Chapter 15: Bad Tastes and Questions
August 25 2011 (9:00 p.m.)
This goes on my list as one of the weirdest (but not worst) weeks ever. I can't explain it. I'm too tired. I have to go read to Dani. We're on chapter 25. Last time we read we stopped and had a really long conversation.
I'm going to write down the quote we talked about. Eva said it to her father: "'O that's what troubles me, papa. You want me to live so happy, and never have any pain, -- never suffer anything,-- not even hear a sad story, when other poor creatures have nothing but pain and sorrow, all their lives; -- it seems selfish.I ought to know such things, I ought to feel about them! Such things always sunk into my heart; they went down deep; I've thought and thought about them."
We talked about all our friends all over the world, and all of the suffering and things that they had to go through, but how happy they were. I miss Africa. And in Iraq, all the girls were just happy to go to school and be able to do anything. And then today what we talked about. Dad suffered too with his leg, but in a different way then they did. Dani's calling me.
House ripped his face away from her and stood up.
"What the hell was that Stacey?"
"A kiss. We love each other. That's what people in love do."
"I don't love you." Stacey was staring at him, surprise and confusion on her face.
"Pray tell." He heard a young voice comment. "Why the hell were you kissing my father?"
"Bella." Dani's voice was pleading. "Mama's gonna be mad. You're not supposed to swear."
"I think the circumstances are okay sweetheart, because I was just asking her the same question, only without the father part. Because ya'know if I caught her kissing my father – well, ewwwwww."
House screwed up his face and the two cracked up. His heart rate slowed down. The moment that he had heard Bella's voice, fear had gripped him. What if they thought that I was kissing her because I wanted to?
His relationship with his daughters was his number one priority, tied only with Allison. Last night they had looked at pictures and Allie had told him stories of the girls. This morning, waking up in her bed and then going downstairs and making pancakes with the girls – it had felt so – normal, so natural. Like he belonged there with them.
"But Greg-" Stacey grabbed his arm he shook her off.
"Guys, will you go play for another minute?" The two nodded and scampered back to the park.
"That night I called you for meaningless sex; it was just that, meaningless sex."
"You don't mean that Greg." Stacey tried to kiss him again and House pulled himself away from her.
"I do though. I mean it with all my heart."
"Is this for your daughters? Because you want them? We could find a good lawyer and get custody."
She looked at the two girls who were sitting on the swings watching them with their fathers' eyes. It was slightly unnerving.
"I guess if you really want them we could try it. I mean, I don't see myself as mother material, but that's okay."
"I would never want you to be their mother." House contemplated starting another rant, but right then he just wanted to get his daughters and get out of the park.
"Dad, can we leave now?" House looked down and was met with the face of Isabella. He had told them to stay put, but right now they were his saving grave. His heart gave a jump when he realized that she had just called him dad and he smiled at her.
"I think that's a good idea."
"Greg!" House ignored her and gestured for his children to lead the way. Dani walked next to him, but at the last moment Bella turned around and stuck her tongue out at Stacey childishly in a 'haha he chose us' gesture.
"Spoiled rotten brat." House heard her mutter under her breath.
"I'd slap that child silly. Boarding school or something." That was it. He turned and took two steps to Stacey so that they were eye to eye.
"If you ever talk about my children like that again, you will be the one getting slapped silly. Are we clear?"
Stacey looked slightly startled, but she nodded in distaste. "I hope to God that I never see you again." House informed her.
House turned back to his daughters who were both grinning at him.
"I have a nasty taste in my mouth now" he informed them. "Let's get out of here."
House sat in the ice cream parlor that they had found and watched his girls.
Bella had gotten Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, while Dani had ordered Rocky Road. House had gone for a chocolate sundae, and all were content and eating.
They were about a quarter of the way through their ice cream and sitting their in easy silence when Isabelle decided to speak. "Dad, who was that woman?"
House swallowed his bite of ice cream and thought about how to answer her. "She was my girlfriend a really long time ago. Do you guys know what happened to my leg?"
Dani nodded. "You had an infraction in your right thigh and it blocked the flow of your blood. You had surgery to remove the dead tissue and restore blood circulation which left you with a permanent limp and pain."
Her answer surprised House slightly, but then he felt a swell of pride. Damn his kids were smart. "Yeah. The doctors wanted to amputate my leg."
"But you didn't want them to." Bella stopped eating her ice cream and rested her chin in her hands.
"No. I wanted to be put in a chemically induced coma." Both girls paused and nodded after thinking for a minute.
"I was put in the coma, and while in the coma Stacey – the woman you met today decided to have them perform surgery on my leg and remove the dead tissue."
"Why would she do that? You didn't want that!" Bella looked outraged, and Dani was frowning.
"I didn't want that, but she thought that she knew what was best and she was my medical proxy at the time."
"Is she even a doctor?"
"A lawyer."
"Then how come she decided she would be the best person to make medical decisions for you?" Dani blinked at him, eyes wide.
Dani was the logical child House decided, just like her mother. She thought out the question and came up with logical questions to ask, and logical answers. Bella was more 'do first, ask questions, be forced to apologize later' type of person. A mini-House if you would. He almost smirked at the thought.
"I have absolutely no idea sweetheart."
"I don't like her."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Well duh. She took away dad's ability to walk."
"And she kissed him." Dani added.
House shuddered and took another bite of his ice cream. "Don't remind me. I'll need an intire thing of mouth wash to get the taste off." He paused for a minute in thought. "And maybe some more ice cream."
The two girls giggled and continued to eat. "Dad?" Dani was grinning at him.
He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance and smiled to show her he was joking. House hoped it wasn't another serious question. He thought that he had filled his quota for the day.
"Yeah Dani?"
Her eyes were sparkling. "Can we get a pony?"
I decided to end the chapter on a happy note like that. The quote from the diary is from Uncle Tom's Cabin. Now, for all of you who are going Nope. Nuh-uh, they couldn't have read that. I read it by myself in fourth grade. It's possible. Plus, it's my story I'll do what I want to. If anyone has any suggestions that they would like to see in this story, let me know. I have a few ideas, but when I get suggestions sometimes the writers block goes away. Review!