House halted repeatedly throwing his ball against the walls of his office when his cell phone rang within his pocket.
"You boys find anything?"
"Yes," Foreman answered. "Tons of vitamin A- like a whole cupboard full. Hypervitaminosis actually explains all her symptoms."
House hesitated. "How much Vitamin A?"
"Just told you. Its like shes been hoarding vitamin A underneath her bathroom sink."
"Cool." House muttered. "Get back here as soon as you can."
"But House-"
House cut Foreman off and rose to his feet, seizing his cane before he strode out of the inner office.
"Stop the testing, its completely useless."
Cameron jumped. Surprised when House peered his head around the door of the pathology lab. "But I'm almost finished."
"That's what all my girlfriends say," House winked humorously. "But I'm not all that considerate. Come on, lets go."
Cameron scurried to her feet leaving the lab equipment unattended as she followed her boss down the hallway. "What do you know?"
"You'll see," House replied coyly.
Cameron sped her pace up to attempt to equal Houses brisk stride. "Wilson came to see me."
"Don't care." House slide the patients room door open and allowed Cameron to enter before him.
The young patient was sitting on her hospital bed attached to multiple wires. Her white blonde hair reflecting almost angelically the light that shone in from outdoors through the window. Her family members decorated the room with their presence. The way they allocated themselves suggested two couples. When House and Cameron filed in they all stared and perplexedly studied the doctors who had entered unannounced.
"Everybody leave the room," House said sharply as he stood at the foot of the patients bed. Changing his demeanor and the loving atmosphere within the room.
"But we're her parents," one softly spoken older woman answered pointing to herself and her partner. "And these are her in-laws."
House clutched a pair of white gloves from a box placed on the small table beside the bed. "Well you can stay for the anal exam if you want, but it may get awkward."
The four visitors rose up bewildered and removed themselves from the young womans room bemused. Cameron ushered them out, reassuring them with a positive gentle smile as they filtered themselves out. She drew the blinds as her anxiety began to grow at Houses bizarre behavior.
House gently sat himself on the edge of the young womans bed. Her innocent face and green eyes showing apprehension as her hand placed itself on her swollen belly, protecting the life within it.
"How hard is it without him?"
The patient looked at Cameron who only frowned back in confusion. "My husband?"
"No the other 'him' I'm talking about. How long we're you guys together before he croaked?"
Cameron grimaced at House inappropriate use of the word 'croaked'. This was completely unprofessional and insensitive, she thought as she situated herself beside the door.
"Since we were 10. We got married last year."
"You miss him?"
The young woman swallowed back tears. "I miss him so much."
House looked on as the young womans eyes began to grow red, staring at him with pain and a desire to be comforted. She suddenly seemed to appear younger than she was.
"House stop it your upsetting her," Cameron scolded quietly as the young woman began to sob gently and clutched her chest.
"I know why you have so many vitamins at your place," he continued softly ignoring Cameron. "You tried to poison yourself."
"It's not fair," she sobbed. "I loved him so much. He loved us so much."
"Killing your baby won't make things right."
Cameron was taken aback. This woman wouldn't try to kill her baby. Right now it would be the most precious thing in her life. She had no money, no husband. That baby was the only speckle of hope she had.
"I know. But it can't live either."
"It never did anything wrong," House whispered comfortingly.
"I know. I'm all this baby's ever going to have and to me that isn't enough," she sobbed. Tears staining her unblemished face. "Why should my baby have to live a life of misery?"
"I'm sure you and your husband was excited when you found out you were pregnant. What changed?"
"He died. I can't raise my baby alone, he was always the stronger one out of us. Even when we were kids ourselves. My baby deserves better. It deserved to have my husband as a father. Its not fair for our baby. I can't do this," she gasped between each word she cried.
"You'd be surprised what you can do. I'm not saying it would be easy but..."
"I can't! My poor baby needs better. I can't do anything for it."
"How bad are you going to feel if your had died? Knowing you did that to your child? You only have to endure this for two more months. Then you bring your baby into the world and its dead. How would you feel knowing why this little baby has passed away?" House elucidated mournfully. "Think about it; everyday, five years from now, ten years from now. You'd be thinking my son or daughter would be 10 now. They'd be 11 now. I promise you, you are not going to be okay with that decision. You don't deserve to suffer that."
The young woman looked up to House, disbelieving his words. She felt as though she deserved to suffer; it was her fault she couldn't mother her child. She assumed the doctor was just saying these things. That he didn't mean it. But she was wrong.
"You can give it life," House continued. "You can give it nutrients, you can love it, protect it until it's born."
"But after. What's going to happen after?" She questioned. "This baby is the most wonderful baby in the world. What will it have after?"
"I'll get you in touch with an adoption agency. And we will find a place. A good place for your child."
The woman sat as she gently rubbed her bump.
"But you have to promise me that you will look after that baby in the meantime. Can you do that?"
"I can promise that to you."
"Now promise your baby."
The woman placed her hand gently on her stomach. "I promise," she whispered as a tiny tear crept own her cheek. The young woman hugged House, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his shoulder as she continued to cry. House and his patient knew it would be hard for her to give up the baby she loved, and even though he disagreed that this woman could offer her child the best life possible, he accepted this would be a good thing for this unborn child. He thought it was truly selfless of her and he held her.
Cameron left the room.
