Disclaimer: I do not own House MD or any of the characters
A/N: Hey, sorry for the long-ish wait, work and, well, life just got in the way (i.e. I spent my afternoons watching House rather than writing it)
Enjoy!
"What took you?" asked Wilson when House finally re-entered the hospital
"I got, uh, caught up"
Not wanting to know what his friend was referring to, Wilson merely nodded and continued "She's responding to the treatment, she was just lacking sugar. Figures, actually, she spends most of her time here, working, goes home and sleeps, leaves home early to come and work. Something has to fall behind"
"Well it can't can it?" asked House suddenly surprised at his own protective tone "she can't overlook things like eating. She knows better than that!"
Looking at House with a questioning look, Wilson was about to ask what was up when, wanting to avoid an explanation, House decided he needed to go to the bathroom and left for the elevators to seek some refuge in his glass-walled office.
"Hey, I'm going home, you staying?" asked Wilson poking his head in the door to House's office.
Looking at the clock and pretending to be busy with something, House replied "I'll be gone in a bit"
"Ok"
On his way out, for some reason that wasn't really beyond him but that seemed to be beyond him, House made a stop by Cuddy's room. Everything was dark in there; she was lying in bed, an IV line sticking out of her arm, the sheets clearly showing the growing bump on her abdomen.
Sitting down next to her, House's arms seemed to get a mind of their own and he pulled the ultrasound machine closer to him. Silently and carefully, he pushed the sheets back and placed the sensor to Cuddy's belly.
And there it was. It didn't really look like a human, more like some odd form of sea monkey. Tiny hands and tiny legs, oddly shaped head, incredibly fast beating heart, it was, as he had expected a foetus. But it wasn't just a foetus. It was his foetus, and somehow, that made it different. God knew no one would know he felt different, but he knew he did, and that scared him; it really scared him.
Clearing his throat and putting everything away, House quickly left the room and headed out to his bike and off towards home.
Left behind, Cuddy was just starting to wake up, she had a vague recollection of his smell, and his touch, but now, Greg House would not have gone to visit her, she had do have been dreaming, and with that, she allowed herself to drift back to sleep.
That night was a sleepless one. Well, it wasn't so much sleepless as it was full of uncomfortable dreams and a lot of tossing and turning. He was going to be a … Well, since Cuddy hadn't exactly told him anything he really wasn't going to be, well, anything … at least not officially.
Maybe it was for the best, maybe he wouldn't be any good at it. What was he thinking? He wouldn't be any good at it! He didn't want this, he never wanted this. The crying and the pooping and the eating …
'I don't want this!' he mentally yelled at himself, and even in the confined space of his scull, it sounded fake. Somehow, in a space of 24 hours, Greg House had stopped meaning it. But he was damned if anyone would ever find out.
"Well, well! Look who's amongst the living again …" smiled Wilson as he entered Cuddy's room to find her in a semi-sitting position.
"Hi" she smiled back
"You ok? You gave us quite a scare there …" he said sitting next to her
"I'm fine. It was just a stupid mistake. It won't happen again" she said smiling at him again
"It'd better not. Not only am I unsure that I'd be able to catch you again, at the rate you're growing, but I think House may kill you if you do"
Not sure what to make of that, Cuddy merely asked "what?"
"I dunno. When he realised that you'd barely eaten, he went all, I don't know, protective? Saying that you couldn't let this happen again … It was strange"
Cuddy suddenly grew worried "has he done anything else strange?" she asked
Just as Wilson was about to answer, he saw Cuddy look over his shoulder towards the door from where House's voice came "I see you're back. Told you that" he pointed at her stomach "would be a problem" and how! he added in his head.
"Nice to see you too, House" she said noticing how, strangely, his eyes weren't on her face, or cleavage as she had gotten used to expecting, but rather, they were focusing on her stomach.
"Yea …" he half bit his lip "anyway, patient" he said holding up a case file and starting to limp away.
"He didn't look strange to me" Cuddy lied
Wilson arched an eyebrow and looked at her "you don't think him coming to check on you is strange?"
"Well, I …" but Wilson, ever the perceptive guy, cut her off.
"Is there something I don't know, here?" he asked
"I … uh …"
"Cuddy …"
"Well, I …" she started, after all, this was Wilson, and she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it to herself.
"Lisa …" he said in a half-persuasive, half-warning tone
"Well, it's just that, uh, a few months ago, after … um … Joy" Wilson nodded "Well, we …"
"Kissed, yes I know" said Wilson hoping to move things along to where he knew they were going
"…ah, yes … and then, we … uh …"
"Had sex" said Wilson matter of fact-ly
"He told you?" she asked in a shocked half scream
Chuckling to himself, proud of having figured it out, Wilson shook his head "No, actually I'm surprised he didn't call me straight up and boast … but, so? You had sex … it wasn't the first time so …" but he cut himself off, surprise suddenly flooding his face "No!"
Cuddy merely looked at the growing bump on her abdomen.
"He's … but you said it was"
"IVF, I know" she said "You think I should have told the truth?" she asked knowing he would answer no.
"Well, he is House, but …" Cuddy raised her eyebrows "…no" he shook his head.
"Exactly …" she sighed
"So? What are you going to do?" he asked her
"What do you mean?" she asked back confused
"Well, what if he figures it out? Won't it be worse than if you just tell him?" he asked
She shook her head "worse than him telling me that he has no interest in it? That it's just a parasite? No, at least by the time he figures it out, it'll be here already" she said
"Fine …" as Wilson was about to add something, a case file came flying at him and he ducked just in time "what the?"
"Its cancer" said House "My idiots actually thought it was more …" with that, he took a seat in a chair facing directly at Cuddy's bed "What we talking about he asked?"
"Uh, why are you here?" asked Wilson
"Usually, when the ducklings screw up, I barge into your office and vent … you've obviously moved here, so" he held up his hands as if he'd just performed a magic trick "here I am!"
"Yes, but, I'm about to go check on my patient …"
"You don't have a patient …" said House now seeming very interested in the machines Cuddy was hooked up to.
"Uh, House?" asked Wilson holding up the case file that he'd been attacked with moments earlier "Yea I do…"
"Oh! That …" said House shrugging "he's terminal, a few more minutes won't kill him …"
"Uh … actually, that's what 'Terminal' means" said Wilson standing up, for the first time noticing that Cuddy was silent and very interested in looking at the foetal monitor to her left "Well, I'm off, I'll leave you to it…" he nodded at each in turn and left, a grin creeping on his face as he thought of the awkwardness that would surely ensue.
"So … you're looking particularly … round today" said House wondering why on earth he'd wanted to say 'beautiful'.
"Gee, thanks" she replied flatly but knowing full well that there was a smile trying to creep up her face.
"So …" he started thinking what he should say while twirling his cane between his fingers "…everything, uh…"
"Yes, House, everything is good" she sighed
"Ok then … uh …" he looked at the door, suddenly wishing he could run out, but thinking he'd settle for limping out
"Go …" she said with a sigh pointing at the door.
Without any further exchange, House left and Cuddy leaned her head back on the pillows in exhasperation.
TBC
Thank you for reading!
Please leave a review!
CJS-DEPPendent