Disclaimer: I do not own House.
Chapter FourWilson stared at Allison his own heart sinking, he took the information in slowly, his eyes fixed on the young woman in front of him. She was so strong, after all she had been through she could still smile; still finding some good in a terrible situation, just as she always had done. Regarding her now he was transported back to ten years ago when she had been a doctor at this hospital, she was telling him this information as if it was another patient, not her son, but someone else's just as she would have done back then. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his forehead.
"Leukaemia?" She nodded. "What type?"
"AML." He saw her hand shaking on her lap and she instantly sat on her hands as he answered her.
"Acute Myeloid Leukaemia." Bringing his hand down from his forehead he placed them on his desk. "And you want me to treat him?" She nodded and he continued. "Well I don't have to tell you what will happen, AML is a quickly progressive malignant disease Allison where there are too many immature blood-forming cells in the blood and bone marrow, the cells being specifically those destined to give rise to the white blood cells that fight infections. In AML, these cells do not mature and so become too numerous. We'll admit him and start him on induction therapy immediately." She shook her head.
"Tomorrow."
"Allison it would be best if we started treatment now." She looked him in the eyes.
"I haven't told them yet, let me have another day with them and I'll tell them tonight and you can admit him tomorrow morning. Please James." He nodded and sighed.
"What about House?" Her eyes clouded over in something he couldn't put his finger on, was it hurt, guilt or anger?
"What about House?"
"Are you not going to tell him?"
"Why?" He looked at her gob smacked.
"Allison you are going to see him sometime during your stay here, you can't avoid him forever." She stood up and grabbed her bag.
"Well I'm not going to see him today am I? So that can wait till another day ok?" He nodded and she rubbed her neck. "I'll be in here at nine am tomorrow to admit him, I'll see you then." He nodded.
"Yes, see you then." She moved to the door and then turned.
"James?" He looked up at her and she smiled. "Thank you." He smiled back and she unlocked the door and opened it. The door was only open a couple of inches when she heard the familiar voice.
"Does she not have a name?" She heard Chris speak next.
"Allison Cameron."
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Taking a deep breath she opened the door fully and stepped out into the well-lit hallway. She refused to look at him and instead bent down to her children's level and stroked her son's head.
"Come on, let's go get some dinner. How are you feeling Chris?" Chris looked at her his eyes were sunken in a bit and she bit her lip.
"I still feel tired mum, but I'm not as achy anymore." She smiled.
"That's good. Come on Lilley pack up your things." She could see him watching her out of the corner of her eye but she refused to look at him, she glanced down and saw that on her neck she was still wearing the necklace he had given her that Christmas years ago. Lost in a memory she barely heard Lilley ask.
"Is Uncle James coming with us for dinner Mum?" She shook her head.
"No he has to stay and work, we will see him tomorrow ok?" Lilley nodded and Allison stood up and turned which she recognised immediately as a mistake. Her eyes met with his and her heart did the old flutter that she had long forgotten, her knees buckled as he pinned her to the spot with his eyes. He didn't move, didn't even flinch sitting in the chair cane twirling in his hand, eyes boring into her. She swallowed and nodded.
"Dr House." He didn't move a muscle except for his lips.
"Dr Cameron, what brings you back here?" He was already fishing for information; she raised her eyebrows up slightly before answering him.
"It's personal." She bent down once more to fasten Lilley's coat and Lilley began chattering to her.
"Mum, this man here, he wrestled with a crocodile in the Amazon!" Allison looked up at Lilley and then turned her head to look at House.
"Is that right?" Chris nodded and pointed at House's cane.
"Yeah that's why he's got a bum leg and a cane, crocodile bite." Allison sighed and shook her head at House pushing her children out of the hallway. She stared at House and saw the top of his mouth curl into half a smile as he realised he was already getting under her skin.
"You haven't changed a bit have you?"
"Did you expect me to?" It was her turn to smile and whisper her answer before she left.
