Hello everyone!
A quick update as I promised, I didn't let you wait long this time.. You'll find out what's wrong with Cameron in this chapter but not everything gets resolved that easily... Things will get better though, you are just gonna have to wait a little and see ;)
Thank you all for reading this story and for sticking around! And many thanks to all who took the time to review and tell me their opinions :)
Any comments or suggestions are welcome of course :)
Let's move on with the story...
Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D. and the lyrics are from the song All fall down by One Republic...
xOxOx
Lost 'til you're found If ever your world starts crashing down
Swim 'til you drown
Know that we all fall down
Love 'til you hate
Strong 'til you break
Know that we all fall down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
If ever your world starts crashing down
That's when you'll find me...
xOxOx
Chapter 10: Conflict
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He didn't know how much time had passed since Cameron was rushed to the Maternity Ward. He had tried to stay in the room with her but her doctor had almost threatened him that she would call security if he didn't stop yelling at everyone.
He was almost forced out of her room and now he was pacing outside, not wanting to be away. He had lost count of how many times he had passed outside her room, waiting for her doctor to come out.
He stopped walking, the pain in his leg becoming too much to bear. He rested his back against the wall and he slowly slid down, sitting on the floor. He reached in his pocket and took out the orange vile. He shook two pills in his hand and he dry swallowed them.
His head connected with the wall behind him and he closed his eyes, willing his overactive brain to calm down and stop running a thousand miles per second. He had many scenarios in his head. But not one of them could make him calm down.
He was excellent at reading people. And the look he had seen on her doctor's face told him that this was not something simple… He knew that something wasn't right he just didn't know what exactly.
"What happened?" sounded Wilson's concern filled voice and he looked up.
His eyes connected with his friend's worried ones and he stood up, taking Wilson's outstretched hand for support.
"I don't know what happened! The one moment she is fine and the next she loses consciousness!" He yelled, clearly upset by what had happened.
"It's not your fault…" Wilson started but House cut him off before he could say anything else.
"It is my fault, damn it! I should have insisted the first time I asked her if she was ok…" he said, rubbing his hand over his face in an attempt to quell his nerves.
"Don't be ridiculous House, this isn't your fault!" Wilson tried to reason but, of course, he wouldn't listen.
"If I had insisted I would have convinced her to go see her doctor and this wouldn't have happened!" he shouted, his eyes locking with Wilson's.
"You don't know that…" Wilson replied steadily.
House looked away and went to sit on a chair opposite to Cameron's room. Wilson followed him and took a sit next to him.
"What did her doctor say?" he asked, resting his hands on his lap.
"Nothing… she hasn't come out of the room yet." House replied without turning to look at his friend.
Sitting was making him more restless so he stood up again and started pacing outside the room.
"You are going to dig a hole… And your leg is going to complain later." Wilson commented but House just shot him a glare and continued pacing.
The door to Cameron's room opened and it immediately caught his attention. The moment her doctor was out of the room he almost ran to her.
"What's going on?" he demanded to know.
"Dr. House, just calm down." Dr. Shayne suggested but he didn't seem to listen.
"I'm not going to calm down until you tell me what is going on!" he shouted making the younger doctor flinch at his sudden outburst.
"Her blood pressure is still above normal. We are trying to drop her BP and we are waiting for some test results I ordered." She explained.
"What tests?" he asked impatiently.
"A full blood work and a CBC. We are waiting for the results…" she replied.
"It took you half an hour to take a blood sample?" he asked, trying to keep his voice low but he was failing miserably.
"There is something else…" Dr. Shayne said warily.
"Then what is it?" House asked in frustration.
"She had a seizure, some minutes ago. We started her on magnesium sulfate." She said.
"Eclampsia? You think it is Eclampsia?" he asked in a gravely low tone, his eyes locked on hers and all he received was a nod.
"And how on earth did it happen from one day to the other?" he yelled, hitting his fist on the wall next to him.
"We are not sure yet…" the other doctor started only to be cut off by House.
"You are not sure? Well, guess what. That's not good enough for me! Find out what's wrong!" he shouted.
