Life and Limb
Chapter Sixteen - "A Life Well Spent"
By: purpleu
Lydia glanced over at House; he had changed positions, but showed no signs of waking up. They had gotten on the road at about two, right around the time they hoped for. It was roughly a five and a half hour ride to the hospital where House's mother was; when she called to tell Reverend Bell that they were leaving, and he conveyed that information to Blythe, Lydia could hear the excitement in her voice even through the phone. It was such a shame that in the past few years there had been a distance between mother and son, and not just in miles. It was very complicated, especially since House didn't know all the details of what his mother dealt with for years. What he did know, is that he was growing in resentment over his mother's relationship with Bell. He wasn't necessarily jealous; he just wasn't sure until he learned the real story whether Bell was the source of the problems between his mother and John House or not. Now that truths were being revealed some things were clearer to House; and those revelations made him painfully aware of the guilt he felt for thinking badly of her.
At least they had good news from Wilson's surgeon, Dr. Condoza, before they hit the road; not only was the surgery a success, he didn't think it was necessary for Wilson to take any chemo. After House explained to Condoza Wilson and Annie's future plans, the surgeon understood why Wilson felt the treatment was needed and offered his assistance however it was required. Lydia was still so tickled by the fact that not only were Annie and Wilson getting married, but going to become parents as well. There were so many things to celebrate and find joy in, but also areas of concern with Wilson's cancer and Annie's high-risk pregnancy. Letting out a deep sigh, Lydia shook her head in frustration; it was at times like this when she wished she had finished her education and was a real doctor like House. Not that she would ever assume that she was anywhere near his level of ability; she knew there were few if any in the world who were. But at least if she had more knowledge than she did, she could be of more help with Annie's case. Lydia smiled; she knew there was no need to worry. House wouldn't let anything happen to either one of their friends.
There was a rest area coming up, and as much as Lydia hated to pull over because the changing motion of the car would probably awaken House, she needed to stop and take a break. They had debated before leaving whether to let her drive or not; her hands were still bandaged and hurting. House agreed to let her drive the first part of the trip, then he would take over after a nap which he hoped would get rid of his headache. Sure enough, as Lydia moved over to the exit lane for the rest stop and slowed down, House moved around again; this time he opened his eyes.
"Hi, sleepyhead. How are you doing?" Lydia asked as she pulled into the parking lot. House sat up and looked around.
"Don't want to jinx myself, but I think my headache is gone. The magic potion may be living up to its reputation," he said as he rubbed his eyes. House had taken the first full dose of the metamizole before they left Princeton. "Not only is my head good, my leg doesn't feel as tight as usual."
"Wonderful!" Lydia smiled as she pulled into a spot. "It's a shame that the side effects are so dangerous if not carefully monitored."
"After the medical pre-nup that Tom made me agree to, I don't think we have any worries about the stuff poisoning me." House frowned as he took note of the spot they were in. "Ummm…just because I'm feeling a little better, that doesn't mean I have to waste energy by dragging myself across the parking lot. Why didn't you pull into the handicapped spot?" Lydia put the car in park, and turned off the ignition.
"I'm not going to use your expired handicapped hanging tag, especially since we're out of state. I'll get a ticket, which won't thrill me at all; the fines for handicapped parking violations have gone through the roof," Lydia noted. House began to make clucking noises. "I am not chicken! I'm sensible and realistic." She got out and walked to the back of the car where she waited for House to join her.
"You're the only person I know who can make sensible and realistic, tolerable," he said as he rounded the van and came over to Lydia. "You have to tell me the secret one of these days." She laughed as they headed into the building housing food and other amenities.
"I don't need to tell you anything; you already know the secret. You manage to turn crankiness and craziness into something loveable. That," Lydia said as she walked through the door House held open for her. "Takes real talent." House smirked as he followed his girlfriend through the door.
"Want to get something to eat while we have the chance? Once we're ensconced in my mother's room, who knows if their in-house cuisine is any better than back at home base," House said.
"I'm sure there will be something near the hospital we can run to, or send out to; but I'm a bit peckish now, so let's grab something here," Lydia said. "I only packed some snacks to take with us." House shook his head.
"Tsk, tsk; you're slipping. You usually have a gourmet meal, including wine disguised as grape juice." Lydia smiled at the memory of their secret picnic on the grounds of Mayfield.
"When things quiet down," she said giving House a kiss. "I'll make it up to you." She pointed off to her left. "I'm making a stop in the little girls' room; be back out in a minute." As Lydia disappeared through the doorway to the ladies' room, House realized a pit stop would be a good idea and headed to the men's facility. A few minutes later as he left the men's room, he looked to his right and saw Lydia looking over their food choices.
"That was quick," House noted as he joined her in front of the food court. "I forgot that you're faster than the average female when it comes to toileting." Lydia made a face.
"That's because with few exceptions, I don't flock. I'm not like most women," she said as she turned to House. He smiled.
"No, you are not," he replied. House turned his attention back to their choices for eating. "Feel like being adventurous? Or do you want to play it safe?"
"I think playing it safe would be the best," Lydia said. "The last thing we need is to be getting our stomachs sick. I have a feeling yours is still recovering from last night." House looked down at the ground.
"Even if I didn't play Up-Chuck Chuckie, I'd probably still have a hole burning through me right now." Lydia looked at House sympathetically; she knew that as much as he was anxious to see his mother, he was also dreading it too. Between the guilt he felt for their estrangement and the knowledge that he was basically coming down to watch her die, he wasn't in a very good state of mind. "The two known names here are the Metro and Mickey D's," House said referring to the Subway sandwich shop and McDonalds. "Any preference?"
"I'm leaning toward a burger and fries," Lydia said. "I'll probably get a shake with it, too. You can get Subway if you want, Hon; I can meet you in the seating area."
