Spoilers!: The rest of Adverse Events.
A/N: I know I said that I would wait to post this, but I am just excited to start posting the Lucky Thirteen chapters.
A/N2: Sorry that this chapter is short compared to the last couple. However, if it makes you feel better, chapters five and six are both ten pages long (over 5,000 words each).
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Chapter Four- Coming Clean?
6:30 am
The early morning quiet is violently interrupted by the sound of an alarm going off. With a groan, Remy swings her arm over and smacks the button on the alarm to shut it off. She is almost positive that she didn't set it the night before. Granted, most of the previous night is a bit of a blur.
Thirteen looks down to see Allison, still naked, draped across her body with her head tucked under Remy's chin. Her lips slightly turn up at the corners as some of the previous night's events flit through her mind. She then wonders, briefly, if it was Cameron who set the alarm.
"I knew you'd forget to set it," the blonde murmurs against her girlfriend's shoulder, as if reading the other woman's thoughts, her eyes still closed.
"Thank you," Hadley replies in an equally soft voice. She doesn't want to get up because she knows that she is going to regret the action just as soon as she does it.
The brunette doesn't seem to be in any hurry to move which causes Allison to crack open an eye and glance up at the other woman. "Don't you have to go to work?" She questions unhurriedly, bringing her hand up to lightly trace random patterns on her girlfriend's stomach.
Remy's eyes flicker closed and she tries not to smile as she brings her hand up to halt the blonde's movements. "That tickles," she whispers.
"I know," Allison smirks.
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Thirteen retorts.
"The sooner you get there, the sooner you can come home," Cameron reasons with a subdued tone as she watches the younger woman carefully, a frown slowly taking over her features.
Hadley groans at the mention of going in to work. "Fine…but I can't get up with you still laying on top of me," she points out. When Allison wordlessly complies, she gets concerned. "You okay?" She then questions.
"Yeah. I just don't want you to be late," the shorter woman replies, her voice still thoughtful as she refuses to make eye contact.
Remy knows that there is more to the other woman's explanation, but she decides to let it go. She is in no position to call her girlfriend a liar at this point. "Right," she instead responds before turning away from the other woman to carefully get out of bed.
Before the brunette can get out of the bed, Allison reaches out her hand and places it on her forearm. Remy turns around. "I love you," Cameron quietly states, a sad quality to her tone.
"I love you too," Hadley repeats before picking up the other woman's hand and placing a soft kiss on the knuckle before standing up and getting ready to leave. From the bed, Allison clenches her eyes shut to hold back the tears. As she was studying the other woman moments ago, all of the little things from the night before started to fall into place.
Last night Cameron pushed aside the observation that her girlfriend's eyes were dilated and glazed as well as the woman's uncharacteristically euphoric attitude. She ignored the taste of spearmint in the other woman's mouth, a taste that she has recently become overly familiar with. She barely registered a hint of something distinctly alcoholic on her breath. She didn't question the other woman's sudden need to make love to her after doing nothing for a little over a month.
Now though, in the early morning light, Allison can't ignore the bags under her girlfriend's bloodshot eyes. She notices the other woman's slow, deliberate movements and the way she winces when the light hits her eyes. She watches her girlfriend rhythmically continue to clench and unclench her jaw. Allison now knows that before Remy came home last night, she had been drinking and doing drugs, probably Ecstasy.
Thirteen comes back over and drops a light kiss on the top of Allison's head. "I'll see you tonight," she says softly. The blonde merely nods before the other woman leaves. Cameron doesn't bother holding back the tears anymore.
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8:45 am
Walking into the Diagnostics Office, Remy feels like shit. Her mouth is so dry that it feels like she sucked on cotton balls before coming into work. As she takes another long drink from her bottle of water, she wishes that the hospital wasn't so busy this morning so that she would have been able to pump herself full of IV fluids before coming upstairs.
Thirteen drops herself into a chair at the table and silently curses the fluorescent lighting. If the guys notice that she isn't feeling her best, they don't bring it up. As Foreman and Kutner discuss the patient's bizarre swelling, Taub's attention stays on the other woman for several long moments before House enters, reading a file in his hands. The others are mildly surprised that he is actually taking an interest in a patient.
