I'm back in the land of the living and here is the next episode! Thank you for your patience and your reviews :)
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"My water just broke." Cuddy's words hit House like a ton of bricks! This was it. No backing out now, he was going to be a Father of Four; it almost sounded like a joke, only he was not laughing: he knew that now he had to be there for Cuddy for real. And not only for now but for the next eighteen years at least. But that was the future crashing down on him; now was not the time for that! Now was the time to get Cuddy to the hospital.
"Call Jordan," House told her. "I'll be there in five." Cuddy closed the connection and House got going. In the living room he met Higa, who had not gone to bed yet either (sixth sense? possibly; with Akira you never knew). "Cuddy's water just broke," House said as he limped towards the door connecting the flat to the house.
"Do you want me to call Dr Chase?" Higa asked him.
"If you would," House replied over his shoulder as he went.
It wasn't five minutes later that House opened Cuddy's door. She was walking the floor talking to Helen Jordan on the phone, as soon as she saw House she finished the call and stopped before him, looking strangely lost and almost childlike which House thought was ridiculous given her condition.
"Wilson is getting dressed," House told Cuddy putting her hand reassuringly on her shoulder. "He'll drive you to the hospital. I will follow on the bike once I have alerted the rest of the house. Unless things start happening faster than I expect and Jimmy has to step on it, I may actually reach the hospital before you, but I'll definitely be there soon after. Akira is calling Chase, so he will be with Jordan in no time. And I suspect he'll alert Cameron and Foreman, too, but I don't know what they will do."
"Why did you call Chase?" Cuddy's eyes widened. "I thought he was going to be there only if something goes wrong."
"He will be needed only if something goes wrong," House hugged Cuddy. "But I'm not waiting till then to have him on stand-by. He will be there, hopefully to just twirl his thumbs, but this is a multiple birth. Better safe than sorry even though you know that Jordan has been perfectly happy with the way your pregnancy has gone so far. Sure, it would have been nice for the kids if you could have gone the full term but they will be fine even now. So get ready and I'll meet you at the hospital."
Just then the door opened again, and Kasumii came in to help Cuddy get ready. House had stopped at Aiko's room on his way to Cuddy's and alerted the Nanny through the baby monitor. As he left the room he found Grey in the corridor waiting.
"Anything I can do?" Grey asked.
"Nothing, thanks," House nodded. "You wait here with Kasumii and Aiko and we'll call you as soon as we have any news. Though first labour does usually take at least 15 hours so it's possible that you'll have to drive Kasumii and Aiko to the hospital with you when you come to work tomorrow, but I'll call you before that with an update on things."
"Don't you need someone to drive your Mother and Dr Higa to the hospital?" Grey asked.
"You can ask them if they need a lift," House said. "Mother does have a license, but I'm not sure how willing she is to drive, especially at night. So thank you for the offer." House went back down and just as he left the lift he saw Wilson emerge from his room fully dressed and ready to go.
"Cuddy?" Wilson asked.
"Kasumii is helping her to get ready," House informed Wilson. "You can go up and wait outside her door. She is a bit panicky but that is hardly surprising. Just do your best reassuring and caring doctor impersonation and you'll be fine."
"It's not an impersonation!" Wilson huffed at House half-heartedly but House wasn't listening. He was already on his way to his mother's rooms.
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House had been right; he got to the hospital just before Wilson and Cuddy so he was able to be there with the wheelchair when Wilson helped Cuddy out of the car at the hospital. It was the orderly who actually pushed Cuddy's chair, but House and Wilson both flanked her and she had to admit that having her "knights" with her did feel good and reassuring – which was sort of silly since neither of them were obstetricians. On the other hand, Wilson was good at being reassuring in general and House, well his credentials might state that he specialized in infectious deceases and nephrology, but in truth he specialized in everything. If something went wrong, he would know what to do. Probably even before anybody else.
Since it was a multiple birth Cuddy was taken into a delivery room straight away. It was equipped with everything that might be needed if something went wrong, with either Cuddy or the baby. It was situated close to an operation room in case emergency c-section was called for. Cuddy didn't like all the precautions though she, herself, had agreed on them with Dr Jordan when discussing the birth. Cuddy knew that her age was against her as was the fact that she was having triplets, but she still wished she could have ignored the precautions. Chase met them outside the delivery room – he had only just arrived so he was not yet in scrubs.
"I left messages for Cameron and Foreman but I don't know when they will get them, so I have no way of knowing if they'll be here tonight," Chase told House and Cuddy. "I'll go and scrub in, but I don't really expect I need to do anything since Helen told me to just make sure I don't get in her way or faint. Like I would do that! I'm not the Dad here."
"The Dad is not going to faint, either," House pointed out dryly. "I'm not so sure about Uncle Jimmy though, so Wilson, I think you better stay out of the delivery room and wait with the grandparents."
"Is that ok with you Lisa or do you need me to do something for you?" Wilson wanted confirmation from Cuddy.
"I'm fine," Lisa nodded. "I'm sure House has pretty much everything covered. Mind you, I do need you to stay close so that if he gets too abusive with the nurses I can call you to drag him out of there."
"Hey! I never abuse the nurses," House insisted – causing a passing nurse to gasp. "I'm gentle as a lamb."
"More like a wolf in a lamb's clothing," Cuddy huffed. "However, these are your kids being born so you better try to behave!"