"Nah, keep it simple. Don't know how much I'll eat anyway," House said letting out a sigh. They went over to the McDonalds counter and placed their orders. Both chose quarter pounders with cheese, fries and shakes; House picked strawberry, Lydia selected vanilla. After getting their order, they headed to the dining room and found a seat near a window overlooking the fall scenery of northern Maryland. Lydia tried to make some conversation, but House was neither talking nor eating.
"Greg, don't let your food get cold." House neither responded nor touched his food. "I know this isn't a trip for fun and leisure; it's something you have to do. But you just…" House cut her off.
"I should never have dragged you into this," he said. "My mother doesn't know you, she just knows you exist. I'm sure Bell's told her by now that you have kids." House looked away from Lydia. "She would have understood if you had stayed back home to take care of them." Lydia put her sandwich down and took his hand.
"What in the world is bringing this on?" House reached over and picked up the two Happy Meal toys that were on the tray.
"You thought about them enough to ask the burger girl if you could buy the toys separately from the pre-packaged food that they assume kids want," he said.
"Yes, mainly because I didn't feel like scarfing down two Happy Meals or wasting food," Lydia said. "The kids mentioned that they wanted the Harry Potter toys and the McDonalds up by us aren't selling them yet. I'm certainly not going to come back from this trip with souvenirs, but with these they'll know I was thinking of them."
"That's my point; they're never far from your mind," House said. "Part of me wants to say that my mother was never like that with me; she was always off supporting some social cause. I remember too many times falling asleep in my bed and waking up at my neighbor's house with both my mom and the bastard gone. She'd bring me over there so she and Bell could meet up to save the world. The other part of me knows damn well that she was there with me, did things with me. Like the trips to Frau Krumholtz's Bake Shop." Lydia smiled at the mention of her grandparent's business over in Germany that House used to visit so often with his mother to satisfy his craving for their soft gingerbread cookies.
"Hon, I…I can't tell you how often you were on your own; that's one of the things that you and your mom will have to sort out. But I know you haven't dragged me into anything; I want to meet your mother. And you know as well as do, that I don't have to stay home to take care of Ben and Elise. That's the great thing about having good friends who love you and want to be there for you. You never have to say, 'What am I going to do?' because before you can think of an answer, they've taken the burden from you." House looked at Lydia. "And I know what you're thinking; they are not just my friends. They're our friends. Everyone was ready to help without either one of us asking for it." House turned away and looked out the window; the sun was dropping down in the sky and even without it, the leaves were brilliant hues of orange and yellow. The brightness of the colors certainly didn't match his mood.
"You know how I hate change; had too much of it in my early years, so I fight it like crazy now. The only reason I didn't fight it when you changed my opinion on being alone back at Mayfield, is that you weren't even trying to change my mind...you just did." House picked up his shake cup and took a sip. "Taking a detour when life throws you a curve is one thing; having to make a permanent change…" House shook his head as it drooped forward.
"I know you may not want to hear some of things your mother and Reverend Bell have to say. Either because you'll find the information upsetting, or you'll find out you were wrong about them and the circumstances you grew up with. But you'll have the one thing you've wanted for a long time." House raised his head and made a grunt of disgust.
"A father?" he scoffed. Lydia shook her head.
"Answers to some of the mysteries in your life," she gently replied. House looked out to his right at the hustle and bustle in the rest stop, and slowly nodded.
"You never cease to amaze me. You know me better than I know myself sometimes." House said returning his gaze to Lydia and squeezing her injured hand gently. "I love you."
"I love you, too," she said. "Now eat your food before it gets cold." House gave Lydia a look.
"I don't have to worry about losing a maternal influence in my life; I have you," House said wryly. Lydia smiled as she let go of House's hand and returned her attention to her food. He did the same, and in a little while they were finished. With a cup of coffee by his side, House got behind the wheel and headed back out on the road. They were losing the signal from local radio stations, so Lydia looked through the CDs they had in the car.
"I didn't have a chance to throw in anything other than the usual music," she said rummaging through the storage case. "But we do have Dr. John: Live at Tippitina's, Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser, Billy Joel's Greatest Hits: Volume Three…"
"Throw in the good Doctor and we'll go from there." Lydia got the music going and settled back in her seat. "You can close your eyes and get some rest if you want," House said as he moved into the middle lane. "I've had enough sleep plus my java jolt to keep me going."
"I might," Lydia said. "I don't feel sleepy now, but who knows how I'll be in half an hour." House concentrated on the road and enjoyed the music as he drove; but in a little bit, the words Lydia said back at the rest stop kept repeating through his mind. You'll have the one thing you've wanted for a long time…answers to some of the mysteries in your life. House knew she was right, but he was dreading seeing his mother and Bell. He didn't want confrontation. He wanted to do something that he was robbed of for years; to just spend time in his mother's company, something he always enjoyed. House took a quick look at Lydia, and smiled; he knew the two ladies would get along famously. Drifting in and out of a light sleep, Lydia kept the music playing, until the GPS told them it was time to leave the highway. As they left the interstate, House could see Arlington Medical Center off in the distance. He felt a knot form in his stomach, but tried to dismiss it as a residual effect of his shenanigans from last night. Within ten minutes he was in a turn lane waiting to enter the parking lot for the hospital.
"I'll call Reverend Bell and see where the best place for us to park is," Lydia said. Bell picked up on the second ring.
"Lydia? You're here already?" Bell said sounding both pleased and surprised.
"Yes, we just pulled onto the hospital grounds. We made wonderful time."
"You certainly did. Blythe, they're here. They're just parking the car." Lydia could hear House's mom expressing her happiness that they had arrived safely. "Dear, follow the signs for the Westin Pavilion. There's a parking lot with a guard booth. Just have Greg give his name; I made arrangements for you to park there."
"Thank you," Lydia said appreciatively. She conveyed the information to House; he followed the signs and they were soon at the aforementioned security check point.
