Later on that same day, when things at the hospital had mostly simmered, the team began heading home for the night. All of them except for Madelyn who wasn't certain about where her home was right now. She stuck her AirPods in as she readied herself to travel throughout the hospital, hoping to find it as a good distraction. 

Down the stairwells, and into the hallways, Madelyn strode through the hospital with her heels clicking and her heart ticking as if she were waiting for time to run out. Just as she was turning into the main lobby, she brushed against someone, but couldn't immediately see who. 

"Oh crap, sorry." she heard Wilson's voice. 

"Oh," Madelyn realized, "hey James." 

Wilson picked up something that she'd dropped. It was a grainy, black and white photo, 

"I think you..." Wilson looked and saw it was a sonogram, "...dropped this."He awkwardly handed it over to her and saw her eyes downturn in what looked like disappointment."Oh god, is that... yours?" He stuttered watching for her gaze. 

"I was actually trying to find you. I thought you might like to know what that whole scene with House was about earlier. I'm sorry." 

"Why are you apologizing to me?" 

"I don't know. I guess I'm just thinking that you warned me about House." Madelyn sighed, her striking cocoa eyes finally meeting his. She looked guilty, but Wilson didn't know why.

"I was just angry. I wouldn't be best friends with the guy for this long if he was all bad." Wilson chuckled in his admittance. He truly believed his words, too.

"You're a good person." Madelyn told him, slumping down in one of the lobby chairs. 

Wilson sat down across from her, "You are too. Are you pregnant?"

Madelyn looked up, her entire aura dimmed and shattered, "Yeah, I am. House is the father." 

Wilson nodded to signal that he understood, even though he didn't. He didn't understand why this had made them fight the way they had earlier that day. Madelyn continued, 

"I I kept it from him for seven weeks, and he's pissed at me...rightfully so. I think I lost him."

Wilson was still in shock for several reasons: one because he never imagined this happening, two because he couldn't picture House as a dad, and three because he was still in love with Madelyn.

He reached over to hold her hand comfortingly, "You didn't lose him." 

"Yeah?" Madelyn's voice cracked, "he left work at 1 in the afternoon today. I've never seen him look at me like he did in the examination room when he confronted me. And then I've also never felt so invisible when he returned to his office. I have no idea where he is right now, and I know that this is probably the last thing you want to talk about, but I'm really freaking out. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, or where I'm supposed to go! What am I going to do?" 

"Madelyn, take a breath first." Wilson urged, trying to keep his voice calm for her. "One thought at a time, if you can. House is going to come back to work tomorrow, and even if he doesn't initiate conversation with you, he's not stupid. He knows you guys will have to talk eventually. Sooner than later, I'm sure." 

"James, I don't even know what I'm gonna do with the baby." 

"Well, you'll have a lot of time to plan that, and when it's born-"

"No, I mean I don't know if I can even keep it." 

"Why wouldn't you be able to?" Wilson asked sincerely. He watched Madelyn's body stiffen before she answered, 

"Because I don't know if I'm ready. How can I be a good mother, if I'm not even making it out here as a partner or a friend? Hell, I've cause you so many problems for the last several months, and you didn't deserve that."

"We can talk about all that later. I care about you, and I just want to help you right now." Wilson told her, assuring her that he was here as a friend even if she felt she didn't deserve it. "So you are considering aborting your baby because you don't want it, or because you don't think you've earned it?"

"I don't think I've earned it. You need a certain skill set to be a mother, and I just barely have mine for being a doctor, remember? I only graduated like eleven months ago." 

This sort of made Wilson laugh. 

"What?" Madelyn asked. 

"For as long as I've known you, you always second-guess yourself and your competence. Maybe this is an opportunity for you to give yourself some credit. So, you guys didn't plan on having a baby–a lot of people don't. But, don't think you wouldn't be an amazing mother. No expectant mother thinks they're ready." 

Madelyn's eyes were watery, but she refrained from really crying, if her hormones could help it.

"What if House doesn't want the baby?" 

"Then you'll find a way to be both parents. Just look at your dad. Once things with your mom hit the fan, your dad stepped up even when he probably thought he was messing up the whole time. But he didn't?"

"No, he didn't. And Trevor even sort of stepped up as a dad in some ways." 

