Learning To Fall
Chapter 4-Lilac
Authors Notes:I got a little insight on the things I wanted to know.. I do understand and listen to what your all saying about reviews, story, etc. If you read my other stories I haven't done this. I want to know what your all thinking about this, and if I'm giving enough hints to the diesase...If it's playing out the way I'm hoping. I want to make you all think a little bit, (but naturally I want to hear your thoughts, haha). If you guys point something out, that I haven't noticed, or omitted, I make sure to address it in the next chapter.
This chapter will be huge, as far as groundbreaking, the FIFTH will be a long one. I all but tell you the name of the disease in this chapter. I did want to see though if you guy's were getting it at first. Anddddd I do apologize for holding this hostage, but after this, could you please review with some good guesses and insight? I'm hardly fishing for compliments on my writing style, I'd rather know if you guys are thinking of the plot.
One reviewer also mentioned something very interesting that I have thought about, and debated with revealing..
Phil- That was a very. very. educated response. I have not mentioned anything about his eyes yet, and I think that was very careful reading to notice that. I haven't neglected that...It will come up later in the story. I'm impressed.
Cameron ripped the envelope open eagerly, hungrily. Sliding out the results of the blood test, she held her breath as she glanced down. She had ordered a simple blood test, just a count. His red cell count was down, and his white cell count was increased. He had an infection, not an overdose. Her nerves wouldn't tolerate her going back to Foreman, so instead she headed the opposite way, to Cuddy's office.
Foreman sat alone in the diagnosis room, scratching his head. He turned from his current book to the white board. There were two columns. One was labeled symptoms, under it vomiting, muscle aches, jaundice, abnormal sweating were listed.
The other column was labeled maybe, under it was drug overdose, tumor, and metabolic problem. Foreman frowned. Vomiting, sweating and muscle aches were common flu symptoms, but Jaundice didn't fit. He stared at the board harder, hoping the answer would jump out at him. Vomiting, muscle aches, and sweating could be explained by a fever. Perhaps Jaundice had resulted from a fever? Perhaps the fever had destroyed the liver.
He turned to the door. He needed Cameron back with those blood tests, that would confirm infection, but then they would be back to square one, because all of the 'maybes' would be ruled out. He sighed, trying to remember all of the patient's they'd treated in the past month. Perhaps House caught something one of them had.
Cameron stood nervously, outside of Cuddy's door. She fiddled with the envelope in her hand before opening the door. Cuddy glanced up from a stack of charts. Neither woman said a word as Cameron slowly lowered herself into the chair in front of Cuddy's desk. Cuddy peered over the stack at the envelope in Cameron's hands. She looked at her questionably. "House has an infection," Cameron said reluctantly. Cuddy nodded, absorbing the information.
"White count up? Or red count down and white count up?" she asked, mulling it over in her mind. "Red count down, white count up," Cameron replied, handing Cuddy the envelope as if to prove her point. Cuddy took the envelope and set it between the two of them. Cameron shifted nervously at the awkward silence.
Downstairs, Chase sat next to House, watching the TV in the room. He chewed the cold, near stale popcorn he'd brought from the break room slowly, quietly. He didn't really need to, seeing as how it was unlikely loud chewing would disturb House, but it seemed more of a respect thing.
Foreman, Cuddy, Cameron, Wilson, Stacey and he had been taking turns at House's bed. Each person was considerably worried, although it felt like a fight between the six for the opportunity. He glanced at House, looking him up and down before shoving another handful of popcorn in his hand and turning back to the television.
House was kind of a role model for him, in some ways. Chase longed for House's skill. He didn't want to turn out exactly like House, granted. He just wished he would get some of the praise House did. Chase sighed, glancing out the door as several nurses walked by, just getting off shift. They laughed and joked. The seemed like best friends. He thought to his own team. He was closest with Foreman. They understood each other.
Cameron, well, she was about as unpredictable as House. One minute she'd kiss him, the next shoving him into a wall. He liked Cameron. There was something about her that just felt, like home he guessed. She seemed familiar to him, even though they'd never met until working at this hospital. He shoved another handful of popcorn in his mouth. He kind of liked the lotion she used too. Lilac.
Sometimes, a part of him wished that his team would be close, like the two nurses he'd seen earlier. He dismissed the idea quickly though. That would only happen the day pigs grew wings.
Upstairs, Cuddy had called Foreman from her office, informing him of the blood count. Cameron had already left, saying she needed to take a break. House's illness was affecting them all. She touched a hand to her neck, smiling. She let her hand travel up her neck, massaging her scalp softly.
Cuddy generally wasn't superstitious, but she was like Stacey, she had beliefs. Stacey wore that cross necklace, Cuddy had a small gold chain. Cuddy took a long breath, calming her nerves. She closed her eyes, slowly, thinking back.
Back in med school, they often did supervised clinical exams. Typical hands on training. Students were only supposed to diagnose colds, and strep throat. Things like that. Cuddy remembered the same feeling she had in her stomach the day of her first clinical. She remembered the woman, who's pale blue eyes seemed so pleading. There was a certain sorrow about the woman, as Cuddy entered the room, the supervising doctor behind her. Cuddy had been terrified, but the woman was so calm. The woman had problems getting her blood to clot. Cuddy did the necessary blood test to diagnose her. It was only supposed to be hemophilia. Cuddy remembered the way her heart sank when she'd gotten the test results. She remembered pleading with the doctor. Why couldn't he tell her? His excuse was that Cuddy needed to learn, that not all stories had happy endings. Cuddy remembered the hard lump in her throat, and the tightness of her eyes as she told the woman she had cancer. The woman had only smiled, placing a hand on Cuddy's shoulder, thanking her. It had taken Cuddy months to forget that woman. The womans eyes came to her in her dreams, and she hadn't slept very well. Months into Cuddy's first year of being a doctor, nearly two years after diagnosing that woman, she had been called down to meet a visitor in the lobby. Those haunting blue eyes were in front of her again, slightly watered. The woman smiled at Cuddy, extending her arms. Cuddy remembered returning the hug, unsure. The woman had pulled off her little gold necklace, placing it in Cuddy's hands with a small squeeze. Cuddy listened, as the woman began to tell her the story. Cuddy had diagnosed her early enough, that with the chemotherapy, she had entered remission. She'd been in remission over a year. She thanked Cuddy, and Cuddy remembered the smile on both of their faces, Cuddy still clutching desperately to that little gold chain.
Cuddy's breathing was slightly heavier after exiting the flashback. She still smiled to herself, the scent of lilac lightly in the air still lingered. Lilac was calming, it made everything feel...okay.
Chase sat downstairs,chuckling lightly at the television. He was watching Australia's Next Top Model. Women like that were too prissy in his opinion, although he enjoyed the photo shoot parts. He swallowed hard, throwing another handful of popcorn in his mouth. He'd returned to the break room a minute or two ago, grabbing the last of what was in the bowl that sat atop the microwave. He scratched a small itch on his ear slightly, as the commercials ended and the show was back on.
The girls had gotten into a fight, over who was going to wear what to some party. Chase rolled his eyes, laughing a bit. The room was silent, aside from the television.
A gruff voice came from beside him, "What is this trash we're watching?"
Chase finished chewing the popcorn, as he turned to his left side where the voice had come from. House's eyes stared beadily back at him. He jumped up and back, knocking his chair over and nearly choking on the popcorn crumbs that hadn't gone down the previous swallow, struggling to make a sound, "Guh, mer," he swallowed hard, "Coma?" was the only word he could get out.
Hmmm...betcha next chapter will be a good one.
