Chapter 44

Cameron sat at Cuddy's bedside nervously. It had been hours, and she didn't seem to be improving. Despite two doses ofprochlorperazine, Cuddy was still vomiting.

"How you doing?" Cameron asked with concern.

"Hanging in there," Cuddy said. She was tired and worried and sick of throwing up. But the IV fluids had helped alleviate her dizziness.

"I'm going to try Jimmy and Greg again," Cameron said. She gave Cuddy's shoulder a squeeze before standing up and leaving the room.

Nurse Baker entered the room to check on Cuddy. She quickly took her vitals and looked at the IVs. Then she turned to review the fetal monitors. A frown crossed her features. She looked over the printout more carefully.

"What is it?" Cuddy asked worriedly.

"Her heart rate is just a little higher than we'd like to see," Nurse Baker said. "It could be due to maternal stress. Stress on you means stress on her, and I'd say today has been pretty stressful." She reached behind Cuddy and pulled down the oxygen mask, placing it gently over Cuiddy's face. She saw the panic in her eyes. "We're still okay," Nurse Baker reassured her. "Let's just shift you to your left side to relieve any pressure on your uterus."

Cameron walked back in from the hall and took in the scene before her. She smiled confidently at Cuddy, knowing that added stress was the worst thing for her right now. Where the hell are Jimmy and Greg?!

"Whenever you're ready, Dr. Wilson," the young man who led them to the viewing room said. Wilson nodded and turned to face the large window. It was currently blocked by a mechanical shade. There was a switch on the wall which would retract the shade from the window and reveal the room on the other side. The room where, presumably, Michael Wilson was awaiting recognition.

House's cell phone buzzed in his jeans pocket. The young man looked at him sternly.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid you'll have to turn that off."

House opened his mouth to make a smart remark, but a sidelong glance at Wilson silenced him. He took the phone from his pocket and clicked it off without answering. Wilson withdrew his phone and shut it off as well. He then turned back and faced that window.

House leaned against the wall and watched Wilson's back. In all the years that Wilson had lectured, screamed and chastised him about the Vicodin and the booze, he'd never really considered that it was really this room he was yelling about. Sure, he cared about House and wanted him to be happy, but ultimately, he hadn't wanted to end up in this room waiting to push the switch and see House on the other side of the window. House dropped his gaze to his sneaker tops. How easily could that have happened?

Annoyed now at his own introspection, House limped forward and flicked the switch with the tip of his cane. He didn't get the angry glare he'd expected from Wilson. In fact, it looked more like gratitude.

By unspoken agreement, both men waited until the shade had stopped moving and the window was completely exposed before turning to look.

House wasn't really sure what he'd expected, but it hadn't been a near mirror image of James Wilson lying on the table. He unconsciously leaned in closer and took in every detail. It was hard to tell if he was older or younger than Jimmy. His face was so drawn and haggard he could have been older than House. But judging from the needle marks up and down the length of both arms that was likely the drugs. House shuddered. Corpses didn't normally bother him, but this was like something straight out of The Twilight Zone.

Wilson gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut tight after a few moments. He nodded tersely to the attendant. The attendant nodded back politely and exited the room. Wilson hit the switch again and kept his head down until the shade stopped moving.

He looked at House, waiting for some remark. When none came, Wilson nodded silently and walked out of the room without looking back.

"Lisa, I'm just not seeing the improvement I'd like in her heart rate," Dr. Huntley said. "You're only three weeks from your due date, so there's no danger in delivering now. She's obviously unhappy in there so let's get her out."

"I don't want a C-section," Cuddy protested tiredly.

"We're not there yet," Dr. Huntley assured her. "We're going to induce labor. We'll monitor you both very closely, but there's no reason to suspect you won't be able to deliver naturally at this point." He turned to Nurse Baker. "Prep for an amniotic rupture and a Pitocin drip."

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Burke speaking," a tinny voice announced. "We're going to be delayed here for just a bit. There's a wildlife situation on the runway that needs clearing up. We should be up and flying in less than an hour."

"Oh god," Wilson groaned softly. The flight from Miami to the airport in Newark wasn't long, but any flight with House that lasted more than ten minutes was long. Having to wait was guaranteed to put House in a nasty mood.

Wilson chanced a glance over at House and chuckled quietly to himself. He'd fallen asleep, again. He swore sometimes that iPod had a built in sedative.

"Eight centimeters and ninety percent effaced," Dr. Huntley announced. "Lisa, I want you to start pushing. I know it's early, but it's a long trip down the birth canal. You'll be fully dilated by the time she's ready to make her appearance."

"Can we back off the Pitocin?" Cuddy panted. The drug was causing incredibly intense contractions, each lasting between four and six minutes. Already exhausted from nearly a day of vomiting, Cuddy wasn't sure she could start pushing.

"No, we really can't," Dr. Huntley said. "The baby's heart rate is still elevated. We just don't have that kind of time." He paused and looked at her to make sure he understood what he was saying. "Lisa, I know this is scary. For now, we're still okay. But I need you to dig in here and give me the best you've got."

Cuddy nodded. Cameron and Nurse Baker helped her struggle into a more-or-less sitting position. Cuddy took a deep breath and began pushing.

After the most peaceful three hours and 24 minutes Wilson had ever spent on an airplane with House, they landed. Apparently a three hour nap was what House needed every day, his mood could only be described as pleasant as they made their way through airport security. House waiting uncomplaining while Wilson dealt with the arrangements for his brother's body. And as they made their way toward the lot where Wilson had parked his car, House began to whistle jauntily.

