HuddyFan: Um... this fic IS Huddy. Just because I don't particularly like a pairing doesn't mean I can't write a fic for it. On a related note, House and Cuddy finally get reunited in this chapter, so get ready for Huddy scenes! (Sorry, NO smut)
And nope, not CO poisoning. Although I WAS considering giving Jason that.
And Sara, I think this chapter will make you happy. Particularly the ending...
Chapter 6
The timer on the table beeped and House knocked to the floor with his cane, smiling when the fall broke the cheap piece of plastic. "Okay, time's up," House said to no one in particular, since Cameron had passed out over ten minutes ago. He removed the makeshift IV from her and Chase, taping over each wound.
With another worried at Chase, House got slowly to his feet, biting his lip. Cameron had only bought Chase about an hour of time. Still, not enough time to diagnose Jason.
Just then, said maniac shouted, "Hey! I don't know if you've forgotten about me or something, but in case you have, I have a gun and want you to diagnose me- now!" He threw the file over at House, then swore. "Damn paper cut," he muttered under his breath, glaring furiously at the spot of blood on his thumb. He sucked it off his skin, ignoring completely House's shocked look, then winced and made a sour face. "Salty. And coppery. Yuck."
Normally, House would have just discounted the statement and went on trying to find a way out of situation, but one word stood out to him- coppery.
Copper.
An overload of copper in Jason's symptoms would cause every single last one of his symptoms- even the liver failure. The reason he got better after the transplant was because standard hospital breakfasts consisted of cereal, which was high in Vitamin E. Vitamin E was a temporary treatment for Wilson's disease- where the body built up too much copper.
And... Wilson's had been known to cause sociopathy Which made perfect sense, seeing as Jason didn't care the slightest that Chase could die through his actions, for absolutely no reason at all.
House smiled eagerly- while Wilson's wasn't the only disease that fit, it was one of the few that he could test and confirm and the little time that Chase had left.
"Jason!" he exclaimed, turning around to face him. "Thirteen, Foreman, Wilson- you three, get a slit-lamp eye examination kit down here right away."
"What? Why?" Thirteen asked, trying to keep the urgency out of her voice and failing miserably. "What the hell is that going to do?"
"Yeah! And nothing is coming down here without me knowing why!" Jason added, taking a threatening step forward and raising his gun, glaring furiously at House.
Rolling his eyes, House said quickly, "Wilson's disease. It would cause all the symptoms- and the reason he got better after the liver transplant was because standard hospital breakfast consists of cereal, which-"
"-is high in Vitamin E, a temporary treatment for Wilson's!" Foreman finished for him. "It's a long shot... but, considering the circumstances, it's all we have. I'll get the machine and... leave it in the hallway where you can see that, how's that sound?"
House glanced back at Jason, who was staring at the phone, dumbfounded. "Sounds perfect," House said for him. "See you in five."
He heard the sounds of Foreman getting up and leaving, then Jason shouted, "Hey! What was that- what's going on, what's that doctor bringing down here? If it's anything that can-"
"Oh, relax," House said, waving his hand at Jason while backing up slightly. "It's just a machine I can use to look at your eyes. If I see some copper-colored rings around your irises, then that means you have Wilson's, and you can let me, Chase, and Cameron go. Case solved, another-"
"Wait up a second," Jason said suspiciously, glancing back at the phone again. "How do I know
you're not lying about this Wilson's thing? How do I know you're telling the truth?"
House groaned, biting his lip, then said, "Well, you can either use the computer over there to look up Wilson's disease, or..." House trailed off, then wrote two words on the whiteboard, then called to the phone, "Wilson, what are the copper-colored rings around the iris called?"
There was a slight pause, then Wilson said hesitantly, "Keyser-Fleischer rings- but I don't see how this proves it to Jason..."
House grinned and moved away from the whiteboard, revealing his two words- Keyser-Fleischer. "So, unless you think we came up with a secret word just in case some maniac decided to take me hostage, that's your proof right there."
Jason hesitated, then nodded, still without lowering his gun. Despite his optimistic words, House had no intention of telling Jason the actual results of the tests. House didn't care if he saw parasites in Jason's eyes, he was going to lie through his teeth and say it was Wilson's- because, if he was wrong about this and said so, Chase was dead.
"House!" He turned around and nodded at Foreman, who was standing at the end of the hallway, the machine already placed on the floor. Once Foreman was sure House had seen him, he backed away into the mass of the SWAT team waiting behind the corner, just out of Jason's line of vision.
House turned to Jason and said, "Let me go get that, the test'll take about ten seconds- and you PROMISE to let us go if the test comes back positive?" Jason hesitated, then nodded.
"Now, don't think of trying anything, or I will kill your Dr. Chase," he said, pointing his gun down at the two bodies on the floor. House just glared at him before heading outside his office.
When he reached the small machine, House was none too surprised to see the SWAT team waiting there, ready to rush into his office at the smallest sign of an opportunity. House gave them a curt nod before heading back to his office, stepping carefully over to the two unconscious bodies on the floor, setting the machine on the table. "Okay, Jason," he said, keeping an eye on the bastard's gun. Just set your head right there and I can check to see if the copper rings are there or now.
Jason took a step forward, then paused, looking over House suspiciously. House bit his lip and started tapping incessantly* on his leg. Every second Jason hesitated was one more second that Chase was bleeding out on the floor.
