/

/

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House closed his eyes, letting his drain body began to relax. He knew he should sleep, he needed to go to work tomorrow. He needed to get a new case, he needed to get his mind working, focused on something else.

Ann did the trick but only for a little while. After the scene at the park, Ann had sat with him for a little while longer before she pulled herself to stand, suggesting they return to her bakery. House didn't feel up to it so he made an excuse to return back home. Ann gave in and much to his surprise, walked with him back home. She could have offered to walk to her car and pick him up and drive him back home, would have saved the hour walk or perhaps hauled down a cab and paid for his ride. No, she walked that hour at his side, chatting about anything that came into her mind. House learned she was a smart little cookie, thou she was very modest. She talked big but had nothing to back it up. One comment about her breasts and her face went bright red but call her an moron and she'll just shrug and call him an idiot.

They reached their apartment complex and when he opened the door, she grabbed his wrist, stopping him from entering. Looking back, he expected her to say something along the lines of, 'can't be alone' or 'you shouldn't'. But she reached into her purse and pulled out a planner. Letting his wrist go, she wrote a quick note before handing it over whispering.

"Just in case… Take care Dr. House."

With that, she turned and left, going back to the working world, leaving him alone like he wanted.

Staring at the folded sheet of paper on his night stand, he pressed his lips. Ann's cell number. Like he would call her in the middle of the night or something; sobbing his little heart out, whining about his fears to her, like a freaking women. Turning away, he grabbed his spare pillow and hugged it to himself. Just one night of sleep, that's all he needed. His thigh throbbed and inched its claws along to his spine, warning him, telling them to take another bite of that sweet candy of his drug. To dull everything once again.

But as he thought, the more he began to draw away. If he went back on Vicodin, he could return to his normal self. That brilliant pill popping bastard. He could be once again, normal in his eyes. The more he thought, the more he began to reach for that orange bottle; a doubt began to form in his mind. What would happen if his choice became a repeat? What if, one day he fell asleep and when he woke, he would find Amber sitting across from him, her knowing smirk covering her lips. Perhaps it would be Kutner this time, a frown on his sad face, ignoring the dripping blood at his temple.

Or perhaps; it would be Wilson, curled up next to him, asleep, unaware. Maybe House could get that illusion again, maybe he could get Wilson in his mind instead in his reality.

To risk that chance or waking up to a new horror. What if none of them came but Hanna? What if he awakes and finds her across from him, dirt covered, teary eyes. Blood dripping to the floor from her missing leg that he removed. What if she sat there and followed him, each time sobbing, asking him why constantly bugging him to save her, to help her. She put her life in his hands, her trust and he let it slip through his fingers. What if that greeted him? No mental hospital would be able to cure him, House truly believed that if he was greeted with that dead end, he would off himself before she could utter that plea.

Help me..

Burying his face into his pillow, he took a deep breath and sighed. He needed to rest and he hoped that when his body shut down, he would see nothing but black emptiness.

/

/

Someone was calling for him. House shock his head lightly in the darkness, his eyes straining to see. Someone was calling his name. He searched but nothing greeted him, nothing told him where he was or where the voice was echoing from. It was just darkness, pit black darkness. The voice grew louder and a light began to glow. A tunnel. The voice was coming from it, was whispering mumbles that he could not understand.

That voice was so scared, he could not turn away. Something in him tugged, telling him to go, telling him to run. So with a huff, he sprinted, following those whispers. He would help, he was a doctor. That's what they were suppose to do. The closer he got to the light, the brighter it seemed to shine, blinding him for a second. The voice didn't let up but grew, wrapping its plea around his body in a shivering mass of fear. Something was wrong.

Closing his eyes tightly, House covered his ears, his body falling to his knees. To loud, it hurt. His voice ripped out in a yell as he fell to his back, his hands squeezing, nails digging into his hair as he struggled to deafen himself to it.

Something snagged him and pressure began to build on his legs. Eyes snapped wide, he let out a scream that shot the light around him, surrounding him. It glowed and pulsed until fading away, leaving behind rocks, cement.

