Chrysalis Part V

by gorblimey2

***

I had chartered a plane to take me to my lab in Merida, Mexico. I tried to sleep a little on the plane. I had ten viable eggs. I would soon be combining each of them with Greg's sperm. It made me smile. He would have been mortified.

When I got to the lab I had my embryologist, Esteban, do a screen on House's sperm while I slept a little on the cot in the office. I got up an hour later and went in to ask him in Spanish what the verdict was.

"The sperm appears to be healthy and the motility high."

"Ok, then fertilize the eggs."

I sat over on a stool biting my nails. He turned to me and smiled, indicating that the first one had been fertilized. I ran over to the microscope and looked in. I started crying...there it was...all these years, all my plans. Esteban was worried, he had no idea why I was crying. I told him I was happy.

All of the eggs were fertilized. We froze five of them and kept the other five ready. I went to my hotel room and slept. The next day I started the work with the spider silk threads we had gotten from Daytech Labs. They were beautiful and so delicate looking. It just so happened that spider silk is the strongest natural fiber on earth and excellent material for regenerating ligaments and to act as artificial nerve grafts. Although very successful in mice, it hadn't been tried in humans yet, but it was showing great promise. It would be at least eight years before the FDA would approve experimental use of the artificial nerve fibers in humans and I couldn't wait that long.

I was taking the strands and treating them with GDNF. Then I took our pre-embrionic cells, the mating of my ova with House's sperm and used them as stem cells. I had wanted to use something as close to House's own stem cells as possible. Artificial nerve fibers treated in GDNF and EPO accelerate the functional recovery of the ligaments and nerves. My research assessment of the artificial nerve fibers treated in GDNF and EPO also revealed a significant increase in graft fiber density and angiogenesis into the graft when compared with controls in Daytech Labs. In addition, GDNF has been known to be analgesic, and nerves treated with it stimulate endomorphin production and slow endomorphin uptake. In simple terms, I was growing House a new muscle using stem cells made with our blastocytes and artificial nerve fibers and the GDNF was going to help take away his pain.

I had been working towards this for five years. When I was at a conference I discovered that one of the surgeons attending had come from PPTH. I asked him about Greg and he told me about the infarction, the muscle death and Greg's chronic pain. I couldn't stand the thought of it. I made him promise to send me Greg's file. He did, of course he wasn't suppose to, but I traded it for the promise to incorporate his patients in my next trials of a nerve conducting gene. I saw the number of prescriptions for Vicodin that had been written in Greg's chart and knew he was addicted. I was deeply worried about him and had trouble thinking about anything except how I could help him. And then this plan came to me.

Everyday I would go into the Merida lab and laugh as I watched the cell growth. The silk and the growing tissue from the stem cells were works of art. It would take another three months before the tissue and ligaments would be ready, but I didn't need to be there to baby sit it. After a week, I went home and knew that I had a lot of explaining to do.

I couldn't reveal too much. I had just smuggled stolen semen and experimental drugs out of the country to conduct illegal stem cell reproduction of nerve tissue and ligaments. The whole experiment was violating hundreds of medical protocols and ethics. Once it was known, it was very likely I would lose my medical license to practice in North America and Europe. I had planned for this. I had more than enough money to do whatever I wanted to do...I hardly spent any of it over the years. I could live comfortably anywhere in the world.

I returned back to the USA and drove home. I opened the door and saw Wilson jump up from the couch. I could tell that he didn't know whether to scream at me or hug me, so he did both. The whole time he was hugging me he was yelling, "How could you do this to me, just run off? What were you doing? Where did you go?"

"Jim, I can't give you answers to any of that right now and the more you know the worse it will be for you. I'm really sorry to do this, but I'm moving out. I have a furnished apartment rented and I'm moving into it."

I could see the total devastation in his eyes. "I thought we were doing great."

"We were, but I've been planning something for a long time and I can't involve you. Things are going to get very sticky from here on out and I don't want you tangled up in my web."

"What's going on? Are you in trouble?"

"Not yet, but I could be and I need for you to let go so that I don't take you down with me."

"But Jordan, I love you. Whatever you need, I'll do. Let me help."

"I know you love me. And I love you enough to make sure that you don't get dragged into this with me. I'm sorry, but for now, you have to just trust that I know what I'm doing."

