Chapter 25

August 19th

A knock on the door woke Kate up.

"Hey are you two having sex or can I come in?" Daniel shouted.

"Not having sex, but you can't come in." Kate yelled back. "Just a minute." She lumbered out of bed and slipped into some maternity shorts, put on a bra and t-shirt before opening the door.

"I'm going out to feed the animals and then I'm heading home. I just want to know how long Uncle Greg is going to be here. I thought maybe we could get together tomorrow."

There was a growl behind her, "I'm not going anywhere soon. My ticket home is for next Thursday."

"Okay, I'll give you guys a call tomorrow." He leaned forward and gave Kate a hug and kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks, hon, for feeding the animals. Are you going to milk the cow too?" She asked.

He nodded. "I'll leave the milk inside the mud room."

"Thanks. I love you."

"You too."

She turned and looked at House who was on his stomach, one eye open and trained on her. "I'm going down to make breakfast."

"You don't need me for that, do you?" He asked.

"Nope. You go ahead and sleep in."

"Thanks."

When House finally woke up, he found cold bacon, a coffee cake and a note telling him that she had gone to the grocery store. House opened the refrigerator door and chuckled. Staring at him were seven eggs in the egg holder with faces and hands drawn on them, all the faces conveying different levels of shock and excitement. It was cheesy, but he had to admit, it made him laugh.

When she got back, House commented on the eggs. "Oh, I started doing that when Daniel was younger. It always made him roll his eyes, but Ann told me that when he got home he told her how funny it was. He's been spending a lot of time up here helping me this summer. He works for Keith's construction company which has a lot of work in Portland. My house is half way between his parents' house and Portland so when he's working a Portland project, he just stays here."

"So, he's in complete remission?"

"Yeah, and he managed to graduate with his class. They waived some of the units required…mostly Physical Education and he spent a lot of time on the computer taking the courses over the internet. I have photos of the graduation. I'll show you later."

"What shall we do today?"

"We could go shopping in Portland."

"For what?"

"Boy outfits. I pulled all the gender neutral things I could from Maxie's stuff, but it left me pretty short on onesies and outfits."

"Didn't they throw you a shower?"

"No, I asked them not to since I'm well off."

"You said Daniel works for Keith's company? You didn't sell it?"

"No. Several of the guys running it were Keith's friends, like family. I simply put John Carlington in as the CEO and it's been running smoothly ever since. I have it audited every six months to make sure it's going in the right direction. We knew we'd take a hit without Keith's personality charming all the vendors and politicians but so far it's holding its own. The recession didn't help, things slowed down, but if I sold it, there was no guaranteeing that the guys would all find jobs. Maybe the baby will eventually take it over."

"I doubt it."

"Why?"

"He's going to be a real brainiac. He'll probably invent the solar vibrator or something."

"I'm just saying that hopefully the company will be there when he grows up."

"How much life insurance did you get?"

"None of your business."

"I'm just curious. I'm wondering what your dowry looks liked."

"He'd just upped his life insurance to fund the company if I wanted to keep it. I got five million."

"Five million?"

"I used half a million in the transition-when I turned the company into a corporation and paid down payments on materials to reassure the vendors that we were viable. I own 80% of the stock. I gave 10% to Daniel and the other 10% was distributed between the four employees who had been with Keith the longest."

"Wow! You're fucking rich."

"I'm not fucking anyone and I'm not rich. Five million is a lot of money, but it doesn't make you rich."

"It does in my book."

"You must be illiterate, then. I'm going to Portland, do you want to come?"

"Yeah, okay."

The drive over the crest and down into Portland was uneventful. They talked a lot about new developments in medicine, Daniel's trip to Princeton and her pregnancy.

"I think he's going to go to community college the first two years to save money. Princeton said that if he manages to keep his grades up, they'll let him apply for the same scholarships."

"Did you make the trip back to Princeton to tell me about the baby?"

"Stupid idea. I thought that maybe you'd like to know. I was really excited about it all, wanted to share it with you. I had this crazy idea that you'd be happy to see me."

"I was."

Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. House threw his hands up in defeat.

