Title: How To Save a Life

Series: I Believe in Love, Anything You Want

Rated: PG-13

Author: Megan Faye

Disclaimer: Fox owns House

A.N.: Chapter 4 felt short and rushed. I redid and added more.

Lisa sighed as she rested her hand on the door handle to her back door. It had been a long day at the hospital; between Allison's leg being amputated and Anna's condition unchanged, there had been little to be happy about. House had woken, finally, and was pissed. The whole hospital had expected this. He was a bear as a patient. But his leg, which was usually in severe pain, was numb. It was the first time that, as a doctor, Lisa was grateful for a spinal chord injury.

Before she opened the door, she listened into the house. It was quiet. Upon entery, she found her kitchen spotless, the play room organized, and Wilson asleep on the couch with Sarah tucked carefully on his chest. Lisa pulled a quillt over the two of them and went about making tea.

"Aunt Lisa?" Lisa looked up at Trent. He was wearing one of Greg's 'The Who' shirts, and it was well too large for him.

"Want tea?"

"Nah. I'll get the hot chocolate out." He gave her a lop-sided grin and grabbed the milk from the fridge.

"Care to make mine a double?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. Where's Grandma?"

"Guest room. Allison's mom and brother are in David's room, and David is in your bed."

"We need a bigger place." Trent nodded.

"How's my mom?" Lisa had known it would come up. But she had hoped, just once, she was asked how she felt. "Is Uncle Allison doing better?"

"They're about the same as when you left."

"Know what Greg said?"

"What?"

"That you might need me here more than you're willing to admit." Lisa snorted a synical laugh. Trent put his arms around his aunt and, being nearly as tall as her now, she was able to relax into it. "It okay for you to cry. He said that, too. He said it doesn't make me tough by not being scared for Mom or Allison. So if you need to cry, you can cry."

"Greg's a smart guy."

"He's my dad. He loves you. And he said that it is okay to cry."

That was all that it took for Lisa to finally let go of the fear and worry she'd been holding in the last few days, and cry.

"WE'RE LEAVING IN FIVE MINUTES!" Lisa yelled down the hall to the various rooms. It had been a little over a month since the accident, school was starting, and Lisa was returning to work. Allison was still in ICU, as was Anna. They were unchanged. House was moble now, and had returned to work part time. He hadn't been released from the hospital, but was taking one or two cases that peeked his interest.

"You're louder than mom," Trent commented as he left the guest room.

"I have four children in the house. I have to be loud. Breakfast is on the table." Lisa put folders into her back pack, lunches into David's and Trent's packs, and diapers into Sarah and Jason's diaper bag. "You are sure you can take the bus."

"Yes."

"Greg lets you."

"Greg makes me."

"And you have time to drop the two off-"

"Relax."

"I don't know about this."

"They need to be out of the hospital. Right?" Lisa nodded. "Sierra is good with them. Right?" Lisa nodded again. "She's only a few houses over, and if she needs me to pick them up early, I can."

"No, you have...........homework?"

"I have Lacrosse tryouts. First day of school usually doesn't yield homework."

"Last year of middle school."

"Still sucks. Stroller packed?"

"Check." Lisa put the bag into the basket of the double stroller as she spoke.

"Where's Sarah and Jason?"

"Jason is playing in the baby cage, Sarah is going potty."

"Grab the sqirt, and I'll see you tonight." Lisa roughed the boys hair. "You're already late."

"Shit!" Lisa pulled her jacket on and kissed Trent's cheek. "Don't tell House I said that. DAVID! We're Going!" The little boy wandered out in his pajamas. "You aren't dressed!"

"Trade you David for Jason and Sarah. You have a budget meeting in 45 minutes."

"Okay. She can handle David instead of the dynamic diaper duo."

"Grab Jay, and I'll get Sarah."

"Thank you so much, Trent!" Lisa grabbed everything she could carry, and then lifted Jason onto her hip. "All the kingdom for an octopus!"

"Sarah, did you finish?"

"I go peepee." Trent handed her a jellybean, grabbed the diaper bag, redressed the little girl and handed her off to Lisa, who had returned from putting Jason in the car.

"Have a good day."

