Okay, miracle of miracles, I posted a new chapter within a day of the last one. However, I received a comment earlier that Lucy was too much of a Mary Sue. Looking back, I had to agree. I usually try to avoid Mary Sues at all costs, mostly because I hate them myself, but sometimes when I'm distracted from writing (which I am now) they just seem to slip through. So, I edited the previous two chapters so Lucy is less Mary-Sueish. I encourage you to take a look at those before you move on. Just as a side note, this is an example of how feedback makes a difference, especially to scatterbrains like me. Moral of the story, keep commenting. You can make a difference! (I'm not an attention-whore, I promise!) :)

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Later in the night, when the halls of the hospital had considerably quieted down, House began to feel what could be compared to a knawing feeling in his thigh as he sat at his desk. His hurt had begun to increase after lunch when he got the strange burn on his hand (which had to be eased with aloe later in the day). Massages did little to ease the ache and if anything, the pain was gradually getting worse. House could not help but worry since this was the same thing that happened this morning, granted on a much larger scale.

Geeze, dude. Take some more Vicodin already.

House heart jumped at what he heard, which did not seem to come from any fixed point in the room. It sounded like a voice. It felt like a voice. It just…could not have been a voice. No one was here.

"Foreman?" he called as he turned his attention to the door leading to the conference room. "Don't try to steal my mug again."

The voice did not sound too much like Foreman, but it sounded more similar to him than to Chase or to Wilson. It had a low and scratchy hue to it, almost like what a wolf would sound like if it could speak.

Foreman went home. Remember?

The second statement from the voice startled House into standing up from his seat suddenly, which he quickly realized was a mistake. As soon as he put a small amount of weight on the damaged leg, a burning fire shot upward and he was forced to let out a scream. The spasm caused the man to lose his center of gravity and fall to the floor. As his right thigh broke his fall, yet another burst of pain shot through and added to the damage the first caused. He was now in such utter agony that the night before had seemed like a cakewalk. Even a movement of the neck caused the pain to intensify. There would be no way he could get up by himself in this condition.

"H-help," House whimpered, even though he knew there would be no point in it. His throat had mysteriously constricted so that only tiny squeaks could be emitted from his lips. Not that there was anyone to hear him anyway. His fellows were long gone. Wilson had left early to move his stuff out of House's apartment. His position behind the desk would make it hard for any passerby to see him. Cuddy had probably assumed he had gone home (which he would have if his leg was well enough to drive his motorcycle). Why was it that people doted on him when he did not want help, but the one time he needed it, no one was there?

Yeah, life's a bitch, ain't it?

House jumped again, which sent another shot of pain all through his body.

I mean, you have to live with pain every day and all you're going to get for it is a shot liver and best friend who will abandon you…in fact, I'm pretty sure he's abandoned you already for that retard chick. I mean, what kind of guy defends some stranger over his best friend?

"Who the hell are you?" House huffed, still unable to make audible sounds with his vocal chords.

A friend, the voice said slowly and almost seductively.

"Isn't that…what all the…slashers say before…they sever various…organs?"

A throaty laugh was all the man got in response.

"You know, that doesn't ease my worries at all."

Even when you're in dire straits, you make jokes. I love that. Denial is a wonderful thing isn't it?

"Who. Are. You?" House practically growled, fighting to not succumb to the delirium his pain was causing.

Okay, since you asked, I'll just cut to the chase. You helped a friend of mine, so I want to return the favor and heal your leg.

"What?"

Yeah, that was probably a little direct, but you did ask and I figured you would want to know why you're leg is getting worse seemingly out of nowhere.

House was becoming annoyed at how this voice was beginning to sound like a used car salesman.

Greg, you are a special guy. I know that, as does everyone else. Don't you think special guys deserve everything their heart desires? The girl of their dreams. The ability to walk. Powers beyond mortal imagination.

"Are you doing this to me?" House rasped, unable to think of the logical implications of what he just said.

Another thing about special people is that, they are usually too stubborn to be persuaded like a normal people, so I have to use…extreme measures.

"What the hell…"

House could not finish his sentence before another shot of pain coursed through his thigh, eliciting an agonized moan.

You see, I have the power to take away your pain, which means I also have the power to increase it tenfold.

"Is that so? Then make it stop, you son of a bitch!"

Completely? Because if I do, then you're basically giving me permission to help you attain my power. It's a crazy process that could take…

"MAKE IT STOP!!!" House had finally found his voice. Unfortunately, it did not seem like anybody heard him.

Sorry, you see the stupid Boss man says I have to give you the whole story before I do anything to you. Let me try this another way. Do you want your old pre-infarction life back?

House's mind cleared just enough to listen to what this voice was saying, but still not enough to reason as to why this was happening. "Y-yes," House whimpered honestly.

Do you want more influence than you have ever had?

"What?"

I'll take that as a yes. Do you want to have the power to heal? To see? To never grow older? To do things humans cannot even…

"Shut up and just make it stop if you're so powerful!" House said, almost pleading. "I'll do anything! I'll take whatever the hell you're offering, just make it stop!"

Thanks, you just saved me a lot of time.

The pain did stop, and few seconds later, everything went black.