Chapter Three:

"What are you doing here?" Chase asked as Anali walked into the hospital cafeteria and sat down with Cameron and Chase. She pulled some closed Tupperware dishes from her bag and set them on the table. She opened them to reveal a very thoroughly prepared lunch. What was supposed to be warm was warm and what was supposed to be cold was cold. Chase saw this and sighed. "Anali, you didn't need to bring all this food."

"I know," she said. "But I wanted to have lunch with you, darling. It's been a while since we've done that."

And so began Anali's habit of coming to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital every day to join her husband and his colleagues for lunch and dinner for the following three months while House enjoyed her home cooking at their apartment and her company while he took her out to enjoy life while her husband continued to be absent from their home.

"Robert, it's Anali," she said when he answered his phone.

"What do you want?"

"Have you officially moved out, now?" she asked. "I noticed you stopped by the apartment while I was out yesterday and emptied your dresser drawer and some of your shirts and ties from the closet. Should I be worried about the status of our marriage?"

"Not yet." Click.

"Right," Anali said, checking her watch. "Well, I must be off. I need to get Stacie from the airport. Her flight gets in at five." She stood, pulled on her coat and grabbed her purse. "See you later, darling," she said, kissing Chase on the forehead. "Be safe coming home." She waved to Cameron and Foreman and walked away, smiling.

Foreman looked at Chase. "What do you have against that woman?" he asked. "She obviously still loves you. She's been bringing you your lunch and dinner every day for the past three months!"

"Do you know how irritating that can be?" Chase asked. "It's overwhelming. I need my space."

"Your space?" Cameron repeated. "The last time you needed space, you separated and you slept with Angela! Chase, you're very lucky to have her in your life."

"Try being married to her," he muttered. "The first few years were perfect. Then I realised I actually wanted her to work. Our conversations when she was in the business were interesting and we understood each other. Now, our conversations are all abut how she's decorating the apartment or you'll never guess what happened to Ashley the other day! Ashley's her cousin who lives in London. I've never met the girl! Can you imagine trying to care about someone you saw at your wedding and never since?" He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Maybe she just wants you to know how her family's doing," Foreman suggested. "It wouldn't hurt to make an effort to learn about her cousin."

Chase's cell phone rang. "Hello?" he answered.

"There's a problem, Chase," House said on the other end.

"Concerning what?"

"Your wife," came the answer shortly. "She collapsed in the lobby."

"What?" Chase asked, sitting up straighter. "Why? Is she all right?"

"We're moving her to a room," House said. "Our floor. I want to keep an eye on her. Just in case it's something more than anaemia."

"I'll be right there," Chase answered.

"Bring Cameron and Foreman with you." Click.

Chase tucked his phone into the pocket of his lab coat. "Come on," he muttered. "House needs us. Anali's been hospitalised." They all ran to the room outside which House was standing. "What's going on? Is she all right?"

"I'm guessing from the expressions Cameron and Foreman are both wearing, before I called you, you were complaining about the poor woman in that room," House commented. "I'm touched by your concern for your wife."

"Tell me how she's doing," Chase demanded through gritted teeth. He was clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides, trying his hardest to not strike House.

"Her vitals are stable," House said. "Low iron count, obviously, that would be the anaemia. Low ascorbic acid level. She suffered a small concussion since she hit her head when she fell. She should be fine when she wakes up unless something far more sinister than low iron levels is at work here." There was a pause, then House said, "I'd wait to divorce her, Chase. Just in case she dies from this. That way, you'll save some money."

That was all it took. That last comment. Chase nodded silently, then turned to walk away. But before he took two paces, he spun around and punched House straight in the nose. "Thanks for the advice," he muttered, then walked away.

"Are you all right?" Cameron asked House, who had a smirk spreading across his face. She examined his nose. "He didn't break it, but you'll be bleeding for a while." She pulled a couple of tissues from her pocket and squeezed them over his nose. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeb," he said, his nose stuffed up. "Bud, dat wab a preddy inderesding readshun frob hib, waddn't id?"

"I'll admit I wasn't expecting it," Foreman said. "I'll go see if he's all right." He nodded to Cameron and House, turn went after Chase.

