**Disclaimer: I mention in this chapter about Cuddy and her failed attempts at IVF. She is upset by this. When I reference the "natural" way of having children, please do not think that I am dismissing adoption. I know and understand how those who/are adopted may feel offended when people consider the biological way of having children as the "natural" way. It's natural to adopt AND have babies. I was adopted myself; I understand how terminology can be damaging. Please read with care and my message in mind. Thank you.
Foreman stood next to Addy's hospital bed, talking to her about the Metronidazole treatment. "I need you to take this twice a day." He handed her the medication and a cup of water.
"And this will make me better?" Addy asked.
"It should."
"Thank you, Doctor." Addy swallowed the pills.
Foreman nodded and walked out the room. He was met by Cameron and Chase.
"House needs us." Cameron said, leading the group back to her boss's office. The immunologist was walking at a pace faster than the others.
"What's the rush?" Chase struggled to keep up; Cameron may have been smaller than them, but she was most definitely not the slowest.
"He said it was an emergency."
"Why didn't he just page us then? What could possible be more important than our current patient?"
"Not sure." Cameron ushered them. "Keep up."
House was sitting on his chair, staring at a crumbled up piece of paper that lay on the floor next to his trashcan.
"What's the emergency?" Foreman asked, suspicious of it's importance.
"I missed the basket." House looked up when no one responded.
"Seriously, House?"
"What? I can't get up. Bum leg, remember?"
Chase picked up the trash.
"Thank you, honey." House joked.
Later, Foreman and Cameron went to check up on Addy. She had been reacting well to her medication so far.
"How are you feeling?" Cameron asked.
Addy swallowed another pill before answering, "Pretty good." A minute after taking the pill, Addy sat up. She clutched her chest.
"What's wrong?" Foreman asked.
"My heart... it's beating... so fast."
"It's perfectly normal to experience palpitations when taking those. Just take some deep breathes." Foreman assured her.
The young patient could not relax, her breathing became staggered and raspy. She was gasping for air.
"She can't breathe!" Cameron yelled. "She needs to be intubated!" She and Foreman worked together, inserting the tube into Addy's chest. When they got her stable, Foreman spoke up.
"That is not a normal reaction to Metronidazole."
The two headed back to House's office.
"She had a pulmonary embolism." Cameron said, catching House off guard. He had been sitting far back in his chair, and Cameron's voice made him jump.
"And I nearly had a heart attack!"
Cameron ignored him. "We were wrong, there's something else going on here. It could be Staphylococcus; the symptoms mirror Lemierre's."
"The CRP test was positive for Lemierre's." Foreman added.
"That doesn't mean anything." Cameron responded, getting up from his chair.
"So did the ESR, CT, and ultrasound." Foreman scoffed. "It has to be Lemierre's."
"Then how come it's not?" House limped over to the board. "Chase noticed that she has a rash on her upper thigh. It's a wonder how he knows that." House sarcastically added.
Chase, obviously embarrassed by House's accusation, avoided eye contact with the rest of him team. "It's a staph infection. See, Chase, you didn't have to feel her up to figure that out. Cameron did without even touching her. Although, I don't think I'd have a problem if she was the one-"
"She showed it to me." The blonde crossed his arms.
"Why didn't she show any one else? We've been in her room several times, she had plenty of opportunities."
"Maybe she just trusts me more." Chase smirked.
House examined the white board. "Start her on nafcillin and take her off Metronidazole. She'll be out of here by tomorrow." House looked at Chase. "You better be careful, your little girlfriend has a highly contagious, pus-filled skin disorder. I don't know how much touching you're gonna want to be doing."
Cuddy sat in her office, finishing up some long-procrastinated paperwork. She had very busy lately, and pushed some responsibilities aside. The last thing she needed was for House to barge in every half-hour, bugging her.
"What is it, House?" Cuddy exclaimed, it was the fourth time he's been in there.
