make a night of it.” She smiled, touching his arm as she headed off to the side to wait for her cue as Hugh settled himself into the cafeteria chair and Mike stopped next to the table. “That’s a great idea. Hugh knows a nice place near here that we’ve been to before; it’s really great food even if you don’t get there until late after filming.”
“You guys ready?” Andrew called from behind the cameras.
“Sure.” Hugh answered immediately, and Michael sat down next to him to start the scene. After a few times, the first half of the scene was ready and they tried the last part one more time before moving on.
“Action!”
Lisa strode up to the table, focused solely on Hugh. “Is this him?”
“No.” Said Hugh.
“Yes.” Said Lucas.
Hugh sighed. “She means, are you the private investigator whose bills I’ve tried to slip through as medical expenses?”
“Oh.” Mike stood up and smiled at Lisa. “Hi. I’m Lucas Douglas, PI.”
Not even looking at him, Lisa leaned over the table closer to Hugh. “This hospital is not putting a private investigator on retainer. Nor is it going to pay any more phony repairs on vending machines, cryostats, or elevators.”
“Information saves lives. Saving lives costs money—”
“No, saving lives costs money, which is why I’m trying to make sure there’s still some left! You want your own personal PI, you’re gonna have to pay for him yourself.” Suddenly Lisa realized there was another person standing there who, for once, was not an extra. She sighed and looked at him for the first time and shrugged slightly, starting to turn away. “Sorry.”
“No, I understand. Hey, I…” Lisa stopped and turned to hear what he was saying. “I like the shoes, by the way.”
“Uh—” Lisa looked at Hugh, seemingly at a loss for words, then back at Michael. “Thank—you.”
Hugh raised an eyebrow and watched as she finally turned around and walked off set, feeling his gaze drawn to her legs and she left. They were nice shoes. A moment passed, and Michael was staring at him.
“Hugh?” A voice came from behind the camera. “It’s your line…”
“Sorry.” He shook his head and glared in the direction that Lisa had gone. This was absurd. “Sorry. Try again.”
Lisa stood off to the side, watching them finish. Hugh seemed distracted, and she couldn’t imagine why. Maybe that night while they were at dinner she would find out. But the dinner wasn’t about to happen…
“Lisa.” Mike came jogging up to her when they finished the scene. “About tonight…”
“Oh—I haven’t even asked Hugh yet, but Jesse seemed up for it, and—”
“Ah, you know what, I just—I actually have somewhere I need to be tonight, just—”
“Well we can do it another time, I mean, it’s about time the cast got together and did something fun—”
“Well. Actually. God, this is embarrassing.” Michael rubbed his forehead, looking at the floor. “When I asked you about a drink, I was trying to—ask you out. Obviously you’re not interested, so. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were… involved with someone?”
Lisa stared at him, completely at a loss.
“It’s totally ok,” Mike said, backing away. “Seriously. No big deal. It’s cool.”
“Ok. I’m—sorry,” Lisa said, watching him go but not trying to stop him. Hugh came up behind her and she turned around, sensing his presence. “He… asked me out.”
“Astonishing.” Hugh said, looking down at her. “And this surprises you?”
“Well, it—I didn’t realize he was asking me out. Which is…”
“Weird?” He finished. “It’s ok. I’ll let you know from now on who is and is not hitting on you, I promise.”
Lisa laughed in spite of herself. “Gee, thanks. Much appreciated.”
“I thought you’d like that.” Hugh elbowed her lightly as he started off toward the next scene. “You get to go home now, yes? Have a good night.”
Lisa watched him go, feeling strangely sad. “Yeah. You too,” she whispered, finally heading toward her trailer before going home.
~*~*~
Michael Weston had fit into the cast and crew of the House MD set quickly and easily, as he was an easy-going personality and had been a fan of the show for years. Lisa had only exchanged words very briefly since he’d begun, and so she sought him out early in the filming of Adverse Events, before the first scene they would be shooting together with Hugh.
“Mike?” He turned to see who was speaking to him and smiled when he saw it was Lisa. “Hi, how are you?”
“I’m doing pretty well, you?”
“Can’t complain.” She took a seat next to him. “I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to you since you’ve started—how has everything been going since you came?”
“Oh, it’s great. Everyone’s been so great, and David even—well…” Suddenly he stopped, looking at the floor. “Everyone’s been very welcoming. Especially considering what a small part it is. Do all your patients of the week get such a warm welcome?”
“Pretty much…”
“Or is it just that you make everyone feel really special?”
