Hi I'm not sure if I have any readers left! The reviews dried up over the last few chapters hence my lack of updates. I thought I'd better not leave Dom as is for too long, as I have become quite fond of her!

Chapter twelve

House spent the night beside Dom's bed in a recliner chair that Cuddy had instructed Erin to have in Dom's room so House could get some rest. House was sure that the red haired nurse had combed the hospital for the most uncomfortable chair. "She sure as hell found it," he muttered to himself as he tried to get comfortable. He hadn't slept long the night before so once he was assured that Dom, although still unconscious, was stable. He finally managed to doze off, as he slipped into slumber, the chair slowly but surely began to revert to an upright position, until House woke with a start as it suddenly slammed into an up right position. He cursed to himself as he checked Dom's monitors, then he searched for a stool which he found on the other side of Dom's bed, he wedged it under the foot rest of the chair and awkwardly climbed onto it pulling the blanket, that Joan, the only nurse that didn't seem to hate him, had given him earlier. He felt scared, he knew that Monroe had played down the fact that his wife was not regaining consciousness, he said the sedation she was on was major and he didn't expect her to be responsive for at least the next twelve hours. It made House uneasy, what if the bleed caused more damaged than Monroe thought? How would he tell their children, that although their mother was warm and breathing, she may never be the same? Eventually he drifted off into a restless sleep.

Joan was changing Dom's I.V at 2.30 am, she looked over at the sleeping diagnostician. He looked younger and somehow vulnerable when he slept, it made her realize just how many layers of defense surrounded the man when he was awake. He stirred; even when he slept he would somehow grimace in pain. Joan felt guilty, that chair had been on it's way to the dump; how Erin had found a relic like that she would never know! She shook her head; as much as she liked and respected her team leader she knew that you crossed her at your peril! House moved trying get comfortable, he moved his damaged leg and he grimaced in pain. Joan checked all was well with Dom then left.

House woke around four; his leg and back were giving him hell! He hobbled through and used the bathroom. He took some pain relief and had a drink of water. He hobbled back into find Joan doing Dom's hourly observations. She smiled at him and asked him if he would like a hot drink, she returned with strong black coffees, House was surprised when she stayed to drink hers with him.

"Things aren't looking too good, are they?" he asked

"The brains a tricky thing, no two cases are the same!"

"You are pretty good at deflecting!"

"You're the Doctor, I'm the air hostess remember!"

"I think I may live to rue that remark!"

"You could be right!"

"Why don't you hate me like the rest of them?"

"I was annoyed by your condescending attitude, but you are here supporting your wife" she shrugged "she is my patient, anything that helps her, helps me." She said simply. "Never underestimate the power of love, of family. I have seen things that cannot be explained, miracles' happen."

"No they don't! You are deluded; you want to believe it so you do. There is always an explanation."

"So everything can always be explained?"

"Yes, I'm not saying that we can always find an explanation right away, but that is only because usually we have missed something. We don't know the answer usually because we are not good enough"

"You truly believe that?"

"Yes, sometimes answers can be years away, but it is like solving a crime, there is always an answer."

"What do you think is happening here?"

"She has brain damage, of some sort."

"Could be just the sedation, everyone react differently to medication."

"It's more than that."

"So you have given up hope?"

"No, it's too early for that, I just think the longer this goes on, the more likely it is that it will continue to go on."

"So you are saying if this continues," she gestured at the sleeping Dom "we shall have more of it! Hardly rocket science, it must be hard to have no belief outside the rational."

"Why" he asked, the nurse intrigued him in a funny way.

"Because much of life is so irrational! Love is irrational, and no way you can convince me that you don't believe in that" she watched the way he unconsciously rubbed his leg he was obviously in a great deal of physical pain. "Why don't I get you some towels, a hot shower might help your leg. You can use the one here but you'd better be done by the time Erin comes on, relatives are supposed to use the amenities down stairs."

House stood under the shower, the hot water soothed his aching muscles, he felt numb he was too scared to think too much about what the future may hold.

"One day at a time" he muttered under his breath

A few hours later House was sitting in the ugly brown chair beside his wife, when Erin came in, she looked at House suspiciously, he actually smelt pretty good which annoyed her. She went into the bathroom; luckily Joan had removed all evidence of his shower. She looked around, the room smelt of him.

