The next few hours, the scares around Chase still had not been over. The night after the surgery, his blood pressure had dropped again. In the morning they wanted to do a CAT-scan, but his heart rate dropped, and it had taken a while to stabilize him again.
Even though their shifts were over a long time ago, Foreman and the neurologist he worked with worked tirelessly with House to look at the footage and make a surgery plan for his back. Even though it would be touch and go to even see if the surgery would be possible, they needed something to work on. It kept their mind off what happened.
The next evening, he finally was stable enough for a CAT-scan. Even though the bullet in his back caused some streaks on the scan, they got a better view of what they were up against inside his back.
The CAT scan showed that there was damage to his spinal cord already, and nobody knew if they should tell Chase when he woke up.
The dose of painkillers was slowly lowered, and they knew he should probably wake up the next morning.
Even though he had barely closed his eyes in the past few hours, House was sitting by his bedside. They had moved him to a private room and he wanted to be there for Chase when he woke up. There was nobody else here for Chase and the last thing he wanted was waking up to an empty room.
He knew how he had felt waking up in the hospital with his leg and life in danger, and the last thing he wanted for Chase having to wake up on his own. Especially since he probably was going to feel terrible.
Chase finally opened his eyes.
Around him was the familiar beeping of the machines around him. But this time not because he was talking to a patient at their bedside or taking vitals. Looking around confused and not being able to move his head, he finally saw House sitting.
''Chase, don't panic.'' House said calm. He wanted to scream but he couldn't. There was a mask covering his face and he wanted it gone and ask what was going on.
He tried to remain calm. He wanted to bring his arms and hands up to remove the mask over his face, but he couldn't move.
Trying to fight it, but not being able to move, his eyes fell shut again.
The next time he woke up, he noticed the mask was gone and he tried to move his head. Noticing he couldn't move anything, he hoped for somebody to come explain it to him. Laying here alone, he felt his eyes were falling shut again but he did not want to fall asleep before he knew what was going on.
Suddenly House came walking by and his eyes met his.
''Look who finally woke up again.'' House said joking, but Chase already noticed that he was not sounding harsh like he usually was. It seemed like an omen for the news that was going to come.
''How are you feeling?'' House asked worried as he sat down next to the bed.
''Dunno.'' Chase said, surprised his voice was so hoarse. ''I can't feel anything.''
His eyes felt heavy, but he did not want to fall asleep before he knew what was going on.
''You were shot twice, hit you in the neck and in your back. The bullet in your neck hit a major artery, but we repaired it and we are still giving you extra blood.'' House mumbled. ''You are very lucky we managed to stop the bleeding in time.''
''What about the one in my back?'' Chase asked worried.
''We found the bullet, but since your blood pressure was still dropping, there was nothing we could do about it at that moment. We had to close you up and stabilize you first.''
''House, I can't feel anything.''
''We gave you an epidural because of the pain. Plus because the bone fragments from the vertebrae and disk that got hit are still in your back, we can't have you move. You can't see it, but we have you in a full back and neck brace.''
''Could there be damage from the bone fragments?'' Chase finally asked, worried.
''There might even be damage from before the surgery.'' House mumbled.
''You didn't put me on a backboard before the surgery?'' Chase said upset.
''There was no time. You would have bled out. We are planning the surgery to fix the disk in a few days – Chase, you might be fine.''
''It won't be!'' He said angry, ''If it is not okay, that is on you!''
''That is fine, as long as it meant I kept you alive.'' House said as he got up.
''Just leave!'' He said angry.
After about two hours later, House walked by the room again, hoping to see Chase doing well. Instead the man looked wiped out in the bed, his eyes and cheeks still red, probably from crying.
''Can I come in?''
Chase didn't say anything, and House did so, slowly.
''Pain?''
''In my neck yeah.'' Chase said and he started to cry again. House was pretty sure it was not just the pain in his neck, but the emotional pain he was going through as well.
''Chase-''
''I need you to be honest with me.''
''What is it?''
''There is damage in my back already, isn't there?''
''We saw a little on the CAT-scan. Doesn't mean you won't recover.''
''Just make it stop House, I didn't ask for this. The pain is really bad.'' Chase said with tears streaming down his cheeks.
''I figured.'' House said as he picked something from the pocket of his jacket and held it up.
''Morphine?''
''Yeah.'' House mumbled. It was one he had once obtained through a patient and had saved for when his day was really bad, but he figured Chase could use it better now.
''Can it kill me?''
''No.'' house said, although he doubted now. Not about if it would be dangerous, but about if he should do it. But the man seemed in so much pain that he didn't want to see the man struggle any longer tonight.
''House, please.''
He made his way towards Chase hand, laying on a pillow and he knew chase wouldn't even feel it.
''Sure you wa-''
''House - just do it.'' Chase begged him.
Finally, he pushed the morphine into the IV. Sitting down by the bed, he looked as Chase calmed down and his eyes fell shut. His face relaxed a bit and he was glad the man was finally at peace for now.
He was cursing himself though, as there was nothing to make it better. If only they had had a case, Chase would not have been in this bed right now.
Upon request; a very quick new chapter. I hope you liked this chapter as well! A bit more clarity on Chase's future. Hope you did like it even though it wasn't a good chapter for him. Thanks again for reading and please let me know what you thought!
