A/N I have it on good authority that very little of anything was actually *done* in Taiwan, but... still.

I don't own House... but you know that.

"What?" shouted Wilson.

House looked at Wilson curiously.

"That doesn't make any sense…" Chase muttered.

House looked at him, bemused.

"You couldn't have been more than.. what, 14? When the draft ended."

House smiled emotionlessly "Who said I was drafted?"

"Well… I… I just assumed-"

"-What? You never heard of patriotism?" He said cuttingly.

"I-well-I-"

"Exactly. No, Robert… I was young, and, much like you, *desperate* for approval."

"What? You hated your father." Said Wilson

Keeping his eyes on Chase, he asked "And you didn't?"

"Who?" "Chase said, confused. "Me?"

"No, Barbie over there- yes, you, goddamnit."

"That's not why I joined."

"Sure."

"It wasn't my decision!"

"Why do you think it was mine?"

"You were young! Smart! You had options!"

"Gee, are you listening to yourself? Young, smart… hmm, who does that sound like… I wonder…"

"It- It's no the same! I had no choice! You- you had a future- a family that loved you- friends-"

"Wow, I didn't think it was possible to be a bigger hypocrite than Wilson. Congratulations, Robert."

"What-I-I'm not a hypocrite!"

"Yes, you are. And anyways, you can stop flipping out. I wasn't in it for very long."

"I'm the hypocrite? Sorry, who's spent the entire evening yelling at me about my choices- saying that, 'it was my decision, that 'I had options'. You are the biggest effing hypocrite I've ever met! And- wait, what did you mean 'I wasn't in it for very long'?"

"The Army, genius."

"What-when- where were you deployed? 'Nam?"

"I'm not that old. And throw a who and how in there and you have successfully completed a grade two book report."

Wilson just shook his head. "This is surreal." He muttered.

Nobody paid him the slightest bit of attention.

"Oh, chill out. Taiwan."

"When?"

" '78-80"

"Why?"

He shrugged.

"It's not the same."

"Oh? How the fuck is it any different?"

"Two years as opposed to ten. Taiwan, not Iraq. You weren't at war. There's a big difference!"

There was silence.
"I bet that you- you were- you were probably welcomed back home as a hero! Your family was probably so proud of you- House." He paused to try and calm himself down. "-I. Killed. My. Brother. There is nothing- nothing- that can compare with that, so don't even try."

"That wasn't your fault."

"What?"

"Your sister was grieving… I know you're self-absorbed, but surely even you must have realized that."

"I ruined their lives, House." He stood up.

"What are you doing?" asked Wilson

"It doesn't matter."

"Chase?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Chase!"

He started walking towards the door, stumbling a bit.

"Chase! Where are you going?"

The man paused, and turned around. An observer to the scene would have seen a tall, blond man, looking exhausted and dressed in dinosaur pajamas bottoms and a puckered and scarred torso, a brown-haired man standing in front of an arm-chair with a look of shock on his face, and, sitting in the corner, an older man with a small, self-satisfied smile.

"Home."

A/N Review?

I'm really looking forward to the next chapter, I've been planning it for a long time. Till then....