AN: Some tagalog vocabulary
Kamusta ka? means How are are you?
Bakla means gay.
House and Wilson sat at Starbucks at SM Mall in Angeles on the 25th, people watching, it was eleven in the morning. They would be meeting a former classmate at the International School, that House had reconnected with via Facebook last year. Dr. Gabriella Vargas was House's childhood best friend. Her Father was a Filipino-American surgeon in the US Army who stayed in the country after the US military left in the early 90s
She was now a doctor herself; she finished medical school at the University of The Philippines and was now a staff doctor at a city hospital.
It had been drizzling all day, and House was cranky. It felt weird, the sound outside, even if he was wearing his noise-canceling headphones. The Supertyphoon was headed to the Philippines; however, the meteorologist had no idea where exactly it would make landfall.
"Greg?" Gabriella, a short, petite woman with long black hair and brown eyes, asked while walking towards House and Wilson's table.
House removed his headphones, stood up. To Wilson's astonishment, he hugged her. House doesn't usually hug people. "Kumusta ka, Gabby." He said.
"I am good, Greg." She went to acknowledge Wilson. "You must be Dr. James Wilson." Wilson gave a genuine smile.
"How is your father?" House asked, not looking at Gabriella.
" You know he is not doing too good; dementia and all," Gabby said.
House sighed, he wanted to do this like a typical person; he knew not to risk a meltdown in front of Gabby. "We are staying at the Marriott, care to join us? too many people."
Gabby knew him though and picked up on his anxiety. "Okay, How did you two get here?"
"Grab Car," Wilson said.
"Okay, I will drive you; if you two want?"
Wilson looked at House for what he wanted to do. "Okay, where is your car?" House asked his friend.
Gabby answered with a smile. "Not too far from here, you prefer to walk, Greg?" House took the cane, and Wilson took their half-empty coffee cups.
Gabby stuck by House's side; Wilson followed them out. Her car, a Toyota SUV was huge. "It looks like a monster Truck," House said and grinned, "I want that on the Volvo, Jimmy." He told Wilson loudly, Wilson smiled and shook his head.
Gabby smiled and got on the front while House sat next to her. Wilson sat at the back. It was raining hard when they got out of the mall. House was shaking his head in a nervous tick.
Gabby seemed not to notice the tick; she just drove the thirty-minute drive to the hotel. House was getting more anxious by the moment. Wilson was at a loss; she would know that House was stimming. "Greg? You okay?" Wilson said from the back of the car. House nodded.
They arrived at the hotel, the rain was getting in House's nerves. He needed to act somewhat typical, So, he followed Gabby with Wilson behind.
The three were at the hotel lobby in no time. House was tap-tap-tapping his fingers inside his cargo pant pocket; while the two follow him to the hotel's restaurant.
"So How was Greg? I bet he gets in trouble because of his brain." Gabby commented while they were walking to the hotel parking lot.
Wilson knew House usually celebrated 'autism awareness month' in April. He was also an outspoken advocate against ABA. However, House hadn't said anything about having Autism. "Ah..."
Gabby sighed, "I knew that he had autism, James. On the first day of school, his mother Blythe told the whole class. I didn't look at him differently. If he was smart then….." Gabby trailed out.
By this point, they sat at a quiet booth. "You were the most Brilliant kid in that school at the time," Gabby commented after they ordered food. "No wonder you are the best diagnostician in the world. You didn't tell me what are you and James doing here?"
House couldn't stop playing with Chase's gift, he smiled, however. "Working vacation, I am going to speak at the WHO summit on infectious diseases, I would be on HIV."
She smiled. "I'll be there myself." She said. "Let's go together?"
House's autism prevented from grasping the person's intention from what they say. "We are leaving in two days, Gab, sorry."
"I am going to manila on the 27th my son had a doctor's appointment." She told him. "It's no trouble." Gabby had a son with ADHD, Nick.
"Its no problem, if you want," House replied. House and Gabby reminisced about the old days, school days, and their work. House shared classic clinic stories. House was relaxed; Wilson noticed. The stimming almost stopped. Two hours later, Gabby left.
