Learning to Fall
Chapter 10-Wherever you will go
Authors Note- I'm not entirely sure why, but I laughed for about 5 minutes after reading Limaccias review. It made my day. Especially after Blake lost. (But I guess I'll admit that Jordin was the better singer and that I'm easily sidetracked by nice hair and a pretty pair of eyes.)
You'll find out who/what House saw...In a couple chapters. Although this chapter may not be entirely realistic, oh well. I don't care. It makes for an interesting plot.
Wilson stood in the doorway, listening carefully. Dr. Fox sat in front of him, smoothing her hair. Her chair whirled, and as she got up she paused. "Oh. I didn't know you were there," she smiled nervously.
Wilson nodded, "I was gonna see if you wanted to go on a coffee break with me," he smiled reassuringly. Fox thought a moment, nodding slowly, "I guess I could do that."
Wilson opened the door for her, Fox stepping through. "So it's bad huh?" Wilson asked quietly. Fox nodded. It was a couple moments before she spoke. "I've never seen anything this bad. Well, I mean, people have died from it yes, but no one I've ever treated as died," she said in a hushed tone. Wilson frowned, jamming his hands into his pockets, "So you think House could die?" he asked, a tint of sorrow in his voice.
Fox pondered, "I'm not sure honestly. With there being no treatment, you can never be sure. I guess you just need a good case of faith," she smiled, accepting the vending machine coffee from Wilson.
Wilson nodded, his own coffee in his hand. He walked over, sitting on the bench in the hall. Fox followed. "So you know Dr. Charles?" he asked. Fox nodded, taking a sip, "Old friends. Met him in Africa," she said. She cursed herself for seeming rather short. She hadn't meant to. It was her old habit of nervousness kicking in again. Inwards, she was rather shy. Outside though, not many people saw that.
Wilson only nodded. He'd been waiting in the doorway during the phone call. He hadn't really meant to listen but curiosity had gotten the best of him. He bit his lip a moment, "So, you like it here?"
Fox shrugged, "Haven't seen much but Cameron's place and the hospital," she smirked. Wilson nodded, "I guess I could show you around, if you want," he smiled.
Fox nodded, "I'd like that," she smiled, "Maybe sometime tomorrow? I need to go see Cuddy about some things," she said quietly. Wilson nodded, "Want me to walk you there?" he asked. Fox shook her head, "It's fine, your probably tired," she said, getting up and smoothing her shirt down. Wilson nodded, only after she had started to walk away.
So maybe she wouldn't tell Wilson, but she needed to tell Cuddy. Before she knew it, she stood in front of the large oak door, knocking softly.
"Come in," came her tired call. She glanced up, over her glasses as Fox reached her desk, pulling a chair out. "Do you have a minute?" Fox asked exasperated.
Cuddy nodded, "Sure. I've got time. What's wrong?" she asked. Fox frowned a moment, glancing around the room before turning her vision back to Cuddy, "Well, it's bad," she said softly. Cuddy nodded. She had guessed this.
"I spoke with Dr. Charles about this,"Fox continued, "He wants an opportunity to look at House. He's been treating cases, since I stopped." Cuddy nodded, shrugging her shoulders, "Let him. It can't hurt anything," she said.
Fox shrugged, "It might." Confusion flooded Cuddy's face, "How?" Fox straightened up a bit in the chair, uncomfortably, "He wants House to go to Africa, to him,"she said finally.
Cuddy frowned, tapping her pen lightly on the paperwork in front of her, "There's better care here," she said. Fox nodded, "I mean, with waterborne diseases, and everything else, it's safer here," she finished for Cuddy.
Cuddy paused, "Why is it that Charles won't come here?"
Fox shrugged, "He's busy I guess." She had a feeling that if she told Cuddy the real reason she'd be laughed out of her office.
Cameron sat in the chair beside House's bed, crumpled. Her legs pressed to her chest, and her hair matted to the sides of her face. It was nice to finally have had a good cry. "Why are you so worried?" House asked softly.
Cameron shrugged, sliding down in the chair a bit until her feet met the floor. "I don't know anymore," Cameron said truthfully. House nodded, "Do you think that, when we die..It's it? Or is there something more?" he asked suddenly.
