House quarantined all the patients showing that same symptoms as the first one. A few turned out to have something else, and one was simply suffering from a Conversion Disorder known as Mass Hysteria. So in the end, ironically enough, House had seven including the original patient.

Ianto was now experiencing abdominal pain again and after a quick scan it was revealed that the egg clusters had grown back. Surgery was now out of the question. If they didn't come up with a cure soon then… well… House didn't know what would happen. All he knew was that the patient would die.

House was doing everything in his power to prevent that. He, Cameron and Wilson were in the lab, analysing the egg sacks they had cut from Cancer Chick to see if there was any clue as to what might destroy them. Chase and Foreman were administering morphine to help with the pain to various patients and marking on the white board exactly how far down Death Valley they were. Sato and Harper on the other hand had disappeared. According to them, they were checking to see if they had any specialist equipment to eradicate the tumours.

"Owen, no," Tosh said firmly crossing her arms.

"Why not?" Owen asked annoyed. "Rhys managed to save Gwen-"

"No way," Gwen shook her head. "My job put me in the line of fire. Those people at the hospital have no choice. There is no way you're risking their lives on a maybe."

"Look, I saved Martha with it!" Owen protested. "Just let me try the Singularity Scalpel on one patient."

"No!" Both girls said in unison.

"Fine, we'll have it as a back up plan," Owen replied defeated.

"We won't need a back up plan!" Gwen assured him. "We'll find some way to stop it."

"Any luck tracking the mother?" Owen asked changing the subject. He didn't like to think about what would happen if they couldn't save Ianto.

"The machine's still synchronising," Gwen sighed. "Considering we've got all this high tech kit it doesn't half take a long time to set up."

"The price of the technological age," Tosh agreed. "Still, it shouldn't take too much longer."

"Let's hope not," Owen replied.

-- --

"He's started seizing," Chase said as he, Cameron and Foreman entered House's office.

House was juggling with his ball and two bottles of Vicodin again as the team approached him. After an unsuccessful morning in the lab he had retreated to his office to think. He didn't bother to look at them as he spoke.

"The tumour in his brain is growing," he said. "Bad news for…"

"Ianto," Cameron supplied.

"I knew it was something Welsh," House shrugged. "Are we any closer to a cure?"

"No," Foreman shook his head. "And if the abdominal pain gets much worse he's not going to live long enough to receive a cure. I think we should do the surgery."

"What about Harper and Sato?" House asked. "Have they got back yet?"

"They left the hospital?" Cameron sounded appalled.

"They've got some specialist equipment," House half lied. He wasn't sure that his team would swallow the whole 'alien egg' explanation. He wasn't entirely convinced that he believed it himself, but then, he hadn't seen anything like this before so anything was possible. "I told them to go and check through their stuff in case they've got anything that could help us."

"We haven't got time," Foreman stepped forward and grabbed House's ball before he could catch it again. "We need to do the surgery or he is going to die."

House pocketed the Vicodin bottles and sighed, rubbing his brow with one hand. His leg was killing him again but he'd already take four pills and he didn't want to take anymore for Wilson's sake. Not that he'd admit that to anyone.

"Put him in a chemically induced coma," he said finally. "It'll buy us a few more hours."

"House, we're not going to find a cure in time," Foreman shouted. "You want to keep him alive and in excruciating pain just so-"

"Look! I know that you have had a first hand experience to the pain, but if we keep him alive a bit longer he could save the others!" House stormed past Foreman and between Cameron and Chase, who watched him go, slightly bewildered.

"Where are you going?" Chase called after him.

"To talk to our patient!" House shot over his shoulder as he disappeared down the corridor.

--

House opened the door slowly and wandered into his patient's room. Ianto he reminded himself mentally. Always good to remember a patients name if you want them to do what you ask.

"Doctor House," he said glancing at Jack. "We met once before."

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "Have you found a cure?"

House glanced down at his cane before looking at Ianto. He had to play this carefully in order to get Ianto to agree. He also had the feeling that Jack Harkness might pack a punch so he better not get annoyed and start insulting them.

"No," House replied. "And at the rate Ianto's deteriorating he's not going to last much longer without it."

Jack's grip on Ianto's hand tightened. Ianto carefully pulled his hand away long enough to scrawl something on the small white board.

So what now?

"I want to put you into a chemically induced coma," House continued. "It'll stop you from dying from the pain and give us more time to come up with a cure."

"What are the chances of him coming back out of this coma?" Jack asked.

"About-"

"Slim," Foreman interrupted knowing House was going to lie. "If we put him into a coma there's only a slim chance of us finding a cure. If we put him under, he's probably not going to come out again."

"Oh…" Jack glanced at Ianto. This didn't sound good. How had things got to this stage? All Ianto had started with was a cold.

"If we don't put you in a coma then you'll die in agony," House said, ignoring everyone but Ianto. "It's your call."

Ianto looked between Jack, House and Foreman. Die quickly, but in agony, or be pain free and die in a few hours time. That was definitely what they called a Hobson's choice.

Do it.

House nodded and prepared to administer the shot.

--

Back at the flat Owen got a call on his mobile. Answering it his expression immediately turned from grim to hopeless. Gwen and Tosh watched anxiously as they waited to know what had happened.

"Has something happened?" Tosh asked when Owen hung up.

Owen didn't answer for a moment, staring at the floor, deep in thought. Gwen shifted uncomfortably and stepped closer, laying a hand on Owen's arm.

"Owen?" She swallowed hard. "Has something happened to Ianto?"

"The pain's worse," Owen croaked finally. "They've had to put him into a chemically induced coma. If we don't find a cure soon, he's not coming out of it."

Gwen put a hand to her mouth and had to choke back a sob. Owen finally looked up and met Tosh's gaze. Before anyone could say anything however, the machine in the far corner made a soft beeping noise to signal that the syncing process was complete.