Chapter 12: Fragile

Gabrielle pulled up into the driveway and looked over to Cuddy. She was staring. Hesitating to even realize that the car had stopped and that she could get out and go get her things. "You want me to get your things for you?" she offered.

Cuddy snapped out of her daze and quickly looked over to Gabrielle. "No," she distantly answered. "I need to go see how everyone is doing."

Gabrielle nodded her head and took the keys out of the ignition. She knew what was going on, Cuddy was upset about Elisabeth, angry at House, she didn't want to go in there and see him. That was understandable.

Cuddy looked up to the house and then looked down and started playing with her hands. Right now, after the way that House had left, the blunt way that he had described what was going on, the lack of any emotion, it made her want to strangle him, ask him why he didn't care. That would have been a stupid question though. Even though it seemed as if he couldn't care less, deep down, she knew that he was covering up his feelings. He was hurt just like everyone else. But why did he have to take it out on everyone else with his anger? Why did he have to turn around and hurt those around him?

"You want me to go with you?" Gabrielle offered. As patient as she could be, she still didn't feel good and all she wanted to do was go home and try to forget about all of this. If there was anything that she could do to speed up the process, she was going to do it.

Cuddy looked back over to her. She was about to speak as she considered the idea, but stopped herself. "I'm sorry about all of this," she started. Facing forward again, she shook her head. "You're over here not feeling good and you still haven't reacted to this morning yet. Instead of going home, you're over here dragging me around. How about you just go ahead and leave. I can do this on my own."

Gabrielle looked over as Cuddy started to get out of the car and grabbed her arm. "Hold on," she instructed. "First off, don't be sorry, you've done a lot for me, and today was really nothing. Second, I am the last thing that you have to worry about, so, don't," she explained.

"Thank you," Cuddy smiled to her. "I'm still gonna go ahead on my own though."

"Okay," Gabrielle replied and then put the key in the ignition.

Cuddy got out of the car and started towards the door. Stopping on the porch, she took a second and took a deep breath. Then she forced herself to open the door and walked in, silence.

Instead of saying anything, she just went straight upstairs. As she got up there though, she noticed that it was still completely silent, something that slightly bothered her. She stopped and peeked in on Tommy's room. He wasn't there. She then went over to Jessica's room and knocked on the door.

"Go away you jerk!" Rachel yelled.

Cuddy furrowed her brow in confusion. "It's mom!" she called back.

Rachel quickly jumped up and opened the door. "I'm so sorry," Rachel apologized as she stepped aside and let her walk in.

Cuddy walked in and saw Jessica curled up in the corner of the bottom bed, crying. "Honey," Cuddy gasped as she walked over and sat down beside her. "What happened?" Cuddy implored as she embraced her daughter.

Jessica just burrowed her face in Cuddy's shoulder.

Rachel closed the door and stood there with her arms folded. "Tommy upset her. She was shook up from earlier and asked what was going to happen and he basically just yelled at her, telling her that Ellie is going to die," she explained.

"I see," Cuddy sighed. Comfortingly rubbing her back, Cuddy looked down to Jessica and tried to think of something to tell her. "I know that it hurts, and I wish I could tell you that he's wrong, but she is going to die."

Rachel sniffled, holding back a few tears. "I don't think that's your best mom," she remarked.

"Sometimes the truth is like that," Cuddy said. "There is no good way to phrase it, and there is nothing you can do or say to make it all better."

Cuddy started to wonder where Tommy and House were, even though she was angry at House, she still wanted to see how he was doing. With everyone else so edgy, he had to be just a ticking time bomb.

Cuddy sat there with Jessica until she calmed down and made sure that Rachel was okay before she went to her room and grabbed her things to stay the night with Elisabeth at the hospital. They were only keeping her over night to make sure that it was only her lungs that had caused her to pass out, so she should only be there tonight.

Once ready to go, Cuddy took a small bag and set it down at the bottom of the stairs. She had two more people to see, and her guess was that they were both in the kitchen together.

"Hey," she flatly greeted, learning that she was right.

House and Tommy looked up to her from the table. As she slowly walked into the room, it struck her, the similarities between the two. They both had a blank expression, a frozen stare with their eyes locked on her. Each had this pent up pain, a hurt lingering behind their ice blue eyes.

"Hey," House returned the greeting. "How are you doing?"

"All right," Cuddy coldly answered, keeping her head down to the floor. "How are you two doing?" she implored, looking up to them.

"Just giddy," House sarcastically replied.

Cuddy looked over to Tommy and awaited an answer.

"Fine," Tommy responded, trying to remain stoic.

Great, Cuddy thought to herself. House was self destructive, Gabrielle had the same tendencies, and now Tommy was in the same boat with them. She has seen how bad both House and Gabrielle could get, now, she had to prepare herself for Tommy.

"If either of you two need anything, let me know," she instructed. Turning, she started to walk out of the kitchen, but House caught her and grabbed her hand, causing Cuddy to stop. Looking into each other's eyes, a small smile crept across her face. This was his small, little way of letting her know that he was trying to be there for her. His little apology for earlier. "Thank you," she whispered and then left.

oooo

Gabrielle walked in the door and carelessly tossed her keys down on the table.

"Hey babe," Andy greeted, walking down the stairs. "Jason just went to sleep for his nap," he started, but stopped as soon as he saw Gabrielle standing there, ready to fall apart.

"Gabi?" he questioned, walking towards her.

"Ellie's in the hospital. They say she has about seven months left," she blurted out, and then finally let the tears go.

Andy took her into his arms. "I'm sorry," he said. "She seemed fine this morning though."

"I know," Gabrielle sobbed out, and then pulled back. "But let's be honest. She's never been fine," she stated and then went back into his embrace.

Andy wanted to say something, but he knew her, and he knew that there were times that it was better to just let it go.

"It's not fair," Gabrielle announced. "She does nothing wrong, I screw up most of my life and hurt everyone, and she dies while I live."

Andy sighed. "Don't you dare start that Gabi. You are not a bad person. Ellie doesn't deserve this, but you wouldn't either if you were in this situation," he assured her. "And this is coming from someone who has known you for a long time, so I think that I know what I'm talking about."

Gabrielle was in no mood to argue with him. All she wanted to do was go back to bed. "I guess," she reluctantly agreed and then pulled back and kissed him.

Andy took his thumb and wiped the tears from her face. "You need anything?" he offered.

Gabrielle shook her head. "I just want to go back to bed and sleep for a while," she responded.

"All right," Andy replied and then went ahead and guided her upstairs, with his arm around her.