"Absolutely. You have every reason to be optimistic here. With or without House." 

Madelyn nodded her head in response to Wilson's very welcomed, but unexpected words.

She leaned up against the back of her chair, and pushed her hair behind her ear as she said, "You're right. I guess abortion isn't the only option I have to consider."

Wilson looked up as if he were looking for another answer on the walls or something. He was thinking. Finally, he thought of just the thing:

"House is like Cain, and-"

"You're like Abel." Madelyn finished with a smile. 

"Maybe." He chuckled, flattered, "but what I'm trying to say is he might seem bad and negative and either black or white, but there's a lot more to him. It can be hard to see especially because he hides inside a shell so often. But, I think you should give him a chance to speak his mind, once he calms down. Whether or not he wants this baby, or wants to be part of its life. Whatever ends up happening, give him the chance to be there for you and the opportunity to lend him support in it too. It may not seem like it right now, but House loves you. I should know..." 

The last part of Wilson's sentence broke something inside of Madelyn's already mangled heart, and she got up to hug him. They'd been through a lot together: dating, intimacy, breaking up, reuniting, becoming friends again, and now this. Madelyn was determined to do better by Wilson going forward. 

"Slight change in subject," Wilson spoke up, "but, I may have something that'll take your mind off of things for just a little while."

"Oh? What's that?" Madelyn's ears perked up. 

"I'm going up to Martha's Vineyard for the weekend. I've been bogged down by work, and I thought a couple days of fishing and leisure might be nice. You're welcome to come along, if you need to get away for a little and do some thinking while also not being completely isolated. If you're interested, you know." 

"That sounds immaculate right now, honestly. Thank you. When are you leaving?" 

"Tomorrow evening. I know it's sorta late notice, but just let me know." Wilson reinforced as he headed down the hallway to the elevator. 

--

About an hour later, back at her apartment, Madelyn noticed how cold the place felt. She checked to make sure she didn't leave any windows open–nothing. Neither was the fridge nor freezer left open, and the furnace wasn't shut off. 

She turned on some lights, lit a couple candles and made her way to her bedroom to change. Relieved to put on a comfortable little chemise, Madelyn looked at herself in the mirror. Slowly, she began to pose and watched her reflection stare back at her; she lifted her chemise to reveal her belly that appeared as its usual moderate flatness. She wasn't showing, of course. But, she began to poke at it lightly, and moved her hands in a position that highlighted where her baby would soon begin growing. Without another thought, Madelyn placed the grainy little sonogram on the mirror and taped it in place. She still didn't know if she'd keep the baby, but she did know that it was beginning to feel real. 

On a whim, she decided to try calling House. Madelyn listened for the ringing to stop and for House to answer the phone. He didn't. Instead, she left a voice mail" 

"Hi... it's me. I'm not sure where you are, or if you even have your phone on. But, I thought I'd give you a call just in case. I'm thinking about you, Greg. Wherever you are right now, I hope you're safe, and I hope I hear from you soon. I know we have a lot to talk about, and a lot of feelings to put out on the table, but-but I love you. Goodnight, honey." 

Back at House's apartment, he listened as the voicemail spoke through his phone speakers, but he was in no position to answer, nor did he want to. House sat in the corner of his bathroom near the toilet with his shirt all dirty and his face sweaty. His blue eyes marbled into blurry orbs, and his lips were dry and splitting.

For the last eight hours or so, House had decided the emotional pain of Madelyn's lie was too much. Instead, House decided physical pain would be easier to bear, so he held off on taking his Vicodin which was now turning into severe withdrawal. Matters weren't getting any better as he listened to Madelyn's voice tell him he loved him when he knew he needed to hear it the most. 

UPDATE: Hello all! This is the 43rd part of "Occam's Razor". However, this is also going to be the second-last part. I've decided to end this story after the very next chapter which is going to have some major tea. That being said, however, I am going to be writing a sequel because I have so much more in store for House and Madelyn! I just feel that I have the perfect ending place for the current plot, and the next book will pick up with a new main plot (if that makes sense??). I hope this is of interest to all of you who have shown and expressed your interest in my story-- it means so much really ❤️❤️❤️. I am going to work hard to make the final chapter of this book amazing, so I'm not exactly sure when I will publish it, but it will be soon. Until then :)