"You're in a good mood," Wilson commented. He wasn't sure if he was envious or annoyed.

"Didn't have much of a wedding night Saturday," House commented. "This trip is going to score me huge points. I'm just planning how to cash in."

Wilson groaned in disgust and rolled his eyes. But that reminded him that he hadn't spoken to Cuddy since he'd left Saturday night. He removed his phone from his pocket, but it wouldn't turn on.

"Battery must be dead," he commented, mostly to himself. He turned to House. "Can I use your phone?"

"You expect my phone to be charged?"

"It rang earlier, didn't it?" Wilson said. "I want to check in with Lisa."

"Whipped," House said. He took his phone out and tossed it at Wilson, who was lucky to catch it. House started whistling again as they reached the car. Wilson flipped open the phone and turned it on. He unlocked the trunk while waiting out the 'Finding Network' message and he and House tossed in their bags. Wilson slammed the trunk shut and reached for the driver side door. He glanced down at the phone and frowned.

"Forty seven missed calls," he said. He pressed a button. "They're all from Allison." He grinned at House mischievously. "She must be pissed." House made a face, but continued whistling. Wilson frowned again. "Thirty text messages?" He pushed a few buttons and paled. "Lisa's sick …they're admitting her …." Wilson's frown furrowed deeper and deeper as he scrolled through the messages. House's whistle died on his lips. "Severe dehydration … the baby's heart rate is elevated … Huntley induced labor."

Wilson and House looked at each other for a minute. House jerked his head at the phone and Wilson tossed it to him over the roof of the car. Wilson slid in behind the wheel while House climbed into the passenger seat, trying to reach Allison on the phone.

"If I knew why she wasn't answering, don't you think I'd tell you?" House said. "Even more likely, if I knew why she wasn't answering the phone now, I'd have a pretty good idea when she would be able to answer the phone and I would call her then."

Wilson gritted his teeth and clenched the steering wheel tighter. Princeton was only about an hour from the airport, and he knew that labor took hours. Academically, intellectually, medically, he knew that he would get there in plenty of time and everything would be fine. Academics, intellect and medicine don't mean anything to an expectant father.

"Jimmy, breathe. She'll be fine. This is Cuddy we're talking about. Don't think for a minute that she's not barking orders at Huntley like a disgruntled general," House said.

"It'll be different when it's you," Wilson snapped. House's face fell, just a little, and Wilson realized what he'd said. "Oh, House, I just … I just forgot. Sorry."

House nodded. "I'll try her again."

"Aaaahhhh" Cuddy exhaled loudly. She turned her head and threw up into the basin that Nurse Baker held out for her and then slumped back against the back of the bed, now raised to help her sit up more comfortably. "I can't do this anymore."

"Come on Lisa," Cameron said encouragingly. "This can't be any more painful than wrangling Greg for clinic duty."

"Ha," Cuddy managed to laugh. She closed her eyes to rest for a minute or two before the next contraction.

"All right, Lisa, let's see how things are progressing," Dr. Huntley said as he entered her room again. He checked her vitals and did a very quick pelvic exam, followed by a long look at the fetal monitors.

"Darren?" Cuddy asked, concerned by his seriousness.

"This is just not happening fast enough," Dr. Huntley said, frowning. "Lisa, her heart rate has climbed even higher in the past hour. The baby is in the danger zone. It's not critical …yet. But we just can't wait any longer. I'm afraid we're going to have to do a C-section."

Cuddy closed her eyes and let a few silent tears fall. Cameron placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and Cuddy leaned her head against Cameron's arm. She breathed deeply a few times.

"Fine," she said. "Whatever is best for the baby." She turned to Cameron. "Where are they?"

"I'll try them again," Cameron said. "You've still got a little time while they prep you."

"Stop looking at me and watch where you're driving," House said. They were barely ten minutes from the hospital; it was pointless to keep trying Cameron now. "We'll be there before she'll even be able to tell us the whole story."

Wilson took a deep breath and prepared to give House the most livid speech he'd ever delivered when the phone rang in House's hand. They just stared at each other for a minute before Wilson snapped his eyes back to the road before him.

"House."

"Thank god."

"You don't believe in god."

"Greg, don't start. Where are you?"

"Tremont Street. Why haven't you been answering your phone?"

"The phone was messing with the fetal monitor; I had to shut it off."

"So, what's new?"

"Dammit House! "

House sighed. It was never a good sign when she called him House. Either she really was extremely pissed at him, or things with Cuddy had taken a bad turn.

"They're prepping her for a section now. The baby's heart rate is dangerously high. Don't tell Wilson until he's stopped driving. If he gets you both killed rushing over here Lisa will never forgive me."

"We'll be there in five minutes." He turned to Wilson. "She's fine. Might want to step on it though … Dad."

Cameron was walking back down the hall when the door to Cuddy's room slid open and Nurse Baker and an orderly pushed a gurney through. Cameron sped her pace to catch up as they whisked Cuddy off down the hall.

"What happened?"

"The baby's heart rate spiked; we're taking her for an emergency section right now," Nurse Baker informed her as they barreled their way through the swinging doors that led to the OR suites.

"Lisa, he'll be here any minute," Cameron called out to Cuddy as the gurney disappeared into the operating room, leaving Cameron to jam her hands into her pockets nervously.