Life and Limb
Chapter Seventeen – "Live, Love, Laugh…Life"
By: purpleu
Everything was quiet in room 416, except for the hum of monitors keeping watch over House's mom. Blythe was resting after suffering the trauma of a heart attack brought on by the build-up of fluids around her heart and in her lungs. Reverend Bell, Lydia and House all sat as close to Blythe's bed as they could. The staff was kind enough to bring in two more Geri-chairs so Bell and House could surround the bed on each side in greater comfort. Lydia stayed in the chair she had occupied earlier, but moved it to the end of the bed. The troops were gathering for the final stand.
House and Bell managed to sleep from sheer physical and emotional exhaustion; Bell had been at the hospital from the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday with very little sleep since then. House had only arrived a few hours ago, but with a load of stress being carried on his shoulders. Lydia was tired, too, but her nurturing instincts took over, and it wasn't too long before she was awake and watching the other three. Glancing at her watch, Lydia saw it was a little past two in the morning. The preceding six hours or so since they got to Arlington Medical Center truly proved that Blythe held on until her son got to her; now she was starting to let go. Lydia could only imagine the frustration that House felt in not being able to help his mother, although his quick reactions earlier gave her a little more time. Yes, he was a brilliant doctor who often had a less than warm attitude toward the world, but he was also Blythe's son and as such, felt the pain of watching her slip away. The little bit of their story that was revealed earlier proved that John House was truly the source of unhappiness in both House's and Blythe's lives; but for Blythe so were others, too. While Lydia's parents had never struck fear into her, they had made her feel like she was too ill-equipped to handle the world, something that was also thrown at Blythe in a very hurtful manner. Leaning her head against the back of the chair, Lydia let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes. It would have only been a matter of a few months if House had brought her to meet his mother sooner, but they were months Lydia was sure that she and Blythe would've enjoyed.
"Lydia?" Lydia opened her eyes and leaned her head forward. "Lydia?" It was House's mom calling to her. Lydia's heart skipped a beat as she rose from the chair, passed by House's sprawled form in the Geri-chair, and came to the head of the bed.
"Hi, Mom. How are you feeling?" Blythe tried to shake her head.
"Like a damn…train hit me," she complained. "I'm sorry…if I woke you up."
"No, you didn't. I think I got a text message; I have it on vibrate, so I guess I responded to that." Lydia took out her phone and checked; the message was from Annie. They had corresponded briefly earlier when House and Lydia were still on the road; then again when all hell was breaking loose. Lydia simply texted that House's mom was having the heart attack and that she would contact Annie later. In all the commotion, she never did. "Annie was wondering how you were doing, and she wanted to let us know that James is awake and talking right now." Blythe considered things for a moment.
"Could you call her, and let me…talk to James? Until you came along…there were times when I was…sure the only way Greg survived was by…being friends with him."
"I'm a big boy; I know how to stand on my own two feet." House's voice came from behind Lydia. He put the footrest down on the chair and faced his mother and Lydia.
"Not very well…sometimes; and I'm not talking…about needing the cane," his mother said. Lydia did her best to hide a smile; she found Blythe's bluntness with her son refreshing and not all too unfamiliar.
"I'm only letting you get away with that comment because you're my mother," House responded.
"Yes, I know," replied his mom. "Did that…text just come in? Are…they awake?" House glanced up at the numbers on the monitors. She was doing better with the mask, but was forcing herself to project to be heard.
"Yes, I'll call her back and see if we can talk," Lydia said. While the call went through, House stood up, took the mask off of his mother and put on the nose clip to supply her with oxygen. She looked surprised.
"Only while you're on the phone; the mask goes back on when you're done," he said.
"Lydia? What are you doing up at this hour?" Annie asked as she answered. Lydia quickly switched the phone to speaker.
"Doing the horizontal hustle; what are you doing up?" House asked.
"Pretty much the same thing," Annie said as she laughed.
"Sweetie, I have you on speaker; Greg's mom wanted to talk to you and James if he's awake."
"I'm right here," Wilson answered. House didn't bother to hide the smile on his face.
"Still kicking, I see," said House.
"Yes, you haven't gotten rid of me yet, though life and dire circumstance may have tried."
"James, I'm so happy…to hear you," Blythe said. "I was so upset when…I heard what happened…but so happy to learn of…your good news."
"Let me do the introductions, even if they're only audio; Blythe, this is my fiancée…"
"And baby mama," House injected. "And cello player, singer and white clam sauce maker extraordinaire…"
"Annie," Wilson finally got out.
"Hi, Blythe. How are you feeling?" Annie asked.
"Terrible, but I'm…still here to complain about it…thanks to my son. Greg was the one…who saved me during the…heart attack."
"Not surprised," Annie said. "He's more than a little good at saving people; in more ways than one."
"Who are you talking to?" Thomas had started to wake up and caught the middle of the conversation.
"James, Greg's best friend," Lydia replied.
"The fellow who was shot in the mugging?" Lydia nodded. "You sound pretty good for what you've been through, lad. And I also hear a lady's voice. Your fiancée?" Bell asked.
"And baby mama," House interrupted once again.
"Yes," Wilson said trying not to sound too annoyed at House. "Nice to talk to you, Reverend Bell."
"Same here. So glad to hear that you and…"
"His baby mama," House interrupted once again.
"You know he's going to keep calling you that even after you give birth," Lydia noted to her friend. "Annie is James' fiancée's name," she said to Bell. Lydia then turned to House. "And don't you say another word." She pointed a disapproving finger at him with a smile on her face.
"Fine; but in a couple of months, the subject will be a little hard to avoid talking about," House replied.
"I don't mind; I like it," Annie said. "I'm so looking forward to being James' wife and the little one's mommy."
"We wish you both all…the luck in the world," Blythe said. "I'm sorry I won't be…there to see it all…in person." There was silence for a moment from the other end of the phone.
