Celeste

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Chapter 10

Day 1

I was sleeping when Dr House, Foreman and Thirteen came into my father's room. They think I haven't heard them, but I have. My father's going to die soon. And there's nothing they can do. Nothing I can do.

Sometimes I wish I believed in God. I'd ask him... no, I'd beg for a miracle or something close to it. I'd ask him to let me say good bye to my mother one more time, to say good bye to my father when the time comes.

I've been writing and drawing constantly. It keeps my mind busy. I try not to think about what I'm going to do without my father and every possible outcome I have thought of, scares the hell out of me.

I wish I were stronger. I wish I were like Lisa. She looks so strong and fearless. Thinking about it though, I'm not sure she really is. I can see it in her eyes when she's by my side.

She's been with me constantly, either checking up on me every once in a while or literally dragging me out to get something to eat.

She'd be a great mother. I wonder why she doesn't have kids.

Well, she has me. But I doubt I count.
Maybe I do.

I wish I do.

Day 2

I was away for five minutes. I was walking out from the cafeteria when I saw Lisa running towards the elevator. I immediately knew something was wrong.

Heart attack. Why in the name of god would he have a heart attack?

Then House explained it to me.

There is nothing they can really do now.
It wasn't a shocker to me. I think I had months to get used to the idea that I'd be alone very soon. I guess it'll hit me again when the time comes.
House has been checking on my father constantly. I'm starting to think that it's me he's actually checking on.
To me House looks like an amazing doctor with a massive ego. But I guess the huge ego comes with doing what he does. Solving what other doctors can't solve. Curing people because he knows he can.

I can see him walking outside the room, glancing in and then walking past. I wonder why he does that. The nurses have told me that he never visits patients. And yet, he checks on my father every couple of hours and his is not even a real case. Once again, I think he's checking up on me.

Even though Lisa hasn't talked to me much about her boyfriend (do adults still use that word? Because to me it's sounds weird), I think I know who the man is. House.

"Celeste..."

The girl immediately opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. She shook her head and turned around to face the visitor. Her aunt stood by the door. Celeste yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"What's up?" she mumbled tiredly.

"Why don't you let me take you to the hotel? You haven't slept in a real bed for days." her aunt said.

"No, I can't."

"Celeste, you need to look after yourself. You have spent three days in this room. I know you don't want to leave your father's side but all this effort you're putting into looking after him is going to be pointless if you insist on going on like this." the woman said, obviously worried about the young girl.

"Seriously, Aunt Rose... I really can't."

"Yes, you can." the woman snapped back.

"Then I guess, I don't want to." Celeste replied coldly. She sighed when she saw the look of worry and sadness cross her aunt's face. "I'm sorry, I just don't feel like going anywhere when he's like this."

Rose sighed and shook her head in defeat and understanding.

"Okay... fine." she finally said. "I have to go back to Philadelphia tonight but I'm coming back in the morning." she paused for a while. "The doctors have my number and I've told them to contact me is anything happens."

"Okay." the girl said while standing up. "Say hi to Uncle John and to Donna." She walked up to her aunt and hugged her tightly. "Thank you." she whispered.

Her aunt smiled sadly and left the room. The girl went back to the armchair and plopped down on it. She opened her journal and started writing.

Day 3

Dad has been in a coma for three days now. Nothing in his condition has changed from yesterday. I have barely left his side. I'm sad. I'm confused. My life's so fucked up. Why does it have to be so hard? Everybody else's life looks so perfect. Mine doesn't. Mine isn't. It's unfair.

It sucks.

A knock came from the door. The Dean of Medicine's head snapped up and when she saw who was waiting at the door, she motioned for the woman to come in.

"Mrs. Smith, is there something wrong?" Cuddy asked, standing up from her seat. Rose shook her head dismissively and sat elegantly on one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"I'm worried for Celeste." she stated simply.

"I know. I am too."

"I'm not happy with the fact that you're back into her life and my girl definitely doesn't deserve to go through all of this, but I know that you care for her deeply and that you'll look after her after this is all over." she paused. "I want to be perfectly honest with you. I have tried multiple times to change my brother's mind about... well, about you. I have been a constant in Celeste's life and I have promised him and his wife that I'd be there for her if something ever happened to them."

"I..." Cuddy started.

