Chase looked around with his colleagues, waiting for House to make an appearance. Foreman, who had been tapping his pen against his notepad for the past ten minutes, threw it down angrily on the table, making Cameron jump.
"For god's sake this is ridiculous! We have a patient out there - dying - and we have no clues as to why and House is-"
"Right here." They turned to see House limping in, Chase noticed that he wasn't leaning on his cane as much as usual.
Foreman set his lips in a firm line, embarrassed but still angry at the sarcastic doctor.
"So my little ducklings...what do we have? Cameron make me a coffee." She sighed and stood up, glaring at him.
"Please." She rolled her eyes but continued the task, far less begrudgingly.
"15 year old male, Harrison Piper arrived a few hours ago, passed out in the middle of a family dinner, apparently no explanation." Foreman began talking, House, as usual, took the opportunity to correct him.
"There's always an explanation." Foreman rolled his eyes.
"Anyway! He has normal blood and glucose levels, we did a CT and MRI scan, no irregularities. His previous history and family history are completely clean aside from an uncle died from a heart attack."
"Blood results?"
"We should have them in a few minutes." Cameron piped up, handing him his coffee.
"Any other symptoms since he's been here?"
"He's-" Cameron started but her pager beeped.
"We've gotta go - he's gone blind."
They all ran out, Chase was about to slow his pace slightly to remain with House, but he was quicker than usual.
"Harrison, I'm Doctor Foreman, do you remember me?" Foreman laid a hand on the kids arm and he nodded, grabbing onto his hand.
"Y-yeah...I c-cant see! I can't see help me-"
"Calm down Harrison it's ok, I now it's scary but sometimes things like this happen and often people get their sight back. Until we know what's wrong with you, try not to worry." Cameron explained gently, Harrison calmed down slightly.
"Wh-who're you?"
"I'm Doctor Cameron."
"Right, Harrison we need to do some more tests on you, try to stay calm." Chase smiled slightly at his caring colleagues, then frowned as he saw Harrison wipe his eye.
"Wait- Foreman he's bleeding." Foreman and Cameron began treating the teenager, House smacked Chase on the ass with his cane, making him yelp slightly, and gestured for him to follow.
House limped as fast as he could back to the room, Chase following close behind.
"Why aren't we-"
"The patient doesn't need more than two people with him. Now help me diagnose."
"Why wouldn't you choose Cameron or Foreman? They're usually right about cases more than me."
"They keep him calm, and you're wrong more, but you're quicker to come up with ideas and you stick to them. Now come on." Chase thought hard about the case, coming up with lots of empty ideas before they gave up.
"This isn't working...we need more symptoms." Chase sighed, House pulled a face.
"For once Wombat boy...you could be right."
"Wombat boy? Seriously?"
"I'm always serious..." Chase shook his head.
"I'm gonna go-"
"Hey, Harrison Piper is complaining of a headache and he's seeing swirls." Foreman panted, bursting into the room.
"Blood clot." House muttered, the younger men turned.
"What?!"
"Blood clot...let's go." They followed House as he once again ventured off without any kind of explanation.
"Hi Harrison it's just me, I've got Doctor Chase and Doctor House with me."
"Hi Harrison." Chase reassured gently.
"Harrison...open wide." House leant down and shined his torch into the boy's eyes.
"His pupil's closing up. It's a clot. We need to do another MRI."
"What? Why?"
"It's a retinal clot."
"But hang on-" Chase started.
"No time."
"Wait! Can't we do a retinal biopsy and drain the clot? Then he'll get his sight back." The other doctors, including House, froze and turned to the young Australian.
"Wombat, you might be right twice in one day. Come on people let's get Dr. Chase here everything he needs..." He raised an eyebrow at Chase who squirmed uncomfortably as they all left.
"Hey." Chase turned to the boy.
"Yeah Harry?"
"W-will I be able to see again?"
"I hope so, I really hope so. Actually, Harrison, where are your parents?"
"They're travelling back from India. They've been out there for months."
"And who's been taking care of you?"
"My Aunt...Jessica."
