The prodigal son returns.
Chase's POV
"The rest of you are not surfing enough."
House said, and I couldn't help but smile. That man had a talent, he could know your thoughts in a single minute. As everyone started the treatment I had no doubt that he knew. He knew that I was worried that my year of surfing had somehow dulled my skills. That was a normal thing, House can normally find things like that, every single time. What was not normal is, he hadn't made a snide comment. He had kind of reassured me in a way. Well you can never be sure with him, what he was trying. Maybe he was actually trying to help or maybe he was just screwing with everyone else. Just like this morning.
He actually hugged me this morning and how to forget his line, "The prodigal son has returned." Well times like this I never know what to think. Did he mean that? Or was that just a joke? Well not like it matters to me. He can mean it or not it doesn't make any difference. Ya that's why you were so jealous when he said the same to Taub. Well ok, it did matter, more when he said the same thing to Taub. But that kind of proved my theory that it was just a joke. Thank god that I didn't return his hug. To think the humiliation he could have put me through if I had returned the hug. But to tell the truth I would have returned it if I wasn't that shocked. Well House is definitely not a hugger, he didn't even said 'Hi' when I entered in this morning and then when he suddenly hugged me I was shocked, to do anything. And that shock kind of saved you from lot of humiliation. I thought as I entered the locker room to find Foreman. We somehow ended up talking about House and his plan. More like 'no plan' to screw with Foreman. He left shortly after that.
The discussion with Foreman was good in a way. It's funny sometimes that how people can still not see House's plan. The look Foreman gave me when I told him House's plan was telling in itself. I had received that look before, the one that said, 'How the hell you can tell what he is thinking' or the one which said 'you are the only one who can find his plan'. That must be a perk of working with him for so many years. Well lots of good that did for you. You still can't figure out what he meant this morning. If he meant it, when he said that to you, when he said it to Taub. Or it was joke both the times? Or the first time he really meant it. I desperately wanted to believe the last option. I know it was a dumb thin, but I had always thought of House as a Mentor and to him to say a thing like that…. That would really… ya like he would ever mean that. This is the same man who laughed at me when I hugged him last time and he knew that I was thinking that he had cancer. It was definitely a joke. Gregory House would never say a thing like that in seriousness, I decided as I started to make my way to the 'opening ceremony of outer office'
House POV-
Like always, it was Chase who found the solution. No surprise there. He was the only one capable of finding things that even I had missed. Not like it ever ends good for him. Last time it had earned him a punch. But I was really glad that he was the one to find that thing. It was clear that he was thinking that his year on the beach had dulled his skills. The way he looked when I declared that there was nothing to do and they should all go home… for a moment I thought that he would oppose. But he hadn't. He knew a losing battle when he saw one and then he found a way to win it. I sometimes think that the name on this cabin will one day show 'Robert Chase, M.D.' not anyone else can ever do this job.
That brought my mind back to the events of this morning. I had thought that he would react. Not that I was expecting my hug returned or something but he could have said something. Well at least it makes us even now. Last time he hugged and I stood like a statue, this time he stood there as a statue. At least he had given me a warning.
I had actually felt good the first time I learnt that he left medicine when I was not there. Maybe it was petty but hey a guy likes to know that at least someone's life got affected when he went to jail. He was like me in so many ways. He was the one who actually punched me just to keep everyone at distance, the one who started a pulling bet in who would I fire next and then made a deal with me to not fire anyone. The one who could do the simple math, kill one person or that person will kill thousands. I would have done the same maybe. So yes in a way I really felt like 'my prodigal son has returned.' Would have been better if he had shown a single reaction. Then I wouldn't have had to go and say the same thing to Taub, just to make sure that he doesn't take me seriously. Well it will not be good to let everyone know that he was special. Weaknesses like that were for morons. He was just a doctor who worked for me. One of the best who worked for me.
I was shaken out of my thoughts when I saw the whole team enter my office ready for the 'opening ceremony of outer office'. And if I felt good that he was now again a part of said team and standing there…..well that was just because he was a good doctor. Yes that was it.
Tell me what you think. Im thinking of adding one more chap but not sure. Want them both to talk in the next chap. Tell me if I should.