It was a relief when House and Wilson returned finally and helped him move to his side for the other X-rays. "Where the hell were you?" He asked, closing his eyes so they couldn't see them water. It the kind of watering one got when they yawned and his eyes still felt slightly bulged.
He reached up and wiped them before Wilson moved his arms into the position he required. "We had to talk to Cuddy again."
"Don't worry, we got rid of her." House said, propping his cane on his shoulder as he leaned against the platform. "If this turns out to be nothing, no one will have to know. We just try to get you time off work, make you lay in bed a few days and just deal with the new pain level somehow. If it turns out you need surgery..." He let it dangle.
"You suspect I'm finally to a surgical point." Chase pressed his lips together.
"You were bound to reach that point at sometime, with the damage you already have to your back. You have a lot of nerve damage and scarring. Everything in there is weak. I'm honestly surprised you walked as upright as you did and didn't miss more days. Just proves you're a stubborn little ass."
Wilson had looked up in surprise at House and House shrugged. "I'll show you his old films later." He promised.
Wilson nodded and folded Chase's arms over his chest and bent his legs to make it a bit more comfortable. "Stay still. It won't be as long this time."
"Yeah if she comes back. We'll sedate her and throw her in a corner somewhere." House said walking out.
Wilson shook his head and smiled at Chase. "Not really. I'll just distract her while House takes the films."
They shut the door again, leaving Chase alone.
But they were back again soon enough and after about four more takes they finally put him back in the wheelchair. Well, rather said, Wilson did. House disappeared for a while as Wilson wheeled Chase toward the room where the CT machine was kept. He wasn't surprised when House appeared once more, holding a large envelope that he suspected held his films from the X-ray.
Wilson grimaced as he helped Chase lay on his side on the machine. "Chase, do you have any allergic reactions to iodine?"
Chase shook his head a little. "Any hope you're going to give it to me in a vein?"
Wilson winced and shook his head. "I'll be as careful as I can. I'm sorry."
House put the envelope in the control room and then lumbered up to the other side of the platform and leaned against it. "You didn't have the contrast last time." House said. "We're going to have it this time."
House put his arm around Chase's knees and pulled them up into a bended position, toward his chest. Earning a hiss of pain from Chase in the meantime. Chase put his chin down toward his chest and felt the heat in his eyes again.
"Chase, you have to stay still. I know it hurts. But I promise I will do this as fast as I can and as carefully as I can." Wilson stroked his shoulder and then patted it. He retreated and when he returned he was wearing the usual procedure scrubs and a mask with gloves. House hadn't changed, and kept his arm around Chase's knees, not letting them slide out of place.
Chase felt his back being cleaned and swabbed. He knew what was coming, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "Warn me." He asked, eyes closed.
"I'm just cleaning the area right now. But I'm getting ready to inject the local. Little sting." Wilson warned and Chase felt it over his lower back. "Somehow worse when you can't see what is going on." He muttered.
"It's the element of surprise." House said, watching from over Chase's shoulder. "Just keep your chin down. Hey, ever watched General Hospital?" He asked Chase suddenly.
"No." Chase didn't shake his head, but kept his eyes closed and chin down.
"You don't know what you're missing. Oh, did you hear about that weird board member that dates the transexuals?" He asked Chase.
Chase cracked an eye open. "The one with eleven fingers?"
"See, even Chase noticed." He chided Wilson.
"Anyway, he broke up with the nurse that used to be a man, and now he's found a pre-op that works in one of the mobile clinics." House gossiped, looking up to see Wilson reaching for the next needle. He tightened his grip on Chase's knees and warned. "He's getting ready to do the puncture... But I got a look at her? Him? Her? It? Anyway, she's totally hot. I hear he's going to pay for the operation..." As he spoke Wilson inserted the needle causing Chase to gasp and hiss. "Just a pressure. Just a pressure. Anyway think of the pain the new nurse will go through? They're going to cut his tallywhacker off, then turn it inside out and shove it up inside. This is nothing compared to that. You can't even tell once they're done that they didn't start out as women. Makes dating more of an adventure for those that aren't open minded... huh?"
