"To Have and Have Not"
Chapter Six – "Having Fate Step In"
By: purpleu
Wilson's frown knitted his brows together as he sat at his dining room table looking over reports, recommendations and predictions of doom. Somewhere hidden in the stack of paperwork was the answer to the problems plaguing the hospital; then again, maybe not. He and Foreman had been over things from so many angles with accounting and finance people, fundraising and development… even the maintenance department, counting every screw and light bulb used around the place. It bothers the hell out of the both of them that they were forced to nickel and dime every expense on the hospital's books. That and the fact that as doctors, they should be dealing directly with caring for patients, not having their time taken up with this nonsense. It got under Wilson's skin more than Foreman's; his cancer patients, especially the children were very important to him. That's why talk of eliminating things like the playroom in the cancer ward and resident facilities where the families could stay really troubled him. It was a long hard fight that he put in to obtain those comforts in the first place; now to hear someone blithely talk about removing them made him mad. He also felt protective over House's department, too often a target by those with no understanding of its importance. The team knew about diseases that rarely make text books, never mind present themselves in the flesh. House's knowledge of medicine, his insights into how the body works as well as how to deal with unusual circumstances, was unparalleled. He also had observational skills and a radar for human nature that was amazing. Put it all together, and how could you think that the Diagnostics Department wasn't important? It was a shame that his anti-social behavior kept people at a distance. Wilson smiled. Then again, that was just the way House wanted it. Needing a break from the work he was trying to make sense of, Wilson rose from the table, and headed into the kitchen where Annie was getting something to eat.
"Hey, Babe… how's it going?" his wife asked giving him a kiss.
"It's not going anywhere," Wilson said dejectedly. He looked at the plate in front of Annie. "Are those the oatmeal Raisinette cookies you made the other day?" he inquired as he got a beer out of the refrigerator.
"Yep… just four left. Want one? Although I don't know how well they'd go with a Heineken," Annie noted.
"I need all the comfort food I can get," her husband replied. "Only one way to find out if this works." He picked up one of the cookies, took a bite, and washed it down with a drink of the brew. "I will grant you it's an acquired taste, but I'm not complaining." Laughing, Annie reached up to Wilson's shoulders, and began massaging them as he faced her. He removed the reading glasses he had finally given in to some months ago, and closed his eyes. The gentle, but firm motion of Annie's hands brought a smile to his face.
"Your muscles are so tense," she said as she moved around behind him to work on his back as well. "I wish I could offer some help to you with this project." Wilson put his bottle of beer down, placed his hands on the edge of the counter, and leaned over to make things easier for his wife.
"If you could help me figure out why I have to… ouch… worry about the number of rolls of toilet paper the employee bathrooms are using each month, instead of concentrating on something important… ah… like how to get a grant for another Cyberknife unit so I can help my patients, that… " Wilson let out a deep breath. "That'd be a step in the right direction." He ended his rant by dropping his head down. "I think I liked medicine better when I didn't have to worry about how it was paid for."
"This is probably of little comfort to you, but the arts and arts education go through the same thing. We used to always keep things around, little incidentals that a student might need; some rosin, a set of strings, slide grease, extra reeds for clarinets and oboes… now we don't even keep any guitar picks around the department. And the wholesale cost on one-hundred of them is under five dollars! We don't have loose sheets of blank staff paper in the library any more, in case someone gets inspired as they do research," Annie complained as she shook her head. "Oh, but we can talk about expanding the general library… again. The new expansion took place only five years ago; a little planning would have gone a long way to saving some money. They're cutting clerical staff, not giving tenure to people who deserve it… it's a mess." Wilson turned around to look at Annie.
"I was wondering what was up with you. When I came home yesterday you seemed to have been in a very… down mood. After dinner, you were eating ice cream straight out of the carton; if there's one thing I've learned… never ask a woman how she is when she's eating ice cream straight from the carton." Annie laughed.
"It could have been a craving," she pointed out.
"Nah… instead of looking happier, you looked like you were about to cry with each spoonful." Annie looked away from her husband. She had put down the cookie she had started to munch on in order to rub his shoulders and back. Now, she picked it up again, taking a small bite, but not acknowledging Wilson's attempts to get her to look at him. "There's something else wrong… something you're not telling me." Annie let out a sigh.
"I had a conference call with several of the bigwigs at the Philharmonic. They are planning to take the orchestra to Australia and New Zealand; we would play for Queen Elizabeth when she and Prince Philip visit there. They asked me to go." Wilson's face broke out in a huge grin.
"Whoa! Honey, that's fabulous!" he said giving Annie a big hug. His wife shook her head.
"I told them I can't do it." Wilson's happy expression turned to puzzlement.
"What? Why?" He then realize what the problem was. "When is the tour?" Annie rolled her eyes.
"It starts in July and ends in August right before school starts. The baby would be around three months old. I… I just can't leave it back here while I'm thousands of miles away. Besides, who knows if I'll even be up to traveling by then? It's a miracle I'm even pregnant; who knows what the delivery process will take out of me?" Wilson was quickly thinking their situation through, but he had no easy answers.
"Damn! If I wasn't so… tied down by this stupid administrative debacle, the baby and I could go with you." Annie once again shook her head as she opened the refrigerator and took out the milk.
