Boston, Massachusetts
"House, why didn't you ever say anything about kids before?" Wilson asked as they walked out of the train station and over to a car that Wilson had rented via a cell phone during the train ride.
House scoffed as he leaned on his cane, "I'm not exactly someone who you or anyone else would picture as being an effective father figure, now am I?" he asked cynically. "I actually had three kids in my care at one point, but one of them kept being a bad influence on his brother and sister, so I kicked him out."
Wilson sighed as he unlocked the car and got in behind the wheel, "A bad influence how?" he asked.
"He used to steal money from me and beat his brother up," House replied in a less than happy tone as he opened the door and got into the passenger seat. "He would have hurt his sister if I hadn't…"
Wilson silently started the ignition, "I never even told Stacy about the kids, so consider yourself and Cuddy honored," House commented softly. "They were considered unadoptable by all fifty states, which is rare, so I offered to take them in so they wouldn't end up starving on the street and turn to crime to live."
"I never knew this side of you," Wilson commented as he put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb into the street. "Why wouldn't you tell anyone that you took in some kids to raise as your own?"
House scoffed, "Don't paint me as noble," he snipped. "That's the worst thing, to be painted noble."
"What are your kids' names?" Wilson asked, shifting the discussion to a less uneasy topic.
"Should someone call Jordan?" Bug asked softly as he entered the hospital room where Woody had been moved after being admitted for observation and possible further treatment. "They're like…"
Garrett shook his head as he watched Woody continue to sleep, "Jordan would come rushing in here if she knew something like this had happened," he replied softly. "Let's just wait on the scan results."
There was a sharp breath and suddenly Woody began to cough and it caused him to wake up in a flash with his right hand immediately going to the mask on his face, "Whoa, whoa," Garrett said in an anxious voice as Woody pushed the mask off his face with a shaking hand. "You're supposed to keep that on."
"Dry throat," Woody groggily whispered before he wheezed and made an awful, choking-like sound.
Garrett frowned, took the nasal tubes from the wall, and carefully put them into Woody's nose before he activated the oxygen, "Is that better?" he asked softly. "Bug, maybe get Woody a cup of water."
"What is going on in here?!" a nurse shouted as she ran into the room. "Who removed his mask?!"
Woody cringed at the shouting and Garrett immediately noticed it, "If you'd stop your yelling, you'd notice that Detective Hoyt is awake and doesn't like the noise. He woke up with a dry throat."
The nurse was quiet for a minute and she narrowed her eyes as Bug came over to the sink, grabbed a plastic cup from a stack on the counter, and filled it, "What are you doing?" she snapped.
"Getting Detective Hoyt some water?" Bug replied in a confused voice. "What's the problem?"
Scowling, the nurse glared at Garrett without even acknowledging Woody, "You let terrorists associate with hospital patients, Doctor Macy?" she snipped in an aggravated voice. "I can't believe that!"
"Bug's not a terrorist," Garrett replied in an unimpressed tone. "He's a doctor and he's on my staff."
The nurse gave Bug a look of disgust, "Is that so?" she snapped. "Well, I'll make it my job to find out."
As the nurse left the room, she nearly banged into the doctor, who was coming in with a chart in his hand, "Detective Hoyt, how are you feeling?" he asked pleasantly, seeing that Woody was awake.
"Tired," Woody replied in a groggy voice as he blinked to stay awake. "Why did I have a seizure?"
The doctor silently looked at the chart for a minute and then at Woody, Bug, and Garrett, "Would you prefer that your friends leave the room while I share the results with you, Detective Hoyt?" he asked.
"They helped me, so they can stay," Woody replied groggily. "Why did I have a seizure today?"
Letting out a sigh, the doctor walked to the end of the bed, "The radiologists confirmed the presence of a cranial mass in your CT scan, but they need an MRI to determine what the mass is exactly," he explained in a somber voice. "I've scheduled the MRI for tomorrow morning so you can rest…"
"So, I have a mass in my brain?" Woody asked groggily, trying to make sense of his current situation.
