Dr. Barnes, the OB-GYN on call, met the ambulance once it had reached the bay at PPTH. House jumped out of the vehicle to speak to her the second the wheels stopped rolling. He immediately cursed as a staggering pain went through his right thigh.
"She's had a placental abruption," House addressed Dr. Barnes in an assertive fashion.
"Okay well let's examine her and—"
House interrupted his colleage with ill-controlled rage. "No! There's no time. She's losing too much blood. She needs a cesarean section now."
"Dr. House, I am her attending doctor and I will not risk my medical license by not examining her."
A distressed and pained Cuddy was wheeled into the ER. As soon as her gurney hit the ground, House pushed one of the paramedics out of the way to grab Cuddy's hand. She squeezed his hand hard and cried out as another contraction ripped through her.
After assessing Cuddy's situation, Dr. Barnes agreed with Dr. House. "She'll need a C-section ASAP." She turned to the nurse next to her. "Alert the OR."
Upon apprehending this, Cuddy started protesting. "No! My baby! Its organs aren't fully developed! It's too premature!"
Dr. Barnes sympathized with Cuddy's concerns but was adamant. "Dr. Cuddy, we have to deliver the child now. You know how great the neonatal care is in this hospital. The baby has an excellent chance of surviving."
"No! There are other ways. Just keep me on bed rest and give me fluids!" Cuddy was panicking at the thought of losing this baby.
House leaned down over her and gently stated, "Cuddy, you and I both know that isn't an option. You're having contractions and losing a lot of blood."
"There are thing we can do! Suture my cervix or—"
House cut her off, "Cuddy, I am not going to lose you during labour." He looked panicked, worried that she would not come to her senses in time. If Cuddy died, what would he have left to live for? Sure he was proud that she was having his child, but if she went, she would take everything with her and he would surely resent the child.
Cuddy was silenced. Tears spilled out of her eyes once she realized House was right. After all, she was a doctor; she knew the c-section was a necessity if she wanted to survive.
"Okay," Cuddy nodded, squeezing House's hand.
House limped along with the gurney all the way to the OR. He followed the crew into the sterilization area and began scrubbing his hands with betadine.
"Dr. House," Dr. Barnes was surprised at his actions. "You can't be in the OR during the procedure."
House was terrified that if he were not supervising the surgery, something would go wrong. Ignoring the other physician, he grabbed a sterile gown and wrapped it around himself, only touching the non-sterile portions. He was scrubbed in and pushed his way through the OR doors after Cuddy in the gurney.
"Dr. House!" Dr. Barnes turned and stopped him at the door. "You cannot do anything for her right now."
"House!" Cuddy was panicking as her contact with House was severed. "He has to be in here!"
Dr. Barnes addressed her administrator. "Dr. Cuddy, he's too emotional right now. You're too emotional right now. I need you to let me do my job."
House leaned over her and kissed Cuddy's forehead, whispering in her ear, "You'll be just fine okay? I'll be waiting for you after the procedure."
Cuddy tried to control her sobbing but failed. "I'm so scared."
"I know," he said. "But you're strong. We'll get through this."
The surgical staff was silent as they witnessed the scene between the two lovers. Never before had any of them heard Gregory House speak to another human being with such affection.
Right before the OR doors shut in front of House he stated, "I love you."
Cuddy responded with "I love you too," but the door had already closed, leaving House physically separated from her.
Dismayed, he limped up to observation deck to scrutinize the operation. Cuddy was given an epidural, so she was awake during the whole procedure. It killed him, watching her through the glass but not being able to touch her. The usually calm and collected Dean of Medicine was vulnerable and scared, and she needed House next to her more than ever. She looked up at him from the operating table and he never let his eyes move from hers.
House heard the door to the observation deck open behind him but did not turn around, for fear of breaking eye contact with Cuddy. Wilson ran in, concern all over his features.
"I just got your page. What's going on?"
House was unable to look at Wilson; too afraid he would see fear in Wilson's eyes and lose it. Instead he continued to look straight ahead at the surgery going on below him. "She's had a placental abruption so they're delivering the baby now."
Just then the monitors started going crazy as Cuddy's blood pressure plummeted. She quickly lost consciousness.
"Finish up, people, let's close her up!" Dr. Barnes was frightened. "Hang a bag of A+ blood stat."
As Dr. Barnes removed the child from Cuddy's womb, House's chest filled with pride when he noticed that he had a son. He panicked, however, when the baby did not cry. Instead, the tiny infant was silent and not breathing. The neonatal team went to work on the baby straight away, and House's attention was turned back on Cuddy. Her machines beeped loudly as she went into asystole and flat-lined.
"Paddles!" Dr. Barnes addressed her team. "Charge to 300. Clear!"
House felt a sick feeling in his stomach, as there was no change in Cuddy's electrical activity.
"Charge again!" Dr. Barnes ordered. Still nothing. After two more shocks, Dr. Barnes put the paddles down, looking defeated. Just then, the team in the OR heard a loud banging. They looked up to see House at the window of the observation deck, pounding his fists on the glass.
"Use the defibrillator again! Charge again!" House was roaring through the glass. He looked like a man possessed.
Frightened by the deranged expression on House's face Dr. Barnes consented. "Charge again," she instructed. Cuddy's body convulsed as another wave of electricity ran through her. The whole OR let out a sigh of relief as Dr. Cuddy's pulse came back.
House looked to his son and noticed he had been placed in an isolation chamber and was on ventilation. He could not breathe on his own. Selfishly, all he really cared about was Cuddy. He knew it was twisted, but he did not even know the baby yet and if his Cuddy did not wake up from this operation, he would be lost.
