Chapter 19 of RITC (I made an acronym for the title). R&R and have a happy Labor Day! I'm happy because this reached over 20,000 words!

House sat in a corner in the room, observing everybody else. They had made themselves comfortable during their stay. The guys had rolled up their sleeves and removed their ties, and the females had pulled their hair up in ponytails. Chase, Foreman, and Cameron were grouped together in one area while Cuddy and Wilson sat on either side of House. Every time when Wilson or Cuddy tried to start a conversation with House, they got no response. That's why they were so surprised when House started talking to him.

"I'm sorry."

Cuddy and Wilson both looked sideways at House.

"What for? Hitting me in the face with a baseball bat?" Wilson asked.

House looked at the nasty bruise that spread across Wilson's cheek. "That's not what I was going to say, but I guess I'm sorry for that too."

"Apology accepted."

House sighed. "I'm sorry that this all happened. I know it's my fault, I-,"

"House, seriously. How can this be your fault?" Cuddy asked.

"I misdiagnosed-,"

"House, if something like this happened every time you misdiagnosed or treated a patient bad, we would have all been dead a long time ago," Wilson pointed out.

"Wilson's right," Cuddy said. "This is beyond your control. Bill is just psycho."

"I can't argue with that," House said. Even though Cuddy and Wilson's words were convincing, House still felt like he should have done something different.

Seeing that he still was upset, Cuddy placed a hand on House's knee. Looking up at her, House realized that if he was going to do anything, he needed help. Maybe it wasn't too late to do something different.

"Hey, losers," House called out. Foreman, Chase, and Cameron looked over at House. "Yeah, you're the losers. Come over here."

The three younger doctors stood up and walked across the room to where House, Cuddy and Wilson sat on the ground. Their faces were shadowy in the dim light of the room, but House could still make out their faces.

"I think it's about time that we try to figure a way out of here. You guys have been here for how long? And you're still here," House said.

"Funny," Chase said. "I thought that we were locked in a windowless room that is guarded by a psychotic, murdering mobster."

"That's true mate," House said. "But now that I'm here, we can think of a way to escape."

"I thought you had it under control," Foreman said.

"I do. I just want some in-" House was interrupted by the door opening.

Bill quickly looked over the room and shut the door behind him. He swiftly walked across the room to where the others were. "Now that everyone is here, it's time to start what I have planned, and if you don't follow my instructions, there will be consequences."

"What do you want from us?" Cameron asked meekly, clutching on to Chase's arm.

"Right now, I want you to shut-up!" Bill yelled, causing Cameron to shrink down. Bill took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Sit," he ordered to Chase, Foreman and Cameron. Wordlessly they did as he said and sat down with the rest.

"Is this your great plan? Having us sit?" House asked. "Because having sore butts is terrifying."

The others tried to stifle their laughter but it quickly quelled away when they saw anger flash in Bill's dark face. House wasn't afraid anymore. He wasn't going to let Bill intimidate him any longer; Bill had done enough damage and House was going to prevent him from doing any more.

"I think by now you would have learned to be quiet," Bill said as he started to pace the floor in front of the doctors.

"And this is the time where you tell us of your evil plan? Do you plan to rule the world? No, wait. I think you're more of the kind to want to destroy the world," House said bitterly.

"House, stop," said Wilson nervously. House started to say something in reply, but Bill cut him off.

"There's no use. There is nothing that he could do that would make me change his fate," Bill said, staring at House the whole time.

House glared back at Bill. House could usually stare people down and make them turn away, but Bill wasn't moving his gaze. "You don't control fate," House whispered.

Bill chose to ignore House's comment. "Now, to business," Bill said as he stood in front of them. "The moment you came in here, you sealed your fate. Each one of you will die." He dramatically paused, waiting for it to sink into everybody's mind.

House glanced to see how the others took the news. Wilson looked sick and Cameron's eyes were filling with tears that had begun to run down her face. House looked back at Bill, not surprised by what he had said. Bill had told House that he would take the things he cared about away forever, and so far Bill has kept his word in everything else so House didn't think he would change his mind on killing them.

Bill continued. "But out of the kindness of my heart, I will let you choose who will die first," Bill explained, not breaking eye contact with House to entire time.

Everyone except House and Bill looked at each other, checking reactions and to see if anybody was going to volunteer to go. No one offered.

"You don't have to decide now. I'll give you awhile," Bill said.

"I'll go."

Everyone turned to House.

"No," Cuddy said tugging House's sleeve. "We don't have to decide this now."

"I'll take the blame," House said.

"No!" Wilson protested.

"Actually, it is his fault," Bill said.

"Kill me and let the others go. They don't deserve to be tortured like this," House said.

"An act of sacrifice. How sweet, and very unlike you House. Too bad I won't accept it," said Bill.

"Why not?"

"Because I am going to kill you last. So you can see all of them suffer and die in front of you, and then you can mourn and blame yourself for their deaths," Bill sneered. "And just when you can't take anymore misery, you'll be begging for your death. And I will gladly give it to you."

Everyone, including House was silent.

"So decide among yourselves who it is going to be."

"And you're doing this just to get revenge on me?" House asked.

Bill stared down at House with utter dislike. "That and the fact that I hate you."

"You hate me? What a shame."

Bill kicked House swiftly in the stomach, making House bend over clutching where Bill had kicked him. Then Bill stepped back and brushed his jacket off and ran his hand through his hair, and stepped towards the door and opened it. "You have ten hours," Bill said, and then he slammed the door shut leaving the others to their personal hell.