I'm SORRY! (Rest of the apology at the bottom.)
Please review and enjoy...hopefully...
Shadowed Guilt: Chapter Nineteen Leaving
Chase clutched at the now warm metal railing for support as he gave up another couple layers of mucus lining his troubled stomach to the grey pail sitting stoutly just right of his hospital bed. He winced as a spike of pain shot through his stomach and he found himself gagging; he wanted to vomit but nothing was coming out. So Chase just laid there with his sweaty forehead pressed against the metal, his eyes glazed, and tried not to stare at the blinking lights being emitted from the heart monitor. He was having enough trouble concentrating with the constant beeping of it without seeing the dizzying green lights flashing around the room. He sighed miserably and curled up his legs. Chase would be forever grateful to the nurse who had finally untied him, of course he couldn't blame them for not wanting a dead patient in their midst.
He must've drifted off for a moment because he was rudely awakened as the glass door was roughly shoved open. Chase groaned as a whole new set of spikes were pushed into his brain. However he kept his lids over his dry eyes closed and tried to ignore whoever was coming in. The hurried clacks and clicks of a pair of heels and a flurry of loafers alerted Chase he was in for a long talk, a talk that should be christened with a capital T. Judging from the footsteps he already knew who was occupying the room with him, but he prayed that they would have the decency to at least keep it short and to the point.
The feet rounded the corner of his bed and stood somewhere in front of him. Chase summoned the energy to try and lift his head. He only succeeded in opening his eyes and raising his eyebrows at the person who was in his personal space. He shifted until he could see the person in a three piece woman's business suit without feeling like his eyes were going to fall out of his head along with his stomach. "C-Cammmmeron?" Chase slurred tiredly. He couldn't even form proper words through the pain that intensified every minute into his withdrawal.
"How can you be so selfish?" Cameron immediately hissed.
He nearly gave into the urge to roll his eyes, but the fact that it might enrage his already pounding headache stopped him. Chase gave an audible sigh and kept quiet. His stomach clenched and rolled; he hoped he could hold out until Cameron finished her rant and left before he puked his guts out once again. He shifted until he could see the person standing directly behind Cameron, another sigh escaped his lips, "Fffforeman? You-" he gave way to a wet cough and jolted forward to vomit in the gray bucket that he now considered a loyal friend.
The puking finally did one good thing for the day; in addition to the rolling stomach, the burning throat, and the fact that he felt like a giant bruise all over, Cameron stopped her probably prepared speech with a guilty look. "Chase?" she cooed.
He nearly choked on his nearly expelled ropy string of sputum, maybe mother hen Cameron was worse then scolding Cameron after all. A cool wet cloth was laid gently across his heated brow, he was surprised it didn't fall off as he lurched forward and nearly fell out of the bed in his haste to get rid of the still dangling spit. Firm hands were placed on his back and it pinned him gently to the bed as he nearly fell over the railing once again. He would've nodded his gratitude but the startling matter of blood mixed with his saliva spewed out of his mouth. He could physically feel himself getting paler, he shut his eyes and breathed hard letting the air rush into his cramped lungs.
"Oh Chase." Cameron sighed as she and Foreman helped him into a more comfortable position, "What have you done to yourself?"
Still breathing hard, Chase closed his eyes, "You have no idea what you're talking about." he snapped suddenly. Appalled he gazed wide eyed at Cameron and Foreman who had looks of surprise on their faces, "I'm so sorry." Chase panted trying to push the words out, "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm so sorry."
"Shhhh." Cameron said hugging Chase gingerly, "It's alright. We know you didn't mean it. Right Foreman?" she asked testily.
"Right." Foreman said quietly gazing down at the pitiful shell of a man that had once had a bright future ahead of him.
"I'm so tired." Chase sighed, his persona changing with a snap.
"Oh." Cameron exclaimed letting go of Chase quickly, "We'll leave so you can get some rest."
"I'm just so tired." Chase repeated staring at the glass walls.
"We're leaving now." Foreman glanced at Cameron, "If you need anything just press the button."
Chase turned his eyes and stared at them through luminous blue eyes that reflected the green light from the monitor strangely, "I know." he said as if he was far away, "The red button." he nodded sagely.
