Chapter 3
"Uncle Wilson!" Lena screamed. She wanted her parents. Wilson was exhausted, and wanted some sleep.
"Uncle Wilson!" she screamed again. Wilson got up before she started yelling uncle James across the house. He walked into her bedroom to see her crying.
"What's the matter, Lee?" he asked her, scooping her into his arms.
"I want mama, and daddy," she said, "where are they?" he looked around the room, trying to think of an answer. What would he tell her? Sorry, honey, but your mother's in a coma and your father is too disconnected to deal with you?
So he settled on, "mommy's sick, Lee."
"What's wrong with mommy?" she asked, desperately looking to him for an answer.
"Lena," he paused, she gave him a look that urged him to go on, "mommy is in a coma."
"What's that?" she questioned, she was confused. How would he explain this? "Uncle Wilson, when can mommy come home?" she pressed. Wilson wrapped his arms around her.
"She probably won't, Lee." He said. Her expression fell.
"Why not, Uncle Wilson, I want mommy!" she cried. He sighed, and rubbed her back.
"Just go to sleep, Lee," he said, "We'll go see mommy later." She settled down, and fell to sleep in his arms.
House had given up on trying to awaken Lisa, and went down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in a window on the way down. He looked terrible. He tried to erase the image out of his head, and continued walking.
The cafeteria was as crammed as it always was, doctors coming in for a much-needed break, visitors looking for a place to calm down. For once in his life, House was a visitor. He knew now how the families felt. Always searching for an answer to what was wrong. When was their family member going to get better, get out of this place?
He made his way through a crowd of people, and ordered a Reuben. The sandwich had an odd taste to it, he didn't know what it tasted like, but it tasted odd, maybe it was just him.
Lisa had always got aggravated at his table manners. She said that he ate very sloppily. Much to his surprise, he found himself taking her advice, and was actually using a napkin instead of the back of his hand, or his shirtsleeve. He finished off the sandwich, and realized why the sandwich tasted odd, he forgot to have them hold the pickles.
His thoughts drifted off to Lena, their daughter, and he wondered if Wilson had told her yet. He hoped that he had. His phone rang, it was Wilson.
"Yeah," he said.
"You need to talk to Lena, House." Wilson's reply was short and to the point. House sighed, he knew this had been coming. He heard Lena crying in the background. Wilson squeezed her in his arms, and handed her the phone.
"Hello?" she said in a weak voice.
"Hey, Lee." House said, trying to cheer her up.
"Daddy, where's mommy?" she asked, much to his dismay.
"Mommy's sick," he said
"Uncle Wilson said she was in a comma," House stifled a laugh when he heard her say 'comma' instead of 'coma'. "when can mommy come home?"
It was an innocent question, one that every family member asks a doctor, yet it seemed so hard to answer now. Maybe it was because he never figured it'd apply to him, or anyone he knew. Especially Lisa.
" She probably won't, Lee." He heard her start crying, and Wilson soothing her. He should be the one doing this, he realized, not Wilson, she was HIS daughter. He ended the conversation with Wilson, agreeing to bring Lena to see her mother the next day.
Wilson brought the child closer to him, holding her while she cried.
"Shh." He whispered into her ear. She was slowly calming down.
" Why can't mommy come home?" she asked. Wilson realized this conversation was going in circles.
"I've already told you, Lee, she's sick." She gave a grunt of resignation, and fell to sleep again on his chest. He looked down on her, and saw how fragile she looked, what would become of her if something happened to Lisa? She needed her mother. He pulled her closer yet again, and rubbed her back. What would happen to House and Lena?