The doctor nodded, "The MRI tomorrow will tell us more, Detective," he replied calmly, seeing that Woody was now fighting to stay awake just to get information. "Why don't you get some rest now?"
Swallowing hard, the doctor quietly moved out of the room and Garrett quickly followed him, "You know more than you're saying, so just spill it," he hissed in an aggravated voice. "If you don't know something, I can tell that you suspect something; what do you not want Detective Hoyt to know?"
"Look, based on the CT scan, I can't say very much," the doctor replied anxiously. "Maybe you…"
Garrett scoffed, "I saw the film and I have my own suspicions as a doctor," he explained in an impatient voice as he crossed his arms. "I just want to know what kind of options that Woody has for himself."
"Again, the MRI will tell us more," the doctor replied, frowning as he suddenly heard yelling.
Garrett turned towards the yelling just in time to see a man with a cane in one hand and a folder in the other and another man come around the corner with a nurse trailing after them, "Doctor Masterson, these two are demanding to see Detective Hoyt, but I told them they had to wait," she snipped.
"Who are you two and what do you want with Detective Hoyt?" Garrett asked suspiciously.
The man with the cane scoffed and extended the folder, "I'm Doctor Gregory House," House said in an unusually professional voice. "I got a call from this hospital about a Woodrow Hoyt being here."
"I'm Doctor James Wilson," Wilson spoke up in a soft voice. "I travelled here to assist Doctor House."
Garrett said nothing and House watched through the transparent window as Bug helped Woody drink a bit of water, "Wow, that kid has grown," House commented softly. "He's way too thin for his age."
"Excuse me, but how do you know Detective Hoyt?" Garrett asked softly. "Are you his doctor?"
House was quiet for a minute and then sighed, "No," he replied. "I'm the only father he knows."
"Mommy, where are we?" Daniel asked, holding tight to Annie's hand as she and him followed Jordan into the Medical Examiner's offices where Annie was set to start work. "Is this a hospital?"
Annie chuckled, "No, honey, this is where Mommy's going to work," she replied in a gentle voice.
"Let me check Garrett's office and see if he's here," Jordan said in an anxious voice. "Just wait."
Before Jordan could walk off, however, Nigel came out of the break room, "Nigel, is Garrett here?" Jordan asked in a nervous voice. "This lady named Annie is supposed to meet him here today."
"You look a little young for Doctor Macy, don't you?" Nigel asked, giving Annie a once-over look.
Annie's eyes widened in both shock and anger, "Nigel, that wasn't funny," Jordan cut in. "I think…"
"I was actually hired on here, you mouthy little Brit!" Annie snapped in an angry tone, the tall British man suddenly reminding her of her abusive and now dead husband. "My name is Annie Hoyt and I'm a doctor from Maine who was referred to Doctor Macy by Kate Switzer because my life was bad!"
Jordan looked shocked and all the amusement faded from Nigel's eyes, "Hoyt?" Jordan asked, silently wondering if Woody had a secret wife that he didn't tell anyone about. "Are you related to Woody?"
"Speaking of Woody, he's not here," Nigel spoke up somberly. "He was taken to the hospital."
Jordan's eyes widened, "The hospital?" she asked in a worried voice. "What exactly happened?"
"Right, Mister Mouthy, I need you to call my son and I a cab," Annie said in a crispy voice.
Nigel scowled, "My name is Nigel Townsend," he replied crassly. "Doctor Macy and Bug went…"
"Why didn't anyone call me?!" Jordan snipped in frustration. "Woody and I are dating!"
Annie was quiet for a moment and she looked at Daniel, who looked both mystified and afraid of what was happening, "Honey, your Uncle Woody's sick in the hospital and we need to go," she said softly.
"Uncle Woody's sick?" Daniel asked worriedly. "Can we make him a get well card, Mommy?"
