Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize es mio.

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Your reviews mean the world to me. This chapter is the last, and as you've all guessed, it is going to be sad, and someone is going to die. Thank you for sticking with me to the bitter end. As always, thanks to Melissa for betaing and Pandorama for being awesome.

For Jimmy. He would have been 89 today.

In truths that he learned,
Or in times that she cried.

In bridges she burned,
Or the way that he died.

ix.

It was growing late. Cameron shifted her position slightly on the couch, trying to shake some feeling back into her arm without waking Chase or Lucy. He had fallen asleep halfway through the movie, with his head on a pillow in her lap and his dog tucked protectively under one of his arms. At her movement, Lucy perked her head up, ever alert. Cameron scratched her fluffy head and then directed her softly to move. Obediently, Lucy obliged; she squirmed out of Chase's grasp and then leapt to the floor. Once the dog was clear, Cameron placed her hands under the pillow and lifted it up enough that she was able to slide out from underneath. She was grateful that Chase had not woken up; she knew he needed to rest. Cameron picked up one of the blankets from the floor and covered him with it. She leaned over to kiss his forehead, but when her lips touched his skin, she drew back immediately. He was burning up.

Biting her lip, Cameron hastened to the bathroom and grabbed the thermometer from the counter. She began running cold water as she grabbed hand towels to make a compress. When she returned, she found Lucy had jumped back on the couch in her absence and settled herself by his feet. She tried to ignore the thought that even Lucy looked worried. Cameron placed the compress on Chase's forehead and the thermometer on the coffee table.

"Hey," she whispered urgently, shaking his shoulder. "Robert, wake up!" For one terrifying moment, she feared he wouldn't respond, but then he groaned. "Come on," she encouraged him.

He opened his eyes suddenly. She saw the realization hit him as worry clouded his features.

"Something's wrong," he whispered.

"I know." She showed him the thermometer and he opened his mouth to accept it. Lucy had come closer for further inspection, and Cameron petted her head as she waited for the thermometer to beep. When it did, she took it and quickly read the result.

"How bad?"

"102.3," Cameron read aloud. She squeezed his hand. "I'll be right back, I'm calling Wilson."

Her phone was lying on the kitchen table. She grabbed it and searched the contacts. Wilson had provided her with his cell number at their last meeting, with the grave, just in case, warning. She had programmed it into her phone without a thought, hoping fervently that she would never have to use it. He answered on the second ring.

"We are going to the hospital," she informed Chase as she returned to the living room. "Wilson's in his office still and he'll be waiting for us when we get there." Cameron strode over to the couch and lifted Lucy down from her perch on Chase's chest. She reached for his hands next. "Come on, let's get you up." As he grabbed her hands, she was forcibly reminded of her attempt a few weeks ago to get him to his feet. Judging from the grimaced expression on his face, she could see he remembered it, too. "Okay, stop," she said, when she realized she wouldn't be able to pull him to his feet that way. "Tell me what you need me to do."

He was silent for a minute as he thought, and then said, "Let me put my arm around your shoulder." Immediately she leaned over so that he could. She tried to ignore how hot his arm was against her neck as he asked, "Can you try to pull me up now?"

Cameron slid her arm beneath his upper back and tested his weight. "I think so." Lucy scuffled away from them as Cameron took several steps backward, pulling him first to a sitting position, and then completely up from the couch. He found his balance more after a few moments of standing, for which she was grateful, but he still leaned heavily into her, and she kept a firm grasp on him, so he would not stumble. They made their way to the door, Cameron snatching up the car keys from the counter as they went. As soon as she undid the lock and the door swung open, Lucy rushed outside, clearly anticipating a joy ride.

"Lucy!" she called, as Lucy went bounding into the street toward the car. "Come back here!" Lucy ignored her, waiting impatiently for the car door to open. Unable to leave Chase unsupported to retrieve the dog, Cameron was forced to unlock the door. When it opened, Lucy leapt into the front seat. Cameron shoved her over to the driver's side so that she could get Chase inside, Lucy wagging her tail expectantly as she saw her master being lowered into the car. Once Chase was in, and the door was closed, Cameron opened the driver's side door to retrieve the dog, who had already made her way to Chase's open lap.

"You can't come with us, Lucy," Cameron told her as she reached across to pick her up. "You're not allowed inside a hospital." Lucy's eyes widened when she felt herself being lifted from her Chase's lap and removed from the interior of the car. She immediately began to squirm, but Cameron carried her to the still-open door, deposited her on the floor, and then quickly swung the door closed. Lucy's whines still echoed in her ears as she made her way back to the car.

x.

Cameron checked the rearview mirror as she pulled into the hospital parking lot. Lucy was still lying in the backseat with her head on her paws, supremely indifferent to Cameron's attempts to coax her into the front seat. She wondered if the dog were still upset after her unceremonious removal from the car the day before. When she shut off the ignition, Cameron could hear Lucy's low whines.

"What's wrong?" she asked, twisting around so that she could reach Lucy's head. She extended her hand slowly, not wanting to scare Lucy into snapping at her fingers. Lucy watched her hand with trepidation, but finally allowed Cameron to pat her head. "Nervous?"

