"Oh my God".
Cuddy had approached the young boy who was huddled in the corner, drowning in the clothes that Chase had been wearing. She tentatively reached her hand out to comfort the small, confused child.
The child squeaked in fear and attempted to bury his way further into the corner. Cuddy, shocked, turned to House who was looking thoughtfully at the child's face. His eyes narrowed before he gasped and fell back, having to lean on the tattered settee behind him to keep himself upright.
Cuddy looked back at the child to see what had surprised House so badly as to provoke an audible reaction. She looked at the child but couldn't see his face as he was covering his face to avoid injury to it.
She touched the child's shoulder to get his attention and was again surprised at the violent flinch she got in return.
In an attempt to escape the hand he was sure would hurt him, he swung around, blue eyes flashing, revealing an all too familiar purple bruise.
"Chase", she breathed.
She had dropped to her knees in front of the little boy, who she had seen not four hours before, although she was sure he had been an adult then
"How do you know my last name", it broke Cuddy's heart the way the child stuttered in fear.
"My name is Dr Cuddy, and this is Dr House", the kid looked at House, as if pondering his next move.
"You're doctors? Do you know my daddy?" The blonde child looked around for his father to see if he had followed in the other two doctors. He was scared; if his daddy knew he was somewhere other than home he'd be in for a beating. The child began to shake at this point.
Cuddy was about to respond when House but in across her.
"What's your father's name?" Maybe they were wrong and just jumping to conclusions. Maybe this was Chase's son. If it was Chase had some explaining to do about how the child got in this state.
"Wowan" Cuddy smiled at the way the child pronounced Rowan, before her mouth fell open.
"And your name?" She prompted, afraid of the answer.
"Robert", said the scared, Australian child. It struck House by how strong the child's accent was. They had not really noticed that Chase's accent had been changing, if even slightly.
"Oh God, House? Is this some sort of prank or something?" The way she said it, the hope was evident in her voice but she knew by how Chase had reacted today that he would not play along to this prank.
"Robert", the child broke the staring contest he appeared to be having with House to look at the lady addressing him, "I know you must be very confused but it is okay. We are going to take you to a hospital to have you looked at. Are you in any pain?"
The child shook his head and Cuddy gave a sigh in relief.
"He's lying".
Cuddy turned back to look at house. "What do you mean 'he's lying'?" She looked back at the child to see the terror at being caught lying returning to his eyes.
"He can't move his arm which tells me he has at least a dislocated shoulder. When he ran to the corner he didn't put much weight on his right foot, I'm think it's broken and I know he's lying because I know his face hurts and he says it doesn't". House indicated to the various body parts with his cane and sure enough the foot was badly bruised.
"I'm sorry", the child sobbed curling into a ball and covering his head when he saw House waving the cane at him, "I won't lie again… please I'm really sorry".
The child's cries had decreased in volume as he pleaded until he was barely whispering.
Cuddy looked shocked and wondered what had triggered it, when she heard House hiss, "The cane".
She was flooded with enlightenment followed closely by shock, "He thinks you'll hit him with his cane? What happened to him?"
House was about to respond when a thump drew their attention, and they turned to see mini Chase splayed across the floor.
"We need to get him to a hospital", House dropped the cane and limped to the little boy and picked him up.
"House your leg. You should let me take him", she stopped as House shook his head.
"Its fine", House looked down at the small Aussie in his arms and noticed blood starting to seep through the shirt.
"Let's go".
Xx-Cuddy's car-xX
"How... How?" Cuddy said gripping the steering wheel even harder. House sighed. This was all she had been able to say since they had laid Chase in the backseat of the car.
House glanced back at the broken boy in the backseat. He was sweating, his face pale making the bruise on his jaw look even darker and angrier. He was shivering, no doubt from the cold. The kid was only wearing a shirt, long enough to be a dress.
"We'll run DNA when we get to the hospital to make sure but… I-", he trailed of when the Australian child rubbed his jaw in his sleep.
House attempted to swallow the lump in his throat, as the horrible feeling of guilt crept its way back into his stomach. Cuddy seemed to read his mind, "You hit him pretty hard but it looks worse now because he's so little".
House took a deep breath and nodded, but the wheels in his head were still turning, "He wasn't that injured today, which means either he was mugged on the way home or", Cuddy glanced at him, "or he was in that state when he was really that age. We can compare these injuries to his medical history".
Cuddy seemed to be having an internal struggle before, "This can't happen. It's not possible!"
"Shh".
Too late. The little wombat's eyes shot open in panic. He looked disorientated and confused, still half asleep and in pain.
"Hey, hey, it's alright. Remember us?" The Aussie gave a slight nod.
Cuddy pulled into a parking space close to the main door. "You know these spaces are reserved for cripples".
Cuddy rolled her eyes as she opened chase's door and held out her arms, indicating that she would pick him up.
Xx-Robbie's pov-xX
'Oh no, oh no! Mummy is going to be so mad I came to the hospital'. I turned when my door opened and the nice, doctor lady was standing there. She reached her hands towards me and I fell back afraid she would strangle me.
"No no, it's alright I just want to carry you so you won't cut your feet". I looked at her strangely but she did make me feel a bit safe. I crawled towards her and her arms wrapped around my waist lifting me up and holding me close.
Xx-Normal pov-xX
Cuddy's heart split in two as the blonde child stumbled away from her. As she picked him up she noted how light he was. 'He'll definitely need some fattening up'. She followed House through the main doors, ignoring the strange looks she got from the nurse at reception.
"It's going to be ok kid", House soothed the child, in a very House-like manner, "Besides there's your new doctors".
Robbie looked around to where House was pointing his cane and jumped in Cuddy's arm as House yelled across the crowded room, "Skinny! Dark one! We got a case!"