"I'm supposed to tell you that."

"Late."

"Bye!" And Lisa dashed off.

"David, pants are essential. Go put on your khakie pants, green Earth shirt, green and blue over shirt, and your navy blue socks."

"I don't wanna."

"Dude. Toaster waffles. 2 minutes. Go."

"Flying Jelly Waffle monsters."

"If you are dressed." David ran back while Trent dropped Lego waffles into the toaster. While they toasted, he dialed Sierra's number. "Sierra, can you take David today, instead of Sarah and Jason?"

"Care to explain this, Trent?"

"Um, the short story is car accident, two people in a coma, dad is now ina wheel chair, Aunt Lisa has a budget meeting and the babysitter cancelled. She went into labor."

"Long story, please."

"Mom, Dad and Uncle Allison were in a car accident. Aunt Lisa has all four of us, and its her first day back to work. Allison and my mom are still comatose, and my dad is still in the hospital because he shattered two vertabrae and trashed his spinal chord. Aunt Lisa had to run out the door this morning. The kids baby sitter lives a few houses down, and they needed to be away from the hospital daycare. So I was going to drop them off, and catch the bus. The babysitter was in labor, Aunt Lisa's phone is on the kitchen counter, and Wilson is performing surgery today, as is Chase. I can't get ahold of Aunt Thirteen, but she has Huntingtons, and can't really do a whole lot with the kids. So I couldn't leave a four-year-old at home alone." David sat next to his cousin, swinging his feet as he listened to the principal and teacher talk to Trent.

"Daddy's sleeping, and she can't wake up."

"Daddy is a she?"

"Aunt Lisa and Allison are lesbians. David and Sarah are their children. Aunt Lisa and my mom are identical twins." The principal rubbed his forehead. He couldn't send Trent home. They couldn't reach any of the emergency contacts, and there were 12.

"Young man. You are in a big school, with a lot of big kids. Can you act like a big boy today?"

"He's usually running around a hospital with my dad, diagnosing patients, and he knows how to properly insert an IV. I'm sure he can behave for a few hours. I have a lunch and a few coloring books for him. Hell, the kid could probably do my homework." David smiled.

The wheels squeaked as House pushed himself into the office. Lisa was buried in paper work, which meant she was trying to forget what was happening that day. Allison had crashed again, and wasn't doing well. Lisa had barely kept herself together.

"I have coffee." Lisa looked up. Lo and behold, there was a coffee in the cup holder that House had attached to his chair. "I didn't even drink it."

"Thanks." House set the steaming cup on her desk, and moved over to the couch. He carefully moved himself onto it and lifted his legs to prop them up. Lisa smiled. He looked normal, right down to the Nikes. Lisa picked up the coffee and joined him on the couch, resting against him. "Today was hard."

"I know."

"Is Anna doing any better?"

"A little. She squeezed Jason's hand, but she's still out."

"Allison's heart stopped again." House nodded and held his friend a little closer. "I know in my head that she shouldn't have made it this far, but I know in my heart that I can't lose her. I can't handle this, House."

"I can't make any promises, or diagnose anything. We know what's wrong,and whe'll either come out of this or not."

"If she doesn't?"

"You will move on. It will suck, and the kids will drive you crazy, and you'll hate me, but you'll move on."

"Why would I hate you?"

"If I hadn't picked a fight with you, she wouldn't have had to drive me to get Anna, and no one would be in this situation." Lisa shook her head.

"I ignored her. I let her handle the kids, and her job, and everything else. I pushed her away."

"She pushed you just as hard."

"Allison means everything to me, and I screwed it up."

"She and I talked in the car on the way to D.C. She loves you. She's loved you from the begining, whether she knows it or not, she's loved you from the minute she met you." Lisa sighed. "I just got a call from Trent's school."

"Forgot his lunch money?"

"Nope. He brought a kid to school. I thought they'd like it, but David just isn't cut out for the 8th grade yet."

"What!?"

"Babysitter went into labor in the wee hours of the morning, and your cell phone is on your kitchen counter." Lisa dropped her head into her hands. "Its okay. He didn't skip school, he didn't leave David with a stranger, he brought him to adults he trusted. Trent's got it covered."

