Mountains to Climb Part 2

Wilson did as he was asked and left House and Blythe to themselves.

"Greg, honey can you pass me that box ?"

House handed her the box

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about for a long time - it's about your father"

"Mom- I don't want to talk about him - not right now!"

"No. Your real rather or your biological father - not John.. I have a few things in this box that I want you to have. If you look at them on their own they probably won't mean too much, so I thought I should explain"

"Mom ... I...I"

"Now Greg please listen before I fall asleep again - I'm only going to say this once" she said with a chuckle, it was what she used to say to him as a child.

"ok,ok I'm listening!"

"John and I, well when we originally got together I had just come out of another relationship with Buddy, he was in the RAF. John new of him but they weren't friends or anything. Although we broke up, we kept in touch through the occasional letter. He wrote and told me when he got married and had kids. I guess in some ways we were more like brother and sister. John didn't like it, and one day when a letter had come we had a huge argument and I left and went back to my parents. It was the 50's and we had just found rock and roll and Elvis. I met Thomas one night and I got drunk - which was not the thing for a woman to do, but I really liked him. Then John and I got talking and we were trying to work things out. He got deployed somewhere, so I stayed at my parents house to work out I wanted to do. Then while John was away, Buddy came back to town, we met for dinner, he was divorced by then and John and I were separated, so we went out a couple of times - I guess kind of dating again. I decided I was going to end it with John and stay with Buddy. I told Buddy what I was going to do. A couple of days later I got a letter from Buddy telling me I should stay with John, he said he wasn't ready to wreck someone else's marriage and that John would be able to look after me. I was heartbroken again. But when John came back I had a feeling I was pregnant so I went back with him. If I'm honest I didn't know who the father was - I had been stupid with all 3of them - I just knew that I wanted to keep you. John knew you weren't his from the age of about 3 I think - you had none of his traits at all, as you got older it became increasingly obvious. But I didn't know for sure until you or Wilson told us about the DNA test you did on your dad and Thomas - they were both negative. I should have told you sooner but it never seemed like the right time" By now she was in tears.

"Mom - it's ok - it doesn't matter now - come on"

"It does matter Greg, - it might help you understand yourself more. I'm Sorry"

House took the box from his Mom and sat holding her hand. They had been talking for hours, she had gone back to sleep again.

Wilson was trying to convince House to go back to his Mom's house to shower and get some rest, when Blythe woke up again.

"Greg honey, please go home and get some proper rest, I'm fine now just need to rest myself"

"I don't want to leave you"

"Gregory, do this please for me - you need to take care of you too - your obviously hurting and tired and if you get sick here and now, you're not going to be any good to me are you?"

"No, I guess not - if you're sure you are going to be ok"

"Well, I'm not going to get up and run a marathon but I'm good"

Wilson took House back to Blythe's house. It was a little tricky getting him in, in the rather cumbersome chair, but they did it - he was in no state to use the crutches. There was a downstairs bathroom - but no shower and the couch was just about big enough for him to fit on. He had a nice relaxing bath with a little help from Wilson, then he got settled on the couch for the evening amongst the pillows and comforter Wilson had found.

"House, do you need anything else before I hit the hay - or would you prefer me to sleep down here?"

"No Wilson, I don't need anything and you can go sleep upstairs - I don't need a babysitter" he said sarcastically

"In that case, I'm going to bed - night House"

House lay with the tv on but it was on mute. He rang Andrea - he was really missing her right now.

"Hey babe, How is it going" said Andrea softly

"everything's good, she is stable and resting and all her stats look good, but I won't be home in time for your fundraiser tomorrow night"

"No I know - it's fine - Daniel and Debbie are coming instead of you and Wilson - although it won't be quite the same without you"

"Good, look don't get disappointed if you don't get any donations tomorrow night. It took Cuddy years to get people interested in the hospital"

"Yeah I know, I'm not actually expecting to get any - it's just the starting point, a bit of free publicity and to make people aware of it - but I will on the next one"

"That's my girl - always looking forward. How are the kiddies?"

"yeah they're fine, missing you - Daniel was quite upset actually, I think he and your mom have gotten quite close over the years. How are you ... not still walking around I hope?"