Driving downtown Portland, they parked in a parking structure near Ross Dress for Less and went straight to the children's department. Holding up various articles of clothing including a pseudo cowboy outfit, camouflage onesies and tiny versions of Levis, she sought House's opinion and approval.

"All he needs is a rifle and an AKA."

"Greg, come on, help me. I don't have much time to get him things."

There was an audible sigh. "Why are you leaving it so late?"

"Because I've been working my ass off. We're expanding the Oncology department. I've also been asked to handle the internet courses for the med students at Seattle and UCLA."

"Porn? Pregnancy porn?"

"Oncology and Chemotherapy."

"Boring. Pregnancy porn sounds much more interesting"

"Greg—onesies, please?"

House started throwing clothes in the basket.

"You're not even looking at them." She protested.

"Pookins, we can afford everything at these prices. What we don't use, we'll give away."

His logic was flawless, but Kate couldn't help but start rummaging through the cart and putting back things she knew she'd never use while House waited in the long line that snaked to the back of the store.

"Let's see…what else does he need?" Kate asked rhetorically.

"A father."

A huge growl of frustration escaped her lips. "Wait here, I think I saw a father for sale on aisle three."

House narrowed his eyes at her.

They spent the rest of the day walking downtown, eating and window shopping. House wanted to get her something special to mark the birth of the baby, to give to her after the baby was born. When she mentioned that she needed a nursing gown and bras he saw his opportunity to go shopping.

"I want to go to a tobacco shop."

"What? Tobacco? You smoke?"

"The occasional cigar."

"Ugh."

"Not often, but I am going to be a father, I think I deserve one."

"Fine, you go to your Tobacconist and I'll go to the maternity shop and I'll meet you back at the car in an hour."

"Okay."

House walked around Portland, shopping in a few jewelry stores but not finding anything. Eventually, he went into a used book shop and checked the first editions they had. He was surprised to find an autographed first edition of Good Times Bad Times, a book he had seen on her library shelf that was dogeared and well read. He wasn't sure if she had read it or it was Keith's book, but he decided to take a chance, he forked over the $100 and bought it.

Then, on his way back to the car, he had second thoughts and decided he ought to get her some jewelry to commemorate the occasion. He looked at sapphires and rubies and emeralds, but he kept coming back to a diamond ring. It reminded him of his Grandmother, she had one like it. It had three emerald cut diamonds, a large stone in the middle and two smaller ones flanking it on a platinum band. He'd have to make it clear that it wasn't an engagement ring, but it was the only ring that spoke to him. He saw the large diamond as their son, flanked by the two of them, all together on a band that circled in eternity. It was 3.5 carats and $17,000. After he purchased it, he realized that it was probably over the top. But he had run out of time and was going to be late as it was getting back to the car. It would have to do.

Back at the car, he found her waiting. He jumped in the passenger side and smiled at her. "Waiting long?"

"No, maybe five minutes. I was just worried that I was going to be late. I was actually relieved to find that you were the late one. That bag doesn't look like cigars."

"Couldn't find a tobacco shop."

"So what did you buy?"

"A book on Monster Trucks for Wilson."

"He likes Monster Trucks?"

"Yeah."

"You guys are nuts."

"Perhaps. Are we stopping for food on the way home?"

"I got groceries earlier; I thought I'd cook for you." She said, pulling out of the parking garage.

"I like your cooking."

"Really?"

"Didn't I tell you that before?"

"No."

"Well, I do."

She smiled to herself.

"Boy the weather turned ugly all of a sudden." He said. The rain had started out as a light sprinkle but was quickly becoming a deluge.

"It's supposed to rain for the next few days."

As they climbed the mountain out of Portland it only got worse. House started to worry; he was having trouble seeing out the front window and knew Kate was too.

"Kate, why don't you pull over and we'll let the worst of the storm pass us by?"

"I would, but it's only going to get worse and if I pull over, we'll probably get hit by someone who can't see that we're pulled over."

"Are you alright?"

"The baby's kicking like mad."

"I'll drive; just pull over long enough so that we can trade seats."

"I know these roads Greg, you don't. We'll be safer with me driving."

