House Fan Fiction ❯ A Christmas Story ❯ When the Pictures Become Real ( Chapter 17 )

When the Pictures Become Real

 

House limped down the hallway and saw Wilson coming towards him. He limped passed Wilson like he wasn't there.

 

“Hey I got a page saying that Lilly was missing again. What's going on?”

 

“Don't know,” he said and pushed the down button. “I'm going to go talk to the nurses.”

 

“Why?”

 

House limped into the elevator. “Because I'm going to show them what I actually use this baby for.” He held up his cane and smacked it into his hand.

 

Wilson jumped into the elevator before the doors closed. “Cuddy's going to have a field day if you do that.”

 

“Good. It'll teach the nurses to not let the patients walk around right after surgery!”

 

“They could probably out run you,” muttered Wilson.

 

“Ha. Just because you're friends with a cripple doesn't mean it doesn't hurt me.” The doors opened and he limped towards the nurses' station. Wilson walked next to him. “Now don't hold me back this time.”

 

“Don't worry. I'll push you over,” he muttered.

 

House rolled his eyes. “Nurse!” The nurses looked up at House and frowned. “Quick question how does a girl after surgery escape twice from the same damn room?”

 

“Not now,” said one of them.

 

“Uh yes NOW! How does she keep getting out? It's not like her room is twenty feet or less away from here.”

 

“We do have other patients.”

 

“Not other patients who just had lung and heart surgery,” he almost growled.

 

Wilson grabbed House's arm. “C'mon. Lilly has to be here somewhere.”

 

“You're lucky he's here,” stated House and limped into Lilly's room. “See TWENTY FEET AWAY!”

 

Wilson rolled his eyes and went inside Lilly's room. House looked at the gear and began to go through her drawers. All of her clothes were still here along with her notepads. He grabbed the notepad with all of his pictures in it and turned to the last page. The picture was finished. He was standing on some stairs as she sat on the ground with his suit jacket on.

 

“You know those nurses can complain about you,” said Wilson.

 

House flipped the page to see another drawing being started. Only detailed young hands holding onto empty space so far.

 

“I have ten year. I wanna see Cuddy use her balls and try to fire me. In the staircase where isn't there a window?”

 

“Between the forth and fifth floor. Why?”

 

House limped out of the room and towards the elevator. Wilson followed after him. House pushed the up button.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“I'm going back to my office. You?”

 

“You're not going back to your office are you?”

 

House smirked. “Okay, you got me. I'm going hiking. Wanna come?”

 

The doors opened and they went inside. “I thought you couldn't go hiking?”

 

“I lied. My leg's all better.”

 

“That's why we're taking the elevator one floor.”

 

“Exactly.” The doors opened and House limped out towards his office. Wilson walked with him. “Tell me when they find the run away.”

 

“I'm sure they'll page you.” Wilson then went into his office after he saw House walk into his own.

 

House saw Wilson go into his office after he turned on the TV. He popped a few Vicodin into his mouth and waited a few minutes to make sure Wilson wasn't watching. He stood up, limped out of the office and towards the back elevators. He went up to the fourth floor and limped over to the staircase.

 

He stared up at the staircase. God he hated stairs. He popped another Vicodin into his mouth and stepped up with his left foot first. Then he basically dragged his right foot up onto the step. God he really hated stairs. House glanced around seeing that no one noticed him walking upstairs. He made it to the top within a minute and turned to go up to the fifth floor.

 

There he saw Lilly spread out on the stairs. Her head was resting on a step staring at the wall. Her arm was spread out before her and her legs were curled up to her chest. He limped up a few more steps before sitting down next to her.

 

“You do realize that you passed my office, right?”

 

Lilly blinked. Her eyes were red and puffy. “Did you catch him?” she whispered.

 

“You aren't suppose to move after having surgery.” He paused seeing no change in her facial expression. “And if you keep escaping from your room I'm going to tie you down.”

 

Nothing. She just stared out into space. House snapped his fingers in front of her eyes making her blink. She lightly breathed in and out.

 

“Don't worry. The kid was shot and killed.”

 

“You're lying,” she muttered.

 

House rolled his eyes. “Well he wont take on someone with a cane. Trust me. The nurses are afraid of this bad boy.” Lilly laughed but soon turned into a cough. “Please tell me you didn't risk ripping out your stitches because you were afraid of this kid?”

 

Lilly carefully sat up rubbing her arms. She then hugged onto House's left arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

 

“That kid is Jake,” she muttered. “He punched me a few weeks ago, so I left him. Luckily school was out the next day and he heard about me being here so it was revenge if that makes sense. I panic and went up.”