Foreman found Chase in his small office, upending the furniture. Chase looked insane with rage, but Foreman walked in anyway. "Chase?" he said hesitantly. Chase's back was to him and he had a letter knife in his hand.

"What?"

"Are you all right?"

Chase turned to face Foreman. "Do I bloody look all right?" he demanded. "Why wife could be dying and House finds it amusing to make a crack like that!"

Foreman held his hands up. "Chase, just calm down," he said. "Take a few deep breaths. She's not going to die. Her anaemia was probably just acting up and she collapsed from fatigue. She's been doing a lot, lately. She'll be all right."

"You don't know that."

Anali spent three days in the hospital recovering from her bought with utter exhaustion and over-exertion which caused her iron levels to drop drastically, forcing her into an anaemia-driven faint. On the day she was to be discharged, House came to her room and sat down. "Wake up," he said, when he realised she was half-asleep.

"What?" she muttered.

"Chase had an affair."

She snapped open her eyes and sat up. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"During your separation, he slept with Angela, a nurse in the hospital," House explained, twirling his cane. "While not technically an affair, she's pregnant with his child and has been lusting after him since their last date. I can point her out to you."

"Sure, whatever," she said.

He nodded and stood, leaving her. He paused at the door and turned back. "I was wondering," he said. "Would you be willing to come back to work? Replace your husband?"

"No, House."

"Anali, come here," House called as he saw her walking slowly by. She shuffled over to where he was talking to an obviously pregnant nurse. "How're you feeling?" She shrugged. "Anali, I want you to meet Angela." He indicated to the nurse.

"Angela," Anali said softly, shaking the nurse's hand. "I've heard a little about you. I wish I knew more."

"Same here," Angela replied. "All I know is House wants you to replace Dr. Chase."

"Speaking of the wombat," House muttered. Then he limped away, calling, "Chase! A word?"

Angela sighed. "Isn't he gorgeous?" she asked absently.

"Dr. House?" Anali asked, though she knew the pregnant woman meant Chase. "I'll admit he is handsome, but his attitude leaves so much to be desired. If you don't believe me, try living with him for a few weeks." Angela gave her an odd look. "His apartment building was being repiped."

"Oh," she said. "I wasn't talking about House. I was talking about Dr. Chase. I love his accent. He sounds British, but he isn't."

Analia nodded. "Accents certainly are alluring," she admitted.

"Your accent's interesting," Angela observed. "What is it?"

"British-Australian-American," Anali answered. "My father grew up in England. I grew up in America and was raised by him. And I married an Australian."

"Oh."

"How long have you known Dr. Chase?" Anali inquired after a moment.

Angela tore her gaze from Chase and focused on Anali. "Since I began working here," she answered. "So about one and a half years. Do you know him?"

"We met in med school," Anali said. "We were nineteen. We started school young. Our parents didn't approve, but we did what we wanted."

Angela nodded. Then her expression turned to one of competition. "We've been dating, you know," she said. Anali's eyebrow rose of its own accord. "He's so romantic. Sweeps me off my feet."

"I can imagine," Anali said dryly. "Is that how you became pregnant?" Angela seemed shocked by the forwardness of the question. "Don't look so shocked, Angela. You're curvy and you're thin. Dr. Chase likes that. And you've got a mummy belly poking out. Is he the father?"

"I love him, Anali," she whispered.

"That doesn't answer my question," Anali said lightly. "Is he the father?" Angela nodded. "Were you planning on keeping your baby or giving him up for adoption?" Angela shrugged. "Because I'd be willing to adopt your baby is you're willing to let me. I can't have my own children, you see. Dr. House has proclaimed my uterus to be a hostile environment."

Angela shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know," she said. "We'd have to talk to Dr. Chase about it."

Anali sighed. "Actually," she said. "It doesn't matter what he thinks about who raises the child. One way, he'll be paying child support. The other he won't. And when he isn't paying child support, if he's stupid, he'll be paying a different monthly payment. Or if he's really stupid, he'll be paying both."

"Who the hell are you?" Angela demanded.

Anali held out her hand to shake Angela's again. "My name is Anali Kathryn Morstan," she said, unintentionally using her maiden name. "I'm Dr. Chase's wife."

