Chapter 1- A Bad Dream

Elena Amber

I woke up in the middle of the night. The room was dark and the clock by the bed read 1:03. James' arms were wrapped around me. "Ellie," he said, "what is it?"

"A dream," I said, "about Seth," I said referring to my brother who had been dead for about six months from advanced pancreatic cancer. It was because of him I had met James Wilson, the oncologist at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital as well as his best friend Gregory House the legendary diagnostic medicine department head.

"Come here," he said and folded me into his arms, "I know how much you miss him. I know."

"Why did it happen?" I asked, "Why?

"Sometimes we don't know why, that's just the way it is Elena. But it's going to be okay, trust me."

"It's going to happen to me."

"Elena Amber Victor," he said my full name, something he had only done once before when he had asked me to marry him last month, "No it won't. Do you remember after he died we had you tested?"

After Seth had died and James and I had started dating I had asked him to test me for the disease. As I waited for the test results from House and his team, James held me in his lap in his office. The results had come back negative and I had sighed in relief. "Yes," I replied.

"And ever since I've kept my eyes on you. Perks of dating an oncologist," he smiled, "who has a diagnostician as his best friend."

"House doesn't even like me because I'm dating you."

"House doesn't like most people," James said laughing, "Sometimes I can barely tell if he likes me, or Chase or Cameron.'

"You're his best friend," I said.

"I suppose."

"How do you do it?" I asked, "Handle the loss on a daily basis?"

"I don't know," he said softly and kissed me, "let's go back to sleep, okay Ellie? Okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you want to come with me to work today Ellie? I'll probably only be doing paperwork so it'll be all right."

"Yes."

"Okay, then let's go back to sleep," he said and I cueled myself into him and fell asleep.

At eight the alarm went off and we both got up and got ready. I was wearing a gold shirtdress with black leggings and boots and my curly red hair was up in a bun. James lived only five minutes from Princeton Plainsboro so the drive in his silver Volvo was short.

PPTH was a huge institution and almost looked to me like a city. I remember the first time I had come here with Seth and his wife Tiffani and I had no idea where to go. I remembered walking through the maze of the hospital with almost numb legs as we came to consult an oncologist for Seth.

James opened the door on my side for me and I smiled. "Thank you."

"Of course," he took my fingers in his and walked into the hospital.