"Nope! Dr Smith brought one of the hospital chairs for me to borrow - it's awful - but it works. I'll have a chat to Daniel tomorrow. My mom gave me a box today" He said quietly

"Of What?"
"I don't know yet, I haven't looked, but she told me all about my biological father and apparently this box has something to do with him"

"Wow! sounds like you had a deep and meaningful conversation"

"Yeah we did, it was nice but a little awkward - not something we usually do. I thought maybe we could open the box together when I get home, just want to concentrate on her right now"

"I look forward to it"

"I miss you and I love you" he said to Andrea, he sounded like he was keeping back tears

"I love you too babe, I wish I was there to give you a hug" She said sadly

"Actually do I !" Said House realising that probably for the first time ever, that right now, he would prefer to be being cuddled by his wife rather than mothered by Wilson "I won't speak to you tomorrow cos you're gonna be busy"

"You can ring me anytime, or texting would be good, " She said with a chuckle, knowing that he would keep to his word of not ringing her.

He put his phone down next to the box and stared at it. His mom never ceased to amaze him, she definitely wasn't as boring as he always thought she was. With that he turned off the tv and got comfy. "Night mom - I love you" he whispered into the air.

House woke with a start. He looked around him but could see no reason for it. He checked his phone, there were no missed calls and it was only 4.25 am. He tried to go back to sleep but he couldn't, something was niggling at him. He got himself dressed and into the chair and went to the bottom of the stairs.

"WILSON! - Wake up - we need to go to the hospital!. WILSON GET UP!"

"OK, ok, I heard you - what's up, did they call you"

"No, but I just know something's not right, now get a move on"

By 5.45am they were at the hospital. Dr Smith was surprised to see them, "Dr house, Dr Wilson, is everything ok?"

"You tell me" Said House abruptly

"Well she had a bit of a rough night, but all her stats are fine and she's resting again now"

Wilson looked at House, who was heading into his mom's room. True everything looked good. "She's fine House, come on lets go back"

"No, I'm staying, you can go and come back later"

He sat beside his mom, holding her hand. He had been there for about 10 minutes when she opened her eyes and saw him.

"Greg honey, you came back - I love you son"

"mom, I love you too"

"I'm so tired Greg" She said wirily

"then go to sleep" he said in a whisper, he kissed her hand and she put it up to the side of his face and then fell asleep. Within a few minutes the machines were all going off and the staff came running in to try and resuscitate her. But he knew it wouldn't work, she had already gone.

Wilson took House back to his mom's house, he hadn't said a work since he had left her room.

"House, have you called Andrea?"

"No and I'm not going to ...not yet. She has a busy day today"

"She'll call you if you don't"

"No she won't, I already told her I wouldn't call her today, but I texted her earlier wishing her luck and that I would speak to her tomorrow"

"She won't buy that"

"Wilson, right now I don't care. I don't want to speak to anyone. She has enough going on"

House manoeuvred himself around his moms house, he headed for the back porch where Wilson was sitting. As he got to the door there was quite a big step to get over. He did a kind of wheelie to try and get over it, but it didn't work "SERIOUSLY What stupid shit is the fucking chair?" Wilson was soon at the door way "You need a hand?" "NO I think I can get over a fucking step!" He tried again, backwards this time. Wilson was still standing there and went to grab the handles. "DON'T!" said House. Wilson went away from the door and decided to let House battle it out on his own. House attempted 2 more times "WILSON!"

Wilson came and said nothing and took House outside. They sat in silence for a little while, while House calmed down "How the hell do people get around in these things. I could have done that no sweat with my own chair"

"Don't know, I guess it's what they get used to"

They sat outside on the back porch for a couple of hours, not saying much. "House, you want something to eat, my stomach is rumbling it must be lunch time"

"NO I'm not hungry but I do want to go back inside, I think I might take a nap"

They both went towards the back door. "You gonna fight it again?" Said Wilson sarcastically

"No, I can't be bothered - just push" He said disheartened.

House went to the couch and made himself comfortable. He closed his eyes hoping that sleep would take him. Luckily for him it did. He slept for a few hours. When he woke up he rubbed his face, then remembered why he was there, which probably had something to do with the heaviness in his chest. But he wasn't going to cry.

He got himself back into the cumbersome chair, he couldn't hear Wilson anywhere, so he assumed he was either asleep or gone out. He went into the dining room, there were lots of photos and books and ornaments all over the place. And the piano ... he went over to it and opened it up, he moved the stool out of the a little so could sit at it and positioned his hand on the keys. This was right where he had learnt to play, well the right piano atleast. He closed his eyes and let the memories come back - but just a few.

