Part Four: Middle-Aged Boy

By the time House made it back to his apartment, it was gone 6pm. Pulling up on his bike, he noticed the car parked out front. He immediately groaned as he recognised the old mustang. The car doors opened and the two passengers got out.

"Greg!" his mom said with a smile as she scuttled over to him. He removed his helmet and she pulled him down to her level to place a kiss on his cheek. "Happy Birthday, son."

"Greg," another voice grunted, acknowledging him. His dad locked the car and nodded at his son.

"Dad."

Still standing next to the steps up to his apartment, House returned his attention to his mom and asked as innocently as his voice would let him, "What are you doing here? It's so late."

"We've been waiting outside your apartment for the best part of an hour for you to show –"

"Well, I apologise for keeping you waiting while I was saving someone's life," House remarked sarcastically. They didn't need to know the best part of his day was spent treating kids with runny noses…

"Please don't start you two," Blythe pleaded.

Both men grumbled something under their breath, but otherwise said nothing else.

"We're on our way to visit some friends at a condo in Reno. So, I told your father we should take a detour and come visit you on your birthday. It took us a lot longer to get here than we thought; there was a pile up on the freeway…anyway." Blythe clocked the uneasy look on her son's face and continued, "Don't panic, we've booked into a hotel, we won't be staying here. Just thought we'd pop in on the way. Can we come in?"

"Oh, yeah. Yes, sorry mom," House replied, having completely forgotten they were still outside.

When they got inside, he offered hot drinks, but his dad went straight to the fridge for a beer. He made his mom coffee, grabbed a beer himself, and sat down on his piano stall as they made themselves comfy on the couch. There was silence as they sipped their drinks. House's dad, John was the first to break the silence.

"Thought you might be out with people tonight, celebrating," he said, laughing immediately afterwards. His idea of a joke.

Always did know how to kick me when I was down, House thought.

Blythe glared at John, but there was no regret in his eyes. As usual.

"Wilson's coming over later," House said, staring into his beer bottle, "beer, take-out and trash TV." John openly sneered.

"How is James?" Blythe asked, her smile and manner sweet like honey.

"He's good. Wife number three didn't work out, but…y'know Jimmy."

House immediately looked up from his beer as he heard his dad mutter something.

"What was that?" he questioned, shooting a look dead into John's eyes.

"I said, 'maybe he's spending too much time with you.'"

And so the conversation looped; Blythe asking a question, House answering it and John metaphorically spitting on his son's answer.

After about an hour of tense conversation, John suggested that they should leave if House was expecting company. House knew this was just his dad's excuse to get out of there.

Having kissed his mom goodbye and said good riddance to his dad, House closed his apartment door and melted into the couch, feeling worse than he had done all day. He didn't realise it was even possible.

Outside in the car, just before pulling away from the curb, Blythe sighed, picking up two empty water bottles from under her feet. "Oh, John, we were going to get Greg to fill these up."

"Let's just leave it. We can buy some more at the hotel." But Blythe wasn't having it.

"John, you know how much they charge for bottled water at those places. Just pop back in and fill them up, I'm sure he won't mind."

Puffing through his nose, John reluctantly grabbed the bottles and, leaving Blythe in the car, knocked on House's front door again.

"Unless you've got Chinese and beers, you're not coming in Wilson," House teased as he hobbled to the door.

"Your mother forgot to fill these," was all his dad could say, before forcing his way in. As his dad began filling the bottle at the tap, everything else was silent, until House spoke up.

"Why did you come here?" His voice was quiet and dark.

"Your mother's idea," John said, before scoffing and continuing, "Certainly not mine." The next few moments were silent again as John turned off the taps and just stood at the sink, not saying a word. "You really think I would want to spend this day with you, knowing what you did?" John spat, his words biting and uncaring. He turned to face House, "Celebrating the day Greg tried to –"

"Shut up!" House exploded, punching his cane into the ground.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, boy!"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a boy anymore!" House stepped towards his dad and said in a low, slow voice, "You. Can't. Push. Me. Around!"

In a matter of seconds, House found himself on the floor, as John's fist collided with his nose and knocked him totally off balance. House shook his head, trying to regain his vision before locking eyes with his dad. Both pairs of eyes were filled with anger and House could feel himself physically shaking. As his dad towered over him, House made a grab for his cane, to get himself up.

"No!" his dad exclaimed, kicking the cane clean from House's reach. "Stand like a man!"

But House didn't. He sat there, his eyes downcast. He felt a warm stream of blood trickling from his nose and over his lips and tried to wipe it away with his hand.

"Just get out," House said, his voice almost a whisper.

"So, you're not a boy anymore, huh? You're certainly not a man. It's pathetic."

"I said get out!" House yelled, feeling betrayed as his voice noticeably shook.

Without saying another word, John snatched the two full water bottles from the sink and left, slamming the apartment door hard on his way out.

As much as House wanted to get up and tend to his bloodied nose, his whole body was like jelly, trembling and weak. Instead, he mopped at the blood still oozing into his mouth with the back of his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. His apartment was quiet and empty, both of which meant time dragged on more so than usual. So, he sat, waiting for his anger to dissipate, resigned to the fact his day wouldn't be ending as quickly as he'd hoped.

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Next chapter up soon. I lied when I said there'd be 5...there will actually be 6, so you'll have to put up with me for a little longer. As usual, reviews are love and I am open to all kinds of criticism...as long as it's put delicately haha! XD Anywho...I'm off to watch the new episode online. WAHAY!