A House, MD fan-fic by entercreativename.
Summary: Brief snapshots of everyone's holidays.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, I just admire what Fox and its affiliates have created.
Chapter 3: Oh Come Little Children
The bag in his arms was heavy, but he took solace in what was in it. Every year, he and whomever he was dating, delivered presents to the homeless shelter near the neighborhood where he grew up. He could tell Raquel, a nurse at the hospital who had recently become close with him, was happy to be accompanying him on his mission to play Santa for the girls and boys who did not have enough. He was in a red suit, and she was in a red dress. His parents taught him humility, and it always bothered him that his boss never showed enough of it.
They walked into the shelter and were greeted by the sounds of children happily cheering. They loved Santa. He opened his bag and started handing out the presents; the HHS agency in Princeton provided him with a list of names and wish lists that he and other hospital employees helped to fulfill. Tonight, he helped these children feel special, wanted.
After he was done handing out the presents, he noticed that there was one left in his bag - the name was Sammy Conzueles. He checked his list and asked if Sammy was there. The social worker pointed out a small cot near the corner where a little boy lay asleep with his mother watching over. His doctor's instincts took over - he sent Raquel to the car for his medical bag and went over to the ill child.
As he grew nearer he noticed that the boy was breathing shallow. He saw the boy's mother watching intently, hoping there would be a change in his condition, however, he could tell that without help, there would not be. He asked the social worker how long the boy had been like this. She told the doctor in the Santa suit that the boy fell asleep shortly after dinner. He and his mother had just come in that evening and they knew the boy was ill; they had been watching him for signs of a serious medical problem. He thanked her and approached the mother.
The boy's history was sad, too sad. He had been born with asthma, but the family could not afford medication to help him. His mother was one of the working poor who had been laid off the week before. Since she was in the country illegally, she did not have papers to gain unemployment benefits and lost the apartment she and her son had been living in. He had been ill for a couple of weeks, but she had neither the time nor money to take Sammy to the doctor. All she wanted was for her son to be taken care of this Christmas Eve.
The doctor examined the boy and knew almost instantly that he had pneumonia. It was hard for the boy to cough and clear his lungs. His fever was high. The boy needed to be admitted right away or at least given fluids and antibiotics to help him heal. The doctor explained to the mother what needed to be done and that he could help.
Eric Foreman, Raquel, Sammy, and Ms. Conzueles went to the PPTH clinic where Sammy was then admitted with pneumonia. Feeling sorry for the boy, he decided that he would pay his hospital bills.