Titled: Four Brothers II
Author: wheretobe
Rating: PG
Summary: The story of four Sons
Authors note: R&R highly appreciated. This is a very AU story and just a try and see if I could pull it off. !!!! A little typo in the last chapter: Christopher is almost 21, that makes him barely one when his mother passed away.!!!!!
Pairing: Huddy
Disclaimer: I don't own House or its characters Fox does tho, I just used them shamelessly for this snippet.
Christopher James House
It was almost 20 years ago now that she had been named legal guardian for Christopher, her oldest with almost 21. It was a time with a filled with pain and heartbreak for Lisa, first she had given up the notion to have a child for the rest of her live, only to be told weeks later that one of her closest friends had died in a car crash. Tamara Wang had left her only son behind and had only trusted Lisa with his upbringing.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Another late night paperwork session was almost over and Lisa was looking forward to going home and dropping dead in her bed. The last week had been hell for her with the news that she wasn't pregnant once more and House reeking havoc in the clinic with screaming 'Oh my God he's contagious !' about some random flu ridden guy.
She was just about to switch of the lamp on her desk when Brenda walked in and looked at her anxiously.
'Dr. Cuddy there's a call for you from the ER. They request you down there as soon as possible.'
Her shoulders dropped and she looked at Brenda exhausted.
'Did it sound urgent?'
'They...they said a woman named Tamara Wang was brought in and she wants to see you.'
Cuddy's stomach plummeted and her insides went cold at the name, making her move without further ado.
When she made it to the ER it was buzzing with it's usual Winter accident patients. From head wounds to sprained ankles, everything was in the waiting room. Since it was already ten she felt bad for the people probably already waiting for hours to get to see a doctor. She made out Foreman and Cameron taking care of the less worse wounds and sutures.
Coming to a halt in the middle of the waiting room, Lisa seemed helpless, lost, way out of space. The seconds seemed to slow while the people surrounding her bustled around with activity, her own body being glued to the spot she was standing at.
'Dr. Cuddy?'
She turned around abruptly, gazing at the Chief of surgery and trying to get herself to say what she was here for. Her mouth moved but nothing came out and her gaze sweeped over the man in front of her. He didn't look good, exhausted, defeated. It made her swallow hard, stopping the world that had gone into slow motion altogether. He could barely look at her before he sighed and squared his shoulders. She guessed then what he had to say, and while his shoulders lifted to prepare himself for what would follow, her body hunched slightly, the grief already registering.
She knew this all too well. She taught bedside manner and how to tell someone that their father, mother or friend had passed away.
'Dr. Cuddy. I am deeply sorry to inform you that your friend Tamara Wang has passed away a few minutes ago. She was brought in here because she was involved in a car accident. A truck...'
He couldn't finished for Lisa had broken out into dry sobs, his hand reaching out to steady her shoulder.
'Her Son however survived with only a few scratches. He's in pediatrics and being taken care of.'
Cuddy sat heavily on the first empty chair she could reach, her mind spinning helplessly around the fact that her friend was dead, only registering minutes later that the ER doctor was trying to get her to pediatrics.
'Dr Cuddy, I know this is a hard moment and I am sorry that we can't do more down here. But The child is upstairs with social services and they told me to tell you to go upstairs.'
Lisa couldn't remember how she had made it to 3rd floor, her legs moving as if programmed, her ears deaf and her eyes only leaving her with a tunnel view. She had never imagined it so mind numbing to get the news, finally able to understand the counterparts she had had in such conversations. The moment she had known that Tamara hadn't made it she felt as if she wanted to scream out the anger and grieve from such unfairness.
She had stopped in front of the Pediatrics doors and felt as if turning around again, running from the truth but the social worker had already spotted her and made her way towards Lisa.
'Dr. Cuddy I am deeply sorry for your loss.'
Her hand was grasped and squeezed before said hand was used to pull her forward and through the now open doors. Cuddy let herself be pulled through the seemingly endless row of rooms, the faint beeping of machines penetrating her ears. Here and there a Nurse was in the room, checking vitals and temperature, softly so the children, toddlers and baby's wouldn't be woken.
At the Nurses station they came to a halt and a chair was provided. She sat heavily, her gaze emptily gazing towards the doors.
