Wilson Fest Fic: Restless
Mar. 3rd, 2008 11:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cutthroatpixieTitle: Restless
Author:cutthroatpixie
Prompt: 136. Wilson suffers from some sort of sleep disorder (Restless Legs syndrome, Sleep Apnea, sleep walking, night terrors, etc.) – writers choice
Rating: PG-13
Character(s)/Pairing(s): House/Wilson
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys.
Summary: ‘What the fuck was that?’ House demanded in a voice that was half-anger and half-sleep.
‘I have no idea. Hypnic jerk?’
Author:
cutthroatpixie Prompt: 136. Wilson suffers from some sort of sleep disorder (Restless Legs syndrome, Sleep Apnea, sleep walking, night terrors, etc.) – writers choice
Rating: PG-13
Character(s)/Pairing(s): House/Wilson
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys.
Summary: ‘What the fuck was that?’ House demanded in a voice that was half-anger and half-sleep.
‘I have no idea. Hypnic jerk?’
Darkness surrounded and night washed sleep over two men occupying one small bed. Silence rang through the air, only invaded by the occasional soft snore and other such noises of slumber. House lay on his side, chest and stomach pressed firmly against Wilson’s side, one leg resting softly on top of his. Wilson mumbled something incomprehensible and House shifted to allow him more access to the blanket they shared.
Some more shifting, and then the two were once again motionless, totally caught up in their own private dreams as they slept soundly. A sharp twitch suddenly ran through Wilson’s legs, causing him to wake with a start. He tried to settle back down, but the sudden movement had completely awoken him from his sleep. The jerk had also dislodged House’s leg from its position on top of his own, leaving him grumbling and cursing, though he had been the epitome of contentment only moments before.
‘What the fuck was that?’ House demanded in a voice that was half-anger and half-sleep.
‘I have no idea. Hypnic jerk?’ Wilson rolled so that he too was on his side, his face only millimeters away from that of the man in front of him. ‘Sorry,’ he said, running a soft hand over a bared patch of hip.
‘You’ve been doing it all week,’ House said, sounding much more awake that he previously did. ‘You take forever to go to sleep because you won’t stop moving your damn legs, and when you finally do go to sleep, you wake us both up with your twitching.’
‘I said I was sorry…’ Wilson mumbled.
House adjusted himself so that his legs weren’t so close to Wilson’s sleep-disrupting ones. ‘Probably PLMS or something.’ He thought for a moment and then shrugged. ‘Let’s just hope nothing else starts twitching.’ He yawned and settled himself in for sleep once more.
‘That would be rather unfortunate for you.’ Wilson wrapped an arm around House’s shoulders and pulled him closer to his side. ‘Goodnight, House.’
‘Goodnight, Wilson.’
---
A tingling, biting, pins-and-needles sort of feeling ran through Wilson’s legs, starting quite suddenly and spreading from toe to thigh in an instant. He let out a groan of discomfort before shaking both legs violently. The discomfort was relieved momentarily, but it soon returned. He shook his legs once again, and again comfort was brief and fleeting. With a sigh, Wilson glanced at the clock: 2:00 a.m. exactly. He’d been tossing and turning and trying to ward off the creepy-crawly sensations in his feet and legs all night. Even House had fallen asleep before him, which was indeed a rarity. He checked to see that the other man was still asleep and gently got up, careful not to disturb him. He left the bedroom and went into the living room, the act of walking keeping away the cause of his insomnia, if only for a minute or so.
He sat on the couch and turned on the T.V., keeping the volume low so as to not wake House. The tingling in his legs wasn’t so bad when sitting, but the need to move still existed. Wilson finally decided he wasn’t getting anywhere sitting on the couch, and decided to try and go back to bed.
He tip-toed into the bedroom he shared with House and slid back under the covers.
‘You really need to stop with all these leg problems of yours.’ House’s voice caused him to start. ‘They began two weeks ago, right?’
‘Don’t start with that right now, House,’ Wilson said with a yawn. ‘You can work on a diagnosis or whatever later.’
House just shrugged and shut up for once. He rolled over and went back to sleep, Wilson finally joining him.
---
The next day at work was a misery filled one for Wilson, as his lack of sleep the night before was really taking its toll on his mood. His secretary noticed his change in demeanor, so any meetings he had that day were rescheduled, but he didn’t want to cause his patients anymore grief than he had to, so he saw them as planned. Even they noticed, though, the bags under his eyes and his general exhaustion.
‘Damn.’ House’s voice came from where he had been lurking out on Wilson’s half of the balcony. ‘You know it’s bad when a cancer patient is inquiring about your well-being.’ He crossed through the doorway and made himself at home in the chair normally designated for Wilson’s patients. ‘Need a consult.’
Wilson rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, and let out a sigh. ‘Oh yeah?’
‘Hypnic jerks almost every night, trouble falling asleep due to-’
‘I’m not in the mood, House.’
‘-restless legs, irritability,-’
‘I’m just tired!’
‘-and just overall bitchiness. ’ House stuck his tongue out at Wilson as he finished, clearly a vision of maturity.
