The gang heads back home into their normal routine, or so they think.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A little past noon on Thursday, Melissa checked out of Rochester General and piled in the van with everyone else. She lay across a bench in the back with her head on Rog's thigh. They'd given her a painkiller for the ride so she was asleep by the time they pulled out of the hospital parking lot in NY. Everyone was quiet, especially Foreman. And, as usual, House was, too. He hadn't slept much after Cuddy fell asleep in his arms the night before. He felt he owed something to Melissa, even though he wasn't obligated. He just had this strong urge to keep an eye on her. Or, he kept asking himself, was it that she'd taken LizBeth's place?
They made the four-hour trip without incident and they pulled into PPTH around 4:00. Everyone was tired and House had a lot of things to do before he would go home that night. He had to register Melissa, make a phone call to Dr. Stafford at the rehab center and make a big decision. That's what he had going on in his head the whole trip: To do it, or not to do it?
"Missy, we're here. Get up." Rog said gingerly as he bounced his knee gently to wake her up. She muttered a few times and Foreman helped her sit up and carry her as best as he could out of the van. House called the PPTH 15 minutes before they arrived to have a wheelchair brought out for Melissa, and they did so. Rog pushed her to admittance as House would follow in a few minutes. The gang grabbed their duffle bags, said goodbye to everyone and they thanked Cuddy. She told them they could take off Friday if they wanted. Sarah walked up to House, leaned in and whispered, "do it" in his ear, then watched her walk away.
"That is one strange woman, Wilson." House told him as he came over to shake his hand.
"She may be strange, but I love her." He said and walked away. House made a face like he was going to throw up, then he walked to the entrance of the clinic but Cuddy caught up with him quickly.
"Greg, what did Sarah say to you? I swear your face turned whiter than your shirt."
"Uh, nothing." House mumbled.
Cuddy grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Greg, I know something is on your mind. What is it?" She wanted to know.
He sighed. "I'm thinking of having her move in with me."
"What? Are you sure that's a good idea? You hardly know her." She said.
"I know her well enough. I've thought about it long and hard."
"But Gre..." Cuddy started to say.
"This isn't open for discussion, Cuddy." House said then walked in the clinic.
House met Cameron, Rog and Melissa in the admissions office. Melissa held her head in her left hand and tried to stay awake for the questions the woman was asking. Cameron answered if she knew them.
"Claudia, if you call Dr. Stafford at the Princeton-Clarkston Rehab Center he'll be able to answer the questions she can't. Right now, I want her in a room and taken care of."
"With all due respect, Dr. House, that's what I'm trying to do." She told him firmly.
"Well, then, with all due respect, Claudia, do it, then." He snapped.
Cuddy walked in behind him and said it was okay. Claudia typed in a few things and said, "Room 416 is available. An attendant will take her up..."
"We'll take her up, Claudia, if you don't mind." House said sarcastically as he told Rog to wheel her up.
"Make sure you don't bump her into anything." House told him.
"Dr. House, I think it's past your bedtime." Rog retorted back.
"And Rog, I think you need a new job." House shot back.
"Doc Greg, leave him alone, will ya?" Melissa said irritated.
"Wow, she's got you under her little finger, doesn't she, Greg?" Cuddy whispered as they were the last to get on the elevator. He didn't respond.
They got off the elevator and into her room. Rog and Cameron helped her into bed.
"Okay, guys, out. I've got to get her into a gown." Cameron said to House and Rog as they just stood there.
"Oh, but I wanna stay!" House whined.
"Doc, out you perv." Melissa said playfully but a little annoyed. House shrugged his shoulders and he and Rog walked out. Cameron helped Melissa change and get into bed.
"The nurse will be here shortly because the doctor at Rochester General said you need to stay on I.V. for at least 24 hours when you get here." Cameron told her as Melissa got under the covers.
"Allie, what did the doctor say?"
"Don't you want to get some rest and we can talk about that in the morning?" Cameron said, hoping to put off the worst news until then.
"No, I don't. Is my T-cell count low?"
"Yes, you'll need to start the cocktails to get the count up. But the infection from the bullet actually helped the doctor in NY discover that."
"Ok. What else?" Melissa asked.
Cameron looked at her, not wanting to give her the bad news. "Allie, you have Kapoli's sarcoma. It's basically a cancer-like disease, but we've got to check to see if it's spread to your lungs or liver."
"Allie, does that mean I got full blown AIDS, now?" She said solemnly.
"Yes, I'm afraid so, Missy." Cameron said. Melissa rolled her head away from Cameron.
"But, Missy, it is treat..." Cameron started to say.