"We're sorry, too, Blythe. It would have made things extra special," Wilson said, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke. He always liked House's mom; she was a nice lady who obviously adored her son. As much as he wanted House in New Jersey to keep watch over things, Wilson was glad that he had time to be with his mother, if only for a little longer.
"Hey, Songbird; you start taking your Natalins yet?" House asked referring to the vitamins most expecting mothers take. He didn't get the chance to ask Annie before leaving New Jersey.
"Dr. Wexler gave me a prescription for them," Annie replied. House shook his head.
"That's not what I asked you," he said. "Have you started taking them as in put the horse pills in your mouth and swallow?"
"I've been a little preoccupied in the past day or two. I'll …"
"Give the script to someone on my team or Tom or Marianne or anyone else in the social circle of life we run in. You're already high risk; you need to get on them right from the beginning. Wexler give you folic acid, too?" Annie let out a sigh.
"Yes, Dr. Spock. I'll get someone to fill that for me, too."
"And watch your salt…"
"Greg!" Annie exclaimed. "My God, you're worse than James is! I know the rules so far; if they change, I'll follow them exactly. I'm going to be a good patient."
"Fine. I'm just keeping a promise I made," House replied looking at Lydia.
"Did you really have to get your boyfriend on my case?" Annie asked her friend. "James will be watching my every move as it is."
"It wasn't Lydia," Wilson said. "I'm the guilty party. I…I just feel so…damned helpless right now. I know I'm going to be stuck in a bed or wheelchair for a while, and…I can't exactly be very helpful in that state."
"Stop being a wuss," House said making a face. "The team of the Fearsome Foursome and the rest of the annoying people who hang around us will make sure the both of you are up and dancing to Abba again in no time. Go get some rest," House ordered. "Call you later."
"Alright, we will," Annie said with a laugh. "Blythe, Reverend Bell…take care. You're in our thoughts." Annie felt so awkward; she didn't know what else to say.
"Thank you, dear. You take care, too," Thomas said.
"Reverend Bell, it was nice to finally meet you…even if it was only through a phone call," Wilson said. "Blythe…" He hesitated a second to compose himself. "Take care. Maybe I'll talk to you later when House checks in on us again." Blythe sighed and looked off across the room.
"Goodbye, James," she said sadly. House looked at Lydia and then at his mom; he knew it was a final farewell.
"We'll call later," Lydia said. "Bye, you two."
"Bye," Annie and Wilson said in return; then Lydia ended the call.
"Let's get this mask back on you, Mom," House said reaching over to the wall where he hung it up.
"Greg…I'm thirsty and…hungry. Can I have…something?" Blythe asked as her son replaced the mask on her face.
"No reason why not. Steak and lobster?" Blythe smiled.
"You remembered that…I love that combo; but I think…I'll go a little simpler. How about…some yogurt or Jell-O? And…of course more of those…cookies," she said looking at Lydia.
"The food here is actually quite good," Thomas said. "And Audrey was nice enough to have someone go down and get me food so I wouldn't have to leave Blythe. I just wrote out what I wanted, and in a little while, I had my order."
"Sounds wonderful," Lydia said. House nodded.
"There's no problem with your request," House said to his mother. "If you want to go out on a healthy note with a dose of yeast cultures, that's up to you. What do you want to drink?"
"Champagne…pink if they have it," Blythe said with a twinkle in her tired eyes.
"I doubt there are enough winos around this place for them to carry that; wanna try again?" House asked returning his mother's look.
"Oh, alright…coffee then."
"Not a good idea; the caffeine isn't good for you, especially after having your heart go ballistic on you before." Blythe expression changed as she looked at her son in resignation.
"At this point…will it really make…a difference?" she asked. House looked away as he let out a sigh.
"Humor me; I'm a doctor in my spare time," he replied. Lydia had taken out a pad of paper and a pen from her tote bag ready to write down the food orders.
"Mom, what flavor of yogurt would you want?" she asked.
"Some sort of berry…or vanilla. If they…don't have that then…strawberry Jell-O. And either…cranberry or cranapple juice." Lydia wrote Blythe's requests down.
"Thomas?" she asked.
"Reuben sandwich, but no pickles and tell them to make it dry; don't need dressing dripping down my chin. Oh, and also a large coffee, milk and sugar," he replied. House and Lydia both stared at Bell in disbelief.
"Make that two of those," House said obviously stunned as he never took his eyes off Thomas.
"What…you take your Reuben…."
"With no pickles," House answered. "And dry."
"And his coffee with milk and sugar…and it's always a large," Lydia said looking at Blythe and smiling.
"Well, the delicatessen near us has it in their heads that a Reuben should have pickles on it with a river of dressing. So I always ask for no pickles/dry anywhere I order it from," Thomas said.
"Your delicatessen sounds like the cafeteria at work," Lydia said. "Greg always requests his Reuben that way for the same reason."
"My, what a…coincidence," Blythe said. Looking between her son and her husband. House rolled his eyes.
"Mom, sharing tastes in food is not a genetic marker for fatherhood," he noted.
"It should be," his mother replied.
"Hello. I didn't expect to see everyone awake." Audrey had entered the room to check up on Blythe. "How are you feeling, Mrs. Bell?" House was surprised; hearing his mother called by that name didn't bother him now.
"I'm hungry and…thirsty. Lydia just took…an order for me."
"Reverend Bell told us that you've been kind enough to have food brought up to him from the cafeteria," Lydia said. "Could we impose upon you to do the same for us?"
"Of course," Audrey said. "We always try to let the patients' families stay with them as much as possible in this ward. Just write out what you want; we collect the money when the food arrives and we see what the bill totals."
"That's fantastic," Lydia said. "I'm picking up on so many ideas I want to present to the administrators back at our facility, Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital." She quickly wrote down her order, a grilled cheese and ham sandwich on whole wheat with an iced tea. Bell had come around the side of the bed and looked over her shoulder.