"Are you sure? You look tired. I'm fine."

She drove another minute, thinking about the last time she drove when she was feeling this tired. Finally, when she came around a curve, there was a short pull-out, one of the few on the road. The SUV barely fit in the pull-out so she put the emergency flashing lights on to warn anyone driving past. She wasn't happy about the position of the car, the person getting out of the driver's side would have to traverse a few feet into the traffic lane but she noted that there was plenty of room for cars to pass around them without going over the center line. When Kate started to open the door of the driver's side, House pulled her arm.

"No! You're right, this is dangerous. You scoot over on the front seat, I'll go around."

She didn't hesitate to agree. If she hadn't been pregnant, she would have taken the chance, but she wasn't going to chance exposing the baby to unnecessary harm. House climbed out, pulling the cap down over his head and running. The sky had opened again and he could barely see as he rounded the back of the car. The red emergency lights were a runny blur even though he was less than three feet from them. Just as he started to come around the back, he looked to see if traffic was coming. He wasn't sure if what he was seeing were lights until it was too late. The truck, traveling a little too fast for the conditions, sideswiped the side of the SUV, pushing it to the precipice of the side of the road. House, in a futile attempt to prevent the car from going over, tried to grab the bumper. The SUV teetered with Kate inside. Her heart pounded as the front of the SUV bobbed up and down over side of the road. She tried to sit back, shift the center of gravity, but it was too late, the SUV went over the edge as House screamed.

"Kate! Kate! Jesus, Kate!"

He couldn't see much because of the rain. The truck stopped thirty feet up from them, protruding out into the traffic lane. House ran to the side of the road, pulling his cell phone from his pocket and dialing 911 as he looked over the edge. He could barely make out brake lights about fifty feet down. How the car had managed to roll between two large pines without hitting them and end up on its top, House didn't know, but that's what it looked like had happened.

The truck driver turned out to be a woman by herself, anxious to get home and out of the weather. House, clearly angry, screamed at her. "You stupid bitch! You had plenty of room, why—"

"I'm sorry, I was hugging the side of the road because I was afraid someone coming from the other way might cross over the line. Is anyone in there?"

"Yes, a very pregnant woman. You stay on the phone with the police, I'm going to try and get down to her."

House didn't have his cane which was in the car, so it made climbing down the side of the hill even more difficult. Grasping for roots and bushes to hang on to as he traversed the slope resulted in numerous cuts on his hand and arms, but he kept going until he was within a few feet of the upside down SUV. The rain let up a little, allowing him to see a figure suspended upside down in the front seat. House hurried the remaining ten feet and reached the passenger side. Kate was hanging from the seat in the seat belt which she was still trying to unbuckle but it wouldn't budge. She twisted to look out the window at him, her face cut, her beige pants soaked in blood. She was clearly in distress. The front window was partially smashed. House tried to open the door, but it was stuck.

"Greg, I'm bleeding. The baby, the baby is in trouble…please get me out, please."

"I'm working on it, sweetheart. Try to take deep breaths to get oxygen to the baby."

It was the right thing to say because it gave Kate something to concentrate on besides the pain and discomfort. She concentrated on her breathing, drawing in deep breaths and slowing her heart rate. House crawled on his belly underneath the hood of the car. The windscreen was at an angle that he couldn't get to her.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to have to kick the glass in further, shield your face. "

Her arms had been dangling, but she managed to draw them up to her face. House positioned his back against a rock and kicked with his heel until the windscreen broke free and he was able to bend the shattered safety glass back.

He could touch her. His wet hand on her arms felt like a life preserver. Kate felt calmer, able to concentrate on helping him free her.

"The clasp won't budge. Please do something. I need out."

House nodded. "I don't have a knife to cut you free."

"There's one in the glove compartment."

"Can you reach it?"

"My shoulder is hurt, but I'll try…the airbag is in the way."

House realized the airbag had deployed and was hanging down. He turned 180° and slid his head and shoulders into the open windshield, scraping his neck on a sharp piece of metal and drawing blood. He didn't even feel it; his whole body was concentrated on getting to the glove compartment. He reached up and fiddled with the latch which was reluctant to open until he lifted up as he manipulated the lever. The latch gave way. As soon as he opened the glove compartment the contents fell out onto the ceiling. Kate felt around in the pile and found the utility knife and flashlight, handing both to House.

