Here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy it. And, for those of you in the US, have a wonderful 4th.
Chapter 36.
"House says he stayed because he was afraid they missed something. Now they know what to look for." Cameron sipped her coffee to calm herself, knowing it would probably increase her jitters. It wouldn't help Jessica if she was frantic too. She pushed it away. "That's why they're doing more tests before they decide whether or not to operate again."
Jessica ran a hand through her thick blond hair. "I wish I knew more about human anatomy. Animals don't exhibit a loss of memory the way people do."
Cameron thought about that. Memory seemed to be a purely human trait, although dogs, horses and other animals could be taught tricks and seem to remember them, and some birds could learn words to repeat. "What would cause a dog to forget a trick she was taught?"
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Usually it's due to an injury or old age. Sometimes to the situation." In response to Cameron's quizzical look, Jessica explained. "If you teach a dog to sit at home, they don't always respond to the same command in a vet's office." She shook her head. "Their memories work differently than ours."
They ate their yogurt and bagels in silence. Cameron thought about what Jessica said, and about what she knew of the human brain. When she finished eating, she said, "The synapses involved in memory aren't gone in Wilson's case. He did remember for a while. But something's interfering with him accessing those memories. Let's go see what House and Peters found with their tests." She bussed their plates and coffee cups.
"Do you think they're back yet?" Jessica asked.
Cameron checked her watch. "Another few minutes. I'll get House some food and then we can go back up." She bought House two bagels, eggs and hash browns, and a large coffee. The cafeteria was beginning to fill up with the day shift. They took the elevator back to five and walked to Wilson's room. It was still empty, but not for long.
An orderly pushed the gurney containing Wilson into the room. He was followed by the two doctors, deep in conversation.
Wilson was awake, and once he'd been transferred to the bed, he sat up. He smiled at Cameron, blinked, then smiled at Jessica, too.
"What did the tests show?" Cameron approached Peters.
"They're inconclusive. We'll have to go back in and take a look see at what's going on." Peters couldn't be more vague.
Cameron handed House the bag she carried. "Breakfast."
"I'm gonna need it." He turned to Peters. "How soon can you schedule an operating room?"
"I'll go see when one will be available, along with staff to assist, besides you." Peters left.
House removed the container of eggs and hash browns from the bag and sat on the one chair to eat. "Typical hospital eggs." But he ate them, as well as the hash browns and bagels.
Meanwhile, Wilson's breakfast arrived.
While the two men ate, Cameron and Jessica talked in low voices near the window.
"Will you help Dr. Peters and House with the surgery?" Jessica wrapped her arms around herself.
"I'm not sure Dr. Peters will let me. Besides, it's not my area of expertise."
"Oh." Jessica looked at the floor, then lifted her head. "What about Dr. Foreman?"
Cameron pursed her lips. "Maybe."
House crumpled the bag and tossed it into the trash can half-way across the room. A smile flickered on his face when it went in. "What are you two yapping about?"
Cameron replied for them both."Jessica asked whether you and Peters would ask Foreman to assist."
"Nothing wrong with her memory." He smirked at Wilson, but his friend wasn't fazed by it.
"It wouldn't hurt to at least consult with him." Cameron folded her arms
House rolled his eyes upward. "I thought he was your sworn enemy."
"No." Cameron's voice was a screech.
House shrugged. "I guess it's up to Peters. Foreman's been working with his staff."
"That makes sense. What does he really think? Peters I mean." Cameron's arms fell to her sides.
House's mouth made a popping noise. "He's afraid he missed a bleed. We just have to find it."
Cameron nodded. She put a hand on Jessica's shoulder. "They know what they have to do, Jess. And they'll do it."
But Jessica wasn't reassured, at least not based on her expression or body language.
Peters returned. "We're in luck. Operating theater 4 will be available in less than an hour. Let's get you prepped." He pushed Wilson's tray table away from him and looked at the food on it. "Good thing you haven't eaten much of this."
"What...what are you going to do?" Wilson asked.
"We'll put you under, then take you into surgery. Ladies, if you'd care to watch from the observation area, it'll be the one for room 4."
Cameron took that as a signal to take Jessica away. As they followed the signs to the operating rooms, she said, "Lucky you've had experience with watching an operation."
Jessica's face was pale. "Yes. It wasn't often, but there were time the vet I worked for had to operate on an animal. But those patients weren't the man I love."
It took a while, but they found the appropriate viewing area. Staff were clearing the operating room of the remaining instruments and supplies from the previous surgery. Others came in and wiped down the room. The first group returned with new implements and laid them out for Peters. Soon after they left, Wilson was brought in and lifted onto the table. He seemed to be fast asleep.
"He looks so peaceful." But Jessica continued to wring her hands.
Cameron knew it wouldn't help to tell her to relax. Her own breathing had quickened.
Several figures entered, dressed in white gowns, masks, hair coverings, and footees, holding gloves hands in the air. Cameron could make out House's intense blue eyes. The man next to him, most likely Peters, inspected all the implements laid out for him. Finally, the operation began.
Cameron had noticed the scar where Peters cut into Wilson's scalp the last time. The hair around it had already begun growing back, so they had to shave that before they opened up again. When they did, Jessica looked away, and Cameron put an arm around her shoulders.
Peters, with assistance from House, worked on Wilson for over an hour. Cameron's eyes were drawn constantly to the monitors, but was relieved that his vitals didn't waver. Peters finally closed up the incision.