"One, I don't think it would be a good idea to take a baby that little out of the country and hop around the world with it; and two… we'd have to pay for you and the baby as far as transportation, food and lodging. Air fare to Australia plus six weeks of food and housing would be way too expensive." Wilson retrieved a glass from the cabinet for her and kissed the top of her head.
"Hey… I'm not going to let all the money I'm saving by not having to pay alimony any more go to waste. I can't think of a better way to use it than to have a six week vacation with my beautiful wife and baby," Wilson said with a smile. Annie gave him a look as she poured the milk.
"I hate to disagree, but I can think of something better; a deposit on a house for us. It's a moot point since I already told them no. And besides, it's more the fact that I'm really not comfortable taking that kind of a trip with the baby." Wilson sighed.
"I… I get that you don't want to travel with the baby. I just hate to see you miss this kind of opportunity." He reached out for her as she put the milk away and closed the door. "You've waited ten, twelve years to do this kind of performance again. I know you're not saying anything, but it does bother you." Annie nodded as she gave her husband a hug.
"In a way, it bothers me; but then I think about the fact that I have the performances here the U.S. with the Philharmonic and my work with the college's orchestra and string quartet, and I know I'll be OK." Annie pulled back so she could see Wilson's face. "I can be perfectly happy playing for my husband and singing lullabies to my baby." Wilson smiled.
"You're amazing, you know that?" Wilson reached down and took his wife's hand. "Little one and I will be the best audience you've ever have… promise. Even if I have no idea what you're playing. And don't worry about the down payment on a house. This condo has gone up in value tremendously since I bought it. The difference between the selling price and the balance I owe on the bank loan will make for a very nice deposit."
"I wasn't doubting you, sweetie. Our finances are in great shape… as opposed to the crap you have to deal with at the hospital."
"Don't remind me," said Wilson, glaring at the dining room table as he took a swig of beer. "I'll tell you, Lydia's been a miracle worker with how she's turned around the collection percentage from the insurance and billing departments. I don't know why we didn't have an overall supervisor a long time ago instead of each section working independently. It lead to a severe lack of communication among all areas and stagnated the money flow." Wilson laughed just before taking another bite of his cookie. "She's even gotten House to keep his department's charts moving down to billing at a more regular pace."
"And I'll bet he had some kind of comment about the methods she used to convince him to do his work," Annie said with a twinkle in her eye. Wilson appeared slightly embarrassed as he started to peel the label off of his bottle.
"Yeah… it involved Lydia hiding under his desk and making him forget he was at work." Milk almost spurted out of Annie's nostrils as she reacted to her husband's comment.
"Oh… oh I do like my pal's way of handling things," laughed Annie.
"I never said she actually did it; I just repeated House's warped bragging," noted Wilson. "Hey, don't get me in trouble with your best friend. I owe her my eternal loyalty since she's managed to get House to live a happier life and act a bit more like an actual adult. That transformation may not always be on display to the general public, but I know it's there. I've gotten him to open up more about his past, and… I understand him better than I used to. I… feel it's brought us closer." Wilson took a bite of his cookie. "I like it." Annie gave Wilson a hug.
"I'm sure he likes it, too," she said. "Although you'd be hard pressed to get him to say it." Wilson's phone started to buzz, indicating he had received a text. Opening it up and reading it, he began to laugh.
"Speak of the devil," he said giving his phone to Annie. The message said:
Offering you the opportunity to make the deal of a lifetime. For sale: Two children, one male, one female. Slightly used but in good condition. They respond well to commands, but will eat you out of house and home. The boy is going to be a brilliant doctor (like someone he knows really well) and the girl is a future musician and educator who will be playing Carnegie Hall by the time she's ten. If interested, they are downstairs with their brokers in the freezing cold waiting to be buzzed in.
"It's a good thing I know that Greg really does love those two kids… even if he never comes out and says it," noted Annie as she handed the phone back. She walked over the intercom, and called up the video screen so she could confirm who was at the door. Lydia, House, and the children appeared before her. "Thank you, but we don't want any," she said sarcastically into the intercom.
"We're negotiable on price," House replied.
"Plus they come with a year's supply of cookies," Lydia chimed in.
"That seals the deal for me," Wilson said reaching in front of his wife and pressing the buzzer to let them into the building.
"You jumped at that offer pretty fast," commented Annie.
"Why not? Between you and Lydia, you could open up your own bakery if you wanted to… or café… or both," Wilson said trying to dig himself out from under his wife's withering look.
"Uh-huh. We'll put it on our list of things to do. Which includes taking care of the children and the men in our lives." The sound of the doorbell saved Wilson from the dangerous conversation he had gotten himself into. Annie opened the door and looked at the four people standing in front of her. "Before you come in, have they had their shots?" she asked pointing to her niece and nephew.
"They have, but I haven't," House said as he pushed his way past Annie.
"Hi, Aunt Annie!" the kids chimed out together.
"Hey, sweeties! How have you two been?" she asked, getting hugs that almost knocked her over.
"Very busy getting ready to be sold," Elise said with a serious expression on her face.
"House said I should list all our selling points on a sheet of paper," said Ben.
