What was the week that happened after House came home from the hospital? (first part of two flashbacks)
Author's Note: I have been asked by some people to continue the story arc I've started with Make It Three. I was thinking of accommodating them—and guess what?—I did. I also have no idea if a teaching hospital can blow the FDA ban on ketamine coma to hell just by a hospital administrator's sheer force of will. Written for the hcchallenge--and some fanfic watchers.
Disclaimer: I still can't seem to own House...sigh
For those who want to see more of "Christopher"--- ;-)
Under – Reminisce
It happened after approximately eight days since House was discharged from the hospital. He spent a good portion of two months recuperating from getting shot to the gut and the neck.
She remembered that time—
The surgeon who removed the bullets—Dr. Winston—muttered that for an "antisocial shithead, he was damned lucky those bullets missed some important arteries and major organs." He immediately shut up and handed over the extracted bullets to a glowering Dr. Cameron, who wished that she could transfer them into Winston herself.
As House had requested, Cameron went to Cuddy and got the green light to give him the ketamine—despite the fact that it hasn't been legalized in the United States, Dr. Lisa Cuddy managed to pull some strings and a bit of legal hocus pocus (with the help of the new hospital legal adviser, Andrews) to have it done. Later, Cuddy would share with Cameron, Foreman, and Chase that she had done some research on the sly and was looking for an opportunity to share it with House before he got shot. The three diagnosticians were surprised at this show of concern; usually, Cuddy and House were verbally at each other's throats. When Cameron asked, Cuddy surprised her by blushing, muttering something about a favor, and walking away.
He was under a ketamine-induced coma for 7 days—the anesthesiologist upped the dose of Propothol when it was found that House was trying to wake up on the second day. During that strained time, Dr. Allison Cameron would be found sitting next to him whenever her schedule allowed. Even Foreman and Chase came around to sit with House sometimes, but without the dedication that Cameron had.
It was not lost on Dr. Cuddy why Cameron asked for overtime, but she had to put her foot down when the immunologist even requested a weekend shift as well.
"A burned-out doctor is of no use to this hospital, Dr. Cameron," the older woman said firmly, but in a soft tone. She didn't want Cameron to realize that she knew that these requests weren't for the benefit of helping the rest of mankind—just the one lying in a coma in the ICU.
The only time Cameron stayed away from House was the night Stacy made a clandestine visit to his bedside. She stayed out of sight of the older woman, seething to the depths of her soul as the woman who had physically and emotionally hurt House brushed her fingertips softly down his right cheek and over his lips. Cameron's anger subsided a little as she saw Stacy's shoulders shake a bit before turning around and leaving the room.
Cameron was sure Mark Warner didn't know Stacy was here that night. The constitutional lawyer never came back after that one night.
On the sixth eve of House's coma, Cameron called his parents. They've stayed in House's flat the day before House went under, visiting his bedside everyday since. Wilson personally drove them to the hospital on the morning of their son's scheduled awakening. A pale, tight-lipped John House had his arm around Blythe's slumped shoulders as they followed Wilson through the doors of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. The oncologist felt bad for them; the last time they looked like this was the day they visited their son after the debridement.
Wilson wasn't surprised to see Cameron standing outside the door of the ICU. She looked tired, then she suddenly became alert when she saw the older couple walking behind Wilson.
"Mr. and Mrs. House," Cameron said, walking over to shake hands with them. "You're just in time. The anesthesiologist will be coming around in a few minutes to wake him up."
John nodded. Blythe's expression didn't change when she asked, "Do you think—will he—will he stop being in pain when he—wakes up?"
Cameron froze a bit at that—even up to now, she still has moments when she couldn't tell patients—or their loved ones—what they needed to hear. Fortunately, Wilson decided to play Dr. Exposition at this point.
"It's hard to say at this point," he began in a gentle voice reserved for giving patients the worst of news. "Your son just happened to have chosen a very risky treatment option; technically, putting someone in a coma longer than two days is a scenario every hospital wants to avoid. Those who've undergone this treatment have—so far—come out of this treatment almost pain-free. But there are still some risks—and I want you to prepare for any outcome.
"You must also realize that this isn't going to cure the chronic pain your son had from the operation on his leg," Wilson continued. "The pain will return, eventually—hopefully, not as much as before. If--when--that happens, well, we'll see what other options can be had for him---if he's keen on it."
Blythe's eyes widened at that, and she squeezed her husband's arm in reaction to that piece of information as she turned to Cameron for verification. Cameron could only nod, disconcerted for a bit at staring into eyes of a familiar shade of blue.
A pager sounded off; Cameron looked at the message that came through for several seconds before hooking it back on her belt.
"The anesthesiologist, Dr. Kiefer, is on his way now," Cameron informed House's parents. "I'll be going along now; you're probably the first people he'd want to see…"
"I'd feel much better," Blythe cut in, smiling a little at Cameron before continuing, "if you'd stand by us as well when Greg wakes up. You too, Jim."
Cameron was stunned.
"I'd be honored."
It wasn't the Hallmark Channel miracle awakening everyone was hoping for—and most of the people who were expecting such were seasoned doctors.
House woke up disoriented—a side effect of the ketamine coma. He was unable to recognize the people around him, including his parents. Blythe sobbed briefly at that, surprising Cameron as the older woman turned to her in order to weep on her shoulder. The younger woman awkwardly patted Blythe on the back, explaining that it was only temporary (hopefully) and that Greg would start remembering after a short while. This information comforts Blythe somewhat, until Dr. Kiefer spoiled the moment by saying that her son could also have hallucinations and violent outbursts as he recovers from the coma. He attempts to salvage the situation—he became unnerved at John House's eye-popping stare of outrage, not unlike his son's when the latter is incensed at something—by saying that every patient's reaction upon awakening from the coma is unique.
In the case of Gregory House, his violent outbursts were triggered by the hallucinations. As the nurses assisted Dr. Kiefer in trying to calm him down, Wilson and Cameron ushered his parents outside the ICU, Blythe's sobs and John's continuous mantra of "Good God" blending in with the screams of their disturbed son.
After assuring Mr. and Mrs. House and a skeptical Wilson that she would do it, Cameron returned to the ICU later that night to watch over her boss. He was asleep when she got in; someone decided to remove his beard, and Cameron almost didn't recognize him with a freshly shaved face.
Curious, she walked over to him, placing her bag on the chair next to the bed on the way, and used the back of her two fingers to delicately trace a path from his cheek to his chin, marveling at the newly revealed face hidden under the usual two-day old beard he usually sported. She hoped he didn't wake up from her ministrations, and was relieved when he didn't.
She remembered Stacy's visit, and decided to test fate, using the tips of the same two fingers to gently caress his lower lip and enjoying the butterflies-fluttering-in-her belly sensation for once. Just as she was tracing her fingers across his chin, a large hand grabbed her wrist, and she nearly died from shock when his eyes suddenly opened.
House stared at the ceiling first, before turning his eyes onto Cameron. His thumb rubbed the underside of her wrist, feeling the pulse race there.
Cameron was shocked at first, then the shock turned into surprise when she realized upon closer inspection that House was still not himself. Yet she couldn't help but notice how—"open" the expression on his face was. For once, it was vulnerable and held an expression that bade the return of the butterflies floating in her stomach. The fluttering turned into frenzy when House said the following before dropping back to sleep:
"Don't leave me."
Note: I did some research for the ketamin coma treatments. You can find the links over at my LJ account.