I went into the bedroom and packed a suitcase full of clothing. I had already quietly moved my papers, books and other things to the apartment before I left for Mexico. All I had left at Jim's were my clothes and toiletries. Anything else I might have left, I didn't need and Jim could have them. As I went out the door I looked over my shoulder and told him, "If it's any consolation, I love you, in my own way. I just can't abandon this, I've been planning it for so long and every time I saw what it could restore I was more determined to do it. I'm sorry, I know you deserve better. I should never have moved in. Bye Jimmy." I left. I felt like crap and I knew I would miss him but I refused to cry. I don't cry over men, well, most men.

I spent the next four months getting ready, making sure that the University lab was functioning well and independently of me. I installed communication equipment that would allow me to monitor and talk with them in real time. I spent almost 70% of my time in the operating room going through protocols to expedite certain patents in experimental protocols for PPTH. I had Eric Foreman in the operating room with me the whole time. When House bitched about the time Eric was spending away from Diagnostics, I offered Eric a job on my staff and he jumped at it. That shut House up.

Just before Christmas I shipped my boxes to Merida and made arrangements with a well known plastic surgeon in Merida to use his operating room and facility. I paid him $100,000 to allow me to perform surgery in his facility, which I had judged to be the most modern and best kept in Merida.

I didn't see much of anyone else. I spent Christmas and New Years in my lab getting everything in order. One day I had just finished surgery and was riding the elevator down, the doors opened and Jim was ready to get on. When he saw me he stepped back and waited for the next one. Seeing him so depressed hurt me terribly. I wanted to make it better, but couldn't. I also knew that I was also going to create hell on earth for Cuddy and so, to take the sting out of it, I signed over my patent for the carpal tunnel relief to the hospital. The papers would be delivered in February to Cuddy's house. It would mean that the hospital would receive my 40% of the initial payment and my percentage of the revenue. The hospital would benefit greatly from it.

I felt like a suicide victim..how they take care of business, make sure that everyone is ok and then kill themselves. That's how I felt. Except I was happy, I was terribly excited. Things were in place now. But now came the hard part.

It was February 15th and I drove my car to Greg's apartment and knocked on the door. It was 6:00 p.m. and snowy outside. He opened the door and shook his head. "You can't come in, if Wilson even knew I was talking to you, he'd hang me. You've got to go."

"I can't, I'm in trouble and I need your help."

He looked at me with frustration, torn between being a good friend to Jim or helping the woman he still cared about. He finally opened the door. "Jordi, please, if you can find help any other way, do it."

I went straight past him and into his bedroom, "Oh no, no...we can't do that..." he finally hobbled into the bedroom and saw that I was packing his suitcase.

"Where's your passport?" I asked.

"What are you doing?"

I started screaming at him, "Get the friggin' passport and get ready to go. The plane leaves in an hour."

"Are you totally insane? I'm not Lassie, I don't follow you everywhere you go. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'll explain on the way to the airport. If you don't want to go when we get to the airport, fine, you can stay here and drive my car back to your apartment. I promise. But trust me on this one, you're going to want to go, but we have to leave now. Get your passport."

"No, I won't. You've been acting crazy...that thing with the MRI, breaking up with Wilson and now this, what's going on with you?"

"Greg this is the most important thing I have ever done and I need you to come with me. You owe me for walking out on me 16 years ago."

"Walking out on you? You could have come with me!"

"You never once asked me."

"And you never said you wanted to go."

I was finished packing. "Come on, let's get going. Please?" He was still hesitating, "Greg, please, I am begging you. This is important. Trust me one more time, please?"

"Jordi, this doesn't feel right." He was saying it but he was grabbing his jacket.

"Do you need to turn anything off? You'll be gone at least a few days." I lied he'd be gone at least two weeks.

He went into the kitchen, did something and then came out. "Ok, we can go."

"Great." We got into the car and I took off for the airport.

I was driving through the streets of Princeton, trying to get to Trenton when I started to tell him my plan, "Five years ago I met Dr. Lamb at a conference. I asked about you and he told me about your leg and the infarction. He also told me about your chronic pain. I had him send me your file. I felt helpless, but then I realized that I was just the person to help you. I had the contacts, the money, and the ability to research and coordinate findings. So I took on several projects, each which combined will create a miracle for you.

I own part of the patent on a silk thread design for growing ligaments and artificial nerves. The silk is strong and has the least amount of immunological rejection of any external substance. We've used it in mice to build muscle by using stem cells and growing them along the artificial nerves made from the silk thread. We've also discovered that if you use EO and GDNF as a component of the process, the ligaments have greater density and function more like human ligaments. Also the GDNF acts as an analgesic and promotes the release of endomorphins. Your pain and recovery are speeded up.