"You like whole wheat?" he inquired. "Forgive me, but I think a fine piece of cardboard is tastier than that." Lydia looked at House and had to start laughing when she saw the expression on his face.
"What's the matter?" Thomas asked as he looked back and forth between the two. "You don't like whole wheat either?" he said to House. "That's not so unusual."
"No, but those are almost the exact same words that Greg uses to describe the bread. He hates it," Lydia said continuing to laugh. She realized that Audrey was in the hallway waiting for their order. "Anything else?" There were no takers, so Lydia brought the paper to the nurse and thanked her again profusely.
"Now, while we're…waiting for the food…and I have this damned…mask on, I want to…hear the Lydia Strohman story," Blythe said. "Greg, I know…you want to hear more…about Thomas and me…but I won't go…anywhere until you know…everything. If I can't keep…that promise, Thomas…knows it all now." She had seen the look on her son's face, but it was getting harder to talk.
"However you can do it, Mom," House reluctantly agreed. "It's your call." House moved out of the way and let Lydia get closer to his mother. She dropped the bedrail down, so she could sit on the edge of the bed as she showed Blythe pictures that she had on her laptop. Lydia began her story with her travels as a child when her father was in the diplomatic corps, then meeting Annie and settling in near Washington, D.C. She got the biggest smile from both Blythe and Thomas when she told them of meeting House after his lecture; then how he asked her to join him for a drink but was pulled away by her over-protective father. Next came the tragedy of her parents' car accident, and her leaving school nine credits short of her degree to care for them.
"Wasn't there any way you could get help, so you could go back and get the credits?" Thomas asked. "I'm sure you had good grades; the school wouldn't want to lose someone like you."
"Not only did Johns Hopkins not care about her 4.0 average, remember the internship I lost when I was accused of cheating?" House asked his mother. "Guess who was awarded the same thing, only she lost it when she left to care for her parents." House made a face and shook his head. "That place messed up not one, but two people who would have been a credit to its alumni association."
"That's such a shame," Blythe said. "But what…a wonderful daughter you…were to care for them."
"Truthfully, they gave me no choice," Lydia said sadly. "They refused to have aides come in to attend to their needs. We had the resources, the insurance, the money…but they felt that their daughter should be the one to do the job." She reached up and quickly wiped tears from her cheeks. "But thanks to the generosity of a certain wonderful man," she said looking at House and taking his hand, "I'm in a program at the New Jersey College of Medicine. I go to one class and a lab one night a week, do lab analysis with Greg's team and spend a few hours a week in the clinic. All that will allow me to graduate with my degree this coming spring."
"I'm so glad," House's mom said. "I'm glad that…after all these years…you're finally accomplishing…your dream."
"I never would have done it if Greg hadn't pushed me," said Lydia. "I gave up on ever getting my degree; I thought I'd been out of school for too long. But I made a few suggestions to Greg on some cases he was working on…and he decided that I was going back."
"Fraulein, they were more than a few suggestions," House said. "Besides, even if you never said a word about the cases, I knew you regretted not getting your lambskin. You wanted it, I wanted it for you; no skin off my nose. Except on the days when I own the role of chef, chauffer, and playmate for the munchkins." Lydia gave House a look; she then turned to Blythe and Thomas.
"This is the first time I'm hearing that he has a problem with the situation. I usually come home from school, and the kids are both telling me, 'Mommy, guess what we did with House? He took us here, he took us there, and we made dinner together.'" Lydia put her arm around House. "Obviously, it's a big problem," she said sarcastically.
"I tolerate your kids," House said as he returned her gesture. "Because they are exactly like you; Intelligent, funny, curious, playful…and forgiving. They're regular kids, but extremely unique, too." House closed his eyes, trying to find the right words; there was a question he had to ask, an emotional rather than factual one. Finally he turned to his mother. "Was I that intolerable, that miserable, that much of a problem that the son-of-a-bitch couldn't treat me better than yesterday's garbage? Lydia's kids aren't related to me by DNA or any of the genetic games they play nowadays; but they've become a part of my life and…I completely accept them. Why? Was it just because he knew I wasn't his kid?" Blythe shook her head sadly.
"Greg, you were…a wonderful child. All those…words you used to…describe Lydia's children…they could have…applied to you, too. You tried…to be his son…but he wouldn't…let you. Things…grew more complicated…between you and John…when you were a…teenager, but that…was natural. He had a…heart made of…stone, and even… a child as wonderful…as you couldn't…crack it." House looked down at the floor; he wanted some reason, some sense made out of John House's actions, but apparently there was none. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother struggling to change her position; Lydia took note of the expression on his face and followed his gaze.
"Mom, let me help you," she said letting go of House and stepping over to Blythe. Lydia fiddled with the pillows and managed to return House's mom to a more upright position. "I've rolled a pillow and put it on your right side so you can lean your arm on it. I think you'll be more comfortable, but if not let me know." Blythe reached over and took Lydia's hand.
"I won't live to…see him marry," she said, nodding toward her son. "But when he does…it damn well better…be to you." Lydia smiled and began to tear up after hearing the kind words. House took a deep breath and moved closer to Lydia; he put his arm around her shoulder, needing the support for what he had to say.
"Mom," House said. "It's not that I don't love Lydia. I've told her on more than one occasion…I love her more than I ever thought I'd be capable of loving someone. I…" He looked at Lydia. "I don't doubt her ability to be a good wife; and the concept of the roles of 'wife' and 'husband' don't escape me. Pretending that they do keeps me out of unwanted conversations. Any man would be proud to say that he snagged someone as amazing as her. The problem is that I doubt my ability to be a good husband." He looked away from everyone and shook his head. "Whatever success I've had in my professional life, I've had failures in my personal life in greater proportions. If I screw up the whole marriage thing…and I think you'll be the first to admit I did not grow up with a sterling example in front of me…I don't hurt just one person," House said as he looked at Lydia. "I hurt three. And however much people seem to think I'm a selfish bastard, I refuse to do that." Lydia reached up and put her arm around House; he looked away.