"I think he's just in denial... or perhaps it is just a kink? Does that qualify as a kink?" House asked Chase.
"Could be." Chase ground out, trying not to feel the way the needle seemed to be trying to move up through his back. "Could be either... Met a man once... only dated... people he could convince to dye their hair purple. Could be he's... just attracted to a personality type?"
"I think it's a kink." House decided.
Chase's eyes watered as he felt a strange sensation spread. The dye.
"Almost over." Wilson assured. "One more second."
"You know, I almost had him convinced that Cuddy was post-op... but she produced a damn DNA test at the last moment showing off both her X chromosomes. Damn modern medicine!" House bitched.
"You just lay there, still and we're going into the control room... It's over." Wilson gently patted his arm and covered his back with his gown.
"You did a pressure test, right?" Chase asked, his eyes still closed.
"Yes..." Wilson said reluctantly.
"And?"
"Decreased pressure... but that could be from shock..." Wilson said quickly.
"But you doubt it." Chase cleared his throat, not wanting to open his eyes.
"I think you have a 'mild' obstruction." House finally told him when Wilson seemed reluctant. "I think you broke your back, and I think a shard of your vertebra has been irritating you ever since. I think that the swelling originally hid it, keeping it pressed in place. But with all the walking, moving, lifting, and... living... it has managed to become a real problem."
"Open your eyes." He prompted.
Chase opened them and found a small vial of fluid in front of them. From his spine. "Oh." He said softly.
It was a orangish color. "Increased protein." He sighed, not bothering to look at House.
"Caused by prior bleeding." House agreed. "Let's finish the tests, and try to keep you from injuring yourself further."
"I can't believe this." Chase groaned. "This is the most stupid thing to ever happen to me."
"Nah, you have your whole life ahead of you. You'll do lots more stupid stuff before you reach my age." House assured. "Now, stay still and don't move. Or I'll duct tape you in place."
"Bloody hell." Chase closed his eyes, feeling his face flush. He was actually rather embarrassed at this point. He broke something, the swelling had hidden it because he'd not gone all out for the CT. And now here he was... Fuck!
"Don't move!" He heard through a microphone.
He stayed as still as he could and waited for the machine to finish with him before they came back for him. "Fracture?" He asked, refusing to look at them.
"Yes." Wilson answered. "We're going to have to tell Cuddy. You're going to need surgery to remove the shard as well as to re-align some things. Chase, you're lucky you've not done yourself more damage."
They still did the MRI, despite the findings they found so far. "You have some compression on the spinal cord at this point." Was what Wilson told him once they had him out of the machine.
Wilson at this point was treating Chase as though he were made of glass. Afraid to make him move. House on the other hand seemed to be quieter. Thoughtful. But he did point out. "He's survived so far. Which makes me question whether or not there's something to this 'God' thing. Maybe it only watches out for idiots of his ilk. But he'll live. He'll even walk once this is all over. But considering he's waited so damn long, he might not always enjoy it." With that he went ahead of them. "Take him to his room, and contact the surgeon. I'm talking to Cuddy."
Chase watched as House stalked almost angrily away. "He knew what we would find." He said, tired and sore and rung out. He was looking forward to the morphine which was waiting for him in his room. They'd only kept him on the saline and steroids while testing. He desperately wanted the morphine back on.
"Yes. He did. Well, suspected. But, Chase? Even he hopes he's wrong sometimes." Wilson explained. Chase didn't bother to hide behind the magazine this time. Disappointed and too tired to care considering it would probably be all over the hospital by tomorrow.
The rest of the trip upstairs was made in silence, and he could see some of the nurses take a second look at him in surprise. Wilson pushed him into his room, and hooked the morphine back into his line, and pushed the button for him.
There was comfort in the feeling as he felt his eyes grow heavier. He felt like he'd been worked over with a baseball bat, and he just wanted to fall asleep and not wake up until all of this was over.
--------------------------------------------------------------------