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Chapter Fifteen

The day rolled on, Will and Sophie came in with their grandmother to see their Mum. House explained to them that their mum was sleeping so would not be able to hear them today. It amused House that Will had already noticed! They had only been in the room a few minutes and the small boy had realised that his mother's pulse had not sped up when they came in. A sheepish Billy arrived, he could not quite meet the blue eyes of his guardian, House didn't comment. He asked the teenager to stay with Dom and the children while he and his mother-in-law stepped out so he could discuss the treatment that Dom would receive the next morning.

"Why do we suddenly have to do this? If it is so dangerous why can't we wait a while, Greg?"

House took a deep breathe "If she hadn't had the episode today, that's what we would do, but she did and we need to act. Monroe thinks we should do it!"

"What do you think; if she wasn't your wife" her voice cracked with emotion "would you do this with a patient of yours?"

"That's a definite yes, but hardly a recommendation, I'm a risk taker!"

Ania put her hand on his arm "Do what you think is right" and she left to go back into Dom's room.

House sighed and ran his hand roughly through his hair; he limped over to a chair and sat twiddling his cane deep in thought.

"Coffee?" House looked up to see Chase standing with a coffee he had obviously bought from the cafeteria.

"Thanks" House looked at him expectantly. "And…" Chase looked a little uncomfortable. House tilted his head and looked up at Chase with a familiar expression and asked "You're not going to hug me, are you?"

"I think I can resist, Just!" the younger man said taking a seat beside House. "I just wanted to say.. look if there's anything I can do…. If you need an ear.."

"I have two, thanks for the offer." House was touched and amused, he thought back to the hug Chase had given him all those years ago. Then he stated "Life's a bitch"

"This is everything I could find about Flumazenil" he took out a thick wad of folded papers from his pocket "There is nothing you don't know, but a just thought you might want to look at it."

"Thanks"

House sat hunched over tapping the papers on his knee.

"Daddy, when are you coming home?" Sophie materialised at his side. Chase marvelled at the softening expression on the older man's face. He gently pulled her onto his knee.

"I'm sorry sweetheart; I have to be here with mommy at the moment." He hugged her close.

"I know you'll make her better"

Chase watched the pain in House's eyes when he answered "I'm doing my best."

"What's your name?" she asked Chase shyly

"My name is Robert"

"You talk funny"

"Do I?" Chase feigned surprise

"He does, doesn't he daddy."

In no time at all Sophie was sitting on the chair beside Chase giggling as he told her about kangaroos and crocodiles', Will had arrived and was joining in the fun. House watched on as Chase told them tall tales about snakes and kookaburras. Will was on Houses knee quizzing Chase about all sorts of things, until their grandmother came to take them home.

"Dom's sedated, if she remains stable I'll come and tuck them in tonight." Houses said quietly to Ania. He knew Dom would want him to do that. "Wilson and Sam will sit with her." After they had left, House went back into his wife's room he turned to Chase who had followed him.

"Thanks…..they haven't had a lot to laugh about lately"

"They're great kids, you're a lucky man"

"Yeah, who'd have thought?"

"Couldn't have imagined, you as a Dad."

"I certainly never planned to be, life sometime just happens."

"I'd like kids one day, if Alison and I had worked out…"

"You can't look back. You can't change the past."

"Tell me about it! You know what is weird House is; you are the one out of all of us that really got it together, the wife the family. That night we came into the club and waited for you to come back, I couldn't help but be amazed at what you'd achieved in the years since the Cuddy incident."

"What was she like, I mean after the incident?" House had picked up his sedated wife's hand and was caressing it absently.

"You know Cuddy! She came back staunch as hell, told us that you would never ever set foot in this hospital again! She really really hated you."

"She had good reason to; I can't believe she came with you guys, that night at the club. I was waiting for her to leave when I stood up to play the guitar. When I got back home there she was in our place waiting with all of you"

"You bolted out the door before we could come over. Why'd you take off, Wilson was frantic, he had never stopped looking for you, he knew you were in jail, but I guess he thought he'd teach you a lesson and stay away, but after a few months he went to see you and you were gone."