"So I guess you can actually tolerate my kids?" Lydia asked. "You…like them?" House smirked.
"Yeah, it's one of those words that begin with 'L'," he said finally looking at Lydia. She pulled him in for a hug, and started crying. He had admitted to her in private how he felt about Ben and Elise, but this was the first time he ever said it out loud in front of others. Lydia leaned back and gave House a kiss, then another and another; it seemed for the moment, they forgot they had an audience. Then Blythe cleared her throat. House jumped back and removed his arm from around Lydia's back. His mother and Bell began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" he asked, awkwardly staring up at his mother's monitors.
"You," Thomas said. "You looked like a teen-ager who just got found out with his hand under his girlfriend's blouse."
"Oh, please," Blythe said. "If I had a dollar…for every time I…caught him…"
"I didn't get caught that much," House replied. His mother gave him a look. "Doesn't mean I didn't do it; I just knew how not to get nailed."
"Why am I not surprised?" Lydia said. She put her arms back around House and gave him another kiss.
"You know, it's about time you two got frisky," Thomas said. "No offspring of mine should be able to keep his hands off the woman he loves for too long." House moved away from Lydia.
"Look, I don't mean to be greedy, but time is running out," he said to his mother. "Can I just give you the Reader's Digest condensed version of the rest of Lydia's life story while she shows you pictures of Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee? Then I want…I need…to know why you're so sure he sired me," House said gesturing to Bell.
"Food's here," Audrey called out as she entered the room.
"I'll handle the food. You keep talking; I'll be listening," Thomas quickly said to House. Although he didn't acknowledge Bell, House was grateful that he understood the urgency of the situation; he needed to know where the two of them stood. House picked up Lydia's story with the attack on Annie, then her going to Mayfield and Lydia marrying Annie's brother and having Ben and Elise with him, all to try and shock Annie out of her catatonic state. Then he went on to his arrival at the institution, their relationship developing, him helping Annie come back to the land of the living and being devastated when they parted ways as Lydia moved to Arizona with Annie and her family. At last, he related the final piece of the story, her return to New Jersey. By the time House finished, Lydia had pulled up the most recent pictures she had of the children on her laptop; they included pictures of her and House with them at a soccer game, and one with Wilson, Annie and the four of them together in the backyard. While all of this was going on, Bell divided up the food, removed Blythe's oxygen mask and let House replace it with a nose clip so she could eat. Thomas began to feed his wife small amounts of mixed berry yogurt.
"That is such a wonderful…testament to your…relationship with Annie. That she was…willing to lock herself away…from the world to…protect you. And you and…Greg; you had…all these obstacles in…your way, but…you never let…them keep you…apart." House saw that his mother was struggling to breathe again.
"Let's take a break from the yeast cultures and get the mask back on you," he said quickly making the switch back. He saw the disappointment on his mom's face. "I know you're hungry, Mom. Just give yourself a recharge and you can keep going."
"Lydia, when you…have my memorial…service, would you…please put the pictures…of you and Greg…with the children…and the one with James…and Annie on…the picture display? I think…that would…be lovely," Blythe said reaching out her right hand to Lydia's computer screen. "I already have…other pictures put…aside. Thomas knows…where they are."
"Of course, Mom; I'm very happy that you want to include us," Lydia said. She leaned over and gave Blythe as kiss on her forehead. "I'll have the children help me design the board; but don't worry, I'll make sure we're very careful handling the pictures."
"You'll get to see…pictures of Greg…as a baby. He was…so cute." House rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his sandwich; but he quickly realized this was the perfect opportunity to turn the conversation over to the topic he wanted to discuss.
"Talking about people you've seen naked…" he began.
"Yes," Blythe said. House frowned at his mother.
"I haven't even asked you a question yet."
"You want to know…about your birthmark," she replied. "Yes, you and…Thomas have the…same birthmark in…the same place." House glance over at Bell; the reverend returned his gaze.
"I didn't see you much as a baby," Thomas began. "I never changed a diaper; I wanted to so I could help your mother out since John was gone so often, but she would never let me."
"You knew we had the same brandings on our manhood," House said looking at his mother. "You didn't want him getting any ideas." Blythe slowly nodded. "Just so you know birthmarks don't necessarily mean anything." House was clearly frustrated. "Give me dates. In 1958, flyboy went away for a while and you came swooping in," he said to Thomas. "Somewhere in there you went to that party where something was slipped into her drink and some son-of-a-bitch raped her or tried to. I need a timeline."
"I'll let Thomas…tell you," Blythe said. "I'd like to eat a little something more." Lydia picked up the container with the gingerbread cookies. She looked at House for confirmation.
"Small pieces," he replied. He looked at Thomas who was just swallowing a bite of his sandwich.
"John left the third week of August; Blythe didn't go because they didn't know if it was going to be a permanent assignment. She got word to me through our friends Jack and Millie; they were our best friends just like James and Annie are to you two," he said indicating House and Lydia. "I would send a letter to Jack and inside the envelope, there was a letter for Blythe. Millie would then mail a letter to Blythe, and inside was my letter. No one questioned the letters because Jack and Millie lived about fifty miles away from both Blythe and me. And of course, there was no such thing as e-mail back then." Thomas began to cough and paused to take a drink of his coffee.
"Sounds like a real cloak and dagger operation," Lydia commented as she lifted the mask and fed pieces of the cookie to Blythe.
"It had to be," Thomas answered. "Poor Lovey was terrified that John would find out and was so afraid of what he would do. As I said, that August he left and I went to Jack's a week later. By this point my father and mother had died so no one questioned it when I said I had to go for theological training. I hadn't been ordained yet, and I didn't have a congregation to answer to. I stayed until the beginning of October when Blythe got word that he was coming back. The party we went to happened Labor Day weekend."
