Disclaimer: Nada est mine. Even in three languages.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time...there weren't as many as usual, but I understand that chapter was a little slow in pace compared to more recent ones. This one picks up the pace again (read: another cliffhanger). Enjoy! Oh, and if you're looking for something light-hearted and fun, check out Bedside Manners (on my author page).

A/N: Much thanks, Melissa.


House kept his eyes trained on Sid as Chase slowly, incredulously, began to take in his surroundings. Sid was watching him with what appeared to be uncertain restraint, his fingers lightly wrapped around the trigger, as though itching to pull it, yet unable to do so. Instead, he seemed content to watch Chase look around the room, seeming to relish in the look of horror slowly filling his eyes.

"Allison," he breathed. He checked to see that Sid was no longer aiming the gun at him, and then darted across the room toward her. His eyes found the bullet hole on her leg, and House saw him inspecting the wound, and knew he had figured out that there wasn't an exit wound. Chase slipped his hands beneath hers so that they were covering the wound instead, and Cameron leaned toward him to rest her head on his shoulder.

"What happened?" Chase asked her in a shaky voice. "How did this happen?"

House glanced at Sid to see if he would try to prevent Cameron from answering, but it seemed like Sid had accepted that since Chase was already in the room, it would be fruitless to prevent him from learning anything. Sid did not meet House's gaze when he looked at him; he was staring at Chase and Cameron with an expression of…was it longing? House frowned.

"I – I–" Cameron was unable to answer, and House could tell that her resolve was breaking at last. She buried her face into Chase's shoulder as she began to cry. No one else spoke as the sounds of Cameron's sobs filled the room, not even Sid, who looked more uncomfortable than ever. Chase was unable to hug her, as both of his hands were on her leg, but he rested his head on top of hers in a makeshift embrace. House met Cuddy's eyes, and he was slightly surprised to see she was tearing up, too. He felt an almost painful urge to do something, to comfort her, but just as he was about to move toward her, Sid's voice stopped him.

"Right," he was muttering. "Yeah, right."

"Got something you want to share with the class, Sid?" House asked loudly.

Sid looked at him sullenly, but did not respond, although he did fall silent. House noticed he was still watching Chase and Cameron with something of a glare on his face, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. House checked to see that Sid's fingers were not becoming too trigger-happy, and was mollified to see that Sid had relaxed his grasp on the weapon. He decided to take advantage of Sid's silence by answering Chase's question.

"It's supposed to be a social experiment," House explained. "A contest to see who can be a biggest idiot the fastest. Winner gets a bullet as a prize." The sarcasm that came to him so naturally felt almost foreign to his ears; it felt wrong to make light of a situation that had ended with his best friend dead.

As though Chase had heard House's thoughts, he asked, "Is that what happened to Wilson?"

"Not exactly," House responded. "Wilson was the victim of someone who failed high school biology, and probably a few other classes, all things considered."

Chase looked at Sid appraisingly before turning back to House. "I don't understand."

"Typical," House couldn't stop himself from muttering.

"Why – why are you here?" Chase continued, ignoring House. "How did he get all of you in a room together…with a gun…."

"I was already here." Cameron drew back from Chase, having found her voice at last. "I was here with Cuddy, and he followed us in," she explained. "He made Cuddy page Wilson and House."

"But – why?" Chase asked uncomprehendingly.

"Why does anyone ever hold a gun to my head?" House asked. "They either want me to diagnose someone, or they're upset that I didn't diagnose someone. I just can't win."

"I don't remember him as a patient," Chase said. "Or even a potential one."

"He obviously wasn't a patient, since that's why he's here. His wife and kids all had some disease that trashed their kidneys, and he thinks we could have diagnosed it in time to treat and spare the lives of the kids."

"They couldn't get a transplant?"

House scoffed. "Well, that's the question, isn't it?"

"Only one daughter and the wife were a match," Cuddy explained. "And he chose to give the kidney to the wife. Both children died."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Chase said mechanically to Sid, "but I don't understand what this has to do with us. Holding House hostage won't bring your family back."

"I know that," Sid snapped. House was slightly disconcerted to hear that Sid's tone had become more agitated. "I'm not stupid."