"You know my answer to that," Cameron said, rolling her eyes.. House nodded, "I don't know. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Maybe reincarnation," he admitted. Cameron sighed. The last thing on her to do list was talk about death with House, but at least he was considering it. "Why do you try?" House asked, again suddenly.
Cameron's eyes squinted as she racked her brain for the meaning of that question. "What?" she asked finally. House glanced down at his legs, avoiding her glance, "You always look put together. You do your hair. Nobody seems to notice though, You haven't really dated anyone much."
Cameron smirked, "You notice." House frowned, realizing he'd given it away rather obviously, "Does that bother you?"
"Nope," Cameron shook her head.
Chase's hands shook, holding the film in his hand. How was this possible? They'd ran a pet scan and a cat scan and found nothing. Now here was this tumor. It explained why the disease was so bad. But nothing explained how it had formed in a few days. Thankfully, it was still small. They'd caught it in time, it would minimize the risk of the operation to remove it.
However, that didn't mean Chase wanted to be the messenger. Debating with himself though, It was time to step up. His breathing was rather deep, as he paged the crew down to House's room arriving last to the waiting crowd.
Six people stared back at him, confusion evident. He turned, trying to keep his eyes strong as he placed the film on the light.
"It's a brain tumor," he said, backing away, still trying desperately to hold strong.
The room was silent though, no one wanting to be the first to speak.
"I was right," House chirped. Cameron turned to glare at him as Cuddy and Wilson exchanged glances. "How can you be happy about this?" Cameron fumed. House shrugged, "I'm not happy. I was just stating the fact that I was right and I am able to diagnose myself." Cameron rolled her eyes, "You think being right is everything," she snapped. "So?" House asked.
Fox sat still, her legs swaying back and forth. It was a small tumor, certainly operable. However the risk of operation was only slightly less than normal. By the time she had snapped out of it, Foreman had pulled an angry Cameron out of the room. Cuddy smiled meekly, excusing herself to calm Cameron down.
With Fox, Chase and Wilson left in the room with each other, they glanced around nervousley. House shifted uncomfortably, "Do the surgery then," he said finally. Chase nodded, removing the film and biting his lip before heading off to schedule it. The sooner, the better. With Wilson beside him, they all but jogged up to the the neurosurgeon.
Fox sat uncomfortably. "You still have yellow fever. If you make it out of the surgery, your immune system is compromised," she said finally.
House nodded at this, reluctantly, "It's a chance. I'm not ready to die yet."
Fox nodded, battling inside. She was going to have to tell him. It was his choice if he took Sebastions advice. It was his life. Not hers. "Well," she said finally.
House turned, listening to her.
"Dr. Sebastian Charles is a friend of mine from when I worked in Africa. I called him before the news of the tumor, because this is the worst case I've seen. The tumor explains the severe symptoms. But Charles did suggest you come to Africa," she explained, wringing her hands. This was only half of the news.
House raised an eyebrow, following her tone. There was more to come.
"In cases like this, with no treatment...it's unexplainable. But sometimes believing you'll get better, I think it works. I guess too, with all our modern technological advances, we forget some of the ancient cures," she said trailing off.
House's eyebrows raised further, "What is the ancient cure for yellow fever?" he asked. His voice had the same curiosity as a child being read a fairytale.
"I'm not sure. But Sebastian wants you to see a medicine woman up there," she finally said.
House's eyes shifted side to side. His thoughts were going a mile a minute, "A witch doctor?" he finally asked.
"Basically. If you believe in their techniques and cures, they may work. Who knows, it's a chance, and it's your choice," she explained.
House's face twisted.
At this moment, Fox was ready for the insult. The yelling.
"If I make it out of the surgery, I'll go. But I'm not going by myself," he said finally.
Fox's pulse seemed to stop, her eyes wide in surprise, "Theres also a chance of typhoid, other things. You'll have to be careful."
House smirked, "We'll all have to be careful now won't we?" He was certainly himself in a time like this. "I think having the group there would be much better."
Fox sighed, running a hand through her hair. Convincing the team to go to Africa wouldn't be an easy task. House seemed to have something up his sleeve though, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She'd be damned if she let him trick her.