Disclaimer: I don't own House M.D., I'm just borrowing it...yada yada yada. I'm too tired to think of anything witty. More quotes from Heavy.
Hey you guys, what is up? We're up for Betrayal round two. Hope you likee. Make sure you read the author's notes(this is just the author's ramblings, the official stuff is on down.:)they're kinda important. And thanks for all the reviews, they make my tummy get all squishy in a good kinda way.
Now for replies!(I know we're not sposed to reply on the site, but it's so much easier this way...)
Greendayfan1333:thanks, I will.:)(And you know they rock! Green day I mean...)
2shy: everyone's actually. And there's pairings I like, I just don't know if I'm ready to write them yet. Although there is this idea for a Cameron/House story that is floating around in the back of my head... I may start on it once I'm almost done with this story. And check out my author's note: there is a correction about the pairings in there.
Death-Muncher : thanks much! Do you know that you are my first ever review-er? You should feel privileged.: And yeah, Chase rocks.
Jess: Who doesn't love him? Glad we have converted another person to Housism.
Important. Please Read!
A/N What I said about the pairings isn't exactly true. This is set right around the time Stacy shows up, so there may be some Stacy/House. There is also going to be some (probably one sided) House/Cameron as well. It's all in context with the show, however.
Because of next week being spring break and all, the next update probably won't be around till the eighth. I make no promises though, could be before the first, just not between the second and sixth of April. Okay, I know that was confusing, just know it'll take me longer to update and that I haven't given up on the story.
Okay, here is the really important one. I was unaware that my reply status was only allowing members of fanfiction to review. I am so sorry, I have fixed this, so all anonymous reviewers feel free to do so.
Now, on with the story!
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House briefly glanced over his shoulder before hurriedly limping down the hall. Never again he decided. I'm never doing clinic duty again. Just look what had happened this time! He hadn't even seen an actual patient before the husband of Mrs. Hernandez, the lady with the thirty-pound tumor, had latched onto him. The man was going to be annoying, (since when were patients in the clinic not annoying?) he just knew it. House decided to hide in Cuddy's office since he had been meaning to stop by anyway. Turns out it had been worth talking to Cameron. If Cuddy went for her idea, he wouldn't have to worry about getting rid of Cameron or Foreman at all. With this in mind he turned into her office and away from the annoying Mr. Hernandez.
Unfortunately it wasn't exactly safe in there either. Cuddy was having a conversation with her personal shadow. They were talking about more budget matters no doubt."The MRIs are rented, but..." For the first time she seemed to notice House. She turned to him asking, "Did you make a decision?"
Vogler looked at him closely. "He's not gonna fire anybody."
Crap. Vogler was on to him. Well, he would have found out anyway. It was now or never. "Yes. I'm going to cut the pay of all four of us. 17 across the board will allow you to keep us all for the same amount of money. I believe it's what you suits call 'win-win.'"
Cuddy nodded. "All right, if you can..."
"No."
Cuddy looked at Vogler curiously. She seemed confused, something unusual for Cuddy. "If he can work it so we can keep the current staff for the same amount of money, what difference does it make?"
House focused on Vogler as he tried to explain to Cuddy. "It's not about the money."
Vogler glared right back at House. "This is not a negotiation. It never was. I need to know that whatever I ask you to do, no matter how distasteful you find it, you'll do it. And just as importantly, you need to know that."
Cuddy sighed and stared at House sympathetically. The fact that Cuddy, the Cuddy that threatened him daily, was pitying him proved to be the breaking point. He turned and walked away, out into the clutches of Mr. Hernandez. Maybe some things could be worse than clinic duty.
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"Now count backwards from ten."
"Ten...nine...eight...seven..."
A pair of honey-colored eyes glanced up at the people surrounding her. "Gentlemen, start your engines."
Chase smiled at the joke. It wasn't that it was funny, (they were, in fact, never funny.) it was the familiarity of the joke. He was glad to know even with the tyranny of Vogler, things were still normal in some parts of the hospital. People in other departments were still secure enough to make pointless jokes.
Being the only intensivist at the hospital, Cuddy asked Chase occasionally to assist in certain surgeries. He didn't mind it though; every hour he spent in the operating room was an hour off clinic duty. Currently he was helping with a transplant surgery on a fifty-year-old man with a failing liver.
Chase looked at the others. Besides himself and the plethora of nurses, two other doctors were present that he knew, Dr. Reynold Shartwz and Dr. Hayden Andrew. Dr. Shartwz was the transplant surgeon; an older, balding, man with ruddy skin and crinkling green eyes who was from somewhere in New York. Dr. Andrew, the anesthesiologist with the corny jokes, was somewhere in her late twenties and had a honey-colored bob that went along with her honey-colored eyes and freckled skin. Chase vaguely recalled she was from the South, (Her accent was made fun of more than anyone's in the hospital, save for himself.) possibly from North Carolina.
They kept up mindless chatter as the surgery progressed. Chase always thought it was funny how the people in the OR never talked about the surgery, except the requests for medical supplies and the occasional stat update. They learned that Dr. Shartwz was expecting a grandchild, one of the nurse's great-aunt had just died, and Dr. Andrew was flying out to see hermother the following week. They all avoided the subject of Vogler and the hospital. Maybe things weren't so normal after all.
Chase politely answered a question that someone asked him, and then let the others carry on the conversation. He actually loved helping on operations. It gave himself a chance to listen to other people's problems, ones that had nothing to do with his own. For a little while he could forget his dad's recent visit, Vogler's offers to save his job, and worrying about who House was going to fire. It was almost like therapy for him. By the time they were stitching the patient back together he could almost pretend he was normal too.
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House strode down the hall. It had been a good week. They had saved the patient. He had managed to get a kick out of clinic duty with Mrs. Hernandez, and figured out a way to keep Foreman and Cameron on a little longer. He turned into his office not exactly happy, but maybe satisfied. Yes, satisfied was a good word for how he was feeling. Too bad it had to end so soon. Cuddy and Vogler were seated in his office, obviously waiting for him.
Cuddy was the first to speak. "It's been a week."
"Actually, it's over a week. Where have you guys been?"
"Who is it?"
He tried to look uncomfortable. "Chase."
He saw the look of consideration on Vogler's face. House knew that Chase was the one that had ratted him out to Vogler, and because of this he also knew Vogler wouldn't let him touch the Aussie. Now he just had to convince Vogler that Chase was the one he really wanted to fire. House waited for the No, pick one of the others., or Not Chase. Cameron or Foreman. He would even take Chase stabbed you in the back so he could keep his job and I could see you squirm. Ha-ha. See? That's funny. He just had to wait for his plan to work so he could start looking angry and upset.
Vogler stood up and prepared to leave. Before he reached the door he turned back and started to speak to House. Here it comes, House thought. "Fine then. I want him gone by tomorrow. Don't delay telling him, or I will do it myself." House merely blinked as Vogler strode out the door, Cuddy close behind.
You took the time to read it, now please take the time to review.