"N-No." House uttered, his eyes wide with fear. The light drained away, letting him see the dust in the air, the sand. Metal rods poking out of cracked rocks, the sounds of digging, voices muffled from the distance.

He was back in the building. He went to move but pressure made him hiss out. With a glance down, another scream ripped from him in agony.

He was pinned under a slab of cement that was once the garage roof. He yelled out, panic setting in, his hands gripping the cement block, trying to push it, trying to lift it off his leg. He was where Hanna was, he was trapped!

"Help me!" He shouted, coughing on his own tears. He could hear the voices, but they were to far away, the machines were to loud. No one could hear him. Throwing his head back into the ground, he yelled out, his hands gripping his thigh tightly.

"Someone! Please! Help me!"

/

/

House bolted straight up in his bed, his fingers clutching his sheet tightly. His eyes wide with fear, his body drenched in sweat. Closing his eyes, House took deep breaths, touching his face with his shaking hands. "Damn." He muttered. Another night and those dreams wouldn't go away.

A hiss passed through his teeth when his thigh kicked into over drive, sinking its teeth into House's nerves that he threw himself onto his left side grabbing his thigh tightly. He needed his pills, he needed help! In a blind state of need, House reached out his hands and knocked away object that lingered on his night stand until he found his phone. He didn't even look at the numbers as his thumbed dialed that all to familiar rhythm.

/

/

The phone was ringing, stirring Wilson from his dreams. Opening his eyes slowly, he glanced to his clock with a groan. Sam muttered beside him, pulling the covers over her shoulders, burying herself a little deeper in her warm cocoon of sleep. Wilson lifted his head, his arm giving her a squeeze while he was still draped around her. She let out a deep sigh before he rolled over, reaching for his nightstand, removing the noisy device that interrupted.

"Hello?" He muttered, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Hey Wilson, what you doing?"

Wilson let out a groan at the sound of House's chipper voice. "Sleeping, its three in the morning."

"Really? Wow, time flies when you masturbate."

"I didn't need to know that."

"Oh well, I'm bored, so how about coming over and spending some man time over here. You got to be tired of the couple life by now."

Wilson frowned at sound of House's voice. It sounded' like he was pain. "House, I'm going to bed."

"Don't be a bitch Wilson, show you have some balls, get over here."

Wilson's shoulder slumped as he sat up fully. Damn, he forgot how annoying this was. Ever since House moved out, he never made a call or attempted to get Wilson over in the middle of the night. Wilson thought House finally found something or someone to bug or perhaps, deep down, House was still angry at him for kicking him out. Wilson would admit, he kind of liked it. He got to spend more time with Sam, got to finally have a life he always wanted. That he had once with Amber… House was giving him space and Wilson didn't want to go back to their old ways.

"Wilson… I need you."

Wilson closed his eyes a little. The tone in House's voice was different, it was a plea. House was not the one to beg unless it was for good reason. This worried Wilson, but then again, it could be a trick. Never put it past House to use his 'mock' pain in order to guilt Wilson into giving him everything he ever wanted.

Wilson tilted his head back onto to the head board. Damn, he couldn't bring himself to say no. He opened his mouth to tell House he would be over but movement paused him. Sam pushed herself up onto her elbows, her clouded eyes shadowed in the darkness as she looked upon him.

"James?" She muttered, her blond hair brushing along her cheeks. "What's going on?"

"Its House." Wilson answered, his free hand brushing back her hair. "He's… having problems sleeping. I might just swing by and make sure everything alright."

"Oh, I forgot House turned back into a five year old." Sam yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Wilson sighed, "It'll be just for a little bit. I'll be back in an hour."

"No you won't." Sam argued, her face showing annoyance. "It never takes an hour when your with House."

"Well what do you suppose I do?"

Sam reached out before he knew it and snatched the phone from his grip. "House?" She placed the phone to her ear. Wilson tried to get it back but she only pushed his hands away. "House, stop being selfish and go to bed. Wilson has to work in a few hours." With that, she pulled the phone away and clicked it off.

