Nicky arrived at work early again the next morning, she had so much work to do and it bothered her. Her mind kept wandering back to last night and she smiled to herself, the butterflies in the stomach gave her shivers all over her body.
She noticed her voicemail blinking on her phone and pressed the button as she gathered some files together. She stopped suddenly when she heard House's voice.
"I've got a meeting with Cuddy his morning," he groaned, she smiled, "so I'm going to be late. Tell the team for me, I forgot to let them know before I left last night," there was silence for a moment, but she knew he was still there, she could hear a soft sigh, "I'm falling for you." It was barely audible.
She wasn't sure she heard that last bit right and so played the message again, this time putting the receiver to her ear. She smiled as she put it back in its cradle.
Her phone rang and dragged her out of her daydream, it was Wilson. "Oh you're there?" he said surprised when she answered it. "I was going to leave a voicemail for you."
"I'm trying to catch up," Nicky replied.
"I've got a C.A.T. scan ordered for you this afternoon," he said. He heard her sharp intake of breath and realised that he could have put it more tactfully. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Nicky said, "everything's just moving a little fast, that's all."
"The sooner we get this thing properly diagnosed, the sooner we can start treatment," Wilson said gently.
"I know, it's just me," Nicky said, "don't worry about it, I'll be there."
After hanging up, she looked through the glass walls and watched Chase pour himself a cup of coffee, he turned and held his cup up to her, indicating that he'd get one for her too. He'd obviously seen her talking on the phone. She nodded and smiled.
"So what are you up to today," Chase said, pulling up a chair and sitting down opposite her.
"Well, I'm not moving from this office until this afternoon, I've go so much to do," she replied jovially, "you doctors just don't realise the paperwork you create, you know."
He grinned and took a sip of his coffee.
"Then I'm going for my C.A.T. scan and coming straight back here until I've caught up," she added.
Chase was slightly thrown, "Wow, that was quick, even for Dr Wilson's standards," he said.
"Chase, do you think things are moving a little too quickly?" Nicky asked, "I mean, do you think there's something he's not telling me?"
He shook his head, deep in thought. "I'm not an Oncologist but I know that the quicker these things are diagnosed, the better. I think he's doing you favour because you're friends."
"Or that I've had it before."
She looked directly at him and he couldn't keep the shock from his face.
"Aww, Nicky, I'm so sorry," Chase said eventually. She could see how gutted he was for her.
"Don't you think you should be wandering around your wards right now, looking important?" Nicky said smiling as she changed the subject, "Go on, I've got work to do. Oh and by the way, House is going to be late, he's got a meeting with Cuddy first thing, pass it on would you?"
"Sure, but you're okay though?" Chase asked, getting up and taking her hand. He gave it a squeeze.
"I'll be fine, don't worry."
It was nearly two hours later when she saw House. He walked into his office with his team following behind, they looked harassed as they sat down at the table and spread files out in front of them, he'd obviously left Cuddy's office and gone straight to the ward.
He glanced at her and nodded, giving her a ghost of a smile that flipped her stomach over.
He grabbed his markers and got down to business, she watched as they threw symptoms at him and he wrote them down, his brow furrowed in concentration. Nicky saw the time moving on and it was coming up for her appointment, she hadn't had a chance to tell House but she wasn't going to disturb him. A patient's life was hanging in the balance and the last thing she wanted to do was break his concentration.
She got up, grabbing the files she'd finished with and walked down the corridor to leave them with the Clerk for filing before carrying on to meet up with Wilson.
"So I didn't have to come looking for you today then?" Wilson said good-naturedly. "How's your arm?"
"It's okay," Nicky replied. "A bit stiff."
Nicky followed him and once she'd gowned up, laid down on the table. She'd been here before and knew the drill. She took off her necklace that her mother had given her, it was Welsh gold and she treasured it. She fingered the outline of the love spoon, it's intricate design adding texture and smoothness.
