A/N: This chapter is more about the effects of the blackout rather than something that really moves the story along, so I'll post chapter three at the same time.

The emergency room was more packed than Wilson had ever seen it. He managed to steal a wheelchair for House and took him up to his office just as he said and then went to get some supplies for the exam.

"Wilson," a frazzled-looking Cuddy said when she saw him. "Thank god you're here. All non-emergent surgeries are put on hold, we need everyone down in the E.R.-"

"'-I'll get down there as soon as I can," Wilson cut her off. "House is hurt, he passed out-"

"-James, everyone passed out. How do you think this happened?"

"Wait," Wilson stopped in his tracks. "Everyone passed out?"

"Yeah," Cuddy nodded. "At first we thought it was just the hospital. I woke up and everyone was on the floor. Then people started coming in, bleeding, mostly from traffic accidents, and everyone is saying the same thing, they blacked out and had some sort of dream or vision. Isn't that what happened to you?"

"Yeah," Wilson said, running his fingers through his hair. "I wonder what-"

"-Let's talk about this later," Cuddy interrupted. "I have a thousand things to take care of, and as soon as you're done with House, get down to the E.R. If he's healthy enough to move I want him checking on your patients. If not, keep him in one of your offices, we don't have nearly enough beds. And hurry, please." She ran off.

Wilson looked at her feet. She was wearing sneakers. Wilson didn't even think she owned a pair of sneakers, let alone kept them at the hospital in case of emergencies. More than the buildings on fire, more than the smoke everywhere, the bleeding children, the countless car crashes, this told him exactly how serious this was.

"This is all I'm giving you, House," Wilson warned, pressing down on the needle. House nodded, closing his eyes. There wasn't too much damage; just some bruising. It was only the fact that he'd fallen on his right leg that made the pain so much worse than it should have been.

"Well Cuddy needed me down in the E.R., so I'll be back up to check on you in a few hours. If something goes wrong, don't hesitate to page me, okay?" Wilson looked down at House, catching his eye for a moment. House nodded. "All right, feel better." He clapped House's shoulder and then left the office.

Wilson knew that Cuddy needed him ASAP, but if it was true that everyone in the area had passed out, then this phone call was more important.

"Hello?"

"Sam?"

"James, I'm so glad you called. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. There were so many car accidents, the hospital's a mess..."

"I know, that's why I didn't call you first. As soon as I found out what happened, I wanted to check on you, but I thought you'd be occupied with patients and didn't want to interrupt."

"I know. I'm supposed to be in the E.R. now, actually, but I just had to check first and make sure nothing had happened to you."

"I'm fine. I was getting dressed when it happened, I just fell on my floor, my carpeted floor in my bedroom. I don't even have any bruises. I'm fine."

"That's great to hear. I'll call you when I get out of work and maybe come over."

"Good. Now go help some hurt people, James. I love you."

Wilson nodded in return, forgetting the fact that she couldn't see him, muttered a goodbye and closed the phone. He went down to the emergency room.

It was heartbreaking. People were bleeding everywhere, many were standing because there weren't enough chairs. Parents that looked like they'd been in the center of an explosion were begging the doctors to inspect their sobbing children. Some people had passed out from losing too much blood because no one had been able to get to them in time. The nurses and doctors were stressed, surveying the room, unsure whether to first treat those in the worst condition...or those who had the best chance of survival.

A girl who couldn't be older than ten was carrying a sleeping infant. At least Wilson hoped it was sleeping. She approached him. "Excuse me," she said in a tiny voice.

Wilson wondered how she could be so polite at a time like this.

"Are you a doctor?"

"Yes. Are you okay? Where are your parents?"

Tears started to run down her cheeks. Wilson regretted his question instantly.

"Daddy wasn't with us. Mom said she couldn't get out of the car. She said to take my sister to the hospital. Please, Doctor, is she all right?"

He wordlessly took the baby from her. Relieved, he found a pulse. "She's alive. I'll have to examine her..." He looked around. Just where he would examine her, he hadn't a clue.

It was the most exhausting day of Wilson's life. He'd lost track of time and over six hours had passed since he promised to go check on House before he actually made it up. At first he panicked when House wasn't in his office, but he noticed him in the diagnostics room, treating patients.

"You're feeling better?"

House shrugged. He was still in the wheelchair from that morning, but at a time like this a doctor in a wheelchair was better than no doctor at all.

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"A cheeseburger would be nice."

Wilson's stomach rumbled. He'd completely forgotten about eating. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he promised.

He got sidetracked on the way to the cafeteria, so a few minutes became another two hours, but House didn't seem to notice and neither did he. The cheeseburger became half a turkey sandwich, because sandwiches were all the cafeteria was giving out at the time, but they were free. Wilson handed the sandwich to House, who ate it quickly and without complaint.

The sky darkened around the hospital and more and more people came in. Patients who would normally need to stay for observation got discharged immediately to free up space. The morgue didn't have enough room for all the people who didn't make it.