Welcome back, loyal and awesome-est readers. As promised, this is the sequeal to When One Door Opens.
For new readers, I HIGHLY suggest that you read that in order to follow along what has happened thus far.
This will not have any 'outside the box' scenes….it'll either be in PPTH, House's home/Wilson's hotel room/or possibly back in Michigan at his parents' house.
Hope you enjoy…………thanks Steph
ANOTHER DOOR CLOSES
Sequel to When One Door Opens
THE NEXT DAY…House sat by her bed in the wheelchair, just staring at her. Her skin was sallow, her eyes were sunken and dark, her breathing and heartbeat were steady, but at times irregular. The wires from the EKG were all over the side of her that led to her heart and she had an oxygen mask over her mouth. The doctors hadn't given her a high percentage to pull through; and neither had House. The only thing House was told was that the bullet had barely knicked the tip of her heart (only bruising it) and a few arteries leading to the heart were severed.
He'd been a doctor almost twenty years and seeing a patient in the ICU never affected him like that. Then again, it never really happened to him before…oh, wait, yes, it had. But he didn't want to think about that now. He was worried sick over Debra, and had to ask her something.
After his own surgery, he had several dreams of hearing Debra's voice but she wasn't there physically. She was telling him something but he couldn't understand the words. And it was bugging the crap out of him, mainly because he couldn't explain why he was having the repetitive dream. House always analyzed his dreams because they'd come in handy more than once. But that one was driving him crazy.
"House, you should get back to your room," a voice came from behind him.
House was so deep in his thoughts he jumped a little. When he recognized it was Cuddy's voice he simply said, "No."
"Yeah, I didn't think you'd listen," she said, her voice soft and kind.
She put her hand on his shoulder to give him what little comfort she could. They were silent for a few minutes when Cuddy felt it was time.
"House, we need to talk," she told him.
"Ok, talk."
"No, not here. When was the last time you ate? Want to go to the…"
"I'm not hungry," he answered.
"But I'm buying – besides, you need to eat."
"Cuddy, I said no!" he snapped.
Cuddy was used to her head being bitten off by him, but the news she had would definitely cheer him up.
"House, please, it's about Debra."
That got his attention. He looked at her with interest and started to wheel himself out but Cuddy could tell he was hurting from the internal bleeding he had suffered at his ribs+, although he would recover fine. House felt the wheelchair become lighter to push when he realized Cuddy was pushing him and he let her. He sat back in the chair and put his head in his hand.
In the cafeteria, House sat at a table waiting for Cuddy to get his Reuben sandwich (dry, no pickle) and looked pathetic. His head was down at his chin and held the bottom of the pepper shaker and twisted it back and forth, trying to get some of the pepper to fall out. He finally got frustrated, tipped it over and dumped about a tablespoon onto the table.
Cuddy brought House out of his thoughts again when she set the two trays on the table and set House's in front of him.
"I think you're supposed to take a pinch of salt and throw it over your left shoulder."
House didn't respond to her. She sat down and took the cellophane off the chef salad.
"You're in luck. You got the last of the corned beef," she said happily, although maybe a big too happy.
Again he didn't say anything to her. Cuddy didn't think she'd ever seen House this down since a year after his surgery then about six months after Stacy left him. Thank god Wilson was there for him; she felt she didn't do enough for him while he was recuperating and trying to get his life back in order. In reality, he was still doing a little of that (according to others' opinions).
With the salt shaker, he tapped the top of it with a couple of fingers to see how hard he'd have to hit it for it to tip over. It only took two medium-sized taps then he put his hands back on his lap, not even reaching for the sandwich or chips on the tray.
Cuddy frowned when she noticed that and knew she'd have to tell him the news she had or there was no telling what House would do, or say for that matter.
"House, I've got good news."
"Ok, what is it?" he asked, not extending eye contact.
"I found out Dr Thomlinson has a patient on life support; he's in a coma."
"Oh, too bad. I'll send the patient a singing telegram."
"Would you just stop for a minute and let me explain?!" she said exasperatedly.
Without looking at her he raised his eyebrows as if irritated, and without moving his head, looked up with just his eyes for the first time since they'd sat down. He waved his hand out as if she were the queen (which she is…the Queen of PPTH!) and he was bowing to her. She couldn't help but crack a little smile.
"Thank you. Now, this patient was put on life support about 48 hours ago. And, his wife insists he be taken off. Both his parents are dead and there are no other relatives to argue for his case. Anyway, Dr. Thomlinson has already taken blood work from Debra and they match…."
"Wait, what? Why are you even considering a heart transplant?" House asked suspiciously.
"Uh, Wilson and I discussed this and, um, well…" she started to say but Wilson came in and sat down in between the two.
"…We felt it best if you didn't know quite the whole truth about Debra's condition," Wilson finished.
Instantly, House's face changed from confusion to anger. "What the hell are you talking about? Oh, no, no. There was damage to her heart, wasn't there?"
Wilson and Cuddy were speechless for what felt to them hours then Wilson leaned in a bit over the table and spoke softly and delicately.
"Yes, House. The bullet didn't just knick her heart. The bullet exited her back, but shrapnel lodged into the upper right quadrant of the heart. The doctor fixed the lacerated arteries but couldn't remove the shrapnel without risking death. Without a new heart, she won't last much longer."
House turned pale. He shifted his eyes from Wilson to Cuddy then back again, incredulous as to what he'd just heard. He wasn't angry over Debra's condition, he was angry that the two, the two people that knew him better than anyone else in his life would actually lie about something as serious as that. He looked at Cuddy once more.
"I can't…you two…LIED…" House mumbled, shaking his head.
"Just listen, will you? This is good…" Cuddy said.
"No, NO I won't! If I did listen you'd probably just lie to me some more!!" House shouted, loudly enough that time to get the attention of half of the cafeteria.
House pushed the tray with his food on it halfway across the table and before Cuddy or Wilson could react and catch it, it crashed to the floor.
"House," Cuddy whispered.
"Stay away from me," he said.
He grabbed the wheels of the chair and pushed himself a few feet away. Both Wilson and Cuddy stood up and approached him.
"NO! I said stay the HELL away from me!"
