Happy new year to everyone! Here a new chapter. Enjoy!
...
Chapter 3 - Coma-guy
...
"It's crazy, Mike! Haven't you ever heard of something like that?"
"What?" Dr. Wyle looked at his colleague and friend with a bored look before realizing what he was talking about "Oh right, Coma-guy!"
Dr. Anderson nodded, reaching for his steak with French fries on the counter in front of him, then putting it on his tray.
"Right! Coma-guy!" He said with an annoyed look "He feels better than me and you put together and he's gonna be discharged in a few days. That guy is... I don't know! He opened his eyes after fourteen months and nine days in a coma and the first thing he said to nurse Anne is that her voice is too raspy so she needs to see..."
He didn't finish that sentence and just sighed as soon as he realized that his friend's attention wasn't for him anymore, focused on something definitely more interesting of that anecdote. Well, he couldn't blame him after all!
"Sorry, Lisa" Dr. Wyle said looking at Cuddy who just smiled slightly "He really didn't know what professional secret means".
She smiled, slightly biting her lower lip. Those two guys reminded her so much of another two ones from her... well, from her past life.
"Are you going to the fundraiser gala on Saturday night? I was thinking that... maybe we could go together" He said with a lightly uncomfortable smile.
"Oh... well... yes, but... actually I don't even know if I'll be able to be there" She said with a half smile and a sigh "I... I need to find the umpteenth babysitter first" She pointed out with another sigh.
He laughed and as an answer she glared at him.
"Don't laugh!" She said as she couldn't help but let out a laugher in turn "It's not funny at all!"
"So... did Gregory make the babysitter run away?" He asked, this time holding back that laugher.
She ran a hand on her forehead and shook her head.
"That one. And the one before that. And the one before that" She said looking at him and smiling slightly "But if I'm lucky maybe I'll be able to leave him and Rachel with his grandmother"
He nodded, looking at her with a thoughtful look. His? Not... their?
"So is your mother in town?" He asked.
Cuddy shook her head, looking down at her own tray as she put an apple on it and then looked up at him again.
"Er... no" She said shaking her head "It's the mother of Gregory's father. I'll ask her if the kids can have a sleepover"
She smiled, looking at him as he smiled too.
...
"I can do it by myself, thank you" He said to the nurse as she looked at him and smiled then walking out of the room. He placed both hands on the armrests of that wheelchair and slowly stood up, leaning on the bed for support, more for habit that because he really needed that.
No pain.
Two still weak legs because of those long months motionless in a hospital bed but... no pain. No pain anymore.
He didn't have an answer for that, nor he knew if that was going to last or if he was going to be back in pain when he least expected it... but he didn't care. He didn't care about not having an answer for that. Maybe he had just to thank that Big Joe for that. What the fuck did that guy think of doing? Killing him? How could he kill a already dead man? Because that he was. A dead man. He had anything left. The only woman he had ever really loved was gone... because of him. His best friend was dead. His mother... well...
He run a hand through his hair. His too long hair.
Her 'You're absolutely perfect just the way you are' rang in his mind.
He didn't deserve her. She didn't deserve a son like him. What could he give her? Again sorrow. Again disappointment. Actually it was better for her to stay like that... crying on a grieve and moving on... without him.
He sighed while slowly walked toward the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror and ran a hand on his chin. Definitely too long beard and hair. And too many grey hair.
...
He shook his head slightly, still looking at himself and running his hand on his now smooth chin and cheeks and then through his still too long hair. Well... a guy has to start somewhere! He ran the towel on his face again before walking back in his bedroom. His muscles aching because of all those hours of physiotherapy after a lack of movement of too many months.
A noise caught his attention as soon as he walked toward the bed and he looked around in the silence of that room. A sort of bump... like a shoe bumping against a wooden door.
Like a little white and dark blue Nike shoe bumping against the wooden door of his closet.
"I can see you" he said as soon as he opened both the closet doors and looked at the little boy hidden inside it. A short-sleaved white T-shirt and a pair of jeans. His little hands on his face as he obviously thought none could see him if he didn't see them.
"No, you can't" His little voice replied from behind his hands.
He sighed.
"Did none tell you that the world doesn't disappear just because you can't see it?" He asked in a sarcastic and annoyed tone as the child didn't move "...well, fine... I'll pretend you're not here then"
"I aweady told you. I'm not hewe"
He smiled. So stubborn! Well, he liked stubbornness!
"Good then, because actually you shouldn't be here. Why are you in my closet?"
"Mommy says not tawking with stwangews." He replied still covering his face with both hands but peeking at him through his little fingers.
"Good enough. Your mother is right! So maybe you shouldn't hide in strangers' closets." He said as he couldn't help but slightly smile.
Again he didn't reply, still covering his face with both hands, obviously still convinced none could see him. Well, after all he was what? A three-year old? No...two... two and a half at most.
