It's time for House and Jess to visit the fertility specialist. Will the results be what they're after or something else entirely?

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Chapter 124.

We took my car to Princeton General. I'd been there before a few times to see patients when doctors asked for my expert opinion, but I didn't make a habit of it. I didn't want them to take advantage of my brain, become dependent on me to help them out whenever they reached an impasse.

The doctors had offices in a building adjacent to the hospital. We took the elevator up to the sixth floor and easily found Jerome's office. Judging by the number of patients in the waiting room, mainly couples, he had a sizable practice.

Tastefully furnished with light-colored wood furniture and pastel printed cushions, the waiting room had a calming and rich feel. Jess and I found two seats together after leaving our name with the receptionist. She called us back and handed us the requisite new patient form.

Some of the questions were rather personal, but I was expecting that. A lot had to do with the woman's cycles, whether they'd been regular or not, although there were some on caffeine and drug use, and of course, on sexual practices. I let Jess do the honors of filling it out. Meanwhile I looked around. The receptionist with the long blond hair might be a good person to tap for information. I watched her answer the phone, take messages, and work on her computer, occasionally sweeping her hair back with a hand. She appeared to be the observant type, looking over the waiting patients periodically.

"I'll take that back," I whispered to Jess when she answered the end of the questions.

She raised an eyebrow but didn't object, handing the clipboard and form to me and selecting a magazine from the end table on her other side. Probably a two-year-old copy of People.

I took the form back to blondie, and tried my pleasantest smile on her. "Guess you see a lot of patients here."

She smiled back. "People want to have kids, and sometimes they can't. It's wonderful what a difference it can make in a couple's life to have a little one."

"Yeah, I hope so." I attempted wistful.

"Have you and your wife been trying long?"

I shrugged. "You know. I guess we're more anxious because I'm not as young as Jess is."

She looked past me to Jess and nodded. "Well, Dr. Jerome has had excellent results no matter what the age of the man or woman." Her voice was soft and pleasant.

"That's good to know." I looked around the room. "I suppose people come here from everywhere, not only New Jersey."

"Yes, a lot of our patients are from out of town. In fact, we occasionally get some from overseas."

"No kidding! Wow!" I may have overdone my amazement, but she didn't seem to pick up on that.

She leaned closer. "I can't talk about specific patients, but we had a couple from Mexico who came in last month. The doctor thinks they'll be pregnant within a couple of months."

"Wonderful. Then, I guess there's hope for everyone, huh?"

"Well, not exactly everyone." She moved closer still and lowered her voice. "There was a woman. She came alone. All the way from Italy! Doc found there was nothing wrong with her, but she wouldn't accept that it had to be her husband's fault she couldn't conceive, or maybe it was the husband who wouldn't accept that. We never saw him."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. She didn't come back." Her eyebrows knotted. "I think I heard she was in a car accident or something."

I couldn't let her know that what she said was everything I was after. "Poor woman."

"Yes. Of course, most of our patients' stories have much happier endings." She waved her hands to indicate the pictures of smiling families covering the walls, couples and their babies mostly. "I hope you and your wife will have that kind of result."

"Thank you." I glanced at Jess. "We hope so too." She caught my glance and smiled, giving me an excuse to go back to my seat. "Time to get back to the little woman. It's been very inspiring talking to you."

"We'll talk again." The blond woman turned back to her computer and Ilimped over to my seat next to Jess.

"Well? She seemed to be confiding all sorts of things to you." Jess waited with eager eyes for me to tell her all I'd learned.

I looked around but no one was paying any attention to us. Still, I lowered my voice to a whisper. "She didn't mention her by name, but she referred to an Italian woman who came alone. She was fine. The doctor concluded the problem was with her hubby. Guess Molino didn't take kindly to that."

Jess nodded. "That could explain some things."

"Yeah, but only some. There had to be something else that triggered the hit on Francesca."

"Oh, now you're calling it a hit?"

"What else would you call it?" The woman sitting next to me was called into the doctor's office. I waited until she kissed the man with her and left before I went on. "It's a good start, but we're not done here yet."

Jess smirked. "I didn't think so."

