"Because the keys to the Kingdom got lost inside the Kingdom And the angels fly around in there but we can¹t see them I got a girl in the war Paul I know that they can here me yell If they can¹t find a way to help her they can go to Hell" – Girl in the War, Josh Ritter
Okay, sorry. It's been forever. In fact I kind of forgot about this until I got a message from Visualidentificationzeta, but the good news is I decided to prewrite the last chapters to this story before I posted again so that I wouldn't be leaving you hanging forever again. Although I may decide to extend the story again, and in that case I can't really promise anything. They really shouldn't let me write here.
So enough of my talking, sorry and enjoy.
"So, uh, a new Huntington's trial is starting tonight." Thirteen said in the darkness. It was early morning, but the room was pitch black.
A reply came in mumble form from Hannah who was curled up on her hospital bed. She had tried a new chemo course the night before, and was still feeling the side effects.
"I applied for a spot, and they said I should come by this afternoon." Thirteen said slowly.
Once again another mumble came from the bed.
"I know you feel awful, but it's inspiring. I was thinking last night that if you can try another round of drugs I should be able to as well." Thirteen continued to talk.
"You don't need to say that," Hannah grumbled. Her voice was hoarse from puking for the past few hours.
Thirteen winced from the sound of her voice, and understood that Hannah had to be in a lot of pain.
"I'm not humoring you. I just think you're brave." Thirteen mumbled.
"Go away," Hannah almost cried. Thirteen stood up. She was slightly confused with what Hannah was saying to her. Her first thought was that Hannah was delirious, so Thirteen quickly went to check her temperature.
Putting a hand to Hannah's forehead Thirteen felt a mild warmth. Not warm enough to be delirious, however.
"I don't want to do this anymore." Hannah said softly. If Thirteen hadn't been hovering over her she wouldn't have heard it.
"It'll pay off." Thirteen said kissing Hannah's forehead. Thirteen then quickly upped Hannah's dose of painkillers and stood silently for a moment to make sure that the girl fell asleep.
When she heard Hannah's breathing steady, Thirteen went back to her chair in the corner of the room.
"I'm terrified too." Thirteen admitted to the unconscious girl. Thirteen spoke to Hannah just as much for her benefit as for Hannah's. In fact, Thirteen was a bit jealous that she was going to be going home with House. If, of course, she got well enough to go home.
Thirteen put her head in her hands. Today was going to be the start of something new. Either the beginning or the end, but today would get things in motion. She'd start her trial and either begin to get better, or get worse quickly and learn that she could no longer try anymore experimental treatments.
"I thought I'd find you in here,"
Thirteen lifted her head at the sound of House's voice.
"She's miserable." Thirteen sighed.
"Come on, it's time for your treatment." House said nudging Thirteen's arm.
"She yelled at me." Thirteen said as she got up and straightened her shirt.
"She yelled?' House asked.
"Well, no, but she tried. She told me to get out." Thirteen muttered as she followed House out of the room and down the hallway.
House smirked.
"What's so funny?" Thirteen responded tiredly.
"Nothing," House said in a voice that let Thirteen know that he was clearly lying.
"Can we get the mini-lesson out of the way before I start my potentially lethal treatment?" Thirteen asked annoyed.
"See how you're annoyed with me, right now, for no reason other than for being here." House smirked.
"You're being annoying." Thirteen practically whined. She was both exhausted and restless, and not in the mood for House.
"No, you're being a girl, one who should be getting more than four hours of sleep a night, and who in turn is cranky." House said.
"Gee, thanks." Thirteen raised an eyebrow not understanding where House was going with this.
"And more importantly so is Hannah. She's a kid, and she's sick, and she's exhausted. Telling you to get out is a perfectly normal over reaction." House smiled.
Thirteen shrugged, "I guess you may be right."
"May? I'm absolutely right. How many times did you yell at your father for no reason when you were twelve? For the first time ever you're freaking out about a normal thing and not a sick thing, I'd cherish this moment." House said touching Thirteen's arm.
"Look at you, dad." Thirteen smiled back as they arrived in front of her trial room.
"I know." House said pretending to flip back his hair.
Thirteen woke up to a splitting headache, and her stomach in knots. She quickly leaned over the bed before puking up nothing but bile. As her body heaved, she felt hands pull her hair out of her face.
Looking down she also was a basin by her bed. Someone was anticipating her reaction, some one was taking care of her.
"You're okay." House's voice soothed her.
"I feel like my stomach is trying to escape through my mouth." Thirteen groaned.
House passed her a damp towel to wipe her mouth with.
"This is a normal reaction to the first dose of the new treatment." House said, "Unfortunately it's also the normal reaction to treatments two through six as well. The nausea and head ache will be lighter each time you take the drug."
"Damn," Thirteen said laying back down in bed. Looking around she recognized the room despite the darkness. As her eyes adjusted she noticed she was in the pediatric oncology wing, in a very familiar room.
"Had to have both my girls with me." House said noticing Thirteen notice a sleeping Hannah.
"I think she wanted to be alone." Thirteen said still slightly offended by Hannah's remarks.
"She's proud of you for trying a new treatment." He said.
"She talked to you?" Thirteen asked.
"A few hours ago. You've been out for a while." House nodded.
"Is she feeling better?" Thirteen asked.
"Yeah," House nodded, "but she's still not actually getting better."
"Oh," Thirteen sighed.
"I got a lawyer. He said I have a good chance of getting custody from the state." House said.
"Wow," Thirteen mused. She would never have expected House to take custody of an twelve-year-old girl. Things were changing.
"There's a partial bone marrow transplant match." House said after a few silent minutes.
"You think we're at that point?" Thirteen asked as she sat up.
"I think we're almost past that point." House muttered.
"But it's only a partial match." Thirteen responded.
"It might be our only option." House sighed.
"It's going to take a pretty big bribe for that one." Hannah grumbled. Thirteen and House both snapped their heads towards her bed not realizing she was awake.
"A TV in your room?" House asked with a laugh.
"I want Dr. Hadley to move in with us," Hannah said weakly.
"We'll start total body irradiation tomorrow." Thirteen said without a second thought.
Across the room, in the darkness House's lips turned into a tight smile.
