Chapter 29

House didn't show up for work for two days. Instead, he turned to meals of Vicodin with a fresh bottle of scotch to wash them down. He read and re-read the lab work that Wilson had provided for him. He studied the photograph of Cameron when she was eighteen, slowly letting the memory seep in of a glorious night at the beach when he was unsure if he would find the girl in the tiger bikini again, then catching her in all her finery and then in a simple football jersey. Any way he looked at her that fateful weekend, she turned his blood on fire. He wondered at his state of mind that refused to look at her as anything other than a prostitute. He could only guess that in his drunken state, he decided it would be the only rational way for him to be with her–she was too pristine for him to corrupt otherwise.

It was as he lay on the sofa during his third day home from work that the knocking began. He had no intension of answering it, and since he brought his extra key in he didn't worry about anyone actually coming in to bother him. Eventually the knocking stopped and he heard the footsteps walk away, so he turned over and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep.

The intense feeling that he was being observed opened his eyes to see the teenage boy squatting directly in front of him, humor in his eyes as he watched House. House stared at him a long moment, wondering if the kid was actually there–or if he was dreaming. Finally Tony sat back on his heels and started to chuckle.

"Look at you! Just what the hell she ever saw in you is beyond me. You're nothing but an old dinosaur, too grumpy and too full of yourself to ever enjoy anything. Tell me something, old man, is there anything that you enjoy?"

"Yeah–your mother when she squeals," House grumbled as he moved to sit up. He rubbed his hand over his face to wipe the sleep away, then looked back at the boy, expecting him to be insulted, but Tony merely smiled back at him.

"Is that supposed to shock me? Ooh–wow–dear old dad likes having sex with my mom–oh my!" Tony exaggerated a shiver and started chuckling at his father again.

"How in the hell did you get in here, anyway?"

"Side window was open. The screen wasn't clicked all the way in place. Just stuck my fingers in and held the clasps as I pushed it up. The rest was a piece of cake. Oh, by the way, I like your Zeppelin collection. Can I borrow it?"

"Why are you here?" House pushed himself up from the sofa and limped toward the bathroom. "Did you come here just to annoy me?"

Tony waited in the hallway as his father relieved himself. "Yeah, pretty much. And to see what all the fuss is about. I mean, everyone is so worried about the infamous Dr. House. He doesn't show up to work for three days and the hospital falls apart."

"Is it?" House asked as he re-entered the living room and went for the bottle of scotch.

"Is it, what?" Tony asked.

"Falling apart–the hospital. Is it falling apart?" He poured the scotch and took a big gulp.

"Nah, Wilson and Cuddy are handling your patient. Chase and Foreman are laying odds that you're either dead in your apartment or left the state. That's sort of why I came over–to see if you were dead in here. I wanted to see if I was in for a big inheritance."

"Well, you can go back home now. I'm not dead, and I'm still in New Jersey."

"You're not dead, yet. Tell me, does your father have a drinking problem?"

"No, and neither do I. At the moment I seem to have an offspring problem." He finished the amber liquid from his glass, then looked back at Tony. "What are you doing here? Really doing here? And don't give me any crap about checking up on me. What did you expect when you came over? That I'd open my arms and accept you as the long lost son I never knew I had but always wanted? Sorry kid, it isn't going to happen. Your mom was right when she never bothered to let me know the little old stork was on the way. I didn't want a kid then. I don't want a kid now. So you can take yourself and your wisecracking ass back to Indiana or Iowa or wherever in the hell you're from and tell Grams and Gramps that you're there to stay."

"What the hell does she see in you?" Tony asked quietly, his humor fading quickly.

"She likes my big. . ."

"Shut up!"

This time House didn't get a chance to finish his obscenity. Tony's fist hit his face, sending him back a few steps. House looked back at the teen and gave him his coldest smile.

"Get out of here."

The police arrived at House's apartment at around two-thirty that afternoon. He was sure it was the kid coming back, and he was going to send him on his way again, not wanting any connection with this boy. The fact was that he knew what he was in store for. He had already lost Cameron due to this whole fiasco with the kid. He wasn't going to let the boy get close to him, just so his mother can rip him away again. The fact that he never knew about his son was understandable, once he actually had time to think about it. At thirty-three he wasn't ready to be anyone's father. His life was his own, and he didn't want to share it with anyone, and would have condemned anyone who tried to interfere. And now at nearly forty-eight he was too old to change his ways. He didn't want to ruin this kid's life because he knew nothing of fathering. The kid was better off being raised by his grandfather. At least there his life would be stable.

So when he went to the door, he was all set to blast the kid with more insults and curses. Instead, he saw two police officers standing outside his door.

"Sir, are you Gregory House?"

"Yeah." House rolled his eyes, that was all he needed, another run-in with the law. "What's the problem?"

"Sir, there's been an accident involving your motorcycle."

"My cycle?" He turned and looked at the end table where he had his keys. They were gone. House felt a chill run down his spine. The kid took his keys and then took off on his motorcycle.

"Yes sir. About three miles from here. The motorcycle wasn't able to be driven. It's already been towed to a local garage."

House was limping back to get his extra set of car keys that were hanging on a hook in the kitchen. "Was there anyone else involved?"

"No Dr. House. Only the boy driving it."

"And where is he?"

"An ambulance is taking him to PPTH."

House stopped and looked at the officer. "An ambulance? How bad is he?"

"He was thrown quite a distance after he ran into the divider. I can only tell you that he's unconscious, until we contact his nearest relative."

"You're looking at him. I'm his father."