O'er the Ramparts (PG)

[deelaundry]

Title: O'er the Ramparts
Author: Dee Laundry
Rating/Pairing/Words: PG, House-Wilson friendship, 252 words
Summary: Have you ever heard a canonnball echo?
Notes: SPOILERS for "Out of the Chute." Follow-on to blackmare_9's "Cannonball" and quotes the last two sentences of that fic.

He sets Sarah gently on the floor, and pours himself a tumbler of Scotch.

The ringing stops.

***

Two rather generous shots of Scotch do the work to stop the pictures of House in freefall from slamming through his mind.

But neither they nor the television turned to the soothing procedural order of a legal drama quite drown out the whispers darting like hornets between his ears.

He'd thought it would be House's voice in his head, with a few choice epithets: Spoilsport. Stuffed shirt. Sucker.

But instead it's a younger voice, one that's so very much older.

How could you let this happen? You took your eye off him, and now look what he's gotten into. You've got to mind him. Should we go over again what that means?

He tries to focus on the DA's tight ass - literal, not figurative - but the refrain does not refrain.

This is not something you can goof off on. The sweetheart, he's just doing what comes naturally. He doesn't know better, and you do. Take responsibility, James. There'll be time for you later.

He turns the TV volume up loud enough to startle Sarah into running for cover.

But nothing gets drowned out.

You have to think of him, the burden he carries. It's a blessing that you don't have his burden, and what kind of person are you if you don't share that blessing by giving him your time and care? Selfish, is that what you want to be? How much he suffers; how little you do. You think about that, James; think about that.

He thinks about that.

Comments

[blackmare.livejournal.com]

&hearts

I love how this looks back at how Wilson really got here in the first place.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Thanks, and thanks especially for getting me started. ♥

[flywoman.livejournal.com]

House is the kind of sibling no sane person would want to be responsible for, but Wilson's had a lot of practice. I really hope that TPTB haven't forgotten about this important part of his history.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether all the writers remember but RSL does, so he's playing Wilson that way, for sure.

Thanks!

[blackmare.livejournal.com]

I always read Wilson as having to have had a very unfortunate upbringing, in order to have become the way he is. Always. So maybe it was the writing or maybe it was RSL, or both, but when RSL said what he did about Wilson's parents, I kind of cheered. A lot. Because that was how I'd always seen the situation.

In some ways I think House is just about the only freedom Wilson has ever known. There's that weird confluence of need between them; that Wilson needs to be needed, and House does need him -- but also, Wilson desperately needs what he gets from House, which is permission to not be quite so good, and be himself a little more, instead.

[petitecuriosity.livejournal.com]

What exactly did RSL say about Wilson's parents? Was it in an interview or something similar?

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I was thinking specifically of what RSL said in House MD, The Official Guide by Ian Jackman.

"In my mind I think his [Wilson's] parents are shits and they took a lot of pain from the older brother and transferred it into blame on the younger for not helping them because they're pathetic parents."

By "older" he means Danny, and "younger" means Wilson. Which may seem to contradict Wilson being in med school while Danny was in undergrad... but maybe Danny had a big delay before starting college due to his illness?

[cuddyclothes.livejournal.com]

The callback to Wilson's youth and Danny works beautifully in the context of the episode. Wonderful fic!

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

House's stunt raises again the question of how Wilson can put up with so, so much. I think 90% of it is House's awesomeness (including the fact that he encourages Wilson to be himself), and 10% is something deep inside Wilson.

Thanks.

[yarroway.livejournal.com]

I love the way you weave past and present together and make it all work.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[l-eremita.livejournal.com]

No one gets into Wilson's head and examines his demons like you do, Dee!

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

That boy's got a lot going on in there. Thank you.

[srsly-yes.livejournal.com]

Lovely. Great tie-back to Danny.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Thanks. We haven't seen much if anything about Wilson's parents, but I think the Ordinary People poster was, unfortunately, a big clue.

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

well done. we do need a Danny epie in canon, don't know if we're gonna get one.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I would love to see a Danny ep. And I would love to see RSL play Danny. It would be a great acting challenge for him.

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

i had an idea for a House-in-Mayfield fic where he runs into Danny, who's also a patient there, and Danny looks so much like Wilson that House initially thinks he is Wilson so he's all "What the hell happened to you?" and of course if they were actually filming this Danny would be played by RSL. Sometimes siblings who aren't twins look enough alike that people think they're twins. Witness Audrey and Judy Landers, who often played twins, even though they weren't.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[damigella-314.livejournal.com]

Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. You explain so much in so few lines.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. With Wilson, there's a lot to explore.

[petitecuriosity.livejournal.com]

Ouch. I really enjoyed this fic. I love the connection back to Danny. Wilson definitely sees a lot of Danny in House. I'm really hoping that Danny gets mentioned again in canon...

[bullet2.livejournal.com]

I'm convinced this is how Wilson's youth went.
"Take responsibility, James. There'll be time for you later." So believable. He can't just shrug off these words when he is older.
Lovely.

[daisylily.livejournal.com]

I didn't get the link with Danny to start with, but it makes perfect sense - lovely.

[readingrat.livejournal.com]

It's easy to smile at Wilson or to condemn him (depending on where one is coming from), but when one considers what he's been through with House one has to admire the mindset that makes him shoulder his burden and plod on. Whether it's a healthy mindset is a dífferent issue. It's good that you show that, like House, Wilson doesn't have all that many choices; he can't choose not to care, as others maybe can, because certain ingrained patterns can't be erased any more.

[jezziejay.livejournal.com]

This is the first of the post ep fics that has touched on the corollary between Wilson's relationship with his brother, and the one he has with House. And, yes, it makes perfect sense. I felt a bit sad that maybe the core of his friendship with House is obligation or guilt, and that perhaps House is Wilson's chance for (self)redemption. But yet, it's somewhat comforting that Wilson will always be there - even if it is a completely effed up consolation!

[flywoman.livejournal.com]

I'm assembling a post for house_wilson with links to all of the post-"Out of the Chute" fics - mind if I include this?

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I don't mind at all.