"Can I help you?" the guard asked.
"Yeah, Dr. House; someone got me permission to park here."
"Yes," the security officer replied as he checked a monitor in the booth. He stepped out with a small placard that said "Visiting Medical Personnel, #15." "Spot fifteen is in the row facing the building; just place this in your windshield after you park. There's a small reception desk inside the door; the person there can guide you to the patient's room."
"Thanks," Lydia said. "I like the way they handle things here; courtesy to visiting doctors, even if you're not here on official business and helpful security everywhere. And this isn't even the main entrance."
"Just like our little corner of the world," quipped House. He pulled into their designated spot and Lydia put the parking permit up on the dashboard.
"Maybe I can pick up a few hints to bring back to James and Eric." House gave his girlfriend a look.
"With what's happened to Wilson in the past forty-eight hours, I wouldn't make any bets on him hurrying back to work. Especially with Songbird needing so much help while she plays incubator." Lydia rolled her eyes.
"Please, please…do not talk about her pregnancy that way. I was talking to her before we left, and the poor thing is so nervous that something is going to go wrong. That either she'll lose the baby, or it will have severe health problems; she even brought up the fact that she was afraid James would lose the both of them." House looked over his shoulder at Lydia as he climbed out of the car.
"I have a hard enough time dealing with my own emotions most of the time, never mind a shattered Wilson. He'd handle the baby leaving the scene; knowing upfront the impending difficulties it wouldn't be a shock. Annie…" House shook his head. "He'd make my stunts look like a joke. I'd probably wind up putting him on a permanent seventy-two hours psych hold." Lydia glanced at House nervously, but managed to shake it off as they started along the walkway that led to the entrance. House hesitated as they got near the door.
"Are you ready for this?" Lydia asked.
"No, but I guess that doesn't matter," House replied. They took another step toward the door, and a sensor swung the doors inward. There was a small reception desk ahead of them with hallways leading off to either side. "Do me a favor; you do the talking." Lydia nodded as they reached the desk.
"Good evening," the receptionist said. "May I help you?"
"Yes, we're here to see Blythe Bell." House both inwardly and outwardly cringed to hear his mother referred to by that name, but realized there was no point in dwelling on it. The receptionist touched several spots on the screen situated on her desk.
"OK, I see Mrs. Bell is on a floor with limited access. Is she expecting you?"
"Yes, she is," Lydia said glancing at House. "Is she in ICU?"
"No, we have a step down unit for patients who no longer need intensive care, but do need to be followed closely. While there are open hours, we limit the number of visitors so the medical staff can better do their jobs. If you'll give me your names, I'll verify that you're expected and give you your IDs and access cards."
"Lydia Strohman and Dr. Gregory House." The woman looked at her screen.
"Yes, I see your names." She pulled out and activated two access cards which were on long cords. "Just make sure you wear these at all times; it will give you the ability to move freely between the ward Mrs. Bell is in, and the rest of the hospital as you please. Just swipe the card before you push the call button for the elevator and again at the doors to the unit." She handed the cards to House and Lydia.
"Are you sure you don't want to fingerprint us and get a sample of our DNA?" House asked sarcastically as he reluctantly placed the cord around his neck.
"I know the measures may seem extreme, but I'm sure at whatever hospital you're associated with, there have been instances of an overflow of people not only hindering the patient's well-being, but the recovery of the other patients as well. We of course make exceptions for large families, and for those whose loved ones are near death." She glanced at the screen again. "Luckily, Mrs. Bell is in a private room."
"Thank you," Lydia said placing the badge around her neck. "Which way do we go?"
"Down this hall," the woman said pointing to her left. "Take the second set of elevators to the fourth floor, swipe your cards, and you'll be all set."
"Great; thank you again," Lydia said as she and House left to go down the hall. The first set of elevators came up quickly; the second set were a bit further down. "Damn! I forgot to ask her what room your mother is in."
"We can ask at the nurses' station," House said quietly. Lydia could feel the tension building up in House; she was glad they were so close to seeing Blythe. She had the feeling once mother and son saw each other, any doubts would fade away.
"Here we are," noted Lydia as she swiped her card and pushed the 'Up" button. It immediately lit up and the whirl of machinery bringing the elevator to them could be heard. The doors opened, and the two entered in silence. House leaned against the wall away from Lydia; he was isolating himself, hoping he would not have to run into the nearest bathroom to throw up as he got near his mother's room. The elevator was quick, and soon the opening doors revealed the fourth floor. There was a lounge area in front of them with a set of vending machine. "Do you want to grab a drink before we go in?"
"Yeah, do they have any whiskey?" House replied dryly.
"No, they don't; what do you feel like having?"
"A Vicodin or two." Lydia turned to House.
"Fortunately, I don't have any to give you. Now quit stalling." House knew Lydia was right; he was trying to delay things.
"I'll just take water," he said giving up on hindering things any further. Lydia picked an iced tea and they headed to the doors leading to the unit where Blythe was. Suddenly, a blare of alarms and a voice came over the loud speaker.
"Code Blue, room 415; resuscitation team stat! Repeat, Code Blue, room 415; resuscitation team stat!" House and Lydia exchanged glances, and Lydia swiped her card as quickly as she could. They had no idea what room House's mother was in, but their gut instincts drew them in the direction of the emergency. As they neared the door, House was kicking himself for all the hemming and hawing and stalling he did. Damned idiot! he thought.
"Greg? Lydia?" Both turned to their left to see the figure of an older gentleman with longer white hair and a bushy mustache standing in the doorway of room 416. Both let out a huge sigh of relief.
"How many pairs of clean underwear did you pack for me?" House asked Lydia quietly.
"Possibly not enough," she replied. They moved over to Reverend Bell.