"I left my four-year-old to be dropped off with no one. I suck at this."

"I sent Brenda to meet them at the bus stop. Why did you pull them out of hospital daycare?" Lisa sighed. "Just David?"

"All three. They were spending way too much time here. My nieghbor is great with them. She needed extra money, and she's been David's babysitter since he was born. I wanted them in a home where they were the only kids. Jason needed more attention, and Trent needed the baby break. I swear, he changes diapers faster than I do." House nodded.

"You are pretty slow at them."

"Thank you."

"Dad!" Trent called, popping his head into the office. "Aunt Lisa, Nurse Brenda has David, and is bringing him to the daycare. He really needs a nap. He did good today; didn't get scared, and my teachers all thought he was the sweetest little boy they'd ever met."

"Thank you so much, Trent. I'm sorry."

"Its cool." Lisa dug in her purse and pulled out some cash.

"Cab fair. Go be a teenager." House grabbed his wallet and doubled the funds, and added his credit card.

"Go to the mall, call me when you get there. Take a cab home. You can spend what you want on new school clothes, and the cash is for food and video games only. No piercings or tattos. Hair cut is fine just nothing that your mother will hurt me for later. You are ordered to have fun. Call me when you get to Aunt Lisa's house."

"For babysitting?"

"You spent the whole summer taking care of your brother when you should have been skateboarding, or playing video games. I should have had to ground you at least twice. Be home by 8:00. Not a minute later. Understand?"

"Yes." Trent dash from the office. "He'll be home by 9:30."

"Freedom."

"He's earned it. Besides, Chase will be trailing him the whole time." House pulled out his cell phone, grinning.

"Allie," Lisa said very gently to her wife. "House is completely insane, and a far better parent than I am. He handed a credit card to a teenager and said go spend what you want."

There was silence in the room.

"Of all the crazy things he's done, this may actually be the one I remember most." Lisa took Allison's hand. "You'd probably defend him, reminding me that Trent is such a good kid, that he won't take advantage. You know, you always defend House. You always have, and I'm sure you always will. Its cute.

"When you come home, we're going to have a few changes you might like. Sarah's decided to potty train herself, and David sleeps in his own bed, alone. Trent puts him in, reads him a story, and leaves it at that. He's doing really well.

"Did I miss so much that you went to our children for attention? I swear, if you wake up, I'll never ignore you again."

11 years earlier

"House, you are completely insane!"

"Not now."

"Yes, now! You can't electrocute your patient, no matter what you think it will prove." Allison swallowed. Her interview with House had been very short, and she had yet to meet his boss. Now there was a woman screeching at him. And she was beautiful. "You must be Dr. Cameron. I'm your boss's boss, Lisa Cuddy. All sexual harrassment complaints goes through legal, and there will be plenty from Limpy. All insane procedures he wants to do, come to me first so I can stop them."

"But what if they might actually work?"

"Especially if he thinks it could work. Everything goes through me. House is insane, and probably stoned at the moment." House popped a Vicodin. "Two days and she's already on your side."

"She is so young. I have to warp that little mind still." He popped a second Vicodin.

"Didn't you just take that?"

"I forget." Cuddy closed her eyes. He was trying to be insufferable. "Wilson will back me up."

"Wilson's on his second honeymoon."

"Technically, its his 4th. Two per wife."

"Divorced or widowed?" Cameron asked.

"Puligamest."

"Back to the patient. If you can explain why electrocuting him will help the situation, I'll consider it." Cameron listened as House explained what he wanted to do and why, and Cuddy listened, pushing her striaght brown hair back out of her face.

Cameron was taken with her, but thought that her hair would look better curly, but would remember her eyes as being so blue, and her skirt being very short, and her legs as being perfect. She'd remember her smile being a little more shy than it actually was, but she would never forget the scent of he perfume that followed in her wake.

That night, as she filed papers in her office, Lisa would remember Allison Cameron's hair as a bit darker than it was, her eyes greener, and her shirt a little tighter than it actually was. But she would get the smile perfect.

"Hi Dad," Trent said, dropping his back pack down on the floor. House opened an eye. "School sucked. Wilson was on time picking me up, and I hate school. I didn't make the lacrosse team because I'm too short; school really sucked. Did I mention-"

"I get it. School sucks. You have to go."

