CHAPTER 16

I'm a big Harry Potter Fan so I thought I should at least include a little Potter in my Fic.

Please Review, I love them!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, I just love it!

"It's okay buddy, it's okay. You can do this." House tried soothing Dan who shivered and cried next to him. The poison had been running through his veins for the last 30 minutes.

Dan gagged again and threw up into the basin House had been holding up for him.

"How long have we got left Wilson?" House asked with a sense of urgency.

"We've still got half of it left. And we are using the strongest anti-emetic we have." Wilson pressed the call button and nurse came running in.

"I need another bag of fluids and a cooling blanket in here. His temperature it 101." The nurse nodded and left. She returned two minutes later with the required drugs and laid the cooling blankets over Dans frail body.

"Daddddd, pleaseeee make it stop." Dan cried out, tears running down his face as he buried himself into his dads chest. It felt like his veins were on fire and his stomach was a washing machine on spin. He just wanted everything to stop. He wanted his Daddy to kiss his sore all better and the pain to disappear

"What about if we read a book. I can read Harry Potter to you if you would like?" House grabbed The Prisoner of Azkaban off the side and opened the last page they had got through. They'd started reading Harry Potter together since entering the hospital. He found that it helped Dan think about something else.

"Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business." House impersonated lupin, putting on a show to Dan. Through the pain, Dan managed a slight smile. He felt like he was in Hogwarts with them and not in a lousy hospital bed.

House brought Harry Potter to life. He impersonated Sirius Black to Remus Lupin. He played up the baddies and nearly matched Professor Trelaways high pitched voice. Dan definitely let out a small, nearly inaudible giggle at his fathers attempt at Snapes voice. But most of his energy was gone and Dans eyes held black, defined lines underneath. When Dan started to gag, House stopped reading and laid the book in his lap. Wilson put the basin under his mouth and rubbed his thumb over the back of Dans hand as House rubbed his back soothingly. Wilson wiped Dans forehead and mouth with a damp cloth as House started to read again. They repeated this process 4 times before Dan drifted into a fitful, dreamless sleep.

Wilson got up and disconnected the drugs from Dans central line. He cleansed the site and disposed off the bags.

"I don't know how much of this we can both take Wilson. I can't watch him suffer any more. I can't."

"I need to perform another set of bloods and get an orthopaedic surgeon in to discuss if we can remove it yet."

"I want Brookes to do it. He's the best in his field and has a joint speciality in Oncology." House asserted.

"That's who I was thinking. I worked with him on my residency a few times. He's an old mate." Wilson agreed. He looked over towards Dan who was subconsciously clutching his braced right leg.

"He needs some more pain meds, I'll go and get them and call Brookes." Wilson left the room with a curt nod and left Dan and House alone.

House looked over towards his son. His cheeks were slightly sunken, defining his cheek and jaw bones. His scalp was bare and lacked any sort of hair. It was what stood out the the most, screamed 'Cancer patient.' He hated it. He hated every minute of it.

—

"Have we even tested for lupus?" Taub threw in, running out of options.

"It's not Lupus!" Chase and Foreman said in unison.

"We need to see House." Taub said, throwing down the file.

"We can't, Daniels just had chemo." Foreman argued.

"You've changed your tune. House was the enemy just two days ago." Chase questioned

"Well, lets just say I learnt my lesson." Foreman finished quietly.

Chase grabbed the phone and called Wilson. Engaged. He dialled Cuddys number and got through to her assist.

"Hi Clare, is Cuddy around?" He asked.

"Okay, thanks." He put down the phone and sighed dramatically.

"Wilson's phone is engaged and Cuddys out." Chase informed.

"We need to see go see him. Stuff the consequences." Taub got up. Chase nodded but Foreman felt uneasy. He'd already disturbed House once. After a small internal debate within, he reluctantly followed.

Chase came up to the door. He saw that Daniel was asleep and breathed a sigh of relief. It was House that he made him feel edgy. He wasn't doing anything apart from staring at the wall absently, gripping Dans hand. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He didn't even bother to wipe it away. It fell off his chin and onto his lap. Foreman had spotted this as well. He put a hand on Chases shoulder.

"Wait outside and tried to calm stress-head over here." He indicated to Taub who was pacing frustratedly.

Foreman quietly rapped on the the door before entering.

"House, is everything alright?" He kept a distance between himself and House, so House didn't feel he was pressured.

House looked up, giving Foreman a look that sent shivers down his spine. "Everything is just dandy."

"Okay, stupid question. Is there anything I can do?" Foreman tried.

"Turn around and leave." House wiped his face with his sleeve.

"I would but we need your help. Our patients dying and both Cuddy and Wilson are busy. We can't get hold of them." House seemed to contemplate this. Dan was asleep and he wasn't exactly doing anything other than being an emotional sap.

"I can't let you ruin my department. Send tweedle Dee and tweedle dumb in." Foreman gestured for the other two to join him.

"It's nice to see you House." Chase offered.

"I wish I could say the same. Now hand me the file." Taub gave it over and House looked at it.

