Thanks for the reviews and the help you are all giving me. House MD and characters arn't mine. I hope to have the next chapter ready to upload on Saturday... Later ~ Astig

"In an Instant"

Chapter Four

Cameron reached her family about the same time that the surgeon did. She could see that it was not good news from his facial expression.

"Mrs. Cameron, Dr. Cameron. I am deeply sorry, but Mrs. Morgan didn't make it through her surgery. There was just too much damage to her internal organs and she went into cardiac arrest. We did everything we could to bring her back, but after 5 minutes we needed to do a c-section. She had 2 beautiful girls, who appear to be healthy; they have been taken to NICU for a little extra oxygen as they are a little early but you may go down and see them as soon as you wish. Do you have any questions for me at this time? " Cameron listened on as her mother asked about when they could get Ella's body for her funeral.

As the doctor walked away Emily's husband Jonathan walked up and gave her a hug. "Jonathan, she died in surgery. But the twins are looking good; they are both in NICU at the moment."

Cameron, not wanting to think about Ella at the moment decided to make her way to the NICU department to talk to the doctors there. From what the surgeon said there were no immediate concerns with the girls, hopefully they could be released in the next week.

9am the next morning Cuddy received a phone call from Cameron. "Hi Dr. Cuddy, this is Cameron here. Surgery didn't go so great yesterday. Cardiac arrest an hour in. She didn't make it. The twins are looking good though, NICU want them to stay for about another 10 days till they reach there 38 week mark. They both just need a little extra oxygen but look good."

"Cameron, I am sorry for your lost, I understand that the two of you were very close. Take as much time as you need and let me know your plan o.k.."

"From what I know the funeral will be October 4th in the morning, with the reading of the will the next day. We already know that the girls will be coming to me. Mom said that Uncle Gilbert and Aunt Ashleigh had willed everything to Isabella, and Ryan and Isabella had willed everything to go to their children – they had only update their will a couple of months ago to include additional children. I am going to spend sometime this week to pack and ship all of the children's belongings in Ella's house. As for the houses, most of their belongings will go into storage. But I guess I am going to need to buy a house, I can't fit 3 children in my apartment…. Oh, well, I will see how everything goes." Cameron told Cuddy.

Cuddy realized the stress that Cameron must be in from the about of information she was giving, it sound much like she was thinking out loud. "Allison, how about you ship the baby things over sooner. Do you have family or friends here who can help? Does your landlord have a key for your apartment?"

"Yes, he has a key, but the only people I would trust in my apartment are the rest of the team"

"o.k., how about I get Doctors Foreman, Chase, and Wilson to help me to set everything up for you in your apartment. The last thing you will want to do when you get home will be to unpack boxes and put together cribs and beds and what not."

"Thank-you, you are a lifesaver Dr. Cuddy."

"It's nothing and can call me Lisa if you wish."

"O.k., Lisa, I mean it, thank you. And it is Allison, I will be driving down with my Mom, who will be staying for a couple of weeks to help out with the kids. We will see how everything goes, but I don't want to take too much time off Lisa… how is House taking this?"

Laughing… "You know House; he moaned that he was the last to know that you had left. Last night he was whining about coffee, something about where you keep the sugar. Remind me to take a weeks vacation if you ever leave PPTH – he would not be a happy camper" she smiled.

"Well, it is nice to know he misses my coffee if not me. Can you email the details about Maternity leave and the daycare? I will send Alyssa into care with Mom a week before she leaves so she can get used to it and I might spend a little bit of time in the office. I will go crazy just spending time at home. Who knows, I might be able to spend some time writing an article, at least I can sit in the differentials – and House can have his coffee," she added with a grin.

"Allison, wow, you seem to have everything thought out and organized."