"I tried so many…times to figure things…out, but no matter…how I shifted the…nine months around I …couldn't do it," Blythe said. "No one, not…Thomas, Jack or Millie knew…that John and I never…you know…"
"You and he never did the deed?" House asked. "He didn't want a piece even if it was you?" Blythe gave her son a look. "Sorry. Didn't mean it the way it sounded."
"Yes…you did," his mother responded with a slight, crooked smiled on her face.
"Your marriage was never consummated?" Lydia asked. Blythe shook her head.
"And I didn't find that out until a few days ago," Thomas said. Blythe reached for his hand.
"I'm so sorry…for all the lies. I was…trying to protect you…and Greg."
"I know, Lovey. I told you even the best people in this world lie. The motive and the subject doesn't matter and always changes," Bell said. It was yet another moment when House stopped what he was doing to stare at Bell. The similarities were beginning to get to him. He pulled out his phone and started to push some buttons.
"Mom, I hate to bring up personal questions or bad memories, but I want to try and help Greg figure things out," Lydia said. "Did you go straight home after the party?" Blythe nodded. "Did you go to a doctor or hospital, even the next day?"
"No, I was too…embarrassed. I know…now that's foolish…It wasn't my fault."
"Of course not!" Lydia said. "No one should ever think that!" She continued with her questions. "Was there any blood in your underwear? Or were you sore in your groin area?" House's mom shook her head in the negative. "The smell of seamen is distinct; did you detect…?" Blythe shook her head no before Lydia could finish. "Were her clothes in disarray when you found her?" she asked Bell.
"Not really. Her panty hose was down to the top of her thighs, but her panties were still in place. The creep had undone his belt, but I couldn't tell if his pants were unzipped or not."
"Then I don't think you were raped," Lydia said gently. "I think he was going to, but never got the chance. There are certain signs that aren't there; I think you got lucky."
"You understand," Blythe said gently reaching for Lydia.
"Yes," Lydia said sadly. "My ex-husband didn't know that 'no' means 'no' whether you're married or not. Fortunately, I'll never have to worry about that again." Lydia looked away from Blythe and over to House; he had a stunned expression on his face.
"This whole question would have been solved a lot sooner if you knew that a pregnancy was forty weeks and not necessarily nine months," he said. "Counting back from the day I was born, you became pregnant at the end of the third week of September. If the SOB had raped you, you would have been pregnant for a little over forty-two weeks; a little late to say the least. When did the doctor say your due date was?"
"June ninth," his mom replied. House looked over at Thomas.
"I still can't say it with absolute certainty; it's too close to be 100% sure. DNA test will still be the defining indicator. But I guess it's safe to say we're on for father-son night at the community center," he quipped. Thomas' eyes teared up as he came around to the side of the bed where House and Lydia stood. House assumed a bit of a defensive posture. "Did I mention I'm not a huggy, back-slapping sort of guy?" Thomas smiled.
"I figured that out, son. But…could you do it for your mother?" he said quietly. House gave a quick nod and allowed Bell to step forward and put his arms around him; House weakly returned the gesture. Oddly, rather than feeling uncomfortable, semi-hugging Thomas felt like something he had done in the past. It felt right.
"My boys," Blythe said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Lydia grabbed a few tissues and wiped Blythe's face. She then took a few more to deal with her own damp cheeks.
"Don't you start in, too," House said to Lydia. He had managed to control his reaction to the hug and his mother's words; seeing his girlfriend crying would set him off. He sat down in the Geri-chair closest to his mother. "Mom…sorry, but more questions."
"Ask them…while you have…the chance, Greg."
"What I don't get is why you didn't leave the bastard sooner. I escaped the day to day crap a long time ago; what stopped you?" Blythe gestured for her juice; Lydia grabbed it off the bed tray and helped her take a few sips. "Make it quick, I want to get the mask back on you." He was looking up at the monitors, very unhappy with the dropping oxygen level in her blood.
"Not long ago…I sat down with…John. I said 'This…is ridiculous, it's…time to end this…farce. We'll both be…happier if we divorce. I won't…make a big deal…of it. It can…be done quietly.' He…stood up and…went into the bedroom. He…brought out his…military pistol and sword…and he laid them…on the table. He said 'You…ever talk about…leaving me again…I will take this…pistol and blow…your brains out. Then…I'll find that bastard…son of yours and…ram this sword straight…through his heart.'"
"Oh, my God!" Lydia exclaimed. "How long ago was this?"
"Three days before…he died," Blythe replied. "That's why I…let them do up…such a funeral for…him; why I took part…the way I did. I was…in shock, I was…numb. I was free…and didn't know…how to react."
"Why did you insist on me being there?" House asked. "Wilson literally had to drug me and kidnap me to get me down here."
"I know and…I'm so sorry. I just…needed you here…with me. But, I…I couldn't tell you…anything. I had been lying…for so long, I forgot…how to tell the…truth about the…subject." House stood up; he reached over, took out the nose clip and put the mask back on his mom; he also raised the level of oxygen she was receiving. He wanted her to last just a little bit longer.
"You need the mask again for little bit," he said in response to her look. House let out a sigh. "Why the hell did you give me the pistol and sword? He threatened our lives with them; not exactly the makings of a family time capsule."
"I wanted you…to have the…spoils of victory," Blythe said. She reached for House's hand, then Thomas'. "He didn't get us. Not…any one of…the three."
"At what price?" House asked sadly.