Finally, Jason said, "If you try and pull anything, I will shoot you. Got that?" House nodded silently, so Jason smirked and got down in front of the machine, his gun pointed at House.
As House had promised, the test took less than ten seconds. All he had to do was see the copper rings around Jason's eyes to know he was right. House pulled back triumphantly and got down next to Chase to check his pulse, calling over his shoulder at Jason, "I was right, it's Wilson's! Now, let us go!"
HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE
Thirteen, Foreman, and Wilson strained to see over the heads of the SWAT team as Jason was arrested. After his diagnosis, the bastard had put down his gun and surrendered, but they didn't care about that. They just wanted to see if House, Chase, and Cameron were all right.
Several of the hospital's personnel rushed forward to get Chase and Cameron down to the ER and tried to look at House, but he refused and pushed past them to find Cuddy.
When he finally spotted her, he stepped forward and Cuddy rushed towards him. House blinked as crashed into him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, letting him hold her in his surprised arms. "Oh, god, House," she gasped, and he could tell by her voice that she was crying. He hesitated, then gently rested one hand on her shaking shoulder and wrapped his other arm around her, not sure how to hold her or if she would even appreciate physical comfort right now.
After a moment, a doctor from the ER pulled on House's arm and said softly, "Sir, we have to check you out before-" House turned his head and fixed him with a withering glare, but the doctor did not leave. "I'm sorry, sir, it's procedure," he trailed off softly.
House hesitated, then tightened his grip on the woman in his arms and said, "Cuddy, I have to go with him for a bit, okay? I'll be right back, I promise."
Cuddy shook her head and clutched House's hand tighter when he pulled away. "I'm going with you," she said firmly. House smiled slightly, but allowed her to hold onto him as he headed back to the ER.
HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE
House glanced back at Cuddy, Thirteen, Foreman, and Cameron, who were all waiting for news on Chase. After her lost blood had been replaced, Cameron had regained consciousness and was absolutely fine, physically. But emotionally, she was a wreck, and the others weren't faring much better. Besides himself, Cameron, and Wilson, no one else knew about Cuddy's rape, and Cameron wasn't really focused on Cuddy right now, so House wasn't sure if he should leave right now. Granted, Wilson had said it was urgent...
After another moment of hesitation, he walked over to Cuddy and said gently, "Hey, I have to go give my statement to the police. I'll be right back, okay?"
Cuddy shook her head, grabbing his hand. "No, no, I... I'm going with you," she said quickly, her voice cracking slightly.
House could tell she was barely holding it together as it was, so it wasn't easy to lie to her. But, that being said, he still managed it. "No, I need someone I trust back here, so you can tell me if something happens with Chase. Please, Cuddy? I'll be back really soon, I promise."
Cuddy looked him up and down nervously, biting her lip in anxiety, then nodded. "Please, hurry," she whispered, keeping her eyes glued to the floor. House smiled as nicely as he could, then hurried back to his office.
He stopped outside the crime scene tape, where Wilson was waiting for him. "What the hell is so damn important you had to drag me down here? Why couldn't you just ask me at the ER?" House demanded, glaring furiously at Wilson.
"Because," the younger doctor started, "I didn't know if I'd be able to get you away from Cuddy... House... I think she's in denial."
House groaned and threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Well thank you, pysch 101. Thank you for that completely unnecessary-"
"I'm serious, House!" Wilson snapped. "If you don't get her to at least try to accept what happened, she'll never heal from this! You have to at least-"
House shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You know what, Wilson, you're good with the emotional stuff, why don't you talk to her? Meanwhile, I have to get back to the ER before-"
"House, I'm not her boyfriend! She doesn't want me- and I won't be able to help her through this! Not like you could, if you would at least try! Get her to talk about it House, get her to-"
"Wilson, I'm not going to-"
"Um, excuse me?" House and Wilson both looked at the hesitant young teen, who looked like he was regretting interrupting the two doctors' fight. "Um... I'm looking for a Dr. Chase?" He held up a letter uncertainly, which was addressed to Chase.
With a heavy groan, House snapped the letter out of his hand and lied, "That's me. Now, you, get out of here." The kid didn't have to be told twice, he turned and practically ran down the hallway.
When the kid was gone and House started to open the letter, Wilson asked, "House, what the hell are you doing? Surely your curiosity can survive not knowing what's in a boring old letter?"
House just smirked and shook his head. "Nope." Then he pulled out a single sheet of paper from the envelope and started reading it out loud:
I watch you walk by
your beauty and grace
never to be mine
your intelligence unequaled
your beauty unmatched
Though I am alone
I want you so
Everything about you
makes me want you more
because I can't have you
my heart becomes sore
When you look at me
All you see is a fool
even though this is true
I want you so
Everyday I see you
I want to draw near to you
Alas I can't for your hatred of me
Chains me within myself
and I can only be freed by you
this will never happen, but
I want you so
I want you so
House looked back up at Wilson, then asked, "What the hell?"
Eep more of my stalker's poems! FREAKY! AND HA! SEAN, LOOK AT HOW I SPELLED INCESSANTLY ON MY FIRST TRY! HA! NOW YOU CAN'T USE THAT OTHER ONE AGAINST ME! HA!...Please review