Ch.56

Cuddy held tight to House's, hand knowing that even with a rush it would take at least 24 hours to grow a culture to identify the infection. He felt warmer and she asked the nurse to take his temperature, and found out it was 102.3. She impatiently buzzed Foreman to report this fever spike and asked if he had gotten any results. She looked at House, feeling deprived because she had to wear gloves, when for her skin to skin contact was not only wished for but needed. She believed touching his skin was something he would crave as much as she, and she sensed that the connection that was manifest in that almost electrical contact would help bring him back. She rubbed impatiently at the latex glove, she knew the scale of risk of Bacteria contagion from different parts of the body, but she could not risk the baby, so she left the glove on. She heard her name being paged over the hospital's intercom and she left House's isolation room, removed the gown and gloves, washed her hands and picked up the nearest phone, hitting the line indicated. It was her OBGYN, it seemed as if he had heard about her situation. PPTH was such a gossip hole, she thought with oddly misplaced amusement, as she listened to her doctor's warning about getting rest,and being careful. He told he was sending a technician to take her blood for labs, just as a safety precaution. It barely took 10 minutes for the blood draw and she had just returned to House's room when Foreman entered with the results of the LP.

House's Cerebrospinal fluid had high protein and Glucose concentrations, and his white blood cell count was through the roof. We are doing cultures of the blood and the CSF, but you know it will take at least 24 hours to positively identify, what is causing the infection.

"But you don't have to wait for the culture, you can start antibiotics right away."

"Yes, of course, we'll take him off the Amoxicillan, he's been on since the surgery, since it's not routing the infection and start him right away on an antibiotic cocktail which covers most of the bacteria that commonly cause Spinal Meningitis."

Cuddy understood that if it was Viral, antibiotics wouldn't help, but if it was Bacterial they would need the head start."

"What about Ampicillan?

"Not a good idea until we track down the bleed"

"Right, bleeding is a rare side effect of Ampicillin.

"I'm doing a six hour protocol, including Gentamicin as an injection, it's usually used for Listeria and an intravenous third generation Cephalosporin, Cefotaxine is usually used for Streptococcus pneumoniae."

"What are you doing to locate the bleed, it seems small, but it could cause problems."

"We've got the specs from the implant maker, and they are adjusting the MRI, someone will be up to get him as soon as the antibiotic bag is done."

Cuddy watched as the nurse hung the antibiotic drip, never letting go of House's hand. She dozed for a few minutes and suddenly jerked awake sensing that she was not alone. On the other side of the bed holding Houses other hand was his mother, and as she met Blythe's eyes over the mask, she instinctively knew she would have a battle on her hands.

Her mind shied away from the sense of betrayal she felt, that he had left his mother as Proxy. She wondered if it was witnessed and notarized or just a verbal agreement, she was pretty sure it would have to be pretty air tight to trump her as House's wife and even then, she knew she could get it undone. She knew the judges in the state, she knew how the system worked. House was well aware she could overturn this, so what had been his real reason? She knew she had not been exactly 100 percent for the implant, and perhaps he did not trust her to maintain it as the priority. Her hurt washed away from her as she began to think, that this might have just as much to do with what he wanted from his mother, as what he wanted from her.

While House was getting the MRI, Cuddy invited Mrs. House to her office. They made polite chit-chat, House's mother said she was sorry they had to meet under such circumstances and that Wilson had told her about the wedding. She was surprised but not shocked,

"I knew Greg would step up to be a father, people don't realize he is very traditional."

Of course there was something in there that seemed to hint that House had only married her for the sake of the baby, and Cuddy noted it, but did not let her hackles rise. She had to pick her battles and it was early days yet she decided. Once in her office, she had coffee and sandwiches brought in and Wilson joined them. It was at this point that House's mother pulled a manilla envelope out of her purse and handed Cuddy a copy of the proxy.

"You don't mind if I have the hospital' counsel take a look at this, she said picking up the phone to buzz Martin Blake, who had come in early for this very purpose.

"It's legal." The hospital legal's counsel admitted reluctantly, looking down at a copy of the medical proxy. I think you could challenge it pretty easily, you are his wife and a doctor. A judge is going to think you imminently more qualified. Ordinarily Cuddy wouldn't want this discussed in front of Mrs, House, but in this case she wanted the woman to know up front that she did not have much of a leg to stand on.