"I think you were right. Can we talk about this in the morning?"
"Yes." Cameron said, but stayed by her bed until she fell asleep.
Cameron walked out of Melissa's room and Chase met her in the hallway. He could see the pain in her eyes and her face was drawn. She took one look at him and put her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. He heard a sob or two but he just held onto her tighter.
"Come on, babe, let me take you home." Chase offered.
"No, no. I just want my own bed."
"Tough. I'm driving you to my place."
"Oh, Robert, I don't know what it is abo..." She sobbed.
"Come on, come on. Let's go." He said as he walked her to the elevator. She tried to stop crying but the past day's events just caught up with her. They went to his place and she put on a pair of Chase's sweats and a t-shirt.
"You look sexy in my clothes." Chase told her as he got under the covers. She looked at him as she turned the light off in the bathroom and came to bed.
"Chase, thanks."
"For what?"
"For being there for me." Cameron said as she lay down next to him. He put his arm under her neck and pulled him close to her.
"I'm always here for you, babe. Remember that, ok?"
"Hmm-mmm." She said then fell asleep as she put her right arm around his waist. He lifted his head and kissed the top of her head.
"I'm always here." He whispered then he closed his eyes and was fast asleep himself.
---Cuddy put the key to her front door, slowly opened it and turned on the hall light. From the foyer she could see the living room was totally destroyed. The cushions to the couch and chair were sliced and there was foam all over the floor and everything else in the room; table lamps were tossed to the floor and shattered; the curtains had tears throughout; every piece of paper from her antique desk her great-grandmother left her was scattered. It was a total wreck.
"Oh, my God." Cuddy said as she took a few steps into the hall.
"Wait, Lisa. It's almost 10:00 and we are both exhausted. Let's go back to my place and we'll call the cops in the morning." House said as he stood in the doorway.
"Thomas must have done this before he got A.J. Oh, god, Greg." She said as she collapsed to the floor, crying. House looked up at the ceiling and walked to her, knelt down and picked her up.
"Look, we've had a long day. I'm taking you back whether you like it or not. And I have to tell you, I like it when you resist."
Cuddy actually let out a little giggle, then she wiped her face. "You know just what to say, don't you?" She said as they walked out of her house.
"Yeah, well, I try." House answered.
Almost 30 minutes later, House and Cuddy were in his apartment sitting on the couch.
"You want some tea?" House asked.
"No, Greg, I just want to go to bed." She said as she stood up.
"Oh, Lisa, I said I liked it when you resisted, dear." House said. Cuddy shook her head and walked to his bedroom. She sat on the side of the bed, and he walked in and sat beside her.
"Look, I don't expect you to understand Melissa. But, there's just something...I don't know." He said.
She turned and looked at him. "Greg, I shouldn't have said that. I had no ri..."
"Hey, yes you did. You were just being concerned. But I don't want you to get the wrong idea...wait, who the hell said that? God, it hurts being nice. Can I have my beddy-bye pill, Mum, please?" He said with a puppy-dog grin.
"Greg?" She asked.
"I don't think I said I loved you lately."
"No, you haven't. And I've been mean..."
"Shut up and kiss me." She said.
Early the next morning, House and Cuddy went back to her place and called the cops from her cell phone. They arrived 15 minutes later. It was a good hour that a team spent taking pictures and any fingerprints they found in the living room and around the door frames. They said they'd talk with the Rochester County police about Thomas and Michelle and they'd get back with her.
"Come on, Lisa, let's get something to eat." House suggested.
"Not if I have to pay for it." She said as she closed and locked the door behind her. "This is going to take all day to clean."
"No, it won't. You gave the gang off today, right?" House said.
"Yes, bu..."
"All right, then, there's your crew! They owe you a thank you for the..."
"They owe me nothing, Greg! God, you really can be a jerk sometimes, you know that." Cuddy said.
House sighed. "Yeah, I do." He said, and they went off the breakfast.
It was about 9:30 and Melissa finally stirred in her sleep and woke up. She opened her eyes and tried to focus on her surroundings. Then it hit her where she was. Then she thought of Rog. She didn't want to lead him on, not now. Not since she had AIDS. There was no way. It never dawned on her it would progress this fast. She hit the nurse button and the nurse came in and asked her what she wanted.
"Can you hand me the phone?" She asked, and the nurse gave her the phone. Melissa thanked her and dialed a few numbers from a piece of paper. The number was Rog's cell phone. He picked it up before the first ring even finished.