Greg, I went down to Mexico after I left you the night of the MRI. I have a lab near Merida and I've been growing you new leg ligaments. At the very least, I'll be able to implant enough of these man made nerve fibers that we can decrease your pain considerably. I'll remove some of the damaged nerves and implant the new ones. I want you to know that the ligaments won't be as strong as natural ones but it will assist you by giving you some additional muscle mass and replacing damaged nerves with healthy artificial ones."

I looked over at him and he was looking at me like I just told him I could make the dead live again. "Jordi, have you performed this on anyone else?"

"No. But you can either trust me or live like this for the rest of your life. And from what Jim told me, you've come close to ending your life a few times. What else do you need to know? I'm one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. I am the best neuroengineer. I have spent the last five years working on several projects so that they would all come together to make you better."

"You've been working all those hours and around the world to do this for me? Why?"

I couldn't really answer that question, but I did tell him, "Because sixteen years ago you gave me a life. You helped me out of my cocoon. I wanted to do this for you."

"Bull. If this procedure works, you'll make a lot of money won't you?"

I smiled, "Oh, yes. I'll be a multi-millionaire and PPTH will receive a huge revenue resource. But trust me, I did it for you." I waited and let him think about it.

"Where did you get the stem cells?"

I put on the turn signal to turn into the airport, "I made them."

"How?"

"I harvested eggs from myself and used your sperm from the night in the MRI."

"You collected my sperm when I came? You fertilized your eggs with my sperm?"

"Yes. I have five very strong lines of stem cells all creating nerve fibers and ligaments along the strands of silk. I also have five frozen blastocytes in case I need them for any future surgeries."

I got out the two suitcases and started rolling them into the airport. I got to the door that exits onto the tarmac and then turned to him. "Well this is where you make your first decision. Do you go or stay? When we get down there I'll show you everything, all the data and research, and if you don't want to do it, I'll put you on the next plane back, I promise."

***

I didn't know if she was looney or just a genius. Some of the research she talked about I was familiar with and so it didn't sound like it was too far out there. But I thought we were years away from what she was suggesting. I finally realized that I could come back home if I reviewed her work and it looked shady. If she was right, I could get some relief from the pain...that would be worth it. I got on the plane and we flew off into the night.

She slept on the plane but I couldn't. I was too excited and worried at the same time. I had to keep my excitement in check just in case I got there and realized it wasn't going to work. I looked at her, she was sleeping like a baby. She had no apprehensions whatsoever, she had full faith in what she was doing. Jordi was never wrong when it came to her research and work. She was meticulous and methodical.

When she woke up I asked her, "What about work, the hospital?"

"You're going to have to call Cuddy and tell her you need two weeks off. Actually, it is going to be more, but just ask for two weeks. Don't tell her anything to begin with, ok?"

I nodded my head. The whole hospital and Wilson were all going to think that we ran off together. He was going to think I was having an affair with her and that's why she left him. What a mess.

We arrived in Merida and right away it was a pleasant change from the cold February in New Jersey. We drove to her labs and she took me inside. We had to dress in clean room attire and scrub to go inside the research area. It was incredible inside. There were four doctors/researchers, two from Germany (husband and wife), one from Mexico and one from England. They were happy to see me because I was the patient that they had devoted the last five years to, or so they said.

I looked at the artificial nerve and tissue growing in the nutrient. It was unbelievably beautiful, long strands were growing in elongated petri dishes of warm nutrients. I sat down and spent ten hours with the doctors/scientists going over everything. By the time we were done, I was convinced that I probably had a 33% chance of growing muscle mass, but a good 66% chance of getting some relief from the pain. I was more than willing to take those odds.

I called Cuddy, "Lisa, I'm going to need two weeks off. I'm having a penis implant and I need to try it out before I get back."

"House, this isn't funny. Jordan is missing and you're gone. The whole hospital is buzzing with rumors that you two ran off to get married. Wilson is barely functioning. You need to get back here to put these rumors to rest."

"Sorry, but I need the two weeks off or I'm giving you my resignation."

It was quiet on the other end. Finally she said, "Just tell me that you're not with Jordan."

"I can't say that. But I can tell you we aren't getting married. Look, I'll call you back in a few days and tell you everything."

"All right, but I hope you know what you're doing to your best friend."

"I know, but trust me, he'll forgive both of us."

"Tell Jordan she needs to call me, right now she's AWOL."

After I hung up I wondered why Jordi hadn't told Cuddy that she needed the time off?