"Brandon's face is so swollen that his tear ducts have been squeezed shut," Kutner greets House.
"The treatments we've tried have had little effect and he's tested negative for swelling-related illnesses," Foreman adds.
House looks up from his file and sets his attention on Thirteen. "You paid for a three-year gym membership, but you only went twice. Why would you do that?" He asks her, dashing their hopes that the file he was reading belonged to the patient.
"Because I have a kid," Remy answers obviously.
"Plenty of people have kids and still manage to get to the gym," House points out.
"How many of those people work for you?" She retorts, not in the mood to listen to his crap. If he had anything major on her, he would have brought it up by now.
"Can we please get back to the patient?" Taub all but begs.
"No need. I already know what it is: drugs. The swelling is from the rapid detox. We put him back on the drugs and wean him off slowly," he easily replies.
After Foreman agrees and says to give it a try, Remy sighs. She already has a feeling that today is going to be a long day.
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Thirteen is checking in on Brandon, who seems to be doing better already. His swelling has gone down and he insists that he feels great.
"Okay, I just need to listen to your heart," she informs him, moving closer to place the stethoscope against his chest. Brandon, after leaning in to inhale the scent of her shampoo, grabs her and brings her onto the bed with him.
"Let go!" Remy shouts, but his arms remained locked around her waist as she struggles. Eventually she decides that she isn't going to be able to reason with him. She punches him in the face. Hard. He lets go and she scrambles off the bed as Foreman and several nurses rush in. A little too late. Remy thinks wryly.
"What happened to his face?" Is all Foreman can think to ask. The brunette resists the urge to roll her eyes since he didn't notice her disheveled appearance and the blood on her fist.
"The question is: what happened to his hormones?" She instead replies. "I need an ice-pack," she mumbles to herself, shaking her hand in pain, before sparing one last glance at Brandon and the blood pouring out of his nose.
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While going through the differential on Brandon's new found hyper sexuality, House agreed with Foreman's suggestion and forced Taub to stay overnight to do the testing for it. Remy had the feeling that it was meant to prevent the other man from coming clean with his wife about cheating on her. Thirteen volunteered to stay and help him before placing a quick call to her girlfriend.
Taub brings his attention from his microscope to look at the other woman. "Not that I don't mind the company, but what are you even doing here?" He questions.
Thirteen glances up from her current task. "Does it matter?" She retorts.
"You're deflecting," he points out with mild irritation.
"You're annoying," she states mockingly.
There is a slight pause. "And you're hiding something from Dr. Cameron," the balding doctor trumps out.
Remy glares at the other man before turning her attention back to running the blood cultures. "I don't know what you're talking about," she obviously lies.
"Then why are you at the hospital instead of spending time with your daughter and your girlfriend of over a year?" Taub wonders, genuinely interested.
Knowing that she isn't going to get any work done unless she answers, Thirteen heaves a sigh and massages the bridge of her nose. She ponders the ramifications of telling him exactly what has been bothering her. "This stays between us," she states, almost sounding like an order.
"Of course," the other man confirms with a nod.
"You know I have Huntington's, right?" Remy leads in, knowing that he is aware of her diagnosis. He nods and she takes a deep breath. "A couple of months ago I started getting tremors. At first I thought House switched out the decaf again just to screw with me, but…he didn't," she admits.
"But you're only 25. There are hundreds of causes of tremors that don't necessarily-"
"A couple of days ago I ran the CAG test to see about how long I have," she cuts him off. "My numbers were in the upper 50s," she finishes, turning her attention back down to her previous work. Remy has no intention of telling him anything of her after-work activities as of late. She doesn't trust him that much.
"Have you told anyone other than me?" Taub wonders incredulously and she offers him an icy glare in return. "Not even your father?"
"My dad never completely got over my mom's death. How am I supposed to tell him that his only child is going to die in less than ten years? The news would completely devastate him," Remy shakes her head, totally against the idea.
"Don't you think that you at least owe it to Dr. Cameron? You have been together for well over a year and who would understand better than your girlfriend…who is also a doctor?" He asks the last part rhetorically.
"Just drop it," she growls.
