Picture Puzzles Part 18
Title: Picture Puzzles Part 18/?
Rating: NC-17
Paring/Grouping (whatever you want to call it): House/Wilson/Chase
Disclaimer: Don't own them, as we all know.
Summary: House worried can be both good and bad.
Warnings: Mention of abuse in the past to more than one character.
Beta:
recrudescence
(Part 17)
****
Chase frowned as the duty nurse for the clinic made a frantic hand gesture at him. He stepped over to the counter. "I’m not covering Dr. House’s hours…"
"No, no. It’s not about him." The nurse screwed up her face for a moment. "Well, it sort of is." She made a gesture towards the exam rooms with a file that she then shook at Chase. "Someone is asking for Dr. House."
Chase blinked. "What?"
The nurse nodded. "That was my reaction. I asked them twice just to be sure. They want to be seen by Dr. House. I've paged him, but he won’t answer. Do you think you could get him to come down?"
Chase cocked his head. "Oh, sure, he’ll pay attention to what I say. Uh huh." Chase pulled the file from the nurse’s hand. "Page Dr. Wilson and explain it to him. I’ll talk to the patient."
Chase slipped into the exam room and turned to the patient and stopped in his tracks. Careful to keep his expression neutral, Chase sat down. "I’m told you’d like to be seen by Dr. House."
One side of the woman’s face was covered in scar tissue that was horribly twisted and puckered. Her curly hair was brushed to cover as best it could. She swept her eyes up and down his frame, lingering for a moment on his nametag and then his face. She pointed at the file in Chase’s hand with her equally scarred hands. "That’s correct. I don’t want anyone else."
Chase nodded. "That’s fine. Dr. House is on his way. It may be some time until he arrives. Can you tell me what your trouble is?"
The woman tilted her head and narrowed her good eye. "You aren’t going to demand to know about my scars?"
Chase shrugged. "No. My partner has a bad scar. Yours are more visible and a bit jarring, but you are still you, not just your scars."
Smiling with one corner of her mouth, the woman stuck out her scarred right hand. "Pleased to meet you, Dr. Chase. You’ve passed."
Chase raised his eyebrows as he shook hands. "Passed what?"
The woman smoothed down her shirt. "I’m Morgan; well, my actual name is Lori, but my SCA name is Morgan. When Lynn said Gregory had spoken to him I was quite relieved." Morgan rummaged in her purse as she spoke. "There are less visibly scarred among us and we don’t take lightly to coming to just any doctor. Lynn said Gregory’s partners were good men. And seeing as you passed my test I say you are as well."
Chase took the booklet Morgan handed him. "It doesn’t bother you that he has more than one partner?"
Morgan grinned, her scarred side pulling her mouth sharply out of place. "Oh, no. Even if he wasn’t the reason I’m alive I still wouldn’t begrudge him any happiness." Morgan nodded at the booklet. "That’s information for newcomers. Knowing Gregory, he hasn’t told you much of anything useful."
Chase thumbed through the booklet as he nodded. "Not much. Do you actually have a problem, or were you just here to test things out?"
Morgan patted her left arm. "I’ve got a problem with my arm, but I really would like House."
Chase glanced at the clock. "It’ll take time. May I take a look?"
Morgan sighed. "I suppose. No poking or prodding. I hate that."
Chase smiled. "I hate that, too." Chase let Morgan pull up her sleeve to reveal a scarred arm with little patches of fine hair here and there among the scars. Near her elbow on the top of her arm was an angry red patch of skin with little bumps among the scars. Chase gently gripped Morgan’s wrist to turn her arm to get a better view.
"I haven’t done anything to it, but just a few days ago it started looking like this."
"More like a week or two, Morgan." Morgan jerked her wrist from Chase’s hold and turned to face House who was closing the door behind himself. "I see you’ve met Chase."
Morgan grinned. "Nice piece of eye candy that he is, you old goat."
House snorted. "If I’m old, you are ancient."
Morgan laughed. "You are out of practice."
House pushed Chase’s shoulder until Chase relented and let him have the stool. He leaned against the counter and watched as House deftly turned Morgan’s arm as they kept right on fighting.
"I am not. I’m being the sensitive, caring mate."
Morgan threw her head back and laughed before shaking her head and reaching out to pat House on the shoulder with a scarred hand. "I’ve missed you."
House batted her hand away and gripped the arm again. "Of course you did. Have you even seen a doctor since I quit playing?"
Morgan shrugged. "Nope. You quit coming to events and the only doctor I tried told me I needed re-constructive surgery or I’d die."
Morgan and House looked at each other and said together, "Idiot."
Morgan gestured at her arm. "So, what’s the damage?"
"You’ve been fighting with old padding again. It’s infection from the abrasion of your scars. I’ve told you before to keep your padding as new as you can."
Morgan nodded. "Yeah, I had to borrow someone’s vambraces."
House rolled his eyes. "Chase will write you a prescription for a topical cream that will kill your little friends. Fix whatever strap broke and wear your own armor."
Morgan smiled. "Sure. Do I get to met your other partner, too?"
House shook his head as he rolled his eyes. "Scaring one isn’t enough for you?"
"Oh, please. I didn’t scare this one; I just startled him. I like his bedside manner better than yours."
"Like that’s news. Have you told him where the scars came from?"