"Greg, lad," Bell said placing his hands on House's shoulders. "It's so good to see you." House looked at Bell's face. He wanted to be pissed at the man who stood before him, who tried to greet him so warmly. He couldn't be. For in a flash, as he stood closer to Bell than he had in years, House saw the two of them putting together a bike, tossing a baseball, sitting on a back porch sipping lemonade and just talking for hours about life, the universe and everything, as Douglas Adams would say. This man wasn't the person who made his childhood…his life, miserable…and it was about time House started to recognize that.
"Yeah, made it here in the same number of pieces we started out in," he replied, looking into his mother's room and avoiding Bell's eyes.
"Well, I'm glad for that," Bell answered with a slight chuckle. He turned his attention to Lydia. "Dear, I'm so glad to meet you. I'm sure I'm not wrong in saying that you're the one who's kept my boy calm through all this." It was odd to hear Bell refer to him as "my boy"; yet House could find nothing wrong with it.
"I've done the best I could," Lydia said as they stepped into Blythe's room. The curtain was partly pulled around the bed, so they couldn't see her as they entered. "Thank you so much for arranging a parking spot for us. We're only a few steps from the door." Bell stopped and turned to House and Lydia.
"I think the way they handle things here is so accommodating and thoughtful for the patient and their loved ones…" he began.
"Thomas, they…work in a hospital, they know…how things are…done," Blythe said from behind the curtain. "Let them come in!" Bell dropped his head in embarrassment as House and Lydia smiled. House moved forward and pushed the drapery aside. Sitting up, with a broad smile on her face, was Blythe House Bell.
"Hi, Mom," House said. He hooked his cane onto the bed railing, and leaned over into Blythe's outstretched right arm; her left arm had been paralyzed by the stroke. House slipped his arm behind his mother, both for the purpose of a hug and to see if he could feel any rails coming from her lungs. He was startled at how fragile she felt.
"Greg, I'm so very…glad you're here," Blythe said softly as she held on to her son as tightly as she could. If there was any animosity, any fingers to be pointed, or blame to be laid, they all melted away as mother and son embraced. One by one, several alarms connected to Blythe went off, as her pulse responded to her son's presence.
"Are you starting with me already?" House asked as he reached up to turn off the noise.
"I'll start with you…anytime I want," Blythe said with crooked smile. Clearly the stroke had severely immobilized the left side of her body, but House did notice her breathing was slightly improved from the last time they spoke on the phone the other night. There was still some hesitation and a broken rhythm to his mom's speech, but overall for a woman her age who had just been through so much, House thought she looked pretty good. Blythe thought the same of her son.
"Greg, look at me," his mother asked. Her eyes wandered his face as she reached out and placed her hand on his am. "You look wonderful. I thought after everything…you had been through in the past…few years, that wouldn't be the case. But you…you're not happy; that…that word is not in you vocabulary. There is something…very good, very…positive happening in your life, though. And I bet I can…guess who that is," Blythe said as she shifted her gaze to Lydia. House looked at Lydia and smiled.
"Mom…this is my girlfriend, Lydia Strohman." He took a step back to allow Lydia to move to his mother's bedside.
"Mrs. Bell, I'm so happy to meet you. I very much wish it were under different circumstances," said Lydia. She bent down and gave Blythe a kiss.
"Now, look here," House's mom replied. "It's either Blythe or…Mom; none of this Mrs. Bell stuff. Makes me…feel like an old lady."
"I'd be just as happy not to hear you called that name for whatever reason," said House. Reverend Bell looked hurt and squirmed uncomfortably on the other side of the bed from House and Lydia. Blythe shot her son a disapproving look.
"Greg…sit down," Blythe ordered her son. House reluctantly pulled one of the chairs in the room as close to his mother's bedside as he could; Lydia did likewise. "Now, I'm going to answer…what's most likely your biggest question, with…a question of my own. If you knew…John House wasn't your father, why…didn't you ask me about it? You had plenty of…opportunities over the years. You took…great pleasure in torturing him…about it."
"Are you trying to tell me you think I should have been nice to the bastard?" House said, the anger creeping into his voice. "That I should have shown him respect and never brought up the subject?" Lydia didn't want to interfere with things between House and his mother, but a glance at Blythe's monitors told her that the discussion was upsetting the poor woman.
"You don't understand," House's mom said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Greg, you don't know how much…worse your confronting him made things. He knew from the beginning…he couldn't have made me…pregnant. But every time…you spited him or you fought…with him," Blythe said gasping for air. "He would scream at me for…hours; he would tie me to a chair…so I couldn't run…" House turned his head away from his mother.
"I didn't know…you never…" He looked up at Bell. "Where the hell were you when this was going on? You were around for the good stuff like having a vulnerable woman to crawl into bed with; but when things got tough you ran like a dog with its tail between its legs."
"Greg!" his mother yelled as best she could. "You know…you know damn well that's not true!" An alarm on one of Blythe's monitors started to beep; her pulse and blood pressure had gone sky high. A nurse quickly appeared in the room.
"Hi, I'm Audrey Stewart; I'm taking care of Mrs. Bell. Is everything alright?"
"Yes," Lydia said standing up. "She got upset about something…a family discussion. I'm Lydia Strohman, Dr. House's girlfriend. Dr. House is Mrs. Bell's son." She extended her hand to the nurse who shook it warmly.
"Nice to meet you," Audrey said. "Dr. House… , Dr. Borden, and Dr. Fuller have all given permission for you to have open access to your mother's chart. Would you like me to bring it in to you now?" House thought for a moment; it would help diffuse the intensity of the moment.
"Yeah. Let me take a look." He turned to his mother. "Selby is primary care, Borden is your cardiologist and Fuller is neurologist?" Blythe nodded. "OK; let's see if their scrawl is any better than mine."
"I'll be right back," Audrey said.