"Relatives have bathrooms downstairs, you are not to use patient facilities."

"Why, it's not like Dom's going to be needing them at the moment."

"Because we have rules and unlike some people, we enforce them."

"How? Handcuffs?"

"Did Joan not tell you to go downstairs?"

House hesitated for a split second, "She's just like you. I think you're all frustrated, when was the last time you got laid?"

The tall redhead nurse was glaring at him when Gabe Monroe walked in "I see the love fest is continuing, shame you are both taken."

Erin turned to glare at Monroe, when House quipped in "We were just talking about the last time she got laid, I hope you are not going to interrupt us with all the medical stuff you go on about."

Monroe actually stepped in front of Erin as the flushed nurse made a move toward House, "Lets keep just see how much sensation we have today." He lifted the sheet from Dom's feet and ran his thumbnail firmly across the bottom of Dom's left foot, nothing moved. He did the same with her right.

"There was a twitch." House commented, "It was slightly, but it was there."

"We see what we want to see." Monroe commented he looked at the nurse questioningly

"I'm not sure, I don't think so"

Monroe did the same with both feet again; this time there was nothing.

"She twitched, I saw it." House insisted

"She could well have, often they only react the first time" Monroe said almost to himself "I will reduce sedation at every four hour dose, she will be completely off the meds by morning."

"She could be in pain and not be able to tell us!" House said worried

"The air hostesses are experts at picking that up." Erin glared at Monroe "I can't stress enough how much you can depend on these nurses House"

"I'm sure they are good" House said tiredly "Give me something to watch for, to do! I'll go crazy just sitting here."

"Talk to her, I know you'll probably "poo poo" it but patients with brain injuries, which is really what this is, do better when they are talked to, bring the kids in, who knows what will give her the strength to come out of this."

"So you are saying this was not caused by the tumor extraction."

"No that was clean, but it caused the bleed, when I clamped the bleed, her brain was oxygen deprived, she could still come out of this just fine, no one should be thinking the worst yet, not by a long shot, we will know more tomorrow morning."

An hour later Erin came back to wash Dom, to her surprise House got up and moved the chair from beside the bed and with out a word reached for a wash cloth and mirrored what Erin did on the other side. He liked the way Erin removed Dom's gown so discretely, using a loose sheet to preserve her dignity. The atmosphere was almost cordial although they rarely spoke to each other. Erin talked to Dom the whole time explaining what they were about to do. House helped rolled Dom over while Erin washed her back; she reached for the talcum powder, accidently knocking Dom's book onto the floor. It was strange but over the next few minutes House sensed a change in the nurse; it was as though she had a secret. She was pleasant, but smug. He felt uneasy; after she left he went around to the other side of the bed he was looking to for something to do. He watched the monitor for a while, nothing changed, he picked up Dom's book, the one that Erin had knocked onto the floor earlier, he was about to put it into the drawer, when he saw something tucked inside the cover, he opened it and was shocked and dismayed at what he saw. He leant down and said to Dom in a low voice "You are in so much trouble young lady." His heart leapt in his chest as he heard the beeps of the monitor speed up, her pulse had speed up a little "Nude photos! Just wait till you wake up" her pulse was faster still "thank god," he muttered under his breath. He looked at the photos; they were crinkled and obviously lived in whatever book she was reading at the time. The black and white one was obviously taken after they had made love, he was lying on his back, the photo was from his good side, his scarred leg was not visible, the sheet was tangled around his bad leg and his hips were twisted away from the camera, showing his rear, he had never seen himself asleep and he was fascinated at how different he looked. "Striped naked literally" he muttered. The other photo he could remember her taking. He was sitting up in bed shirtless, reading with his glasses on, he smiled as he recalled chasing her around the bedroom trying to get the camera off her to delete what she had taken, once he had caught her the photo was quickly forgotten. He smiled at the memory, it was the day he had bought her the camera. House looked at the last photo. Her mother must have taken it. He was at the piano he was looking down at Dom who was seated beside him, he had his I'm really feeling the music face on while Dom was smiling lovingly up at him. He tucked the photo's carefully back into the book and placed it into the drawer. "I just hope a naked one of them isn't gracing the nurses notice board," he muttered to himself. Wilson and Cuddy both called in along with House's old team, the morning past slowly. Ania arrived with the twins to see their mother in the afternoon, they waited in the foyer of the ICU with Wilson while Ania came in to see Dom. House explained what was going on and then he left her alone with her daughter and went to see Sophie and Wilson.