"That's what we are trying to do Dr. House but you are kind of making it hard for us to work." Dr. Shayne commented making House more furious than he already was.
"Better find out what is wrong because if you don't, you are not going to like what's going to come." He said, his voice dropping in a gravely low tone.
"Are you threatening me Dr. House?"
"What if I am?" he asked in the same tone making the younger doctor take a step back.
"Ok, House, that's enough!" Wilson said and caught his friend by the arm, holding him back.
Not that he would do anything but he needed to find a way to calm him down.
"I'm going to take care of that test results." Dr. Shayne announced and left the waiting area leaving House and Wilson there.
"What's the matter with you?" Wilson asked incredulously, looking at his friend who pulled his arm out of his grasp.
"Do you know the only definitive treatment for Eclampsia?" he asked, his eyes locking with Wilson's, who remained silent.
"Let me tell you. It's delivery. Do you know how far Allison is in the pregnancy? The one is twenty eight weeks and the other twenty five. Do you know how many weeks they will have to stay in the NICU? That is, if they survive of course." he asked, all the while his eyes connected with Wilson's.
"Do you know that Allison is never going to agree to do this? She will never say yes to deliver the babies now. Do you know that she could die because of that?" he finished and without waiting for an answer he stormed out and headed for the roof.
Wilson watched as his fried walked away. He didn't even try to stop him; he knew it would be pointless. He let out a sigh and he headed to Cameron's room.
She was asleep on the bed when he entered. He quietly checked the monitors and noted that her blood pressure was thankfully back to normal.
After that he exited the room and he closed the door behind him. He started walking down the hall, intending to go to his office but he bumped into Cuddy.
"James! Have you seen House?" she asked inquisitively.
"Lisa, it's not a good time now…" Wilson replied.
"Why? Had happened? Please tell me that his patient is still alive." She pleaded but then noticed his serious expression.
"Ok, what happened?" she asked and Wilson let out a sigh.
"It's Allison… she, uh, lost consciousness during the differential. Her blood pressure sky rocketed and she was rushed to the Maternity Ward. She also had a seizure… her doctor thinks its Eclampsia…" he finished.
"Oh my God…" Cuddy mumbled, shock evident in her voice. "Are they sure?"
"They are waiting for the test results but by the look on her doctor's face I'd say she is pretty sure about it." He replied, running his fingers through his hair.
"Where is House?" she asked in concern and Wilson shrugged.
"He left some minutes ago; I don't know where he went though… Knowing House he is trying to find a way to convince her to deliver the babies. And, knowing Allison she will not agree to this." He said matter-of-factly.
"He's afraid that he will lose her…" Cuddy guessed and Wilson nodded in confirmation.
"And the problem is that, right now, he doesn't want to listen to anyone." Wilson said with a sigh.
"How is Allison?" Cuddy asked.
"Sleeping for the time being…" he replied.
"Come on, let's go to the cafeteria, I'm buying coffee. I think you really need it and I think I need it too." She said, resting her hand on his shoulder.
"Sounds like a plan." He said with a weak smile and together they walked to the cafeteria.
xOxOx
He was standing by the short wall, the wind hitting his face, looking straight ahead at nothing in particular.
The only thing he thought was what he was going to do if her doctor was right. He didn't even want to think about it but according to the symptoms it was possible.
What was he going to do if that was the diagnosis?
He was absolutely sure that she would never agree to have a c-section to deliver the babies. She would put her life in danger just so they could have better possibilities to survive. But he couldn't let her do that, he couldn't lose her again it was just unacceptable.
He had to find a way to convince her to deliver the babies now because losing her was not an option. And what would he do with two babies and not her by his side?
The mere idea of it made his heart to nearly stop beating and then it started beating uncontrollably. No, he wouldn't allow that. She was his priority and he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her. He would do anything in his power to convince her.
The problem was that he didn't know the way to do it…
He rubbed his hand over his face and tried to slow down his racing heart and mind.
His beeping pager caught his attention and he pulled it out off his pocket immediately in order to check who was paging him.
He almost ran back to the Maternity Ward when he saw Wilson's page. He was outside Cameron's room in no time and he found her doctor waiting for him there.
