Sorry this chapter has taken so long, thanks for those who have given me feed back this is most appreciated!

Chapter ten

Dom spent the remainder of Saturday afternoon having lots of medical tests, including scans, blood tests and an ECG. House spent the afternoon questioning and annoying people. Dom cringed at how rude he was to the technicians, they already despised him because although it had been four years, a lot of them remembered the fact that he would not let anyone but a member of his team, preform any test on his patients. The nurses in particular disliked him as he had only let them do the most basic care for his patients, and he would not tolerate any input from them. The nurses in the ICU unit were the best of the best and they knew it, they had assigned the four toughest to cover the three shifts a day that would be looking after Dom. Erin had the morning, she was the team leader, she had many years working in the ER before transferring to the ICU. She was tall with red hair and a "don't mess with me" attitude, House and her had locked horns from the moment the admission process started. Dom was as usual, smiling and charming to everyone she met, it was intriguing to all that came in contact with them just what an odd couple they were, there was no question how devoted they were to each other.

Monroe and the anesthetist who was an Englishman named Shepard came in at about five o'clock that afternoon. Shepard checked Dom's lungs and looked at her ECG results and blood tests, he said that he was happy with everything. He discussed premed options for that evening and the morning with Joyce, who was Dom's afternoon nurse on duty. Monroe had looked at Dom's latest scans and confirmed that he could remove the tumor in the manner that they had already discussed. Erin, who was off duty but had been catching up on paperwork popped into see all was well as she was to be caring for Dom the next morning.

"Is there anything I should watch for post-operatively?" House asked Monroe.

"YOU won't be looking for anything." Erin butted in defensively "I have looked after far more patients post-operatively than you!" She was furious!

"We will keep you quite heavily sedated for the first twelve hours after your surgery." Monroe said directly to Dom. He then looked at House, he was secretly amused at how pissed the nurses were with House. "You can be assured that the team here will take very good care of your wife."

"Yeah" he drawled "But why let an air hostess fly the plane when there's a pilot available." House answered arrogantly.

The nurses in the room bristled, Erin was so angry she couldn't speak.

Monroe leaned toward Don, who was lying on the bed, "I'd say your chance of walking out of here fit and well, are better than his right now!" he turned to House with a grin "I'd keep my mouth shut if I was you. You don't want your wife to wake up to your "dangly bits" nailed above the door!" he turned back to Dom "I'll see you in the morning."

Dom tried to persuade House to go home, and have dinner with her mother and the twins, but he was reluctant. He would get that "I can't bear to let you out of my site" look in his eyes and she would start to feel the same way. Wilson and Sam arrived in just before six bearing take out food, most of which House demolished, as Dom had already eaten her hospital meal. After their friends had left, House and Dom spent the next few hours, discussing life in general, neither wanting to get into anything deep. House periodically would pick up Dom's hand. He would unconsciously caress and stroke it; he would look at it like it had some kind of answers. Dom knew that House had things he wanted to say but didn't know how to put them into words. Times like this he was often awkward, almost shy. Dom also knew that his behavior with the staff today, was his way of trying to control the situation they were in, by dominating things. The more powerless he felt, the more he would act up.

"I know," she said quietly causing House to look up and meet her eyes.

"What do you know?" he asked with a shy smile.

"That you love me, that you feel like you should be able to save me from all this. You feel sad, helpless!"

"How did you get so smart?" he asked sadly

"Its contagious, sexually transmitted I think."

He grinned, "you been stepping out on me, cause I feel dumb as a brick lately!"

"You are the smartest, sexiest man ever!"

"Ever?"

"Well at least in the top three."

"No I distinctly heard, "Smartest, sexiest man ever" no taking that back"

"That smugness has dropped you down a couple of places!"

"Who are the other two?"

"If you go home and get a good nights sleep, I'll tell you tomorrow."

"How do I know I can trust you, you just said something and then took it back?"

"You don't, a girls gotta have a few secrets anyway!"

Joyce had just come into the room with Dom's medication; she was obviously ready to settle her for the night. She checked the towels in the bathroom and House knew she was hoping he would get the hint and leave.

House kissed her lingeringly, when he broke off the kiss, he opened those intense blue eyes and looked deeply into Dom's. Dom felt her heart do a little "flip-flop" in her chest. House didn't seem to care that the nurse was in and out of the room.

"Night beautiful, I love you."

"Love you too, Greg."

"If you did you'd give me those names!"

"Tomorrow, maybe!"

He dropped one last kiss on her lips, and said to Joyce on the way out "that is one cruel woman!" pointing at Dom.

"Not cruel enough, if you want my opinion!" Joyce replied snippily before smiling at Dom kindly.