I tried to interest myself in an article about Brad Pitt and Angelina and their brood of adopted kids. The best parts were the pictures of Angie. Bet when those kids grew up they'd be happy to have a mother who looked like that. Or maybe not.

Finally the nurse called, "House."

Jess and I followed her into a tastefully furnished office, all real wood with beige plush carpet and soft blue-gray walls.

"The doctor will be with you shortly." The nurse left a file on the unnaturally cleared desk. I always thought a doctor should have piles of files to show how busy he was. I guessed Jerome didn't feel the need. It was obvious he had a large and lucrative practice. I resisted the urge to look at our file. Probably all that was in it so far was the form Jess filled out.

We didn't have to wait long. Jerome was a tall man, although not as tall as me, maybe 6'3'', with a thick head of sandy-colored hair.

"Mr. and Mrs. House, what brings you to my practice?"

"What brings anyone here? And it's Dr. House and Miss Giordano."

He inclined his head. "I'll make a note of that. So, you wish to conceive. How long have you been trying?"

Jess and I exchanged a glance. We hadn't been trying at all. But of course, we couldn't say that.

Simultaneously, I said, "Three years", and Jess said, "Five years."

"Which is it?"

I let Jess answer this time. "We started five years ago, but have only been really trying for three."

He nodded. "That's typical for my patients." His eyes scanned the questionnaire Jess filled out. Hopefully it agreed with what she said. "Dr. House, it says here you're in your fifties. Do you have any children?"

"Not that I know of."

His right eyebrow went up. Only the one. Interesting he could do that. Probably he practiced for just the right effect. "And Miss Giordano, may I presume the same for you?"

"Yes." She smiled at him and settled back in her chair. "No kids. No pregnancies."

"Well, we'll have to do some tests, of course. Motility, sonograms of Miss Giordano's ovaries. These are standard screenings to determine if there are any obvious problems." He took off his steel-rimmed glasses and stared at me. "Doctor, I see you've used assorted drugs in the past, especially Vicodin."

That was bound to come up. I nodded. "I'm hoping that didn't have any lasting effects, but that might be why we haven't conceived."

"Well, the nurse will take you to the examination room and take the samples we need, then schedule a sonogram for Mrs...that is Miss Giordano." He smiled at us. "I'm sure we'll find a way to solve any problems we find." He put the glasses back on.

"I noticed that some of the women in the waiting room were alone. Do you have many women who come here without their partners? What happens when you find they're okay?" I hoped he'd be as forthcoming as his receptionist.

He shook his head. "I can't really talk about that. It violates the privacy of some of my patients."

I nodded. "Of course."

The nurse entered, then took us to another room, this one more clinical in appearance. She took blood samples, then handed me a cup and sent me to the nearby bathroom for a urine sample. I wondered for the first time what it would show. I knew what Vicodin could do. Not that it mattered, since we didn't want any kids. This was only a way to get information on Francesca. But that didn't mean I couldn't be curious about what my test results would be. It never even entered my mind that Jess would have a problem.

The nurse finished with us and sent us back to the receptionist who scheduled Jess for a sonogram the next day. We left and walked to the elevator. Jess had an odd look on her face.

"What are you thinking?"

She smirked. "Don't you know? I thought the all-knowing Dr. House could practically read minds."

"Are you evading my question? Because I'm the master of that and no one can beat me at it."

She swallowed and looked away.

"Jess?"

She turned back. "Greg, I'm not sure I can go through with this."

"What do you mean?"

"What if...what if we find out we really can't have kids?"

I shrugged. "We didn't want any so why is that a problem?"

Her face closed up, as if I said something that made her feel even worse than she already did. Did she want a child at some time? Did she hope I'd change my mind? I put my hands on her shoulders, then took her chin in my right hand and made her look up into my eyes. "Just our luck, we'll both be just fine." I forced a smile.

She mustered one, too. "Of course, you're right." The elevator door opened and she took my hand as we got on.

But I was beginning to rethink this part of my plan to get info on Francesca Molino. If it was already giving Jess ideas, what would happen if the doctor did say there was nothing to stop us from conceiving?