"Let's go down to recovery." Cameron nudged Jessica with a hand on her back.
Jessica gave a tight-lipped nod.
"Don't expect a sudden recovery," Cameron warned. "It'll still take time, but if they fixed any bleeds, his memory recovery will be steady from now on."
Jessica sighed. "I hope so."
As they entered the recovery area, Cameron asked a passing nurse which bay Wilson would be brought to.
"The first one." She pointed, then continued on.
The bay was empty, but not for long. Two orderlies wheeled Wilson in. His eyes were still closed.
"It'll take at least fifteen minutes more for the anesthetic to wear off enough for him to open his eyes and speak."
Before then, House entered. "That wasn't easy."
"It took you and Peters long enough." Cameron waited for him to say more.
"One of the bleeds was obvious but the source was hiding. Your friend has a lot of stuff inside his skull."
Cameron smirked. "Now he's my friend?"
"Isn't he?" House lifted one eyebrow.
"Yes, but he was yours long before I met either of you."
Jessica sighed. "Bottom line, Dr. House, will he be alright? Tell me the truth."
House stared at her for a full minute. Then he shrugged. "Don't know yet."
A hoarse voice said, "House?"
The three of them stared at the bed. Wilson's eyes had opened. When his gazed shifted from House to Cameron he smiled. "Cameron."
She stepped nearer. "Hi, Wilson."
Wilson finally looked at Jessica. "Are you a friend of Cameron's?"
"Yes." She bit her lip. "Um, James. I'm your friend, too."
His eyes narrowed. He looked at House for confirmation.
House nodded. He repeated what they told Wilson before the surgery.
"Hmm." Wilson rubbed his forehead. "My brain's all fuzzy." He looked around the cubicle and turned questioning eyes on Cameron.
"You had surgery and you're still coming out of the anesthetic."
"What...what kind of surgery?" His hand strayed to the bandage around his head.
"A brain transplant," House said with a straight face.
Cameron rolled her eyes. "There was an explosion at PPTH. You sustained a head injury."
"I what?" His confusion hadn't cleared.
An orderly came to take him back to his room, now that he was wakening. House, Cameron and Jessica followed. Jessica tugged at Cameron's sleeve.
"Isn't there anything we can do to speed up James' recovery?" she asked.
"He's still not fully awake. Let's see how he is when the anesthetic wears off." Cameron tried to smile.
When they entered Wilson's room, they found him already back in his hospital bed.
He smiled at them. "How long have I been here? I mean in Princeton General?"
"The explosion was ten days ago." House didn't exactly answer the question.
"And I've been here all this time?" Wilson took it as a response. "Why was I operated on today?"
Jessica started for the bed, but Cameron held her back. Instead, she approached Wilson. "This was your second surgery. You were home for a little while but they had to bring you back in."
Wilson seemed to ponder that. "You two weren't hurt in the explosion, were you?" He pointed to House and Cameron.
"We weren't there." House didn't elaborate.
Something else for Wilson to think about. "What aren't you telling me?"
Cameron started listing everything in her head. "Wilson, we can't feed you memories you can't access on your own." They'd done that before and it hadn't helped.
"Do you think I'll remember without help?"
Cameron looked at House, but he didn't appear ready to respond. The ball was in her court. "We certainly hope so. It might take some time, but it should happen."
Wilson relaxed against his pillow.
Foreman entered the room. "I heard Dr. Wilson had a second surgery."
House motioned him to a corner of the room.
Cameron wondered whether House was telling Foreman more than he'd told her. Or perhaps he didn't want to say anything in front of Jessica and Wilson.
Foreman left without saying anything to her, and House returned to his spot near Wilson's bed.
"Cameron, maybe we should put in a call to Cullen, let him know you're back." House's attempt at nonchalance was transparent to Cameron, but Jessica seemed to buy it.
House and Cameron left as Wilson asked Jessica, "Who's Cullen?"
"Are we actually going to call him?" Once they were in the hall, Cameron waved her phone.
House tilted his head. "Why not? But not until after we have a little talk."
"About what you and Foreman discussed?"
House nodded. "I told him how the second operation went."
"How did it really go?"
"I think Peters did all he could."
"But?" Her stare became more intense.
"But, it might not be enough."
"And you asked Foreman to stand by in case we need him."
House smiled. "I hope we don't."
"What do you think Wilson's prognosis is?"
"A long and slow recovery. Cameron, I know I don't have to tiptoe around this with you. There was enough damage due to the delay in repairing everything in the first operation that his recovery might not be complete." He tapped his cane and looked at the floor. "I blame myself for not catching more sooner."
"Oh." She held her left hand to her mouth but her eyes showed her distress. Her hand uncovered her mouth, and she placed it on his arm. "House, Peters is the one who should have been more thorough initially. Isn't there anything more we can do to help now?"
"We'll watch Wilson's progress. If we don't see any within the next twelve hours, I'm afraid we'll have to call Foreman to take a look."
She nodded, then realized she still held her phone in her right hand. She punch in Cullen's number.
"Dr. Cameron, how goes it in Maryland?" he asked.
"I wouldn't know. I'm back in Princeton and wondered if you can catch me up on where you are with your investigation."
"I'm still looking into the activities of the hospital administrator. Your friend House seems to think I'm barking up the wrong tree." He sounded skeptical.
Cameron smiled, imagining House saying just that. "I'm afraid I agree with him. We've both had issues with Dr. Cuddy, but I doubt she'd blow up her own hospital."
"Even if she was about to be fired?"