"Fine! I'm not for the 'nice to meet you'... but... I'm Greg" He said.
"No. I am." He replied again from behind his little hands.
"What?" He asked, this time looking at him with a questioning gaze.
"I'm Gweg. Can't steal my name"
He laughed louder this time.
"I'm older than you. At most, you stole it." He said shaking his head.
He moved his hand from his face and gave him a glare. A glare that reminded him of...
NO...
He looked into what looked like the same blue that had been looking at him from the mirror for 52 years. But that glare reminded him of...
NO... that was insane! It probably was just a joke of his out-of-coma mind. His mind had been clouded for more than a year so now it was clearly making fool of him. The owner of that glare was actually the last woman on earth who could name a child after him.
"Fine. You can keep it. I'm House then"
Gregory laughed.
"That's a funny name." He said smiling.
"That's mine! You can't have it, ok?" He said with a serious look as he held back a smile at his contagious smile.
Gregory nodded.
"So... it looks like we're not strangers anymore, Greg." House said reaching for his hand and shaking his so tiny hand.
"Gwegowy" He pointed out.
House couldn't help but laugh.
"Shit, your mom hates you very much... you'll learn how to spell it when you're at least six!" He said shaking his head and looking at him as he suddenly pouted.
"Shit is a bad wowd" He said glaring at him again "And... you awe bad..." he said pouting more as his blue eyes misted "Mommy loves me..."
Shit!
"Oh, c'mon don't start with waterworks now" He said running a hand over his face "I'm not good with kids! C'mon... I'm sorry"
Gregory ignored him, and big tears started to roll down his cheeks.
Shit! Why couldn't he just stop being an asshole! It was a two-year old for Christ Sake!
"Yeah... ok... sorry, kiddo! I... of course your mom loves you very much!" He said. "Well... so much that she lost you" He couldn't help but add in a low voice.
Gregory looked up at him, wiping his nose with the palm of his hand, but biting his lip at those words.
Shit again! It's a two-year old, not stupid... nor deaf.
"Mommy not lost me" He said, sniffing.
"Ok. Come on. Stop crying. Fine. She loves you. I got this."
"I love mommy" he said sniffing again.
House looked at him. All that love was giving him diabetes! And he couldn't help it... he was allergic to all that sweetness!
"If you love her so much why are you giving her an heart attack?" He asked, again forgiving he was talking with a two-year old.
I really have to be insane! Am I really arguing with a toddler?
"Want mama" Gregory said pouting again and rubbing his eyes with his little fists.
"Ok, kiddo" He said reaching for him and picking him up, then sitting down on the bed with him on his knees "Listen. I'm calling a nurse so she'll help you to find your mom, ok?" He said, this time in a soft tone and stroking his back.
"No!" He said shaking his head mightily "Nuwse bad"
"She's not bad at all" He replied with a slightly mischievous look raising an eyebrow "At your age you should still like boobs. Actually... at mine too!" He added with a sly smile as Gregory looked at him.
"Boobs awe fow babies" He innocently said "Mama says I can't have them anymore becawse I'm a big boy now"
House laughed.
"Don't worry you'll have them again when you really are a big boy" he said shaking his head and laughing "Well, not your mom's ones..." he added, that gesturing a 'fine, better not taking this way'
Gregory didn't replied just looking at him with his big blue eyes, obviously too young to get his joke.
"So... you don't like nurses" House said with a thoughtful look as Gregory shook his head again and his dark curls waved.
House kept to look at him. He obviously wasn't a patient. Maybe one of his parents was ill and he was there to pay a visit...but no, he would be there, not hiding in a stranger's closet. And he wasn't a lost child. He was too calm, so he knew where he was and how to find his mother if he wanted.
"Nuwse says I have to stay with my fwiends..." he said with a serious look "...but they awe so bowing" He pointed out "I want mama. No like nuwse school"
"Nursery school?" He asked looking at him as he nodded "So... does your mother work here?" He asked as Gregory nodded again and opened his mouth to reply.
He suddenly closed it as soon as the door shut open, and covered his face again with both hands as the nurse on the door rolled her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Sir" She said approaching them "He's a real tornado. I hope he didn't bother you too much" She said as House just looked at her and she took Gregory's hand.
"Why do you like so much this ward I really don't know" She said kneeling to tie Gregory's shoe laces then looking up at House who was still watching them "I really don't know what's so interesting in in-a-coma people"
"They don't tawk. I can watch cawtoons" Gregory replied staring at her and then looking again at House who held his gaze.
"C'mon" the nurse said again looking at Gregory. His little hand looked for something in his pocket and she whispered another 'I'm sorry' to House.
They both looked at him as he finally found what he was looking for and handed it to House.
"Bye" He just said, waving his little hand to him and smiling, then taking the nurse's hand.
House looked at the cherry lollipop in his hand and then again up at him.
"Bye, kiddo" He just reply as he walked out of the door.