Lisa blushed and looked at her hands. From across the room Hugh looked over the pages of his script and watched their interaction, though he couldn’t hear what was going on. When Michael cross his leg and leaned closer to her, Hugh glared and quickly reverted his gaze to the pages. Andrew Bernstein came up behind him and tapped his shoulder.
“Everything going ok?”
“Yeah.” Hugh looked up again and saw Lisa laughing at something Michael had said. “We ready to start?”
“Sure. Lisa! Mike! Cafeteria set!”
“Coming!” Lisa started up out of her chair and nearly ran straight into Mike, who had stood already and was holding out a hand to help her up. “Oh. Thanks.” Without thinking, she looked over at Hugh, who was watching them both—until she looked at him. Then he quickly turned away and started toward the set.
“Hey—” Mike nudged her as they headed after him. “Listen, I know we just met or whatever, but I was thinking maybe you might want to get a drink sometime?”
“Oh, that would be fun! We should get a bunch of people to go, make a night of it.” She smiled, touching his arm as she headed off to the side to wait for her cue as Hugh settled himself into the cafeteria chair and Mike stopped next to the table. “That’s a great idea. Hugh knows a nice place near here that we’ve been to before; it’s really great food even if you don’t get there until late after filming.”
“You guys ready?” Andrew called from behind the cameras.
“Sure.” Hugh answered immediately, and Michael sat down next to him to start the scene. After a few times, the first half of the scene was ready and they tried the last part one more time before moving on.
“Action!”
Lisa strode up to the table, focused solely on Hugh. “Is this him?”
“No.” Said Hugh.
“Yes.” Said Lucas.
Hugh sighed. “She means, are you the private investigator whose bills I’ve tried to slip through as medical expenses?”
“Oh.” Mike stood up and smiled at Lisa. “Hi. I’m Lucas Douglas, PI.”
Not even looking at him, Lisa leaned over the table closer to Hugh. “This hospital is not putting a private investigator on retainer. Nor is it going to pay any more phony repairs on vending machines, cryostats, or elevators.”
“Information saves lives. Saving lives costs money—”
“No, saving lives costs money, which is why I’m trying to make sure there’s still some left! You want your own personal PI, you’re gonna have to pay for him yourself.” Suddenly Lisa realized there was another person standing there who, for once, was not an extra. She sighed and looked at him for the first time and shrugged slightly, starting to turn away. “Sorry.”
“No, I understand. Hey, I…” Lisa stopped and turned to hear what he was saying. “I like the shoes, by the way.”
“Uh—” Lisa looked at Hugh, seemingly at a loss for words, then back at Michael. “Thank—you.”
Hugh raised an eyebrow and watched as she finally turned around and walked off set, feeling his gaze drawn to her legs and she left. They were nice shoes. A moment passed, and Michael was staring at him.
“Hugh?” A voice came from behind the camera. “It’s your line…”
“Sorry.” He shook his head and glared in the direction that Lisa had gone. This was absurd. “Sorry. Try again.”
Lisa stood off to the side, watching them finish. Hugh seemed distracted, and she couldn’t imagine why. Maybe that night while they were at dinner she would find out. But the dinner wasn’t about to happen…
“Lisa.” Mike came jogging up to her when they finished the scene. “About tonight…”
“Oh—I haven’t even asked Hugh yet, but Jesse seemed up for it, and—”
“Ah, you know what, I just—I actually have somewhere I need to be tonight, just—”
“Well we can do it another time, I mean, it’s about time the cast got together and did something fun—”
“Well. Actually. God, this is embarrassing.” Michael rubbed his forehead, looking at the floor. “When I asked you about a drink, I was trying to—ask you out. Obviously you’re not interested, so. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were… involved with someone?”
Lisa stared at him, completely at a loss.
“It’s totally ok,” Mike said, backing away. “Seriously. No big deal. It’s cool.”
“Ok. I’m—sorry,” Lisa said, watching him go but not trying to stop him. Hugh came up behind her and she turned around, sensing his presence. “He… asked me out.”
“Astonishing.” Hugh said, looking down at her. “And this surprises you?”
“Well, it—I didn’t realize he was asking me out. Which is…”
“Weird?” He finished. “It’s ok. I’ll let you know from now on who is and is not hitting on you, I promise.”
Lisa laughed in spite of herself. “Gee, thanks. Much appreciated.”
“I thought you’d like that.” Hugh elbowed her lightly as he started off toward the next scene. “You get to go home now, yes? Have a good night.”
Lisa watched him go, feeling strangely sad. “Yeah. You too,” she whispered, finally heading toward her trailer before going home.