Wilson sat there wide eyes as she tossed the phone onto the floor, where it lite back to life as it rang once again, House's name printed on the I.D.

"Sam-"

"Wilson, you're going to have to cut the cord. Now, come to bed."

Wilson pressed his lips in a fight but Sam smiled warmly, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Or… if your not tired. We could do something else."

That idea made his eye brows shot up. Closing his eyes a little, a smile touched Wilson's face before letting his lips touch her own, lowering her back onto their bed.

House would be fine.

/

/

House stared at his phone as the dial tone greeted his ears. It wasn't surprising when Wilson refuse to come over, that was fine, but what wasn't was the fact he let Sam do it. He curled his fingers into the phone tightly, never had Wilson let his counter part fight his battles for him. House gritted his teeth, his hand shaking. Why? Why was he left alone? Why didn't Wilson care for him like before? Slamming his phone down, he gripped his knees again, hissing out the pain. He was sick of waiting, he was sick of waiting by and watching his friend be happy, be tricked into loving an image that wasn't true. He hated Sam. He hated her!

Sitting on the side of his bed, he lowered his head into his hands, raking his nails along threw his hair. His body was drained, his eyes sore. He was so tired but he feared to go to sleep. He willed himself to stay awake but he didn't want to be alone. He was sick of being alone. His toes curled, crumpling a piece of paper. Looking down, House picked up the sheet, staring at the numbers on it.

Ann…

'Just in case…'

His lips pressed at the thought. Should he? Would she be willing to get up and come over? She lived just next door so it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Then again, He didn't know her, maybe she wasn't a morning person, maybe she would pick up and yell at him for calling her.

Call him pitiful for calling so early.

Staring at the number, he grabbed his phone and dialed quickly before he could talk himself out of it. She offered to help him, she didn't say the words but making him work with her and then walking him home, that was a big neon sign of her saying, 'I'm a noisy busy buddy! Bother me!'.

He listen to the ringing, a whisper in his mind repeating. 'be there… be there.'

'Hi! You've reached Annabelle Davis. I'm not here right now, so leave a message or I will not call you back!'

Damn. He hung his head a little, feeling the disappointment in his chest. Really House? She was a stranger and at this time of night she should be tucked away in her cozy little bed with her boyfriend, sleeping.

"Its House…"

He hung up, unable to say anything else. What was he going to do now? He feared to go back to sleep, his thigh protested the idea of going out somewhere. All that was left was his normal past time.

It took great efforts but he managed to make it to his living room without that big of a problem with his leg. Eating down a few of his pills Mayfield gave him, he was able to move it without feeling like pins and needles were stabbing him.

Another night of TV watching was not what he planned… But it was better then anything else. Finding a channel to watch, he began to relax when a sudden knocking on his door made him jump. Looking over his shoulder, he stared at his door for a moment before a flutter of hope hit him. Standing up, he limped his way over, his mind telling him not to get too excited. Grabbing the handle, he took a breath and opened it, looking out to see who was knocking

A adorable half awake Annabelle stood before him. Her eyes were barely opened. Her arms limp at her side, her body slightly hunched forward. Baggy black sleep pants held little cartoon cats yelling, 'sup dog' while a baggy shirt laid on top. Her hair was down, spilling around her in thick river of curls. He never saw hair that thick and long before. It went all the way to her knees, no wonder every time she put her hair in a bun, a few strains kept coming out. There was to much to keep up.

Her cheeks were red as her eyes clouded from sleep. She let out a yawn, rubbing her face a little before muttering, her voice gentle and soft yet dripping with exhaustion.

"You called?"

Damn, House had the sudden urge to hug her. She looked so small, so much younger then before.

"What are you doing here?"

"You called." She yawned again. Moving forward, she pushed her way in, leaving House standing stun for a moment before closing the door. She came over? She willingly came over?

"You know what time it is?" he asked, watching her move to the couch in her sluggish steps, "Honestly?…No. I forgot to look." Slumping down, she rose her arms over her head, popping her back before fully relaxing, kicking her legs out.

"So House. Why'd ya call me?"