Christmas

"Chase," House said in an edgy tone as he slid the door open forcefully and limped into the room, followed by Cameron, Foreman, and Kutner. Chase looked up at them, his green-blue eyes wide with fright from the sudden loud sound.

"H-Hi Dr. House, is something wrong?" House's clear-blue eyes scanned Chase's face, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

"You talked to a nurse named Beth not long ago, correct?" Chase nodded, fear in his eyes, not understanding why the older doctor was upset.

"Yeah, I did. She was really nice." His eyes darted frantically to the other doctors. "Have...have I done something wrong?"

"How were you able to—"

"That's nice, Chase." Kutner interrupted, knowing that he basically signed his death certificate for cutting House off. House felt his anger bubble even more until he realized what Kutner was pointing at:

A tree made from a puzzle book that was sitting on the small cabinet that held the medical supplies.

"It is nice, isn't it?" Chase asked, looking at it fondly. "Whoever made it is very good with their hands and pretty creative. I hope whoever put it there comes by so that I can thank them." The doctors were quiet as Chase looked away from the tree and out the window to his left.

Beth said that Chase made that tree…but Chase says that he doesn't know the person who made it….

House's thought was interrupted when he heard Chase get out of his bed and pull the wires of the heart rate monitor off of him. Cameron was going to say something but House held up his cane to block her, silently telling her to not interrupt whatever it is Chase was doing. They watched as Chase picked up a random magazine from the small table across the room and walk back to his bed, sitting cross-legged on the middle of the bed, on top of his blanket.

"It's better if you use a magazine though," Chase said, looking up at them.

House felt like he was being suffocated as he continued to stare at Chase's jade eyes that were staring into his. His new and bizarre tone of voice echoed throughout the room and in his ears, seeming to mock him for his lack of understanding.

Beth wasn't lying. Chase's eye color changed to a different shade of green and his accent is softer…and it is child-like. There's no way this can be faked.

"I've been told that it's rude to stare." Chase said, breaking House's train of thought. He realized that he had been staring at Chase's jade eyes, perplexed by this latest development.

"Chase? Are you okay?" Cameron asked, now standing near the head of the bed. Chase turned to look at her and smiled.

"Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?" Chase looked around him, taking in the machines near him. He bit his lip, looking at Cameron again. "Am I sick?" Their confusion continued to mount.

"What?" Cameron asked, perplexed. Chase shrugged his shoulders, returning his attention to the magazine.

"Here's what you do," Chase looked back down at the magazine and began to fold the pages to form the Christmas tree. "It's not hard, I promise." Tense silence fell in the room as the doctors watched Chase fold the magazine pages, seeming to be unaware of the confusion radiating from them.

"Oh no, this will not work." Chase picked up the magazine that was now oddly shaped and tossed it to his left with a slight huff, upset that his magazine Christmas tree wasn't a success.

"Chase?" Cameron asked, trying to get the blonde's attention.

"Yes?" Chase asked, looking back up at them, his green-blue eyes catching the light. But then he turned his head to look around him, confusion on his face.

"What happened?" They heard fear begin to enter his voice.

"What do you mean?" Chase hesitated.

"I wasn't…sitting like this…earlier." He said, his voice becoming thick as he tried to fight back the tears of confusion. "What the fuck is wrong with me?" He whispered, grabbing his hair and rocking back-and-forth.

House released a sound of frustration and limped angrily from the room, Foreman following behind him. Cameron looked at the blonde as he now lay on his left side, sniffing slightly. Her heart broke as she continued to watch him, knowing that this confusion about his memory loss is more frustrating and scary for Chase than it was for them. She felt a powerful feeling of sympathy fill her when she heard Chase let out a deep sigh, now hiding his face in his pillow.

He's reaching the end of his rope. There's only so much more confusion and frustration he can take before he snaps.

She sighed quietly and turned to Kutner who was eyeing Chase thoughtfully. As she got to know Kutner as time passed, she realized that Kutner shared two particular traits with House that were very strong in both of them:

Observation and thinking outside the box.

"We should go." Cameron said quietly, making Kutner turn towards her.

"Let's walk slowly…I think we both need some time to prepare for House's wrath." Cameron left, leaving Kutner to stare at Chase's back, thinking.

He thought more of Chase's behavior since being admitted earlier in the week. He reflected on the changes in eyes and demeanor, and how memory loss ties into everything.

A theory crossed his mind. A crazy theory. One that gets frowned upon in the medical community more times than not. However crazy it may seem, it may be the best way forward they have at the moment.

Aura should be coming in next week. Let's talk to her first before saying something wild.

xXxXx

One week later

Boots thudded loudly with each hurried step down the hallway. Brown eyes brushed over room numbers briefly until she found the one she was looking for.

There you are, you idiot. What have you gotten yourself into now?

She leaned against the side of the doorframe, watching her friend sleep. Before Chase had left for his trip abroad back in September, he had told her that he needed a year away and in peace. While she knew the relationship between Chase and his stepfather had not been the best, her friend never shared all the details of what it was like living with such a toxic man. She knew his mother eventually drank herself to death, but Chase never really spoke of his stepfather. All she knew was that Chase hated the asshole. For that reason, she was surprised when Chase had told her that he was planning to travel abroad for about a year after his stepfather passed in late September. She figured that he didn't know what to make of his feelings after his passing and needed time and space to work it out.