"Hi, Melissa! How are you feeling this morning? I hope much better!" Rog said cheerily. Melissa closed her eyes and tried to gather her thoughts before she spoke, which was always difficult for her.
"Rog, have you spoken with Allison?" She asked.
"No, not sin...OW! Spilled my coffee...not since last night and she's not here yet. Actually, I'm the only one here. What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing. Rog, uh, there's something I have to tell you."
"Well, there's something I have to tell you, too." He said.
She hesitated for a moment. 'Oh, God, here it comes.' She thought to herself.
"I just wanted to ask you a ques..." And the phone cut off. She cursed at the phone and put it back in the cradle. She lay back down. A few minutes later...
"I just wanted to know if, when you get out of here, you'd let me take you out?" Rog said as he walked into her room. Her eyes flew open as she seemed surprised that he was there when he was just in the conference room.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"You didn't. Look, Rog, I loved talking with you the other night. I really did. Bu..."
"Oh, great. I have a but." Rog said.
Melissa couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I did notice, but..."
"Oh, God! Two buts! I'm dead now." Rog said with a huge, warm smile.
"Rog, you're making this harder for me."
"Ok, I'm sorry. This is serious? Ok, I'm all ears, Melissa."
Melissa sighed and tried to look at him, but it was difficult. "Rog, God, I can't do this."
"Just spit it out, Mel. Just close your eyes and say it." He said.
"Rog, I just found out I've got AIDS. Kapoli's sarcoma to be precise." She finally said. Rog stood there at stared at her.
"How?" He asked.
"Does it matter how?" She snapped.
"No, of course not but..."
"Ok, you've answered my question. Now leave." She said as she turned her head toward the window, away from Rog.
"What question. You didn't ask me a question. Dam, don't shut me out now, Mel!" She didn't answer him.
"Melissa, you've still got my number. Call me if you need anything, ok?" Rog said as he reached out for her shoulder.
"Get OUT!" She screamed. He looked down at the floor and walked out of her room. She let the tears fall. They fell hard and fast. Rog stood outside her room and looked at her. And he knew it was bad, whatever it was. But what Melissa didn't know is that Rog is the most stubborn man alive. Clumsy, yes. Stubborn, yes. Give up on Melissa? NO!
House and Cuddy sat at the Waffle Cafe eating, of course, waffles. Well, House was. Cuddy was eating a more sensible breakfast: eggs, bacon, toast and fruit. House squinshed his nose when her plate came out, then he put on a huge smile when he saw his plate of waffles.
"See, if you make me waffles like this every morning, I'd stay over every night." House told her as he shoveled a forkful in his mouth.
"Dear, that's the exact reason why I don't make you waffles." She said with a grin.
"Touché." He said right before he swallowed.
"Boss, I have a question for you." House said as he sipped his coffee.
"Didn't I just say I wouldn't make you waffles?"
"Uh, no, you didn't, but we'll discuss that later. What I wanted to know is what do you think about Melissa being your admin ass't?" House said, giving her his sad, puppy dog eyes. "I mean, how long did Howdy Doody last? Two days?"
"Uh, I think it was more like a day. I fired him because he mailed an invoice to a board member, and a sympathy card to a drug company. What's going on, House?" She asked. He explained her medical condition and why he'd thought about her moving in with him. She thought about it over a few bites of toast then said yes.
"But, I want something in writing from Dr. Stafford at the rehab center giving his approval. Does she have any medical ass't experience?"
"Yes. And noo problem with the letter. It's already in the mail." House lied, about both. He never made the phone call the night before, so he had to persuade the Dr. to allow that.
"Great. Hey, Lisa, you know that thing you've been wanting to try but I poo-poo'd the idea?" She looked up from her strawberry on the end of the fork and nodded her head.
"I still don't wanna do it." He teased then laughed.
"Uh-huh. Too late now, buddy!" She said.
---Almost an hour and a half later, House walked into the clinic and headed to his office. A few minutes later, Cuddy came in and headed to her office. They didn't want anything started in the hospital, but Cuddy had a feeling House was going to say something, anyway. House walked into his office and saw Rog sitting at the conference table, alone. He walked to the coffee pot, poured his cup, and turned around.
"Where is everybody, Roger Dodger?" House asked.
"They're not coming in, Dr. House." Rog simply said.
"What, no 'sir' this morning?"
"You'll get it the next time I spill something." Rog answered. "What are you doing here?"
"I've got 20 patients down..." House kept talking, but Rog wasn't listening to any of his snide comments this morning. He was too worried about Melissa.
"Dr. House, can you tell me exactly what Melissa's medical condition is?" Rog asked hopefully.