She wasn't entirely sure that her decision to bring Lucy to the hospital was a good idea, but she had promised Chase that she would. She had left late the night before, only after he insisted that Lucy had to be taken out, which necessitated that she return home. Wilson had promised to call her if anything changed, but he never had, which she took as a good sign. She absently scratched Lucy's ears and stifled a yawn. It was early, but she hadn't been able to stay away from the hospital any longer.

She realized as she opened the door that she couldn't exactly take Lucy inside the hospital. Chase would have to be brought out to her. Regret filled her when she saw Lucy's eyes filling with shocked sadness at being shut inside the car, left alone once again while Cameron left to do something with her owner. Cameron had rolled the window down slightly so that Lucy would have fresh air, and she could see the tips of Lucy's paw peeking out from the crack as the dog scrambled against the glass, trying to find a way out.

"I'll be back soon," she promised. "I'm going to go get him, okay? Just wait here."

Lucy didn't seem placated, but Cameron couldn't do anything about it. Tearing herself away from Lucy's wide eyes, she locked the car door and ran up the sidewalk to the hospital entrance.

Almost immediately, she ran into Wilson, and his expression filled her with dread. She had seen that look many times before, with previous patients, with her former husband...it never led to anything good. Her mind felt slow and numb. But he hadn't called…if something were really wrong he said he would call…

"I was just about to call you," he said in a low voice as she approached the reception desk. He indicated for her to follow him.

"What happened?" Her fear was so suffocating she could barely breathe.

He stopped her, then, gently grabbing hold of her arms. She recognized the trick.

"Allison-"

"Just tell me," she interrupted. The use of her first name scared her even more.

"His fever is down from last night," Wilson began. Cameron waited for him to continue, hardly daring to exhale a sigh of relief. If the fever were down, it couldn't be that bad…She waited for the inevitable 'but.'

"But I did a chest x-ray," he continued. "I'm-" The fact he stopped himself before saying "sorry" did not go unnoticed by Cameron. "He has pneumonia," he finally said.

"Pneumonia," Cameron repeated. The word fell from her lips. It was a death sentence. The chemotherapy would have eradicated his immune system. "How long?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice steady.

Wilson shrugged helplessly. "A day, maybe more. I'm-" She noticed that he hesitated again, but this time, it seemed he couldn't help himself. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…" Wilson seemed to realize how feeble his words sounded to her, for his voice trailed off. "He's been asking for you, if you want to see him now," he said softly.

She nodded, blinking back tears. She didn't want Chase to see her upset, knowing it would only upset him more. She wondered then if he knew, but Wilson answered her silent question.

"I already told him."

Cameron could only nod again, not trusting herself to speak. They continued the rest of the way in silence. Wilson squeezed her shoulder when they reached the door. "He should be awake."

Chase was awake when she entered the room, but he wasn't the only one. Grief was momentarily driven from her mind at the sight of Lucy sitting on his bed.

"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

"You shouldn't leave a dog alone in a parked car," House said. He was sitting in the chair Cameron had occupied for so many hours the night before. "She might suffocate. Die of heat stroke or something."

"You – she – we can't have a dog in here!" Cameron finally managed to say. She glared at House. How could he not have known about Wilson's diagnosis, Chase's fate? Lucy was surely infested with bacteria that would only make his health decline faster.

"I tried to sterilize her before we came in," House defended, "but the sink wasn't big enough. And the HAZMAT suits aren't meant for four-legged peoples."

"House," Wilson said quietly. Cameron saw the understanding pass between them; though House was silenced by Wilson's look, Cameron knew exactly what he hadn't said. It doesn't matter anyway, he'll be dead tomorrow…

House rose from his chair, crossed the room, and exited with Wilson. Lucy dropped her head onto Chase's knee as the door closed again.

Cameron looked worriedly at Lucy, but Chase shook his head. "Just let her stay."

She accepted his request; after all, Lucy's germs probably wouldn't make much of a difference at this point. She walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed. Her eyes searched his. "Are you scared?"

He didn't answer her directly, but instead asked, "Are you?"

She didn't want to respond honestly, because she didn't want to upset him further, but he seemed to have read the response in her face anyway. "Good," he whispered, as he took her hand. "We can be scared together."

xi.

Lucy was beginning to whine, and Cameron knew it was time for her to go out. She thought about waking Chase, but he was asleep and she didn't want to disturb him. She quietly beckoned to Lucy and showed her the leash. Lucy leapt off the bed, the bell and tag on her collar jingling noisily.

She had just finished fastening the leash to Lucy's collar when he spoke.

"Allison?"

She straightened up and turned around. "Hey. Lucy needs to go out. We'll be back soon, okay? Just go back to sleep."

"No," he said as he struggled to pull himself into a sitting position. "Take me with you."

She bit her lip. "You can't walk."

He shrugged. "So put me in the wheelchair."

"I…" She threw a glance at the chair sitting in the corner of the room. "Robert, I don't know-" Lucy began to whine louder.

"Please?" he said, over Lucy's whines.

