Disclaimer: don't own either ER or House, wishful thinking… but whatever.

A/N: R&R but no flames! Oh, and a friend told me that the children's ward is called NICO, but if it isn't please tell me so I can change it, thanks!

"We need to Incubate. Chase!" yelled Abby, but Chase was on it. Sam had joined the group and passed Chase everything. He was working on it as Abby said it.

"Got it. Just a second, and…I'm in!" He pulled the tube out and attached the ventilator. Ray was draining the blood from a bleeding chest wound while the other doctors swarmed about. Chase felt at home in the ER, the adrenaline pumped through his body as he worked. Stitching up a few more cuts. Ray clamped the bleeder and moved aside as Chase came by with the surgical needle.

"I got it," he said and Ray headed off to find the guy a room. Once the cut was stitched they let out a collective sigh. The worst was over, he'd be on high alert for a couple days, but then he'd be fine.

"Good job, Chase," said Abby as she passed him to go check on a few of her other patients, he nodded.

"Thanks, Abby." In ER he'd learned the names pretty quickly. He recited them in his head. Abby, Ray, and Sam had been in ER with him, Luca was the attending, and that was all he could remember at that moment. A red headed doctor with a goatee passed him a chart and Chase looked up. They hadn't talked, or met for that matter. The doctor looked at him for a moment then nodded.

"You must be the new guy," he said and Chase nodded.

"Dr. Robert Chase, you are?"

"Archie Morris, attending," he said extending his hand. Chase put the file under one arm and shook his hand before moving to check on a girl who'd come in for stitches earlier.

"Nice to meet you, I've got to do a dressing change, but call if you need me," he called over his shoulder. Morris smiled as he watched Chase walk off. Two paramedics' wheeled in an elderly man who'd been pushed down the stairs and Morris and Ray were back in ER.

A week ago

House had finally resigned himself to talking to Chase, although he doubted the intensivist would tell him anything. Chase was in clinic that day, helping the inexcusably stupid seemed to be something Chase did more and more often. When House couldn't find Chase he was in one of two places, Clinic or NICO. Today was no different. House limped up to the nurse at reception.

"You haven't by chance seen a cute blond doctor, probably hiding in one of your exam rooms?"

"If you mean Dr. Chase, then yes I have," she said. House waited a moment, hoping she'd tell him which room he was in, but she didn't.

"Where is he?" he finally asked. The nurse smiled and pointed to Exam six. "Thanks you." He headed off to the room but turned around quickly.

"Something else, Dr. House?" asked the nurse.

"Yes, is Dr. Wilson around?"

"Exam five."

"Thanks," he said. "How convenient," he thought, "the two people I need are a room apart." He headed to Exam five first, barging in to find Wilson doing a check-up on a six year old boy.

"Need a consult."

"With a patient."

"Kind of important."

"Five minutes."

"Don't have that long." Wilson looked over his shoulder at the older doctor.

"Your patients going to die if I don't see him in five minutes?"

"It's Chase."

"I'm not helping you spy on Chase." Wilson returned to the patient at hand.

"You don't need to spy; you just need to help me out."

"Give me five minutes."

"Fine, but if he's gone by the time you get out, I'm blaming you. Exam six when you're done."

"Good bye, House." House left the room and headed the two steps to exam six. He needed to distract Chase until Wilson showed up.

"Dr. Chase!" he yelled as he entered. Chase looked at him from his position on the exam table. Chase was taking a nap.

"Can I help you?"

"Where's your patient?"

"Just left. I decided to take a nap. Now, what do you want?"

"Um…"

"I've got to go. I've got to be in NICO in ten."

"No, you don't. You're trying to hide from me by being busy in NICO and Clinic."

"Oh yes, I'm hiding. Kind of sounds like someone else I know."

"Like you really want to compare yourself to me. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're always sick, you're hiding from me, willingly spending time in Clinic and I'm pretty sure you're hiding something."

"You're paranoid." Chase headed to the door and opened it, only to find Wilson standing in the door way.

"Oh. Hello, Chase," he said. Chase smiled and pushed past him. House followed Chase and Wilson followed House, all three ended up crowded into the elevator.

"You're not getting away that easy," said House and he pushed the emergency stop button with his cane.

"What do you want?" asked Chase.

"He needs to talk," said Wilson.

"Who asked you?" asked Chase.

"He did."

"I did not!" said House.

"Oh, so you dragged me out of clinic for no reason then?"

"Possibly."

"Well then, start the elevator so I can get off."

"I need moral support."

"My God! What are you? Four? Talk to him for God's sake and let me out of this conversation."

"Fine. What the hell is wrong with you?" asked House, turning his attention back to the Aussie.

"Nothing. I just haven't been feeling well."

"I don't believe that."

"It's true."

"Eventually, you'll have to tell me."

"No, I don't. Now, let me out." Chase reached over and started the elevator again. House hit the stop button again.

"You can't leave yet."

"You can't keep me here, and you definitely can't keep him here."

"As much as that thought amuses me, I can keep both of you here as long as I need to. Now, what's going on?"

"Nothing!" Chase shouted and hit the button again, this time moving in front of the control pad to stop House from stopping the elevator again.

"You're not getting away that easily," he said, but the elevator came to a stop at the next floor and Chase walked out, leaving Wilson and House in the elevator.

"That went well," said Wilson.

"Hardly," muttered House pushing his way out of the elevator.

"He will out run you, House!" called Wilson, but House just shook his head and limped off after the other doctor. He found him in NICO, signing in with the head nurse.

"He won't be working here today. I need him," he said using his cane to knock the clipboard out of Chase's hands.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to talk to me!"

"I don't want to talk!"

"You don't get a choice! Now, come!" House actually grabbed Chase's arm and pushed him towards the elevator. He continued to poke Chase in the back with his cane to direct him inside the elevator which took them to House's office. He pushed Chase into the chair across from his desk and took a seat himself. Chase looked away defiantly and only looked back when House dropped his cane on his desk.

"Now, what's wrong?"

"What makes you think anything is wrong?"

"My massive intuition, the fact that you've been sick more often in the last three week then the entire time you've worked for me, and that what ever it is, I've probably been there." Chase scoffed.

"Intuition? Experience? You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. I caught you, spill."

"No."

"Yes."

"Not gonna happen." Chase's pager went off; he looked at it and stood to leave.

"Not so fast. What ever it is, it can wait."

"Your patient is dying, that can't wait." And he left the room, jogging down the hallway to the patient's room, leaving House in his office with just as many answers as he'd started with.