004. Son
Revelations
John House leaned wearily against the doorway of the hospital room and stared at the man lying on the bed inside. His son, his only son, his only child, had been shot. Twice. Once in the throat and once in the stomach. He'd been told by Dr Cuddy that the operation to repair the damage done by the bullets had been a success but that Greg had asked for ketamine to be used…an experimental treatment of some description. John shook his head; he didn't understand why his son would do that. Though more to the point, he didn't understand why these things always seemed to happen to his son. First the leg, now this.
In truth he didn't quite understand his son. His intelligent, acerbic, sarcastic, brilliant son. When Greg had been born he'd hoped that his son would follow in his footsteps, join the military in some form. But Greg had chosen medical school. He'd been disappointed at first but that had soon passed. What man would not be proud of having a doctor for a son?
But they'd never really understood each other, he and Greg. Especially once Greg had become a teenager. That brilliant mind worked far better than his. His son understood things better and quicker than he ever could. It made him short with those who could not match him, sharp with their shortcomings and sarcastic in the face of their befuddlement. He'd tried to tell Greg that he needed to temper his attitude, be more diplomatic, but Greg, in his teenage wisdom, had ignored that advice. Perhaps he hadn't known quite how to say it properly?
It pained him to see his son so alone, in so much pain. He'd do anything to see Greg happy and whole but how did a man say that to his son? What words could be used? The Lord knows he'd tried but he just seemed to make things worse.
Movement on the other side of the room caught his eye and he looked over to see James Wilson slowly waking in the chair he'd fallen asleep in. Perhaps his son wasn't completely alone. This man had stood by him as friend since the two of them had met. John wasn't sure what bound the two of them together but whatever it was, it seemed to work.
As John watched James slowly, tiredly, rose to his feet and shuffled over to the hospital bed. He sank down into the chair beside the bed, the one that John himself had recently vacated, then leaned forward and took Greg's hand in his own. John's eyes widened slightly as James' other hand began to slowly stroke Greg's hair. That was the action of a parent or a…
"Dammit, Greg."
The words were a bare whisper but John heard them in the silent room. The tone of voice they were spoken in made him frown in confusion. He never professed to be a man of emotion but he knew that tone. The words might have been ones of exasperation but the tone they'd been said in was love.
John almost withdrew then; this was something he'd never considered in regards to his son. The only partners Greg had ever brought home had been women. Was this just one-sided? Or did Greg feel the same way?
He heard James' shuddering sigh then more whispered words.
"Will you just wake up already? Christ, Greg. I need you to wake up."
John drew in a soft breath. There could be no doubting that tone of voice. James Wilson was in love with his son. And he couldn't imagine anyone using that tone of voice to Greg when there was at least a slim possibility Greg could hear it without the feeling behind it being reciprocated.
John was career military and their attitudes towards gays were well known. John had never really cared either way and had thought that Don't Ask, Don't Tell was probably the best compromise. He wasn't sure what to think when it came to his own son though.
He sighed and looked over at the bed again. James was still sitting there, watching Greg and gently stroking his hair, his emotions plain on his face. He couldn't deny that James had been good to and for his son. And who was he to make his son any more miserable than he already was? He watched for a moment longer then quietly slipped back out into the corridor. His wife was down in the cafeteria with Lisa Cuddy. He'd go down and join them; perhaps James would appreciate the time alone with Greg.