"Greg, do you want your water?" Lydia asked pulling the bottle out of her bag. He nodded and she handed it to him as she sat down. She took out her iced tea as well. "Can I get anything for you, Reverend Bell? Mrs. B…" Lydia stopped herself as she caught sight of the look on Blythe's face.
"Dear, make it easy on yourself; I…I was about to say make it Mom and Dad…but I don't think Greg would be very happy with that," Bell said.
"I'm ready to say…I don't care whether he likes it. It's…the truth and I don't have much time…left to enjoy hearing it," Blythe replied. Audrey came in with House's mom's chart in one hand, a binder with all test results in the other.
"I'll leave these with you, let me know when you're done with them or if you have any questions," the nurse said. "If you need to speak to any of the doctors, I'll be glad to page them for you."
"I have their cell phone numbers," House said sounding annoyed as he started to go through the two books.
"Thank you," Lydia said quietly. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room; the only things that could be heard were Blythe's monitors and her labored breathing as House looked over the information.
"Right now the issues the stroke may have brought up are just lingering in the background. Cardiac problems are at the forefront right now. The diuretics started to work, then stopped," House said showing Lydia the binder with test results. "Due to the nature of the arrhythmia, there's not much that can be done, short of opening her up, which she'd never survive." Lydia handed him back the file.
"Greg, your mother's sitting right here; you could be a little gentler with what you have to say," Reverend Bell reprimanded.
"Why?" snapped House. "She already knows she doesn't have much time left. She just said it herself. Might as well be honest about things. That would be a first." Lydia knew House was going into defensive mode. He was confused by what was said so far, and probably scared by what he just saw on the chart. She felt it was time for her to speak up.
"Blythe, Thomas…May I make a suggestion? When you started talking now, you sort of dove into the middle of things. Why don't you start from the beginning, back when you first met John House and then when Thomas came into your life?" House's mom shook her head back and forth as vigorously as she could.
"You've got…the order all wrong. Thomas and I knew each other…before I met John. We were dating…since I was sixteen, and he was…nineteen." House and Lydia both were stunned. The medical binders almost fell from House's hands as he heard his mother's words.
"You were childhood sweethearts," said Lydia, a huge smile coming over her face.
"We've been in love with each other for almost sixty years," Thomas said taking Blythe's hand in his. House regained his composure and redirected the conversation so that he could get some more details on the ancient history of his life.
"Obviously we're at the beginning," he said shaking his head. "Start talking."
Blythe and Thomas began telling their story. After three years of dating, Thomas was ready to graduate college; their plan was to become engaged and wed a year later. Unbeknownst to them, the House family, and Blythe's family, the Danfords, had decided that John and Blythe should marry. In that way, a family could be formed that would produce the next generation of great military men; both John's father and grandfather were colonels as were the men on Blythe's side. Thomas and Blythe had approached their families, and begged them to reconsider the plans that they had made. The answer was no. John, his father, and Blythe's father took Thomas outside of the house and made it quite clear that there was nothing to be said or done to change their minds.
"He wasn't in love with her," Thomas said looking back and forth between House and Lydia. "He didn't even know what her favorite color was!" House looked over at Lydia.
"Green," he simply said as he turned to his mother. Blythe smiled.
"Mine, too," she said trying to wink at Lydia with her left eye; the lid didn't move.
"Try the other eye, Mom," House said as he stood up and adjusted her pillows. He saw that she was struggling more to get a breath, and the rails coming from her lungs felt more pronounced than just a little while ago. House picked up his mother's call button and pressed it.
"Hi, this Audrey," a voice through the intercom said. "Can I help you?"
"Yeah, Dr. House. Need a stethoscope in here. Room 416."
"Is everything OK?" the nurse asked. House rolled his eyes.
"That's what I'm trying to find out," he replied tersely. House looked down at his mother; he could see by the look in her eyes that something was wrong.
"We may have to change you over from the nose clip to deliver the O2 to a full mask," House said. "You're having more trouble breathing than you did just a little while ago when we got here; I want them to call either your PC or your cardio guy and find out about upping the Furosemide to get more fluid out of you."
"But, I won't be able…to talk very well with the…mask on," said Blythe.
"You're not talking very well without it," her son responded.
"I can take it on and off of you if that's what it comes down to," Lydia offered. House had to smile at the look the two women exchanged. He knew they would get on well. Not that compatibility between his mother and Lydia solved all problems. He was still far from satisfied by any explanations given so far by Blythe and Thomas for all that had happened in his life; but the idea of being kept apart from the person you loved struck a chord with him. He remembered how often he thought about Lydia after he left Mayfield, thinking he would never see her again. In a way, it's not all that much different…Mom and Bell, Lydia and me…He erased the thought from his mind and focused on what his mother was saying.
"Let me keep talking while…I can," said Blythe. "The most horrible thing…was that Thomas' father, who was a…minister was the one who married…John and me. Thomas had started…theological studies and was given an apprenticeship…with his father." Blythe began to tear up. "We had to stand there…looking at each other as I married someone else."
"Couldn't you have ran away, and you and Thomas could have gotten married somewhere else?" Lydia asked. "I know things were very different back then than they are now, but…"
"I was terrified that after the way…they threatened Thomas, that John…and his family and my father…I didn't know what to think."
"Mom, if you'll forgive me for saying this, but you weren't just abused by John House," Lydia said. "There were…well, all the men in your life were bullying you, telling you what to do."
"They all berated me, called me…stupid; they told me…I didn't know what was best…" Audrey, the nurse came in the room with the stethoscope and handed it to House. She glanced up at the monitors and saw the rising numbers.
"Mrs. Bell, you've got to calm down," Audrey said gently. "You don't want to get upset in front of your son."
"I...I've got to tell him. He's got to know…"
"Mom, stop talking so I can listen to your heart and lungs. Behave yourself and I'll make sure you have plenty of time to tell me what you want to say," House said placing the stethoscope in his ears. "Can you lean forward?" Blythe struggled to move into the position her son requested.
