Cuddy was awake now. She sprung from her bed and grabbed her housecoat, and was about to run out the door when she remembered: Rachel. She couldn't leave Rachel alone in the house; what if she woke up and cried and her mom didn't come?

She rushed into the nursery and grabbed Rachel out of the bed, wrapping her in the blanket. Rachel cried immediately, howling into her mom's chest.

"It's OK Rachel...it's OK...guess what? We're going to see your friend House! Do you remember House?" she soothed.

Slowly, Rachel stopped screaming and looked up at her mom, big blue eyes staring up at her.

"Howse…?" she said in the adorable way Cuddy knew her ex-boyfriend secretly loved.

"Yeah! We're going to see House! Come on; let's go!"

Cuddy quickly buckled her daughter into the booster seat and floored the gas as much as she could without speeding too much. When she reached House's apartment, she banged on the door.

"House! Open the door!" she yelled inside. Nobody answered. Then she remembered. Of course; the key. She still had it. She pulled it from her purse, slotting it into the lock and turning. She was in. She set Rachel already half asleep on the couch.

"Stay there baby, OK?" Her daughter nodded sleepily, her eyes shutting. Cuddy rushed around, calling for House. Finally, she got to the bathroom. She opened the door and saw House, arms splayed out and head lolling over the side of the bath. When she got closer to the unconscious man, she saw that blood covered his right leg and gloved hands.

"House?!" she yelled, panicked. This caused Rachel to wake up and cry, but she ignored it, hoping her daughter would go back to sleep.

Quickly, she checked House's pulse. It was thready. She shook him.

"House, wake up!"

Slowly, the man's eyes opened a slit. He groaned. He was pale and sweaty, and Cuddy knew if she didn't get him to the hospital soon he'd go into shock.

"House, I need to get you out of the tub. I'm calling 911."

Suddenly, House's hand shot out, missing its mark of Cuddy's wrist. "No...hospital...just...cut out...tumor…"

"What? What the hell are you talking about? What did you do?"

Then Cuddy noticed the scan hanging from the hook on the wall of the shower.

"Is that you?" she asked, pointing. House nodded, eyes unfocused.

"Okay, it'll be OK. We're going to the hospital."

"No ambulance...OW!" House yelled as he shifted his leg by accident. Involuntary tears fell from his eyes, and Cuddy couldn't tell if they were from pain, frustration, or something else. All she knew was she wasn't going to be able to get House onto an ambulance.

"Okay...okay...no ambulance. I need to wrap it up though. It's going to hurt and I'm sorry."

House nodded, looking like he was going to pass out again. Cuddy slapped his arm. "Stay awake," she commanded. She grabbed a towel from House's bathroom closet and lifted his leg so it sat under. House howled when she moved his leg.

"I'm sorry...almost done...please sit still…" Quickly, she wrapped the towel tightly over the wound, her ex-boyfriend still howling uncontrollably at her touch.

"I'm done! It's OK! Please stop…"

He stopped, sniffling and grimacing in pain. She had never seen him this bad.

"Okay, we're gonna get you out. Use your left leg to stand, OK? And take deep breaths. Do you still have that wheelchair?" Cuddy asked. House nodded.

"Okay, I'll get that. Where is it?"

"Closet…"

Cuddy rushed to the closet and wheeled the chair out. She noticed her daughter was awake.

"Howse…?" she asked tiredly.

"Later. Stay right there. Don't move. Like a statue, OK?"

Rachel nodded, grinning and sitting on the couch.

Cuddy lifted House up on his left leg, careful not to let him put any weight on his right. He didn't scream, but his face said it all, and he was sweating and shivering.

Carefully, the administrator lifted House into the chair, grunting. She adjusted his legs so he'd be more comfortable. It didn't help. He looked like he'd pass out again.

"You can't pass out. Where are your pills?"

House pointed to the tray he'd been using for his hair-brained scheme.

Cuddy grabbed the pills and liquor and thrust them into House's hands.

"Not too much," she instructed. House's shaky hands opened the bottles and did as she said. Cuddy grabbed Rachel and strapped her in the back of the car. Then she went back for House. Carefully, she wheeled his chair down the three steps to her car, lying him in the back seat. He bit his lip until it bled, trying not to make noise. Cuddy hopped in the driver's seat and started towards the hospital.

"Argh!" Rachel said gleefully, staring at House expectantly.

"Argh!" he said back weakly, squeezing his eyes shut when Cuddy drove over a pothole.

"Sorry!" she said from the front seat. Rachel reached over and grabbed his hand, playing with his long fingers.

"Howse," she grinned. House tried to smile back at her but only winced. At another bump in the road, his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped against the leather of the back seat.

"Howse wake up! Mama said no sleepy!"

"Rachel, is House asleep?" Cuddy asked, dreading the answer. Her daughter nodded.

"He was tired," she said.

Cuddy drove even faster.