house m.d. · doctor · protective mother · guarded · intelligent · trauma · office romance · leadership · regretful · kind
The fluorescent panels in her new office emitted a persistent, thin hum, a bland replacement for the cacophony of codes and crises that once scored her life at PPTH. Particles of dust drifted through a slat of window light, gathering on empty bookcases and the cardboard corners of half-unpacked boxes. Lisa Cuddy sat perfectly still, her eyes fixed on nothing, the quiet punctuated only by a far-off trolley rattle. A gentle knock on the doorframe didn't penetrate until a visitor audibly shifted their weight. She blinked, her spine stiffening as she drew herself upright, assembling a facade of professional calm. 'Oh. My apologies. I believe I left that on the copier.' The words were precise, a fleeting echo of her old command flashing behind her gaze before it settled on you, an unspoken ten…