"All he has so far is a blank sheet of paper," House noted. Annie shook her head as she moved to Lydia and gave her a hug. The kids, Lydia, and House took off their coats and hats. Wilson gathered them up and brought them to the bedroom.
"Can I get anyone something to drink?" he asked when he returned a minute later. Wilson gave a quick kiss to Lydia as she sat down on the love seat next to House.
"No, cause first we have to give you hugs," Elise said skipping over to her uncle and wrapping him in a tight hug. Ben walked to the two, holding his hand up for a high five.
"Why do you always give me a high five and House a fist bump?" Wilson asked.
"Because he knows I'm aware of modern culture while you're adrift somewhere in the 1980's," said House. When Wilson opened his mouth to protest, his friend cut him off. "The first three song on your iPod are by ABBA, Madonna, and Culture Club." Wilson sadly shook his head.
"I hate it when you're right," he said. The ladies laughed as Annie sat down on the couch.
"So… seriously; what's all this nonsense about selling the kids? I'd blame it on a liquid dinner, but I know you two are more responsible than that. What's going on?"
"What's going on is we need to make some room… that's all," Lydia said, biting the inside of her lip so she wouldn't say too much.
"But… why do you need to make more room?" Wilson asked, sitting down beside his wife.
"Because I'm finally getting something I've been wanting for a long, long time," House said with a grin. Wilson rolled his eyes.
"House… what did you manage to talk this poor woman into? Because I know there are some… pretty crazy things you've been wanting for a while now."
"Babe, you're jumping to conclusions," Annie said putting her hand on her husband's arm. "My guess would be that they're getting a puppy."
"I resent having the fruit of my loins called a dog," House said as Ben an Elise approached the couch with his cell phone. Ben turned it around so that the sonogram image was facing his aunt and uncle. Wilson's and Annie's eyes opened wide in surprise.
"Oh… oh my God!" Annie exclaimed as she stared at the screen. "You hired a surrogate?" Lydia looked indignant and put her hand on her hip.
"You are not the only one around here who's allowed to get fat, you know," she said in a teasing tone. If possible, the pair on the couch looked in even more shock than before.
"You… you… you're pregnant?" Annie finally managed to get out. "But how?" House rolled his eyes.
"Great… another one whose mother never told her that all you have to do is push the belly button and the kid pops out," he groused. "It works more smoothly than the vending machine at work." Lydia sat back on the couch with a serene smile and her hand on her stomach; she was enjoying watching her friend's reaction.
"You're not busting chops… you're completely serious?" Wilson asked, still dumbfounded by the news.
"Putting it mildly since Thing One and Thing Two are in the room, Fraulein and I got together, did the Horizontal Hustle, and the result will show its face on July 5th." Annie was now gasping for breath.
"Oh my God… Oh my God! OH MY GOD!" she screamed as she jumped up from her seat and rushed over to hug her best friend who also rose to her feet. The children threw themselves at Wilson, who was still too shocked to move off of the sofa. All he could do was shake his head and have his face slowly change into a broad smile. His silence was OK; Lydia and Annie, plus the kids were making more than enough noise especially for House's tastes. "When did you find out?" Annie asked.
"Yesterday. We wanted to wait to get some tests back from Dr. Collins before we told anyone," Lydia explained. Annie's eyes opened wide.
"Is this why you haven't been feeling well since Thanksgiving?" she asked. Lydia nodded.
"I had been feeling a little off since October, but I chalked it up to the mugging, and then the stress of Greg's mom passing away. When it continued, I thought I might have issues with my reproductive system like my mother and grandmother did. But, then last week, I didn't get my period when I was supposed to… "
"And she kept keeling over in the hallways at work," House noted. "That's when she finally decided to say something to me." Annie looked at her friend in shock.
"You didn't say anything to Greg? The best… non-oncologist doctor in the world?"
"Notice she needed to hesitate to clarify that?" House said to Wilson.
"I didn't hesitate… the word for James' specialty escaped me for a moment," Annie said, looking embarrassed. "Could you do me a favor?" she said to House. "Stand up so I can give you a hug. My back is killing me too much to try and lean over."
"I'll see your back and raise you a leg," said House as he struggled to rise from the Wilsons' plush sofa. Wilson shot a quick glance to Lydia, who mouth the words 'no good' as her boyfriend stood up. Doing a fast calculation, Wilson realized that the timing of the pregnancy and House's operation on his leg conflicted with each other.
"I'm so happy for you two," Annie said, giving House a hug. "You said something a few months ago about not wanting Lydia to go through another difficult pregnancy, but I'm glad this has happened anyway. She'll be able to handle it." House contorted his face into a pained look.
"The question is will I be able to? Also, another kid would put us over the 2.5 average that most families in the U.S. burden themselves with. Didn't want to be accused of screwing with the karma of the world." Laughing, Annie let go of House and moved over to her niece and nephew.
"Well, I know that these two are going to be the best big sister and big brother in the world," she said glancing at Lydia's abdomen. "That is going to be one lucky baby."
"And your baby just got luckier," Elise said. "Cause now it's got three cousins instead of just two."
"We all have gotten lucky," Annie said hugging both children. House and Wilson found themselves standing face to face after maneuvering out of the kids' way.
