The Miniature Orchestra of Gnomes, Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Small Fry
House knew the rash wasn’t anything serious. Given his specialism and his practice, he was almost the world’s leading infectious disease specialist. But the school had its rules…
Sam had woken early that morning, scratching at his belly and when he’d been changing into his clothes, House had seen the spots instantly. Bright red spots breaking out across his son’s stomach, chest and back. After a quick personal consult, House had decided they were nothing more sinister than an allergic reaction to something environmental - and he had certainly seen worse. He’d taken Sam’s temperature, not even slightly elevated, made him breakfast, watched him eat it all as though he’d been starved for a week, and declared him perfectly fit and well for school.
He hadn’t even been at work for longer than twenty minutes when his phone flashed up the school’s caller ID. They’d seen the spots when Sam was changing for gym class and immediately quarantined him in the Principal’s office, and could House come and get him immediately please? Did House know there were strict guidelines in the school handbook about infection and illness?
His professional opinion fell on deaf ears and against his better judgment he managed to refrain from too loud an utterance of ‘idiot’ just as he hung up.
So, here they were, riding the elevator up to the fourth floor of PPTH with a back-pack full of books, games and snacks designed to keep Sam entertained during his unscheduled day at work.
“I don’t think Mrs Macintosh knows you’re a real doctor Daddy. Not like Elliot’s daddy, he’s a doctor for computers not gross diseases.”
“Yeah? Computers huh?” House hedged, keen to avoid the blood pressure rise he could feel bubbling through his circulatory system.
The elevator sounded its arrival and House and Sam stepped out into the hall. House nodded, grimacing at passersby knowing full well how cute the kid was in direct comparison to his reputation.
“Cute kid House - where’d you find him?” cooed Harrison from the next-door but one office.
House growled, grabbed Sam’s hand and limped a little faster, hoping to arrive in his office with reputation intact. It had taken a long time to make this many enemies, one adorable little boy could well blow it all in a second… and this he knew from experience.
Pushing open the door, he stomped into his office firing a warning glance into the conference room and dropped Sam’s backpack near the easy chair.
“Okay dude, here are the rules. I’m going to be pretty busy so you have to stay put okay? You’ve got a million games, snacks, everything you could possibly need so while I’m working through there, you can just hang out right?”
“Right Daddy but-“
“-and if I have to go see the patient, then you just have to stay put right?”
“-sure Daddy, but-”
“-And if … what’s the matter?” House asked as he realized Sam had been trying to get his attention.
“I need to pee.”
“Sure you do. Okay, let’s go man.”
House and Sam tottered out of the office and headed to the bathroom. At least three nurses turned their heads at the sight of the grouchiest of doctors hand in hand with the sweetest of kids. God, if he didn’t love this kid though…
HHHHH
House was tapping away at his computer, looking up a chain of symptoms in a simultaneous chain of journals. Sam was playing happily with a fleet of toy cars, bashing them up against the feet of the easy chair, blowing twelve kinds of raspberry noises as they crashed.
Suddenly, the sound of three pagers going off at the same time as House’s cell shattered the peace. House grabbed his cane and headed for the door stopping just briefly to pat his son on the back and remind him to stay put.
HHHHH
The team lumbered back to the ranch, shoulders slumped, defeated, each one individually running through the progression, trying to find the fault line. House limped on ahead, alone with his thoughts.
He sloped into his office wanting to switch on the TV, throw the ball against the wall for a half hour. He wanted to forget, just for a while, let his brain figure it all out, preferably without his input.
He staggered to his chair, stretched out his leg, blew out the breath he’d been holding since the code was called. He dropped his head back against the rest and closed his eyes.
Something underneath him meant he couldn’t quite get comfortable.
Reaching beneath his but, he pulled out a mini car. Sam…
“Chase, Foreman, Cameron! Get in here!”
The trio came rushing in, shocked to be summoned this way.
“Sam! Where’s Sam?!”
HHHHH
Sam munched at the pile of fries on his plate, the nurse was nice but Doctor Cuddy was better, she’d supplied the fries. He liked being out of school, it was much more fun to be in the hospital. Nice ladies kept taking him places and buying him treats. So far, he’d racked up some candy, a soda and the fries on the plate in front of him.
“So Sam, no school today huh?”
“Sam replied around a mouthful of the fries, “uh huh, Daddy had to come get me. I think he was mad.”
“Why’s that?” Cuddy asked, smiling at the thought of anything disturbing House’s own peculiar style of focus.
“Mrs Macintosh said it was because of the spots but Daddy didn’t think they were the bad kind. Mrs Macintosh is always right though so I guess Daddy isn’t so great at being a doctor.”
Cuddy nearly spat her coffee across the table. Out of the mouths of babes, she thought as she tried to stifle yet more laughter.
A crashing flurry of doctors at the entrance to the cafeteria made everyone turn their heads. Without question, Cuddy knew exactly who would be leading the charge.
“Sam! Man? What did I tell you?!” House boomed, voice faster than cane in this instance.
“It’s okay Daddy, the nurse brought me here and Doctor Cuddy brought me some fries!”
“Sam… god, Sam… I was worried, I thought…” House checked himself, torn between the relief at finding his boy and the fear of seeming mortal in front of Cuddy and his team.
“It’s okay House, it’s been a while since Sam and I had a catch up.” She stood, placing her hand on House’s arm, “No problem, he’s fine, he was just a little shaken when you all ran out.”
House peeled into the booth next to Sam, staring at him, trying to slow his heartbeat. He genuinely thought he’d lost the kid, thought all his worst fears had come true. He didn’t deserve this boy, he was bound to mess it all up sooner or later.
Sam beamed up at him, a smudge of chocolate on his cheek, “You want a fry Daddy? They’re good?”
“They’re good huh?” House replied.
“Sure are, Mrs Macintosh says fries are okay but not for everyday.”
“Mrs Macintosh, huh?”
“Uh huh, but I guess today isn’t every day right Daddy?”
“You got that right buddy.” House smoothed the boy’s hair and took a handful of the damned fries. He’d just about managed to get his heart under control, his breathing had returned to an acceptable rate and the kid was sitting next to him, perfectly safe, belly full of crap and utterly none the wiser. Damn Mrs Macintosh…