Chapter 2- Ease Of Mind

„I'm DEATH and I'm going to make you two an offer."
Cuddy stared at him, not knowing what to think. After some seconds she seemed to pull herself together though, turning around and facing Wilson. „Don't stop! It has only been 3 minutes, there's still a chance-„
„I'm your only chance." The stranger's voice was sharp and cold as ice. They didn't just hear it, they could actually feel it.
Wilson and Cuddy wanted to look at House and ignore the man in white, but some strange inner urge always made them turn their heads at the stranger, his white eyes almost hypnotizing them. Like marionettes they turned away from House and looked at the white man. There was something about him that caught them, didn't let them go anymore.
The nurses were still frozen, standing there like painted stone, looking so human and yet not breathing or moving anymore.
„I am your only chance.", the stranger slowly repeated, his words feeling cold on Cuddy's and Wilson's skin as he spoke.
„Who are you…?" Wilson asked, his voice not more than a whisper, weakened by the terror of the last minutes and the powerful presence of this stranger.
„I'm DEATH. I take the dead with me and yet I can't kill. I have always existed and will always exist, yet I can't see the future. I see people's emotions, their fear, their hatred, their joy, only their feeling of love is invisible to my eyes. At times I'm good, at times I'm evil."
Wilson and Cuddy already seemed to be under his spell. They listened without interrupting him altough every word he said caused a short freezing pain on their skin.
„Guilt", he then said and walked towards Cuddy, who didn't move away. Wilson watched him walking around her in a circle. „I see guilt." He stopped and his stunning white eyes looked at Cuddy. She didn't back away, although a part of her was screaming to do so. She felt sedated, suddenly completely calm, her heart beating normal, maybe even a little slower than usually. Her mind was clear, which was a miracle per se, seeing as it should be filled with so many thoughts concerning House and what had just happened to him.
DEATH then turned towards Wilson. As soon as the distance between Cuddy and him grew bigger, she felt how the thoughts about House and the whole situation were coming back into her head, how the ease of mind slowly faded.
„Despair.", he said, facing Wilson. „That's good. Desperate people tend to agree to do something stupid faster than others."
Now Wilson was the one to feel the immense ease of mind and for a short moment he found himself liking it, it seemed to be better than the pain. At the same time he wanted it to go away, knowing it was DEATH that caused this feeling inside him and that was a thought he didn't like at all.
„Now that we know each other", DEATH started to say, „ let's proceed to business. I'm asking you to play a game with me."
„You are asking us…?", Wilson repeated a little puzzled. If this was really DEATH, why wouldn't he just force them to play his games?
„I have no powers to manipulate people's free will nor can I force them to do what I say. It is your decision alone.", DEATH slowly replied, „ It's going to be a dangerous game and you have to undergo several tests, but if you pass them, I won't take your friend with me."
„He will be alive?", Cuddy faced the stranger, „ He will live?"
DEATH nodded. „It's not in my power to revive people I already guided to the lands of the dead. But him I haven't taken with me yet."
„Why would you give us that chance? Do we have to promise you our souls or something like that?", Wilson asked distrustfully. The whole situation still seemed like a dream to him.
„I don't deal in souls. Souls aren't worth anything to me. I do this simply for my entertainment."
Wilson and Cuddy looked at each other, not knowing what to think. Were they both delusional?
„What do you mean with ‚dangerous' ?", Cuddy carefully asked after a while.
„That you could die."
Shock appeared on the doctors' faces.
„Didn't you say you can't kill anyone?"
„I can't kill anyone with my own hands. But in my game people die."
„And.. what are those tests you were talking about like?" Wilson took a look at House, who seemed to be in a peaceful sleep. Only that his heart wasn't beating anymore.
„I'm not giving any information about them. They are dangerous, that's all you need to know."
Cuddy and Wilson didn't seem to be very content with this answer. They had no idea what would be waiting for them if they agreed. After all it was DEATH who wanted to play with them. He was planning to use them for his own entertainment and probably enjoyed to see them fighting for their own lifes. On the other hand they had just gotten a chance to save the life of their best friend. Could they even say no just because they were scared? Was it fair? Did House want to live? Or would he prefer to be dead anyways?
Too many thoughts. Too many emotions.
„I want an answer now.", DEAtH slowly said and watched them.
„You are saying we should risk our lives for House and your entertainment?", Wilson quietly asked.
„That's what I'm saying. Now make the decision that will change your lives."