"You're… you're going to hate me for the rest of my life for this, but… " Wilson extended his hand, knowing full well that House wasn't one for such gestures. His friend surprisingly took it with little hesitation; but the real surprise came a second later when Wilson pulled House forward and gave him a hug. "Congratulations, House… I know how much you really wanted this." Wilson released his friend from his grip, and House looked down and away from him.
"Yeah, a little forethought and planning would have gone a long way, but some things are going to have to be put on the back burner for now," House said quietly. He raised his eyes up to meet his friend's; Wilson knew he was talking about his leg and wasn't thrilled with the necessary delay of his surgery.
"Sweetie, I'm just going to run and use your bathroom," Lydia said.
"Little one sitting on your bladder already?" Wilson asked with a smile.
"Made all the worse by the fact that the rest room at Mc Donald's was out of order," Lydia replied.
"Come on," Annie said. "You can use the one in our bedroom while I set the kids up with a video or something in there."
"We get to watch a movie?" Elise asked. Her brother rolled his eyes.
"The grown-ups want to talk," he said cluing his sister in.
"Smart kid," Wilson said with a laugh. Ben and Elise followed their mother and aunt down the hall, leaving House and Wilson alone in the living room. "Afraid I don't have any champagne, but would a beer do?"
"It always has in the past; I see no reason to change," House said joining his friend in the kitchen. Wilson pulled another Heineken out of the fridge and handed it over. "I hope you have vast quantities in there." Closing the door on the appliance, Wilson looked at House with concern.
"You are happy about this… aren't you? Because you don't resemble the picture of enthusiasm at the moment." House limped back into the living room and plopped down on the couch.
"Yeah… I'm just still trying to process what all this means." House took a large drink of his beer and looked at Wilson. "I suppose you're going to tell me you didn't get freaked out when Songbird told you she was on the nest?"
"Of course I was shocked… mainly because I was in a hospital bed having almost died a few days before hand." It was Wilson who now took a sip of his beer after seating himself at the opposite end of the couch. "Annie stood by my bedside, telling me yet another bit of life altering news. Of course I was… scared. It's going to sound corny…"
"Nothing new about that coming from you," interrupted House. Wilson shot him a look as he continued.
"… but I was so thrilled to see how happy Annie was, that it didn't matter how I felt. I had always been curious about what it would be like to be a dad, and I knew she wanted to be a mom." Wilson sighed. "It was going to be OK. Besides, after the attack she went through years ago, she was told she'd never be able to have kids. So her becoming pregnant was something special… for both of us."
"Of course she was told that by one of the lesser known staff members at Mayfield… Dr. Frankenfurter," House said bitterly. "A man whose medical license still has Cracker Jack crumbs on it." Wilson shook his head.
"I can't imagine what that guy was thinking, telling a woman who just awoke from a ten year coma, 'By the way, you can't have kids.' Annie was still trying to deal with what happened to her!" Wilson looked over at House; his friend was staring off, deep in thought. "Are… are you alright?"
"Just trying to flip the calendar through my head and see if there's any way to clone myself by May. That way one of me could start the repair process on my leg, and the other can watch my kid make its entrance into the world." Closing his eyes, Wilson knew this was going to be a difficult conversation.
"There's nothing that says if you have the first part of the procedure done on your leg that you can't be in the delivery room… " he started to say.
"Yeah… what a picture that'll be. Our stretchers parallel parked next to each other and me piggybacking my IV on to her spinal anesthesia." House shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to give Fraulein any help… before or after the kid was born. When she was married to Dick for Brains and gave birth to the munchkins, he refused to do a damn thing to help. She opened up part of her C-section incision both times from overdoing everything. That's not going to happen again," he said firmly as he took a drink of his beer. "We've got one shot to get this right. Neither one of us have young, prime material to offer in the creation of a tadpole; we can't afford to take multiple shots at it. I'm not going to let this get screwed up."
"House, no one is ever going to say you're without faults… least of all me. But the last person I would ever think to compare you to is Lydia's ex-husband. Just the few minutes we encountered that jackass in the airport when he turned over custody of the kids to her, was more than enough for me. Even Annie has nothing good to say about her brother… and you know she has something nice to say about almost everyone." House started to peel the label off his bottle. The sound of Lydia and Annie laughing in the other room made House look over his shoulder in their direction.
"Fraulein has no reason to compare me to Jerkface, but I just want to make sure she enjoys this whole pregnancy thing as much as much as possible. As she very tearfully pointed out to me last night, she and her ex never just had sex… the bastard raped her violently each and every time. The kids were conceived and born from those circumstances and it's haunted her for years now. That's why she was so intent on getting full custody of the kids; she always looked at them as hers and hers alone. She wanted to keep the sperm donor as far away as possible." House leaned forward and took another drink of his beer. "I thought it was just one of those emotional fits that comes with pregnancy; but then she kept going on and on about this baby being born to two people who love each other and that meant everything to her. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that all the waterworks were about some deep feelings for her." House stared at his beer bottle. "I'll do whatever I have to so she knows she's got someone who loves and supports her… and that includes postponing the operation on my leg if necessary." Wilson shook his head.