"You're doing a really good impression of it," House interjected.

"Enough!" Sid screamed. He pointed to Cameron. "I gave you what you wanted. Now, let's get on with it. I want that baby out in ten minutes."

Chase turned back to Cameron. "What's he talking about?"

Cameron swallowed nervously. "That's – that's what I wanted to tell you on the phone. I'm pregnant."

"I can see that," Chase replied, a slight edge to his voice. "Is it – who's the father?"

"You are," she whispered.

House watched as Chase blinked, trying to comprehend. Then it clicked. "During the lockdown?" he asked. She nodded. "And you came back to – to tell me?"

Cameron nodded again. "I'm so sorry," she said in a rush. "I should have told you sooner, should have called or written or – or something. But I didn't know how to tell you, and I'd just made you sign the divorce papers – I thought that you needed space…I'm really sorry," she finished.

"It's okay," Chase replied softly. "I understand."

"All right then," Sid said, moving toward them. "You've told him, and a deal's a deal. Your son will have a father." He looked around at House. "Where are the supplies?"

"Wait!" Chase exclaimed. "Wait – what are you – you're not having a C-section now, are you?"

"She is, actually," Sid answered before Cameron could explain. "She agreed that if I allowed her to tell you about the baby, she would do the C-section, and then allow me to kill her."

House felt a twinge of nervousness; he hadn't actually intended for her to go through with the plan. He didn't look around the room for the supplies (though he knew they wouldn't be there anyway), but continued to watch Sid cautiously. His reaction, however, was nothing compared to Chase's.

"What?" he yelled. "You – you can't! Why? Why would you do that?"

Cameron's eyes were glistening with tears again. "Because someone has to. He won't let anyone go until two of us are dead."

"But why you?" Chase asked desperately. "You're pregnant, it's not right!"

"Please understand," Cameron begged. "I've been shot and everyone has already risked their lives to keep me from bleeding out. I don't want anyone else to die." House noted that she didn't add the justification she had used in her explanation before, about him and Cuddy, but was unsurprised when Chase noticed that her calculations were leaving out someone.

"But what about me?" He sounded close to tears himself. "What am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to raise our son," Cameron answered quietly. House saw her squeeze one of Chase's hands that was still covering the wound on her leg. "That's why I told you. Please, Chase, just let me do this."

"Allison, if you love me, you won't do this," he pleaded. "Please don't do this to me, don't do this to our son-"

"Enough!" Sid screamed. He had raised the gun again, his face livid, and his whole body shook with rage. "Shut up!" he snapped at Chase. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! Listen to yourself, you sound pathetic! Your wife never loved you; she just used you for sex, the filthy whore. You said it yourself: If she loved you, she wouldn't be killing herself to save someone else."

"No! Robert, please, that's not true-"

"Shut up!" Sid screamed again, this time at Cameron. "You ungrateful bitch. I gave you everything, everything! And you wouldn't do anything for me in return. You won't even speak to me!"

House's eyes narrowed. Cameron seemed too stunned to move, let alone have been listening carefully enough to Sid's yelling to notice that he no longer seemed to be talking about her. The gun in Sid's hand was shaking harder than ever, but he had placed both hands on the trigger now. Warily, House took a step forward.

"I saved my wife's life," Sid was raving. "She would have died without my kidney, and I gave it to her, and all she cares about is the fact I didn't save the children instead. But don't you understand, I don't love the children the same way I love her. And he doesn't love your son the same way he loves you. Why can't you see that? Why are you so willing to die?"

"I'm dying to save my son," Cameron responded quietly. House groaned inwardly. "It's instinct. We protect our young – your wife was only trying to get you to do the same thing."

"Don't – talk – about – my – wife!" Sid shrieked. "She's dead to me, just like I'm dead to her. Do you hear me? She is nothing to me – nothing! She's as good as dead!"

House realized what Sid was going to do an instant too late. Sid had pulled the trigger at last. The sound of Sid's laughter, loud and maniacal, filled the room over the sound of the bullet making contact with flesh.

"And now you're dead to me, too."


A/N: If you kill me, you won't find out who it was! If you don't review, you won't find out either.