I must once again thank all of you wonderful people who have reviewed this story! I truly appreciate your compliments; your enthusiasm about my fic has been overwhelming! Thank you, thank you, thank you….
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House turned ashen as Vogler approached the bed, a nasty, wolfish smile across his face. He struggled to pull his upper body into a sitting position, looking desperately for the nurse's call button that had been pinned to the side of his bed. Goddamn it…it wasn't there…he fumbled in the sheets…it had been right here…
Vogler's smile widened and he held up the severed call button and swung it slowly back and forth. "Is this what you're looking for Dr. House? Sorry, I removed it while you were sleeping….I wanted to make sure we weren't interrupted this time."
House swallowed involuntarily. "That was….ah…really thoughtful of you, Vogler…I was so disappointed that we had to cut it short yesterday." He did his best to sound sarcastic, cursing to himself as he heard the alarm evident in his own voice. He felt the now-familiar clutch of fear churn in his stomach…Holy shit…Vogler had been standing right beside him, watching while he slept…completely vulnerable. He felt sick.
House's eyes darted around the room, coming to rest on the telephone sitting on the bedside table. He leaned over quickly, ignoring the pain in his side, and made a grab for the receiver. The line was dead. Vogler laughed, his eyes gleaming. "Come on now, Dr. House…if I was busy removing any possible avenues of distraction, don't you think I would have taken care of the phone, too?"
House put the phone down and couldn't help but look desperately towards the door, hoping someone...anyone... would come in. Vogler followed House's gaze and smiled. "Incidentally, I also made sure the nurses on this ward are all really busy in one of the rooms way down at the other end of the corridor. Some kind of emergency…" House closed his eyes briefly, trying to control the rising panic. He quickly opened them again to see Vogler continue his swaggering approach.
"Look Greg", Vogler spoke as if he were addressing a child. "I brought you a present."
House noticed for the first time that Vogler held a sleek, wooden cane in his right hand. Shit. He couldn't let this happen again. He had to try something…he couldn't just lay here and get beat up again.
Vogler advanced towards the bed, raising the cane as if to strike. Gritting his teeth, House heaved his body sideways, throwing his legs over the side of the bed opposite Vogler…Maybe, if he could keep the bed between them…Ignoring the surge of pain, he let his feet hit the floor and tried to stand. He heard Vogler laugh as he staggered for a moment, his head reeling, then fell heavily to the floor as his leg collapsed. He cried out as the pain exploded in his thigh, his chest heaved and once again he found himself gasping for air. Damn. He writhed on the ground, trying to roll under the bed…Vogler hadn't even touched him and he was cowering on the floor! Goddamn, freaking pathetic….
Vogler grinned in appreciation, his face beaming, and he laughed. "Tsk, tsk, Greg…now why did you go and fall out of bed like that?" He strode over to where House lay, tucked the cane under his arm and knelt down. House groaned in pain as Vogler, seemingly without effort, picked him up roughly and threw him back onto the bed. House gaped at him confusedly as Vogler replaced the blankets over his legs and started to tuck him in…
"There, there…isn't that better?" Vogler asked. House flinched as Vogler pulled the blankets up way too tight across his searing right leg and jammed the ends under the mattress, effectively pinning him to the bed. Vogler stood back as House eyed him apprehensively, breathing rapidly in shallow gasps. "Now about your present…"
Vogler pulled the cane out from under his arm and grasped it in both his hands, holding it towards House. "Isn't it a beauty?" Vogler admired the cane. "It's handmade from black walnut with sterling silver inlay on the handle." He waved it back and forth like a sword, inches from House's face, enjoying the obvious fear in House's eyes as they followed its movements.
House willed himself not to flinch as Vogler continued to flourish the cane around his head. Vogler laughed again, "What's wrong Doc…nothing to say?" Suddenly, he raised the cane high into the air then brought it crashing downwards with all his strength. House raised his hands to fend off the blow he was sure was coming.
The cane landed with a muffled thump beside him on the bed, the enormous power behind Vogler's swing evident from the shockwave traveling through the mattress. House opened his eyes, his hands still in front of his face. He could feel his heartbeat…way, way too fast…hammering against his ribs. Goddamn it. He had never felt so powerless, so defenseless, in his life. Part of his brain realized that this was no doubt Vogler's goal…to terrorize him…but he couldn't seem to think of anything to do to stop it...not even anything clever to say. Freaking useless…
Vogler grinned again, "What's up Greg, don't trust me?" He poked House hard in the ribs with the tip of the cane. House hissed and tried to grab the wooden shaft out of Vogler's hands. "Oh, now, why did you have to go do that?" Vogler smiled wolfishly.