"Okay, Nicky, lots of clicks and bangs, all perfectly normal," Wilson said to her quietly, "nothing you haven't heard before."
She nodded her head and took deep breaths, it was still as nerve wracking though. She watched the nurses and radiographers milling around, getting ready.
Wilson came back into view, "House is here, do you want to talk to him before we start?"
Nicky nodded her head and heard the rhythmic thud of his stick as he walked across the floor.
"Hey," he said quietly, his eyes roamed over her face and he pushed her fringe out of her eyes.
She smiled.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier," he said, just as quietly. Chase had obviously just realised where she was and told him.
"You have a job to do, Greg," Nicky whispered.
"Did you get my message?" House asked, obviously knowing the answer already or Chase wouldn't have asked him how his meeting went.
She nodded, waiting for him to awkwardly tell her that it was just the moment.
He came closer to her, "Damn machines, they're just too reliable," he whispered, "I wanted to tell you again."
"W-what?" Nicky said, "You mean, you meant it?"
He nodded his head, "Yeah." He kissed her softly and smiled before Wilson called him away.
"Wait, Greg," she said suddenly.
He turned around looking worried.
"Look after this," she said, handing him the necklace, "its precious to me."
He looked down at it, turning it over in his palm and smiled before nodding and walking away once more.
Nicky listened to Wilson explain to her that she was about to go through the tunnel and to remain perfectly still. She breathed deeply as she moved through it, listening to the whirring and clicking.
"What's with you two?" Wilson couldn't help himself.
"Early days," House replied.
"So should you really be here?" Wilson asked, "I mean, ethically, you shouldn't."
"Are you going to get me thrown out?" House looked directly at him.
"Would it do any good?" Wilson bantered back.
"Nope."
"Well, then," Wilson grinned.
The both concentrated as the pictures came through, peering at the screen as her body showed up in different colours.
After a while, Wilson said, "It's more aggressive than I thought," he pointed at the screen with his pen tip, "see these lymph nodes? I'm not happy about them at all. I'll wait and see what the biopsy says before I tell her."
House watched quietly while Wilson printed out and measured, calculated, and scribbled notes, not wanting to disturb him. All the while his stomach was doing somersaults, praying that Nicky was still a fighter.
He was standing at the edge of the tunnel when Nicky came through it, smiling at her. She reached out for his hand and he took it and gave it a squeeze.
Wilson walked over and helped her up, "I'll come and find you once you've changed, Nicky." He smiled and she felt reassured.
Once again, House was waiting in the corridor for her,
"You didn't have to stick around," Nicky laughed.
"I fancied some company on the lonely walk back to my office," House countered. He put her necklace back on and told her how pretty it was.
As they walked, Nicky asked, "Did you see anything?"
"Wilson didn't say much, he was too busy looking you over," House smiled. "But there's not many men who can say they've seen the insides of their girlfriend's bodies now, is it?"
"Oh, so that's what I am to you?" Nicky said, feeling pleased.
He pulled her to a stop and looked deeply into her eyes, loving the way they were sparkling. "Yeah, if you'll have me."
"But what about the cancer, Greg?" she asked, the smile slipping from her face, "It's not fair to ask you to commit yourself and I'm not going to ask you to neither, knowing what I'm going to go through. A new relationship is under enough strain without the burden of cancer. You don't need a sick girlfriend, dragging you down. You'll resent me eventually, I've seen it before, remember?"
"Nicky, didn't you hear what I said?" House replied, "I'm crazy about you. I'm not Michael and I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you, understand?" He poked her gently in the shoulder and a smile lit up her face once more, although he could see she was worried about him, they both knew they were taking a lot on, but he couldn't help himself, he loved her and wanted to be with her, for always. Everything he'd ever said about cancer patients and their families went totally against the grain. He wanted her to get better and start a new life with him. He knew how relatives and friends felt now and it hurt like hell to watch them go through it. He wished it were him that was going to go through the treatment not the woman he had to finally admit he loved.