House went home and sat looking at his sleeping children; he was as scared as he could ever remember being at any time of his life. He thought about how being a dad had changed him; he was far more patient and loving, than he could have ever imagined himself being. From the moment he had heard their heartbeats his life had become less about himself and more about his family. He got up off the end of Wilson's bed and he dropped a kiss on the top of each sleeping child's head. He went into the room he shared with his wife and stripped off his clothes and walked into the bathroom naked, turned the shower on and cleaned his teeth while he waited for the water to warm. Then he carefully hobbled into the shower and let the water pour over him.

An hour later he lay in the dark staring at the ceiling, he was trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his leg, which was almost unbearable. He knew intellectually that his leg was no worse than usual but that it was his ability to cope with the pain that was influenced by his emotions. It didn't help! He reached over and picked up Dom's pillow, it smelt of her. He buried his face in it and surprisingly he slept for a few hours. He woke around three in the morning, his leg had gone into spasm and he writhed around the bed trying to loosen the cramped muscle, he got up and tried to walk off the pain to no avail. Then he dressed and drove to the hospital.

Dom's night nurse, Joan found him leaning against the door jam of her room when she went to check her chart.

"Don't worry," said House without taking his eyes off his sleeping wife "I won't wake her." Joan had heard from Erin and Joyce just what a pain the gruff doctor had been the previous day, but he looked so terribly sad that she surprised herself with her reply. "Go and have a seat, Dr. Shepard gave her a cocktail to make her sleep, you won't wake her."

House was a little surprised at the gentle and caring tone that the nurse had used, he turned to look at her taking in her small stature and prematurely grey hair, she was checking when Dom was due for her pre-op meds. She turned her soft brown eyes on him and asked "How do you like your coffee, I was just about to make myself one?"

"Strong and black, thanks." House went into the room Dom was sound asleep, she looked so peaceful, House couldn't help but smile. The photo that was missing from the wall at home was on the bureau, beside the bed, it was of Billy and the twins they were all laughing about something, it was one of her favorite photos. House felt a little miffed that she had not bought a photo of him, but oddly he would have hated it if she had! Joan arrived with his coffee and left him sitting looking at his wife in the dim light of her room. At six Joan returned and informed House that they would have to wake Dom so she could be showered and ready for her pre-meds by six thirty.

"I'll let you wake her, I'll be back in a few minutes," she said. House was grateful to have a few minutes alone with his wife.

He picked up her small hand and stroked it gently, she stirred a little, he bought it up to his lips and kissed her palm, make a little circle with his tongue, and still she still didn't stir. House was pretty sure she was awake, but was pretending not to be. She was trying to suppress a giggle. Joan had returned briefly and was on the other side of the bed, House made a show of holding her hand above the bed where Joan could see it, his other hand was sneaking under the covers, he stroked the outside of her thigh. He could see the pulse on her neck it was pounding away. He moved his hand. Brown eyes met startling blue.

"Morning beautiful!" House said cheerily

Joan left the room.

"I can't believe you did that!"

"You were awake before I even picked up your hand."

"I know, I just wanted to know how you would wake me, I think you had better move your hand before, Joan comes back. I didn't mean like that!" she giggled

"What! You said to move it!" he said suggestively.

House removed his hand just as Joan returned to the room.

"Good morning." She smiled then she explained to Dom that she would need to wash her hair, with a special shampoo. Dom headed off to the shower. Joan was surprised when Dr. House stood and helped her make the bed, He followed her as they made the covers into a theatre pack and laid them at the foot of the bed. Erin couldn't believe her eyes when she arrived on duty to see House and Joan making the bed and chatting easily.

Erin came in just before seven to check all was ready they then started the journey to the operating theater, House walked, or at least hobbled beside the bed holding Dominica's hand, a tear made its way down her cheek, House knew that she was terrified. They had both pretended they weren't scared but the truth was very different. They came to a halt at the door of the anesthetics room. Dr. Shepard greeted them and opened the double doors, explaining that he would anesthetize Dom before she would be taken into the theatre.

"Can I stay until she is asleep? Please." House asked. Dom's grip on his hand had tightened considerably since they had arrived.

House sat with Dom as Shepard put a small needle into the back of her hand, Monroe opened the door and said hello. He was on his way to scrub for the operation.

Shepard was drawing up solutions ready to administer to Dom as soon as he had the OK from next door. He was busy discussing things with his assistance.

"I need names!" House said to Dom in a low voice.

"Names?"

"Top three, you promised!"

"Ready when you are, Dr. Shepard" a voice came over the intercom.

Dom whispered two names to House, just as Shepard told her that she would start to feel sleepy.

"What order?" House asked

Dom was beginning to drift off when he heard the word "Alphabetical!"

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