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep last night. Along with Alyssa's nightmares I was trying not to think about the others. I hadn't seen them since I started at the hospital, I had planned on going home for Thanksgiving" Cameron paused for a moment before saying "thanks again Lisa, I will call you about the details of the girls things. Oh, and about the key, there is one in a plastic bag taped to the pot plant beside my front door. Just don't let the guys ransack my apartment."

After she finished talking to Lisa she called the conference room where Chase put her on the speaker phone as they talked about the accident Cameron heard a bang then House's voice… "I thought I heard Cameron, did you boys prank daddy and say Cameron had left when she had not? But yay coffee"

Cameron laughed and told House, "yes you did, no we didn't, and I wouldn't drink the coffee if I were you – I think Chase made it."

Scolding House stated, "Wombat, what have I told you about making coffee? DON'T" then he started whining again "But Cameron, I need my coffee, when are you coming home? And what was the family emergency, I haven't been told yet."

"Well, as for the coffee, I am sorry but no can do. As for the family emergency, there as a car accident, my Aunt, Uncle, cousin Isabella and her husband Ryan all died. Isabella while in surgery yesterday afternoon. As for when I am coming home. The funeral will be in 5 days, we will need to be here for a little over a week after that but we will be driving back to Princeton after that. Oh, and I just spoke to Cuddy, she told me to ship the girls things early and you guys and Wilson can set it up for me. Will that be ok?"

While House didn't really have a clue about what was happening yet Chase and Foreman both replied that it would be fine.

"Cameron, just who is we? And I thought you flew to Chicago, House asked her.

"My mother and three children. Why? Because their parents and grandparents just died. I am named as their guardian in the will. They are all girls, Alyssa who is 2 ½ and the twins Caitlyn and Maddison who are premes, they are at about 37 weeks now, we are waiting for them to get out of NICU before returning. As Cameron mentioned her mom Chase remembered the photo he had seen the day before on Cameron's desk. "Cameron, I was surprised to see a photo on your desk yesterday. It almost looks like it was done in photo shop."

"Cool, I wanna see." House yelled out as he walked over to Cameron's desk.

Cameron yelled "House no! thanks a lot Chase and Foreman, why didn't you hide the photo?"

Cameron could hear House talking in the background about their identical looks in the photo. "House shut up! That is my Aunt Ashleigh and my cousin Isabella on the right hand side of that photo. The ones who died yesterday. The baby is Alyssa. Foreman, Chase, just keep him out of my apartment o.k. if he is like that with just one innocent photo I don't want to know what he would get up to in my apartment. And no, that is not a challenge House!"

"Cameron, why are you being so mean to daddy today?"

"House you are not my father, but you are being an ass!"

Foreman trying to break the tension asked "How are the twins Cameron?"

"They are fine. Maddison is now off the oxygen and they think that Caitlyn will only need it till tomorrow. They are actually talking about releasing them in a couple of days – Maddison could come home now but I don't want to separate them. Oh, it's 10 o'clock, I need to go, feeding time. Talk to you later guys."

"Okay, bye Cameron."

As Foreman and Chase left for Clinic duty House made his way back over to Cameron's desk. He sat down, picking up the diary once more, looking at Cameron's picture. He had been missing Cameron much more than he was willing to admit to both himself and anyone else who would dare to ask him. Eleven weeks after he had been shot and he still couldn't get the sight of Cameron sitting beside his bed when he woke up out of his head (or lying on the operating table for that matter). Yes, he knew it was a hallucination. But it just felt so real to him. He had told Wilson about most of this hallucination, but this fact, the hope that she still cared was not part of the tale he had told.

'Maybe it is too late to be honest with both Cameron and myself.' He thought as he continued to look at the photo – hoping he was looking at the right person. 'Well, at least I know the Cameron women age well.'

As he sat there deep in thought he didn't see Cuddy walk up to the door. He jumped as she tapped on it, before entered.

"House! Clinic duty."

"But Mommy, I just sent Foreman and Chase down there."

"Well House, what do you know, but we actually have room for 3 doctors down there. So we have room for one more. Get down there House!"