Pulling House's upper body forward on the bed, Vogler effortlessly yanked the cane out of House's hands and backhanded him hard across the face with it. The force of the blow was stunning and House was knocked sideways; his weight pulled the blankets free of the mattress and he was thrown completely off the bed. He hit the floor with his right knee and screamed as the damaged leg folded underneath his weight. He rolled on the ground in agony, his eyes jammed shut, trying to focus on the sounds of Vogler's steps as he approached from the other side of the bed.
Vogler looked down at him, shaking his head. "Now that one was your fault, Greg. You shouldn't try to take a present until it's been formally given to you." He regarded the cane once more. "I did wreck your other cane so I thought I could make amends by bringing you a new one." He tapped House's right leg with the silver-inlaid handle; House groaned and curled his body around the leg. "Come on, Greg, Say thank you to me for bringing you a gift…"
"Go to hell…" House spoke so quietly, Vogler almost didn't hear.
"What was that, Dr. House?" Vogler leaned forward and prodded him hard in the back with his foot. House cringed. "Did I hear you say something?
House didn't care anymore. Everything hurt. He couldn't do anything else…
"I said, Go to hell!"
Vogler grinned savagely. "That's my boy!" He kicked House hard in the ribs. House gasped loudly and tried to roll away. "I was wondering whether you had any guts." Vogler raised the cane once more…
His swing was interrupted when the hospital room door opened and a burly man leaned in. One of the goons. "Mr. Vogler", he said quickly, "Sorry to disrupt your visit Sir, but someone's coming."
"Go get the car." Vogler ordered and the goon took off running. Vogler sighed, looking once again at House. He bent down and grabbed the front of House's gown, twisting it tight around his neck and lifting House's face towards his. "Look at me, Greg." House's eyes opened and he tried to focus on Vogler's face. "You know I really enjoy our time together. We'll have to do this again soon.""
The door suddenly swung wide and Wilson walked in, looking down at the contents in the bag he carried. "Hey Greg…Lisa should be here with your discharge papers any second…I found your Nike's and some jeans and…" He stopped mid-sentence, his mouth open in shock at the sight of Vogler standing beside the bed, holding his friend up by the throat. House had blood on his face and his legs appeared to be crumpled beneath him.
"Don't move Dr. Wilson!" Vogler shouted. "Unless you want me to break his neck…"
Wilson stopped dead in his tracks…."Vogler", he sputtered, "You Bastard…leave him alone! For god sakes, leave him be!"
Vogler laughed maniacally and threw House to the floor. "Just can't seem to avoid these interruptions, can we Greg?" Vogler stood up, holding the cane in one hand, he drew a pistol from a shoulder holster under his coat, effectively halting Wilson's furious approach. He kicked House hard in the side again for good measure. House hissed and held his ribs. "Dr. House, listen to what I am saying…I can get to you, no matter where you are...Remember that...Anytime, anywhere I choose."
Cuddy, entered the room, and stopped abruptly, stunned at the sight before her. "Oh my god…House!" she exclaimed.
"Well good afternoon Dr. Cuddy", Vogler smiled, pointing the handgun in her direction, "How nice to see you again. Dr. House and I were just finishing up." He placed the sleek black cane on the empty hospital bed and turned back towards House. "I'll leave your get-well present right here, Greg. I guess visiting hours are over…See you around…"
He motioned for Wilson and Cuddy to move away from the door, and then strode calmly from the room. Cuddy looked at Wilson, their eyes locked. "Help him", she pleaded, "I'll get someone...a gurney." She disappeared into the hallway.
Wilson rushed over to where House lay, crumpled and moaning on the floor. "Oh shit, Greg…What did he do?….." He saw the deep laceration on House's left cheek, blood from the wound running down his friend's face.
House looked up at Wilson, pain clouding his face. "James…" he rasped weakly, "I couldn't do anything…I tried...I wasn't able to…"
"It's okay now Greg, it's okay…the bastard's gone. " He felt House shaking against him; he could tell his friend was fighting for control. Wilson held him tentatively by the shoulders as House finally stopped struggling and a long, choking sob filled the room.
