The experiment chapter one Level Nine.

"Of pain you could wish only one thing: that it should stop. Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain. In the face of pain there are no heroes."

George Orwell, 1984.

There was a darkness about the room, a weight like death.

As the clouds formed outside casting shadows on the sun, turning this particular morning into an almost dark dusk, you would be forgiven if you thought it was night.

Inside a cluttered apartment; House packs a suitcase.

The rugged man sports his usual t shirt and jeans as he packs just the same into a medium size case.

"How can you do this to me!?"

Willson yelled at his best friend of over 20 years.

"How can you even consider this!?"

He continued.

"You could die!"

"You know you could die!"

"and you're just going to leave anyway!?"

"There is at least a 40% chance that I won't."

House said calmly

while he finished packing his suitcase.

Sure it was experimental, sure it was expensive, but this was his last chance to correct a wrong that was done to his body all those years ago.

This was the last chance to attempt to have a pain free life.

After all; living at level nine was just not in the cards anymore.

"This is insane!

not to mention illegal."

Willson remarked still trying to talk some sense into his old stubborn friend.

"It's only illegal here, why do you think I'm going to Japan." House replied as he started packing a small carry on suitcase.

"You don't even know what the drug is, let alone what the rest of the trial involves."

Willson yelled as a vein on his forehead bulged out.

"Well first of all, it's not a trial, it's a experimental pain management treatment, House corrected him.

"And second of all, I could use the time off from that horrid clinic duty that Cuddy keeps demanding of me."

"Don't do that, you know what I mean House!" Willson snapped back.

"Just think of this as my vacation, I'll be back in six weeks."

House responded as he looked about his bedroom for his keys.

"I'll bring you a postcard or something."

He joked as he hobbled out, cane in hand.

"You don't know that!"

Willson remarked as House grabbed his plane ticket uptop the piano.

"If you care about our friendship at all you...

House interrupts him.

"What about my life!?

Huh!?

The diagnostician replied as his voice broke both in anger and frustration.

"How long do you really think I can keep living like this?"

"I'm in pain all the time! Willson I'm living at a level nine"

"A level nine for God's sake and that's on a good day"

Wilson's expression changed

from anger to that of confusion.

"What about therapy!?"

"Therapy"

House scoffed back.

"It was about as effective as that crack pot doctor who wanted me to talk about my feelings."

"There are other options you could try without turning yourself into a damn lab rat House!"

Willson remarked while following his friend about the apartment.

"Oh yeah because frying my brain is the answer".

He said as he grabbed his keys and wallet from a small dresser.

"You don't know, what if this frys your brain!"

Willson said tears of worry now filling his eyes.

"What do you want me to do Huh!?

"What do you want me to say here!?"

He paused to look at the younger man.

"Do you remember the last time the pain got this bad!?" House said, his tone now more irritated.

"Of course I do"

Willson said recalling a time when House nearly over dosed on vicodin.

"You and everyone else always telling me that I need to get clean, well here is my chance."

House said as he headed for the door, Wilson grabs his arm almost knocking the rugged man off balance as he pulls him back in an embrace.

"I don't want to lose my best friend over a damn experiment." Wilson said as he looked at House as if it would be the very last time he would lay eyes on the man again.

"I don't need another phone call of bad news".

"Fine, I won't call,

they probably won't have phone service there anyway."

House joked trying to lessen his friend's concern as well as his own frustration.

"Damn it House, you didn't even tell me until today"

Willson said, his face visibly hurt as tears run down.

"Because I knew you would never let me go to the party mom."

House joked still trying to lighten the mood as he pulls away from the embrace.

"I can't even go with you, you should have someone there."

Wilson said as he followed his friend out the door.

"There will be plenty of cute nurses to keep me company"

House joked again as he locked up his apartment.

"House" Willson called under his breath, fatigued from still trying to talk his friend out of this insane experiment"

House looked at him, trying to convince him of the positives to this trip.

Wilson sighs defeated.

"I heard they're really hot, in tight little uniforms."

"I'm telling you this is going to be like a vacation for me."

House grined.

(music plays, Do you like pina coladas?...)

The diagnostician's phone rings.

"Yeah" House answered.

(you're cab is outside, an automated message sounded.)

"Time to go, I'm late, I'm late for a very important date."

He said as he made his way down the hall and outside.

Willson all the while rolling a suitcase behind him, as House carries the smaller one.

The cab driver gets out of his car to help pack the suitcases into the trunk, but House signals to him that he doesn't need the help as he and Willson load the trunk.

"What if something happens and..."

Willson said while unable to finish that sentence, let alone the continued thought of not being there.

"Yeah I could end up making sweet love with a nurse" House replied as he shut the trunk door and hobbled to the backseat of the cab.

"Or two nurses!"

"House" Willson sighs again.

"Everything is going to be fine"

That was the last thing the diagnostician said to him before he left,

with a crooked grin and an over confident tone as if he was trying to convince himself as well.

As the cab departs and Willson looks on, House looks out the window now noticing the dark morning, a small twinge of fear encapsulates his mind, before he dismisses it to play a game on his phone.

(Notes:

For those using screen readers I have added chapter titles within the chapters so that you know where you are.

Hey it's been a little while!

Chapter 9 The Game,

the final chapter is out now and so completes this story. I may make re-edits or corrections from time to time, but for the most part, here is The Experiment.

Thanks and enjoy.)