CHAPTER THREE

Cameron rushed to Tyler's room where she found Tyler now lying back in bed with a bandaid on his arm. She looked at Chase and asked him what happened.

"I was checking his coordination and asked him to take a few steps toward me. He lost his balance, fell to the side and cut him self on the edge of the chair. He's fine, though."

"No, he isn't." She said as she headed back to the conference room to write the symptoms on the infamous white board.

As the door closed behind her she stared at House's back, who was facing the white board then she noticed a few letters of the words he'd written down.

'FEVER…NUMEROUS INFECTIONS…BLOODY NOSES…SEIZURE…HEADACHE…Fifth Disease…'

"Add elevated leukocytes and loss of balance." Chase said as he stood behind Cameron. The three stood back and looked at the words on the board as Cameron repeated all Danielle had told her about Tyler.

"Not all of those symptoms are related to Fifth, especially not the seizure." Cameron commented.

"There's definitely something more going on with him." Chase added.

House shot him a stupid assed glare and said sarcastically, "Duh! Ya think!"

Chase returned the glare as Cameron said, "He tested negative for Downs Syndrome. And the elevated white blood cells bother me."

"Cancer?" Chase asked.

"Again, duh!" House said. "Do a lumbar puncture to check for decreased red blood ce…"

"House! He's a four year old! There's no way he'll sit still for that." She said. "And the pain he'll be in..."

"He's lost a brother and he still remembers, right? He's been through pain." House said coldly as he limped out and walked down the hall.

In Tyler's room he lie in bed quietly and contently watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, weakly mouthing all the words to the songs and the character lines. He didn't even notice Chase and Cameron come in and his mother standing to talk to them. Chase explained the procedure to Danielle and she seemed rightfully concerned, knowing the pain he'd be in.

"Don't worry. We can give him a sedative after the procedure." Cameron told her reassuringly.

After the two set up the instruments for the procedure Tyler started to pitch a fit about having to stop watching his favorite movie.

"Let's try this, mate." Chase said cutely. "You lay on your side and we'll move the t.v. monitor so you can see it. But we need you to be real still. Can you do that for us?" Tyler looked at Chase wearily but gave into his bribery, as every four year will do.

"Okay, are you ready?" Chase asked as he stood on one side facing Tyler and Cameron prepared to inject the incredibly long needle into his lower spine.

"No, yah, no…Mommy?" He hollered.

"I'm right here, baby. I know you're scared." She said as she ran her hand over his face. She grabbed his hand and placed her right hand on his hip to keep him still.

"Okay, I'm going to insert it now, Sweetie." Cameron said as she brought the needle to the small of his back and slowly, ever so slowly, inserted it. It had gone in only about an inch when Tyler cried out in pain and Cameron withdrew the needle.

"Chase, get House in here." She told him.

"You don't honestly think he's gonna come in here, do you?" Chase argued.

"Mommmyyy! Make 'em stop." He cried out again.

"He was the one that ordered this so let him do it." She shot back as he shrugged his shoulders and left the room.

A few minutes later House walked up to the glass of Tyler's room and stood there staring at Cameron. She stared right back, challenging him to come into the room.

"Mrs. Brookstone, I'll be right back." Cameron said but not to Tyler; he had calmed down and watched his movie again as Cameron walked out.

She slid the door closed behind her and approached House. "Can't do your job anymore?" He asked snottily as he turned to face her.

"I won't put him through that. There are other ways to determine…well, there's not. But…"

"Then have Chase do it."

"No, I won't. I'm with Cameron." Chase said from down the hall.

House frowned at Chase then looked at Cameron. "Oh, you're with Chase? Oooh, I get it. Go, Chase!"

"House! He agrees with me."

"Excuse me, Dr Cameron." Danielle said as he walked to the group. "I've just talked with Tyler. He wants Dr. House to do the procedure."

House looked at her in shock. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, he said he'd be good if you 'poked and prodded' him." She answered hopefully.

"But I'm not very good with needles." House said smartly.