"No." He simply said. "Look, I don't think it would be wise for you two to start a relationship."
"Why's that?" Rog asked with his eyebrows raised.
"Because there is a company policy against coworkers sleeping together." House lied, making up another one of his personal rules that didn't apply to anyone but himself.
"Well, then, sir," Rog said with a little bit of sarcasm. "I think you and Cuddy should be fired."
"Oooh, are you playing hardball?" House asked.
"Well, if the ball sits on your desk, then yes." Rog answered smugly.
"I don't like you very much, Rog." House said, but couldn't hide a grin.
"It's ok, I don't like you very much, either." Rog answered back, and he, too, grinned. "Hey, Dr. House, are there any clinical trials that are going on right now that Melissa could benefit from?"
House's eyes flew open because now he had a perfect excuse to keep Melissa. 'Keep Melissa?' House thought to himself. 'Either I'm getting soft in my old age, or delusional.'
"Rog, I take that back. I do like you." House said as he stood up, headed to his office, picked up the phone and dialed Dr. Stafford. To do what he had to do. No, to do what he wanted to do. For Melissa. Or, his sister? He sighed as the phone rang...
Foreman woke up that morning close to noon, but he didn't get out of bed. After what Michelle did to him, he felt betrayed and used. He never understood why he allowed that to happen to him, but it was a pattern he always fell into. 'But,' he said to himself. 'I got my ring back. I no longer need to work in the E.R., thank God. That place sucks!' He laughed out loud, then finally got up and took a shower.
---A little while later, House walked into Melissa's room and she'd just come back from having an MRI to determine if KS had spread to any vital organs. She was sitting up but her eyes were closed. As soon as she heard House's cane fall to the floor she opened them.
"Rog, is that you?" She teased House.
He smiled at her. "How are ya feeling?"
"You ask that a lot." She answered.
"Yeah, most doctors do. Melissa, where are you staying right now?"
"At the rehab, Doc."
"No, no, I mean where are your things?"
"At a friends place while I am away."
"Ok, and, are you ready to go back to rehab?" House asked.
"Why? What are you up to? Doctors don't ask those kinds of questions."
"Look, I have a proposition for you. You'll be here for a few days to determine where you stand medically. When you check out, do you want to go back to rehab?"
"Geez, I ain't done thought 'bout that. Of course I'll have to go back." She said as she frowned at him, trying to figure out what his game was.
"Melissa, where didcha done go to college?"
"I done went to the Hillbilly Country Day School, but done walked 50 miles one way, in 'da pourin' rain and 20 feet of snow!" She shot back with a smile. "God, would you just spill it! Men! See, women just come out with it!"
"Well, glad to know I'm not a woman." House said, and finally asked her to work part time at the clinic under Dr. Cuddy's supervision while she underwent clinical testing on medications for the Human Herpes Virus 8 which caused her KS. In the meantime, she'd stay in his extra bedroom in his apartment.
She looked at him dumbfounded, overwhelmed and deeply touched. "Why?" She simply asked.
"Because, the drugs may actual..." House started to say.
"No, Doc! Why are you doin' all this for me?"
House turned his head to the window. "It's snowing again." He said.
"You're doing this because it's snowing? Doc, you been hitting those Vicodin, haven't you?"
House stared at her because he couldn't give her a justifiable answer. "Because I need someone to watch Stevie while I'm here at work." House lied.
"Even if I wanted to, and I'm not saying I want to, but Dr. Stafford wouldn't go for it."
"That's where you're wrong. He approved it."
"What? Are you serious? What did you do to him? Threaten him with a lawsuit against the food they serve? 'Cuz you know, I think you'd win." She laughed.
"I'm just helping out someone in need." House told her.
"Oh, please. I don't need your pity or your hospitality." She threw back at him.
"No, no, it's nothing lik...look, it was just a thought." He snapped, stood up and walked to the door.
"Yes." She said. House stopped at the door but he didn't turn back to look at her. He smiled as he walked through the door to talk to Cuddy. As he walked into her office she looked up from her paperwork.
"You know, why in the world did I agree to have those idiots in here? They ordered almost $100,000 in unnecessary scans and MRIs and left all the paperwork to me. Make sure you stop me from ever leaving again, Greg." Cuddy said as she put her elbows on her desk and laid her chin in her hands. "How's Melissa?"
"Fine, she agreed to work with you. But you had to agree on a few things before she'd accept."
"Oh, really? And what were those?" She asked.
"She's writing them down now. I've got some good news and bad news." House told her.
"Give me the bad news first."