"Fine, fine," House was patiently humouring Cuddy – and earning a deathly glare from her for it. "I'll behave. I'll be the epitome of good manners and politeness. Now, you get in there and I'll follow as soon as I've made sure all the paperwork is in order. Judging by the interval and strength of your contractions you'll have plenty of time to lecture me on my manners and whatever else it is that you want to complain about."
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House had changed into scrubs too, once he had made sure everything was in order with the paper work. He had also checked that Blythe and Higa were with Wilson in the waiting room. He reminded them that this would probably take quite some time and that his office was available as well, so they didn't really need to stay in one place. Once he was sure everything else was under control – and he had also seen Cameron and Foreman arrive at the hospital – he went back to Cuddy.
"Where have you been?" Cuddy nearly yelled at House as soon as he walked in. She, herself, was walking back and forth in the room, leaning on a nurse when she felt a contraction. "Helen finished her examination ages ago."
"And she also told you that this is going to take ages didn't she," House observed calmly.
"Is that any reason for you to not be here?" Cuddy demanded.
"No," House admitted. "Not at all. But even if I take my time in checking that everything is in order and that my Mom and Akira are comfortable I'm not going to miss anything important. Unless you really relish the idea of me seeing you all sweaty and panting and in pain."
"Well I think you ought to observe your own handiwork!" Cuddy huffed.
"Are you sure you want to phrase it quite like that?" House smiled at her making her blush. She got the reference to the story they had made about not having had sex but House having just given a donation, so to speak, and her getting pregnant with the aid of a turkey paster or some similar thing. "Besides, no matter how you got pregnant you know you cannot guilt me! I don't feel guilty about things; it's just not in my nature. I wasn't the one who chose to have fertility treatments; I'm not the one who chose to get pregnant. And no matter how painful this delivery will be it won't kill you! So I'll always be one up on you on the pain department."
"Fine, don't feel guilty," Cuddy huffed, knowing that House had a point. "I don't know why I wanted you here in the first place. Go, leave me, play your games or watch your soaps or do whatever you want. I'm fine here. I'm just giving birth to your triplets, why should you care!"
House smiled at her and her tirade. He walked to her and hugged her with one arm – he still had his cane in the other hand: "Shut up Cuddy," House murmured into her ear. "I'm here because I want to be here and because you need me. Now, talk to me, tell me what you need and let's get these kiddies out of the safety of your womb and into the cold, cruel world."
"Have I ever told you that you really have a knack with words; like really saying the right thing at the right time," Cuddy glared at him, though she did rest her head against his shoulder.
"No I don't think you have," House mused. "I've always wondered why not."
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It did take about fifteen hours for Cuddy to give birth to the kids. House was with her all the way. Ben made his entrance into this world at about three o'clock in the afternoon, Priya followed him about fifteen minutes later and Greer was born near four o'clock. They were all healthy and perfect and though Cuddy was exhausted almost to the point of being dead to the world, she was fine, too. Chase had been there all the time as well. Only observing since, fortunately, his skills were not needed, but the wait finally got to him. Once Greer was born and gave her first cry, Chase fainted.
"Hmm, that's interesting," House observed from Cuddy's side as Chase crumbled to the ground. "Anything you feel you need to tell me Cuddy?"
"What are you talking about?" Cuddy was completely in the dark about his purpose.
"Just that Chase was so adamant that only Daddies faint during delivery," House observed. "And now he is fainting all over the place. I was just wondering?"
"Oh, shut up you!" Cuddy replied half-heartedly. She wasn't really interested in anything House had to say. She had two of her children in her arms and Greer was next to her in House's arms and that was all she really cared about. Sure she felt sorry for Chase, but this was a hospital; plenty of nurses and doctors around to take care of him. Cuddy just wanted to see her babies and marvel at the tiny, perfect creatures.
"They don't really look so hot, do they?" House stated looking at the kids. "Sort of wrinkly and red and small."
"Shut up House," Cuddy told him. "They are perfect and beautiful."
"Fine, if you're happy who am I do disagree," House shrugged. "Now, we need to give them back to the nurses so they can finish measuring them and doing whatever else they need to do. They are also going to wheel you into your room and the kids will be brought there in a moment. Will you be ok while I go and tell Mom and Akira and the rest of the gang the news?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Cuddy nodded. "I'm euphoric but even so I think I will fall asleep the moment they take the kids. I'm fine for the time being."
"Ok, good," House accepted as he stood up and left the room. As he looked back from the door he saw that she had been right: she was already asleep.
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House found his House-hold in the waiting room. Not only were his mother and Dr Higa there, Wilson, Cameron, Foreman, Kasumii with Aiko, Grey and Miss Hill were all there as well.
"All present and accounted for," House informed them. "Cuddy is asleep but she is well. The only casualty was Chase who fainted in the end."
"He didn't!" Foreman exclaimed gleefully.
"When can we see them?" Blythe wanted to know. "The children and Cuddy?"
"I'll have the nurse wheel the children through here when she takes them into Cuddy's room," House promised. "But I'd give Cuddy about an hour or so before disturbing her. It wasn't an easy job she did."
"But she is ok?" Higa asked.
"Yes, they are all fine," House confirmed. "Jordan wants to keep them here for a week or so, just to be safe, but so far nothing indicates any problems at all."
"Excellent," Miss Hill concluded. "That's perfect."