Christmas Shoes- Off Duty

chapter 7

"............thank you all soooo much for your support! here's the nex chap, enjoy!"

( 2 days after chapter 6)

House was beginning to worry. Chase hadn't been himself ever since he learned of April's condition. The time had come quicker than any one had guess. There was now absolutely nothing that they doctors could do- April was dying at a rather rapid paste.

House found himself also saddened by this news, but not like Chase, who had lost his mind over it. Unlike Chase, he had accepted that the only thing left for them to do is make April's last week of living the most comforting and best week's of her life....................

Chase had no confidence left that he would cure April. He had been working in the lab for hours, and still had nothing.

Chase's eyes were beginning to turn red from being sleep-deprived, and he kept tripping on his tired legs as they screamed at him to rest. Chase had no intention on stopping,though. No matter how crazy it made him, he'd continue until April was cured....................

The rest of House's team stared at Chase through the glass door. He was making several mistakes; not only in his tests, but continuing on this nonsense. April couldn't be cured, and that was final.

"Poor Chase." Cameron said to Foreman.

"When she dies, I can't even imagine what he'll be like." Foreman said.

"I think that House is beginning to worry himself. He's been pacing in his office for awhile. And when I came in,he was mumbling Chase's name." Wilson said.

"We can't let him keep going like this. We have to stop him before he hurts some one." Cuddy said as she joined the conversation.

"Or hurts himself." Wilson replied.

"But what can we do? None of us will be able to stop him on our own, and if we all go i there" he was stopped when House walked down the hall, joining the conversation.

"He'll freak out." House finished his sentence.

"Then what do we do?" Cameron asked.

"WE, do nothing. ME, on the other hand, will.

"Foreman, clinic duty, Cameron," House stopped, trying to figure something out for her todo.

"Um............follow Wilson around.

"And Wilson, Cuddy, don't try to stop my employees from doing their job."

House turned around and headed to the lab door.

"Good bye." he said as he entered the room. House shut the door behind him, and then turned to Chase.

"Hello, Chase." House said, trying to get his attention.

"Who gave you permission to run these tests?" he asked.

"Me, myself, and I." Chase answered.

House was stunned; he had never heard Wombat talk like that. He sounded sleep-deprived, but more mean than anything.

"Well, aren't you in a good mood?" House asked sarcastically.

Chase threw the stethoscope he had in his hand harshly on the the table. He folded his arms over his chest, and glared at House.

"What do you want, House?" he snapped.

"I want you to think sanely again. You need sleep, you need to let this go. It isn't any one here's fault she's dying. It happens, Chase. People die."

House paused, having an epiphany.

He started walking toward Chase. Now knowing what he did know, he could make Chase talk.

"You did something, didn't you?" House asked, pointing his cane at Chase.

Chase turned around and picked up the stethoscope.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he mumbled.

"Oh, you know damn right what I'm talking about."

House walked closer to Chase.

"What did you do?" House whispered.

Chase put down the stethoscope again, and walked farther away from House.

House followed.

"I........................I......................." he stuttered.

"Chase, what did you do?" he said, trying to encourage the boy to talk.

Chase turned slowly, so he was now facing House.

"I........um........sorta slept with her. But not as in like sex, I just slept with her." Chase admitted shyly.

"Oh." House said, not sure what to think about what he was just told.

"Now, how exactly did this happen?" House asked, genuinely curious, but it still came out sarcastic.

Chase turned around, facing the open glass wall, watching the people go by.

"It started when......................."

(flashback form; just imaigne in those movies where a character in the present is talking, but the scene is in flashback form)

"I was working late that night. Cuddy had asked me to stay a couple hours longer. There were a lot of patients in the clinic, and she wanted to know if I could help her so that she could get them all done quicker. And I agreed.

"I started making my way down to the clinic, not entirely rushing, either. I didn't really want to help Cuddy, but something told me that I needed todo this. I needed an excuse to stay in the hospital.

"When I got to the clinic, Cuddy handed me some files, and directed me into an empty patient room, which she was using as a second clinic.

"There was a line of people outside the door, so I guessed it would be best for me to hurry.

"And so clinic duty begun..................

"After awhile, a man came in who said that his head hurt, but Cuddy never gave me his file. I told the man that I would be back in a minute, then headed toward the actual clinic.

"As I was walking down the hallways, I heard a scream. When I walked past April's room, I found out it was her who had screamed.

"I now knew why I had felt as though I needed to stay."

Chase paused, lost in the thoughts of his story.

"April needed me." Chase whispered.

"When I got in the room, she was screaming. She looked terrified- as if she had a really bad dream.

"I asked her what was wrong, and she told me it was just a bad dream.

"The next thing I knew, she was in tears. I didn't understand why she was cruing, but I knew that I couldn't leave her."

Chase paused, taking a long sigh.

"I took off my lab coat, then curled up next to her.

"Her skin was very hot, so I took her temperature. It was slightly risen, but still enough to be noticed.

"I asked her if she was cold, and she shook her head yes.

"And then that's when I made a mistake."

Chase turned around to face House, who seemed very curious o see where this was going.

House limped closer to Chase before he said anything.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"After an hour or so, she was still crying, and it was getting late. I knew that she needed to sleep.

"My shirt was drenched from her tears, and it was making her shiver."

"So you took it off." House said, not guessing, but stating.

"Yes, I took it off.

"I tried my best to comfort her, and after a while, she finally fell to sleep.

"But, unfortunately, so did I." Chase said.

"Cuddy came looking for you, didn't she?" House asked.

"Yeah, and she found me, too."

"Ouch, she gave you hell for that, didn't she?" House smirked.

"She found me lying in bed with a sixteen year girl with my shirt off. Yeah, she gave me just a little bit of hell for that." Chase laughed.

"Did you tell her what had actually happened?"

"No, I didn't.

"But she did tell me that I had become to emotionally attached to her. She told me that I should take myself off the case. But she wouldn't force me, though." Chase added.

House and Chase stood silent for a moment as House digested what he was just told.

"So what are you going to do?" House asked.

"I'm taking myself off. Cuddy was right." Chase answered.

"I can't watch her die." Chase whispered.

Tears ran down his face in streams, and House never did like tears.

"Chase, you knew this would happen. You became too close to her. Every one here will miss her, even me, Chase."

'' I know.'' Chase managed to whisper through his tears.

House walked toward the blinds, and shut them.

He turned around to Chase, and walked towards him.

Before Chase knew it, House was hugging Chase; telling him it would be okay.

A few minutes later, the doctors decided to sit on the floor.

Chase laid his head on House's lap as his tears stained his shirt.

House couldn't even imagine what Chase would do once April was gone, and he was sure he didn't want to know.........................

"...............and so the story continues! just a heads up, there will only be a couple of chapters left. i was planning on having a lot more april in this story, but as you can see, that didn't work out very well. sorry about that, by the way. i hope you liked it! please r&r!