"When it first happened I skipped the country, went and sat on a beach for a week or two." He was still playing with Dom's fingers "I just needed to be away from here, I couldn't believe I'd done such a stupid thing, I went from being hurt to being out of control, I couldn't believe that she could just move on like that, only hours before she told me that she wasn't seeing anyone, then there she was smiling and flirting with a guy in her own home! I just wanted break something!"

"You could have killed someone! What if Rachael…"

"Cuddy would never let Rachael meet a man that soon, and her backpack was gone. Cuddy and Romeo had left the room, I never meant to physically hurt her, I just lost it, when I got back I turned myself in, the police had charged me with dangerous use and few other things, but Cuddy hadn't pressed charges but she had a court order forbidding me to be anywhere near her. So I stayed away, I felt I owed her that much."

"You two seem OK now?"

"I guess time heals, I was a dammed fool to think I could have a relationship with her to start with, I did try to tell her at the beginning but she was sure we could make it work. I just wanted to believe it."

"I've been there!."

"I still wouldn't have gone there had I been thinking straight, it was doomed from the start"

"You seem to have your "ducks in a row now" you and Dom are great together."

"Credit to this beautiful lady She draws the dots really close together, no guess work no games. If I piss her off, which I frequently do, she just gets my attention and tells me. Being with Dom is just so easy! I don't annoy her like I do most people"

House was amazed that he was having this conversation with Chase; he had always felt closer to him than any of his other fellows, in some ways he supposed the Aussie was as screwed up as he himself was.

"What about you Robert are you still whoring around, or are you still trying to get back into Cameron's knickers?"

Chase looked at House warily, he shrugged. "She never really wanted what we had in the first place, I wouldn't go there again."

"Oh yes you would, luckily I think she has more sense."

"Thanks for that" Chase was annoyed and started to leave. "I'll be around if you want, when you try the drug."

"That would be good. I'll see you tomorrow."

House went home and helped his mother-in-law bath the children before bed, Wilson and Sam were sitting with Dom, House rang about every twenty minutes to check on her.

House sat on the floor between the beds of his sleeping children; he had told them a story in which he made them the hero's, they loved it when he did that, they would giggle and question him, but they always got far too excited. So after Princess Sophie had saved the baby unicorn and the mighty knight "Wilson the great" had slayed the ferocious dragon, House had to sing a few songs to settle them down to sleep. He wearily got to his feet, his leg ached and he was tired, but most of all he was scared how would he tell his children if the worst happened in the morning. He had never needed something to dull the pain more in his life, he wanted to go to a bar and get drunk and or high. Then pick a fight with someone bigger than him. But he wouldn't, couldn't, there were too many people counting on him to be the man he wasn't sure he could be. He had intended to shower and change before going back to the hospital, it was Joan's night off so he may not be able to shower there tonight, but he just felt the overwhelming urge to go straight back in.

"You all good here?" he asked his mother-in-law "I'm going to head back in"

"Greg, you need to speak to Billy, I'm Worried about him"

"Where is he?"

"Helping in the kitchen, He has been so withdrawn, he has been so helpful with the restaurant and the children, but he barely speaks! He is stood down from school until Monday"

House hesitated; he just wanted to be with Dom. "Is he needed in the restaurant?"

"No, I think he is just trying to keep busy."

"Don't worry I'll take him with me to the hospital."

House said his goodbyes and went to search for the boy.

He found him rinsing and packing dishes in the kitchen; he looked up and saw House. House watched as the boys expression went from surprise to panic and he realised the kid thought something had happened to Dom. He quickly reassured him that her condition was unchanged from the afternoon.

"It's going to be a long night, you've got no school tomorrow and I could do with some company, you want to come to the hospital for a few hours?"

The boy didn't meet his eyes "I should really stay and help."

House massaged his thigh he didn't need this now! Ania was right he needed to spend some time with the boy.

"Please!"

Billy glanced at House uncertainly then he shrugged "I'll get my jacket"

It was nearly eight thirty as House and Billy began the drive to the hospital, House decided to take the bull by the horns and find out what was going on with the kid.

"Rough day huh?"

"I've had better." The boy answered in his usual understated way, he hung his head so his hair covered his face.