"A little moody, I see."
"You're distracting me."
"The only thing distracting me are those boobs. Would you like a little shirt with that chest, Dr. Cuddy?"
Cuddy was in no mood for House's quips. On top of all of her work stress, she was trying to get pregnant. That's what she wanted most in life- a baby. She had tried everything to have a baby naturally but all of her attempts had failed. She had been to an OB-GYN who told her that her chances of being able to get pregnant were slim to none. It wasn't going to happen, she wasn't going to be a mother. "Knock it off."
"How hormonal. That's a good sign, right? Hormonal, big boobs..."
"I'm not pregnant." She said this with a soft voice. "I need to finish this up, go bother Wilson or something."
House noticed that something was wrong with her. There was no spark in her eyes, the one that signaled she was fine with the joking. She didn't send any jabs back his way. Normally, when he mentioned her firm boobs or emotional state, she replied with anger. But, this time, it was with a twinge of disappointment. He knew it would be mean to make any more jokes, but he didn't really know how to be nice without it being weird. "The offer's still good, if you wanna do me."
She couldn't take much more. "House, please." Cuddy wanted him to go. She was so close to loosing it and didn't need House seeing her break down. It would make her the butt of all his jokes for as long as he lived. "Leave."
House narrowed his eyes. "There's a really good nurse down in oncology, he's tall, handsome-" He stepped too far, Cuddy wasn't taking.
Covering her face, Cuddy choked back the tears that forced themselves down her cheeks. She sobbed into her hands, not wanting uncover her face.
House awkwardly limped behind her desk, ushering her into his arms. "Cuddy, I'm sorry."
Her body was shaking in his grasp. She had been holding in her feelings for too long, and now, it was all coming out. It took her a few moments before she could speak. "It's not you, House." She gathered herself up as much as she could and broke away from House's embrace. "It's me. I can't get pregnant. My doctor told me. It's not gonna happen."
He felt like as ass. He wouldn't have joked like that is he knew she was suffering. "Babies are overrated, huh? All the crying, poopy diapers." He could tell that his attempt at consoling her failed miserably by Cuddy's reversion to her previous state, sobbing into his chest.
"I wanted a baby. That's all I ever really wanted, House. I failed. I failed at the one thing I ever wanted. Everything I succeeded in-medical school, this hospital...- they don't matter! Not if I can't have a baby." Her sobs weren't getting any quieter, so House decided it would be a good idea to close the curtains. He didn't want to embarrass Cuddy any more.
He didn't know what to say. He couldn't say that everything would be okay, because he didn't know that. So, he just stood there, Cuddy in his arms, stroking her hair slowly. "Shhh, breathe, Cuddy." He added something, "You didn't fail."
Cuddy couldn't respond. Eventually, she did stop crying. She looked up at House, wondering what fresh hell she looked like. "Sorry," she saw mascara on her shirt. "I got a little-"
"It's okay." He had never seen her cry like she had just done. She wasn't one to do so. Occasionally, Cuddy's eyes would water and redden, but she'd swipe away her tears and get over it. This meant a lot to her. It was breaking her.
"I'll- uh- I'll just get back to work," Cuddy said, breaking away suddenly from the embrace. She went back to her computer, the only indicator that she just experienced a breakdown were her puffy eyes and rosy cheeks.
House looked at her for a second before turning away and limping out of her office.
Cuddy stopped him, "House, wait."
He turned around.
"Thank you, for, uh, being there."
House simply nodded.
"You're not gonna-" She added, slightly worried.
"Tell anyone? No." No matter how mean he had ever been, there was no way he was going to blab about his boss's meltdown.
"Thanks." She said again, smiling slightly.
House left, closing the door slowly behind him.
"Where have you been?" Cameron asked, desperation on her face.
"Just finishing up some business." House half-lied.
"Addy's son has been admitted." Cameron said, concern covering her face. "He has the same symptoms as mom."