Disclaimer – sadly not mine

Summary – exactly the same as in chap1

A/N – I just wanted to say sorry I haven't updated in like, forever. But I'm not going to give up on this story. I love it, and it's my first House one, so I can't abandon it. Just been having some real life issues to sort through. ANYHOW! Id love to thank everyone who had reviewed! Half of why I write is because of you:) It puts a huge smile on my face when people enjoy what I write! That said, I hope you'll like this chapter. I just wanted to get something up for you guys, so you know I'm still here and I WILL! Finish this story! And just a small note, this chapter is when the 'past' and 'present' meets, so there wont be any 'before' and 'after' going on ;) thanks again for reading this. And I totally understand if you don't continue on reading… though I hoe you do:D ENJOY [it's even a bit longer than usual

Chap 3

House looked at the nurse confused, but he got up quickly – well, as quickly as he could – and followed her to the elevator. Could it be any slower?

When they finally reached the first floor where the Clinic was, the first thing that House noticed was the mayhem that was going on. It was expected, after all, the nurse did say something about a shooting, but this was a complete havoc.

Speaking of which, where was Cuddy – doesn't she thrive on this stuff? She is after all, good with this kind of mess. House would know.

Shaking his head at his thoughts, he was getting away from the topic at hand. The nurse mentioned something about Chase. So, where was he? House looked around, trying to find the nurse that was supposed to lead him to his employee, but she was lost in the sea of panicked people.

House had a bad feeling about this. He walked through the floor, making his way amongst the hysterical people. Most of them seemed to have calmed down, but some where speaking incoherently, some crying uncontrollably. What on earth has gone down here? House wondered to himself just when he heard someone shout,

"Give me the paddles! He's crashing!"

House's head immediately span to the direction from which he heard that sentence, and quickly limped there to be greeted by the ER chief shocking a man laying on the floor. Cameron was there as well, but she seemed more in a shocked trance then actually helping out.

House wasn't able to see the face of the man. He hoped he wasn't who he thought he was. But when he took a step to the side, his heart skipped a beat.

It was Chase.

His Chase.

Blood was rushing out of his limp body from what was probably a gun shot wound. And it was rushing out quickly. Oh this is SO not good. House thought, not worried, but more as if simply stating the facts. He quickly ordered a gurney to the place and they got Chase on it and rushed him to Surgery.

Really! Could the elevators be any slower!?

House was frustrated. There wasn't much he could do about that and they were wasting precious time. As they waited however, House started his inquiry. "What on earth happened?" the nurse who intubated Chase answered, "That g-guy! He-he was mad! An-and he took that woman and Cha-Chase tried to c-calm him down and he-he… he shot him!" the nurse said clearly still in shock, tears falling down her face.

If this wasn't so serious, House might have made a joke on Chase's expense that the nurse was crying over him. But Chase was in the middle of a more serious 'joke' right now.

"Seems like the bullet perforated his lung" Cameron said. Her voice distant as if she was miles away.

House's gaze went from the nurse to Cameron's as she spoke, Eyeing her carefully. That was her reaction to all of this? Interesting. But before House could think more of that, the elevator doors finally opened and they rushed Chase to the OR.

Cameron and House were left behind. But they simply went to the observation room. They had to know what would be of Chase.

It annoyed House to no end. He couldn't help Chase. He was hurt, but House couldn't save him. It wasn't like with any other situation. It wasn't like when Chase was hurt, but House didn't fire him, and even kept his secret a secret. Now House couldn't do anything for him, and the thought of that sickened him. He was the best doctor in this hospital, and yet, he couldn't do a thing for one of his probably most loyal employee.

If you think of it, Chase had stayed with House longer then anyone had before. No one thought it could happen, but Chase cut through. And House made sure he suffered every minute of it. House would never forget Chase's first official day under House. So anxious to prove himself. He didn't know his father had called House and talked to him about the job. And in a way, it was his father that got Chase this fellowship. Sure, Chase had the perfect resume and his scores were excellent. But House needs interesting and Chase was just another bright doctor trying to do his thing. But the fact he didn't mention who his father was, and then his old man called House – well, that's interesting.

After that, more things about Chase popped up which made him more intriguing. But Chase didn't talk about himself. All was kept in the dark, and House wanted to shed the light on Chase. So he taunted him. But Chase didn't break. Even when he became ridiculously mean to him, Chase didn't budge. Heck, Chase even sucked up to him. It didn't make any sense whatsoever.

House could define each of his three ducklings. They were all so completely different from each other – House made sure they'd be that way. Foreman stood up to himself, didn't take House's crap and was the serious professional doctor. Cameron was the opinionated caring one. And Chase was the out of the box careless one.

But all three of them have changed. In a way. Foreman is still the professional serious doctor, but he is much more willing to break the rules to get what he wants. Cameron is still opinionated and super caring, but she also hurts others in ways she probably wouldn't have before. And Chase. Well, actually, Chase is quite the same. He does what he's told, figures cases because of his unique thinking, but he is still careless, and doesn't stand up to himself as he probably should.

Which, House suspected, was probably what got him in this situation in the first place. House watched as they prepared him to surgery and whispered to himself, "stupid". House was indeed mad at Chase for being so careless.

While House was hovering above the glass wall of the operating room, Cameron was sitting right behind him, and when she heard House say stupid she got angry, and because her emotions were all wired up because of Chase's current condition, so got mad. And fast.

"How can you call him stupid at a time like this?" she asked House bewildered as she got up to confront him face to face.

House turned to look at her, he saw her furious gaze combined with the worry in her eyes. But House was furious as well but he wasn't going to let Cameron off the hook that easily. If she was mad, it meant she felt something, and House was planning on finding that out before really replying to her. So, he merely said, "I can. I just said it" and he knew she was going to boil up at his response.

And he was right. Cameron felt as if she could slap him, but she didn't. "Ha-ha, very funny. Chase isn't stupid for getting shot. If my memory serves me right, you got shot as well!"

"Good point. But I got shot because someone wanted to kill me. Chase got shot because he was playing the damn hero!" House informed her. Did she not hear what the nurse had said? If only Chase had sat aside and waited for security to come, none of this would be happening. But no. Chase had to be the hero and save the day.

"He wasn't playing the hero! He probably was just worried about the hostage woman! If you should call anyone stupid, should be security who kindly showed up after Chase got shot!" she told him furiously. She wasn't even sure what good all of this would bring, but she had to take it all out, and House just happened to be there.

"Well, he should have waited, and then probably no one would have got hurt" House said and took a seat, he leg was starting to throb. This was useless. It happened, what good would it be blaming anyone? Sure, security was slow, but Chase knows that, he shouldn't have done anything. But because he couldn't - look where he is now. And House really didn't want to argue with Cameron. He felt bad enough already. After all, if he hadn't told Chase to do Clinic duty, none of them would be in this position right now.

And as if reading his mind Cameron said, "He never should have been there in the first place" she told him icily, with a stare to match before she left. She wanted to be there and support Chase, but she just couldn't be around House now. He told Chase to do clinic and now Chase was hanging between life and death.

House was left alone in the observation room. And he was glad to be alone, he really wasn't in the mood for company – not that he ever was in the mood for company. But now even less. He was afraid he would feel guiltier if people were here, wondering why this had happened and all those "what if" questions.

Just then Chase's surgery started, and all House could do was watch and wait, and hope he'll survive. Even though House taunted Chase all the time, loosing him like this was never something he'd wanted.