CHAPTER 7: DECISIVE STEPS
The light of the day shone, strong and bright. Dominika stirred and opened her eyes. It had literally been ages since the last time she'd enjoyed a comfortable bed. She looked at the time, realizing she'd overslept. Truth be told, she'd been so tired, being deprived of sleep for more than 24 hours, that on the very moment her head was on the pillow, she'd drifted off to sleep. Last night, she'd been adamant she wanted to sit by House's side in the hospital, but he'd gently advised her to go get some rest, insisting he'd be fine. As she was getting dressed, she reflected on latest events. It was as if a whirlwind passed through her life and turned everything upside down. Yet, it had been for good, not for bad. What she had deemed as impossible, namely her feelings for the man who was her husband in paper to be reciprocated, was now turning into a reality. She feeling strong and invigorated, due to both the long and nice sleep and because of House's declaration that he wanted to be with her. She entertained some hope that he would finally accept the offer from the Oregon hospital. It would be a new beginning, a turning of the page for both of them, the commencement of a new stage in their lives, now entwined and made one.
Immediately after finishing dressing, she gave him a call. "Good morning", she said. "More like noon", he corrected her. "Blame the nice soft mattress", she replied, chuckling. "See what you miss when you skip town for imaginary boyfriends", he chided, jesting, eliciting another short laugh from her. "How are you?", she asked. "Now that I've heard from you, much better", he responded. "Gotta be there in less than an hour", she said and the call ended soon afterwards.
Masters knocked and then entered the room. "Examination time?", House enquired. "Something better", she replied. "You can go today. The results of the tests show you are fine... At least, as fine as you were before...", her voice trailed off. "Before I screwed up with the experimental meds, you wanted to say", he finished the sentence for her. "Did you think about what I told you yesterday?", the younger doctor asked. "Yep. It's about time I move on. Give me the phone number of your boss-to-be, gotta talk to him", he replied. Masters was positively surprised.
Meanwhile, Cuddy had a difficult time reconciling with what she'd heard earlier in the morning. Not only had the renowned performance artist Afsoun Hamidi been taken to Princeton-Plainsboro, her assistant Luca was now demanding that Dr. Gregory House take the case. Wilson was now standing opposite her, saying, "I told you yesterday, firing House will have a very negative impact on the hospital's reputation". "Technically, he isn't fired yet", she answered, having much in her mind. "You can't request he takes Afsoun's case and fire him afterwards. The board will question your decision, no matter how much they hate House", Wilson replied. "One way or another, your friend will make a mess", she remarked. "Blaming him for having the well-earned reputation of being a medical genius is illogical", the oncologist stated. "I blame him for disappearing without an explanation. I blame him for letting our breakup affect his judgment and do one stupid thing after the other. I don't have time for saying the same things again and again", she retorted. "And what do we do now with Afsoun? I can try to do my best, but I'm afraid she'll accept treatment only if House is the one diagnosing her", he responded, adding, "You accuse him of refusing to move on, but I don't see you doing anything in that direction". "You're wrong. Not that it's your business, but I have a date with Jerry tonight", she replied with a triumphant smile. "Isn't this as immature as his... marriage?", the oncologist suggested. "Really? You compare a date with a well-known and respectable person with a reputable profession like Jerry Barrett with a sham wedding with an immigrant green-card seeker?", she answered, letting some of her anger out. "What I'm saying is that both of you are acting like hurt teens and not adults. Had you spent half the energy you've spent with stupidities in trying to talk and work it out, it would be a blessing, for everyone here", he responded, leaving her office.
Dominika was getting ready to leave the hotel and go to check on House, when she saw his call. She answered the phone, greeting him. He replied with a question, "You still in your hotel?". "I'm just leaving", she replied. "Check out", he instructed, "I'm getting out of hospital at the moment. Meet me here. We gotta go for lunch and back to Princeton". "You mean you are fine?", she enquired. "Still limping. I'm just as I was before I took those experimental meds", he responded, adding, "Have more news to tell you with lunch. I think you'll like them". "If news is good for you, I surely like it", she answered, before hanging up. She heeded his instructions, checking out of the hotel and calling a cab in the matter of some minutes.
The lunch was delicious, but it wasn't the chief source of Dominika's cheerfulness. "It's like our first date", she remarked, when sitting opposite House. "Other couples go first for a date, leaving marriage for later. We did it the other way around", he quipped. "At least, it's not boring this way", she replied, flashing him a smile. As she stabbed a piece of food with her fork, he slapped her hand away, playfully remarking, "Let me return the favor from yesterday", feeding her the portion instead. "Mmm, you are growing bold", she replied, "I like this", smiling again. "And I like this", he answered, indicating her smile. "So, what was news you wished to tell me about?", she asked. "I called the Dean of Medicine of the Oregon hospital. I start working there on September. You know, after our yesterday talk about moving on, I thought it's the best chance I've got for that", he answered. "This means we are...", she started to say, to be interrupted by him, "Yes. We are moving in Oregon. Tomorrow, I'm gonna quit my current job. Then, we're looking for a new home, in Oregon. And, before I start working in my new place, I...", he stopped for a moment and cleared his throat, "I owe you a proper honeymoon". Hearing those words, she almost literally jumped from her chair, ran over to him and hugged him tight. "Calm down, honey", he quipped, "people will say we are in love". "And they are right", she whispered to his ear, giggling. They spent the rest of the time in the restaurant making small talk and enjoying their lunch, occasionally holding each other's hand.
"At least she's out of danger now, but we still have no clue about what she has", Wilson informed Cuddy, adding, "The media are really doing us more harm than good with the publicity they've given to the case". "Find out what she has. If necessary, call House again", she answered. "Last time I called, he said he wasn't gonna spoil a good lunch by talking about the case. He only recommended the procedure we underwent and managed to stabilize her", Wilson replied. "Then, work harder", Cuddy implored. "So many doctors, with years of experience, top grades and good reputation, and you still depend on House for a diagnosis?", she further stated. "You know better than anybody else how many times House has saved patients and the hospital's reputation with his methods. But, you still think that the best way to proceed is to fire him. I can't pretend to understand this", the oncologist responded. "If House dares to appear tomorrow, send him directly to my office", Cuddy ordered him. "It's about time we sort everything out", she clarified. "Exactly what I've been saying to both of you all this time. Relax, have a discussion like proper grown-ups and move on", Wilson observed. "Let's see if he can act like a proper grown-up for once", she remarked sarcastically.
The sun had already set for hours when the couple arrived back at home. "Welcome back home", he stated, opening the door. "This time, it feels like home for real", Dominika mused, entering. "Not for much longer, but, yes", House observed. "You sure about tomorrow?", she asked him, joining him on the couch. "Never was so sure about anything", he replied. Fixing his gaze on her, he added, "But, tomorrow, when I introduce you to them for the second time, you're gonna be my wife for real". "We're already married, no?", she teased, pointing towards her wedding ring. "I mean... For real", he answered and pulled her in, their lips meeting as they kissed passionately. He lifted her up, for all the pain in his leg, and took her to bed, making his mark, making her his wife in deed, as the sounds of their lovemaking echoed through his bedroom.