This final chapter is dedicated to HouseAddiction and BedBugz because they wanted a certain ending to happen, of which you will have to read on to determine what that might be.
I was going to have the story end another way, so I guess I have AtreidesHeir to thank for the 'alternate' ending route of this. THANKS ATREIDESHEIR!
I hope everyone liked the story, because I think this is my favorite LONG story to date.
Thanks for everyone's reviews! Jazzy
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN – Epilogue
A year has passed since that dreadful day that Dr. Gregory House, MD was shot in his office at PPTH. Due to the success of the Ketalar injection, he has fully recovered from his disability of the infarction in his right leg that resulted in more than five years of pain and misery. Although he still walks with a slight limp, he no longer requires any type of pain killer to relieve the every day pain he'd fought to get rid of so long ago.
How is Dr. House now? you ask.
He is still somewhat estranged from his parents but for two very different reasons: his mother never did mention the morphine she found in his bedroom during the three weeks she stayed with him after his recuperation period, and he is just fine with that; and for his father…well, that is an ongoing battle that House has no intention of dredging up in the near future. He figures he still has time to make his father as miserable as he can – or is it the other way around?
But how IS House now? you yell at me.
He is still the same narcissistic, belligerent, sarcastic, impossible, uncouth man that we all know and have learned to 'fall in love' with, regardless of him being a P-I-T-A.
Because of all his bad traits and his quirks – in which he is fully aware of – he has at least accomplished one goal in his life he never thought he'd be capable of…
HOUSE MD HOUSE MD HOUSE MD
Dr. James Wilson still puts up with his best friend House, and he has no regrets. Well, sometimes, but only when House does something that REALLY embarrasses him, which is still pretty often.
He has talked with his brother Sean a few times since he'd come to visit Wilson but the distance of nine years has already taken its toll between the two brothers. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will the repair of the rift between them.
He settled his divorce with Julie five months ago and has his own apartment now. So, sadly for House, there will be no more nights of the two men sitting around, watching SpongeBob SquarePants, drinking beer and eating Chinese food.
HOUSE MD HOUSE MD HOUSE MD
The morning of September 3rd, Dr. Lisa Cuddy walks into the lobby of PPTH with a little wrapped bundle in her arms. Well, it's not so little. It's an 11 month, 25 day-old, 13 pound butter ball of a baby!
Nurses gather around the two to say hello to Sheryl, who giggles and coos at all the attention she's receiving.
"HEY! Back to work!" booms a voice from the doorway of the hospital. The nurses mumble and fuss and slowly disperse.
"House, you didn't have to do that," Cuddy berates him as she heads to her office and he follows her.
"Yes, I did! She's mine, too!" House whines as he takes off his motorcycle helmet and gives the baby a cute face then makes stupid noises.
"How many times have we gone over this?" she asks as she places Sheryl in the play pen by her desk and hands her a few toys to play with.
"You said I could have her on the weekends. And today is Friday – and Friday is a weekend," he playfully whines.
"Greg! Knock it off. I won't fight over her with you."
House walks toward the pen, reaches down, picks Sheryl up and holds her in his arms. She wraps her little arms around his neck and giggles. "She likes me better; she told me. So you have to let her stay with me," he exclaims.
"Nope, that's why the playpen is in here. And if she says she likes you better it's because of those devilish blue eyes she got from you. We have the spawned the Devil's child!" Cuddy answers, completely joking, smiling playfully and sits down behind her desk.
"Cuddy!" he screams as he presses the baby's head close to his chest to cover her ear, while his hand covers her other ear. "Don't say that around the baby! You were the one that wanted a girl! I can't help it if she is as perfect as me!"
"Fine. You win. Have Chase take up the playpen. Now shut up and take her upstairs," Cuddy says with a wink and a smile. "And don't forget to order the cake and balloons on the way home tonight for her birthday part tomorrow."
"Oh, are you going to be nekkid and pop out of the cake!"
"You wish. Now get out of here!"
House winks at Cuddy and heads upstairs to his own office, where he meets Drs. Chase, Cameron and Foreman.
When Cameron sees House holding Sheryl and heading toward them she meets them at the door and holds it wide for them to enter.
"Sheryl House! How's the most perfect-est little angel in the world!" she boasts as House tries to make a safe escape from Cameron's claws.
"OH, NO! It's The Cam Monster! We have to get away! RUN, little girl, RUN!" House says loudly as he runs into his office and the door closes behind them.
"You know, that is just SO mean! Just because I'm seven months pregnant doesn't mean…you just can't…damnit!" Cameron cries then runs out of the diagnosis room.
Chase looks at Foreman, who glares at him back. "Man, Foreman, if I had known pregnancy was going to cause all that emotional crap I would have gotten a vasectomy!" Chase says, while the two men laugh…
House plays with his daughter in his office…
Wilson sits in the cafeteria flirting with the new nurse of the week and…
Cuddy sits in her office, thankful every day that she has been blessed, or cursed as she sometimes feels, to have Dr. Gregory House in her life.
No one could as for anything more.
THE ENNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD