Chapter Two

Chase clenched his teeth, realising that House wasn't going to release him yet. The sounds of the other two faded abruptly as the door swung shut behind them, abandoning him to House's questionable mercy.

'Are you torturing me for a reason?' he bit out, trying and failing to keep his tone light.

'Other than the usual one? Perhaps. Depends on your definition of torture.' House managed the light tone that had marooned Chase just fine. It sounded like he was standing back a little way, possibly leaning against the bench next to the coffee maker. Chase kept his head turned towards House despite being unable to see, straining to pick up any little clue, attempting to feel less helpless by compensating for his lack of sight.

House studied the Australian sitting at the table, noting now all the small tells that told him that he was nowhere near as relaxed as he'd been pretending. But then, he knew that already from the racing pulse and tight tone. 'Afraid of the dark?' he questioned. Chase reminded him of a raptor in a hood; proud, but ultimately removed from its freedom.

'I'm afraid of being blind, and alone with an insane cripple bearing a grudge and a cane,' snapped Chase. House blinked in amusement. Chase really was very upset if he'd actually snap. His usual method was to deny and avoid confrontation.

'Don't you trust me?' he asked with wounded innocence. Chase took a deep breath, and brought himself back under control, much to House's disappointment.

'You don't trust me,' he replied tightly.

'You've given me reason not to trust you,' House pointed out, although he didn't confirm or deny Chase's assertion.

'You've put me in a blindfold,' Chase pointed out.

'I'd take this time to make a comment about symbolism, but there is actually a reason for it.' House allowed his tone to become more serious, but Chase barely noticed, because he'd pushed off the bench and moved a little closer, bringing out a fresh wave of nervousness.

'Control,' muttered Chase, bringing a quirk to House's mouth at his astuteness. It was partly true that he'd chosen to have this conversation at a time when Chase was already at a disadvantage. The blindfold meant he could openly study Chase's reactions to anything he said, and it was an open mark of his control. Still…

'Right now, you're in a unique position to understand our patient,' House corrected him. Chase remained silent, although he folded his arms back across his chest, putting a barrier between himself and his boss as he tilted his chin up slightly. House noted how the body language became more emphatic when Chase could not see.

'Stand up,' he ordered, coupled with two soft thumps that indicated two steps closer. Swallowing, Chase rose to his feet, almost glad at the opportunity, since sitting put him at more of a disadvantage. He kept one hand on the back of the chair that he stood in front of, because balance was more difficult once devoid of vision.

'Now listen.'

Chase already had been listening, all his concentration tuned to his ears. 'To what?' he asked, wanting to take a step back, but the chair impeded any escape attempts. House didn't answer for a moment, and with a flash of brief but over-riding panic, Chase noted a rustle of cloth moving past him, behind him. He took a step forwards and turned back to where House was now. There was a slight huff of amusement.

'You could be a ninja warrior in training. Listen to your heart young grasshopper.'

Chase folded his arms over his chest in a defensive gesture. 'House…'

'I mean it. Can you hear your heart?'

Chase tuned in to the loud thudding that was, in fact, rattling away under his ribs. He'd been ignoring it in favour of trying to pinpoint House with his ears.

'What's your point?'

'Trust me for a moment, and I'll show you.' House moved again, and Chase stiffened, but held still, although by what force, he wasn't sure. House step-thumped around behind him, close enough so that Chase could hear him breathe. His heart was practically a blur in his chest. House sighed.

'You're going to give yourself a cardiac arrest,' he pointed out, but Chase still jumped like a rabbit on speed when House touched his back.

'What… what are you doing?' he managed to get out, relatively steadily.

'You listening to your heart beat?' came the question. He nodded, and a moment later, House dug his fingers in, hard. Chase grunted with the pain, which ratcheted up and down his back, making lights flash behind his darkened eyes and his legs tremble. He barely had time to do that though before it was gone again, and he heard his own heart gradually slow. Thudthudthudthudthud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud…

'What the…?' he murmured, intrigued. House's thumb was still buried in somewhere just to the left of his spinal column, between his shoulder blades, but it didn't hurt any more.

'Chiropractors aren't all witch doctors,' House told him. Chase tried to shake his brain into action, remembering there was a point to this demonstration. Thud thud thud thud…

'You're saying Simon Dolshev would have noticed his heart arrhythmia long before it started causing the shoulder pain.'

'Keep going.'

Chase licked his lips as he considered. Now reason had come into the equation, and his heart wasn't signalling a borderline anxiety attack, he felt almost calm. 'He didn't mention it, so either he didn't think it was important, or he didn't remember. And since he came in for heart problems…'

House abruptly removed his thumb, causing Chase's heart to give a slight, uncomfortable stutter, and making him stumble slightly since he'd been leaning into the pressure. 'You can take the blindfold off now,' House told him lightly. Gratefully, Chase did so, blinking at the sudden light and turning to see House at the whiteboard, writing something up.

Memory problems, claimed the messy scrawl. Holding the blindfold in one hand, Chase briefly rubbed at his eyes, which were slightly fuzzy from being closed for so long.

'Once the other two have finished playing ophthalmologist, go and tell them to get back here.'

Dumbly, Chase just blinked for a moment, before the words registered. 'Uh… yeah. Sure,' he managed, dropping the blindfold on the table and walking out. House watched him leave, face unreadable.

The End