This is my first attempt at creative writing aside from speeches in 10 or more years. And on top of that my skills with punctuation marks were never the best. I most likely wouldn't have even set these thoughts down if not for the addictive stories all of you writers out there have gotten stuck into my head. So if you don't like it it's all YOUR fault. Don't look at me like that, you know you were bad… no cookie.
Now for some story notes: This story will use every thing in the series up to the end of season 2 and most of the episodes of season 3. However Dr. Wombat and Dr. Cameron never became intimate during Dr. Cameron's HIV scare. They may date in the real world but NOT IN MINE!
Additionally I'm going to assume that Cameron is Dr. Allison's maiden name. It may not be canon but I'm not sure, I have seen so many interpretations that I can't tell which way is up. And finally I'm also placing Dr. Cameron's Husband's death 6 years ago. This also may not be cannon but its necessary for my story ( you'll see why later).
Special Thanks to Mishy-mo for agreeing to be my Beta on this. All errors however are mine, and I refuse to share them.
Now on to the story:
What happens when Dr. Gregory House, M.D. spends time with a child who is not his?
Prologue:
It was a normal day at the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Well as normal as it ever got that is. Doctors were making their usual rounds visiting their patients, prescribing medication, and discussing treatment options. The hospital nurses were replacing drip bags, inputting case notes into the computer system, and of course gossiping. The various members of the janitorial and maintenance staff performed the thousand and one behind the scenes tasks that allowed the hospital to function.
Downstairs in the clinic Dr. Gregory House, the hospital's chief of diagnostic medicine, was sitting in exam room 3 pretending to be treating patients while he played with his game-boy.
It was just another normal day. I could tell you that things would continue to be just the same, that circumstances wouldn't change a bit. I COULD tell you that….. But then Everybody Lies.
Chapter One
Just as House was about to beat the last boss the entry door slammed open to crash against the wall. Distracting his attention long enough that the homing lasers of the evil brain came crashing past his defenses taking away his last life.
"MO-OM" Whined the Doctor to the woman who had come storming into the room. "You made me diiiiieee!!"
"Damn it House! Just once when you are down here in the clinic I would like to find you actually DOING your job!" Exclaimed Dr. Lisa Cuddy, hospital administrator and nominally the boss of one Gregory House, M.D.
"You know I can't do that Cuddles. I hate the runny nose detail. And since you demanded that the ducklings couldn't cover my clinic hours anymore this week, I have to do something to keep myself entertained. Now go away. I want to try and beat this boss. Like I was going to do before you made me die."
"House I want you to…"
"Lay down on the table so you can have your wicked way with me?" Interrupted House. "I normally like to be on top… But I guess I could let you live out your Dominatrix fantasies just this once."
"House if you don't start taking your responsibilities around here seriously I'm going to…"
"Dr. Cuddy! Dr. Cuddy!" Shouted one of the station nurses while holding out a telephone receiver in her direction. "They say it's urgent!!"
"House……. Just treat some patients." Replied Cuddy exasperatedly as she walked over to take the phone.
"This is Dr. Cuddy." She spoke into the phone when she noticed House trying to sneak away upstairs. No doubt headed for one of his hiding spots.
"HOUSE! Stop right there!"
Surprisingly he did stop. As he turned around, ready to deliver a scathing retort, he noticed that Cuddy's face had gone ashen. Thinking this might be interesting he moved closer to the desk to listen in.
"What did you say? All right I understand. We'll be ready when they get here." Cuddy put down the phone. And turned to the patients still waiting to have their bellyaches and sniffles addressed by a Doctor. Raising her voice she said, "Everyone here who is not employed by this hospital leave now!!!!"
"Ooooo Cuddles I didn't know you had it in you." Commented House who was now leaning on the desk behind her smirking. "How does it feel to cross over to the dark side?"
"Quiet House! That was Dr. Cameron on the phone. There has been an accident, we have 3 buss-loads of children and their teachers on their way here right now. At least 3 of them are in critical condition, they will be arriving any minute by ambulance. Everyone else that was on the buses will be here as soon as the police can arrange transportation."
Turning to the nurses she said, " Have security empty this room, have all the OR's prepped and get every Doctor, Nurse, Technician and Janitor Down here NOW! And call everyone who's not working today and tell THEM to get here 10 Minutes ago. I don't care if they are on their deathbed. Get them here!"
"And you House. You're coming with me so I can keep an eye on you."