"You never fail to surprise me, House. Just when I thought your reputation as being self-centered was secure, you go and say something like that." House scowled at his friend.
"My leg will always be there… withering away a little more each day, but it's not going anywhere. The chance to make Fraulein this happy might be fleeting."
"She's… happy just by the fact that the two of you are together… that you're in love," Wilson noted. "Now, with the baby coming, she's over the moon happy." He studied House for a minute. "As much as I know that Lydia is the best thing that's ever happened to you, I still sometimes can't get used to seeing you openly show how much you care in emotional terms. Putting someone else's happiness before your own was never your M.O." The sound of laughter came from down the hall again, this time with the children joining in.
"I've allowed myself to get tangled up emotionally before; when I did, I had to convince myself that it was OK… that there was nothing to be afraid of. This time, I may be letting myself be a sap over things," House said turning his head toward the hallway. "But I've never enjoyed it more." Wilson debated in head whether to bring up the next subject, but he decided it was worth the chance at obtaining the right answer.
"So… when's the wedding?" As Wilson feared, the death stare blazed from House's eyes.
"I'm taking on parenthood, I haven't totally lost my mind. Fraulein said she doesn't need to be married to be happy; I'm taking her at her word."
"Look, I know… you have problems with commitments, but having a kid together is a life-long endeavor. You're going to be a part of each other's lives for years to come. You love her, she loves you… you don't have to worry about rejection; she'd say yes in a heartbeat," Wilson noted.
"I'm not worried about her saying no; I'm worried about screwing up what we have," said House, sounding more annoyed by the minute. "You've had three other shots to get the loving, adoring husband thing right; I haven't." The dawning realization came over Wilson as soon as the words were out of House's mouth.
"Ah-HA! Now the truth comes out!" Wilson exclaimed as he slid down the sofa closer to House. "You don't want to try the role of husband because you're afraid you're going to fail miserably," he said, waving a finger at his friend. House rolled his eyes.
"Do me a favor… lower your voice so the occupants of the next room don't hear you. And stop pointing that finger at me or I'll be forced to surgically remove it from your hand and reattach it where the sun doesn't shine. And congratulations for stating the obvious about me." Wilson had lowered his hand, but continued on with the topic.
"It doesn't matter whether you think… it's what Lydia thinks that counts. And I happen to know she has complete confidence in you and your ability to have a good, happy life with her." House narrowed his eyes as he looked at Wilson.
"Have you been plotting with Doogie on this subject? Because the kid said the exact same thing a little while ago." Wilson smiled.
"Haven't said a word to him or anyone else… but I knew that kid was smart." Wilson set his beer down on the placemat Annie kept on the coffee table. "House… a few months ago you… you told me that deep down you've always wanted a wife and family. Now it's… being handed to you on a silver platter. Why are you so damned afraid to grab it?" House sat back against the sofa, brought his beer up to his lips and emptied it in one gulp. Setting the bottle down next to Wilson's, he stared down and away from his friend, not wanting to make eye contact.
"A week before I was supposed to marry Sarah, the wedding gets called off because Flyboy convinced her money would make her happier than I would. Then after living with Stacy, and giving her hell by acting like a moron most of the time because I was afraid to take a chance after the Sarah debacle, I finally decide I could trust her. I was going to tell her why I had been acting like such a bastard, and that I was ready to try to have a future with her… until my infarction happened. It crippled me both physically and emotionally. Cuddy… I guess life just got in the way; too many problems came up." House shook his head. "Every time I manage to find some happiness, something goes wrong. Only this time, it would involve Fraulein and the kids. Having the bambino is pushing my luck enough… I'm not dragging them down with me." Wilson was about to address House's concerns, when Annie urgently called out from the bedroom.
"James… Greg… come in here, please."
"This discussion is not over," Wilson said as he and House quickly rose from the couch. They entered the bedroom to find Lydia sitting on the end of the bed, shoulders slumped and her head hanging down. Annie was trying not to look nervous, so as to not frighten Ben and Elise; Ben however, wasn't bothered at all. He was sitting next to his mother, taking her pulse. The sight made Wilson smile.
"How's the patient, Doogie?" he asked. House grabbed Lydia's other wrist and began to check her pulse himself.
"Her pulse is… 68," Ben said.
"Is he right?" Annie asked.
"Close enough," House said. "I got 72. What's going on? Same as always?" he asked as he stood over Lydia.
"Yes. First I felt a little lightheaded, then dizzy, and then a little nauseous. All of it is fading now, but I just had to sit down."
"What's causing this with her?" Annie asked. "Isn't there anything Dr. Collins can give her?"
"She gave me Metoclopramide, which is the same drug I took with Ben and Elise. She doesn't want to try anything too much stronger yet, as I'm feeling sick, but not actually vomiting," Lydia replied. "I've also only been taking it since yesterday."
"What's causing it is the difficulty her body has adjusting to the increased levels of hormones," House noted, touching the back of her neck to see if she felt clammy. "Some women have no problem with it… like you… others actually have to be hospitalized for it and put on IV's." He looked down at Ben, who was still next to his mother, rubbing her back. "Shove over, kid. I'll take it from here." The boy moved back to the other side of the bed where his sister sat, watching the scene very intently.
