House found himself reaching for Cuddy's shoulder as they approached the step up onto her property. Her arm reached around him and they hopped up together like it was a three-legged race, the slowest one in the world. He let go, but she hung on; so House moved his hand to her other shoulder.

"We need to talk about what happened," she said. "And don't tell me you're fine."

"I'm hallucinating. Like I always do."

"It's getting worse. Isn't it." Her eyes met his as they approached her front door, and they disentangled themselves. "You said she was melting, that there was blood everywhere. You said...it was new." She grabbed him again as he started to turn away. "House, I'm a doctor! Talk to me, or...let me scan your brain! That is the choice I'm giving you."

"You aren't my doctor."

"I know. So talk to your fiancee."

They stared at each other for several heartbeats; then he looked away. "Okay, but I need to sit, my leg's killing me."

She unlocked the door and let him go in first. "The usual? Or did you get hurt?"

"The usual."

They walked into the living room and House sat, popping a few Vicodin while Cuddy flicked on her electric fireplace. She sat beside him and waited for him to speak.

"It was real."

"It wasn't real."

"No, I mean the way it felt...the way it sounded, the way it looked. It was real."

Cuddy drew her legs up onto the couch and turned to face him, leaning her shoulder into the back of the couch. "Tell me how it looked."

He looked at her, feeling a stab of fear. "I don't want to give you nightmares."

"Just tell me."

"Okay," he said uncertainly. He lay his cane atop the coffee table and brought his good leg up onto the couch, sitting sideways on the couch. "It was Thirteen. I also hallucinated her in the ring store and she had a...bullet hole in her forehead."

Cuddy frowned at the unexpected description. "Why would she have a bullet hole in her forehead?"

House took a deep breath and met her eyes. "Because that's where Foreman shot her."

Cuddy looked away and closed her eyes.

House didn't want to continue. So he would have to make her not want him to continue. The truth would surely do the trick. He leaned forwards, seizing her hand. As he expected, the contact made Cuddy look at him. "It was awful," he admitted. "Her skin just kept falling off and falling off, like a...bad reaction to a drug that hadn't been tested. Her eyeballs were bugging out of her skull. She didn't have lips anymore, but...she kept gnashing her teeth."

"Did she speak to you?" Cuddy asked, sounding strangely calm.

House paused, looking down at their joined hands. "When the waiter came, did he congratulate us?"

"Yes."

"And you saw him as a man, didn't you? I saw her. And she told me you were crazy because I made you that way."

She gazed plaintively at him. "Is it getting worse?"

House considered, finally saying, "Actually, I think it's getting better."

His hand suddenly fell to the seat as she withdrew. "Excuse me?"

He nodded. "When I fell onto the spike strip, I hallucinated Kutner. He guided me to the four-way. I've also been seeing Wilson and Amber. Some family."

"Is there anything else you have to tell me?"

He narrowed his eyes as he delved back several months. "That depends," he finally said. "When I was recovering, from the spikes...did you try to make me laugh?"

"I would never do that to you. I saw your abdomen."

Then they were quiet as they realized what it meant. "I hallucinated you," he said, and their eyes met.

Here she allowed herself to smile. "Did I look okay?"

He shook his head. "Better."

"Really?"

He echoed her earlier words. "That doesn't surprise you, does it?"

She rearranged herself to lean against him, and they gazed into the flames.

The sky was clear, and the water appeared to be the color of sapphires. Everything felt, sounded, and looked so real that House couldn't tell if he was awake. Of course, it wasn't the first time. The waves called to him, crashing loudly to shore. Laughing children made sandcastles and a woman ran through the tide with a dog running beside her.

He turned his head, and found all of his friends standing there. Wearing bathing suits.

"I've never been on vacation before," Cameron admitted.

"I know. And I know something else you've never done before," Chase said. "Water skiing. It's pretty fun."

"I could go for some fun," House said, and took off his shirt. His abdomen was unscarred. He lowered his pants, revealing his scar-free leg. Wearing only his trunks, he waded into the water and Chase jumped into the motorboat. House gripped the lines and looked up at Chase, who turned back with a smile.

"You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Chase grinned at him. "Okay, first-timer. Brace yourself."

House obliged, and Chase began boating through the water. And it was real. He could hear the engine. He could feel the water, and smell the salt. He couldn't tell the difference.

Cuddy's laugh made him look up. Chase was gone. Instead, she was behind the wheel; wearing a wedding dress and veil. She turned in the seat to smile at him over her shoulder. And suddenly House felt an excruciating pain. In his right leg. He looked down to see it swelling—ballooning outward. In his shock he let go of the lines and flew backwards through the air, falling into the cold waters. And began to sink. He tried fighting for the surface, but his leg was hurting too much. He couldn't control it. He couldn't swim.

Still sinking, he looked down. And through the bubbles and the mist of blood, he could see...Wilson's body. The fractured rays of sunlight shining through the rippling surface cast him in moving light. His eyes were open, but he had begun to decay. House's feet touched the sandy bottom and he could feel it. He could feel his lungs filling with water.

Standing there, trying futilely to swim upward, he knew he was running out of time. He knew it wouldn't be much longer. He slowly leaned from one direction to another, raising his eyes to the sunlight beaming through the water. And a body fell into the lake. Her blonde hair lifted, concealing her face until she hit the ocean floor. It was Amber. Another splash made him look up to the surface. Thirteen. Then Kutner. And then, a bride; whose veil and gown floated towards the surface like a fog as she sank.

Cuddy was going to land out of his reach. Gasping with effort, House's lungs burned as they filled with water. But he managed to fall to the sandy floor and start crawling to his drowned bride like a bottomfeeder. His hands curled around her clothing and he opened his mouth to yell her name. And there were no bubbles, as his lungs filled completely; with a pain so intense that he couldn't feel his leg. Everything started to close in...

Cuddy opened her eyes as House started choking. He squirmed and thrashed violently, knocking the alarm clock to the floor as he swung out his arm. Cuddy sat up and had to kick her way out of the blanket. "What the hell are you choking on?"

But he wouldn't even open his eyes. She lunged closer and raised her hands.

"Cuddy," he gasped. "Cuddy, I'm...here. I'm right here."

She slammed her hands down on his shoulders and shook him violently. "House!" she snapped, and wouldn't let go. He fell back on the bed, eyes wide open.

"Are you alright?"

"Am I awake?"

Cuddy blinked tears out of her eyes. "Yeah, you're awake, and you scared the hell out of me!"

He covered his eyes with both hands, and she quickly lay down and held him close. "It's okay. You're awake. I'm right here."