GH/JW
Two days later, the wind was blowing; it was raining hard, and House was anxious. The smell and the sound were getting on his nerves. They would be leaving in two hours. Gabby would pick them up; he needed to calm himself down.
The Typhoon, named Hannah, was the eighth tropical storm to enter the Philippines in 2019. The storm packed the strongest with winds of almost 200 miles, and gustiness of 260. While still in the Pacific ocean, it was moving West North-west with speeds of 35 MPH, according to CNN. If Hannah didn't change routes, this was the most enormous and most powerful storm since 2013's Haiyan or Yolanda.
House had once experienced a storm in thIs country; Monang in 1994. During which his father was doing his final tour. It was particularly scary. He also had worked during Sandy at Princeton, during which he and Wilson stayed in the hospital for three days. This could be a post-traumatic response to Sandy and Monang, not just his Autism. House drummed his fingers on his thighs to ease his anxiety.
He could hear Wilson speaking. "Greg, We're leaving in five! You don't pack yet." Wilson noticed him not moving and worriedly asked, "Greg? Everything alright?"
House wanted to call this a night and go back to Princeton, but he can't let his father win. "Yes, I'm fine." He stood up and packed his toiletry bag.
Wilson had spoken with Gabby yesterday, her son would sit in the front while House and Wilson would sit at the back. House's anxiety level was through the roof.
"I need a Luvox.." House said; he wasn't averse to taking psychotropic drugs to combat his anxiety. He got the pill from the pill bottle in his bag and took one.
"Greg, Gabby just called, they are at the lobby." House slung his backpack in his shoulder and followed Wilson out into the lifts.
Gabby saw them exit the elevator, she stood up. She went to hugged House, but a warning glance at Wilson halted her. "Greg?" She asked worriedly. "This is my son, Nicholas."
The boy gave House a once over and said, "You're weird."
Wilson and Gabby exhaled in relief when House laugh. "I like this kid. He is honest, Yes, Nick, I am Dr. Gregory House, and this is my husband, Dr. James Wilson, we're bakla."
Nicholas looked at his mother. "Gay?"
Gabby nodded her head. "Yes, Nicholas, they are gay."
They walked to the car; House and Nick talked about video games. House was a huge gamer, so he warmed to the idea of this kid. When they got to the car, Nick wanted to sit with House in the middle row. Wilson was nervous, but Gabby reminded him; that if House had any problems; he could join him.
As soon as they were on the road, the rain was pouring hard; not only there was a storm, but also it was monsoon season. House was nervously clenching and unclenching his hand, trying not to show how much the rain was getting on his nerves. If he was alone with Wilson, he would rock and hum, but in with the present company, no.
"Dr. House, You okay?" Nick asked, looking at House.
House sighed. "Is it okay that I rock a little, I need it." Wilson was reminded of the first time they met.
They met in Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. Wilson was a resident while House was a Volunteer during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. House had uttered those same words to Wilson very nervously, while they were on their first date. He had come a long way.
"Yes, What is your diagnosis?" The twelve-year-old asked, in the same way, that House just did.
House examined Nick's face, he might not understand sarcasm; he could see pity tenfold. When he was satisfied, he said, "Autism."
"I have dyslexia and ADHD." Nick offered, looking at him.
House looked at this kid. "Ah, You are really proud of it." He commented sarcastically. "Good for you."
House and Nick played with their gadgets, on the rest of the drive to Quezon City.
The four-hour drive was very tiring; the journey was fraught by flooding and heavy rains. Manila's traffic was awful. When they got to their first destination, she asked. "You won't join us at his appointment, or you want to eat out?" Gabby directed the question to House and Wilson.
"I am hungry," House said. "So see you later, kid."
Gabby dropped them off at a mall, while she and Nicholas went to the hospital.
Trinoma Mall was huge; House thought, as he entered the mall. There was a sign for a Filipino restaurant in the escalator up. They got up to the women's section. House dared to hold Wilson's hand while heading upstairs, although people looked; no one dared comment. It was like in Princeton. After eating, House went up to the video game section to buy Nick a game.
End of Chapter 4