"Let me talk... but I trust you. I've been here for three days and I've seen you interact with her and with me. You're polite, intelligent, beautiful and strong. Sixteen years ago, you made a decision. The right decision. You gave your daughter a chance to live in a family, to be surrounded by nothing but love. Things haven't turned out great for her, but I guess it's your turn to make things right. You are now given the chance to make a go for it." she stopped talking, looking down at her hands. "That girl is going to be without her only remaining parent soon. She's going to hate the entire world. But she has you."

"Why are you telling me this?" Cuddy asked when Rose stopped talking.

"Because even though I have been a bitch to you these past few days, I trust you with that girl's life. I know you can turn her life a bit brighter day by day. That's what I want you to do." She concluded, standing up and walking towards the door. "I'm going back to Philadelphia for the night and I'll be back mid-morning."

With that, she closed the door behind her, leaving Cuddy with a quizzical frown on her face.

It was about 7 PM when Cuddy finally managed to get Celeste out of her father's room and into her office.

"What's this?" the girl asked, eyeing the small pile of clothes and the beauty case on Cuddy's couch.

"I thought you would have felt like taking a shower without having to go back to the hotel." Cuddy replied softly. Opening the door to her personal bathroom and pointing towards it.

"Oh my... I thought I was going to smell like this for the rest of my life." Celeste said, gathering everything in her arms and running inside the bathroom. Cuddy chuckled and joined her in the small but spacious room.

"Why don't you take a shower and I get us some food?"

"God, can we have Chinese?" the girl asked.

"Of course. Anything in particular?" Cuddy asked, typing something on her Blackberry, looking for the number of the Chinese take-away down the street.

"I want shrimp." the girls stated, while turning the water on. "Uhm... honey walnut shrimp and fried rice with shrimp. Make it for two. I'm starving."

"Okay..." Cuddy said, looking at the girl in disbelief. The prospect of a shower and food had done wonders to her mood. "Anything else?"

"Nope." Celeste said, shaking her head. Cuddy took a step back, towards her office when Celeste spoke again. "Lisa"

"Huh?"

"Thank you." she said simply. "I'd hug you but I don't exactly smell nice." she said with a laugh.

Cuddy shook her head and laughed, before walking towards the girl and wrapping her arms around her small frame.

"You can hug me whenever you want, honey." she said. "Now-" she paused, releasing the girl from the tight hug. "-you go shower while I order in."

Cuddy walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Right there, the doctor smiled and felt her heart beat just a little bit faster. Celeste seemed to have accepted her as a sort of motherly figure and this made Cuddy want to scream in joy.

Ten minutes later, Cuddy was lazily checking her personal email account when House waltzed into her office with nonchalance.

"Hey..." he said, walking closed to her desk.

"Hi..." Cuddy replied with a soft smile.

"I went to check on Celeste, but she wasn't in her father's room."

"I convinced her to take a break." she informed him, standing up and walking towards him. "She is now taking a shower while we're waiting for our take-away order to get here." she continued slowly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Girls night in." he commented, pecking her lips.

"Being stuck in a hospital is not the best thing in the world for a sixteen years old girl. And her aunt's gone back to Philadelphia for the night, so she's mine to deal with till tomorrow morning and I couldn't be happier." Cuddy said, her smile widening with every word.

"So I won't see you tonight." House said, his hands now resting on her waist.

"I am sorry, House, but..."

He kissed her one more time. "I understand and trust me, I wish the situation was different and I could join the two of you."

"Maybe next time?" Cuddy proposed and House nodded. "I'm going to miss you."

"Will you, really?" he mocked her.

"Oh, do shut up!" she replied.

"Make me!"

"Maybe I will."

And with that he kissed her.

"Oh gosh, really?" a third voice said. The two adults turned around to face Celeste who had just opened the bathroom door and was staring at them with a smirk on her lips. "I'd say that it's gross, but I actually find all of this kind of adorable."

"Celeste..." Cuddy started.

"It's not like I didn't know you two were together." the girl simply stated, plopping down on one of the armchairs and smiling up at the couple.

Cuddy and House shared worried and incredulous looks before Celeste finally decided to pull them out of their misery.

"Oh come on, really? Like no one in this hospital has realized that there's something going on between the two of you." she said. "It is quite obvious, you know. I've been here for three days and I know that there are bets going on."

Cuddy gaped at that, while Celeste could have sworn House was chuckling under his breath.

"Soooo... House, are you joining us for dinner?" the girl asked.

"I..."

"If you say no, I'm going to be very pissed." she continued. Cuddy smiled softly at him and placed her hand on his arm.

"I don't have much of a choice, now do I?" he said, plopping down on the couch and smiling at the girl.

To Cuddy it just felt right.