'Dr. Cuddy I know that right now does not seem to be the time. But Ms Wang has left us with very thorough instructions if ever this situation should arise. She herself was an Orphan. Since she had no close family she has left it in her will and patients directive that You shall be her sons legal guardian.'
The words seemed to flow through the room, make it to her ears only to be rejected by them. How could she even think about something like that right now? They had just told her Tamara was dead and still she felt utter disbelieve. How could such a lively and happy person just vanish from the face of the world? How could all the laughter just die down like that, in a second?
'Dr. Cuddy, please...I know this is hard. I understand what you are going through. But there need to be decisions made. Little Christopher needs to take medication and be admitted so the doctors here can check him through and treat him. So we would need you to sign some papers for the emergency stuff before we can thoroughly handle everything.'
Her gaze wandered to the sheet of paper she was presented with and her eyes finally found something to focus on. Lisa's numb fingers enclosed the presented pen. Within minutes she had signed in the appropriate space, the social worker going on and on about what were the possible actions now, then she was asked if she wanted to see Christopher.
'I...can't...this feels wrong. It wasn't supposed to ever happen. I thought she was joking when she ...'
Fresh tears welled up in her eyes, her tired hand stroking them away.
A warm hand landed on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.
'He needs you now Dr. Cuddy. We can't calm him.'
Chase's calm and melodious voice pleaded her, making her look up at him forlorn. Cuddy followed him to Christopher's room anyways, pushing her sadness and anxiousness away. Chase bend over the baby bed and made calming sounds, rubbing over the boys tummy while trying to check on him.
It only made the small one fuss more, wails breaking from the bed.
Cuddy tumbled towards the bed as she heard Christopher's sobs and for the first time looked at him. His black hair had been kept short, his face was red and splodgy from crying, his eyes pressed close and tears streaming over his cheeks. A bruise with a scratch lined his forehead and a bruise from the seatbelt crossed his tiny chest.
'Check him for internal bleedings and Organ harm from the impact and get me something to drink for him.'
Before she could register what was happening she was giving orders left and right. She needed to do something, anything to try to quench the pain. After Chase declared Christopher internally unharmed they brought some tea for him and showed Lisa diapers for change.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Word had passed around fast about what happened and PPTH's rumor mill was in full swing and so, naturally it hadn't taken long before Gregory House heard of Cuddy's new sprog.
Before he even made it to his office he limped to the elevator. Once in pediatrics he went to the nurses desk and asked for Dr. Cuddy, which immediately let him to the room she was in.
'I heard about your friend Tamara, I'm sorry Cuddy.'
He stood in the middle of the room, looking at her, pity lining his eyes and watching her with her forehead leaned against the baby bed.
'Is...this her Son?'
She barely nodded, all her strength drained from her.
'What are you going to do now? Give him to social services?'
'No! No...Tamara would have never wanted that!'
Her reaction was harsh and a little harder than she anticipated, the loud voice made Chris wake and whimper. House stepped up to the bed and looked down at the baby, feeling pity for the small worm.
'So you will keep him with you?'
'Are you here to question what I do? Because that is not what I need right now.'
Cuddy lifted Christopher gently from the crib and tried to soothe him, swaying him back and forth and cooing to him, the little boy clutching at her blouse and burying his face against her neck.
'No...I'm here to offer help.'
Her gaze locked with his and she stared at him incredulously but she saw it nonetheless. House was still sorry to what he had said to her about being a bad mother and it was his way of asking for forgiveness.
'If this is a joke to you and another way to...'
'Look Cuddy...you can accept the offer or not, but I won't ask again to help.'
Lisa nodded and sat back down on the chair, swaying Chris back to sleep.
'I...need room for him...I mean I have a room but...I have no time to get furniture and the important stuff, diapers, bottles, a bed, a changing table...oh god I don't even know where to get started.'
'Look...I'll take care of the essentials while you take care of the sprog and legal stuff. Just stay calm before you drop him.'
She nodded and stroked over Christopher's head who had finally calmed, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
'Why are you doing this House?'
'Because you need the help.'
With that he left her alone with the baby, pondering what the heck he could get from this.
This probably will need a few more chapters than I thought. So I hope you like. Thanks to the reviewers.