"Why would he sign that?" she asked on a tired frustrated sigh not really expecting an answer.

"I don't believe it's personal, Lisa." Blythe said.

"My husband doesn't trust me – how exactly is that not personal?"

"My son doesn't trust anyone,Lisa, not completely, not even me. I'm sure after knowing him all these years, you had to know what you were signing on for, but I am sorry."

"You're sorry? Does that mean you feel responsible." Cuddy said trying to keep the tone of accusation from her voice.

"I'm not going to take offense, Blythe said with sickening exaggerated patience. "Greg is very unique, I'm very proud, and the very fact that you have chosen to be with him, means I'm also responsible for many things you like."

"Cuddy, Wilson interrupted the controlled, but simmering battle of wills, "we need to focus on helping House, and finding out what kind of instructions he left?"
"House doesn't trust me. She reiterated turning towards Wilson. "He is my very new husband and the father of the child I'm carrying, so tell me Wilson, how can you get more personal?"
"I don't think we are on different sides here. Mrs. House can you tell us what House wanted you to do. What are the circumstances he wanted you to address?"

"Dear James, your heart is in the right place, and you told me all you knew on the drive, but I'm just receiving the latest updates on House's condition, and I'm not ready to discuss this."

"Mrs. House, I know you are caught in the middle but you're talking about your daughter-in-law, she is carrying your grandson. Your Proxy denies Lisa the right to be a part of the decision process, that will kill her, how would you feel if it affected her health and endangered the life of House's son. It's the last thing he would want."

"Of course I care, but Greg is very deliberate in his actions, if he hadn't spoken to me about the surgery and what he wanted I wouldn't be here. My son calculates causes and effects, I think he would not have risked any stress to Lisa, if he didn't think it was important that his view be represented. In fact he most probably thought to spare her stress. I am not here to represent my own desire, I'm representing his. I know what he wanted above anything, was for the pain to end so he would have a chance at a normal life, I think it was the very situation he is in that has made him so adamant about this. You think he is being greedy, that he wants it all, but no that's not it, he just wants a chance. I think he had almost a year of decreased pain, perhaps it was due to his emotional state, but as he realized the pain was coming back, not only did he consider it would be a detriment to his new life, his new family, he was sure that it would destroy it. So whatever risks there were to the surgery, even rare side affects he considered them, and felt them well worth it."

Cuddy remembered again, how hard House had fought for pain solutions in the past, the Ketamine, the Methadone, and now this pain implant. He had been willing to quit the hospital over the Methadone, but then he had thought losing the pain had taken away his edge and he had dumped it. It had to be now that his priorities had changed, other things had become important to him, if not more important than the puzzle, then just as important. She was surprised that she and Blythe were on the same page on that at least. The conversation echoed in her head as if it was yesterday.

"You don't need your pain to be a good doctor."
"I'm not interested in good."
"You're afraid to be happy."
"Why do you care if I'm happy?" He had challenged her. She had not been brave enough to answer him... not then, because she felt he knew, he had to know her feelings she thought. Not knowing that her heartbroken stare, had made him feel even more hopeless making real the great divide between despite their feelings.
Then she had told him: "You're afraid of change. The one thing you have is your intellect. You think if that's compromised, you have nothing."
"This is the only me you get."he finally flatly told her, with the unheard rider take it or leave it. And she had left it, but that had changed for both of them. House himself had not changed, but his priorities had shifted, if not for her then for the family they had created. The feeling between them now was bigger than the sum of it parts, for it was the child that was growing inside her that would finally and for all time merge their DNA as their souls had merged so long ago. Cuddy believed that this child, their child had brought House's need for sanity to a whole new level. Who was she to tell him how to achieve it.

At that moment their was a brief knock at the door and Foreman rushed in her office.

"Is something wrong? Did you find the bleed?"

"Yes, the bleed was small and has clotted."

"Have you talked to Tennant?" She asked Foreman.

"Yes, he's on his way in, he's really upset about the infection, he said it wasn't even enough swelling to be called a Seroma before House left St. Anne's and now he has a Hemotoma and infection that looks like Meningitis. He's blaming the move, don't let him, this had to happen at St. Anne's to be as far along as it is. He's threatening..."

"Threatening What?" Cuddy asked.

"Removal of the Implant." replied in his flat laconic voice.