Dying Changes Everything

This case had opened a can of worms Thirteen didn't even know she had. And that was why she ran after House down the hallway, "What if she wants to keep the baby?"

"She doesn't."

"What, we can't take two seconds to discuss this? I mean, fetuses have been transplanted before. Whole uteruses too."

"Just terminating the fetus when it's glued to her intestines is high-risk surgery. Saving it is a fantasy. That was at least three seconds." He started to walk away again, but she was right behind him.

"She's a 37-year-old woman who deserves—!"

"People get what they get. It has nothing to do with what they deserve. And this has nothing to do with her genitalia, and everything to do with your genetics."

Thirteen was literally taken aback, "You told me to get tested."

"I didn't know it was gonna color your every medical opinion, every personal opinion."

She knit her brows, "You didn't think a death sentence would—?"

"People die!" He wasn't yelling at her, but his voice was raised in frustration, "You, Amber, everyone. Don't act like you just figured that out. I gave you a diagnosis. You don't like it? There are exits on every floor."

~0~0~0~0~0~

After the fetus was removed, Thirteen couldn't handle it anymore. She needed to see her girlfriend, and she needed to see her then. She walked into the ER and found Cameron immediately.

Cameron had literally just sat back down on a stool to work on the poor guy that had to endure the small amount of House he did when she saw the blur of brunette approaching. She looked up to tell her 'one minute' but Remy was too quick for her and the woman had her lips planted on Cameron's before she could even take a breath.

"I need you now." She whispered in her ear before walking away towards the blonde's office.

"Some hospital…" The man said as he looked at her, trying his best not to be affected by her many 'pursuers' that had interrupted his patient care.

She laughed completely embarrassed, "I'm so sorry about that…" She waved Remy off, "Let's uh… let's get you taken care of." She shook her head and finished helping him out.

Then, she went straight to her office. She shut her door and locked it then took a breath as she turned around and stared at Remy. Remy smirked, but it wasn't the one that Cameron loved… it was a new smirk that came when she deflected. It came when she avoided and flat out ignored.

Remy's smirk deepened as she got up and started walking predatorily towards the blonde.

No, Cameron didn't like this smirk at all… It scared her in all seriousness. She placed her hand on Remy's sternum when she invaded her space and stopped her from kissing her, "You can't do this."

"Do what?" she pushed into her girlfriend hard, breaking the barrier and sucking on the blonde's pulse point.

"You cannot run away every time your Huntington's gets the better of you. And you have to stop avoiding—"

"ALL I DO IS THINK ABOUT MY HUNTINGTON'S!" Remy yelled at her, anger in her eyes, "Don't you tell me I'm avoiding it! It's the only thought that's ever in my mind!"

"Sure." Cameron crossed her arms and pushed passed her and leaned against the front of her desk, "Until you decide that you think seducing me is a good idea, then you focus on that for a little while."

"And what's so wrong with fucking you? I never hear you complaining." She glared over at her girlfriend.

"What's so wrong is that's all you're doing!" She pushed back up and walked to the brunette, "The only thing that's going on when you're fucking me is that you're fucking me…" She paused, "I know that I'm sappy. I know that I'm a romantic, but for almost ten God damn years you have only ever made love to me… and now…" She couldn't hold the tears, "Now I'm not even part of it… You could be with any god damn person—"

"Yeah well, sometimes it's not all about you!" Remy spat.

And in response she received an Allison-shaped handprint on her cheek.

"Go to hell." The blonde said, "You don't think I know that? You don't think I know that it's about you right now? I know it's about you! I'm—" She balled her hands into fists and stopped herself from saying what she was going to say and changed directions, "I am trying to make you open your fucking eyes! I'm trying to help you deal with what is happening! Because whether you like it or not, you are dying! And there are things that we can be doing to prevent—"

"'Whether I like it or not'?" Remy glared at her, "You think I want to be dying?"

"I think that deep down somewhere you do, yes. I think that you don't want to deal with it, but I think you did want your mother's disease. I think you want to die sooner and not later." She shook her head and looked away, "Even though you talk about being old ladies someday, I think you never planned on it. I mean… look at you. We've known for two months, I've looked into all the things we all know you need to do and you've taken nine steps back!"

It was Allison's turn to receive the slap now, "Fuck you." Remy walked to the door and unlocked it, "I came down here because you are the only thing that makes me feel like I'm not drowning… Now I'm at the bottom of the ocean floor." She slammed the door behind her.

~0~0~0~0~0~

It took all over her energy to get up after their fight and go do her job…. But she knew he had to… then it took even more energy to bit her tongue… energy she didn't have. So, she started in with Lou as she was leaving her room, asking everything she'd been wondering since the woman came through the doors. She turned back around and looked at her a moment before speaking, "How can you let her treat you like a footstool?"

Lou looked over at her, "The world needs flunkies."

"Don't say that. You're better than that."

"I have no problem with it. Why do you?"

Thirteen's anger flared a bit, "Because... life is short. I mean, yours could've ended in that surgery. You'd have never lived for yourself. What kind of feminist—? We can have anything."

"No, we can't. We can aspire to anything. But we don't get it just because we want it. I would rather spend my life close to the birds than waste it wishing I had wings."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Thirteen was back in Lou's room, and Lou was sitting there thanking her for making her feel better… for giving her a treatment that was actually working. She had to apologize for taking everything out on her, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. Your choices are your choices."

"You're not like me. Maybe you have wings."

Thirteen sat down on the stool in the room and looked at her, "I have Huntington's Chorea. Dozen years or so, my nervous system, my cognitive skills, even my emotional balance... they'll all start to fray. I won't be able to fly. I won't be able to walk. I won't be able to breathe."

"And you want to make sure your life matters."

She nodded, "I don't want to just... be tightening bolts and following instructions. I want something... to be different because of me."

"I am. Not just 'cause you saved my life. I'm applying for a job at a foundation, running the finance division. And I don't know if I'm gonna get it, but if I don't... There are other foundations."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Thirteen was still stewing over Lou changing her mind and actually going back to her boss after all… and over her and Allison's fight. She was sitting there debating the many places she could sleep that night because she was sure as hell not going home…

It was far past quitting time when Cameron walked into the room, "I'm calling 'pause' on our fight."

Thirteen glared up at her, "What?"

"I don't want to fight right now. I just want to make you feel better right now… I know it's been a hard one and our fight hasn't made things easier. We live together now, and you can't run back to your apartment anymore… So, since it's far from over, I'm calling an official 'pause' to our fight." She sat down next to the brunette and kissed Remy's cheek.

Remy only nodded. They stayed sitting for a bit longer when House came in, "I like you better now that you're dying."

"I was wrong." She swallowed.

"You took a shot."

"She's going back to work for that idiot. It's pathetic."

"You thought something would change?"

"She almost died because of that job. Yeah, I-I thought—"

"Almost dying changes nothing. Dying changes everything." He looked over to Cameron before he decided to stay quiet and walk out.

Cameron gathered her and Remy's things, taking her time as she waited for Remy to realize that they were leaving too. "Come on, Baby." She said finally, holding her hand out.

Remy refused to look at the blonde in the face, but she took her hand nonetheless and laced their fingers together as they walked out of the hospital.