Chapter 28
"He should have let us handle it," Marty Hamilton told his friend over a cup of coffee in his office.
"House is a jerk, but he's only asking for two days," Foreman said, wiping a small latté mustache from his lip.
Hamilton scratched his eyebrow with his index finger. "You actually agree with what he did," he said. It wasn't a question. The former mentor had finally come to the conclusion that the man sitting across from him was no longer his student but instead a colleague that would rather follow someone else's leadership.
Foreman laughed to alleviate the tension. "I almost never agree with what House does," he declared. "But we all did the differential diagnosis. I think we could help O'Malley."
Hamilton examined his face, squinting slightly as he asked, "It drives you crazy that you respect him, doesn't it?"
Foreman cracked a small smile. His mentor had always known him well. Before he could answer, his pager went off. "It's George."
…………………
Izzie Stevens was sitting Indian-style in a chair in the hospital waiting room, her laptop resting on her thighs as she researched possible treatments and diagnosis for George. Chase sat next to her, leaning back, his fist to his mouth. It felt as though fireworks were exploding inside him. He was so close to her and wanted her so badly.
"Izzie, I know it's not the right time to ask, but I have to," he started.
She barely glanced up, her fingers typing furiously. "What is it, Robert?"
His chest puffed when he sucked in a deep breath. "What are we going to do when I go back to New Jersey?"
The knot of hair on top of her head bounced when her head popped up. Her deep blue eyes looked into his. "You helped me through a hard time, Robert, but that's it. My heart is here with…" She had almost said Denny, but decided that she did not want to get that close to Chase. "I belong here with George. And Meredith and Cristina."
His face registered relief as he blew out the wind in his lung. "I feel the same way. I just wanted to see if we were on the same page," he lied. Inside, he had never felt more rejected.
Their pagers beeped. Izzie leaped from her seat and began running down the hallway, not even waiting for Chase. "George," she whispered with elation. He was back.
………………………
Meredith was rushing about the room, having everyone paged. George struggled to sit up, saying, "Wait, wait. Meredith, did you ask me out?"
She brushed him off. "George, I have to get your parents."
His face became serious as it often did. He persisted, asking sternly, "Meredith, are you asking me out?"
Meredith Grey finally stopped moving. Turning to him on a sigh, her blue eyes dimmed tiredly as she smiled. "I asked you out, George."
George's eyebrows went up a notch. He rubbed the tiny scar on his cheek. "Did you mean it?"
The intern contemplated his question, realizing that her decision would create consequences that she would not be able to change. Her eyes penetrated his. "I meant it," she said quietly but with confidence.
He fell back onto the pillow. George tried to hide his smile. "Then please find my parents," he requested.
Meredith grinned and left from the room.
Izzie brushed past her as she scurried towards George. Giving him a tight hug, she exclaimed, "Thank God you're alive."
George giddily chuckled as he tilted his head. "Meredith asked me out," he declared.
She laughed out of relief. "Well, good for you, George. I guess almost dying is productive." Izzie just kept mentally praying thanks for sparing him. She had lost Denny; she did not want to let her best friend die, too.
Soon, everyone had piled into his hospital room. The ducklings were checking his stats and busying themselves as the Seattle doctors greeted their friend. George's parents were smothering their son with love. Shaking them off, he looked at the people around him, feeling truly loved. "Cristina's getting married?" he asked.
They all laughed, except for Cristina. "Yes, George, I'm going to get married," she answered drolly.
George smirked. "Did you lose a bet?"
Cristina's eyes trained on him, but Burke interjected. With that small smile of his, he said, "We thought it was time, O'Malley. I hope you'll be my best man."
House watched the scene quietly from the corner of the room. It wasn't like him to be so still, but he wasn't working with all of his faculties in tact. His thoughts were wound around Allison Cameron. He was waiting for the day that she came to her senses and dumped him, never realizing that she was fearing the day that he lost his senses and dumped her. The diagnostician had never thought he would be kissing her, stroking her, dating her. Am I dating Cameron? he thought as he made small circles in the air with his cane. House had been on three dates with her now. Granted, the first was more than a year ago, but it was three nonetheless.
And what was he going to do for date four? House was beginning to panic. Damn it, he needed Wilson, but the sap had gone all puppies and kittens for Addison Montgomery again. House couldn't keep this romantic thing up for much longer. The magic of LA would be wearing off in three days when they got on that plane to go back to Jersey.
House finally interrupted. "This is all very interesting," he said, stepping forward. "I am quite happy for your lawyer and the giant pre-nup he's going to have to draft, but we do still have a job to do."
George refused to let him spoil his happiness. Turning to Burke, he asked, "You're asking me soon. When's the date?"
Burke and Cristina looked at each other. She gulped as he blinked, smiling. "Tomorrow. As soon as you leave the hospital."
The Seattle doctors' mouths gaped. But Greg House was thanking whoever it was in Heaven that loved him so. His eyes twinkled with mirth as his lips turned up ever so slightly. Date Number Four, he thought. Chicks dig weddings.
TBC