"Dad" they both cried at once running to him. James Wilson watched as House interacted with the twins, it never ceased to amaze him how well House related to his kids.

They had given Ania a good twenty minutes alone with her daughter, when House said "OK its time to go see Mom now"

The children were quiet for a second or two, and then Wilson stood up straight and said, "I'm ready"

"How about you Sophie?" House asked.

The little girl slowly nodded and reluctantly got up to follow her brother House and Wilson started to follow them.

"Come on Sophie, like a soldier!" Wilson said stoically.

House stopped in his tracks "Who told you that?" he asked seriously.

"Grandma" said Wilson "We make you proud Dad!" His mother had obviously spoken to them on the phone, over the last few days.

House took both children by the hand and led them over to a stool by the nurses' office. He sat down so he was at eye level

"Are you guys scared?" he asked, he was angry with himself for not realizing just how scared they must be.

"No I'm brave Dad!' James Wilson and Lisa Cuddy witnessed House shudder as his young son tried to prove what a great little soldier he was.

"You don't have to be brave, Wil. Not for me never for me. Just be yourself, OK?" Blue eyes stared back at him; the world went by un-noticed as father and son looked at each other.

"I want to make you proud" the little boy said sadly, his sister had started to cry softly.

"You do, everyday, I don't tell you enough. I'm sorry" House drew the two of them into his embrace. "I got so caught up, didn't stop to think about how you guys were feeling" they snuggled into his neck. "It's OK, everything will be OK."

"Are you angry at grandma?" Sophie asked worriedly

"No Sophie, I'm not angry at her, she just doesn't know how we do things in our family." He took a deep breath and pulled back so he could look at them "Our way is better, so we ask if we need to know something and if we are sad or frightened we tell somebody, a grown up."

"Do you?" asked Wilson

"Do I what"

"Do you tell someone when you're sad? Cause I think you are sad now." He said seriously

"Yes, I do! I tell Mom mostly. I'm not so good at it as I'd like to be but I'm getting better. You need to be able to tell someone how you feel especially at your age or it hurts you in here" House placed his hand on his heart. For a split second he was transported back to the little boy who always had to be a brave little soldier, but never ever managed to measure up.

"Who do you tell now you can't tell mommy?" Wilson asked, bringing House back to the present.

Sophie reached out and touched his fuzzy cheek, doing her best to comfort him.

"I still tell Mom and Uncle James sometimes, shall we go see Mom now?"

"Daddy, I'm scarred" Sophie whispered loudly every adult in the place wanted to scoop her up and cuddle her, House was oblivious to the eavesdropping audience.

"It will be OK. I promise, Mom still looks like Mom only she is sleeping."

"Does she have a big cut?" Sophie asked her eyes enormous

"No she doesn't have any cuts, she has a tube in her nose, just in case she needs to be sick, and one into her arm that is giving her something to drink."

"Do we have to whisper?" Sophie asked whispering herself causing House to smile.

"No, fact is I bet Mom really wants to know what you guys have been up to, how bout you tell us together?"

"She can't hear us if she is sleeping." Wilson challenged

"It's a special kind of sleep Will, she can hear."

"How do you know? She can't tell you"

House took a deep breath "He's a mini me he thought to himself" then he said out loud "When we go into Moms room you will hear a beep, that is Mom heart rate. I bet when she hears your voices her heart will beat faster, that's how I know!"

The little boy seemed satisfied with that and they made their way into their mother's room.

Once the children were over their shyness they started to chat, Sophie was telling Dom about the park. The beeps got faster. House felt relieved, Wilson shot him a "You were right look" which were of course House's favorite kind!

Would love to know if you are reading so please please take the time to drop me a note! Cheers Clare