Annie nodded, "Of course we can," she replied uncertainly, unsure of how she was going to pay for paper and supplies to make a get well card for Woody. "It'll have to wait until I start working…"
"I could give you and your son a ride to the hospital," Nigel offered softly. "It's the least I can do."
Annie sighed and nodded, "Thank you," she replied in a distressed voice. "Cabs are hard to find."
And hard to pay for, I bet. Jordan silently thought as she regarded the bruising on Annie's face and wondered if Annie had brought Daniel here for a fresh start or to get help from Woody raising him.
"Jordan, do you want a ride too?" Nigel asked in a concerned voice. "I have room in my car."
Memories of the last time she saw Woody in a hospital bed suddenly came flying at her and Jordan found herself shaking her head, "No, I have some errands to run," she replied in a reluctant voice.
"My parents have been so welcoming to me," Henry explained in a soft, but anxious voice as he and Lily walked through a park that was close to the diner. "I just am having trouble with certain things."
Lily nodded, but said nothing so that Henry could speak, "I'm having trouble letting go of who I thought I was for most of my life up until last year," he explained in a worried voice. "I'm a little overwhelmed."
"How can I be of help?" Lily asked in a gentle voice, wondering how she'd feel if it had been her to find out that she wasn't who she thought she was. "Are you looking for counseling or something else?"
Henry sighed, "I just need a friend to help me get used to my life," he replied in a nervous voice.
"Okay," Lily nodded, giving him a reassuring smile as they continued walking. "I'll be your friend."
It was nearly seven p.m. when Bug finally allowed himself to stand up from sitting at Woody's bedside, making sure that the detective slept comfortably. After accepting and keeping down a bit of water, Woody had slipped back into a deep slumber. Bug, of course, hadn't left his side since then.
Garrett hadn't returned, but Bug was fine with that; everyone needed a break now and then.
The door suddenly opened and Bug turned to see the nurse from earlier standing with two men in Homeland Security uniforms, "That's him, officers," the nurse spat. "That's the terrorist."
"I'm a medical doctor," Bug replied as the two agents surrounded him. "I'm Detective Hoyt's…"
One of the agents scoffed, "We'll see," he replied as he came forward and forced Bug's arms behind his back. "We're gonna take you on a little field trip to see if you really are who you say you are."
Bug was lost for words as he was forced from the room by the agents and followed by the nurse. Little did any of them realize that Woody was in the process of waking and had seen Bug being taken away.
Even though he was still feeling weak and a little bit fuzzy, Woody forced himself to get out of bed and drag both his tired body and IV pole over to the phone. His arm and hand trembled as he picked up the phone and attempted to dial the phone number of the morgue to tell them about Bug's arrest.
Swearing in frustration that he couldn't steady his hand enough to dial the numbers, Woody hung up the receiver and leaned against the wall. The door suddenly opened and Garrett came in after leaving House and Wilson to deal with Woody's doctors, "Woody, what are you doing?" he asked worriedly.
"They took him," Woody said in a pained voice as he struggled to combat the dizziness he had.
Garrett frowned, "Who took who?" he asked in a concerned voice as he put an arm around Woody and helped the trembling detective walk back to the hospital bed. "Woody, where did Bug go? He was…"
"They took him," Woody said in a pain-filled voice as he leaned against the bed. "My head…"
Garrett gently took Woody by the arm, helped him straighten up, and helped him back into bed despite the fact that Woody was shaking uncontrollably, "These guys in Homeland Security uniforms came with a nurse and they took Bug," Woody whispered as he closed his eyes. "My head is literally killing me."
"I'll get someone in here," Garrett replied, quickly pressing the nurse's call button. "Just relax."
Woody took a deep, shaky breath and gripped the bedrails just as House, the doctor, and Wilson came into the room, "Hey, slugger," House said in a concerned voice, frowning at seeing Woody shaking and breathing anxiously while cringing in pain. "What did you people do to him?! What's wrong?!"