"You need to tell them. Allison and your father are going to need each other. Who would better help her cope than someone who has gone through the same thing? In ten years, she is going to be in the same place your dad is," Taub argues, getting frustrated.
"Shut up," Remy barks, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes.
"And what about Alex, you know, your daughter? You are all going to have to prepare her for what's going to eventually happen. How can you be so selfish by not telling them?" He questions her harshly.
"Like you're one to lecture me about being selfish! You fucked around on your wife behind her back and now she's buying you a car. I may be hiding something from my girlfriend, but at least I never cheated on her and I sure as shit never lied to her!" Thirteen snaps, being only partially truthful, before sliding her chair back and making her way out of the lab.
Taub just watches her leave, completely slack-jawed. As much as he knows that she has a point, he knows that he does too. With a heavy sigh, he goes back to his microscope.
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9:00 am
After getting a coffee from the break room upstairs, Remy heads back downstairs to check up on the patient. Stifling a yawn, she steps out of the elevator and begins to make her way to Brandon's room.
"Hey Stranger," someone from behind the brunette greets, causing her to turn around and smile weakly.
"Morning Ally," Thirteen replies.
"Where are you off to?" Allison questions, still feeling a little awkward after her revelation the previous morning.
"Just checking in on Brandon before he goes in for surgery," Hadley responds tiredly.
"Didn't he try and assault you yesterday?" She questions with a raised eyebrow.
"That would be correct," Remy confirms, wondering how the other woman found out about it so quickly.
"Good news travels fast," Cameron smirks as if she was able to read her girlfriend's mind. "How did the tests go last night?" She then asks, wondering if she'd be able to tell if the other woman was lying about having to stay overnight.
"Nothing conclusive, but House is already set on his diagnosis," Thirteen sighs.
"I'll let you get to it then," Cameron states before taking the other woman's hand in her own. She just wants her girlfriend to be able to open up to her instead sneaking around to do whatever it is she has been doing as of late.
"I'll see you tonight," Remy smiles slightly.
"Yeah," the other woman nods, trying to offer a smile of her own. She isn't sure if she's successful. Then, she turns and walks off. The brunette stands there for a moment before going to the patient's room…only to find Taub already in there.
"Why would Brandon's paintings be a topic that would require me to step out of the room?" Heather, Brandon's girlfriend, questions the two men as Remy watches from the doorway.
Brandon shoots Taub a brief, apologetic look. "Because I have only really sold two paintings in the last three years…and one of them was to a relative," he admit's the last part reluctantly.
"But you've been bringing in money," the girlfriend points out, confused.
"I have been participating in drug trials to make money and keep up appearances," he replies quietly.
"I can't believe you lied to me…for years!" Heather cries out, feeling betrayed. "What must you think of me to feel like you had to lie in the first place?"
"I liked the way you looked at me when you thought that I was successful. I don't think I could have bared to lose that," he counters awkwardly.
"When I look at you, I see you," Heather counters, a soft smile gracing her lips.
As touched as Taub is by the display, he manages to get the location of the storage unit with his stored paintings. Before she can be caught snooping, Thirteen ducks down another corridor, wondering how bad it would really be if she told Cameron about the CAG test results and the tremors.
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After the surgery went off without a hitch, Remy finds herself out in the lobby with Taub and Heather.
"Everything went well and he's going to be fine," Thirteen assures the patient's girlfriend.
Heather breathes a sigh of relief and leans back in her chair, glad that the whole ordeal is done and over with. "Good," she breathes out.
Taub looks at her for a moment. "Are you glad Brandon told you the truth?" He questions and Hadley rolls her eyes at his prying.
"Yes, of course," the other woman answers easily.
"Were you happier before you knew?" He presses and Thirteen wants to smack him.
Before she can reply, a woman behind him dangles a set of keys and Taub turns to face his wife. "I'm going to have to steal him from you," she smiles at the other two women.
Remy just nods as she watches them walk away. Deep down, she knows that Taub is going to tell his wife everything just like Brandon did with his girlfriend.
"I think I'm happier now," Heather states, answering Taub's earlier question.
