A/N: Omg I have the worst case of writers block guys, I totally just pulled this chapter out of my ass after listening to Lonestar's Mr. Mom song. So, as this story is far from over in my opinion but I'm stuck in writer's lala land…I am doing an open casting call of sorts. Send me a review or PM and tell me something you would like to see happen in the story, something you would like revisited, or even just random ideas and I'll see if I can take some of them and throw them together and make something happen.
Disclaimer: Don't sue my poor butt, I don't own anything.
"I want to go home Daddy," House couldn't help but giggle at his daughter when he looked down at his daughter pouting in her bed, covered in plaster casts, feeling that he hadn't seen anything that could be so cute, sad, and pathetic at the same time.
"Hold your britches there kid, the good doctor should be coming in in a few minutes to tell us when we can take you home," House said rubbing his daughter's hair down in a calming manner. He knew how frustrating it was to be confined to a bed 24/7. Kathryn was doing much better, while it would take several weeks for her bones to heal her cuts and bruises were already starting to look a little better and in his medical opinion, there was no reason that she couldn't go home but in his paternal opinion, while he wanted her home safe and sound with him, he also wanted her to be a perfectly healed as she could before she was.
"He better because I've been in here forever and that's a long time Daddy," Kathryn said trying to cross her arms but failing due to the large cast on her arm causing House to laugh again.
"I wouldn't exactly call a week forever Honey. Daddy wants you to come home too Sweetie, I get lonely at night when I'm there by myself. I miss you and Mommy so much it makes me hurt." House said.
"Take some medicine Daddy."
"It's not that kind of hurt Baby," House said laughing a little at his daughter's innocence.
"Well good morning Ms. Kathryn, Dr. House, let's take a look at you and see how you are doing today." Dr. Peers said as he came into the room. He examined Kathryn all over under the careful watch of her father.
"You know, I am pretty good at my job Dr. House."
"I know you are, do you think that I would let any old idiot be the attending on my daughter? No, only an idiot who was good at his job would I let go within 10 feet of her with a stethoscope." House said causing Kathryn to giggle which hurt her healing ribs.
"Now, if we avoid too much physical activity at home and we get plenty of rest, I don't see any reason that you can't go home today. Now, I am going to write you a prescription for watching cartoons so you can get plenty of rest do you hear me Miss Kathryn?"
"I can do that!" Kathryn said.
"Alright, I'll go and put in your discharge papers now, and you should be out of here and back at home by lunch time."
"Daddy Daddy I'm going home! I'm going home Daddy!" Kathryn said getting excited.
"I heard, and if you don't calm down, Dr. Idiot might come in here and change his mind about that." House said starting to pack up all the toys and gifts Kathryn had been given since the accident.
"Now you can have me and Mommy home again and you won't be sad Daddy." Kathryn said.
"Oh no Honey, Mommy can't come home with us today." House said.
"But why?" Kathryn said getting upset.
"Mommy isn't healed as much as you are so she has to stay here for awhile longer."
"Mommy is going to be in here forever like I was," Kathryn said a tear falling out of her eye.
"Hey, Mommy will be out of here before you even get your casts off I bet. Don't cry. We will go down and visit her before we go home and I promise we will visit her everyday ok." House said wiping his daughter's tears away from her eyes.
After all of her discharge papers were signed and she was dressed in a sweat suit three times to big in order to accommodate her casts, House was carrying Kathryn down to see Cameron before they headed home.
"Knock Knock Mommy," Kathryn said pushing the door of her mother's room open.
"Good morning my baby, how are you today?" Cameron asked reaching out with her one good arm for her daughter as House set her down on the bed next to Cameron giving his wife a quick kiss on the lips
"Mommy I get to go home today." Kathryn said.
"You do? The doctor cleared her?" Cameron asked looking a little worried.
"He said that there was no reason she couldn't go home as long as she promised she would take it easy." House said rubbing his daughter's hair emphasizing to her that he was serious about that. "So in other words, you aren't going to be hitting up the playground with your little rugrat homies anytime soon. Don't worry Cameron; I will make sure she rests. Do you think I'm going to turn down an excuse to sit around and watch cartoons all day? You must have hit your head harder than we though woman." House said kissing his wife again.