"I still am not doing that thing that I said I wouldn't do, then said I would 'cuz now I won't." House started.
"Ok." She said without smiling. "What's the good news?" She asked, dreading what she was going to hear. He explained to her the clinical trials he checked into after he had the brilliant idea of starting Melissa on them.
"That's interesting, House, because Rog already checked with me about the clinical trials." Cuddy told him.
"Oh, there's more bad news, then. Fire Rog."
"Greg, go play your GameBoy." She said with a wink and turned back to her paperwork.
"You're actually giving me permission to play now, boss?" House asked as he stood up.
"Yes, because that means you are out of my hair and you won't be giving me a headache."
"Oh, well, you know what they say about headaches and sex, don't you?" House asked with a sly grin.
"Go kill those Purple Onion Monsters, House." Cuddy said.
House walked out of his office grinning from ear to ear. 'I just love pushing her buttons. She is sooo easy.' He told himself as he
headed to his office.
Cameron sat in Chase's living room, completely exhausted, both emotionally and physically. They'd just finished lunch and she tried to make an exit, but he wouldn't let her. She just wanted her own place, her own bed, her own thoughts to herself.
"Robert, have you talked to Eric this morning? He can't be taking what happened with Michelle very well."
"No, I've not. Think we should take him out for drinks tonight?"
"That sounds like a good idea. But I need to go home and shower and change." She told him.
"Well, ok." Chase said.
"Ok? I have your permission? That's awfully nice of you." She said sarcastically.
"Allison, that's not it at all. What's wrong with you today?"
"Oh, aside from the fact that House is now with Cuddy, I've lost our baby, Melissa and Rog are pining for each other, Foreman's fiancé betrayed him, House is...we were held hostage by a madman because of Cuddy. That's what's wrong with me today."
"Oh, Cameron, it's been hard on all of us. I've never seen you this upset. You go from being concerned about Foreman to a complete meltdown."
"Oh, that wasn't a meltdown. You haven't seen me have a meltdown." She snapped.
"Yes, I have. The first night we, uh, were together...wait, you mentioned House and Cuddy. What's up with that?" Chase asked.
"I don't know."
"Allison, I don't want to keep going back and forth with you."
"I'm not going back and forth with anything. I'm just scared." She finally said.
"Scared of what? Have you been in a serious relationship after your husband died?"
"No, I haven't. Well, sort of. But I don't know why I feel like this."
Chase scooted on the edge of the couch and put his hands on hers in her lap. "Girl, you've got to trust me. You have to know that I'm not going to hurt you."
"But how do I know that?"
"Because I'm telling you." Chase answered.
"Yeah, but House said everyone lies."
"And do you believe him?" Chase asked. Cameron just shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, believe me when I tell you that I do care about you, and I won't hurt you." Chase told her.
She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Okay." And Chase reached out and held herm, to comfort her. To reassure her that he was there to stay and that he would never leave Cameron.
---That weekend went pretty quickly for the doctors at PPTH, especially Cuddy. She spent the weekend cleaning up her living room. She still hadn't figured out if Thomas was looking for something specific or just intent on destroying her house, or her life? 'God, I hope he didn't find out.' Cuddy told herself.
Monday morning came with a clear, cold, early Spring day. Melissa was actually upbeat about the prospect of working for Dr. Cuddy, who she had great respect for. Her choice in men was another story, but she was happy for the two of them. She had talked to Rog a few times over the weekend, and promised he'd be in first thing to see her. He was anxious to know whether the MRI showed any angiogenesis in her liver or lungs. He prayed not.
Melissa was feeling okay, despite being upbeat, but it felt to her like her chest had grown heavy and it was hard to breath. A few times during the night her coughing woke her up.
"Hey, Missy! How ya doing, girl?" Rog said as he entered her room carrying a teddy bear and a bundle of balloons. She smiled then coughed. He put the balloons in the corner of the room, too close to the heater and handed her the teddy bear. He bent down and kissed her cheek.
She told him she was ok, but was a little worried about the tightness in her chest. "Do you know anything about the MRI?" She asked Rog.
"No, Melissa. Dr. House is taking your case. Didn't you know that? Well, he is, and you're in good hands."
"Do you know anything about the clinical tests? Can anyone tell me anything?" She said.
"Sweetie, as soon as Dr. House gets here he'll tell you everything you need to know."
"I'm sorry, Rog, my mind is all over the place. And I just wish I knew something."
"Well, no one can get that man up sooner than 10 a.m., and it's only 8:45 now, so, I think it'll be a while before he comes in." Rog said.
"Do you want to make a bet on that, Doctor?" House said sarcastically as he came in the room.