"What are you waiting for? Talk!" he almost shouted.
"It's not Eclampsia… Her blood pressure is finally at normal levels but her protein is a little up…"
"So not Eclampsia but Pre-Eclampsia." He snapped, interrupting the younger doctor.
"Yes…" Dr. Shayne replied and he sighed heavily.
"There is a big chance that this could progress and it could turn to Eclampsia or HELPP syndrome." She said steadily but avoiding his gaze.
"But it's not certain…" He said in a low tone, trying for maybe the first time in his life to avoid the truth and the gravity of the situation.
"It's not certain but it is possible." She replied and he nodded.
"What do we do then?" he asked, no sarcasm in his voice any more.
"For the time being we can monitor her and see if her condition will remain steady. But if something similar happens we are going to have to deliver the babies. You understand, right? I have to take care of her first." She explained.
"Yeah, try to explain that to her…" he mumbled under his breath and he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Does she know?" he asked, looking at the younger doctor who gave him a nod.
"I told her before I asked Dr. Wilson to page you."
"What did she say?" he asked, starting to grow impatient.
"You'll have to ask her Dr. House. Now you will excuse me…" she said and walked away, leaving him alone out of Cameron's room.
He leaned against the wall and he slammed his head against it. His eyes closed and he willed himself to calm down. He didn't need her doctor to tell him her decision, he already knew. He knew her…
He leaned heavily on his cane and he walked slowly towards her room. He opened the door quietly and he entered, closing it behind him.
He found her sitting straight on the bed, he back resting against the pillows, her hands resting protectively over her belly. Like that simple move could protect them…
She heard the door closing and she turned to look at his direction. Her green-blue eyes connected with his blue ones and it was almost as he could feel the pain she felt.
He walked deeper into the room and he sat down on a chair next to her bed.
"Did the doctor talk to you?" she asked, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them, and he gave her a small nod.
"You…"
"I won't do it." She stated firmly, interrupting him before he could say anything.
"I'm not going to risk it; they are too small; we don't even know if they will make it if they are delivered now. And if they do they will have to spend weeks, even months in the NICU, I'm not going to do it." She continued, her gaze never wavering from his.
"I don't have a say to that?" he asked, starting to get irritated.
"I didn't say that. I just said that I won't have a C-section unless it is absolutely necessary." She explained calmly.
"You mean until you are almost dead?" he asked, not being able to hide the anger from his voice.
"If that's what it takes to save them then yes Greg!" she yelled at him making him stand abruptly and start pacing the room.
"I'm not going to let you do this!" he shouted, looking intently at her.
"Guess what. You are going to have to accept this!" she shot back and he huffed angrily.
"I'm not going to accept this! I'm your medical proxy, remember?" he asked, his eyes locking with hers but upon seeing the expression on her face he regretted uttering that last sentence.
"Go ahead… do the same thing she did to you. Maybe you want to do it now, get over with it." She said in a gravely low tone that sent shivers down his spine and not in a good way.
"I didn't mean…" he started but she cut him off.
"No Greg, that's exactly what you meant and don't try to turn this around now! But I'm not backing down on this one, I'm not going to do it!" she stated seriously.
"I can't lose you damn it!" he yelled, looking deeply into her eyes, hoping that she would see how much she meant to him and that he couldn't live without her.
"And I can't lose them Greg!" she replied, her eyes welling up with tears.
"They are my kids too Allison! But if I have to choose between them and you I choose you because I can't live without you!" he yelled and he felt his own eyes start to well up too.
That gave her a little pause. Him referring to the babies as his kids but she wasn't going to back down, not now. She needed to make him understand that she wouldn't give up the babies that easily. She was going to fight even if that meant that she would put her life in danger in order to save them…
"I can't do this… not with you and not now…" she sated, trying to sound strong but failing miserably.
"That's it?" he asked in disbelief.
"For now yes…" she replied, averting her gaze.
"Fine!" he yelled and without another word he stormed out of the room and he slammed the glass door behind him.
Once he was out of her room, she couldn't stop the tears from falling and trailing down her cheeks…