I was booked for the surgery at the private hospital for Thursday. It was Monday. I had to stop taking the Vicodin and when I did, I went through 48 hours of detox. It wasn't pretty and Jordi stayed with me through the whole time except when she had to go to the lab to make sure everything was being prepared properly. Jordi gave me the protocol releases to sign, which I did. I was informed that they were going to record the operation digitally. Jordi shaved my thighs and then went home Wednesday night to get a good night's sleep. They stopped all food and liquids at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday night.

The next morning Jordi showed up and personally put the catheter and intravenous lines in. I pretended that she hurt me and she told me to grow up. She came up to the side of the gurney and looked down at me, put one hand on my cheek. I reached up and put my hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes and then opened them again. I think she was praying.

"I'll take good care of you Greg."

"I know you will Jordi, I know you will."

She nodded to the orderlies and they started to wheel me away. I couldn't take it, I yelled for her. She came running down the hall, "What is it Greg?"

"I should have told you this sixteen years ago, but I've always loved you. I never stopped."

"Oh damn Greg, don't tell me that now. I can't deal with that now..."

"Sorry, but I really wanted you to know."

She had these big tears in her eyes and she nodded her head. She bent down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips and then told the orderlies in Spanish to get me into the O.R. When I got into the O.R. there was an anesthetist, two assisting surgeons flown in from Germany and several surgical nurses. I was given the anesthesia and the next thing I recall is waking up to a morphine drip and lots of bottles hanging and a pint of my own blood which they had drawn the night I arrived.

***

The surgery had gone off without a hitch and Jordan had been extremely pleased. She had replaced the nerve tissue and applied the new ligament to the area with microstitches. Then she drilled a hole into House's skull and inserted small pellets of GDNF into the areas of his brain that were deficient in endomorphin production. She allowed the plastic surgeon to finish with a skin graft to the right thigh with skin from off of the left thigh.

Jordan checked on him an hour after the surgery and then went home to her apartment and collapsed. The surgery had taken ten hours. When she woke up she got cleaned up and went to the hospital to look at his lab results. The nurses came to get her, she was informed that he was coming to. She walked in and smiled at the very drowsy Greg. He was trying hard to keep his eyes open and fixed on her.

"Howwww'd it gooo?" He slurred his words.

"It was perfect. We just have to wait now to see if it works. The pellets in your head should start working in a week or two. Until then, we have you on morphine. I removed a lot of dead and damaged nerves from your thigh." He had drifted asleep again and she rubbed his cheek, smiled and left.

A week later, the staff had been making a very agitated House walk to keep from getting clots. Jordan also forced him to wear the leg cuffs that applied pressure, then released and applied pressure again to keep the blood circulating to his toes. He was in pain but even he admitted it was getting better.

"I need to call Cuddy and tell her."

"There's no need. I called her yesterday, told her what I had done and told her that I was transferring you back to PPTH next Monday."

"That was quick...we're going home on Monday? What did she say?"

"Oh, let's just say she's not happy."

"Why, what aren't you telling me?"

"Oh she's just worried because I told her your recuperation would require that you be in the hospital another week and outpatient rehabilitation for the next three months."

"Oh, that's no big deal. I can diagnose patients from my bed. I've done it before."

***

For the next few days Jordan would bring in DVDs to watch and she played cards with him. He had a hard time winning because she was so good at poker. It was that mathematical brain. House wanted to watch television but Jordan told him the satellite was down. On Saturday night he rang Wilson from his hospital bed.

"Hello?"

"Wilson, it's House."

"House...Christ House, how could you do this?"

"Do this? I thought you'd be happy for me. The surgery and the recovery have been great. They did a nerve induction test and the new nerve fibers are conducting impulses. Do you know what that means? It means I'm at least growing new, pain free nerves. Plus, I'm releasing substantially more endomorphins and so I'm off morphine and soon I'll be off the Vicodin."

"But at what cost...how could you do it?"

"I'm not following? What cost?"

"She didn't tell you?"

"She? Who? Tell me what?"

"Jordan. Her career in the States is over. She can't come back, if she comes back, she'll be arrested."

House was quiet. He didn't understand. He thought he was part of a new protocol. "Wilson, what are you saying? This is an experimental protocol, I had to sign FDA releases."