She hesitated only a second longer. "Yeah – okay. Fine." She dropped Lucy's leash and went over to get the chair. She wheeled it over to him, and then pulled back the sheets so that she could help him up. He reached up his arms for her to take, and she became aware of how much weight he had lost in such a short amount of time. She slipped her arms around his shoulders. "Can you push yourself up?"

He placed his hands on the bed, but struggled to lift himself up from the mattress. He fell back, a heavy breath escaping his lips. "No…" She heard the fear in his voice.

"I can try lifting you?" she suggested.

He shook his head. "You're not strong enough."

She knew he was right; even with the weight he had lost, she'd never be able to get him into the chair himself. "Do you want me to call Wilson? Foreman?" Lucy emitted another high-pitched whine, and Cameron knew they were out of time, unless she wanted to clean up puddles next. "You know what, screw it." She pushed up the side rails of the gurney so that it could be transported. "Let's go."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "It's probably not allowed."

"Cuddy won't care," she answered truthfully. "Come on, Lucy." Lucy bounded over to her, and Cameron snatched up the leash. Wrapping it around her wrist, she pushed the gurney out of the room, Lucy at her heels.

They did pass Cuddy, as they reached the hospital doors, but she understood immediately what was happening. Instead of reprimanding them, she held open the door for them and squeezed Cameron's shoulder as she passed. "Let me know if you need anything," she murmured into Cameron's ear.

As soon as Lucy saw grass, she lurched forward. Cameron dropped the leash to avoid being dragged along with her. Instead, she pushed the gurney carefully down the sidewalk, trying to avoid bouncing on the uneven cracks. Once they had reached the end of the walk, she pushed the gurney onto the grass, and locked it in place. Lucy ran over to them as soon as she was done relieving herself.

"Well, that was quick," Cameron remarked. Lucy wagged her tail in response, clearly anticipating she was going to be played with now that she was outside.

"Help me sit up," Chase requested. Cameron helped him sit forward so that she could rearrange the pillows behind him.

"Can you see her now?" she asked. He nodded.

"Go find a stick, Lucy," he told her quietly. "Want to play fetch?"

Cameron felt a nervous twinge; would Chase even be able to throw a stick? She watched as Lucy ran away from them, searching the ground for a suitable play-thing. She returned a few minutes later with a large stick in her mouth, looking immensely pleased with herself. Cameron reached over and took the stick out of Lucy's mouth.

"Here," she said, showing it to Chase. "Do you want me to throw it for you?"

He shook his head. "No, I can do it." She looked at him uncertainly, but handed over the stick all the same. He took it from her, and then hurled it as far as he could. It fell a foot away from the gurney. Lucy only had to turn around to pick it up.

"Well that failed miserably," he remarked. "Sorry, girl."

"Here," Cameron said as she picked the stick up again. "Why don't we throw it together?" She grabbed his hand and wrapped it around the back of her own. Then she drew her arm back and threw the stick. Lucy brought it back immediately, her tail wagging frantically.

"Good girl," she heard Chase murmur. "Such a smart girl."

They played several more rounds of the game before Cameron sensed the last of Chase's strength was finally leaving him.

She knew was going to die.

xii.

She could feel his body trembling beneath the thin sheets and she knew it was time. She had been lying with him for almost two hours. Lucy was there, too, faithfully resting her head on his knee, gazing up at him with her adoring brown eyes. Cameron wondered if she could sense it as well.

She tightened her grip on his hand. "Hey," she whispered.

His head turned toward her. His eyes were open, but just barely. He rested his forehead against hers, and she could feel the pneumonia-induced fever burning her skin. "It's…"

"I know."

She saw him smile ever so slightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it.

"Lucy?" He was barely audible.

"She's right here," Cameron reminded him.

"Can I see her?"

"Yes," Cameron said. She reached down to his legs, and pet Lucy's head so that she wouldn't startle her. Cameron carefully slipped her hands behind Lucy's shoulder blades, and then picked her up and brought her to Chase's face so he could see her.

Chase slowly extended his hand and ran it over Lucy's back. Cameron stayed still, knowing he was saying goodbye to her in his own way. "Thanks," he whispered. "Thanks for everything." Cameron felt her eyes filling with tears. "You be a good girl now, okay?" Lucy stared at him for a moment, and then licked his hand.

He turned to Cameron. "You be a good girl, too, okay?" He tried to smile.

She smiled back through her tears. "Okay."

"Hey," he whispered, reaching his hand up to her face. "Don't cry."

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"No," he breathed. "Don't be. It's okay. I'll be okay."

"Okay," she murmured. She felt Lucy crawl out of her arms and onto Chase's chest. She laid down next to him again so that their foreheads were touching. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, enclosing Lucy between them.

"I love you," he reminded her.

"I know."

"Is it Tuesday?"

She smiled sadly. "No, it's Wednesday."

"I don't have another week to wait." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. She could feel the tears on her lashes as her eyes closed, and she knew it would be the last time.

"It's Tuesday. I love you, and we'll always be together."

A/N: Please leave a review if you're feeling generous. Updates about my new writing projects will be posted on my author page shortly.