"Uh, Dr. House, Melissa was jus..." Rog started to say.
"I know what she was just...now go away." House said as he walked to the other side of her bed.
"Doc Greg, do you mind if he stays?" Melissa asked as she sat up in bed.
"You sure about that?" House asked with a frown.
"Yeah, I'm sure I'm sure!" She said as Rog straightened her pillows behind her head and shoulders. House rolled his eyes and looked away.
"Do you mind standing in the corner of the room. You're bothering me." House said.
"Greg, be nice, will ya!" Melissa said as Rog patted her hand and stood by the door, keeping his eyes glued on Melissa.
"Melissa, it's pretty serious. The virus has just started to attack your lungs, but I think we can take care of that. We'll have to get you in a clean room to keep any bacteria or other viruses from attacking your already weakened immune system." House told her, rather bluntly.
Melissa just stared at him, and Rog folded his hands across his chest. "Greg, I started coughing last night. Is that bad?"
"Not necessarily. There are several antiviral medications we will start you on. Since this has spread to your lungs, we'll then try highly active anti..." She cut him off.
"Let's cross that bridge when we get there. How long will you know with the first round of meds whether they've worked or not?"
"By your T-cell count, and as long as that cough doesn't get worse. We'll keep an eye out for more lesions, too. So, hopefully, that will be it."
"Ok, so, why don't I believe you?"
"Now, look. I'm not giving up hope on you, yet. I still need a babysitter for Steve." House told her, trying to reassure her.
"Rog, can you take care of getting her into a clean room?" House said as he looked at Rog. Rog nodded his head. "Ok, don't let him lift you to the other bed. He might drop you." House said as he winked at Melissa and walked toward Rog.
"Dr. House, can you really be that positive?" Rog asked hopefully. House didn't answer, but proceeded to walk out the door.
House had clinic duty in an hour, so that left him time to check further into Melissa's case. No, he couldn't be as positive with her condition as he'd hope he could have been. He walked by his office and noticed Wilson's lights were on. He peeked in and saw Wilson standing out on the balcony with no coat on. He stepped through his office door and knocked on the closed sliding glass door. "What the hell are you doing?" House screamed through the glass.
"Watching it snow." Wilson answered then turned back around to face the building across the street.
"Dude, it isn't snowing!" House said, shaking his head.
"I'm waiting for it to come in!" Wilson said.
"Get in here!" House screamed. Wilson shook his head and walked back to the glass door. Wilson sat in his chair behind his desk and House sat down across from him.
"I take it you reviewed Melissa's file by the look on your face. Did you tell her?"
"I told her it spread to her lungs and she..." House started to say.
"That's not what I meant, House."
House shook his head and looked at the floor. "No, I didn't."
"I can, since I'm her oncologist." Wilson offered.
"God, Wilson. This really sucks. No, I'll do it." House said as he stood up. Wilson just nodded his head.
House walked into his office and sat behind his own desk. But he wasn't in the mood to listen to music or play the game. He didn't know what he was going to tell Melissa. There was just no way around it. House put his head on the back of his chair and closed his eyes.
A few minutes later, Cuddy came into his office and quietly stood in front of his desk.
"Greg." She said softly.
"Nooooo! I don't wanna go to school." House whined and opened his eyes.
"I've heard that before, but you have clinic duty, dear. Did you tell Melissa?" She asked.
"Oh, you know, too?" He said as he slowly stood up, grabbed his cane and walked toward the door.
"Greg, she might make it, you know, if someone is willing to donate a liver."
"You know the chances of that, Cuddy. It ain't gonna happen." House laughed. "As Melissa would say. Now, give me my Flintstone vitamins, Mom." Cuddy reached into her lab pocket and pulled out House's bottle of Vicodin. She handed him two pills.
"But I want the Dino one, too!" He playfully whined.
"Sorry, ain't gonna happen." Cuddy answered and gave him a wink.
House popped the pills into his mouth and went to the clinic in a complete mental fog. If there was one day he didn't want clinic duty, well, it'd be every day. He went to the reception desk, grabbed a file, walked to the waiting area and called out, 'Larry Jennings!' A man of about 60 walked toward him slowly with a heavy, painful limp.
"Ok, I'm going to exam room 3. Meet me in room 2." House told him and walked away but the man followed House to room 3. House turned around, groaned under his breath and opened the door for him.
"I'm Dr. House. What's your problem?" House asked as he closed the door.
As Larry spoke, House flipped through his medical chart. "Last week, after I shoveled snow, I got a real bad back pain. Then, a few days later, my leg started hurting. I have to use a chair to walk around the house."