As Cameron and Foreman left, Chase wrapped himself up in his new found peace and flung his legs over the side of the bed to stand. He was oblivious to the pain of his screaming muscles, the raw skin around his wrists and ankles, the pounding headache. He had only one goal in mind.
oOoOo
"When are you going to transfer him?" House asked from the doorway of Cuddy's office.
Cuddy looked up, "Why do you assume I'll transfer him?"
"Well." House said, "Let's see: we don't have the facilities, medicine, padded walls that he needs."
"We have padded walls." Cuddy raised an eyebrow.
"But the people in Psyche are so selfish, you really think they'd lend you a room?" House asked sitting down without being invited.
"House." Cuddy said, "Why do you want to know whether or not I've decided to transfer him or not?"
"I want to know when you have to give up your little boy-toy."
She had probably set herself up for that little remark but that didn't stop her from reprimanding House, "House really. I thought you were my boy-toy. I know how you don't like sharing, even when you were forced into Kindergarten."
"You kidding me? I loved Kindergarten; especially nap time." House paused, "I'm not sure about snack time though. I'm pretty sure the teachers put food poisoning in those little plastic cups of juice."
Cuddy shook her head and gave an inaudible sigh, no one could seem to beat House in a snarking contest, "I haven't decided when, I'm still looking for a good facility. I found one in New York City with a promise of 85 full recovery-"
"Do I hear a but coming up?" House asked.
She shrugged, "Do you think Chase is going to...not freak out when he finds himself in a city about a million miles from the only one he has ever known since he got to the US?"
"Oh come on." House said, "New Jersey isn't that far from New York."
Cuddy raised an eyebrow, "Have you looked at a map lately?"
"You kidding me? New Jersey and New York are practically booty buddies. Besides wombats are adaptable, he'll be fine." House said with such confidence that he himself almost believed it.
"You and I both know that I don't believe that and you sure as hell don't believe that."
"Aw shucks." House said doing his best Disney impression, "Fouled."
She gave him a disapproving glare, "House why don't you stop making a fool out of yourself and actually-"
Cameron burst into the room; her lab coat was slipping off one of her shoulders, her breathing came short, her hair was slightly frizzy and disheveled, and a look of abject terror on her face. "He's gone." she declared and started pacing.
The two older doctors blinked and looked at Cameron's limping walk, they both noticed the broken heel of one of Cameron's high heeled shoes. They were mesmerized by the little black point trailing after the shoe by a mere thread. Cameron threw her hands in the air and turned, "Aren't you going to do anything?"
House and Cuddy exchanged glances, "Are we suppose to know what you're talking about?" House asked, unconsciously massaging his throbbing right thigh.
"Chase." she cried wildly, "He just...went...poof...and...and..." she stuttered.
"Cameron." Cuddy said gently and rose from her chair, "Sit."
"I can't. Don't you see, it's my fault." Cameron's eyes teared up.
"Oh God." House fanned himself, "All these emotional female hormones are affecting me. I'm doomed."
Cuddy shot House a stinging glare and gently pushed Cameron into one of the office chairs, "Now take deep breaths and tell us what's going on. Start from the beginning."
"When I found out about his drug abuse this morning," Cameron's voice was shaky and a little rough from the held back tears, "I immediately marched into Chase's room. Maybe I should've waited, you know, I mean he looked so terrible. I started yelling at him, he became sick, and finally he kicked us out. Then when I came back to check up on him an hour later, he-he was gone."
House raised both his eyebrows until they were in danger of disappearing in his already receding hairline and tried to be a picture of nonchalance. Inside his heart had skipped a beat and picked up a faster pace. Where had the wombat gone? "Have you checked the security cameras?"
"The security cameras?" Cameron asked confused.
"You haven't checked them have you?" House wanted to smack her lightly over the head, "They watch all the entrances and exits of the hospital. Cameron, I pay you to think you know."
Cuddy slapped House on the back of his head, "Cameron go check the cameras."
Cameron scurried away horrified that she hadn't thought of checking the security cams first before running to House and Cuddy. "That hurt." House whined.
"Maybe you should just keep that big mouth of yours shut on such occasions?" Cuddy snapped.
"On which occasions?" House asked trying not to sound sarcastic, "The first thing you do when a patient is misplaced is look at the security cams, not run around hoping to bump into the guy."
