Title: Moments
Rated: PG
Author: Megan Faye
Disclaimer: I don't own House, or Rent.
A/N: These are moments in their life. They are short, sweet, happy, sad, just life.
There is no future. There is no past. Thank God this moment is not the last.
- RENT 'No Day but Today'
House opened his eyes and stared into the lights above him. He felt warm, and he felt good. While there was a lingering throb in his neck and stomach, it wasn't bad. His leg had hurt more on a daily basis than the healing gun shot wounds. His leg, for the first time in years, wasn't in pain. He wiggled his toes, and they moved without the sharp pains that would usually follow.
Suddenly, there was something blocking the light. A face; blue eyes, long brown hair, and a radient smile. His heart fluttered a little at the sight of the young woman. House prayed his heart monitor hadn't showed any of this.
"You're awake." Her voice was desparate and full of what House was sure was Love.
"I hadn't realized. Thank you, Cameron, for informing me." Her smile faded instantly.
"He's fine," she said flatly. Guilt plagued him momentarily. She'd obviously stayed by his side since the shooting. He knew this because there was dried blood on her lab coat, and she wore the same clothes. Her hair was in a tangled, oily braid, and her make up had faded away long ago.
"Everyone get out." Chase and Foremen, who'd been out of sight for House stepped out. "Cameron, wait." The woman stood over him. She stared into his eyes. "Thank you, Allison."
"For what?"
"For staying with me," he whispered. He tried to turn a little, but his neck was stiff, and he didn't want to risk pulling stitches out. "Thank you for staying with me."
"Any time," she said over her shoulder as she left. He'd still managed to push her away.
Will I lose my dignaty, Will someone care? Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?
- RENT 'No Day but Today'
After leaning heavily on the cane for several years, the muscles in his right leg were weak. He still limped too heavily to walk unassisted, and refused to touch the cane. Cuddy ordered him to physical therapy by threatening physical violence that would put him back on Vicodin. He agreed, after a failed attempt at walking from his hospital bed to the bathroom.
The last thing he needed was Allison Cameron watching him. And yet, there she was. At his request, they only did his therapy after hours, when the other day-shift doctors had left for the night. Somehow, Cameron managed to get in to 'see the show.' He half expected popcorn and sodas. When he fell, she fought to stay in her seat. The therapist helped him up again, and let go of him too soon. Cameron couldn't sit there and watch the man she was in-love with fall on his face. House was in pain, and the incompatent man seemed unphased.
"What is the matter with you? You are supposed to be supporting him!" she yelled at the young physical therapist after his third fall. "Get the hell out of my way." She lifted House back up. "I'll be taking over his PT from here. Get the hell out."
"Wow, I think you made him cry," House said, still in shock from her reaction. The gym door slammed in punctuation of his statement. "I can do it," he said crossly as she helped him.
"House, there is no one here for you to impress. Let me help you so you don't have to fall and flail about in front of Chase and Foremen. They will only feel sorry for you."
"I don't need help."
"Why won't you let anyone help you?"
"Dammit, I am not a weak little crippled man!"
"What do you have to lose?" she asked calmly. there was a long pause before their eyes met.
"My dignity."
"And falling in front of petty young 'ducklings' who will feel sorry for you gives you more dignity than accept help in private? Let me help you...please."
"You still respect me," House said softly. She could see in his eyes that he wanted to look strong to her. He needed to be a strong man before he could accept her friendship. He felt too weak.
"Yes, I do. And if you let me help you, all that will happen is you will gain more of my respect." She took his hand. "Please, Greg, let me help you."
"If you tell anyone, I'll deny it."
"So will I."
"Fine. I won't take it slow, I won't take breaks unless I need water, and I am a difficult patient." She took his hand and helped him onto the mat. He lay on his back.
"I wouldn't expect any less," she said, flashing a smile and she helped him begin stretching. "Besides, I'm a slave driver." House grinned wickedly at her.
There's only now. There's only here. Give in to love, or live in fear
- RENT 'No Day but Today'
"I should have told you I love you!" he yelled as brown hair flowed past him in the rain. She stopped. "I should have told you when you walked into my office and into my life that you made my whole pathetic exsistance tolerable. You made me live!"
"House-"
"I was dead, going through the motions of pretending to be alive. You gave it back to me, Cameron. You can't leave, or I'll just end up there again. Stay."
"I can't."
"Damn you," he whispered. "Damn you for what you do to me. I don't regret hiring you. I don't regret falling in-love with you. Hell, I don't regret sleeping with you, but I sure as HELL Regret Not asking you to marry me." Cameron started to walk away again. "I want you to stay, Allison."
"Why? Why should I stay with a man who can't love me."
"I do love you. If it would help, I'll scream it out from the roof of PPTH. I love you, Allison Cameron. I love you, and I love the baby more than I thought I possibly could." Allison turned to face him as the rain soaked through her coat.
"Wilson-"
"Tells me everything." He put his hand on her middle. "He told me about 10 minutes after you told him. If you leave, you'll have to expect me to follow, and I'm a pain in the ass on a road trip." She smiled lightly at his attempt at a joke. "I've only known about my child for a few hours, but I love him. Don't take that away from either of us." She was crying now, and falling into his open arms. "I guess this means you'll stay?"
"We'll give it a shot. You screw up again, and its papers." He nodded.
No other Life. No Other Way. No day but TODAY!
- RENT 'No Day but Today'
"Dad?"
"Yes James?"
"Who am I named after?" Greg frowned. He had wanted to put this conversation for years, but the 7-year-old was too smart. "You look so sad when Mom calls me by all three names."
"James Wilson was a doctor who worked with me and your mom. He was my best friend. Allison told him about you before me, kid."
"And?"
"I knew him for damn near 20 years before you were born."
"Will I ever meet him?"
"No, son. He died before you were born." James looked at his father sadly. "He had cancer. Wilson was sick, but he ignored it long enough for it to kill him. He didn't need to die, James." James nodded slowly.
"Is that why you and Mom went into research?" House nodded at his son.
"James, I want to tell you something that Wilson never really learned. Live. Live your life as if you only had today. Don't work so hard that you have no fun. Do you understand, Son?" James nodded. "Go be a kid." The boy nodded and wandered back to his room.
There's only us. There's only This. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.
- RENT 'No Day but Today'
The sun was setting on the ocean as the old couple watched. He was nearly 90, and she, much younger, was in her late 70's. They looked on, watching the waves lap the beach, tickling the sand as it glowed with the sun.
"Any regrets?" he asked gently.
"None." She coughed hard, and Greg frowned. He knew her cancer was much worse. Allison had out-lived her expectancy by several months now, but it wouldn't last.
"Are you cold?" she shook her head and rested against her chest. "Allison?"
"Hmm?"
"Its happening, isn't it?"
"Mmm," she confirmed, staring blankly into the blue eyes she'd come to adore.
"I love you," he whispered. She smiled, and winked at him. "Allison, you...I...I love you," he stammered, but she never heard the end of his sentence. The sun had set, and Greg closed his eyes. What was thought of as heart-break was the last thing he felt.
