Here is yet another installment. Thank you for the reviews!
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House felt a little better next morning. True, there was still Daddy Dearest to deal with, but at least he and Wilson were ok. And he had managed to fulfil Andie's wish. Now it was up to Andie to decide what she wanted. House was aware that the talk he had had with Andie might have been just her depression talking, which was why he had told Wilson not to take his word for it, but to listen to Andie herself. But even if it was depression that had made Andie ask for his help, the point she had made was still valid: Wilson needed to listen to her. She was dieing, and she had the right to decide how. It was going to be hard for Wilson, too, not just Andie's mother. Wilson hated loosing patients, especially kids, but then who didn't. But sometimes that just was the way things went.
House got to work early. Not that he was looking forward to being in the same building with his father, but he knew there was no avoiding it and he wanted to have a look at Georgia before she left. He took his bag and jacket into his office first, took a look at his mother's file and then went to find Georgia. She was having breakfast in her room, this time alone. House could hear his father in the next room with his mother.
"And how are you this morning my Lovely?" House greeted Georgia.
"Better and better, especially now that you are here," Georgia smiled back. "But are you sure you should let me go so soon? I might have a relapse or something."
"I'm sure you will be just fine," House said. "Because you would not want to worry me with something like that, now would you? Your son will take good care of you, and if there is any sign of anything going wrong he will call me. Besides, I expect to see you for your check up again, once you have finished the course of antibiotics."
"Well, I'll just have to be happy with that," Georgia sighed. "And anyway, I think I rather like the idea of sleeping in my own bed again. The mind may be young, you know, but the body is the age it is, no matter how much you might want to change it."
"You have that right," House agreed ruefully, feeling a tinge in his own leg.
"Which reminds me," Georgia suddenly brightened, "I met your father last night. Your mother introduced him."
"That must have been fun," House said with a touch of reserve in his voice.
"Well, it was interesting," Georgia went on. "Though he was not at all the sort of person I would have imagined your father to be. Mind you, he did fit the description your mother had given of him, but still, I was a bit surprised."
"How did my mother describe him?" House asked curiously.
"Now, you don't really expect me to tell you that!" Georgia admonished. "It was girl-talk. None of your business."
"What was your impression, then, if he didn't look like a father of mine?"
"Well he was polite, but not in the light-hearted way you are," Georgia mused. "In fact I rather got the impression that he is one of those people who think age ought to bring dignity with it."
"That does sound like John House," House agreed, starting to feel a little apprehensive. Surely his mother had not allowed John to hurt Georgia's feelings. True, she was too eternally happy to be very hurt or for long, but Georgia was his patient and nobody messed with his patients – with the exception of himself, of course, but that was different. And besides, this was Georgia.
"Oh dear, you start to look worried," Georgia noted. "Don't be. As I said, your father was perfectly polite. It was just an impression from his demeanour. I'm not blind, you see."
"I know that, but it seems that my father doesn't," House agreed. "However, it is unlikely you will have to see much of him, as you are getting out of here today. Now, just let me listen to your lungs one more time to make sure all is clearing up nicely, and then I can sign your papers."
House leaned over with his stethoscope. As he brought his face closer, Georgia tested his stubble with her hand. House smiled and admonished her: "Hands, Georgia. Haven't we talked about this doctor patient thing often enough?"
Georgia set her hands primly to her lap but shrugged: "Well, you cannot blame a girl for trying."
"No, I suppose not," House agreed. "And your lungs are clearing up nicely. You're good to go."
"So, here you are," John House said from the doorway. "Got yourself to work, I see. Couldn't come and greet your mother, though."
"I'm with a patient, Dad," House pointed out stiffly. "And aren't you the one who always said that duty comes first, family second?"
"Your mother is just next door!" John groused.
"And she is next on my list of things to do," House said with flippancy.
"Now you listen to me," John started but House stopped him in mid-flow.
"No. Whatever you have to say, you will not say it in front of my patient. It can wait. I'll come to mother's room when I'm done here."
"Insolent puppy," John murmured under his breath, but he did leave the room.
"Are you sure your mother did not have an affair behind his back?" Georgia mused.
"Surely you are not questioning my mother's honour?" House could not help but smile a little, though he was still frowning after his father.
