Chapter 28

Chapter 28

On Monday. House arrived at work a little earlier than usual. In fact, he was almost on time. He bypassed his office and headed to Wilson's. His friend was reviewing some files on patients he was seeing that day. He looked up in surprise when he saw House, then looked at his watch and shook his wrist a few times.

"Either my watch has stopped or you're…early?"

"Good morning to you too." House said as he sat down. "So, how was your weekend?"

"Well, actually…"

"That's great. Glad to hear it."

Wilson sighed. "Okay, since you asked that and don't really care how my weekend was, there has to be another reason why you did."

House just stared at him.

"Oh, okay. Fine, House, and how was your weekend?"

"Very interesting."

"And how so?"

House was silent, wondering how he should broach this, wondering if he should, wondering why he felt the need to tell it to Wilson in the first place.

"Look, if you don't want to tell me…" Wilson began, motioning to the files on his desk.

"Do you remember your first time?" House asked.

"My first time what?"

"The first time you saw Cats!" he snarked. "Though with you, you probably not only saw it once, you saw it five times at least."

Wilson looked down.

"You're pathetic. There's only one first time that matters to a man. You are a man right?"

Wilson glared at him, then sighed and said, "Of course, I remember. What guy doesn't? Hannah Epstein. We were in a Jewish Youth Group. She was…"

"Ever see her again?" House interrupted.

"No. I heard she married a lawyer and is living in L.A. Why?"

"What would you do if you saw her again?"

Wilson shrugged. "Probably say, hi, how are you? I don't know."

House tapped his cane on the floor a few times, and then said quietly. "What would you do if you found out that she was pregnant with your kid the last time you saw her?"

"Well, that would be…wait, are you saying…did you…?"

House looked up at the ceiling. "I met Newman's mother on Saturday."

"Wait, don't change the subject! What about the first woman you slept with?"

"I didn't change the subject."

"You were talking about the first women you slept with."

"Right, I was."

Wilson sat for a moment considering, before saying, "Newman's mother was your first?"

"We graduated high school together."

"But Newman is like thirty years old. That would mean…" he stopped, looking at his friend in amazement. "What are you saying?"

"Congratulate me. It's a boy."

Wilson sat back in stunned silence.

"Did you know when you hired him?"

House gave him a withering look.

"Oh, right, you just met his mother. So, what's she like? What kind of relationship did you have?"

House moved his gaze to the window before saying, "I was in love with her."

"What happened?"

"I went to college, she dumped me. She figured I wouldn't be a good father."

"She said that?" Wilson was astonished.

"No, she said she didn't want me to give up my dreams. I wouldn't be able to support a kid while I was in college. It adds up to the same thing."

"Not necessarily. You wouldn't have been able to support a kid while you in college."

"And I would have been a lousy father."

"You don't know that."

House didn't answer and they sat there in silence, thinking about it, when finally Wilson spoke: "So Newman is your son."

"I think we've established that."

"Does he know?"

"He does now, after a rather heated discussion yesterday."

"He wasn't happy?"

"It wasn't exactly a Hallmark moment."

"Well, I can't say you'd be anyone's first choice for a dad, but he'll probably get used to it."

"Doubt it."

"So, you had no idea? The name didn't ring any bells?"

"Different name. She got married, husband adopted the kid."

"Oh, she's married!"

"Widow."

"Ah. And how does she look?"

"Great."

"Well, that's good."

"Why?"

"Maybe you could reconnect with her."

"I tried to Saturday night."

"And?"

"She wants time to get to know me again."

"That makes sense. She hasn't seen you in thirty years."

House looked at him now. "Do you really think that when she gets to know me she'll want anything to do with me?"

Wilson sighed. How to get his friend to realize that there was a real person, a good one, underneath the abrasive persona he usually adopted? House wasn't an optimist; so spouting encouraging and complimentary words to him wouldn't help.

"House she obviously cared for you once."

"I was eighteen, she was sheltered and we were the only Yankees in Ft. Bliss, Texas.

"So you're saying she never really cared about you?"

House sighed, then said, "She did. She wasn't the type of girl to, well, let's just say, it was the first for both of us."

"And she's raised your son. From what you've said about him, it sounds as if he's a lot like you."

"Another reason why she won't like me."

"House, give it a chance. Give yourself a chance."