"I'm not surprised you figured things out, lad," Thomas said. "But I was in the dark until you said something to me a few days ago, and then I asked your mom about things; I begged her to tell me the truth." He looked at his wife and House. "I guess there was a part of me, deep in my heart that questioned things for so long. There would be the children at Sunday school and I always enjoyed interacting with them; but every time I came around you and your mom…"
"We felt like a family," House said. He had been looking at the floor, but raised his eyes up to meet Bell's. "That bastard was never a father. He was always threatened by any sign of intelligence I showed; if I didn't get scholarships and qualified for the little bit of loans that I needed…I never would have been a doctor. He thought the whole idea was a joke. I survived by using my wits and the money Mom sent me for living expenses."
"John was terrible…with finances. He never…ever looked at the…checkbook. But the money…didn't come from me," Blythe said turning her head to Thomas. House looked confused as he looked between his mother and Bell.
"Why?" he asked.
"It was just something I wanted to do," Bell said. "I had no children from my brief first marriage; my wife was a very sick woman, had leukemia even when we married. I basically married her out of pity and pressure from the church hierarchy to set a good example for the congregation; I was able to put her on my insurance policy to get her help with her illness. But it wasn't a real marriage in any way. She died two years after we married." Thomas took a deep breath. "I wanted to do something for you," he said looking at House. "I felt like I should. I wanted you to know how proud I was of you for so many things…but I was never afforded the chance." He looked away. "You did something I wanted to do, but never had the guts. You stood up to your father and told him you were not going to follow in his footsteps just because he thought you should. You had your own talents, your own wishes, your own desires in life; and you were going to pursue them your way. I wish I could have done the same with my father."
"So you didn't want to be a bible thumper?" House asked as he sat back down. Lydia and Bell followed suit.
"By no means. My father and grandfather were both preachers, but I…" Bell sighed. "I am a spiritual person, not a person to follow a bunch of rules and regulations regarding my morality. I'm not going to live my life in rigid confines so I can get into heaven, which I do believe in, by the way. I know what's right and wrong, and I don't always do what's right." Thomas looked at Blythe. "But when I think about the happiness I've manage to share with your mother, I'm willing to take whatever punishment I may face in the afterlife." Thomas looked at House. "I always admired you; that even as a youngster, you were able to tell him to shove it."
"He made it incredibly easy," House said wryly. He looked at Blythe. "You asked me earlier why I never inquired about the circumstances of my conception and birth. I may have a crude way of looking at the world, and don't give a crap about what I say to people…but I had much more respect for you than to question your morality; even if it turns out I could."
"Greg, I wasn't…a loose woman…as they say. Thomas is the…one and only man…I've been with. That's not…to say that I didn't…experiment with a few…things when we…went to protest." House raised his eyebrows.
"Could you clarify what you mean by 'experiment' with things?"
"It was the…sixties, Greg. What…do you think I mean?" House looked up at Thomas. "Smoked some happy grass?"
"Your mother favored hallucinogenic substances," Thomas said. "But I always kept an eye on her; if she was wanting to have something, I didn't that night." House looked back at his mother.
"I assume Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds?"
"If you're asking if…I dropped acid…yes," she said shaking her head. "I only tried it…a few times…over ten or so…years. It was nothing…really." House nodded his head.
"You're more interesting than I thought you were," he said. "OK, time for another uncomfortable question. All those times I woke up in a neighbor's house and you were nowhere around, were you off doing your social activism and I was in the way?"
"Not all of…the time. Sometimes…we were protesting…and I couldn't very well…bring you along; but…many times I was…seeking out help as…a battered woman. There…weren't as many…centers around back…then; no hotlines. It wasn't…something you talked about…openly. So I traveled…to places where no…one would know me. I didn't…even tell Thomas…where I was going. I just…couldn't."
"I guess you only went places when John was away," Lydia said. "What did you tell your neighbors about why you were going out of town so much?"
"When my parents…passed away, I…never told anyone…not even John. So…I just said…I was visiting them…because they were ill. John…never asked any…questions, didn't care…when I eventually said…they died…so it worked," Blythe explained.
"And no group was able to offer any assistance or suggestions?" inquired Lydia. Blythe shook her head.
"I couldn't get them…to understand how…crazy John was." She looked at House. "I made a small…bequest to a couple…of places that did…give me some help."
"Didn't anyone see the bruises and question you?" he asked.
"John was very clever to only hit her on the torso," Thomas said. "He would get in her face and scream at her, trip her as she walked by him, shove her to the ground, but…I was the only one who got to see the real damage."
"Please, Greg…honor my wishes and…make the donations," Blythe said.
"I'll do whatever you want, Mom; I'm not questioning your decision. I assume you two got a chunk of earth to drop the coffin in?"
"Yes," Thomas said. "At Cypress Hills Cemetery."
"Oh, we have a cemetery near us with that name," Lydia noted.
"That's where…the graves are," Blythe said. "We had purchased…a condominium in a…senior citizen complex…Winndale. It's in…Berry Hill…"
"That town's about an hour away from Princeton," Lydia said looking at House.
"We wanted to be close to our friends," Bell explained. "There are four couples living in Winndale including Jack and Millie whom we've socialized with for years. We planned on selling the house here and moving up there."
"And…I wanted to be…near you," Blythe said to her son. "So I could…try to make amends." Blythe turned to her husband. "You…still go there. Our…friends will be with you…and you'll be…near Greg." Bell looked over at House.
"I'm not so sure Greg is too anxious to have me in such close proximity," he said. House turned his head away.
"As long as you don't ring my doorbell at six A.M. looking to go for a brisk morning jog, we might be able to set some parameters," he said. House looked back at Bell; he could see a gleam in his eye. He liked having House bust his chops a bit; it was a trait that Bell himself was often accused of.
"Do you like soccer?" Lydia asked. "The kids always like to have an audience at their games. Besides Greg and myself, I think there were ten or so of our friends and co-workers cheering them on at their first game. Then we had everyone over for a barbecue."
"My job was to hide," House said. "I did it well." Lydia shot him a look.
"You did not; you cheered the loudest and you manned the grill at the party."