"I'm going to miss you when I go home Mommy." Kathryn said snuggling into her mother's chest.
"I'm going to miss you too baby, it will be really lonely without you coming down to visit me during the day and at night when you aren't supposed to." Cameron said giving House a glaring eye that she didn't really mean.
"Daddy promised that I can still come and visit you." Kathryn said. Just then, a nurse walked in ready to take Cameron down to see her orthopedic surgeon.
"Well, looks like we have to take off. Say goodbye to Mommy baby." House said feeling sorry for his wife and daughter that they had to go through this whole thing.
"Bye Mommy, I love you." Kathryn said giving her mother a hug.
"I love you too Sweetheart," Cameron said giving her daughter a kiss on the head then cheek before reluctantly handing her over to House.
House carried a sniffling Kathryn out of the lobby and outside towards the car.
"Hey, want to make something special for dinner and bring it up to Mommy so she doesn't have to eat the carpet pancakes?" House asked trying to cheer his daughter up a bit.
"Yea! Mommy wi….." Kathryn stopped midsentence as House tried to put her into the car seat when all of a sudden, she started to wail and squirm in her arms.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong baby, you have to get in your car seat so we can go home." House said taken aback by his daughter's sudden outburst.
"Nooooo, Daddy, I don't want to get in the car!" Kathryn yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. House backed away from the car and went and sat down on a bench in front of the hospital. His first priority was to calm her down so that she didn't hurt her fractures or tear out some of her stitches.
"Hey, Kathryn, Kathryn, Kathryn, calm down, what's going on?" House asked his daughter who was still sobbing into his shoulder.
"I don't want to go in the car Daddy." Kathryn sobbed into his shoulder.
"Why? You love taking rides in the car." House said stroking her hair.
"I don't want to hurt again Daddy." Kathryn said still not budging from the protective hold of her father who was finally starting to understand.
"Oh Baby, I promise that I will never let anything happen to you." House said, feeling terrible that he didn't for see the possibility of Kathryn having issues getting back into a car. House took out his cell phone and hit speed dial 2.
"Wilson, come outside." House said and five minutes later Wilson appeared.
"You know, most people give more information before calling someone to abandon his work and come meet them somewhere."
"Yet you came, I need to you drive me and Kathryn home."
"What did you pop one too many Vicodin? That's never stopped you before." Wilson said.
"Kathryn is having some anxiety about getting into the car, I want to ride in the back with her."
"Oh yea, I didn't even think about that. Sure no problem. Come on kiddo, let's get you home." Wilson said patting Kathryn on the back.
"Wow, House I think you might was to consider some counseling." Wilson yelled as he turned into the House's apartment complex. Kathryn had screamed all the way home from the hospital.
"Shh, we're almost home baby girl." House cooed at his daughter. "My daughter, does not need counseling, she has been through a traumatic event. She has every right to scream her head off if she wants too." House yelled at Wilson.
"That is why people usually get therapy House, to help them cope with a traumatic event. Oh course, who am I talking to, you should know this better than anyone, oh wait….you didn't go to counseling." Wilson said.
"She's two Wilson, how much counseling do you think they can give her?" House said getting Kathryn out of the car. "Ok, ok, we're out of the car. We aren't getting back in the car." House said holding Kathryn close to him.
"Oh you would be surprised at what kind of therapy they have for two year olds, perhaps, we should sign you up with her, maybe the big boy therapy was just a little too much for you." Wilson said earning himself a whack in the leg from the cane. "Jesus, take a little joke why don't you." Wilson said rubbing his leg as he went to get back in the car.
"And just where do you think you are going?" House asked.
"Uhhh….back to work."
"But that's my car."
"Well, how do you propose I get back to work then?"
"Let's see, there is a bus stop about 4 blocks that way, you could use that fancy cell phone of yours and call a cab, hitchhike, maybe you will get picked up by a hooker, God knows you need to get some, or you could do this new fangled thing the kids are doing these days and walk." House said taking the keys out of Wilson's hands and headed up to the apartment. Turning back to see Wilson hailing a cab on the corner.