Hadley turns to face her. "You don't have to-"
"I know. I'd rather be happy because I know the truth than to be happy based on a lie. It may not be what I want to hear, but the truth always has a way of coming out. It's better to hear it from the one you love than to have to find out on your own," Heather goes on to explain.
It's now official, Remy feels like shit for lying to her girlfriend. "Yeah," she uneasily agrees. Before the conversation can continue and become even more awkward for the dark-haired doctor, Chase enters into view.
"Are you with Mr. Reynolds?" The Aussie asks Heather. She nods. "You can come see him now," he informs her.
"Thank you," she smiles before turning back to the other woman. "It was nice talking to you Dr. Hadley," she says with a small smile.
"You too," Thirteen manages to get out before the other woman walks off.
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Back Home
"Shit," Remy curses under her breath as she watches the water in the glass in her hand sloshing back and forth. She sets the glass back down on the counter and clenches her eyes shut, her hands gripping the edge of the counter. They keep getting worse. She grimly muses.
"Did you say something, Sweetie?" Comes the soft voice of her girlfriend from the living room.
"Just that I practically have two kids," the brunette jokes, referring to the fact that the blonde insisted on finishing Ratatouille despite the fact that they've seen it twenty times and she just put Alexis to bed.
"You like it," Allison replies and Remy can practically hear the smile in the other woman's voice.
The brunette takes a deep breath and wills her hands to stop shaking before she makes it back to the living room.
When she doesn't hear a reply from her girlfriend, Allison looks up to find Remy glaring at the ground with a dark, thoughtful expression on her face. She sighs at the sight of the expression that has been progressively more common in the last few months. She idly wonders if Thirteen even knows she is distancing herself from her and Alex.
Just as Allison prepares to ask if everything is okay, Remy glances up and their eyes connect. The younger of the two offers a slight smile and grabs her water before walking back into the living room. She notices the odd look on the blonde's face.
"Everything alright?" Remy asks.
I was just going to ask you the same thing. "Yeah," Allison returns reluctantly, unsure if maybe she just imagined the expression on the other woman's face since she seems fine now.
The brunette reclaims her spot next to her girlfriend on the couch, carefully placing the glass of water on the table. She rests her head on Allison's shoulder and drapes an arm across her waist. Cameron is at first taken back by the rare action of the other woman curling into her like this, but she wraps an arm over her girlfriend's shoulder nonetheless.
"You know if there was something wrong, you could tell me about it?" The blonde offers, trying to get the younger doctor to open up to her.
Remy thinks of Heather and Brandon before switching to Taub and his wife. Maybe I should just tell her the truth…about everything. She knows that if she tells her girlfriend about the tremors and CAG test, then she would also have to tell her about the drugs and alcohol.
Thirteen takes a deep breath, preparing herself to confess everything. Then, she looks up into the honest, trusting eyes of the blonde and her words catch in her throat.
"I know, Ally," Hadley smiles weakly, hating herself for chickening out. She turns her attention back to the movie. Feeling the blonde sigh against her, Remy knows that she can't lie to the other woman forever, but she can pretend for a little longer.
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Birthmarks contains nothing of interest to this story, I am going to skip it and the next chapter will use Lucky Thirteen. Drama and angst will ensue and the plot will definitely thicken. Do you think the "happy" couple can handle it?
I am going to say that I like the idea of Thirteen and Taub being friends is because I think they have more in common in this story than they do in the show. But, on the show, I think they have some pretty funny interactions.
Also, I know it's frustrating with Thirteen not opening up and Cameron not pushing her. The thing is, Cameron doesn't seem like she'd push her in the first place. I mean, she still doesn't know about Alex's father. Cameron wants Thirteen to tell her when she's ready because she knows that the other woman is coming close to a breaking point. Hell, Thirteen almost told her at this end of this chapter. Perhaps, she just needs a little outside help to push her into confessing to her girlfriend…if Cameron doesn't find out some other way. It's no coincidence that Lucky Thirteen is next.
Quick poll: I am considering writing holiday-themed stories to kind of follow Ringing in the New Year (Cadley of course). Does it sound like a good idea? The next one would be for Valentine's Day. You can let me know in a PM or, if you really love me, a review ;)
The next update will be at the same time as Taking the Long Way later this week.