A/N: Well, I see we're back with another story... Don't worry, I won't abandon Project SAS, it's just that this story has been nagging me a bit and I thought a good brake from the other story would do me good. Anyway, here's the first chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Alex was sitting in the front seat of Jack's dad's car with his two feet up against the airbag. He couldn't believe what had happened over the past couple of weeks, and truly was afraid to diverge into much detail. His ribs were almost completely healed, but whenever he jerked his body just enough, he would cringe slightly.

"You know that this is for the best right?" Jack asked in a calm and soothing voice.
"I know Jack." He replied in a cold but understanding voice. Jack sighed. She pulled up to the gates of Alex's temporary home and after another minute or so in the car, she cut the engine.

Jack slowly got out of the car and headed to the trunk. She opened it and brought out a small duffle bag along with his soccer ball. Alex took in the gray building with the name, Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital written on a bronze plaque just above the door. Once he stepped out of the car, he then scanned the grounds that the building laid upon noting all of the shadows and areas where a possible threat could emerge at anytime. He realized that he needed to stop analyzing everything if he wanted to get better. Alex slowly shook his shabby bangs out of his eyes. He slammed the car door shut while taking his bag and ball from Jack. She gave him a sad smile in return.

Once inside, both Jack and Alex headed to the receptionist. The lady briefly looked up while handing Jack a small stack of papers to sign. Jack collected the pile and headed to go and sit down in one of the chairs. Alex followed Jack but instead of sitting down in one of the chairs, he opted to put his feet up on one of the couches. Alex slowly closed his eyes.

Flashback

"Alex," Mr. Blunt said while lifting up a pair of reading glasses off of his desk and twirled them around with his thumb and pointer finger. "Mrs. Jones and I have decided that Britain is not safe for you anymore." Alex bowed his head knowing that he didn't have a choice in the matter. "We are sending you and Miss Starbright back to the U.S. I am assuming that she will want to go back to D.C…"

The scene changed to where Alex and Jack had arrived at Jack's parent's house. They were sitting around the dining room table finishing dinner and Jack's parents pulled her aside in the kitchen. They thought that they were out of ear shot, but really, Alex was still listening.

Flashback

"There's something wrong with that child." The soft spoken voice of Jack's mother said while wiping her hands on a dish towel.

"Your mother's right. I've seen eyes like those before hun, and they were the eyes of war veterans. I don't know what that kid had or has gotten into but there's something wrong." "There's—" Jack attempted to cut in but her father held his hand up.

"I don't want to know. But let me tell you…" "Alex?"

"Alex?" The soft voice that he recognized pulled him out of his reverie. He turned with a jolt with the small touch of contact but then scowled at himself for his act. He slowly took a deep breath before fully making eye contact with her.

"That's why we're here Alex." She replied softly. Her voice had almost a small music box quality where you could listen to it all day long and not get sick of it because it reminded you of that everything would be ok eventually. Alex quietly got out of the chair and stood next to Jack.

"Mr. Rider, I'm Doctor Bolt. I will be helping you through these tough times. If you would follow me please?" The doctor replied with a small smile. He was in his mid thirties with bright blue green eyes and brown hair. He was around five foot nine, and was cleanly shaven. He ushered for Alex to follow the man, so they both started walking towards the sliding doors. Alex cocked his head around giving himself a last glance at Jack before entering the ward. Jack's sad smile never left him, and truly it just made him sadder that he was leaving her and even more determined to get better.

Gregory House was apparently the only one that was having a bad day that he could tell anyway. His Doctor, Doctor Bolt as his ID tag stated, was driving him up the wall with all of the smiles and such. Even Amber, a woman that he had started hallucinating about who just happened to be Wilson's dead girlfriend and one of House's interns that applied for his team, didn't approve of the man. She called him "an ego-centric manic who deserved to be locked up in his own ward for taking too many happy pills every day." House had smirked at that comment. He was fiddling with his cane on a small green bench located in the outside area. He was truly bored out of his mind and because they were restricting his pain meds, was also in pain. Which just made his day even worse. So, being the bored genius that he was, he decided that he might as well make everyone else's day just as bad as his own, so he decided to cause some trouble.

Heading over to one of the nurses that was on station, he told her, "Mrs. Olearey isn't diagnosed right." He leaned up against the counter as he stated that fact. "How would you know?" She asked back while picking up a file that was lying on the counter. She started to walk away so House decided to follow her. She noticed that House had continued to follow her, so she replied, "What is your proof?"

"Well, you diagnosed her with severe Clinical Depression. But what I really think she has is Dementia." The nurse turned and glared at House.

"How in the world did you come from Clinical Depression to Dementia?"

"One of the signs of Dementia is depression along with—" He was cut short by the nurse.

"I know the signs and what can happen. But she doesn't show signs of forgetfulness, which senior citizens don't already possess. Why don't you just run along and go bother someone else for a change?" She scowled at him.

"Just run the test. It's not just the forgetfulness mind you. Do you ever notice her gaze off into space in the middle of the conversation or her having you repeat questions over and over again because she didn't hear you? Just do it. Believe me, it's not depression." She started to walk away. He sighed. He was truly bored.

What to do next? He thought next. Amber appeared next to him.

"Well, you could go and check out the newest patient. See what he's like." She stated while then moving to sit on the bench that was located in the hallway.

"Do you know his name?" House asked her.

"Silly, you know I don't know his name. I don't know his name because you don't know his name. I am you. We've already been through this." She rolled her eyes while tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't have anything better to do…" He started off, hissing every so often from the pain in his leg. He was actually rather surprised that the staff allowed him to walk around the halls at his own free will. Or it just might be possible that they gave up trying to contain him after feeling his wrath for a full week of nonstop sarcasm and snide comments. He had even put two nurses to tears out of his complete and total boredom.

"Well, where do they take new patients?" House asked Amber as they both walked down the corridor.

"Where did they take you?" Amber asked while tilting her head slightly.

"They put me in a room to myself if I remember correctly."

"You know it would just be easier if you waited till dinner to find the patient." She stopped briskly attempting to try and hide her smile at the memory of House in a small room to himself for a couple of hours.

"Probably, but would be the fun in that?"

Alex hated hospitals. You could almost call it a phobia, but it wasn't strong enough to where he would avoid them at all costs. No, he just absolutely loathed them. And yet here he was sitting in small room by himself thinking about how he willingly walked into one.

Crazy! I truly must be crazy! He thought while sitting on the bed. He already missed Jack and she hadn't been gone but an hour. A knock on the door interrupted Alex's thoughts so he glanced up at the intruder.

"Well Alex, dinner will be served soon, so when you're ready, we'll head down to the cafeteria." Doctor Bolt still had his smile plastered on his face.

Man, I wish I could just punch him in the face. That smile is really driving me insane. Alex thought solemnly. Alex decided to nod in response knowing that his words would betray his true feelings of the man that stood before him. Alex slid off of the bed and started toward the door.

Alex and the doctor continued to walk down the corridor towards the cafeteria when they passed a man that was in his late thirties early forties with a cane. The man was staring at Alex but Alex could tell that he wasn't a threat. The man's eyes showed that he had been through a lot but they still glistened from the inextinguishable fire that lay behind them. Alex smiled a small sad smile.

I think I need to meet that man. Alex thought while turning away. He might be my only ally.