A/N: Double update! If you noticed faster but more consistent writing, blame my organize-everything compulsion XD Wilson chooses to save Amber but what consequences does this bring? Reviews are welcome! characters (C) FOX, Silent Hill (C) KONAMI

X- The Pet Stop

It didn't take Wilson too much time to find the Pet Stop; the building still retained some of its original decorations to spot it even through the fog. "Here, use this in case something attacks you," he said as he handed his newfound travelling companion Kutner's cleaver while arming himself with the handgun. Wilson then tried entering through the main door only to find it locked. "Shit," he reluctantly hissed before asking Amber "Is there another way in?" "The back door I suppose," she replied while shrugging; this was the first time she'd be making this trip.

She then pointed to a slim alleyway between the two buildings with almost no space to allow the two grown adults across. Slowly but steadily, Wilson and Amber shimmied their way to the back lots just in time to hear a disembodied snarl come from inside their intended establishment. The hairs on the oncologist's back rose up when he realized that no one was in the small enclosure other than Amber. "Tell me you heard that," his voice broke in fear, even worse when Volakis nodded with him. "This was a bad idea…"

Screw it; I broke out of the Hospital just fine, he reasoned while carefully opening the door. The Pet Stop was covered in perfect darkness but once Wilson shone his flashlight, he realized it was better off that way; the floor was covered in blood and remains of dead animals ranging from bird feathers to larger bone fragments. "Oh my God…something decimated this place," Wilson thought out loud as he spotted the mangled remains of what he assumed was a man. "We'd better find a key fast or we'll end just like him; we can't get to the church the same we got here," Amber retorted, completely ignoring the dead man and going over to the counter to search around.

Suddenly, both heard the same growl from outside now dangerously close to them, causing the two to flinch with their weapons. That doesn't sound like a Straightjacket or a Lady Legs…Wilson analyzed as his broken radio emitted a low but chaotic sound. When he lifted his flashlight towards the source, the silhouette of an emaciated dog rose up the red walls; the dog itself looked as if it was the product of a botched mummification procedure, its jaws salivating uncontrollably.

Amber screamed in terror as the monster hungrily lounged towards Wilson and almost rip out his arm had he not side-stepped in the last second. Using the split-second blind spot, Wilson fired two rounds into the dog, severely debilitating the pitiful creature until he could finish it off by slamming his foot into its neck. "What the hell was that?!" she fearfully inquired while James examined the body; etched on its leathery skin was the name and glared; this thing was House's doing. "Apparently, it's called a Snoopy," he spat back before resuming his search.

Twenty minutes of futile rummaging, neither Amber nor Wilson was any closer to finding a key when the formerly dead woman spotted a metal box. "Hey, I found this…maybe this holds the key," she suggested with hope as she handed it to Wilson. "Stands to reason," he surmised while he cautiously opened the item.

The box was actually a portable safe with a false bottom that had to be unlocked; the top side was decorated to resemble a diorama. The scene depicted had a forest and a finish line but was missing two shapes, one in the form of a rabbit and the other a turtle. Wilson figured it out in less than a second: The Tortoise and the Hare fable. "Amber, I need you to find anything that resembles either a rabbit or a turtle from the cages as fast as you can; I think Snoopy had company," he requested to which Amber swiftly reacted.

Just like clockwork, Wilson found the Tortoise piece in the Reptile cages while Amber located the Hare in the Rabbit cages. With the adrenaline pumping them, both doctors placed their contributions in their respective place; the Tortoise next to the Finish Line while the Hare lagged behind. The diorama clicked gloriously and revealed a small copper key with a tag that read "Cash Reg."

"Great, another puzzle," Amber groaned, her rush quickly dissipating whereas Wilson's lingered. Of course, House wouldn't have made it so easy…the oncologist recognized as he sprinted towards the Cash Register. Evidently, there was a lone typed note that read:

Three men, each with one hundred dead presidents, walk into a judge's table to bribe him in order to avoid jail time for their crimes.

The first man says, "I have stolen from many, how much will it take?" The judge says, "To erase your mistake, bring me double the amount."

The second man says, "I have raped two girls, how much will it take?" Appalled but not above his corruption, the judge says, "To make these charges, bring me $200 per girl."

The third man says, "I have killed a man, how much will it take?" The judge knew this man would be caught anyways but he did need a bit more money, he says "For murder, I charge you six times what you have in your hands."

"The cash register's the real puzzle here," Wilson assured Amber with a quick nod before he gave the riddle one more read. The story totaled in $1200 but James knew the code wasn't the sum but instead, the adding order. "200, 400, 600," he said as he typed in the numbers. The Cash Register sang a Sales chime and the money drawer popped out with three precious items: handgun ammunition, a key with the Pet Stop's logo and a scrap of paper that read,

Note on Fire House: We're remodeling the Garage so drop off Snoopy through the Civilians' Area. Key's Chuck's truck, combo 4539

Both doctors were relieved at such a development; there could be other people besides them. "Thank God we're going somewhere or this might've been another wild goose chase," Amber sighed, "like the time House had us run tests for some patient." Wilson's head snapped back when he heard his girlfriend say that; he knew that patient's case quite well since it was during the diagnostician's search for a new team back in PPTH. "You're remembering!" James exclaimed as he wrapped Volakis in his arms. Amber's eyes lit up at the motion; she did remember something!

Concluding that this search was beneficial, both agreed to continue on to the abandoned Fire House. In their fleeting happiness, they neglected the angry stare of shadows as they exited the Pet Stop. The shadows vanished just as Wilson looked back; he could almost swear someone was watching them leave.