House looked through the six inch utility knife's features. It had a cork screw, a pair of rather weak scissors, a screw driver, a long, sharp knife and various other gadgets. He took the knife and decided to cut the harness first. When it was cut in two, her torso dangled, but the pressure was released from her belly.

"Sweetheart, when I cut the seat belt you're going to fall."

"Greg, I'm not an idiot; I know that. But you have to get me out, now!"

Without further hesitation, he cut the lap belt and her body fell into the ceiling of the SUV.

"Ahhhhhh!" Her mournful scream made House sick to his stomach. She remained on the ceiling, holding her belly and rolling back and forth in pain.

"Kate, listen to me, listen! We need to get you out so I can check you."

She winced and nodded, allowing House to back out and then reach in to pull her through. After fifteen minutes of maneuvering, he managed to get her on the ground under the hood of the car which shielded them from the rain. He immediately helped her unzip the soaked pants and pulled them down.

"Spread your legs."

She spread her legs.

"Damn I have nothing to sterilize my hands."

"It doesn't matter, if we don't do something quickly, the baby is going to die, trust me."

House did trust her because the blood was a sure indicator that something was wrong. He took the flashlight and while shining it between her legs, he reached up with the free hand into her vagina.

"Crap! I'm touching his head!"

"I'm cramping."

"You're having contractions."

"I'm so tired, all my energy is gone."

"You're losing blood, probably a torn placenta."

"You need to take the baby…do whatever it takes to get him out."

"No. The paramedics will be here soon."

"Greg, he's probably in distress. Please, please cut me open and take the baby."

"Are you crazy? You'll die."

"No, I won't. You know how to do this…please save our baby."

House shook his head, but something told him that he might lose both if he did nothing.

She screamed again in pain.

"What was that?" He asked.

"A contraction."

"You're having the baby naturally. Let's just wait a few minutes. I'll do an episiotomy to get him out faster."

"Are you sure?" She managed to ask before another contraction took over.

"Yeah, let's just see if he'll come naturally."

"But I'm still bleeding. I'm so weak I don't know if I can push."

He bent down and listened to her lungs and heart. Her heart should have been racing, but the sounds were becoming fainter.

"Kate, please try and push as hard as you can."

"Greg, I don't know if I can."

"The baby needs maybe one or two pushes, please, sweetheart, try."

She gave a gentle nod and began to push. Blood poured out from her womb, but House could also feel the baby's head closer to the entrance.

"One more."

Taking a deep breath, she pushed again and the baby's head popped out.

"Yes! His head is out. If you can push again, I can pull him the rest of the way."

"I can't, I can't."

"Kate, you have to…if you want to see your baby, you need to push right now."

Grabbing his shirt at the shoulder, she squeezed as she pushed. The baby popped out into House's hands along with another gush of fluids, including more blood. He placed the baby on Kate's chest and started unlacing his shoe, using it to tie off the umbilical cord. He cut the cord with the knife and then delivered the afterbirth. He noticed that her eyes were closed and her face pale, almost opaque. Sirens sounded above him on the road and he grew excited at the idea that the cavalry had finally arrived.

"Kate? Kate? Honey, they're here. The paramedics are here."

There was nothing more he could do for her so he turned his attention to his son. The baby was pink and apparently healthy. House sucked the fluid from his nose and spit it out on the ground. As if on cue, the baby wailed, causing House to swallow hard with relief. Soaked to the skin, House had nothing close by to wrap the baby in. But he needed something to protect the baby when they climbed out of the canyon so House took off his shirt and wrapped the baby in it just as two paramedics popped their heads underneath the overturned SUV.

"Placental abruption resulting in early, but successful delivery of a healthy baby. I'd score him a 9. She's lost several units of blood and is unconscious and hypotensive." House rattled off while they pulled Kate from under the hood and placed her on a stretcher. House took the baby and carried him as best he could up the hill. It was obvious that he was having trouble so another paramedic from a second ambulance came down the slope and grabbed the baby.