Wilson stood in the doorway watching from a distance, House had been in the room for a couple of hours, there were books and photo albums strewn across the table and the odd one on the floor. He went into the room and gently put his hand on House's shoulder "Hey come on, we got scotch and pizza in the living room - lets go get drunk - I even found some vintage brandy"

House looked up at Wilson, who was relieved to see House's eyes were a little glassy and nodded. "Let's drink the brandy first - John would hate me to drink it" Laughed House

"It might have been Thomas' not John's"

"No it was Johns, it's been in that cupboard for a long time"

They sat in the living room eating pizza and drinking, although neither one ate or drank as much as they would normally. But atleast the alcohol would help them sleep.

House woke up again very early, he had only had about 5 hrs sleep again. He relieved himself in the bathroom, atleast that was big enough to accommodate the chair. He wanted to ring Andrea but it was far too early and as she would have had a very late night he would wait a while.

He went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and even that was difficult. Everything just seemed too high or just out of reach.

He went into the dining room again and sat in there amongst her things. He rolled himself to the bottom of the staircase and stared up at them. Then like a man on a mission he went and found his crutches, braces and shoes and equipped himself. He 'walked' to the bottom of the staircase and stared up at them again. There was 2 flights of stairs between him and his destination. He could do this, one step at a time, how hard could it be... slow and steady.

One Step - they were wide enough for his feet

Two Step - not too high either

Three Step- repeat

Four Step - this is hard

Five Step - this is going to hurt

Six Step - 2 further than he done before, breather required, take a deep breath, have to do this

Seven Step - Jeez, gotta sit down

Eight Step - breathe again, need to sit down

"House! What the hell are you doing" came an annoyed voice from the top of the stairs

"Is that a rhetorical question? cos I think it's pretty obvious!"

Nine Step - almost there

"House Stop! you can't come up here"

"Why not? its working so far"

10 Step - breather required, gotta sit down

"HOUSE!"

"WILSON SHUT UP - I want to get to my moms room"

By now House was rather shaky and as got himself up to move, one of the crutches slipped off the step and he took a tumble.

"Oh My God, House" Shouted Wilson as he came rushing down the stairs

"Wilson! I'm fine just 3 steps no biggy!" and luckily for him he could reach the crutches. He sorted himself out and started again.

"House, wait, I understand what you want, but killing yourself to get there is not the answer - we'll sort something out"

Eight Step - here we go again, god this harder than I thought

But he was actually exhausted and couldn't go any further, he sat himself down again. Wilson put his hand on House's shoulder again which House immediately batted away. "Fuck off Wilson, all I want to do is go be around her stuff and I can't even do that, because I can't fucking walk up the stairs" He was by now angry and in tears, he threw the crutches down the stairs and then went the braces too. "NOW GO AWAY!"

After a few minutes a figure appeared at the bottom of the stairs. House looked at Wilson "You called her? I don't need a handler you know" He said with as much sarcasm as he could muster, which wasn't much

"Well yeah, I was worried about you, I called her last night, sue me!"

Andrea looked at Wilson and motioned for him to leave.

Andrea went and sat beside House and put her arms around him. At first he didn't move, she repositioned herself in from of him and lifted his head up. She thumbed the tears away from his cheek and kissed him "I love you" She whispered and put his head against her shoulder and rubbed his back while he let it all go. House held on to her like she was life itself.

"So what are we doing on the stairs?" she said after a while, when he had calmed down.

"Couldn't go any further. I wanted to go to her room. But seeing as I am a cripple it didn't work" He said sadly

"Ok, let's see how we can do this. Did you hurt yourself at all" she said with quiet authority

"No - I did fall, but I don't hurt anywhere"

She raised her eyebrows at him, knowing how good he was at lying about these things. "I promise" he said.

"Daniel, bring the braces and crutches first please, then put the your dad's chair on the landing" She said giving stern directions.

"Right up you get, I'm sure you can make it 4 steps to the landing" She said giving him the crutches. "Daniel stay on the landing with the chair please"

They got to the landing and House sat straight in his chair... it felt good to be back in his own. Andrea went behind House and bent down to him "Now hold tight it could be a bumpy ride" At which point, before he could say anything he was propelled up the rest of the stairs by Wilson and Daniel.

"Now, call us when you're done, Pop!" said Daniel with a smile.