"No it isn't. Jordan had no authority from the FDA or the AMA to do what she did. She smuggled experimental drugs and genes to Mexico and conducted stem cell research without any authorization. The AMA and FDA are holding hearings about what she did. It's the biggest thing in the news. Half the world is excited about the tremendous breakthrough and half the world is screaming about her ethical violations. Cuddy's been hounded by the press day and night. The neurology department, your department and I have been questioned by the FBI and Attorney General."

"She didn't know. She couldn't have known. I'm sure she thought she had the authority to do this."

"Of course she knew. She closed all of her bank accounts, cleaned out her desk, shipped everything to Mexico and transferred her money to off shore accounts. She just had the patents for her last breakthrough transferred to PPTH to make up for the rest of her contract and the publicity." He paused, "But it sounds like you didn't know, did you?"

House was cold and clammy, his pulse had soared and his blood pressure was high, "No, I didn't know, I wouldn't have gone through with it." The phone went quiet while House thought.

"When do you come home?"

""Monday. Look, I have to go." He hung up before Wilson could say goodbye. House stared down at the floor, thinking it through. What a fool he was. Of course it wasn't sanctioned, she hadn't mentioned anything about the FDA, that's why they had to go to Mexico, why she was so secretive. She had several felony charges hanging over her head and there was no doubt that the FDA and AMA would want to make her an example, especially since she was so well known. He looked up and saw her out at the nurse's desk with his chart.

" JORDAN."

She turned around, he never called her Jordan. She went into his room and she could tell from the monitor that something was up, he was very agitated. "Greg, calm down. Don't put that much pressure on your system."

"How could you do this? How could you not tell me? How can I live with this, knowing that you've just lost your career, your life's work? Even worse, now you can't go home with me."

"It was a small price to pay Greg. When I saw the pain you were in, I knew it was the right thing to do. And don't be so dramatic. What have I got in the USA anyway? My parents are dead, they left the farm to my brother who sold it and moved to Hawaii. There's nothing for me there. I'm not married, I have no children, so what if I can't be a doctor in the USA? There's plenty of countries that would love to have me. And even if I couldn't practice medicine, I have enough money to open my own clinic or bioengineering firm here. Don't worry about me, what have I lost?"

"Your country? Besides, I wanted you to come home and live with me."

"Oh Greg, I wish you wouldn't say things like that. You don't really want that. You're going to be able to golf in a year and walk without a cane and dance with women. You're going to have a full life, you'll find someone who has more to offer you than I do."

"Jordi, do you need your ears candled? Didn't you hear what I told you before I went into surgery? I've loved you all of this time. Even when I was with Stacey there was a part of me that I couldn't give to her because you had it." He paused and looked away, "Christ, what have I done?"

"Greg, stop this. You didn't do anything. I did it and I'm happy that I did it. It's the best thing I've done in my whole life, please don't take that away from me because you're feeling guilty. I wanted to do this."

"I don't want to go back without you."

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you do. I've been in contact with Foreman. I sent him a copy of the tape of your operation and directions for your rehabilitation. I also informed the authorities that you were unaware that I did not have FDA approval. I even faxed them the phoney consent form I had you sign."

"You've really planned this out haven't you?"

"I tried to think of everything."

On Monday, Jordan drove down to the airport in the ambulance holding House's hand. When she got to the airport, she gave the authorities the papers and stepped aboard the plane to make sure he was settled. She gave the nurse directions and then turned to House, "I'm so proud of what I've done. I just hope it works. I know that your pain has decreased, I just hope that the new ligament works and doesn't have to be removed. Your leg will never be 100%, but it should help considerably." She handed him his chart and other documents to give to the University lab. She leaned over him and gave him a French kiss. "See, I still remember how. I was taught by a pro."

He looked up at her and a tear fell down his cheek to the pillow. He quickly wiped it and had to stay quiet for a minute to compose himself. He finally looked her in the eye and said, "You never said it to me."

"Because if I do, I won't be able to tolerate the rest of my life without you." She squeezed his hand and left the plane. When she got onto the tarmac she turned around and watched the plane taxi away. The tears were pouring down her face. She hadn't expected him to tell her he loved her. If she had known, things might have been different.
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Legal Disclaimer: The authors published here make no claims on the ownership of Dr. Gregory House and the other fictional residents of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Like the television show House (and quite possibly Dr. Wilson's pocket protector), they are the property of NBC/Universal, David Shore and undoubtedly other individuals of whom I am only peripherally aware. The fan fiction authors published here receive no monetary benefit from their work and intend no copyright infringement nor slight to the actual owners. We love the characters and we love the show, otherwise we wouldn't be here.

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Chrysalis Part V