"Ok. Did you plow the snow with your foot?"
"No, of course not."
"Ok, just curious. Take this form to radiology and get a CT scan. I want to make sure your leg didn't throw its back out." House said as he walked out the door. Larry just stared at him in confusion and disbelief, but slowly walked out and went to the department. House went back to the reception area, threw the file on the desk and grabbed another one.
"Dr. House, would you mind putting the file in the bin, please?" The older woman told him.
"Yes, I would." He replied as he grabbed another file and walked to the waiting area.
"Lillian Morgan!" House called out. A little girl being carried by her mother walked toward him. She was about three and had the prettiest red hair he'd ever seen. Well, that he'd ever noticed. Her face was all flushed and she had an obvious runny nose.
"Follow me." House said as he walked to exam room 2. He walked through the door first, turned around and said, "Hurry up, I don't have all day." Mrs. Morgan gave him a befuddled look and placed Lillian on the exam table.
"She's had a cold the past few days, but she won't stop sneezing and her nose keeps running." Mrs. Morgan told him.
"She has allergies. Give her Children's Sudafed." House said impatiently.
"I have given her everything over the counter that I can give her. She's run a slight fever for the past few days, as well."
"Is she prone to colds and allergies?" House asked.
"Yes, she gets them every fall, and they last until the spring." She said.
"She may need to begin allergy shots. Take her to Dr. Thompson, he's the allergist."
"Ok, thanks." House nodded his head and walked out.
'God, can this day get any worse?' He asked himself as he started to throw the file on the desk, but the same woman gave him a daring, 'try it, Mister' look and he placed it between the slots. He grabbed another file and as he turned around, his pager went off. It read, 'Mel 911.' He replaced the file for the next doctor and quickly raced up to the clean room Melissa had been place in earlier in the day.
After House quickly threw on a sterile gown, mask and gloves, he walked into Melissa's clean room where she was asleep with an oxygen mask on and EKG machine wires connected to several places on her chest and legs. Cameron and Rog were checking her vitals.
"What's happened?" House asked Cameron.
"In the other room she was complaining of tightness in her chest and shortness of breath. Then when she got here her breathing capacity fell dramatically. Her blood oxygen levels are down along with hypocarbia. I gave her morphine to relax and we've got her lined up for a chest x-ray because Rog thinks she may have fluid in her lungs."
"Oh, is that right, Rog? I'm impressed. Ok, give her furosemide and let me know about her x-rays." House said. "Thanks for calling me, Cameron." House said and walked out.
Cameron stared at him as he walked out. 'Did he just thank me?' She asked herself.
A few minutes later, House walked into Cuddy's office and sat down heavily in a chair. "Is everything ok, Greg?" She asked.
"No." He said as he buried his face in his hands. Then he put them to his side and asked Cuddy, "What are her chances of getting a liver?"
Cuddy stood up from behind her desk and sat in the chair next to his. "Greg, it doesn't look good. I'd say there's no chance at all the board would approve her transplant."
"Dam. How long do you think she'll have?"
"It's hard to say." Cuddy said.
"With the HIV she had a shot with the clinical trials, at least. But with her liver going and fluid in her lungs, that'll more than likely turn to pneumonia." House said disheartedly.
"Let me see what I can do, baby." She said as she stood up.
"Ok, but don't do any sexual favors. You're mine, remember?" House said as he stood up as well.
"Oh, I'm yours, huh? Why is it yo..." She started to say but he pressed his lips against hers.
"Yeah, I'm yours, but only if you make me dinner tonight." She said with a grin.
"You got it! Be there at 7:15." He told her and he walked out of her office.
Cuddy sat back down at her desk, picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers. After the conversation she put the phone back down in its cradle and wrote in her calendar, '8:45 a.m. Emer Meet-Trans Com/Mel.' She just hoped her plan would work. She liked Melissa, too, but still hadn't quite understood House. But, then again, she never had fully understood the man.
Early the next morning, Cuddy walked into the clinic and headed for Melissa's room. She put on the gown and mask and walked toward her bed. She couldn't help but grin when Melissa brought her finger to her lips and 'shh'ed'. In a gown, mask, gloves, with his cane against the wall, House was asleep. His head was on his arm with it stretched across her bed and rested on her knee.
"How long has he been here?" Cuddy whispered.
"I've been staring at him snoring for the past hour." She said with a laugh, but that woke him up. He looked sleepily at Melissa first then saw where she was looking and saw Cuddy standing at the foot of the bed.
"Hey, you snore, doc." Melissa teased.
