House slid the door open. Cuddy looked up at him. She looked weak and weary. "Hey," She said. House nodded, and sat down beside her bed. Cuddy sat Rachel up in her lap.

"Where's Lucas?" House asked.

"Getting coffee," Cuddy replied. "Now, enough with the pleasantries, what's the prognosis?" She saw his face fall. "House, what is it?"

"Lisa…" House sighed, Cuddy grew worried. House never called her by her first name. "You have stage four small cell lung cancer. It's spread to your heart and liver."

Cuddy blinked. "I'm dying? Are you sure?" House nodded. She looked at Rachel. Her eyes began to drip beady tears. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. "How long?"

"With chemo, you have at least six months, without it, you have less than four." House replied.

"Chemotherapy?" Cuddy asked.

"I can schedule you in for surgery to remove the tumour for tomorrow morning," House said.

"I don't want to die," Cuddy whimpered, tears beginning to spill from her eyes again. "I wanna… I can't… Rachel… Lucas… I can't…"

House put his hand on Cuddy's shoulder. "I know, this is gonna be hard. But who knows what advances they'll make in several months."

"It's not enough time…" Cuddy whispered.

House looked at her. "I don't really want to give you the chemotherapy,"

Cuddy looked at him. "Are you trying to kill me? Get rid of me as soon as you can? What the hell is wrong with you?" She shrieked, tears staining her face. "Is it that hard for you to let me live a happy last six months?"

"No… Nothing like that," House replied. "It's just. It's worth it if it would give you a few more years, but… You don't want to spend your last few months in pain, throwing up. Not when you could be spending it with Rachel and Lucas."

Cuddy looked at her daughter. "I know chemo hurts," She said. "I just… It…"

"Lisa," House said. Cuddy looked up. "Please listen to me. I've checked this almost 4 times. There was no mistake in the labs, there was no mistake in the administration. I wish I could make this all better… I wish…" He sighed. "I'm sorry,"

Cuddy looked up at him. "Sorry? You son of a bitch."

"Lisa, I'm trying-"

"Get out," She whispered.

"Lisa, I'm trying to help," House said.

"Get out!" She shouted. "Get out, get out, get out!"

House nodded, and obediently left. Cuddy began to sob uncontrollably. She curled up into a tight ball, almost protecting Rachel. Her body shuddered as tears fell onto the hard hospital bed. Rachel looked up, her limbs flailing slightly. Cuddy kissed the top of her daughters head.

"Mommy loves you," She whispered.

….

Lucas found House outside Cuddy's room. He sat on one of the many seats, his forehead pressed against the handle of his cane. He sat beside the doctor.

"I don't like you," Lucas admitted. "But I respect you. Lisa won't tell me what's going on,"

House didn't reply. So Lucas pressed on. "Please House, what's wrong with her?"

"If she doesn't want to tell-"

"Oh shut up," Lucas replied. "Will you just tell me?"

House tapped his cane and leaned back on his chair. "She has stage four small cell lung cancer. There is very little we can do for her."

"She can get chemotherapy, right?"

"Yes, she can." House said. "But that would only give her two months more at the most,"

"Two months is something," Lucas argued.

"She will be in pain constantly," House replied. "She will spend hours in constant agony. Chemotherapy is basically poison. It will weaken her to an inch of her life and every moment of it, she will be wishing for death." He looked over at the private detective. "Wouldn't you want your last days to be happy and pain free?" He asked.

"She's gotta live though," Lucas said. "Y'know, if she like lives for a few more months, then… What if there are breakthroughs?"

"Wouldn't be enough time," House replied. "Any drug or treatment that comes into being has to be tested by the FDA. It can take up to as long as a year to be put on the market."

"But you're a doctor, you can get these experimental treatments,"

House stood up. "Do you think I want her to die? Do you think that I am so selfish to want her dead because she chose you over me? I love Lisa, I have for nearly my entire life. But I will not have her suffer on my prescription just because it might give her a few more weeks. I won't have her suffer in pain when she could be spending her last few moments with those she loves most,"

Lucas blinked. "You really love her?"

"Enough to know that chemotherapy will prolong her life for a short while and with an enormous cost." House replied. "Her survival rate is worse than most patients I have ever dealt with. It is terminal. There is nothing I can do."

Lucas's lips curled in. He was thinking. He stood up, rubbing his arm. "I… I have to…" He shook his head.

"I know," House replied. "Go talk to her,"

"I can't… I…" Lucas sighed. "I love her too much. To tell her not to take the chemotherapy…? I can't do that… I mean…" He looked up at House. "I can't do that to her,"

House bit his lip. He began to pace, wincing as he did so. He sighed and nodded. "I understand," He said.

Lucas looked up at him, frowning. "You understand? Did you take something this morning? You don't understand matters of the heart. You don't understand people and you never will,"

"I'm trying aren't I?" House argued.

"Thirty years too late," Lucas replied. "Tell someone who actually gives a fuck."

House was hit hard by this. "I'm trying to save her," He said. "I don't want to see her in pain," He turned and limped off, leaving Lucas by himself. He sat for a moment his head in his hands. He pulled his checked shirt further over his white t-shirt and wiped his nose. He stood up, paced for a moment before sliding open the door to Cuddy's room.

She was sleeping, naturally. Rachel was in a bed of her own wriggling noiselessly, but gurgling every so often. It was adorable. Lucas picked her up and sat her on his lap. "Hey," He whispered. "It's your daddy," Rachel put her knuckles near her mouth, staring up at him. She blinked her tiny green eyes and he smiled. He bit his lip.

"Alright, here's the skinny," He said. "Your mom is dying. With chemotherapy she may have six months left but she will be incredibly week and unable to spend her last moments with us. If she doesn't have the chemotherapy, she would have less time, but she wouldn't be in constant pain. And I don't know what to do. Do I watch her die slowly and painfully whilst I have enjoyed a few more months of her company? Or can I let her go as nature intended and she could make her last few months really amazing? I don't want her to spend her last precious days in a hospital getting treatment that doesn't work. I don't want to see her in pain. I love her too much,"

He looked over at Cuddy. Rachel tried following his gaze, but she couldn't see. Lucas smiled softly straightening her hat. "This is possibly the biggest decision that your mother will ever have to make. She can either have faith in House to make a last minute diagnosis, or accept her death. Even then, what can she choose? More time, or less pain?" He chuckled absentmindedly. "I wouldn't mind it if it was more time and no pain." He bounced Rachel on his lap. "What would you choose?"

He stared at her for a few minutes. "What am I talking about? How can you answer me? You're an infant! Nothing more."

Cuddy rolled over, he looked up fearing that she was awake. She stirred no more. He turned his attentions back to Rachel.

"Y'know, I used to have a huge fear of death," he said. "I never wanted to die unless I had a wife and a child and a pension plan that could support them. I never wanted to die unless I knew what was on the other side. I never wanted to die unless I had no other choice. But Lisa… She has nothing in this…"

"Lucas,"

He looked up. Cuddy was sitting upright on her bed, tears bleeding from the corner of her eyes. "Can you get House for me?" She asked.

He nodded kissed her forehead and left the room.

Yay! People like it! Please Please PLEASE review! Makes me feel special (not sure if thats the right spelling)