"No." He watched her leave, so she was a mother, but she wasn't married. He had seen the absent ring on her finger and he was shocked. Never had he thought that Allison Cameron would have children out of wedlock. Yet she hadn't changed, except for the small fact of her being a mother she was the same woman, he saw her eyes as they found his, saw that look. Grasping his cane he stood up and made his way into Wilson's office.
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Once outside Allison turned to her children. "What do you guys fancy eating for dinner?"
"McDonalds!" Lilley jumped up but Allison shook her head.
"No, no McDonalds, you want burgers we can go to this place I used to love eating at, Ronnie's." She looked at Chris. "Chris, what do you fancy?"
He shook his head. "I'm not hungry." She nodded; she knew this was just another symptom of the leukaemia, ignoring it she turned to Lilley.
"Ok then, let's go to Ronnie's." Taking her children's hands they made the short walk around the corner to Ronnie's. Sat at a table in the back of the restaurant Allison looked around and saw many old faces from her days at the hospital, she didn't make contact with them, just observed. Turning her attention back to her children she watched them colour in pictures from their humongous colouring books, she had already decided she would tell them over desert and then take them out later on that night to watch a movie or go bowling, whatever they wanted.
She looked around the restaurant again and her eyes fell on a table where two very familiar doctors sat, a smile spread across her lips and turned to her children.
"I'm going to go say hello to some friends ok? Don't move ok?" The children nodded and she stood up. Walking over to the table she put her hands on her hips. "So when were you two going to come say hello?" The young men turned to look at her and Foreman stood up grabbing her into a hug.
"Cameron! What on earth are you doing here?" She smiled hugging him back.
"I'll tell you later…hey Chase." She let go of Foreman and hugged the blonde guy who had stood up to greet her.
"Hey Cameron, you look fantastic!" She shrugged and sat down beside him.
"Yeah except for the lines, the bags under my eyes I look great." Foreman laughed and shook his head.
"No he's right you do look great, so how come you're back? You didn't even come back for the wedding." She nodded and took a piece of bread from the basket in the centre of the table.
"Yeah I'm sorry about that, I couldn't get away." Truth was Lilley and Chris had both had music exams that day and she hadn't wanted to miss them. "How is married life?" Foreman chuckled. "It's great, never been happier."
"Good. And how about you Chase? Got anyone in your life?"
"No, I'm still just floating, enjoying my youth." Foreman laughed.
"Better hurry up, that's almost over." He then turned to Cameron. "So go on spill, why are you here?" She pointed at Lilley and Chris.
"See those two kids? Those are my children, Lilley and Chris." She saw Foreman and Chase's mouths open but she carried on. "I've just learnt Chris has AML I want Wilson to be his doctor. And so, that's why I'm back." She looked at the two men in front of her and saw the look in their eyes, she didn't need to hear what they said next, she could see it in their eyes.
"Allison, I'm sorry."
"I know, it's ok, he'll be fine. I think." Foreman nodded and grabbed her hand.
"He will be fine, he'll get the best treatment."
Chase turned to her. "How old are they?"
"They are both eight, twins." She smiled as she spoke about her kids and Foreman shook his head.
"Eight years old and we didn't know about them, I thought we were friends." She raised her eyebrows at him and he widened his eyes. "Oh come on that was ten years ago, surely you've forgiven me." She laughed and nodded.
"Yeah I have, stop obsessing over it." Chase looked at the children's backs and then to Cameron.
"Who's the father?" She looked at him and wondered how to answer the question, but she was interrupted by Lilley coming over to the table.
"Mum, the food is here." Allison turned to her daughter.
"Ok Lilley I'll be over in a minute." Lilley ran back to her seat and Allison turned back to Foreman and Chase and realised she didn't have to tell them, they had seen Lilley's eyes, they already knew. Foreman looked at Cameron a slight smile on his lips while Chase stared open mouthed at her.
"House? House is the father, oh no that's just wrong!"
There you go, I couldnt do it to you, I had to make House the father.
Hope you enjoyed it.
Review please?
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