"You didn't finish your dinner," Elise announced. "That's probably why your tummy hurts… the baby's hungry." Wilson and Annie started to laugh over the child scolding her mother.
"Uh-Oh… looks like someone's been ratted out," Wilson said. "Can you make it out to the living room? I know we have crackers and ginger ale in the house."
"Of course… I'll be fine," Lydia said as she stood, then wobbled a bit as her knees gave way. House, who had stood up at the same time as her, reached out and put his arm around Lydia. She was about to protest, but he stopped her.
"You're not fine, and I'm perfectly capable of supporting my knocked-up girlfriend despite my gimpy leg." Lydia said nothing else as the two left the room, and made their way slowly down the hall. After re-starting the movie "Ghostbusters" for the kids, Annie and Wilson followed. House and Lydia sat down on the couch, while Wilson went to the kitchen to get the snacks for Lydia. Annie sat down next to her friend.
"Did you go through this with Ben and Elise?" she asked.
"Yes, exactly this. That was one of my clues that maybe I was pregnant." Wilson came in with the crackers and soda. "But I certainly didn't have anyone waiting on me like this," she said with a smile. "Thank you, James."
"You're welcome. So… who else knows the good news besides the kids and us?"
"Just Thomas. We stopped at the hospital to tell him before we had some dinner," Lydia replied as she started to nibble on a saltine.
"That's right… he's going to be a grandpa," Annie said, looking down at House. "He must be so happy."
"Yeah, the news put a smile on the old guy's face," House noted. "It definitely gives him a reason to keep eating so I can release him tomorrow."
"Is he off the IVs already?" Wilson asked. "That was a fast three days."
"He's recovering quickly enough that I had an order written to pull the IV at midnight. I'll keep him on the floor until lunchtime and then hopefully spring him."
"We also told him that we want him to come out with us to dinner tomorrow night to celebrate," said Lydia. "We hope the two of you can come, too."
"Nothing could make us happier than to join you," Annie said giving her friend a hug. "We will be there."
"Wonderful. Oh… and we're not telling anyone else until Saturday night when we get together for Thomas' birthday. After the rest of our friends know, then we'll tell people at work," explained Lydia.
"You know what that means," House said looking at Wilson. "You somehow have to manage to keep your big yap shut. That means no dropping unsubtle hints or anything else of that nature."
"I'm… not going to say anything. Why would you even think that I would?" Wilson asked, sounding wounded. House, Lydia and Annie all turned, and looked toward him.
"Because I know you too well. I can trust Frick and Frack not to say anything more than I can you," House said nodding toward the bedroom. "Just bite your lip for the next few days."
"OK, OK," Wilson said holding up his hands in defeat. He took a seat on the couch next to his wife.
"Lydia, when you were pregnant, did the doctor's office and hospital bombard you with e-mails with information and links about… well about almost everything. I've gotten a bunch and they range from how to eat healthy to yoga classes especially for pregnant ladies to the Le Leche League offering advice on breast feeding. The baby isn't even born!" Annie exclaimed. "I haven't made any decisions on breast feeding yet."
"If you want to, you might want to look into their info now," Lydia said. "After all, no matter what I did, neither Ben nor Elise would breastfeed."
"You forget… this is MY kid. He'll want to suckle Mommy's ta-tas for sure," House said with a smug smile.
"He? I see you've already decided it's a boy," Lydia said with a laugh.
"If you want any real help with potty training, you better hope it's a boy," her boyfriend replied.
"I was able to train both of the kids without any help, thank you very much," Lydia said indignantly. "Although I will admit, it was a bit of adventure with Ben. He kept wanting me to show him what to do." She shook her head. "I'm not sure how I got through it." House put his arm around Lydia and pulled her closer to him.
"That's why I like busting your chops… you always manage to handle it no matter how naughty I am," he said kissing the top of her head. Wilson and Annie were the only people House felt comfortable showing Lydia any affection in front of. He had a feeling that limited circle would expand as fatherhood came closer to presenting itself. Lydia smiled and rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Feeling better?"
"Much better," she said taking a sip of ginger ale. "I think I'll have a small sandwich or some fruit when we get home. Hopefully that will get me through the night."
"By the way, where are we going for dinner tomorrow?" Annie asked.
"Well, we told the kids they could choose the restaurant, so… I'm afraid we're going to Itgen's downtown," Lydia said. "I tried to redirect them to something a little fancier, but… "
"Itgen's has… the best burgers, fries and other assorted food," Wilson said. "Plus homemade ice cream and whipped cream. Sounds like the perfect place to celebrate a new baby brother or sister."
"Besides, it's not about the food, it's about the company," Annie pointed out. She looked at her friend, tears forming in her eyes. "Sweetie, do you remember when we were teenagers, the promise we made to each other?" Lydia's eyes began to tear up as she nodded.
"We said one day we'd hold each other's wedding bouquets and we'd rock each other's babies to sleep." Annie shook her head.
"You have no idea how upset I was that I missed out on things with Ben and Elise," she said grabbing a napkin to wipe her eyes. "And now… I have a second chance."
"The only thing missing now is you holding Lydia's wedding bouquet," Wilson noted as he looked over at House. His friend rolled his eyes.