"I do not! Well, if I do, then so do you." He answered back. He sat back in the chair after he stretched.
"Then how do you know I snore when you're asleep?"
House couldn't think fast enough for a good comeback but asked, "How are you feeling?"
"I feel better, I really do." She told them. They looked at her sadly. "Hey, what's going on?"
Cuddy explained her situation because House couldn't. "You'll be out of here this afternoon, but I wanted to see how you were feeling because I want to know if you're up for something."
She had discussed it with House the night before at dinner, and he seemed gung-ho about it. When Cuddy was done telling her
the scheme, Melissa looked at her with a disappointed expression.
"If I go in there and give them my sad, sobby life story it's not going to make a bit of difference. Lisa, Greg, I appreciate the effort, but I do understand that with my AIDS, I'm sure there is someone out there that has a lot longer to li…no. I won't allow the transplant." She told them point blank.
"Come on, Melissa. Don't be stupid! It's worth a shot. Why are you giving up?" House fussed at her.
"I'm not giving up. I'm being realistic, and possibly saving someone else's life."
"Oh, please. Don't give me that martyr crap!" House said. Cuddy had grown quiet because there seemed to be a more important issue between those two so she stepped back against the wall.
"Greg, that's not the case. It won't work."
"How do you know?" He asked her. She was silent for a moment.
"Greg, I am NOT your sister! I do not need you to save me because you lost your own sister!" She raised her voice back at him, then turned red in the face from the anger.
"Ok, ok, you two. That's enough." Cuddy said as she walked toward them.
House sighed, took in a deep breath, and knew he couldn't win this battle. He shook his head and said, "It's your funeral." Then he walked out of the room.
Melissa lay in bed and tears filled her eyes. "Lisa, he doesn't understand." She cried.
"Oh, yes, he does. More than you know, Melissa." Cuddy spent the next half hour telling Melissa about House's leg surgery and his sister committing suicide.
"Oh, God, hell. And I said that about saving his sister!" Tears started to fall again. "I know he's trying to help, but I just feel he is sacrificing too much for me when he needs to get on with his own life." She hesitated for a moment trying to hold back the flood of tears.
"Melissa, the thing with House is he doesn't open his heart very often. But when he does, you better take it. Because if you don't it'll close before you realize it and you may never see it again." Cuddy told her, choking back her own tears because it just dawned on her she was actually referring to herself.
"Then get me out of here and to that meeting, will ya?" Melissa said with a smile on her face.
Dr. Lisa Cuddy walked into her office to prepare for the transplant committee. There was less than half an hour before it started, and when House walked in she wasn't happy to see him at all.
"House, I've got to get stuff together for the meeting." She told him.
"Oh, don't mind me." House said as he sat down on the couch. "Just let me know when you are ready."
With five minutes before the meeting, Cuddy stood up, grabbed her folders, tapped House on his knee because he'd fallen asleep, and headed to a board room with House behind her. Cuddy opened the door and walked in, but House saw, across from the door, Melissa in a wheel chair and Rog standing next to her. She gave him a smile, but he didn't smile back. But he did smile. In his heart he smiled. Then he walked into the room and the door closed behind him.
Melissa anxiously sat in the hall with Rog until Cuddy came through the door and wheeled Melissa into the room. She individually caught the eye of each of the members; four men and three women sitting around the table, with House sitting at the far end. She thought he winked, but she didn't respond.
Cuddy placed Melissa at the head of the table and sat down next to her. Melissa cleared her throat, took a deep breath and started her plea.
"My name is Melissa FitzHugh and I am 21. I grew up with alcoholic parents and when I was 16 I moved in with my boyfriend who did and sold cocaine. I was recently in rehab for abusing cocaine, was raped two years ago and now have AIDS. And I desperately need a liver.
"Did I want to live when I was in rehab? Not really. Did I think I had a future when I was in rehab? Most certainly not. But after I met Dr. House he gave me a reason to live; a possible future. So, ask me now if I want to live. Ask me now if I have a future." No one answered.
"With this AIDS, I understand I have no more than five years to live; without a liver I have no more than six months. A mother down the hall with five children needs a liver. With it, she'd live to a ripe old age. So, you do the math.
"I'm not asking for a liver. I'm only asking for a chance. To live. Right now."
Melissa nodded her head as she looked at Cuddy, who wheeled her back into the hallway to Rog. Cuddy was speechless; she simply smiled at Melissa and went back to the board room.
"Rog, take me to my room, please."
"Don't you want to stay and hear what the vote is?" Rog started to say.
"No, I don't." She simply said.