"Let me help you," Lydia said stepping in and placing her hands on Blythe shoulders to hold her back away from the mattress.
"By the way, thank you…for calling me 'Mom' before. It made me feel…very good," House's mom said with a smile as her face was close to Lydia's. "I wish that were really the case."
"Mom, stop talking…about that or anything else," House commanded. He put the instrument against his mother's back. "Take deep breaths until I tell you to breathe normally." Blythe did as told. Bell and Lydia both watched House's face; he was a good poker player, but Lydia knew him well enough to know things weren't good. Bell had an inkling, but didn't know for sure. "Let her sit back," he directed Lydia. "Breathe normally, Mom." House put the stethoscope to her chest; after a few listens, House straightened up and removed the earpieces.
"She's too slouched down. Let's flatten the bed and bring her up higher." He glanced at Lydia. "Are you going to be able to do it with your hands?" She nodded. The nurse was still in the room, but Lydia and House were blinded to her presence by the situation. Lydia moved around to the side of the bed where Bell was.
"Greg and I are going to move Mom up so she can breathe more easily," Lydia explained to him. "We're going to lay her flat for a minute which will be a bit uncomfortable for her, but we'll be able to do a better job of moving her." She took the pillow out from behind Blythe's head.
"Can I do anything to help?" Bell asked. Lydia handed him the pillow.
"She's going to want to get that right back behind her, so stand by with it, please." Lydia had gone into professional mode; whether it was the nature of the task, or what she read on House's face didn't matter. She wanted to do whatever she could to help Blythe.
"Mom, you're going to hate me while Lydia and I reposition you; nothing I'm not already used to in life. We'll make it as fast as we can." House looked over at Lydia. "Find the ends of the draw sheet before I lower the head."
"Got them," she quickly replied. House lowered the head of the bed; his mother looked a little panicky, but that may have been anticipation as much as actual discomfort.
"One, two, three!" House and Lydia simultaneously slid Blythe to nearly the top of the bed. Quickly grabbing the controller, he started to sit his mother upright again. Lydia retrieved the pillow from Bell and returned it to behind Blythe's head. She noticed there was another one in a chair nearby.
"Thomas, let me have that pillow, too." Bell handed the bedding to Lydia; she rolled it into a log shape to put by Blythe's feet so she would be less likely to slide down. It worked for her mother, Lydia hoped it would work for Greg's. She lifted the covers on the side of the bed to place the pillow; what she saw, stopped her. "Greg, could you lift the covers off that side so I can place this pillow by your mom's feet?" House detected an unnatural tone to his girlfriend's voice; he thought he knew what Lydia saw. Sure enough when House pulled the covers down, he saw it, too. Blythe's legs and feet were incredibly swollen, indicating a lack of kidney function and the potential for congestive heart failure if the fluid wasn't removed. House pulled up the bag that was attached to his mom's urine catheter; the liquid was dark yellow and not nearly the volume it should be based on the intake House saw on his mom's chart. The decline was continuing rapidly for his mother; he could do nothing to stop it, but he was hoping to slow it down.
"Excuse me, Dr. House." It was Audrey, the nurse who hadn't left the room. "I hope you don't think I'm being presumptuous or out of line, but I paged Dr. Selby and Dr. Borden. I thought you'd want to talk to them." House nodded and Audrey left to give the family privacy. He and Lydia replaced the covers over Blythe and Lydia fiddled with them a bit in an attempt to make the woman more comfortable.
"Dear, what happened…to your fingers?" House's mom asked Lydia. She reached out and brushed her fingers over the bandages.
"They were burned the night that James, Annie and I were mugged." Blythe rolled her eyes as best she could.
"I'm a dolt! I meant to ask…as soon as you came in…how James was doing."
"He was in recovery when we left," House began. "I know you wanted me to stay with him, but he wanted me to get down here to see you. Since I'll have to deal with him a lot longer than I'll have to deal with you…"
"Greg!" Bell and Lydia both called out at once.
"He's not saying anything but…the truth. And I know it," Blythe said. "Tell me…what happened with this…mugging, and then Thomas and I…can continue our story." Between House and Lydia they related the events of the past few days, including House's near miss with taking Vicodin again.
"That stuff still…has a hold on you?" asked Blythe.
"Mom…I'm the one being harsh now, but…Greg is an addict and always will be," Lydia said. "The need, the desire for the drug doesn't magically go away, even after detoxing, even after rehab. There will always be situations that will trigger the desire in him to get his hands on it. I'm just very grateful…that last night, something made him stop." Blythe nodded.
"I know you're not the type…to go to meetings and bare…your soul," she said to her son. "But I have heard...that the people in Narcotics…Anonymous have sponsors, someone…they can call to help them if…an urge to use comes on them. As far…as I can see…she," Blythe said indicating Lydia. "Is the best…sponsor you could ever…hope for."
"I agree," Thomas said. "Son, I thought for sure based on everything your mother told me, that I was going to see a shell of a man. I don't; I know you're hurting over many things right now, but somehow you've made it through intact." Bell looked at Lydia and smiled. House looked at Lydia as well; he knew damn well it was because of her he didn't frighten or upset his mother when she saw him.
"You were right before when you said happy wasn't in my vocabulary," said House. "I was happy once; I hated it." The very Housian comment got a laugh from all in the room.
"Greg, I don't want you…to be happy," Blythe said. The three of them, House, Lydia and Thomas were puzzled.
"Thanks, Mom, I feel so much better now; you took a load of pressure off." His mom slightly shook her head.