"I'll buy a bunch of posies that the ladies can play Hot Potato with until they wilt and die; I mean the flowers, not the two of you," House clarified. Wilson shot him a disapproving look.
"Maybe one day it will happen; we'll find that getting married is something we both want to do," Lydia said. "But for now, I know Greg and I adding to our family is something we are both thrilled with. I have more joy in my life than I ever dared hoped for… I don't need anything else." The two women wrapped their arms around each other and started to cry again; but instead of their emotional display bothering him, it made House smile. He wasn't willing or able to express how much it meant to him to see Lydia like this and know that he had something to do with it. He just knew it felt good. Wilson sat back, and took the scene in; he was focused on his friend as much as he was his wife and Lydia. House may have expressed fear over obtaining happiness, but Wilson could see by the look on his face, he had it anyway.
"It's almost nine," Lydia said after the four had sat and talked for a while. "We have to get the kids home and to bed."
"I'll go grab the coats and the kids," Wilson said. When he returned in a few minutes, both Ben and Elise had their coats on, and were following their uncle down the hallway. "Your timing is perfect; they were falling asleep in there."
"Too much excitement for one day," noted Lydia. She, House and the children bundled up, and said their goodnights. "So is six o'clock good for dinner?"
"Perfect," said Annie. "I can drive James to work tomorrow and then come back and meet you there later on. That way we won't have too many cars." A flurry of hugs were exchanged till only House and Wilson had to say goodbye.
"We should get together Monday night," Wilson suggested. "Maybe go play pool over at Raxx or something. Grab something to eat… sit and talk…"
"Great idea," Lydia said. "You haven't had a guy's night in a while. You'll have fun." House put his index finger into his mouth and made a popping sound as he removed it. He then made a circle in the air with the moistened digit.
"Whoopee," he said sarcastically.
"You don't have to play pool if you don't want to," Annie said. "You could just talk about becoming Daddies and all that goes with it." House scowled at her.
"And on that pathetic note… goodnight," he said heading out the door.
"Night all!" Wilson called out as the group headed for the elevator. "See you tomorrow."
Tomorrow came too soon for House. Lydia appeared to be having a decent night's sleep after having something to eat when they got home. A turkey and Swiss sandwich with a small piece of pound cake and a glass of milk settled her down nicely; virtually the same food wasn't nearly as effective for House. It wasn't just that his leg was particularly bad that night, it was all of the concerns about his current situation that wouldn't let him rest. Foreman, Taub and Tom had all tried to convince him to do the surgery right after the ultrasound revealed just how much damage had been done to his leg, but House insisted on waiting the six months until Lydia graduated. He knew when Saturday night came and he let them know he was going to have to delay the procedures further, they weren't going to be very encouraging.
I don't know what the hell they'll think my options would be House thought as he sat down on the couch with his phone and a glass of Macallan's. Dr. Collins has already warned me Fraulein may have to spend some time in the hospital. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle her and the rug rats the way I am now, never mind if I was on flat on my back after having my leg reconstructed. House let out a sigh as he fiddled with his phone and tuned in a Louisiana-based radio station that played blues and Zydeco; he needed a distraction. Picking up his drink, House looked at the amber liquid as he began to roll over in his head thoughts of how he could move past the things that held him back from marrying Lydia. Was he really that damaged that he was incapable of separating the past from the present, the bad from the good? He knew that Ben and Wilson were both right… it's what Lydia thought of him that was the most important in all of this. However, in that matter Fraulein was the definition of love being blind, deaf, and dumb as far as he was concerned. House shook his head, leaned backward on the sofa, enjoying sips of whiskey as he did his best to empty his mind and relax. He succeeded for a little while, dozing off for a bit, then waking up to an ache in his leg about an hour after coming out to the living room. Feeling tired enough to try the bed again, he turned off the music, put his glass in the sink and made his way down to the bedroom. House tried to gently sit down on the bed so as to not wake Lydia, but it seemed his efforts were unnecessary.
"Can't you sleep, Hon?" Lydia was on her right side, facing House.
"Not one of my good nights," he complained, laying down on his left side to face her. Lydia leaned over and kissed him.
"Tomorrow night when we get home, you're going to soak in a tub, and then let me massage your leg for you." House smiled.
"Notice I'm not arguing with that thought," he said running his fingertips down the side of his girlfriend's face.
"I have an idea," Lydia said, sitting up. She scooted over closer to House, and pulled her pillows over with her. Then she laid down on her back and brought his arm over to drape across her body. "Now maybe both of us can sleep." House kissed the side of her head and moved his lips over slowly to her ear.
"This is a good idea," he whispered. "Might as well get my arm around you while it still fits." Lydia turned her head toward her boyfriend till they were face to face.
"You are such a brat," she scolded.
"Yep, and you love it," House teased.
"Yes… yes I do." Lydia placed her arm on top of House's and snuggled in closer. I've dealt with the pain for this long, he thought. I can deal with it a little bit longer. It only took a short while before House and Lydia both drifted off to sleep.