 

“Why up?”

 

Lilly smirked. “That punch led to an attack so I stabbed him in the leg. He can run but it hurts like hell to go up and not downstairs.”

 

House nodded. “Good thinking. You do realize that the nurses know what he looks like and you passed my office. It would've been a lot safer than trying to make it up here.”

 

“You were crying,” she muttered. “And sitting in the comfy chair.”

 

“I don't cry,” he muttered. “Your heart could've exploded.”

 

“I still have to walk back downstairs.”

 

“Don't be silly. You'll run downstairs making your heart explode or you could walk up the rest of the way and take the elevator down. You're such an idiot Katie.”

 

Lilly closed her eyes. “It's Lilly, Greg. Who is Katie?”

 

House, sighing, paused before answering, “Dead girlfriend.”

 

“She dumped you?”

 

“Nope. She died in a car crash and technically she was a fiancée.”

 

“How did she die?”

 

“Car crash. She died on Christmas Eve by hitting a patch of ice. We flipped over and she died. I didn't.”

 

“I'm sorry.” She paused. “I'm cold.”

 

“I'll give you my jacket if you answer one of my questions.”

 

“Shoot.”

 

“Why do you draw me? Anyone who knows about me and Katie don't even live here.”

 

Lilly shrugged. “Ever since I was little I had these fuzzy memories of apparently you and the girl. So I finally started to draw you guys and the memories still stayed blurry. I didn't think anything of it because I thought I had seen you in a movie or something.”

 

“What about now?”

 

Lilly looked into his eyes. Her dark ones met his light blue ones. “I think you better give me your jacket before I freeze.”

 

House took off his suit jacket and pulled it onto Lilly's thin body. She smiled at him that nearly crushed him. Every little thing she did reminded him of Katie. Lilly flipped his hair and ran her hand down to his cheek.

 

“Greg I'll be fine.”

 

He lightly shook his head. “You're going to die before tomorrow.”

 

“No I wont,” she said calmly. Her face crinkled. “My chest hurts.”

 

House stood up and looked down. He knew that if someone looked at the picture in her notebook and now that it'd be the same. House stood over Lilly and looking down while she looked up in House's jacket. He helped her up.

 

“I usually do that to every girl.” She cocked her head to the side. “You're out of breath because usually patients don't talk as much after surgery. Or maybe it's because you walked up to fifth floor.”

 

“I didn't make it to the fifth.”

 

“You will in a few seconds.” House took her hand and they carefully walked up to the top. “If you get out of breath, tell me.”

 

“Will do. Tell me when you're going to fall over, so I can save your cane.”

 

House smirked. “Ha. At least I know why I'll fall over.” They reached the top without any accidents. “There. Now you walked up to the fifth floor. How are you feeling?”

 

“Kinda out of breath,” she answered.

 

“Good. That means your lungs are working,” he muttered. He saw a nurse walk by. “Nurse.” She stopped and looked back at him. “Could you bring us a wheelchair. Thanks.”

 

The nurse walked off to get them a wheelchair. Lilly wrapped the jacket tighter around her.

 

“You aren't going to push me are you?” She was eyeing at House's right leg.

 

“If need be I'll kick you with my good leg.”

 

The nurse brought up a wheelchair before being paged and ran off. Lilly sat down and House handed her his cane.

 

“You sure? I'm pretty sure I could walk.”

 

“Vicodin cures my leg. Vicodin can't cure your heart or lungs. I'll be fine.” He paused as he limped towards the elevator pushing Lilly along. “Plus Wilson can always give me morphine.”

 

Lilly giggled that turned another fit of coughs. House pushed the down button and watched her cough.

 

“Take deep breathes. It'll help.” He pulled out his phone, pushed Lilly into the elevator, limped in and called Foreman. “Foreman call off the search. Found her and be at the south side elevators in five seconds.” He hung up and pushed the down button.

 

“Why was Dr. Foreman in my room almost two hours after I had woken up?”

 

“Stealing your wallet.” The elevator went down. “Don't worry he can't fake being white, but he can pass as a girl.”

 

Lilly laughed then coughed. House took back his cane before the doors opened to Foreman and security holding Jake in handcuffs. Lilly tensed and grabbed House's arm. House looked at Jake and raised an eyebrow at the kid glaring back at him.

“This time keep your eyes on her. I refuse to keep finding her. You stay in bed.” House pushed her out towards Foreman who grabbed the wheelchair. He limped out and followed Foreman and Lilly.