"Happiness is…the fact that it's…not raining on a day you…planned a picnic. It's finding…your favorite beer on sale…at the store. It's taking out…the Christmas lights and finding…that every bulb works. Even when…your children bring home…an 'A' on a test…you don't feel just…happiness; you feel joy. It's not…something you can put your…finger on, it's not something…you can buy. But if you…have joy in your life…you have everything." Blythe looked at House. "For the first time…in your life, I see a little bit… of joy in you. And…knowing it's there…I can leave this world in peace." House managed to hold his emotions back, although he did feel tears in his eyes. Lydia, Thomas and Blythe made no attempt to conceal anything.
"Hey, hey, cut it out," House said, standing up as his mother's numbers rose again. "Are you trying to tarnish my reputation as a doctor?"
"I highly doubt that's possible," a voice from the doorway said. Two middle-aged men, one is a suit, one with a white lab coat entered the room. House picked up his cane and moved over to meet them. "Hi, I'm Dr. Selby," said the man who spoke when they entered the room. "This is Dr. Borden, Mrs. Bell's cardiologist." Both offered their hands which House forced himself to take. "We understand that you've looked over your mother's chart and seen a change in her condition."
"Yeah," said House as he turned and went back to his mother's bed. "Mainly this." He pulled back the covers on Blythe's legs to reveal the edema that had taken over. "The last notation on the chart about two hours ago indicated minor swelling. Obviously that's changed." Borden stepped forward and looked at the tests results for Blythe.
"The creatine is off by almost fifteen percent from the prior test," noted Lydia. "Is that the same rate Mrs. Bell has been showing, or has that been speeding up?" The only one who wasn't shocked by Lydia's observation was House.
"That is a marked change, that's for sure," Borden noted.
"She's being hit with the double whammy of a Catch-22," said Selby.
"My heart…and my kidneys aren't…working right," Blythe said.
"No dear, I'm afraid not," Borden said pressing lightly on Blythe's legs as he spoke. "What did you do? Wait until your son showed up so you could have a really good doctor take care of you?" House's mom smiled as best she could.
"He's…the best," she said proudly.
"No argument there," Selby said. "Blythe, you seem to be having trouble getting your breath to talk." He saw the stethoscope around House's neck. "How bad?" House just shook his head.
"I think it's time to move her onto a mask for the O2, and increase the Furosemide and Spironolactone," House said. "I know you have her forty milligrams every four hours for the Furosemide and twenty-five on the Spironolactone, but I think it's time to go for broke." The three doctors exchanged looks.
"Let's step outside for a moment," Selby suggested. "We'll be right back." Lydia looked at House.
"Do you want me to stay here?"
"No, come with me," he said taking a deep breath as he headed to the door.
"Dr. House, I know I don't have to tell you, your mother's in bad shape," Borden said. "I honestly don't know how she managed to hold on till you could get here. How is Dr. Wilson, by the way?" He glanced at Lydia's fingers and forehead.
"He'd be doing better if we didn't discover stage one thymoma when we did a standard chest x-ray," House noted.
"Wow," Selby said as Borden let out a low whistle. "I'd say he's very lucky it was discovered as early as it was."
"Yeah, but the irony of him being an oncologist hasn't worn off yet." House looked down at the floor. "Amazing what staring death in the face makes you do; he's gotten engaged for the fourth time and is going to become a Da-da. It's only for the fact the lady involved in this is her best friend that gives any of us hope it'll work out this time," House said as he nodded toward Lydia. He let out a sigh; he was once again avoiding the inevitable, but this time it was breathing down his neck. "I want to increase the O2 and the meds the way I mentioned inside. It's the only way she'll stay around a little bit longer." Selby and Borden looked at each other.
"You know it won't be very much longer, I can't promise even a few days," Borden said.
"I'm looking for about twenty-four hours," House said. This time the doctors looked at Lydia.
"There are some family things that Blythe, Thomas and Greg need to discuss," she said. "We've done a lot of talking so far; we need as much time as possible." Selby and Borden both nodded.
"No guarantees," Selby said. "But we can make the changes you suggested."
"We'll have to increase her potassium, too," Borden said. "We've had a hard time keeping it in an acceptable range."
"That's the last thing her heart needs," said Lydia.
"I'm sorry, we weren't introduced," Borden said extending his hand.
"Lydia Strohman; I'm Greg's girlfriend."
"She's also the director of insurance relations and billing at Princeton-Plainsboro," House bragged.
"Oh…I…I thought maybe you were a nurse, or PA or doctor," Selby said.
"No, just knows enough to stick her nose in when I'm trying to work," House said making a face. Lydia returned his look as the two doctors laughed.
"Dr. House, may I suggest stepping your mom up slowly on the oxygen. Since you said you have some things you'd like to discuss, we can up her from three to four liters on the nose clip, then use the mask when push comes to shove. Can I assume you'll be in the room with your mom all the time?" House nodded. "Then I'll direct the nurse to leave the mask with you as well as her chart; when the point comes that you move her over, you can make the notes. Just a few loops and some straight lines and no one will know the difference," Borden said with a smile. "I'll write the orders for the Furosemide, the Spironolactone and the potassium."
"Thanks," House responded as he glanced into his mother's room; he heard faint laughter come from her and Bell. He couldn't deny they loved each other, but he still needed to know more.
"We'll talk to you later; please don't hesitate to call if you need anything," Selby said. There were handshakes all around, then the two men left. Lydia looked at House who had leaned back against the wall.
"How are you holding up?" she asked.
"About as well as pile of warped Lincoln Logs," he said. "I know everything is supposed to fit now that I know how some of the pieces go together." House let out a sigh. "But I need a complete set of blueprints." Lydia reached up and ran her fingertips down his face. "How are you? I shouldn't have asked you to help me move Mom; the nurse was standing right there…"
"Greg, you're not thinking clearly, which is perfectly understandable given the circumstances. Don't worry about it; your medical mind is still as sharp as ever. Let's go back inside so we can spend more time with Blythe and Thomas." House and Lydia kissed, then entered the room and found the two senior citizen lovebirds holding hands. It brought a smile to Lydia's face; it made House roll his eyes.