I should probably talk to his doctor first, so that I have an idea of what's going on. Be back, Chase.

Aura walked back to the nearest nurses station, leaning her arms in the counter.

"Excuse me," the burnet nurse looked up.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes ma'am, I'm here to see Robert Chase, but I'd like to talk to his doctor before seeing him." Beth smiled.

"He is such a dear. We work through crossword puzzles in my lunch breaks." Aura smiled.

"Chase always did love doing those. I'm glad that you've kept him company." Beth shrugged.

"He seemed lonely and nervous. Let me show you how to get to his doctor's office. You're looking for Dr. House."

xXxXx

They sat the table in the conference, House propping his feet up on the table, tossing his ball as he stared at the board. He eyed his newest addition to the board:

Changes in demeanor

Cameron dropped her glasses on top of the journal she was reading and pressed the heels of her hands over her eyes, trying to dull the feeling of dryness and tiredness that started to develop. Foreman held his head in his hands, looking at the journal in front of him, but not truly reading it. Cuddy and Wilson were unable to be with them, and Cameron sighed in relief as Kutner walked into the conference room carrying random snacks from the vending machine and coffee that he happily got at the local café.

"You're a life saver." Cameron said as Kutner handed her coffee to her with a light smile.

"No problem." They shook their heads slightly as he sat down, sipping his coffee. House leaned over and picked his coffee off the table, and continued to stare at the board with all the information they had. Kutner made a mental note of the new addition to the board.

Maybe House is thinking the same thing I am.

"Excuse me," An accented voice broke the silence. They turned to look at their visitor. It was a young woman with waist-length blonde hair, ripped jeans, a tank top, and thick boots. She seemed to be anxious.

"Yes, can we help you?" Cameron asked, trying to keep the impatience from her voice.

"I was told to come here to see Dr. House. I'm a friend of Chase's." House dropped his feet off the table.

"You're Aura." She nodded, taking the seat that Kutner had offered her.

"I haven't gone to see him yet. I wanted to have an idea of what was happening before I did. He's seemed anxious the few times we've spoke since he got here." She glanced at the board behind House. "That's him?"

"Any of it make sense to you?" Aura thought for a few moments.

Memory loss

Forgotten - 2 international trips, past year, what's said w/in 1 min

Eye color?

Changes in demeanor

"That looks about like him, honestly." Aura said slowly. "I'm glad he's here." She admitted. "I've been trying to convince him for years to get this thing taken care of or at least get a medical opinion, but Chase always brushed it off. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to get himself discharged yet." She sat back in her seat, crossing her ankles. "Mind, the fact that he even went through with his trip surprised me. He's never wanted to leave Australia until his stepdad died."

"When did he die?" Cameron asked.

"Mid-September." Aura looked to Cameron. "They didn't have the best relationship, but Chase didn't really talk about him. I just know that he was a toxic asshole who hit him. That was another thing that surprised me about Chase planning to go abroad. The planning started basically the same week he passed." House stood and wrote trauma? (abuse) on the board.

"What about his mom?" Kutner asked, making Aura glance at him. She shrugged.

"She drank herself to death when we were teenagers. She wasn't really involved." She picked at her fingers. "He...doesn't really have anyone in his life besides me. Same thing when we were growing up. He was always a bit of a loner."

Silence.

"It's not uncommon for Chase to contradict himself." Aura continued, starting to feel comfortable. "He'll say one thing and then say that he never did in the next breath. He'll do something and not remember doing it. It's honestly like dealing with someone who gets bad mood swings." Aura shrugged, looking at House. "You just learn how to roll with it because it has to be worst for him than it is for me."

"Meaning what?" Aura blinked.

"Can you imagine it? Like, truly imagine what it's like in his brain?" She held intense eye contact with House. "You live your life as best you can. You're a good member of the community, you hold a steady job, and do your part. All the while," Aura seemed to be becoming emotional. "Your mind plays tricks on you. Makes you forget the most basic of things. Makes you think you're going crazy because surely you must have lost your mind. You're alone as you carry the burden of childhood trauma." She wiped her nose. "You do what you need to do in order to have a sense of control because you can't control your mind. Why do you think he hurts himself? Why do you think he prefers to be called his last name? They give him something to control."

House tapped his cane against the carpet, nodding at Aura. She's been helpful, but he didn't have a good read on her yet. He had a theory. A wild one.

"Okay, Kiddies, sit tight. Daddy will be right back." House walked towards the door, Aura laughing lightly.

"Where are you going?" Foreman asked, not in the mood for any of House's antics. House gave him a false look of surprise.

"Why Foreman, there are sick people in the Clinic who need me. Who am I to deny them access to my presence?" House left, but Kutner saw the thoughtful look on the older doctor's face.

Let's see if we have the same theory.

He turned to look at Aura. "You're welcome to go sit with Chase if you'd like. We'll be there in a little bit." Kutner got up and went looking for House.

xXxXx

Alright Gang,

We're about halfway through now!

Reviews would be wonderful and appreciated!

When-Rabbit-Howls