‘Put it back in your mouth, or I’ll bite it off,’ Wilson retorted. He tried to make the statement sound malicious, but it came off as weary more than anything.
House rolled his eyes, but put the offending object where it belonged, nonetheless. ‘I’d like to see you try,’ he replied. ‘Anyway, ducklings are thinking PLMS, RLS, or both, but we just need to figure out what is causing those conditions to all of a sudden just appear.’
Wilson sighed. ‘Any ideas?’
‘Loads, but stress is the most likely cause, or those antidepressants you’re on.’ House then proceeded to ramble on about what he and his team had been discussing, all the different causes for Wilson’s symptoms and different treatments, but Wilson tuned him out. ‘Hello, Earth to Wilson.’ Wilson’s head snapped up at his name.
‘What?’
‘You were dozing off. I asked if you’ve changed medications.’
‘Oh, uh, yeah.’ Wilson blinked a few times, trying to keep away the weariness that was threatening to overwhelm him. ‘Changed from fluoxetine to sertraline a few weeks ago…’
‘Because fluoxetine causes weight gain, and sertraline doesn’t. Have to watch your girlish figure, after all.’ House paused and, upon noticing the look on Wilson’s face, burst out laughing. ‘That is why you switched meds, isn’t it?’
Wilson rolled his eyes in way House found to be rather impressive, when it came to eye rolling anyway, and didn’t even bother to answer House’s question. ‘So you think that’s what has been causing the PLMS?’
‘Or RLS.’
‘Yes, or that. You think changing medications is what caused all of my symptoms?’
‘Pretty much. It’s only been three weeks, though, it might just be a temporary thing. If not, you’ll have to either switch back to the fluoxetine and just deal with the weight gain, or try another pill, which will probably also cause weight gain.’ House twisted his face into a mock expression of absolute misery. ‘And you look so much prettier when you’re thin.’
‘Shut it, you.’ Wilson stood up and stepped away from his desk. ‘Going home early,’ was his response to House’s quizzical expression.
‘Good idea, I’ll join you.’ House stood up as well and made his way over to the door leading out to Wilson’s side of the balcony they shared. ‘Have to keep an eye on my patient, after all.’
‘Am I seriously your only “patient”?’ Wilson asked, using finger quotes to show how very seriously he took his role as House’s patient.
‘You’re my one and only, baby, best get used to,’ House said with a wink. ‘Meet you back here in five, then we can get to some one on one treatment for all that ails you.’ House left the office, a laughing Wilson behind him.
---
Over the next couple of weeks, Wilson’s restless legs gradually settled down more at night, until the hypnic jerks and random urges to move were completely gone. Night time once again became a time of rest, as opposed to just another irritation.
Wilson was lying in bed, dozing and waiting for House to finish up in the bathroom and join him. He rolled over when he felt the other side of the bed dip and sleepily grinned at the other man.
‘Now is not the time for your lovey gazes, mister, now is the time for sleeping,’ House said, even though he grinned right back. He settled into the bed, shifting until he found a comfortable position, and pulled the covers up over the two of them. ‘Goodnight, Wilson.’
‘Goodnight, House.’
The two drifted off to sleep and, for the first time in weeks, the only thing to wake them up was Wilson’s alarm clock the next morning.
Some more shifting, and then the two were once again motionless, totally caught up in their own private dreams as they slept soundly. A sharp twitch suddenly ran through Wilson’s legs, causing him to wake with a start. He tried to settle back down, but the sudden movement had completely awoken him from his sleep. The jerk had also dislodged House’s leg from its position on top of his own, leaving him grumbling and cursing, though he had been the epitome of contentment only moments before.
‘What the fuck was that?’ House demanded in a voice that was half-anger and half-sleep.
‘I have no idea. Hypnic jerk?’ Wilson rolled so that he too was on his side, his face only millimeters away from that of the man in front of him. ‘Sorry,’ he said, running a soft hand over a bared patch of hip.
‘You’ve been doing it all week,’ House said, sounding much more awake that he previously did. ‘You take forever to go to sleep because you won’t stop moving your damn legs, and when you finally do go to sleep, you wake us both up with your twitching.’
‘I said I was sorry…’ Wilson mumbled.
House adjusted himself so that his legs weren’t so close to Wilson’s sleep-disrupting ones. ‘Probably PLMS or something.’ He thought for a moment and then shrugged. ‘Let’s just hope nothing else starts twitching.’ He yawned and settled himself in for sleep once more.
‘That would be rather unfortunate for you.’ Wilson wrapped an arm around House’s shoulders and pulled him closer to his side. ‘Goodnight, House.’
‘Goodnight, Wilson.’
---
A tingling, biting, pins-and-needles sort of feeling ran through Wilson’s legs, starting quite suddenly and spreading from toe to thigh in an instant. He let out a groan of discomfort before shaking both legs violently. The discomfort was relieved momentarily, but it soon returned. He shook his legs once again, and again comfort was brief and fleeting. With a sigh, Wilson glanced at the clock: 2:00 a.m. exactly. He’d been tossing and turning and trying to ward off the creepy-crawly sensations in his feet and legs all night. Even House had fallen asleep before him, which was indeed a rarity. He checked to see that the other man was still asleep and gently got up, careful not to disturb him. He left the bedroom and went into the living room, the act of walking keeping away the cause of his insomnia, if only for a minute or so.