"But he—he…"

"Yeah, we were separated at the time," Anali said casually. "But if you allowed me to adopt your baby, I'll raise him like my own. And at least then he'd be raised by his biological father. Will you at least think about it? Please?" Angela remained silent and walked away in a huff. Anali sighed.

"Why did you do that?" She turned and saw Chase behind her. "I was going to tell her when the time was right."

"What, when she was having the baby?" Anali retorted. "The time was right ten years ago, Chase. Dr. Cameron said you haven't been wearing your wedding ring. So now everyone in the hospital thinks you're unmarried and that I'm insane!" He rolled his eyes and walked away. She followed him angrily. "Don't walk away when I'm talking to you, Robert Matthew Chase! This is a serious situation. You got us into this mess; it's your responsibility to get us out of it. That's part of being an adult. I realise you've made some fairly moronic decisions in the past, but this one has to be rectified!" He walked into the diagnostic conference room and closed the door behind him. Anali didn't pause before she walked right in after him.

"You can't come in here, Anali," he said, ignoring Foreman and Cameron. "You're a patient."

House lightly brushed past Anali as he hurried into the room to watch the argument. "The hell I can't I just did," she snapped. Foreman and Cameron looked surprised. Her voice was at an average speaking volume—much louder than her usual murmur—and she swore. Chase looked indifferent while House looked like Christmas had come early. "Right now, I'm your wife and you have some explaining to do."

"I don't have to explain anything to you," Chase said curtly. "I want a divorce." Cameron's hand flew to her mouth. Foreman's eyes widened. And House lost his giddy grin. Anali showed no reaction. "I'm so sick of you being so perfect all the time. You were always better than me in med school. You could take my job whenever you wanted, but you're choosing to stay home and make other stay-at-home wives look like amateurs. I'm sick of House always spending time with you then rubbing your skills at bowling or singing or lacrosse or dancing in my face. I'm sick of feeling jealous when other men give you an up and down look. I can't handle it anymore, Anali. We married too soon after we met. We were barely twenty-one for God's sake! We were too young and foolish to fully comprehend what we were doing. And this needs to end." She didn't say anything. She just stared at him evenly. "I think the only thing that's kept me with you is the guilt I would feel over leaving an anaemic woman on her own."

"You pulled my record, didn't you?" she whispered. He nodded. "That, darling, is illegal."

"Come off it," he said, his eyes rolling. "It's not like you haven't pulled mine."

"I haven't!" she shouted. "For the past six years, I have respected your privacy, I've allowed you to outshine me career-wise, I've kept your house looking beautiful and clean, and I managed to not commit adultery! During our separation, you slept with Angela, but no men went to your bed. And I'm sure that's not the only time you've slept with another woman!" Cameron's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Anali sighed and brushed her hair from her face. "But what I don't understand is why you want a divorce if I'm going to die within the next few months anyway."

Everyone reacted. "What are you talking about?" House demanded.

Tears fell from Anali's eyes as she said, "I just had my third thunderclap headache…today."

House scrambled to his feet. "Why didn't you tell me about the first two?" he demanded, limping quickly to her.

"They peaked then were gone immediately," she said. "They didn't act like real thunderclaps." House examined her eyes. "What's going to happen to me, House?"

"I think you diagnosed yourself fairly accurately," he said. "Could be a brain aneurysm. Could be something else. We won't know until we run some tests. Foreman, I want an MRI and an arteriogram as soon as possible." He turned to his team. Foreman was still digesting what had just happened. "Go on or she's dead in three days." Foreman snapped out of his trance and left. "In the meantime, Chase, you are suspended from this case."

"What? Why?" he asked. "She's my wife."

"Exactly."

"But I'm filing for divorce."

"But she's still your wife," House said. "And however much you may want to divorce her, you still have emotional ties to her. And I don't believe your skills will be needed. You're dismissed."

Chase opened and closed his mouth silently a bit, then, irritated, swept out of the room. Cameron looked at House. "What if we really do need his help?" she asked.

"I doubt she'll be sent to intensive care," House muttered. "Get Anali back to her room. I need to think."