"I think you'd better do the MRI tonight," Garrett said in a no-nonsense voice. "Another migraine."
The doctor nodded, "I'll see what I can do," he promised anxiously, hurrying from the room.
House was quiet for a minute and then silently sat down in the chair beside the bed, "Do you think a prosthetic would help, Woodrow?" he asked in a coy voice. "Do they even make fake brains?"
"What?" Woody asked in a pain-filled voice as he opened his eyes and stared at House through narrowed eyes because it hurt too much to keep his eyes fully open. "What are you talking about?"
House shrugged, "I think about chopping off my bad leg and getting a fake one sometimes," he replied in a sarcastic voice. "I wonder what it would be like for you to chop out your brain and get a new one."
Garrett looked horrified and wondered what House was doing, but Wilson suppressed a smile because he knew that House was using morbid humor to distract Woody from the pain of the migraine.
Woody was silent for a moment and then he smiled sadly and sighed before he closed his eyes again and loosened his grip on the bedrail, "They're talking about getting the MRI done tonight," House explained in an unusually gentle voice as he gently tapped Woody's hand. "Do you want to call your sister?"
"Oh man, I was supposed to pick her and her son up," Woody replied in a distressed voice. "I have…"
House sighed, "You have nothing to do but rest," he replied in a stern voice. "If your sister and her son are in town, they'll eventually find their way here. Do you want me to stick around for your MRI?"
"Can you call Calvin?" Woody asked in a faint voice. "I know he probably won't come, but…"
House's eyes darkened, "That is the last thing you need to deal with right now," he replied darkly.
The door suddenly opened again and the doctor came in, "Radiology can take Detective Hoyt right now," he said in a concerned voice. "The on-duty Oncologist is a bit tired, so…"
"Wilson, you handle it," House replied snappishly. "You're the best oncologist in the entire world."
Wilson looked shocked at the compliment, but also looked nervous, "We have perfectly good staff here, Doctor House," the doctor replied in a crisp voice. "I don't know where you came from, but here…"
"Either you let Doctor Wilson be Woody's oncologist or I'll just take Woody to my hospital in New Jersey," House replied in a tone that indicated he was in no mood for games. "Make up your mind quickly."
The doctor threw up his hands in frustration, but nodded and Wilson looked absolutely shocked, "Fine!" the doctor snapped in a frustrated voice. "We have to go to Radiology right now and do the MRI!"
"Doctor House, why don't you and Doctor Wilson go with Woody?" Garrett suggested, desperately wanting to find Bug before Homeland Security had too much fun with him. "I'll be along."
Woody didn't open his eyes, but his hand brushed against House's and House gave his son's hand a gentle squeeze that served as a reassurance that he was coming, "Cuddy's going to kill both of us when she finds out about this," Wilson commented in a quiet voice as the doctor prepped the gurney.
"Bring on the Grim Reaper," House commented dryly, not letting go of Woody's hand for a second.
Jordan was alone on the sidewalk as she left her apartment to take a cab to go see Woody in the hospital, or so she thought. She had the ominous feeling that she was being watched from nearby.
"Jordan?" a dark-haired man asked as he suddenly came out of a nearby alley. "Jordan, wait."
Jordan froze at seeing Calvin Hoyt standing in front of her in ripped jeans, boots, and a dirty shirt and looking as if he hadn't eaten a decent meal for days, "Calvin, what do you want?" she asked softly.
"I want to visit Woody and I'm wondering if he's still at the same apartment," Calvin replied in a nervous voice as he clasped his trembling hands together. "I'm a little short on cash and I haven't eaten in…"
Jordan sighed, "I don't know where Woody is," she lied, not wanting Calvin to be bothering Woody.
Calvin sighed as a cab pulled up and Jordan got into it. As the cab pulled away, Calvin grunted incoherently and started after the cab on foot; he was determined to find and get help from Woody.