"Dr. House, look. I think it's because of your cane that he wants you to do it because it sure isn't your personality." House's eyebrows rose at that comment and Cameron half-smiled but she continued. "He misses his father, who also walked with a cane from a hip injury in college. He hasn't seen him since he left two years ago and you must remind

Tyler of him. Please, he's all I've got now." She pleaded as she turned and looked at her son lying on the bed.

"Realllleeee? I'm mystified. You came in here all, 'me…me…me' and now you're Mother of the Year!"

"Yes!" She screamed at him as she flailed her arms in the air. "I've been a stupid, self-centered bitch of a mother! But he's lying there in bed, sick, and no one knows why. Priorities change awfully quickly when your child's life…" She stopped talking to catch her breath and wipe the tears from her cheeks.

House smiled at her confession, turned and walked into Tyler's room, with Cameron and Danielle behind him.

"Hey, Tiger!" House said cheerily as he walked toward Tyler, who looked away from the screen and looked at House's cane.

"Hi, Daddy." Tyler said as he closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep. Cameron and Danielle looked at each other confused and alarmed as House glared at Tyler.

"Cameron, let's do this." House said nonchalantly as he walked to the other side of the bed.

He and Cameron put on rubber gloves and got prepared for the procedure again. Danielle leaned against the door since Tyler seemed to be sleeping and watched them work. Cameron lifted the back of his gown up to expose the small of his back. She then handed House the needle and placed her hands on Tyler's hip just in case he jerked in his sleep. House bent a little to get in a good position for the insertion and brought the needle closer.

The needle barely touched his skin when he jerked and hollered out, "No! Hurts! Daddy!"

House pulled the needle away and acted impatient. Tyler kept saying 'Daddy, Daddy' over and over again. Both Danielle and Cameron looked at him as if he knew what he had to do but didn't make a move to do it.

"House, let me do it. I think he wants you." Cameron said softly.

"I'm not his daddy!" House protested.

Cameron sighed and wanted to hit him. "We know that, but we need to do this and if he thinks his dad is here we can get it done."

"You owe me." House snipped as he handed her the needle.

"Fine. I'll buy you a Rueben sandwich." She said snottily then added, much softer, "With rat poison in it."

House walked away and faced Tyler then looked at Cameron. "I heard that."

"Good." She shot back. "Ok, you ready, Tyler?"

He looked up at House, smiled then reached out and ran his hand over House's stubbly chin. "Dat feels funny, Daddy."

"You gotta stay still, buddy. Keep your hand there if you want to but don't move it." House told him, trying to sound calm.

"Daddy, when we get home you play ball wiff me?"

House reached out and held his hand. "You betcha."

Tyler's face contorted a little as Cameron started to insert the needle in his back. He groaned a little but amazingly stayed still enough for her to insert it further.

"Owowowow…" He whined.

"Ty, you're doing great!" House reassured him.

"Yeah, I bwave, huh?" Tyler asked then took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly. "I wost my gwuve Daddy." He said between his teeth. "I sowwy."

"Don't worry, Ace. I'll buy you another one." House told him then saw Cameron peak her head over Tyler's side.

"House, don't promise him that. You know you won't get him one." She whispered. "Ok, Tyler…hang in there. I'm almost…there! Still don't move. I'll take it out in just a second." She was relieved it was over now that a clear liquid came out into the tube, but then her stomach did a flip when the fluid became a light brown.

"It don't hurt no more, Daddy." Tyler said.

"Good. You did great…just a few more seconds." House said.

"Ok! Done! I'm removing the needle, sweetie….it's out! Way to go!" She said as she patted his shoulder. "Lay still for a while, though. You're going to be a little sore."

"I a big boy now, huh, Daddy?" Tyler asked sleepily.

"Yes, you are. No one is as brave as you." House told him as he stood and started to walk away.

"NO! Daddy! Pwease stay. Don't gooo." Tyler whined, looking at House with big puppy dog eyes that he just couldn't resist.

"Ok, sure. But just until you fall asleep." He said and sat back down next to him as Cameron took the cart out of the room to take to the lab.

"Cameron, schedule an MRI." House told her.

She stopped and looked at him. "What for?"

"Brain." He simply said.

Danielle looked at him alarmed and he sensed it. "He thinks I'm his dad. There's something more going on."

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