"How many patients have exactly escaped under Cameron's watch?" Cuddy asked, "Besides when somebody decides to escape, you alert security first."
"I doubt she did that either." House twiddled his thumbs and got up, "Well I'm going to check up on Cameron and make sure she doesn't screw this little assignment up. If you'll excuse me." he said with an elegant accent and did his best to stride towards the door.
"Don't hold this over her." Cuddy said with a hand on her waist.
House paused in the doorway, "You never know when good black mailing material comes up again."
Cuddy just stared at House. He threw up his hands and cane in defeat, "Okay, I won't hold this over her."
"Thank you." Cuddy said primly and seated herself.
House turned and mocked a high pitched thank you just out of Cuddy's hearing range.
oOoOo
He remembered this room from several take-overs of the little televisions to watch General Hospital. The security cameras relayed its feed back to this tiny AV room in glowing black and white images while a bored and tired security guard watched lazily. Cameron was already fast forwarding through the last hour's video footage, House leaned over and pressed pause, "Where's Foreman?"
Cameron glanced at him distractedly, "He's searching through the more obscure wings of the hospital."
House raised an eyebrow, "What for? Chase isn't an inanimate object you know, or dumb enough to stay in one spot if he really wanted to get out of the hospital."
"I know." Cameron said her cheeks taking on a pink tinge, "It is worth a shot."
"Mmmm." House mumbled, "How many times have you run through the footage?"
She shrugged, "Five times so far. I haven't spotted him. So it's a safe bet that he's still in the hospital."
"Yeah." House nodded absently.
Cameron glanced at him curiously, "House?"
House didn't say a word as he turned and left.
I'm so sorry for not updating for like a million years, I don't think I really have a good excuse and I'm not going to try and come up with one. The only thing that's been happening is a blockage from one path to another and I just get kinda get bored with myself for not coming up with anything interesting to write or read so I procrastinated..I know it's a very bad habit...I have a lot of bad habits... On top of that my job is very mind numbing, you'd think with all those hours I have I'd be coming up with fantastic story ideas (sometimes I do, but not for this story) but my creative mind instantly shuts itself off and I become like some weird zombie. So sorry again.
I seriously want to strangle this website...damn thing will never upload anything for me...but thankz to blasphamy669 you and I were saved from a great deal of headaches. Finally OMG 100 plus reviews (huggles everyone)
I must say I'm sorry for the incoherency of this chapter and very very very bad spelling, grammer, etc. I had just came off from an alternating day and night shift and I was dead tired when I finally realized how long its been since I had updated (embarrassed) So sorry sorry sorry and hopefully I'll get the next one out as soon as my brain gets back into gear.
Er...sorry for carrying on for so long...but last chapter I had Chase telling his dad AKA Rowan Chase that he was a pedophile. I didn't mean that Rowan was you know abusing Chase or anything. It was Chase making a reference to the trophy wife (boy this sounds twisted already) Due to that fact that my story Rowan married again whilst he was around forty and the fact that Chase's step mum was around early twenties...so if you rewind a little, it could be considered Rowan nearly married an underaged girl...if that makes any sense at all...(looks worried)
elfmaiden4legs: Aw thankyou, I'm always afraid that my characters are way too OOC to be believeable.
Firetop: Mmmm, possibly, maybe, definitely are always in my vocab.
A-E-W: Thankz sweetie, but this time it did nothing for me. I think I need a new brain.
AtreidesHeir: I like stating the obvious and uh-uh you're lost...already...NOOOOO!
felixgirl: Lol, I just stared at this review for several minutes.
blasphamy6669: Eek...crap...er...check above message (furiously adds a little note for the last chapter.)
Dying Angel1: OMG I got my results back...I actually only got 3 wrong on it...remarkable... And I agree, exams aren't important, they're just government testing devices. If you get a high enough score they take you away and lock you up in some institute no doubt (shifty eyes)
bree1387: Lol, I like bashing people around, I think it's a genetic disorder or something. I'm glad you like my House, sometimes I havea hard time being House due to the fact that I'm not exactly witty or sarcastic outside of computer related activities.
Lurkinshdws: I'm trying to write more, glad you like it so far.
nixxy311: Thank you and I always love drawing people in.