OK. First let me sorry about that cliffy. I know a lot of you weren't too happy with me for that. I usually try to avoid them, but I needed this one. I tried to make it up by getting this posted ASAP. And next, I'm sure a bunch of you are not going to like these turn of events. Again, I'm sorry. But it needs to be done. I've had this idea since I started this sequel, so there's not much I can say, but sorry if you don't like it. Otherwise, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please let me know what you think. Thanks to all of you who reviewed on the last chapter (the most reviews I've gotten at one time)!
If he had to make an educated guess, House would be able to say exactly what was going on with his girlfriend.
That didn't mean he wasn't worried. When he had seen the spots of blood on the back of her jeans at the restaurant, he had been terrified. Cameron still hadn't said anything about the baby to him, and he was hesitant to tell her what he knew. Now, Cameron lay on the bed back at the hotel, a damp washcloth pressed against her forehead, as House drove towards his mother's condo. They had argued for nearly an hour – House wanted to stay with Cameron, but she was adamant that he go see his mom – before House grudgingly stalked out of the room, mumbling as he went. She was grateful that he cared so much about her, but truth was, she needed to be alone.
The bleeding was exactly what she had been dreading. Though she could tell herself that it was still something else, if only a coincidence that she would have bleeding and cramps, rather than one or the other. She could tell herself that it was nothing to get herself worked up over, and that she'd save the worrying until after the doctor's appointment House had made for her later that evening.
Cameron didn't move at all in the forty-five minutes that House was gone. She glared at him as he stood over her, the words practically on her tongue before he said, "Save it. After Emily heard what happened…She was trying to get me out the door the whole time." The bed sank under his weight as he sat beside her. "Let's just get you to the hospital, first. Then you can go ahead with your lecture, OK?" He offered her his hand, and pulled her into a sitting position. The loss of blood had not been greatly significant, but as she got to her feet, she still felt weak. House guided her down to the rental car, supporting her as best he could while still supporting himself.
When the pulled up in front of the emergency entrance of the hospital, the very first thing House did was gripe about the pathetic state of the place. But, in response to Cameron's unimpressed glance, quickly added that it only looked that way after years at such a great establishment as PPTH. She would have been slightly unnerved if she hadn't caught his eyes roll. He left her in the car while he hurried inside, snapping at the nurses milling about to bring a wheelchair. Consequently, Cameron was offered three wheelchairs, as well as a gurney.
As much as she loved him, Cameron could not stand sitting with House in the waiting room of the OB/GYN. He was constantly asking if she was all right (she was), and nervously tapping his cane against the linoleum floor. She glared at him a few times, but finally gave up, letting him worry about her. She almost breathed a sigh of relief when the nurse came out and called her back. House squeezed her hand tightly as she got up and followed the stout lady down the hall.
It felt strange for her to be on the other side of the rubber glove. The resident gynecologist was a good-looking young man, and if it weren't for her current situation, she would have spent the whole exam awkwardly with her legs spread. Instead, she spent the entire exam with her legs spread, trying to hold back her fearful tears.
"You're pregnant?" he asked immediately as he sidled into the room. He was reading a file, his eyes lingering on a few sections.
"I hope so," she replied, running a shaking hand over her tummy.
"And you've been having severe cramping as well as…mild vaginal bleeding…" He mused over his symptoms as he slid onto the rolling metal stool beside the bed. He briefly checked between her legs, prodding inside of her with his clammy gloved fingers. "You're a doctor, aren't you, Ms. Cameron?" he asked, looking up as he peeled off the gloves. There was an almost sneering tone in his words that wrenched her stomach.
"Yes."
"So, surely, you must know what these symptoms lead to?" He lifted an eyebrow at her, daring her to answer.
"I have an idea…" Her voice wavered as she fought back tears, but she willed herself to continue, the pompous expression on the doctor's face her motivation. "…But I was hoping you could prove me wrong." The doctor pulled an ancient-looking ultrasound machine closer, and smeared the cool gel across her stomach.
"I wouldn't count on it."
Had she not been going through possibly the worst exam of her life, and had her emotions not been so screwy, Cameron might have found humor in how House-like this guy was. She could even detect the very same condescending tone she had heard House use with patients every day.
She kept her eyes diligently averted from the screen as the fuzzy gray image flicked onto the screen. She heard the doctor clicking his tongue as he moved the thick plastic wand slowly over her stomach. He scribbled a few things in her file, before shutting off the machine.