House's reply to this was a pout. But then he realized that in the coming confusion he should have a good chance to slip away unnoticed.
The Kindergarten and 1st Grade students of the local elementary school had been returning from a field trip to the museum when a semi had run a red light crashing into the lead bus. Due to the conditions the other 2 buses had been unable to stop in time and a pileup was the result.
Fortunately for the patients most of them didn't have life threatening injuries. They were only suffering because there weren't enough staff members available to treat their cuts and broken bones. The 3 patients brought in by ambulance in critical condition had all been in the front 2 rows of the lead bus, the bus driver and 2 of the teachers. All of whom were all currently in surgery for their internal injuries.
It took over 2 hours but in the midst of the confusion caused by the wailing of dozens of children, the cries of parents arriving and demanding that their child be helped RIGHT NOW, and frantic doctors and nurses performing triage in the hallways. House finally found his chance to escape out from under Cuddy's watchful eyes. Which was good for him since General Hospital was just about to begin. And for a change it wasn't an episode he had seen over and over again. Besides there was nothing interesting going on with a bunch of cuts and bruises.
Over the course of the first portion of General Hospital, House began to feel like someone else was in the room. He looked out through the glass doors of his office and also glanced through the open blinds into the conference room. Not seeing anyone he dismissed the feeling. After all Cuddy, Wilson and the ducklings were all downstairs dealing with the crisis. And no one else would have enough reason to bother him to face the legendary anger of the reclusive diagnostician.
Returning his attention to the screen he continued to watch the drama unfolding as the Doctors diagnosed their patient with Amnesia. During the commercial break the feeling had become so strong that House looked again to see if there was someone nearby to explain the sense of presence he felt. Again looking out through the glass walls he couldn't see anyone, however, when he turned towards the balcony he spotted a young girl no more than 5 or 6 years old seated on the floor of his office behind his chair. Her gaze fixed intently on the TV screen.
"What are you doing here?"
"Watching TV," replied the little girl as if it should have been obvious.
"No. What are you doing in MY office watching TV?"
"My Mommy told me to wait on this floor until she came back to get me."
"Why aren't you in the chairs by the elevator then?" House demanded gruffly.
"Because its soo boorring. It's much more fun watching TV in here."
"Why did your mom leave you here on this floor so you could find your way in here to bother me?"
"She's too busy helping the people downstairs to take me home. So she told me to be good and wait for her."
During the whole exchange the girls eyes never wavered from the TV set.
"I want you to get out of my office. Right now.."
"Quiet! The commercial is over it's back on."
Grumbling to himself at the nerve of this little parasite telling him what to do in his own office, House nevertheless returned his attention to the program. This was one of the few episodes he hadn't seen after all. He could deal with the urchin later…..
The rest of the episode of General Hospital and 2 episodes of Spongebob Squarepants later the little girl uttered her first question.
"So what's your name?"
"Why are you still here?" Asked the Doctor very surprised that he had allowed himself to forget the presence of the intruder into his office.
"I said…. What.. Is.. Your… Name?" repeated the child slowly. Acting almost like she was speaking to someone who couldn't understand English.
"House. Has anyone ever told you that you are very annoying? And again why are you still here?" Turning his full attention to the child he noticed that there was something familiar about her features. She reminded him of someone but he couldn't quite put his finger on who…
"You're too little to be a house."
"Oooo a smart one aren't we? My name is House. And you didn't answer my questions," replied House.
"My mommy told me to wait on this floor until she came to get me. I told you this already. Do you have 'nesia like the man on the show?"
"No I don't have amnesia. You know you're even more irritating than the Wombat."
"What's a wombat?"
"He's a petulant little man who helps make my life hell. Kind of like you're doing. Now get out of my office." House was for the first time in a long while feeling as if a conversation was out of his control.
"No"
"I said get out NOW!" Demanded House, his voice rising but still nowhere near the normal level he used when dealing with obstinate underlings.
"NO!" Shouted back the little girl.
"OUT!"
"NNOOOO!!!!"
House rose awkwardly out of his chair and began to advance on the small form still seated on the floor. The girl began to back away from him fear starting to show in her eyes at the expression on the face of the tall man with the stick.
It was at this point that the door to the office opened and Dr. Allison Cameron walked in.
Squealing in fright the young girl ran towards the new arrival. Who knelt down on the floor and welcomed the child into a hug.
Glaring up at her boss she asked in a cold tone that would have given pause to a charging rhino. "House, what the heck are you trying to do to my daughter?"