The daytime hours of Thursday were uneventful as House discharged Bell around noontime, then set him up in the conference room so he could finish his presentation to the community leaders on Friday. Having him stay at the hospital allowed House to keep an eye on him and made it easier to leave for dinner later. Chase, Thirteen and Taub spent the early part of the day reviewing charts and passing them along to House for final approval. Later in the day, both Taub and Chase took on clinic duty while Thirteen continued her research into Durbin's connection to the pop-up medical centers that seemed to be doing more harm than good. House didn't like her spending on-the-clock time digging into the matter, but since he had formed an intense dislike for Durbin after meeting him, he let Thirteen do it after she had gone through patient requests that came in from other hospitals. Around five-thirty, House's cell phone rang.
"Hello, city morgue… you stab 'em, we slab 'em," he answered when he saw it was Wilson calling.
"Hi… just wanted to let you know Annie's here with Ben and Elise."
"Good, keep them there; I'm trying to work and save lives, unlike some people who get to play with numbers and pencil-push all day." Wilson let out a deep sigh.
"Any time you'd like trade places, House, let me know. Ah… your better half just walked into my office. I guess whenever you and Thomas are ready, we can go." House ended the call, went into the conference room, and let Bell know that everyone was ready to head out to dinner. Thirteen, who was still concentrating on her computer, looked up.
"Going out to dinner?" she asked.
"Yes, three days of hospital food is enough for me. Even with Lydia bringing me in her home-cooking, I need something a little stronger to get this awful taste out of my mouth," Thomas said, indicating having a drink. Thirteen laughed.
"I don't blame you. Glad you doing better, Thomas… have a good night. Night, House."
"Night," he replied as he followed his father out of the conference room. "Nice cover-up, very smooth," House noted when they got to the elevators. Bell looked surprised.
"Where do you think you get it from?" he asked his son as they stepped into the car. Meeting up with the others, there was a brief discussion about whether to take two cars, or just all pile into the van. It was decided that would be better for Wilson to take his car so he could take Annie home if needed; her back had been very painful for most of the day. Arriving downtown, as luck had it they were able to find two parking spots close together.
"My goodness! Look at the crowd at Itgen's!" Lydia said. "Is there something special going on? A holiday or something?"
"It's the full moon on the second Thursday of the first month of the year," House replied sarcastically. He turned to Wilson. "With no alcohol served and jailbait waitresses, it's hardly worth the wait."
"You don't need any alcohol, because you're driving," Lydia interjected. "And you don't need the waitresses because you have me." Lydia frowned as she looked at the parking meter. "Looks like we still have to feed this thing until nine. I'll grab a few quarters from the change in the car."
"There isn't any change left in the car; I've been using it for the vending machines," House admitted. Lydia shook her head.
"Warn me next time. I could take some out of the change jar on my dresser."
"There isn't any left in there either." Lydia was about to say something when Annie interrupted her.
"We have plenty of quarters in our car; we can spare a few," she said with a laugh seeing the look of exasperation on her friend's face.
"Thank you. Greg, why don't you take Ben and Elise across the street and see what kind of wait there is? If it's too long, we may have to pick another place to eat," his girlfriend noted. House nodded.
"Come on, you two," he said to the kids. The three walked up to the corner. "Hold this," House said, handing Ben his cane. Lydia always held the children's hands when they crossed the street; House wasn't entirely comfortable with that. Instead, he put a hand on their shoulders, Elise on his left, Ben on his right. The gesture maintained contact and control of the two, without being too touchy-feely. They didn't have to wait long for the light to change green, signaling it was all clear. About halfway into the road, House became aware of a commotion; people were yelling and he heard a horn blaring endlessly. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a car; he couldn't tell in that split second whether it was moving toward them or how fast it was going. The next thing House knew, he felt something hit him in the back, propelling him forward and forcing him to the ground with a hard landing. It took just a few seconds for him to raise his head up and look for the children. He saw them on the ground, against the curb in-between two parked cars. Both children were looking back at him; Elise was crying, Ben lay next to her, looking shocked at what just happened.
"Are you two OK?" House asked trying to catch his breath. He went to move forward toward them, but couldn't. He had searing pain in his lower body, and his bad leg felt like there was a weight on it.
"OH MY GOD! NO! NO!" he heard Annie scream. He became aware of people gathering around him.
"Check the kids!" yelled House. He tried to twist around to see where Lydia was; until he knew for sure the kids were OK, he wanted to keep her calm. As he managed to turn his upper body, and prop himself up on his right elbow a horrifying sight met his eyes. The weight he felt on his leg was Lydia; her upper body was resting on his leg, the lower part on the pavement. As the terrifying seconds passed, House came to realize exactly what happened.
Lydia pushed him and the kids out of the path of the speeding car, and had been hit instead.
Author's Note: It is at the urging of my editor and family members who read this chapter that I am writing this note to you. I know some of you right now may be questioning the way the chapter has ended, and where I am going with the story. Just as House MD never shied away from difficult stories like House being shot or Kutner's suicide, so am I trying to keep in the spirit of this wonderful show. Just keep in mind that I'm not a cruel person, but I do love drama and suspense. I hope you will continue to read my work and have faith that I can present an enjoyable ongoing story. And remember what House once said: People don't get what they deserve, they get what they get.
Thanks for your loyal readership!
Regards,
purpleu