Chapter 4!

Disclaimer: I don't own House.

House saw little of Cuddy in the weeks that passed. He avoided her at all costs, unless he needed her permission to do a surgery.

After a week, he resumed his usual habit of doing things for the mere pleasure of annoying her. To his disappointment, it didn't spark the conflict he was aiming for.

As far as the pregnancy went, all he knew was that there were surprisingly few complications. It was still considered a risky pregnancy, but as far as he knew, it was going fairly smoothly.

Whether he wanted in or not, he wasn't sure. So he kept to himself, worked on cases, and avoided thinking about Cuddy and the baby.

Yet something gnawed at him. He didn't have that sense of inflated pride that he always felt when he was right. And it was driving him crazy. He wanted to feel like he had made the right decision.

He scoffed at himself as he increased the volume of his monster truck program and swallowed two Vicodin. His leg had been bothering him more in the past week, and for some reason the short walk from his handicapped parking spot to the hospital door left him drained.

Wilson preached about the connection between stress and pain until House decided he had heard enough. He didn't need to be counseled about making things right and apologizing so he could put himself at ease. All he needed was Vicodin and somewhere to hide from clinic duty.

"House?" Cuddy opened his office door. "Clinic."

"Actually, I'm fine here." House didn't look up from his television. "Can't watch monster trucks in the clinic."

Cuddy gave him a sharp look. He had been exasperating her all week, from bending hospital rules to abandoning clinic hours and doing procedures without consent. "House."

"You've gone up a cup size." Turning off the TV, House leaned closer, waggling his eyebrow suggestively.

"And you'd get to see it closer if you were lucky. Clinic."

He smirked as he stood up. "I'll just do what I usually do. Lock myself in an undetermined exam room, pretend I'm with a patient when I'm actually masturbating..."

"Please, House. I'm not in the mood to deal with you and your... behavior. I'm still upset with you and I have enough on my mind."

He took a step closer. "Like wondering if I was right all along? Oh, yeah... because I am."

"You're… pale." She frowned when she noticed the color draining from his skin. "And your limp is worse," she noted as he stepped closer.

"You're... pregnant," he mimicked. "And your shirt is tighter."

Cuddy ignored him as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you sweating? It's not even warm in your office."

House rolled his eyes. "I'm sweating because I have a boner that really needs some TLC."

"Shut up." As frustrated as she was, her concern was stronger. She pressed the back of her hand to his cheek. "You feel clammy. Sit down. I'm paging your team. You need an EKG."

"But I don't wanna go to the doctor, Mommy!" he whined, stomping his foot, which only made him dizzier. He scowled when Cuddy took advantage of his pause and grabbed his arms.

"Sit down." Cuddy urged him toward his chair.

"Is it time for a lap-" He paused when his breath hitched and his chest tightened. Suddenly Cuddy's voice was miles away as she tried to get his attention.

Even as he lost consciousness, House knew what was going on. He was having a damn heart attack. He groaned as Cuddy lifted his head into her lap.

"Stay calm," Cuddy said lowly as House's team came into the room with a gurney and a crash cart. "You'll be fine." She moved aside to let Cameron, Chase, and Foreman lift House onto the gurney.

She wanted to follow, but they knew what to do and she knew where he would be. She sighed worriedly and made her way toward Wilson's office, quietly knocking before letting herself in.

"Hey-" Wilson frowned. "What's wrong? Did House do-"

"He… he's having a heart attack. His team just took him."

Wilson paled slightly and stood up. "I'm coming. How bad?"

She shook her head as they walked out of his office. "I don't know. He was pale and sweaty when he stood up, but he didn't complain of chest pain or breathing difficulties. He just… collapsed."

"He'll be fine," Wilson assured her as they found seats in the waiting room. "I'll go get everything sorted out while you sit and relax. I'll grab us some breakfast."

"I'm fine."

"Remember, you're eating for two."

She sighed in defeat. "Yeah. I know. Go on." She sat down to wait and touched her abdomen. She was eighteen weeks along now and while her emotions had settled down, she stressed easily and this certainly wasn't helping.

A few minutes later, Wilson returned and handed her a bottle of juice and a biscuit. "Cameron gave him a clot buster. They're working on his BP now so they can stabilize him and assess the damage."

She groaned as she opened the juice. "God… I never even saw this coming. We were talking and he just… was pale and then he collapsed. If I had paid more attention, I could have noticed something sooner."

"Hey, do not blame yourself for this. Okay?" Wilson sat down across from her. "Heart attacks can happen completely out of the blue."

"He's stressed. Ever since I ended our relationship, he's been even more distant than usual."

"You're not in the wrong, Cuddy. This was just an occurrence of nature. He's nearly fifty, a habitual Vicodin user, has a terrible diet…" Wilson trailed off. "I'm honestly surprised his heart hasn't tried to kill him before. It's probably trying to get revenge on him."

She snorted, knowing that Wilson had a point. For a doctor, House had less than healthy living habits and it was a surprise that his arteries were even functional. "I know. But it doesn't stop me from worrying."

"I know. Me too. We'll just… sit and wait. He'll be okay."

"I hope you're right." Silence fell between them as they ate their breakfast. When she was done, Cuddy threw away her trash. "I just wish I could get through to him about… this."

Wilson thought for a moment. "I think… deep down, he wants to be there for you and the baby. He's worried he'll be a lousy father, so he broods and tries to make it seem like this is a game to him. He wants to make it not personal for him."

Cuddy nodded. She knew House was deflecting, as he always did. But how was she supposed to convince him otherwise? He was the most difficult, argumentative man she knew. When he thought he was right, there was nothing convincing enough to change his mind.

Stubborn ass.

But maybe he had enough sense to change his mind. It was a reach, but maybe. She could only hope that he would have some godforsaken epiphany that would change his mind.

Left with no other option, they sat in silence, worrying and waiting.

The next chapter is nice and LONG!

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