"That's because I wanted the food to be edible."
"Greg is an excellent cook," Lydia said as she shook her head. "I'm not too bad either. One of the things we enjoy doing is cooking together." House allowed a little smile to come over his face.
"Among other things," he said with a mischievous tone to his voice. Lydia smiled and reached for his hand.
"You know it's clear that you two are very much in love," Bell said. "It's also very clear, that your lady believes in you and what you have together. If you ask me, the best way to return the compliment she's paying you with her trust, is to believe in yourself as well." House looked at Thomas.
"A bit of fatherly advice?" he asked wryly. Bell slowly nodded.
"Yes; as a matter of fact, it is." Lydia could tell that House was uncomfortable; she looked at Blythe to see if she picked up on the same thing; she did.
"Greg, do you…remember Thomas helping…you put together…your bicycle?" House looked at his mom.
"Hard to forget after you have it thrown at you," he said.
"Does Lydia know…the story?" asked Blythe.
"Part of it. Remember I told you for my tenth birthday my parents gave me a new bicycle?" House asked Lydia. "It had to be assembled. Flyboy was leaving to go play soldier; he left the night of my birthday, didn't even stay to have cake. Before he left, he threw the box at me, unwrapped and said 'You're so damn smart, you put it together.' The next day, he showed up," he said indicating Bell. "It was a rainy, muggy day. Mom backed the car out of the garage, and then spread some blankets on the floor. She set up a box fan to keep it cool in there." House was staring off, the thoughts of that day coming in strong and clear. "You helped me open the box, we got the tools and we started working on putting the bike together," he said to Bell. "Mom made us lemonade and we took breaks by sitting on one of the other blankets. Then when she decided it was lunchtime, she brought out the picnic basket we had with peanut butter sandwiches, cookies and more lemonade. It didn't take long with the two of us working together; soon I was trying it out within the confines of the garage." House laughed in spite of himself. "I almost crashed into the workbench in there; you didn't look very happy, but you never yelled at me."
"You weren't being reckless or careless; you were being a kid with his brand new bike," Thomas said. "Why would either one of us yell at you?" he asked as he motioned toward Blythe. "We had some birthday cake later that night." House nodded as he looked down at the floor.
"Complete with candles and singing," he said wistfully. "Remember going to the carnival?" House asked looking back and forth between his mother and Thomas. "I thought it was being held in Outer Mongolia."
"We went to a…county fair in…Pennsylvania," Blythe said looking at Lydia. "It was about…a two and a half…hour drive. We had…to go that far…to make sure we…didn't run into…anyone we knew."
"The Crawford County Fair," House said.
"We had such fun watching the judging on the animals and seeing how sheep were sheared and then the fleece turned into wool," Thomas said. "Of course, there were the rides and the food."
"And the games," House chimed in.
"Oh, the games," Thomas said laughing. "This one," he said to Lydia as he pointed to House. "Heard his mother say she thought this blue teddy bear hanging up in one of the game booths was pretty. It was the one where you shoot water into a clown's mouth, and if your aim was good, you'd pop the balloon that was attached to the clown's head. So Greg goes over, and just stands there, watching. I asked him if he wants to play, and he says, 'In a minute, I'm figuring out how to win the bear.' Suddenly, he says, 'I'm ready.' We go over and he insists on waiting until seat number three was open. The fellow in charge starts the game…sure enough the boy wins! And there were enough people playing that he had the choice of the booth; well of course, he picks the blue bear, and proudly presents it to his mother." Thomas shook his head. "I never did find out how he did it."
"Why did you wait to take seat number three?" Lydia asked. "I know better than to say you thought it was a lucky number."
"Nope. I watched about six or so games get played and took note of which seat number came close without winning. It meant that the rubber was stretched out, and would break the easiest within the next couple of games; it gave the least resistance."
"I'll be damned! I never even considered that. And there you were…nine years old?" Bell said.
"Eight, actually," House said. "I kind of remind myself of another eight-year-old I know." He smiled at Lydia.
"Especially because you can engage in medical talk with him," she noted.
"Better than I can with my team sometimes."
"Your son…wants to be a…doctor?" Blythe asked. Lydia told the story of when the kids came to live with her, House had Wilson help him set a skeleton up in Ben's room.
"They didn't know the difference between me and the guy slinging fries down at McDonald's," House said. "The kids and I being able to put up with each other was a make or break deal for our relationship," he said gesturing to Lydia. "I had to go for it."
"Lydia, when you go…to the house you'll…see the teddy bear…on the bed. I'd…like to give it to…Elise. I'm sure Ben…is too old for such…things, but if you think…Elise would be OK…with it…I want her to…have it." Lydia's mouth dropped open in surprise as did House's.
"You still have that thing?" he asked. "I would have thought it disintegrated by now."
"It looks as perfect as the day you won it for her," Thomas said.
"Mom, that is so sweet that you want Elise to have it. You…you haven't even met her," Lydia said.
"Yes, I have. I met…you and according to…Greg, that's the…same thing." Lydia stood up, went to Blythe and lifted up the mask for a second so she could give her a kiss.
"I think Elise will love it, especially knowing that Greg won it for you as a boy."
"Yeah, she'll get a real chuckle out of it," House said as he chewed a mouthful of his neglected sandwich. "Both she and Ben have trouble with the concept that I was ever a child."
"I believe what Elise said was, 'You mean you were…little?'" Lydia said imitating her daughter as House made a face.
"Oh, in the closet…is a garment bag with…the dress I want…to be buried in. The…wake and funeral are…pre-paid and the…funeral director gave me…a list of things they…would need. So, there's…my dress, jewelry…my shoes, panty hose…and underwear in…the bag."
"Underwear?" House exclaimed. "What's the matter? They won't let you into heaven if you show up commando?"
"Greg, it's the idea of giving the person in death the same dignity they had in life," Lydia explained.
