Actress/Character One-Shots (WLW)

Clinic - L. Cuddy

A/N: I am obsessed with House MD and have been for years so here's a fun little sick-fic with Lisa Cuddy, aka one of the finest women on the planet. (x OC)

CW - Passing out and hospitalization from dehydration

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She had been chasing around House all day, and it was finally starting to catch up with her.

When she left her apartment this morning her head was pounding from her migraine and her stomach felt as if she were on a roller coaster, but she didn't have a choice. She had to go in today. She pushed through the nausea and the throbbing in her head as she filed charts and listened to Foreman, Chase, and Cameron argue about House being mental and unfit to practice. Having finally heard enough, Alvira got up from her seat and made her way toward the lobby. She was going to see if Cuddy had anything for her to do in the clinic.

"Byrnes? Where are you going?" Chase called after her.

"Clinic," she replied. "I'm sick of your complaining." With that, she was out the door. Alvira drew her hand to her forehead and gently massaged it to try and rid herself of the pain. Her temples pulsed beneath her fingertips as she groaned quietly.

She finally made it to the clinic doors, shoved them open, and made her way to the office of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's Dean of Medicine, and one of her newest friends, Lisa Cuddy. Unfortunately, as she got closer, she began to stumble and her vision started to blur. She was able to push open the glass doors to Cuddy's office but stumbled once again.

"Byrnes? Is everything okay?" Cuddy asked, her face contorting with worry. She watched as the young doctor's mouth opened and shut again as if she was unable to think of anything to say. One of her hands drew up toward her face, feeling the heat burning from her own cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she paused. "I- I was coming to see if you needed any help in the um... the clinic." The words felt like stones rolling over her tongue. Her brain was moving at the pace of a snail, and she could barely make up a cohesive sentence to spit out.

"Thank you, but I'm not sure you should be in the clinic when you look like a ghost, Alvira."

"What are you talking about?" the brunette asked, trying her best not to sway where she stood. Sure, she felt sick, but she couldn't let Cuddy know that. She couldn't let her see that she had weaknesses. She had to impress her.

The Dean took a few steps forward, closing the space between them. She studied the young woman's face. Her skin was pale and tacky with sweat, but her cheeks shone a bright red. She could barely keep her eyes focused on one spot for more than a few moments, and her body was swaying back and forth slightly as if she were on a boat in the open sea.

"Bullshit. Go sit down on the couch while I grab you some water," Lisa replied, gesturing toward the couch with a glance and moving toward the door. She was about to grab the handle when Alvira called out to her weakly.

"Lisa..." She has barely managed a whisper before her vision blacked out and her body went slack.

Cuddy wasn't quick enough to catch the brunette as she fell, but she had managed to slip her hands beneath her head before it could hit the ground. Still cradling her head, the woman gently shook Alvira's shoulder in an attempt to wake her. When it didn't work, she checked her pulse and breathing, let out a sigh of relief when both were evident. Cuddy quickly rose from the floor and opened her door, shouting to the nurses in the clinic.

"I need some help in here!"

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Groggy and a bit lightheaded, Alvira opened her eyes with a groan. She looked around only to find herself in one of the hospital's patient rooms with an IV in her arm and the tv playing. She looked to her right, noticing Allison standing at the nurse's station with a cup of coffee in her hand. All of the lights were dim, and the nurse's lamps were on so Alvira assumed she'd been out for several hours.