"We think it could be genetic, but there's no history of any genetic disorder in her family."

"Her parents are lying to her." House said bluntly, looking up from the file.

"Huh" They said in unison.

"It's Wilson's disease."

"But ...

"She's adopted. Go run the ..." monitors and alarms started to go off as Danny jerk violently. Nurses came running in. Foreman dashed across the room, the first to react and checked his pupils with his pen light.

"He's seizing!"

"Chase! Grab his right leg and keep it stable." House turned towards the nurse. "I need two milligrams of benzodiazepine now!" House shouted out, holding Dans head stable.

"We can't. You're not his Doctor." A nurse pointed out. At that moment Wilson ran in holding a syringe.

"I've got it!" He injected it into Dans Central line. It was a long 20 seconds before Dan stopped seizing.

"What the hell just happened?" Taub asked, stood frozen in the corner.

Wilson walked over to the catheter and examined it. "He's got blood in his urine. It's kidney damage."

"D-d-Daddy? Mummy?" Dan mumbled groggily. It felt like everything was surrounded by a white fog. He didn't know where he was or why he was wet. His eyes wanted to fall shut but he kept them open. He couldn't see his parents. His heart rate increased.

"I'm here Dan, I'm here." House rushed into sight and kissed Dans forehead. His eyes fell shut as soon as they had laid eyes on his dad. It was safe. His dad was with him.

House dropped to his knees. The pain in his heart made the pain in his right thigh feel like a pin prick. He'd failed. He'd failed to keep his son safe and happy.

The ducklings watched on in shock as There fierce mentor broke down into uncontrollable sobbing.

Wilson, took over and looked towards the others.

"You three shouldn't even be here right now. Leave!" Wilson shouted and they all shuffled out of the room, shocked to the core.

"He does have a heart after all." Chase mumbled to himself, in state of shock after what he had just witnessed.

"His sons seriously ill. I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. If it was one of the girls, I don't think I would be able to cope." Taub added.

"We shouldn't mention this again. Once he calms down, he's going to hate himself for knowing we were in there." Foreman said

"Agreed"

Back in the room, House was shaking and his breathing was hard. Wilson laid his hand on Houses shoulder and squeezed.

"Come on House, I need you to take slow deep breaths for me. In and out." Wilson demonstrated, trying to get House to copy.

"I've f-failed h-him Jimmy. I d-don't want to d-do this any-more. I c-can't." House cried.

"You're the strongest person I've ever had the privilege to meet. Danny needs you. He needs you to be here and strong." House just shook his head.

"You're a good dad, House. You need to believe me. Come on, deep breaths." House slowly started to calm down, his breathing becoming more shallow.

"We need to change and bathe Dan. He wet himself. I can get a nurse to do it?" Wilson said, trying to be logical so House would follow.

"I want to do it." House whispered, regaining his composure.

"Okay, I'll give you a hand." Wilson helped House off the floor and pressed the call button.

Two nurses helped moved Dan to a gurney while they changed the bed sheets. Wilson and House focused on Danny. They undressed him carefully and chucked the soiled clothes away. House ran the wet cloth over each defined bone which Dans pale, thin skin clung to. He put Dan in his favourite spider man T-shirt and carefully manoeuvred the marching pair of shorts over his damaged leg. His clothes hung off him, a stark contrast to just a month ago.

The nurses moved Daniel back. House laid Teddy in his arm and kissed his forehead.

"I'm going to run more fluids through Dans system and start him on dialysis" House nodded in agreement.

Wilson walked slowly towards House and brought his arms around Houses frame. He stood still as a statue, arms pinned to the side. But a sense of comfort released his stiffened posture and eventually House eased into the hug and let Wilson hold him. Support him.

—

"Dr House, it's a pleasure to meet you." Brooke's offered his hand out to shake but House didn't take it. He just stared at like it bore the plague. Brooke's quickly withdrew.

"I'm not here for small talk and fake compliments. You're the best in your field Brooke's. Now tell me the results of the last blood results."

"Well, the tumour hasn't grown ...

"Just be blunt, I'm a Doctor for God sake."

"It would be extremely risky to perform limb salvaging surgery because of the size of the growth. There's also a chance that it could still be in the leg and could spread even if we salvage it." Brooke's finished.

"So..." House knew what he was implying but he needed it clarified.

"My opinion would be to amputate."

"No" House said in a monotone voice.

"We could put Danny through another gruelling chemo session but the results are showing that it's not reducing the tumour and there's still a potential risk that the cancer could spread." House turned towards Wilson.

"Wilson no. We can't cut off his leg!" House shouted, startling Brooke's.

"It's spread to the tissue House. We knew this could be an option." Wilson tried to calm House down.

Emotions bubbling and spilling over, House just turned and stormed out of the door, slamming it shut.

Brooke's just stood there, mouth open. Wilson flopped into the desk chair and rubbed his forehead.

"You don't know the story behind House's leg do you?" Wilson breathed

"No not really? What's that got to do with this?" He questioned.

"It's got everything to do with this."