"How much time…do I have left?" Blythe asked.
"Till a quarter past a freckle," House said looking at his right wrist which was devoid of a time piece. "We're going to bump you up on the oxygen so you can go with the nose clip a little longer." He reached over and adjusted the nozzle coming out of the wall that delivered the oxygen. "Selby and Borden are also upping some of your meds to make you more comfortable…"
"And give me…a little more time?" House looked down at his mother; he could see her condition was going downhill faster than he thought it would.
"Yeah."
"I want to take…a little break since talking…about things is taking so much…out of me," Blythe said. "I want to hear…about you two." Lydia could see House scowl; he wasn't happy about delaying the topic of Blythe, Thomas and himself.
"That maybe a good idea," Lydia said catching House's eye. "It will give a chance for the increased meds to work and maybe strengthen Mom a little." She looked over her shoulder. "As a matter of fact, here they come now." Audrey walked in, removed the old bags hanging on Blythe's IV poles and replaced them with new ones.
"There you go," she said. "I'll see you later."
"Greg, why don't you tell your mom what a small world it is?" Lydia suggested.
"What's the point of that? I'm sure she's been to Disney lots of times and been on that ride at least once." Lydia folded her arms in an exaggerated motion and tapped her foot. "OK, I get the hint," he said. "Remember when we lived in Germany, I used to always bug you to go to that bakery in town?" Blythe smiled.
"How could I ever…forget? I loved that place, too. But…you were crazy for those…soft gingerbread…cookies."
"You remember the name of the place?"
"Frau Krumholtz's…Bake Shop." House smiled as he saw his mother's face light up.
"Well…meet Frau Krumholtz's granddaughter," he said gesturing to Lydia. Blythe was floored.
Oh…oh my! Talk about a small world!" Thomas said as he stood up and came over to give Lydia a hug. "My lovey has been ordering from their web site for the past few years," he said. "What a pleasure it is to meet the next generation!"
"Well, I'm sure at the factory they ship them out as quickly as they can to keep them fresh. But," Lydia said as she reached into her tote bag. "Nothing is as fresh as these that I made from the original recipe a few days ago." She removed the lid from a plastic storage container to reveal a bunch of soft gingerbread cookies. It was now House's turn to be floored; Lydia had given no hint that she was bringing the cookies.
"Mom, I noticed they left your menu from dinner on your bed tray; you're on soft foods. And I think these might qualify if I break off a little piece and put it between you cheek and gums so it softens a little more." House's mom smiled as well as she could and nodded. Lydia stepped forward and placed the cookie into Blythe's mouth. If House wasn't in love with Lydia before this, he certainly was after the kindness she showed his mother. Lydia offered the cookies around, then told the story of how her grandparents business came to be.
"Well, I have to tell…a story myself that…will probably get him…into trouble," Blythe said nodding to her son. "One day…when it was rainy…we went into town…and stopped at the bakery. There were…the two ladies there…that we always saw…except one was holding…a beautiful red-haired…baby girl. We sat down…at the tables to have…our cookies and milk…and the baby began to fuss. The fussing turned…into loud crying. After a few…minutes Greg slammed down…his glass of milk…and said…'Can't they shut…that kid up? She's…driving me crazy!'" Lydia, Thomas and Blythe laughed heartily at Blythe's revelation; House kept his eyes on Lydia to watch her reaction.
"I'd try to deny it," House said. "But I do remember saying that. Actually I still do, but with an entirely different meaning."
"Greg!" Lydia admonished.
"It's OK, dear. Until…I started feeling ill…a few weeks ago, we…." Greg's mom said indicating Thomas.
"Mom!" House chimed in. "TMI!"
"It's OK for you to talk about me, but when your mother offers some intimate information…" Lydia said.
"She's my mother," House said looking bothered.
"Mothers," said Blythe. "Aren't allowed…to have sex." House was about to say something to his mother, when he noticed that her breathing had become particularly labored.
"I think it's time to switch over to the mask," he said as he stood up and made the change. "We can always switch back to the nose clip later. Why don't you rest for now, and you can pick up the story of Romeo and Juliet in a little while. I think we can all use a rest." Blythe, Thomas and Lydia agreed. House insisted that Lydia take the Geri-chair while he put two regular chairs together next to his mother's bedside. Bell stayed on the opposite side holding Blythe's paralyzed hand. "Mom, I've got your right hand. If you need anything, just shake it." Blythe nodded. House leaned over and gave his mother a kiss on the forehead. "Night, Mom." Thomas leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"Night, Lovey." Lydia blew her a kiss from the end of the bed; the men were too well settled in to disturb them. She kissed House, then sat down in the Geri-chair for a few hours of rest.
It was not to be.
An hour after they had all said goodnight, House felt his mother tugging at his hand and heard alarms going off. He got up and slammed his hand against the call button. Thomas and Lydia were awakened by the activity and jumped up. Without anyone replying to his signal, the announcement calling for the resuscitation unit went out; within a minute, they were in Blythe's room. House had already started CPR, but needed the paddles.
"Blythe! NO! Lovey!" Thomas cried out.
"Get him out of here!" House yelled to Lydia. Lydia quickly led Bell out into the hallway so he didn't have to see what was happening to the woman he so loved. With the same intensity he used on Wilson, House worked feverishly on his mother.
"Come on, Mom!" he said after the first time he used the paddles wasn't successful. "Come on, not yet! No! Please, I have to know, damnit! Please, Mom…NOT YET!" Two more jolts with the paddles, and a beeping sound began to come from the machines monitoring Blythe. House watched as her levels all began to return to an acceptable level. He held on to the bed rails as he looked down at his mother, up at the monitors and back to his mother again.
It wasn't Blythe's time.