Title: Intercession
Author: Opals
Summary: After the loss of a patient House makes a phone call and learns the Chase family secret, and maybe something about himself.
Disclaimer: Obviously the characters are not mine.
notes: Part 1 of 3. My first attempt to write anything in this world, so I wanted to start small and play with the characters and dialogue a bit. I feel like these characters are really difficult to get a solid grip on, so if they're really bad feel free to tell me.
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It had been three hours since the Conner's kicked off. Two hours fifty-five minutes since one grieving, hysterical father had flipped out and taken a swing, and two hours forty-seven minutes since Chase had made a bee line for the chapel.
Enough was enough. House knew that his intensivist had a soft spot for kids, and he was sure he could make some snarky remark about it being a prerequisite for his admission into the seminary. However, right now House was willing to settle for just getting Chase's head out of his ass and back to work. The Connors kid may be dead, but the case wasn't solved until they knew exactly why.
House opened the door to the chapel and spotted Chase kneeling in the back pew, head bowed and lips moving silently in prayer. He walked over and sat down next to his fellow.
"So what's the deal?" he asked, startling the young man out of his thoughts. "Do you think if you spend enough time on your knees that God will bring the little tyke back from the beyond- 'cause if that's the case I know a couple of working girls who have the potential to be some real miracle workers."
Chase let out a frustrated sigh. "Is nothing sacred to you?" he asked. "Never mind. I just realized who I was talking to."
"You think God prefers penance coming form your lips over Mary, Mary Quite-"
"You're sick."
" Hey, I'm willing to entertain the possibility that God gave you that pretty mouth for a reason,"
"Go to hell," Chase muttered.
House clutched at his heart and feigned shock. "I'm hurt! You pray for the already dead, yet wish for my eternal damnation instead of trying to save my poor, lost soul. "
"It would take Armageddon for you to be anything less than a complete ass."
"So you think resurrecting a dead baby is more likely to happen?"
Chase got up off his knees and sat down next to House. "Do you think that I don't know that he isn't coming back?"
"So why waste your time here?" House asked. "You want forgiveness? Go beg it form the parents whose kid you just killed- at least they're real. Although judging from that lovely shade of black and blue on your face, I don't think they're interested."
"I don't expect forgiveness," he whispered.
House had had it. "Then why the hell are you here?!"
"I don't know, but they say that-" Chase started to speak then hesitated, unsure if he really wanted to reveal that part of himself- yet fully aware that there would be no hiding it if House were determined to get it out of him.
"Please enlighten me. They sat what exactly?" House prodded.
Chase's voice hitched, but he steeled his nerves and continued," They say that even if you don't know how to pray that the Spirit intercedes for us with groaning which cannot be uttered."
House rolled his eyes and Chase looked away, embarrassed by his admission.
"Good luck with that. You're certainly succeeding in making me groan."
"I don't expect you to understand," Chase said softly.
"Oh, good. Just clear one thing up for me though. Am I going to have to start interviewing for a new intensivist, because it looks like you may be sitting here for really, really long time," he spat before getting up and storming out of the chapel.
He spotted Cameron making her way back to the diagnostics office on his way out and waved her over. " Think you can bring out your inner Care Bear and talk Goldilocks out of hiding?" he asked, gesturing to the chapel's entrance.
Cameron looked less than amused by his wit. "We just lost a patient. Leave him alone for a little while."
"We've lost patients before. Blondie in there only runs to his heavenly daddy when we lose the itty bitty ones. Do you think he was pregnant and had a miscarriage?"
"So," Cameron began with a knowing look, "you're not really concerned about him. You're just frustrated because you can't quite piece together the puzzle."
House studied Cameron carefully for a moment. "You, on the other hand, don't seem the least bit curious, which means either you don't give a damn or you know something that I don't."
"I don't give a damn," she said cooly and turned to walk away.
House, however, wasn't buying it and caught her by the arm. "Nice try, but when you spend enough time in the sack with someone you tend to learn all sorts of interesting things."
"Yeah. I can tell you about his birth mark if you're interested," she said and tried to pull away.
House held on. "Spill," he ordered.
Cameron still hesitated, but he could tell that she was weakening. House consciously softened his expression and went in for the kill. "I'm concerned," he lied.
That did the trick. "He lost a brother," she said.
House opened his mouth to speak, but she was quick to cut him off. "Don't ask me how or when exactly. I don't know and I didn't pry. I only know that much because I stumbled onto some old photos. Happy? "
"Oh, I will be once I know everything," he said and reached for the chapel door.
This time it was Cameron who grabbed his arm. "Don't you dare," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "Some things really are private."
"Wasn't too private to keep you from blabbing, he pointed out. "You just don't want him to know that you couldn't keep your mouth shut."
"And what's your motivation? You want to go in there and turn his world upside just because you can?"
House made a show of thinking about it for a moment and said, "Yeah. Pretty much."
Cameron let go of his arm and fixed him with a glare. "You need therapy even more than he does," she said before walking away.
House waited until Cameron was out of sight before reaching for the chapel door again. He hesitated a moment , then reluctantly let go of the handle. Damn Cameron and her moral indignation. Luckily, there was more than one way to get information.