"No, I suppose not. And I guess there is just enough physical resemblance between you and your father." Georgia admitted. "Oh well, you obviously just take after her side of the family, then."
"Actually, my mother tells me I'm a unique combination, all of my own," House told her. "But she is my mother, so there is a bias there."
"Well if she thinks you are perfect then I can see no bias," Georgia defended him stoutly.
"But then, you have brain damage," House had to point out.
"Yes, isn't it fun!"
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House left Georgia with some additional instructions about her care and medication and went to his mother's room. His father was there waiting for him, but as Wilson had joined them too, John House didn't get a chance to give his son the lecture he had wanted to deliver.
"House," Wilson started. "I've come to apologise for hitting you. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have started the whole argument at all. You were right. Andie is my patient; she is the one I should listen to."
"Forget it Wilson," House said a little uncomfortably. He didn't much care for apologies, which Wilson did know. He had to be here because of Blythe and John. "That wasn't the first argument we've had, nor will it be the last."
"As long as we're ok," Wilson checked getting a silent nod from House. "Good. And Blythe, John, I'm sorry you had to see my loss of temper."
"I understand my son can have that effect on people," Blythe smiled. "It's ok as long as you two are fine."
"Greg?" John House turned expectantly to his son.
"What?" House asked, though he did have an idea of what his father was after.
"Aren't you going to apologize to James?" John prompted.
"For what," House played dense. "For having been right? Sorry, but I have got out of the habit of apologizing for not having made a mistake."
"John," Blythe tried to intervene, "Greg is a grown man. How he and James deal with each other, is their own business."
"Blythe, our son was unforgivably rude and callous last night. James has been gracious enough to acknowledge his part in the argument, the least Greg could do is to accept his part of the blame and apologize for it," John was adamant. "I raised him better than this."
"Apparently not," House threw in.
"Don't get flippant with me, son!" John House demanded indignantly.
"Look, I'm 47 years of age, trying to raise me now is way too late, so just leave it," House said tiredly. "Besides, I'm not having this conversation on an empty stomach. I'm sorry Mother, but ... I'm sorry. I'm going to the cafeteria to have a bite to eat and after that I'll come back and we'll talk about your test results and Foreman's findings."
"That would be fine," Blythe agreed.
"Right," House said, ignoring his father. "Want to join me Wilson?"
"Might as well, I didn't have much appetite myself before," Wilson agreed and they walked out of the room together.
"How is Andie?" House asked once they were on their way to the cafeteria.
"Not that good. We talked with her this morning. No more chemo, so it's just pain management from now on."
"How long?"
"Week, maybe even less." Wilson told him unhappily.
"And her mother?" House questioned. "How is she coping this morning."
"As you would expect. I've arranged grief counselling for her, through her support group, but it will be difficult." Wilson sighed.
"For you, too," House observed.
"Yeah. I really hate loosing Andie," Wilson acknowledged. "I have known for a long time that she is terminal, but after the miracle you pulled last year ... I don't know; somehow I just refused to believe that this day would come."
"Sorry I had to be the messenger," House half apologized for the argument.
"No need. I don't think anything but your shock tactics would have got to me," Wilson said. "I'm just sorry I ended up getting your parents involved in it. Both last night and this morning. I didn't realise that my apology would land you in even more hot water!"
"Don't blame yourself," House told him. "Everything lands me in hot water with my father. It's just the nature of things. And I have been unusually impatient with him even for me."
"You are worried about your mother," Wilson tried to defend him. "Naturally you are on edge."
"Maybe, but since our arguments just make Mother unhappy, I ought to at least try to get along with Dad," House sighed.
"Do you need more pills?" Wilson asked.
"Why Jimmy!?" House pretended to be shocked. "This is a different tune from your usual its all in your head tactics. I'm beginning to think you actually believe I'm in pain!"
"You are," Wilson agreed dryly. "Even if it is psychological, it's still pain and I think I ought to keep you stocked on painkillers until your father is safely out of town as I don't want you to commit patricide or your father to commit – whatever it is called when a father kills his son."
"The Romans called it justice," House pointed out. "The father was the head of the family and had the absolute right of life and death over his children. And you can bet my Dad is sorry that has changed."
"Surely things aren't that bad between you two!" Wilson hoped.
"Close enough," House said.