"You know Honey, one of these days Uncle Wilson is going to draw the line with Daddy, but until that day comes…it sure is fun to mess with him." House chuckled as he headed inside.
House got Kathryn in and settled and it didn't take long for him to decided that taking Kathryn to see Cameron was out of the question because he couldn't risk her having another episode like earlier and hurting her injuries as he could tell she was already suffering the consequences of the one this morning. He knew that it would disappoint Cameron and Kathryn both not to see each other but he knew it was for the best. He couldn't bring himself to tell Cameron the truth about why he wasn't bringing Kathryn up to see her that evening because he knew that it would just make her worry and that would slow down her recovery so he told her that she was extremely tired and had fallen asleep and he didn't want to wake her up. Cameron understood but he could hear the disappointment in her voice and he promised to call later so she could talk to Kathryn and tell her goodnight.
It took House two days before he could get Kathryn in the car to go and visit Cameron. He finally had to tell Cameron what the problem was because she was getting anxious as to why House wasn't bringing Kathryn up to see her and they didn't have to be psychologists to both agreed that she had been through a traumatic event that she linked to the car and they would just have to take their time with her and be understanding. And, with a little coaxing with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, House found that worked pretty good. By the end of the week, he didn't know how Cameron did it when she was home alone with Kathryn, especially when she was sick. Every time he turned around something was going on, either she was trying to put something in her mouth, or she was climbing on something, but if he turned his back for a minute. Plus, there was all the house work that had to be done too like the laundry and the dishes. It wasn't like it was back when he was a bachelor when the only house guest he had was Wilson when one of his many wives had kicked him out and he could just let things pile up and lie around. Now that he had a wife and child he had to keep things in order. Not to mention, he had been called into work a couple of times so by Friday night, he was wondering how Cameron managed a career, a husband, a child, house work, and still managed to keep a social life.
"I don't know how she does it I tell you." House whispered to Wilson one night who had come over to watch a monster truck rally with House but ended up helping him replace a couple of stitches that Kathryn had pulled out trying to climb up the shelves in the closet which had taken up the first half of the rally as she wasn't too happy about having to be poked and prodded at especially after the numbing shot. Now she was fast asleep on her father.
"Who?"
"Cameron, I don't know how she handles everything by herself the way she does, I mean, I'm there but after this past week I feel like I don't do anything."
"We're men, our lives are not supposed to change the way a woman's does after she has a child. We are supposed to be able to go on business as usual. As to how? It can only be explained by some sort of mystery power given to women by estrogen." House nodded in agreement.
On Friday night, there was one task that House had put off the entire week that he knew he could no longer put off anymore. Kathryn needed a bath. Now, normally he didn't mind bath time in fact, he thought it was kind of fun but when you are dealing with a two year old who has forty percent of her body covered in plaster casts that can't get wet, the task is a little daunting. He ended up wrapping the casts in press and seal saran wrap which seemed to work out pretty good.
"Daddy, why do I have to wear this stuff?" Kathryn asked lifting up her saran wrapped arm.
"You can't get your casts wet Baby, this keeps the water out. Close your eyes and tilt your head back." He said pouring water over her shampooed hair.
"When is Mommy coming home?" Kathryn asked. Even though Kathryn was still having a little bit of trouble getting in the car, House had taken her to see Cameron everyday and he knew that the separation was hard on them. Cameron had been having complications with her injuries which prevented her from be released from the hospital.
"I hope by the end of next week but I can't promise you anything Baby." House said. "Well, a you wrinkled enough yet?" House asked as Kathryn lifted up her hands and inspected them.
"Yup." She said as House reached for a towel and wrapped it around her body and picked her up out of the tub and carried her into the nursery. She giggled as House ticked her under the arms and on her tummy while he dried her off.
"You want Little Mermaid or Tinkerbell jammies?"
"Little Mermaid." Kathryn said as House went to put a diaper on her.
"We gotta get you potty trained Missy." House said as he put her pajamas on. He took Kathryn out to the living room and gave her a sippy cup warm milk like they did every night before they put her to bed. Kathryn sat on her father's lap and laid back against his chest while she drank.