He sat on the couch and turned on the T.V., keeping the volume low so as to not wake House. The tingling in his legs wasn’t so bad when sitting, but the need to move still existed. Wilson finally decided he wasn’t getting anywhere sitting on the couch, and decided to try and go back to bed.
He tip-toed into the bedroom he shared with House and slid back under the covers.
‘You really need to stop with all these leg problems of yours.’ House’s voice caused him to start. ‘They began two weeks ago, right?’
‘Don’t start with that right now, House,’ Wilson said with a yawn. ‘You can work on a diagnosis or whatever later.’
House just shrugged and shut up for once. He rolled over and went back to sleep, Wilson finally joining him.
---
The next day at work was a misery filled one for Wilson, as his lack of sleep the night before was really taking its toll on his mood. His secretary noticed his change in demeanor, so any meetings he had that day were rescheduled, but he didn’t want to cause his patients anymore grief than he had to, so he saw them as planned. Even they noticed, though, the bags under his eyes and his general exhaustion.
‘Damn.’ House’s voice came from where he had been lurking out on Wilson’s half of the balcony. ‘You know it’s bad when a cancer patient is inquiring about your well-being.’ He crossed through the doorway and made himself at home in the chair normally designated for Wilson’s patients. ‘Need a consult.’
Wilson rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, and let out a sigh. ‘Oh yeah?’
‘Hypnic jerks almost every night, trouble falling asleep due to-’
‘I’m not in the mood, House.’
‘-restless legs, irritability,-’
‘I’m just tired!’
‘-and just overall bitchiness. ’ House stuck his tongue out at Wilson as he finished, clearly a vision of maturity.
‘Put it back in your mouth, or I’ll bite it off,’ Wilson retorted. He tried to make the statement sound malicious, but it came off as weary more than anything.
House rolled his eyes, but put the offending object where it belonged, nonetheless. ‘I’d like to see you try,’ he replied. ‘Anyway, ducklings are thinking PLMS, RLS, or both, but we just need to figure out what is causing those conditions to all of a sudden just appear.’
Wilson sighed. ‘Any ideas?’
‘Loads, but stress is the most likely cause, or those antidepressants you’re on.’ House then proceeded to ramble on about what he and his team had been discussing, all the different causes for Wilson’s symptoms and different treatments, but Wilson tuned him out. ‘Hello, Earth to Wilson.’ Wilson’s head snapped up at his name.
‘What?’
‘You were dozing off. I asked if you’ve changed medications.’
‘Oh, uh, yeah.’ Wilson blinked a few times, trying to keep away the weariness that was threatening to overwhelm him. ‘Changed from fluoxetine to sertraline a few weeks ago…’
‘Because fluoxetine causes weight gain, and sertraline doesn’t. Have to watch your girlish figure, after all.’ House paused and, upon noticing the look on Wilson’s face, burst out laughing. ‘That is why you switched meds, isn’t it?’
Wilson rolled his eyes in way House found to be rather impressive, when it came to eye rolling anyway, and didn’t even bother to answer House’s question. ‘So you think that’s what has been causing the PLMS?’
‘Or RLS.’
‘Yes, or that. You think changing medications is what caused all of my symptoms?’
‘Pretty much. It’s only been three weeks, though, it might just be a temporary thing. If not, you’ll have to either switch back to the fluoxetine and just deal with the weight gain, or try another pill, which will probably also cause weight gain.’ House twisted his face into a mock expression of absolute misery. ‘And you look so much prettier when you’re thin.’
‘Shut it, you.’ Wilson stood up and stepped away from his desk. ‘Going home early,’ was his response to House’s quizzical expression.
‘Good idea, I’ll join you.’ House stood up as well and made his way over to the door leading out to Wilson’s side of the balcony they shared. ‘Have to keep an eye on my patient, after all.’
‘Am I seriously your only “patient”?’ Wilson asked, using finger quotes to show how very seriously he took his role as House’s patient.
‘You’re my one and only, baby, best get used to,’ House said with a wink. ‘Meet you back here in five, then we can get to some one on one treatment for all that ails you.’ House left the office, a laughing Wilson behind him.
---
Over the next couple of weeks, Wilson’s restless legs gradually settled down more at night, until the hypnic jerks and random urges to move were completely gone. Night time once again became a time of rest, as opposed to just another irritation.
Wilson was lying in bed, dozing and waiting for House to finish up in the bathroom and join him. He rolled over when he felt the other side of the bed dip and sleepily grinned at the other man.
‘Now is not the time for your lovey gazes, mister, now is the time for sleeping,’ House said, even though he grinned right back. He settled into the bed, shifting until he found a comfortable position, and pulled the covers up over the two of them. ‘Goodnight, Wilson.’
‘Goodnight, House.’
The two drifted off to sleep and, for the first time in weeks, the only thing to wake them up was Wilson’s alarm clock the next morning.
