37
(22nd December)
"I'm so glad we bought this place." Maddy commented, glancing around the spacious lounge, "Could you imagine trying to hold a birthday party in one of the apartments?" It was Hannah and Jamie's first birthday the following day, and both she and Wilson were decorating the lounge before a small party.
"Yeah, definitely a wise move." He agreed, as he stuck a banner over the lounge window.
"You picked up the cake?"
"Uh-huh. You get candles?" She nodded, and yawned, "OK, I think we've done enough for tonight. Let's go to bed."
"I'll be up in a minute, just want to finish watching this documentary."
"Night Jimmy." She smiled, and walked out.
"Night Mads."
(The next day)
"What time did we invite people to come?" Maddy asked, glancing at the clock, and the various gifts already scattered around the lounge.
"Umm, I think 130, give us a chance to get lunch over first." He frowned as he tried to assemble a complicated toy, while Hannah and Jamie played with the box that it had arrived in.
"It's a shame your mom couldn't come." Maddy commented as she made lunch.
"I know, but at least she sent an 'easy-to-assemble educational aid'." He muttered sarcastically. "Why am I bothering? They prefer an empty box." He laughed, standing up and joining Maddy in the kitchen.
"We'll have lunch, then get the kids into their party outfits, and then Kutner can put that thing together."
(An hour later)
Maddy was just finishing dressing Jamie when the doorbell went. "I'll get that?" She called to Wilson, "Come on, let's go see who's there." She went downstairs to see who had arrived.
"Happy birthday little guy! Hey Maddy." It was Kutner, armed with large boxes. He walked in and placed the boxes on the floor of the lounge. "First one here?" He asked Maddy, noticing no one else. "And where's my favorite lady?" Hannah made her way over towards Kutner, grabbing onto the sofa to support herself.
"Hey! Thanks for coming." Wilson greeted him, walking out of the kitchen.
Kutner picked up Hannah. "No problem, wouldn't miss it."
Maddy walked back in with Jamie, "Why don't you guys try and figure out that thing." She pointed at the toy Wilson had been assembling earlier. "I'll do meet and greet." The doorbell rang again.
"Hey Grandpa, come on in!" House hobbled into the lounge, Maddy noticed Taub and his wife Jen arriving behind him. "Hi guys." She hugged them, in greeting, and showed them through to the lounge where Hannah and Jamie, were watching Kutner and Wilson assemble some plastic contraption.
"Remind me again," House was remarking, "You guys are capable of complex medical procedures?" His answer was a glare from Wilson, "Yet this proves a challenge."
"You wanna try?" Wilson answered, raising his eyebrows. "Not as easy as it looks."
"I think I've got it." Kutner announced, and stood back to see if it stood on it's own. "Go team!" He high-fived Wilson.
"Oh, Remy called me before," Taub started, "Thirteen." He clarified for House's benefit, "She can't make it, she's ill."
"She ok?" Kutner was concerned, Taub shrugged his shoulders.
"Ok, well, drinks?" Maddy asked, and received various requests. She went into the kitchen to make them, House followed her.
"A lot changes in a year, huh?" He smiled, a little sadly. "Who'd have thought a year ago that this," he indicated the surrounding room, and nodded towards the living room, where Wilson was chatting animatedly with Jen about the upcoming holidays and Santa Claus, "would be the way things would turn out."
"Yeah, last year, I thought I'd be doing this on my own, Wilson was with Amber, Jamie was ill. A lot has changed." She picked up a tray with drinks and prepared to walk out.
"Are you happy?" He asked her, "You're not just doing this because you think it's the right thing?"
"Yeah, House, I'm happy." She answered, smiling, "Very happy."
"Good." And he followed her out.
The party finished a couple of hours later, Maddy and Wilson, tidied up and got the exhausted twins in bed, and sat relaxing on the sofa. "What a day." Maddy sighed, "I'm beat."
"And we have a Christmas in two days time." Wilson observed, "At least that will be less busy. Only House for dinner that day."
"Thank goodness." She smiled, stretching, "Never thought I'd say that about House." She laughed. "I'm going to get ready for bed, then we can watch a movie or something. Oh, could you clear those envelopes?" A mass of birthday card envelopes covered the coffee table
"Sure." Wilson answered, standing up to collect a beer from the refrigerator. He opened his beer and knelt beside the table and started to sort through the envelopes. He frowned when he came across one addressed to Dr James Wilson. He opened it. It contained what looked like lab results on PPTH headed paper. He scanned the results.
Patient : Madeleine Brandt, DOB: 2/3/83. Kidney Function results, Blood Count results, figures looked normal apart from possible dehydration. He covered his mouth in shock when he read the last result, Preg: Positive. He was going to be a father. He made a cup of cocoa and took it up to the bedroom.
"Hey." Maddy could tell from his face that he had found his results. He handed her the mug. "Thank you."
"You're dehydrated." He told her, sitting down beside her.
"Side effect of throwing up."
"When did you find out? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Last week, I felt ill. I wanted to be sure and I wasn't sure how you'd take it, we never planned-" She was cut off mid sentence by a kiss. "OK, you're happy."
"Yeah. How far?"
"Not seen the obstetrician yet, but no more than 6 weeks I think. I'll make an appointment after the holidays." She explained, standing up to go downstairs.
"Who knows?" Wilson asked, curious that she'd kept it hidden.
"Just Kutner, he ran the test for me, and is sworn to secrecy. I thought it'd be a nice Christmas/Hannukah present for you. You're not mad?" She asked, hopefully.
"Mad? No. Surprised? Yes. I can't wait. Things will be different this time, I promise. I'll be there for everything."
"I know you will." She leaned over to hug him, "Everything is going to be fine. Now come on, there's a beer with your name on it downstairs."