"I love you so much baby girl." House said to Kathryn rubbing her hair and kissing her on the top of the head.
"I love you too Daddy." Kathryn said, never taking her cup out of her mouth and just then the phone wrang. House laid Kathryn down on the couch and we to go and get the phone.
"Hello."
"Hey, how's it going?" Cameron said on the other line.
"Oh pretty good pretty good. We just tackled a bath and I'm proud to say we were successful."
"That's good. How is she doing?" Cameron asked.
"She's doing really good. She still misses you like crazy, but the car issues are getting better. How about you? How are you doing?"
"Oh I'm fine House, there's not much more I can do but rest, stuck here in this bed all day gets kind of boring. I hope that everything goes well and I can be out of here by the end of next week." Cameron said getting a little chocked up thinking about being home with her husband and daughter.
"Hey, you're gonna be home before you know it. Hang on, someone wants to say goodnight." House said handing the phone to Kathryn.
"Hello"
"Hi Baby, how are you?"
"Mommy! I miss you Mommy!"
"I miss you too Sweetie."
"When are you coming home?"
"I should be home soon Sweetie. But listen, you be a good girl for Daddy. You gotta get to bed Missy, it's way past your bedtime. You have sweet dream ok Sweetie. I love you."
"I love you too Mommy." Kathryn said handing the phone back to her father.
"Hey, listen, before you know it, you are gonna be chasing her down the hall again." House said trying to cheer Cameron up hating the idea of hanging up with her for the night with her crying and upset.
"I know, God I miss you soo much. I miss lying next to you at night, I miss waking up next to you, I miss goofing around with you, I miss raising our daughter with you, and seeing you guys whenever I want. I just can't wait to be home and have this all behind us." Cameron said.
"I miss you too. I miss curling up next to you at night and smelling your beautiful scent, kissing your beautiful body, spending everyday with you and our baby." House said wishing he could wrap his arms around his wife right now and kiss all her pain away and never let her go.
"Ok, well, go get our little angel to bed, she needs her rest too so she can get better." Cameron said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. I love you." It was then House realized how they didn't say that often enough to each other, and especially now with the circumstances they had been dealt, he wanted to make sure he said it to her every day.
"I love you too, with all my heart." House said waiting for her to hang up first before putting the phone back on its stand. He turned around to see Kathryn crying.
"I want Mommy to come home."
"I do too Baby, I do too." House took Kathryn into his room and laid her down on the bed next to him.
"Night baby girl, I love you." House said kissing his daughter's head.
"I love you too Daddy." Kathryn said already drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, as they were eating their frosted flakes, House had an idea.
"Hey I have an idea, why don't you make Mommy a present and take it to her?" House asked.
"Yea!" Kathryn said getting excited. House went into the closet and got out some paint, and paper and put it on the table in front of her and rolled her sleeves up.
"Alright kiddo, go hog wild." House said watching his daughter making a a present for her mother. It was probably made a little difficult for her due to the cast on her one arm that he covered with saran wrap so it wouldn't get messy but she was till having a blast. He helped her put glitter on the picture when she was done and cleaned up her hands and got her dressed and only had to fight a little to get her in the car and within thirty minutes they were walking through Cameron's hospital room door.
"Mommy! I made you a present! Mommy!"
"You did let me see." Cameron said reaching for her daughter as House sat her down on the bed next to her mother and gave Cameron a kiss on the lips.
"Here Mommy." Kathryn said handing her mother the painting she had made.
"Oh Sweetie, it's beautiful!" Cameron said kissing her daughter on the head. After about an hour Cameron's attending came in and gave her a check.
"Ok, if things keep on going good, I believe you should be able to go home day after tomorrow."
"Mommy's coming home?"
"Yea Baby, Mommy's coming home really soon!" Cameron said hugging her daughter close to her. House bent down and kissed his wife on the lips passionately.
"Looks like things might finally be perking back up." Cameron said.
"Oh yea, they definitely are!" House said looking at his family, excited to have them together again.
A/N: Like I said, I pulled that out of my ass so can't really say it's the best quality but hey, it's something. SO remember, to send me your ideas or wants, or whatever you want to see in either a review or a pm!