"I wish he'd get a haircut" House thought, then he spoke "Anything I should know?"

"I'm sorry about this morning."

"It will be OK; Ania said you are stood down until Monday."

"I don't want to go back."

"You are going back! You can't let a couple of jerks jeopardise your future."

"What happened to Dom," the boy's voice was so quiet House had to strain to hear "It was my fault."

House really wanted to get back to his wife, he hadn't intended being away this long, he took a deep breath and pulled the car over to the side.

"What makes you think that?"

"Dr Chase and Dr Monroe were talking; Monroe said that when you left and the commotion started, that was when her heart rate started to rise, an hour later it was out of control. If I hadn't got in to that dam fight she would be …."

"Still unconscious, look Dom could hear I'm sure of that, and it is feasible that when she heard that one of her kids was going to jail, it triggered the adrenaline surge that bought this on, but it would have happened sooner or later anyway, at least she was still in ICU and they were able to stabilise her, blaming yourself is not going to do anyone any good. I don't blame you, and I'm sure Dom wouldn't". House took a deep breathe he realised the boy was in a dangerous and vulnerable state the dramas of the week had really got to him, he just hoped he could say the right thing. "Look Bill, I need you! I need your support, I'm holding on by a thread here and if the worst happens I'm going need you even more" House knew that being needed was important, he hoped that the boy would snap out of this self-loathing before it became self-destructive. House knew what Billy was going through; he had been in that very place for a great deal of his life. "Can I count on you son?"

Billy's head shot up his eyes glazed with unshed tears "Of course you can!"

"OK, let's go see how she's doing" House started the car and continued their journey.

A few hours later House, Billy and Wilson were sitting around Dom's bed eating Chinese takeaways, Sam had left she had an early start the next morning, Wilson had decided to stay for a few hours to support his friends. Billy was more relaxed and House could tell he was enjoying spending time with Wilson, who was telling Billy some stories about House.

"So I sawed his cane nearly all the way through."

"Made a cripple fall on his arse, Hilarious!" House quipped

They ate in silence for a while until Billy asked "How did you meet Dom?"

"I'd like to know that too" Wilson added

House looked at Dom and smiled sadly then began in a soft voice. "I was in a bar in the seedy part of town, it was after Cuddy had dumped me and I was out to get drunk and pick a fight with someone. I don't remember much, to be honest, I was high and wasted, I seem to remember having an argument with someone, and I think I hit on his wife. " he paused and rubbed his eyes tiredly "Anyway he must have had a punch like a Mack truck cause I don't remember anything until the next morning when I woke up on the most uncomfortable couch known to man. Dom was standing there holding a coffee; she must have been trying to wake me for a few minutes, because she had that look on her face, you know when she's concerned about something. She asked me "Are you OK?" I thought she had a cute accent so we talked for a while, she cooked me breakfast, she was so kind and caring; I liked her instantly she was street smart, funny and somehow shy, she seemed so vulnerable and alone. An hour later I'd offered to marry her so she could get a green card."

"When did the marriage become real?" Billy asked. Wilson was surprised when House answered

"After I got out of jail she seduced me one night."

"You mean nothing went on… but you went on honeymoon." Wilson stammered

"Yeah she didn't come; she went away with her boyfriend, an illegal immigrant. There were no strings just an iron clad pre-nup."

"What happened to her boyfriend?" Billy asked he was fascinated by the story.

"I don't know! It's not something one asks ones wife!" House replied comically.

"When did you actually feel married?" Wilson asked

"Probably when we went for the ultrasound and there were two hearts, I felt very married then." He was looking at Dom's tiny hand as he spoke; the whole time he had, been playing with her fingers.

"I bet you were totally freaked when you found out Dom was pregnant!"

"Yeah, I didn't have my bestist buddy around to make sure I had condoms that weren't past their use by date."

"So it was a condom malfunction" Wilson grinned "You are a doctor and not fifteen you had other options, pills you can get?"

"I know! I still don't know why I didn't act! Not like me at all! Maybe subconsciously I wanted all this. I sure don't regret it."

House looked exhausted; Wilson suggested that he drop Billy off on his way home so House could get some sleep. After they left House settled into the brown chair for another sleepless night.

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