"Are you the husband?"

"No, but I'm the father."

The guy nodded, his face dripping from the rain that had started up again in earnest. When House reached the top of the hill, he was shocked to see three police vehicles, two ambulances, a fire truck and a tow truck. Red rotating lights lit up the dark sky.

"Name of patient?"

"Dr. Kate Monaghan."

The paramedic blinked a few times. "Dr. Katherine Monaghan of Seaside Hospital?"

House nodded.

"Christ, George, it's Dr. Monoghan." He yelled to the paramedic in the ambulance.

"I didn't recognize her…oh, yeah, it is."

The paramedic took the baby to the ambulance followed by House. "Who are you?"

"Gregory House. I'm a doctor too."

"Get in doctor, let the cops handle this. They'll catch up with you in Portland."

House jumped in just as they finished hanging platelets and were ready to go back down to Portland. As they made their way down the mountain, House watched while they communicated her status to the hospital and in return, began to supply her with saline and antibiotics. He turned to his son, who was lying on the cot next to him. House then realized that the baby was crying. Picking him up, he cradled the baby until the baby calmed down.

Once all that could be done was done, the paramedic turned back to House. "We were the ones that responded to the accident that killed Dr. Monaghan's husband and little girl. It was a real tragedy, everyone likes her a lot. Did she drive over the edge again?"

"No, she was in the passenger seat. We had pulled over in the pull-out and were changing seats so that I could drive when a woman hit the side and pushed her over the cliff. I was outside of the vehicle when it happened."

"Damn, she can't catch a break can she? She's lost a lot of blood and her blood pressure is 80 over 50, not good. At least the baby is alert. So he's your son?"

"Yes."

"What are you going to call him?"

House shrugged. "I'm not sure…maybe Keith."

The paramedic nodded. "That would be nice…wasn't that her husband's name?"

"Yeah."

"You're cool with that?"

"He was my half-brother."

"Oh?" The paramedic was a little surprised at that revelation.

House ignored the paramedic and concentrated on the baby in his arms. The child was pink and wide awake, staring up at him, trying hard to focus, but it would be weeks before he'd see sharp edges. House wondered what he looked like to his son and if his son recognized his voice—probably not. He hadn't been around long enough, but the first smell the baby was introduced to was House's shirt, so that would probably be imprinted immediately.

"Hey, Dude, I know this was baptism by fire, but welcome to my world. That's your beautiful mother over there. She's lost a lot of blood because of you. I hope you remember that when you're sixteen."

The paramedic snickered.

Half an hour later they entered Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Beaverton, a community off of Highway 26 in a suburb of Portland. Within minutes Kate was typed and given blood as they rushed her to surgery. Since there was nothing he could do about Kate, House went with the baby for his examination.

"The baby's fine although a little congested. He seems full term, is he?" The female obstetrician, Ginny Drysdale, asked.

"Yes, Kate was due this week, he had dropped down and she was already effaced."

"I'd put him at a high 9, maybe a 10 on the Apgar. He's responding very well."

"When can I take him home?"

"We'll feed him and keep him overnight. He can stay for a day or two since his mother is incapacitated, but then we'll discharge him into your care. You are his father, right?"

He nodded.

The police caught up with House two hours later and took his version of events. The woman driving the truck had indicated that the SUV was sticking out, but the cops had already determined from the skid marks and debris in the pull out that it was more likely that her truck had crossed the line and hit the SUV. House confirmed it and after signing some paperwork, they informed him that the car had been towed to a local lot.

"We brought your girlfriend's purse and our car is filled with bags of kids things from the back of the SUV. Can we bring them in here?"

House was sitting in a waiting room while the nurses fed and cleaned up the baby. "I guess. Do you need help?"

"Nah, we've got it. You just wait here and we'll be back."

Two trips later and the waiting room was filled with bags from Ross, the maternity shop and the book store. House had the ring in his pocket. Two hours later, House was in a room waiting for Kate, surrounded by bags and a bassinet with his son in it. The baby was fast asleep.