"Harrison you're lying, come on mate you don't have to lie to me." He sighed.
"Fine, I've been by myself...I'm always by myself...they're always off galavanting to some new place...I'm surprised they're even coming back at all." Harrison started to cry and Chase panicked slightly before leaning down and hugging Harrison, who clung onto him like a child, although, that's all he was really.
"You're gonna be ok Harry, and your parents love you, they're coming to look after you. I think this will be an eye-opener for them." Chase spoke supportively and held the teen gently, not knowing someone was watching him.
House watched as Chase let the vulnerable teen cling onto him, he hugged him back, and spoke softly to him, House felt a sort of warmth spread through him, however he shook himself out of it when someone behind him coughed.
"What?" He turned to see Jimmy standing there, smirking behind him.
"You're gooey."
"I am not gooey, I'm never gooey over anyone."
"You haven't had that look since Stacy."
"Quiet Wilson. I've got a retinal blood clot to see to." Jimmy walked with him along the hallway, stepping over a pile of newly spewed vomit.
"Is that the 15 year-old you're treating?"
"Yep."
"That's a clever diagnosis - I'm assuming yours?"
"Nope. My little wombat's." Wilson smiled at him knowingly.
"Oh, what is with the look?"
"The look, is saying that I know you're falling for, 'your little wombat." House rolled his eyes and grabbed what he needed before heading back to the patient.
"Rubbish. I don't fall for people, well, besides Stacy, and I have not and am not falling for Dr. Chase, I'm just impressed."
"You? Impressed?"
"Yes. This was a good diagnosis. No sugar-coating."
"I never expect you to sugar-coat anything." House rolled his eyes and left his best friend in the hallway as he and his team saw to the clot in the young patient's eye.
Chase handled it quickly and neatly, almost as soon as he'd pulled away, Harrison was beaming.
"Hey I...I can see! I can see you! Thank you!" He laughed happily, Chase looked ecstatic, and the other two looked happy and slightly emotional.
"Excuse me?! What's going on?" They turned to see a couple standing in the doorway.
"Are you Mr and Mrs Piper?" House asked.
"Yes we are. What on earth have you done to our son?"
"Saved his life, and his eyes, can we step out into the hallway."
"Actually-"
"I'm not asking. Move." Chase smiled as House got his nasty authoritative voice on, when he turned back to his two colleagues they were frowning.
"What?"
"What's with the look?"
"What look? I don't have a look."
"That's a look. I'm gonna figure it out." Foreman proclaimed, taking the scrubs and equipment with Cameron. Chase sat with Harrison while House tore apart any arguments the parents had about not having their consent to do the surgery and when they came back in, they were just so happy to have him with them again that they forgot their anger.
They thanked Chase profusely - all three of them - before the parents began chatting away furiously. Chase walked out, as he turned back, Harrison smiled at him and nodded happily.
Later when they were all back together in the meeting room, House called on Chase.
"Dr. Chase, my office please." Foreman and Cameron made jibes at him and he rolled his eyes but followed the older man.
"Yes?" Chase asked after five minutes of waiting House to speak as he sat playing on his gameboy.
"I hate to say it, but good work today, you did well." Chase was surprised and held back a huge smile.
"Thank you...what was that for? I mean, most of the time we do well and you don't say a thing."
"What can I say? I'm in a good mood, and it's the truth you did well and handled the patient."
"Well...thank you." House nodded awkwardly, getting back to his gameboy.
Chase watched him for a moment, he'd always thought House was very handsome but tonight he seemed even more attractive.
"You're staring at me." House mumbled and looked up. Chase felt himself turning red as he met those stunning blue eyes.
"I...I-I noticed that you weren't leaning as much on your cane today. Is your leg getting better?" Chase cursed himself mentally, he felt even more stupid now. House looked surprised.
"It does feel a bit better today." Chase nodded.
"We'll I'm glad." House looked at him calculatingly once again, trying to figure him out. Chase went red again and bid the older man a stammered goodnight, leaving the hospital before he could say any other stupid things.