Chapter 2
Wilson brought House a change of clothes in the morning. After he and Cuddy picked at the toast and tea provided for their breakfast, House took advantage of the attached bathroom. He emerged from the bathroom, showered, feeling less groggy, although not less worried, when a pint-sized hurricane tore into the room. "Mama!" Rachel shouted. She caught sight of House. "House!" she added, and barreled into him. "Is there a baby? Can I see my baby brother?"
"Not yet, Rach," House assured her. "The baby isn't ready to come out yet. He's still safe in your Mama's stomach."
Rachel's eyes filled with tears. She pulled the chair over to Cuddy's bed and used it to climb up. Cuddy embraced her daughter. "Hi, Rachel."
"Mama," Rachel said, as she snuggled against her. She rested her hand on Cuddy's stomach. She smiled. "I feel him."
"He's still there, Rachel. All safe and sound."
Cuddy's sister stood in the doorway, watching the reunion. "House," she greeted him with little enthusiasm.
House nodded at her. "Julia," he said.
Cuddy's obstetrician walked in. "It's time to run a few checks, everybody, if you could wait outside?"
"Rachel," Julia called. "We're going to the cafeteria for a few minutes."
Rachel's eyes filled up. "But we just got here," she protested.
"I know, Honey, but your mommy's doctor wants to talk to her."
Rachel wiped the tears away with both fists. "Want a lift?" House asked her. She nodded. He picked her up and swung her down to the floor. He bent down and whispered, "Now, you mind Aunt Julia, okay?"
"Aye, aye, you bloody scalawag," she agreed, and went off grinning, with her hand in Julia's.
The obstetrician turned to House and cleared her throat. "It's okay, I'm a doctor," House said, stating the obvious.
"Not now, you're not."
"It's like riding a bicycle. Besides, I'm responsible for this." He gestured at Cuddy.
"Let him stay," Cuddy said.
House tried to control the smirk as he dragged the chair away from Cuddy's bedside and sat down to watch the obstetrician's thorough examination.
"Well," Doctor Hoffman said at last, "The contractions have stopped. The baby seems fine, although I'll send the neonatologist in to confirm. I could send you home with instructions to take it easy, but I'd feel a lot more comfortable if you stayed here. You are in great shape, but you are old to be carrying what is really your first pregnancy. Lisa, we want to give you and your son the very best shot at this." She looked hard at House. "I gather you would be okay with taking care of Rachel?"
House winced, but Cuddy said, "Of course, I trust him with her, but he can do it only after two more weeks." She shifted uncomfortably and put a hand on her swollen stomach. "But I have a hospital to run. We have a wedding to plan and House can't help right now. We're buying a house. Rachel is a very active five-year-old."
"Exactly. Doctor Cuddy, I think you just told me why you should stay here."
Cuddy seemed to deflate against the pillows on her bed. "All right. All right. Jenna, I can work here."
Doctor Hoffman shook her head. "Lisa, keep it to three hours in the morning, with breaks. Three hours in the afternoon with breaks. That's max. And I don't think there's any way you'll keep this pregnancy all the way to term. Use the time like you planned, to set up your maternity leave."
Cuddy nodded. The obstetrician let herself out of the room. House wrapped his arms around Cuddy again. She was sniffling against his shoulder. After a while, when he noted that his tee-shirt was soaked, he said, "I have an idea."
A rather watery "What idea?" was muttered against his collar bone.
"Well, first, you can trust Julia and your mother to take good care of Rachel until I get out. Then I'll take over. Two, you can turn this luxury suite into a luxury office, suitable for the Director of Princeton General. Tell Arlene to get you some elegant bed jackets. She'll love it and it will keep her out of your hair for a day or two at least. And three, let's get married here, in the hospital chapel, as soon as I get out."
"But I reserved the temple, and sent invitations, and the rabbi, and…"
"Lisa, wait for this summer, when we've moved into the house and the baby is home from the hospital – it looks like he'll be somewhat premature, so he won't be able to go home right away. We can have an even bigger reception, anything you want, invite even more people than I was willing to have for our wedding. Wilson can do some of the legwork for you, get the papers for the marriage license, and my team can help decorate the chapel. At least we have the rings already. Anyhow, that will keep Arlene from taking over."
That earned a sniffle and a chuckle. "Still with the rabbi and a canopy?"
"We wouldn't want to disappoint Rachel."
She sat back against the pillows, a faraway look in her eyes. "That might work. But I wanted to have the bris* in our own home. There's too much work on the house to be able to move in as soon as you're released."
House winced. "Our home right now is my apartment. If you insist on traumatizing our infant son with a primitive blood sacrifice, we can have it there. It will keep the crowd to manageable levels…"
Cuddy swatted his arm. "We already talked about it. He won't remember it."
"I will," House said in dire tones. That earned him a giggle and he smiled. "Move over again. I want to cuddle with you, Cuddles."
"We'll scandalize the nurses, and the neonatologist is coming."
"I'm reliably certain that they don't think this," he caressed her stomach, "was the product of immaculate conception." He patted her tummy again. He got serious. "Lisa, it won't be your dream wedding, but it will be good. We'll have a canopy, like you wanted. Rachel will be the flower girl. Wilson can try to find a nice suit to fit his scrawny body. And if you can just hold off becoming a mother for the second time until I get out, the baby will be legitimate and I won't have to try to find a judge who'll overlook my past to let me adopt my own son."
"I'll keep my feet up," she assured him.
"That's my girl!"
Cuddy reached around House's neck and pulled him down for a long, wet kiss. "When do you have to go back to prison?"
"Tomorrow. It's a forty-eight hour pass."
"I wish we could, well, you know, but it's contraindicated right now."
"Damn. But just think how much fun we'll have after the baby is born and you're feeling frisky again."
"I can't wait." The sound of a man clearing his throat broke up their kiss.
"Wilson, your timing sucks," House said without looking up.
"The neonatologist is right behind me. I'm past being embarrassed by you two, but he hasn't reached that greatly desired state of resignation yet."
-tbc-
