Sorry for the delay, but as many of you know I was out of town for a few days, and didn't have much time online or to write.

Chapter 58.

The next morning, soon after I arrived at the hospital, Thirteen came to my office. "I'll need Taub or Foreman to help me with the patient today."

"Where's Chase?"

"In case you've forgotten, Ellie's back with Christopher today for a checkup, and I don't think I'll be able to drag him away from them." There was an amused look on her face.

I hadn't forgotten about the baby's appointment. Jess hadn't let me. She'd been excitedly looking forward to seeing Ellie and Chris, and it was all she'd talk about at breakfast. Not the study, not the condo, not even our coming-out plan.

"I guess the study can get along without one of the others today," I told Thirteen. "Your pick." I knew since her break-up with Foreman, things between them had been estranged, but they'd tried to be professional about it.

Her eyes twinkled. "Foreman it is, then." I guess she was going to take perverse pleasure in rubbing his nose in the fact that he hadn't noticed they had the wrong patient. Of course, she hadn't noticed it either, but I wasn't going to point that out.

Although I knew that Chase wanted to be the one to examine Chris, I was still his doctor of record so I went looking for the room where the proceedings would take place. The room was crowded. Ellie's parents had come with them, and both Chase and Jess were there to see how the baby was doing. I was almost surprised that Petey hadn't shown up.

"OK, make way for the gimp. Time to get this show on the road!"

Christopher watched me approach with a look of curiosity, as if he was trying to remember where he'd seen me before. That was a lot better than his listlessness the first time I examined him.

"Your mother taking good care of you, kid?" I asked him as I reached for one of his chubby little hands.

He burbled something, then looked up at his mother, easily picking her out of the crowd of people clustered around him.

I glanced at Ellie myself. "You've been using the pink noise generator?"

"Yes, of course. I'll do whatever it takes to help Chris."

I shone my penlight in Christopher's eyes and he tried to cover them. "Sensitive to light, huh? I bet now that you're feeling better you're becoming a handful for your mother and grandparents."

Chris reached out a hand to try to grab the penlight from me, proving my point in his own way.

"Good grip, kid." I easily pulled it away from him and handed him a lollipop instead. I just happened to have one in my pocket. You never know when you're going to come across a toddler you need to distract. "I'd say his treatment is working," I told Ellie.

"Even I could tell that, but will we have to continue his treatment forever?" she asked.

"It's not as if he's going to grow out of it," I warned. "Honestly? I don't know how long he'll need the generator, or whether anyone will ever come up with a more permanent cure."

"Ellie, let's take this a day, a month, a year at a time," Chase told her. So, he'd already decided he was going to be part of their support system.

"Honey, we'll all be there to help you with him," Willa Cleary told her daughter.

"I'm not concerned about what I'll have to do for. I just want him to live a normal life."

"Normal's overrated," I said automatically, but I meant it.

"I bet Chris will have a better life than his father. Petey still refuses to accept his problems, and he's only half-heartedly doing something about them," Jess said.

"He did volunteer to be a subject for the study we're doing," Chase reminded her. "Although I do wonder what his motivation is."

"Doesn't matter," I said. "We need as many subjects as we can get."

"What about Christopher?" Ellie's father asked.

"He was the reason we started the study in the first place."

"What kind of study is it?" Pat asked.

As I watched and listened, Chase and Jess took turns explaining the study to Ellie's parents.

"But what happens if you prove a link between this chromosome problem and the disease?"

"They'll be famous," Jess replied with a smirk. "Of course, it's not as clear cut as we originally thought, or rather the doctors thought. I'm just the number cruncher."

"And don't you forget it," I said.

"I hope your father will be proud of the work you're doing on this study," Willa Cleary said.

Jess shrugged. "He thinks my working here is a big mistake, but that's mainly because I'm no longer in Dorsey working for him."

"I saw him the other day," Cleary said. "He looked kinda sad."

"And how does that differ from how he always looks? Since my mother died, he's gone around with that same woebegone expression. And he's been even more ornery than ever. Nothing anyone did could please him. At least here I feel like I'm somewhat appreciated for what I can do."

She hadn't said much about any of that before. I guess I hadn't realized what a good change it was for her to be working at PPTH, and I wondered what else I could do to make things even better for her. She certainly deserved it.

"We wouldn't have known how to use our data to prove our point without you," Chase told her. "I'll bet even House thinks you're doing a bang-up job." He looked at me, daring me to say something positive about Jess' work.

"At least you can add," I said, hoping she knew that the sarcasm was just for show.

She chuckled.

"And you're staying in Princeton? Even after the study is over?"

"Yes. I just purchased a condo." Jess glanced at House, who managed to frown on cue. "I'll be signing the mortgage papers in a few days and then I'll be moving in."

"With her boyfriend," Chase added.

"Jess, you have a boyfriend? Why didn't you tell me?" Ellie asked excitedly. "What's he like? What does he do?"

Jess just laughed. "He's a cool guy and very nice to me." She was able to stop herself from looking at House. "I think this place will be perfect for both of us. We're going to need some help moving in," she said, looking at Chase.

"I'm sure we can round up a few people to help."

"Don't look at me," House said with just the right amount of annoyance in his voice. "After you stole that condo out from under me, don't expect me to lift a hand for you."

"Dr. House, were you interested in the same place as Jess?" Willa asked.

"Yes. And it was even more perfect for me than for her." He sneered at Jess.

"I'm sure you'll find another," Jess replied. "At least you already have somewhere to live where you're comfortable."

Suddenly, perhaps sensing the overt hostility in the room, Christopher began to cry.

"Now see what you've done!" Jess scolded.

"Me? I didn't do a thing." I watched as she lifted Chris into her arms and cooed to him, calming him immediately. I guess she had a magic touch with all males.

But after a while, she handed him to his mother. "I have to get going. I hope I'll see you all again before you leave Princeton."

"Why don't you have lunch with us?" Willa suggested.

"Yes, Jess. Please!" Ellie said.

"OK," she agreed. "I can meet you in the hospital cafeteria around noon." She glared at me once more before she left the room.

"Dr. House, I hope you won't be too hard on Jess," Ellie said. "She's a really nice person."

"As long as she does her job, and doesn't think she knows more about medicine than she could, I can ignore our differences," I replied.

"Hah!" Chase said.

"What, you don't think I can be civil?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I think there's more to all of this than we know."