"Hello Mrs. Lovett," Chase greeted when he found her in the room with her husband.
The little girl was sucking her thumb and sitting on a chair to the corner. No doubt to Chase's dismay that she was trying to stay unoticed by everybody. He felt sorry for her having to watch over herself because toddlers should have people to pretect them, someone that they could trust.
"What is it this time," Mrs. Lovett asked annoyed.
"Your name is Evee Lovett right," Chase asked.
"Yeah," Mrs. Lovett replied tightlipped.
"I'm just making sure, okay," Chase pretended to do just that and then pretended to spot the little girl on the spot.
He pointed towards her and asked, "What's her name?"
"Madison Lynn Lovett," Mrs. Lovett answered with resentment.
"She doesn't look so good, I'm going to have to check her out okay," Chase instructed her.
"Fine, the brat was irritating George anyway," she obligued.
Chase nodded and went over to the little girl. Madison didn't hold eye contact with him and instead looked out the window. Seeing what was so interesting about the window, he found nothing so he wondered why she'd look there so intently, but deep down he knew.
"Is she autistic," he asked just to be sure.
"No, just really dumb," Mrs. Lovett answered.
"So what's wrong with my husband," she asked hesitantly.
"It's aplastic anemia, so an oncologist is going to be on the case," Chase explained as Madison looked at the floor.
Chase would have thought she was pouting had she been sulking. Mrs. Lovett gasped and looked truly scared, although she gave no thought to the toddler who was no doubt under weight and had some type of virus. He couldn't believe someone would do that to a child but then no one could explain the big mystery of why people do what they do.
"Is he going to die," Mrs. Lovett asked.
"It's likely but Dr. Wilson is on the case and he's a great doctor," Chase added.
"Is she your daughter," Chase asked as an afterthought.
"No my stupid grandaughter that is a terrible burden left by my daughter who was also stupid," Mrs. Lovett shrieked.
Chase nodded and went to get the toddler's small hand, but she let out a wail and edged back. Mrs. Lovett sighed and picked Madison up by her arm and handed her to Chase. He was a little suprised by the maltreatment but didn't hesitate to take her out of the room.
House stopped Chase as he was heading towards the pediatrics unit. He
was suprised when he took off with short notice and now he had a little child in his arms. He smiled down at her and then settled on Chase who looked annoyed at being delayed.
"Your kidknapping now, I know I taught you how to do B&E's but don't you think this is a little too far," he asked the Aussie.
"House, if you must know, she needs a pediatrician and I'm not going to let her stay where her grandmother will hurt her," Chase said.
"Cameron must be getting to you because you have never cared for a kid's well being before," House remarked making a funny face.
Madison was now content on being held by Chase, but the funny face made her brake into tears. House backed up a bit, he hated whiny kids and that kid there was definately defined in that category. Chase rolled his eyes at House's attitude.
"She's not a brat, in fact you could have Cameron call social services if you want because I've seen obvious signs of it," Chase explained as Madison burrowed her face into his shoulder.
"Fine, we'll get a social worker on it, but at the mean time take whinny to the baby doctor," House said taking another look at the toddler before leaving.
"He didn't mean it, Madison-you don't mind if I call you Maddie Lynn do ya," Chase asked when House left.
Madison looked up at him and nodded before putting a thumb in her mouth.
Chase went over to the nurse on call and asked, " Is Dr. Sela available?"
Chase wasn't being picky on who would look over her, it was the fact that Dr. Sela was good with kids who were neglected or abused and knew the signs well. Since it was a suspected case, she would be perfect.
Dr. Sela came and couldn't hide the smile from her face. It was very hard to picture Chase actually being with a child but this was priceless and she wished she had her camera with her. The girl was laying her head against his shoulder and holding a fist full of his lab coat in her hand.
"Dr. Chase what have you got yourself into," she asked.
"Your specialty area," Chase said handing her over.
"Nooooooooo,"Maddie Lynn cried holding onto Chase.
"She's latched onto to you," Dr. Sela commented with a smile.
"Please, I'll be back with some ice cream," Chase promised.
Maddie Lynn let go hesitantly and pouted a little at the prospect of being without the nice man doctor for some time. Dr. Sela gave Chase a knowing smirk and he rolled his eyes. It would be bad enough when his collegues found out so he didn't need this doctor to act like this.
"I'll be back Maddie Lynn, I promise," Chase said before he left.
Cameron went over to House who was playing his game boy at his desk. She had called Social Services like House had asked, but she still didn't know why and that was just annoying.
"House why did I have to call Social Services, did the guy beat his wife or the other way around," she asked him annoyingly.
"No they beat their little toddler grandaughter who Chase has gotten close to," House answered truthfully.
"Really," Cameron asked in disbelief.
"No I made it all up because I'm bored, we have no case, Foreman is with his little bunny cakes, or Chase isn't around to mock. Of course I wouldn't make that up, it's too serious," House added as an after thought.
"What House," Foreman heard the part about him and wasn't happy about it.
"Never mind, Chase is helping a little kid who was hit by grandma," House replied returning back to his game boy.
Both collegues rolled their eyes.
Chase looked at the birth certificate in disbelief. It was crazy but Maddie Lynn Lovett was Madison Lynn Chase on the birth certificate. The mother was also someone he had dated in med school, but he hadn't known she had had a kid. She had left him for unknown reason and he hadn't known why but now he wondered if it was because of the fact that she had became pregnant. Why she hadn't told him was what he would like to know but he didn't know if she was alive or dead, given the fact that Maddie Lynn was raised by her grand parents from birth it seemed.
He flinched when he realized what the toddler must have went through for her short life and the fact that she seemed to be just fine with things the way they were and fled once things got complicated. There then came the real tough decision of whether to raise her or not. Could he do it or would he be worse than her grandmother was? All these thoughts went through his mind as he went back to the pediatrics unit. Maddie Lynn sat up and waited patiently for him. He smiled and then realized he owed her icecream so he quickly went to the cafeteria to get it and then made it back to see her sort of loose her smile at first but then it brightened.
"Here ya go Maddie Lynn," he put it on the tray for her and watched as she made a sloppy mess.
"Here," Chase commented wiping her face.
"Let's get you a bath," he said once she once finished.
Maddie Lynn must have forgotten all of her fear because she shook her head and said, "No go, No go!"
"You could play," Chase added hopefully.
Maddie Lynn seemed to think it through and then she crossed her arms and gave him a look that he knew meant no.
This was going to be hard, Chase thought as he picked her up and suprisingly she didn't wail.