"In most cases, I'm sure you'd be thrilled to know you were right, but I'm sorry to say that your assumptions were correct." He unceremoniously tossed a box of tissues in her lap. "You've lost the baby."
So many emotions flooded Cameron, that she couldn't tell which was strongest. At that moment, she most wanted to beat the arrogant doctor over the head with House's cane. Now she understood how House could get so many complaints filed against him. The sarcasm was not nearly as charming in this context.
The doctor was going on about something; Cameron couldn't hear his words over the rush of blood in her ears. She had just gotten used to the idea of becoming a mother, and was preparing herself for telling House in the near future. But this… She had no idea how she was going to be able to cope with it on her own, and Cuddy alone wouldn't suffice. She would need House, but that would mean telling him about his child. The one she'd been too afraid to tell him about. How he would react to having been kept from that particular secret, she didn't know, and didn't necessarily care to think about.
She ushered out the door of the exam room, and only came back into reality when she heard the mention of House's name.
"What?" she asked blankly, glancing back at the pompous one.
"Is that Doctor House?" he repeated, looking past her into the waiting room. "Doctor Gregory House?" He had an eager smile on his face, like that of a little boy about to meet Santa.
"Yeah, he's –"
"You know him?" She tried not to take offense at his incredulous tone. "Would you introduce us?"
"Actually –"
"Dr. House!" he called, pushing past her. House looked up, and Cameron could clearly see the pain on his face. His leg obviously was not a big fan of the florescent orange plastic chairs.
"Is she going to be OK?" he asked urgently, eyeing Cameron's reddened eyes.
"She'll be fine," the obnoxious doctor said, waving an arm out to the side. "But I was wondering –"
"If she's fine, then why are you still here, talking to me?" House snapped.
"But…I…" The doctor was suddenly less confident, stuttering before the older man. House fixed him with one of his glares before shoving him out of the way with his cane.
"Don't talk to me," he barked in the doctor's direction before taking Cameron in her arms. She had been happy to see the guy being emotionally abused by House, but when he gathered her into his arms, she remembered why her eyes were stinging with tears. And the comfort he was offering seemed so right, that she couldn't stop herself from sobbing into his shoulder. He ran a calloused hand across her back, whispering soothing nothings into her ear. He was not sure what to say, if he should tell her that he knew what was wrong. He wondered if he should tell her that they could try again, though this time with the intent of getting pregnant. He wondered a lot of things the few moments that he held her, but his thoughts didn't get any further than that. He decided then that if she wanted to pretend that they hadn't briefly had a child, then he would let her. Cameron had her ways of dealing with tragedy just like he did. Luckily, her ways were generally much less self-destructive than his.
"You must be Allison."
Margaret Baden beamed up at them from her spot in her bed. Her body was frail, and Cameron was mildly surprised that she was able to support herself enough to sit upright. She and House had gone back to the hotel, and, after a quick shower, she convinced him that she was fine and that she was up for dinner with his family. The idea did not seem to sit too well with him, but he agreed, knowing that to ignore the problem was part of her way of dealing with things.
"I'm so glad to meet you, finally," Cameron said sweetly, kneeling on the floor beside her. House and Emily stood in the doorway, watching as their mother made idle chitchat with Cameron.
"She doesn't look well," Emily said under her breath to her brother.
"She's not." House kept his gaze trained straight ahead, and refused to let any emotion play onto his face.
Emily glanced up at him, before clarifying. "I wasn't talking about Mom."
"I know you weren't."
Emily nearly asked what was wrong with Cameron, but stopped herself. If it had transformed her older brother into this subdued, contemplative man, whatever it was, it must've been something truly dreadful. She did not need in on their private matters.
"I'm not going to tell you," House mumbled.
"I wasn't going to ask," Emily insisted quietly.
"Yes you were. " He smirked at her, and turned down the hall in the direction of the kitchen, where their stepfather was cooking his specialty: boxed macaroni and cheese. Emily looked back towards the bed, where her mother was now stroking Cameron's hair fondly, no doubt telling her how glad she was that she was putting up with her son. Emily smiled; she had not seen her mother this happy for months. Apparently, the knowledge that her eldest child had found someone who cared about him was all that was needed for Margaret to break into a smile. But as Emily looked closer at Cameron, she saw something, beneath the blatantly fake smile. It was hard to distinguish exactly what she could read in those hazy blue eyes, but all Emily knew was that this young woman was suffering.
'If it's because of Greg,' she thought, 'I'll kill him.'