"I can be dignified without my underwear," he replied. "It'd take a lot of effort, but…"
"The bag is…already set up," Blythe said to her son. "It's just regular…underwear. I'm donating…my Victoria's Secret…items along with the….rest of my clothes to charity." Lydia looked at House to see his reaction; the more she looked, the more she laughed. It was a mixture of shock and horror that came across her boyfriend's face.
"Please tell me you're yanking my chain," House said, the expression on his face remaining unchanged.
"You'll see when…you pack up my…clothes to donate," his mother replied. House shook his head.
"That image does not sit well with me," he replied. Thomas shrugged his shoulders.
"Sits quite well with me," he said with a smile.
"There's one more…thing and I didn't…know what to do…about it until…now," Blythe said. "There's nothing…fancy about it, but…I want you to…have my jewelry," she said to Lydia.
"Mom…mom, I…I can't do that," Lydia said. "What about your friend Millie?"
"Millie may be…my best friend…but our styles are…very different. There's just a…few things; some earrings…a bracelet, a ring. They're…yours to do with…as you want." Blythe reached for Lydia's hand; she took it and gave it a kiss.
"Thank you, Mom. I really wish we had more time together; I think we could have had a lot of fun," Lydia said as she teared up.
"Especially ganging…up on him," House's mom said indicating her son.
"Gee, thanks, Mom" he said dourly. Blythe smiled and looked at Thomas. Their eyes met and he nodded his head.
"At home, in Blythe's jewelry box, is her wedding band. I never got her an engagement ring; we went from dating to sneaking around to married," Bell said with a laugh. "It's a thin band like mine, but it has very small diamonds spaced around it. It was sort of a wedding band/engagement ring combo. We…we've been puzzling over what to do with it. If we gave to you, Greg…we were afraid you would think we were making assumptions. Far from it; you're your own person and you have to do things as you see fit. So…keep it in its box in the back of a drawer, sell it…or keep it for the right moment in your life. It's your choice." House slowly nodded his head as he looked down at the floor.
"Thanks. I'll keep it for when I'm ready to ask this one to change her name."
"Again," Lydia noted with a sigh as she sat down.
"You know you…you should never…keep a lady waiting," Blythe advised, "We do have…our time limits."
"Oh, I have a time limit," Lydia said as she reached over to rub House's shoulders. "I told him he has until the day after forever."
"Careful, he might take you up on that offer," Thomas cautioned. The four of them laughed, but then Blythe started coughing badly. House had been noticing the wheezing in her breathing getting worse for the past half an hour. Things were moving along.
"Sit her up," he ordered Bell. Thomas jumped up and put his arm behind his wife's back; House did the same. "Hand me the stethoscope," he said to Lydia. Blythe's coughing had eased, but her breathing was more labored and noisy than before. Watching his face, Lydia could see that things were not good. "Let her sit back." He and Bell returned Blythe to a resting position against her pillows.
"It's not going…to be long, is it?" Blythe asked. House took a deep breath.
"I'm going to call your doctors," House said taking out his phone. "I want Selby and Borden to know what's going on." He took a few steps toward the door. "Let her have some of the juice; it might soothe her throat." He stepped out of the room and made his calls. As he hung up, Bell appeared at the door of the room; House could see he had been crying.
"Lad, I already know the answer to this, but isn't there anything you can do?" House shook his head.
"Even if I could, I wouldn't. She's suffered enough for the both of us. The least we can do is let her go without a fight." Thomas closed his eyes and nodded.
"You're right, son." House looked away from Bell.
"Look, I meant what I said earlier. The only times I felt like I was part of a family is when you were around. I don't know if you even want to take a DNA test to find out for sure, but…don't push things. I do stupid things when change is forced on me."
"I understand; I just want you to know that I'm ready and willing to take that DNA test whenever you're ready. You just tell me when. Truthfully," Thomas said looking at the floor. "I don't give a damn what that test proves or disproves; to me, you've always been my son. And always will be." House didn't know if he wanted to punch or hug Bell at that point. He put both thoughts aside, and with a quick nod turned toward his mother's room.
"Greg, I was just telling your mom about the fact that you changed your name twenty years ago and got John out of there," Lydia said. "She's very pleased."
"Best thing…you could…have done." Blythe's breathing was becoming more labored and her numbers were getting worse. "Thomas…my name…"
"Yes, Lovey, I know; we'll figure it out," Bell said. "We picked out a headstone, but Blythe hadn't decided how to list her name. Her maiden name was Blythe Ann Danford. Her full name is Blythe Ann Danford House Bell, but…"
"I think we can skip the House part; if it weren't for the fact I've used the name professionally for years, I'd sure as hell like to get rid of it," House noted. He saw his mother was trying to catch his attention. "What's up, Mom?"
"DNR," she whispered. House looked at Bell.
"She always insisted on one," he said. "They have it at the desk. I…can't…"
"We're going to honor it," he said looking at Bell. "It's what she wants." Thomas put his head down. "Be right back," House said to Lydia as he passed her on the way to the in-room bathroom. A few minutes later, his hand was on the doorknob, when he heard Lydia's voice.
"Greg! Greg, get out here!" It only took two steps for House to reach his mother's bedside. The monitors were beeping and squealing, letting all know something was wrong. Audrey came into the room, but House waved her away.
"DNR," he said grimly. The nurse left to give them privacy. In a moment, Blythe mouthed the words "I love you.' Then she closed her eyes.
"Lovey! Lovey, no!" Thomas said as he leaned into her. House reached over and took the mask off her face. Bell stayed sprawled across his wife's body sobbing. Lydia reached up and put her hand on House's shoulder. When he turned, her heart broke as she saw the pain and tears in his eyes. He went to each of the monitors, and turned off their blaring sounds that heralded what the three of them already knew:
Blythe Ann Danford House Bell was gone.