"I can home-school."

"To do that, you might have to go home once in a while."

"You and Mom are here, Aunt Lisa and the spawn are all here, our fridge is likely alive at this point, and I don't see why I can just do my work in your office. Just until you can come home." House pulled himself up to sitting.

"Trent, my back is broken. I'm not going to be going home for a long time, and when I do, its going to be different. The house will have to me changed, a lot, since I'm going to be on wheels."

"I don't want to leave her here," Trent whispered. "I'm alone at school all day, and they ask about her every single day, each class. I need a break from being reminded my mother might not wake up." When Trent set his jaw, House smiled. He looked like a young Lisa Cuddy.

"Fine. I'll call tomorrow. Go sit with your mother a while." Trent nodded and left the room. House leaned back into his pillows. He knew that he should have been transferred to a long-term facility weeks ago. All three of them should have. Lisa wouldn't allow it. She wanted her staff, her friends, her family, and her hospital. She let House spend time in Anna's room at first, but he was moved closer to Physio when he was done with hip and back surgery.

House decided to see Anna, and pulled himself into his wheel chair. It took about 10 minutes, but once he was in it, he wheeled his way toward the elevator. He liked being able to leave his room. He was better able to annoy Brenda this way, with the help of his friends and team.

"Dad!" Trent called from the next elevator over, as it opened up. "She's awake!"

Anna blinked several times and looked around the room. She wasn't sure where she was, but she knew she wasn't alone. "Mom," someone called next to her. Anna turned on instinct and looked at a young man, about 13. "Mom, you're up."

"Anna?" came another voice. "Trent, go get Lisa." The boy dashed out of the room, and the man in the chair shined a bright light in her eyes. "Can you say anything?"

"Lisa," she said, very slowly.

"Can you say something that I haven't just said?"

"Greg? W....wha happnd?" House choked out a laugh of relief and was vaguely aware that he was crying.

"We were in an accident about 8 weeks ago. You've been out since."

"You...k?"

"I'm okay. Allison's still in a coma, but she's showing signs of improvement. What do you remember?"

"Jason had a fever...we were bringing him in-" House swallowed.

"Anna, that was over a year ago. Jason's 21 months old now. Can you remember anything past that?" Anna closed her eyes and moaned lightly.

"Head ache."

"Anna!?" Lisa cried running into the room. "Anna, its me. Its Lisa."

"Lisa," Anna said, still sounding very groggy. Her speech was slurred. "Allie?"

"She just went back into surgery; Taub is working on her hand." Trent came into the room, out of breath.

"Jesus, Aunt Lisa, you should be running marathons." House laughed.

"We need to run a few tests, check for brain damage. Trent, can you stay with her?" Trent nodded and Lisa kissed her sister's forehead and left.

"Missed you," House said softly.

"Tired."

"I know. You rest, and we'll do the tests. Okay?"

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

House stared into the room. Allison was breathing on her own, her heart was pumping on its own. She was out because she just was. There was no medical reason for her to be in a coma still. He pushed his chair through the door and looked her over. He remembered wanting to do things with her that would make a porn star blush. But now, they had a friendship where he knew he would never get to touch her; she was married to his sister-in-law. All three strike; he was married, she was married, and she was a lesbian.

"Lesbian!" he called. "Cut the crap and open your eyes. Lobby art in a bed is only good if I can actually be in there with you."

Nothing.

"Shall we try bribary? You can have your old job back. Thirteen can't do it anymore, and I need you there."

Nothing still.

"Anna's awake. Are you seriously going to let her bitch-slap you like that? She woke up first? You're competitive. Wake up and talk clearer."

Since she wasn't as competitive as House was, there was still no response.

"Cameron, I love you."

Again Nothing.

"Not even s change in heart rate? David's got a better chance at checkers right now." Her heart rate quickened. "David." A little stronger. House turned on his phone and called Kutner. "Bring David to Cameron's room."

He closed the phone and squeezed Allison's hand.

"You want David. You'll wake up for David. He's on his way. David is on his way up right now."

Better?