"No. He didn’t ask." Morgan glared at House. "Or demand."
"Don’t start with me. You were in the middle of dying from heat stroke. I was pissed. Get over it."
"Well, I’m sure you could have worded it better at least."
"I can’t believe you even remember that." House cocked his head. "You don’t, do you? Someone told you about it."
"Several someones. It’s become legendary."
House half-smiled. "Not everyday someone rips the Queen’s dress off, huh?"
"Or screams obscenities at them."
House twirled his cane. "Kept you pissed enough to stay alive." House used his cane to point at Chase. "Explain it to him. I’m gong to check the waiting room for more lurkers."
Morgan waited until House left before turning to Chase. "It wasn’t as bad as it sounds. I was in a kind of dress that we didn’t know at the time shouldn’t be made out of synthetic fibers. The dress consisted of 15 layers of fabric. Back then we were more about the fun than the accuracy of things."
"Were you already susceptible to heat injuries?"
"You really mean was I already scarred, don’t you?" Morgan didn’t let Chase answer before continuing on. "I was burned when I was a small child. My hair was spared because it was curly and the man liked it." Morgan shrugged. "He killed my mother and then set me on fire. If it hadn’t been for the fireman that lived three doors down, I wouldn’t have seen my tenth birthday."
"Susceptible, then. Did they catch the man?"
"He was killed when police cornered him and he tried to shoot them."
Chase nodded and handed Morgan a slip of paper. "Good. Here you are." Chase went on to explain what Morgan needed to know about the medication before they exited the exam room.
House was standing near the nurse’s desk with Wilson beside him. Wilson glanced over Morgan’s scars before breaking into his most charming smile.
"Hello."
Morgan giggled. "Hello. You must be the other one."
*****
Chase stared at his book on the table as he tried to keep his eyes open. Clinic had never been more interesting or tiresome. Some of the people House had looked at after Morgan had made a few phone calls and made Chase wonder if they would ever quit showing up.
Some of them hadn’t seen a doctor since the last time House had taken a look at them. Others had conditions that would have baffled anyone besides House. What amazed everyone except Chase was House’s ability to remember them. From symptoms to names, he could come up with it all.
It hadn’t surprised Chase as much because he’d seen House pull that trick before. It had taken time to figure out that House remembered names too. The being oblivious was simply a control mechanism.
Chase yawned. Between not sleeping because of House and the excitement of the clinic, I’m really tired. I wonder how much crap he’ll give me if I lay my head down for a while. Chase curled forward and rested his head on the table and closed his eyes.
****
House watched quietly from his office as Foreman came in and sat down across from Chase’s sleeping form. Foreman frowned at Chase then glanced towards House before saying something that didn’t get a reaction from Chase.
House turned his music off, but kept nodding his head as though his music was still playing.
"You really need to wake up, Chase."
"Don’t care."
Foreman sighed. "Cameron is going to have a hay day with you."
Chase pulled himself upright. "I’m just tired. I’ll be fine."
"Another nightmare?"
Chase closed his eyes and tilted back his head. "Something like that. I just didn’t sleep well."
Foreman got up and moved to the coffeepot. "House hasn’t yelled at you for sleeping?"
Chase yawned and rubbed a hand across his face. "No. I don’t think he cares since we don’t have a patient."
"Cameron is off looking for one. She was all weird at lunch because she’d heard some wild rumor about House actually being in the clinic when he wasn’t even scheduled." Foreman sat a cup of coffee in front of Chase before sitting back down. "From the way she made it sound, he looked at a bunch of people and knew their whole histories without even needing the files."
"I enjoyed watching the nurse’s expression when he’d remember a name correctly."
Foreman’s eyebrows climbed. "Names? Uh. He doesn’t do that very often. There are days I wonder if he remembers our names. Were there any interesting cases?"
Chase shrugged as he tipped the cup enough to gaze at the coffee. "Nothing he hadn’t already seen."
"Too bad. Having a case would distract Cameron enough so that I wouldn’t have to listen to her worry about you."
Chase rolled his eyes as he sat his cup back down. "She’s like a bloody dingo."
Foreman glanced past Chase’s shoulder to the door. Chase didn’t even turn around; he just slumped further in his seat. Cameron opened the door the rest of the way and came into the office.
"I’m just worried about you."
Chase tapped the side of his cup with a fingertip. "I already told you to leave it alone."
Cameron made herself a cup of coffee with sharp angry movements. "No. You told me a bunch of lies to piss me off."
Foreman cocked an eyebrow. "What lies?"
Chase shook his head. "Believe what you like. I’ll be in ICU." Chase rose and left his coffee behind as he left.
Foreman watched him for several seconds before turning to Cameron. "What lies?"
Cameron dropped into the chair Chase had vacated. "Oh, he told me all this stuff about how he knew what abuse was and how it’s not what he was in the middle of now."
"What’d he say, exactly?"
Cameron repeated what Chase had said about the marks not being from asking for things or from fingers.
Foreman tightened his grip on his cup until it creaked. "Damn."
Cameron tilted her head. "What? He just said those things to get me to back off." Cameron turned her head to look in the direction Chase had gone, then turned back. "I mean, he’s so…normal."
"Some people can appear perfectly fine even if they were abused horribly as children." Foreman slowly sat back as he thought.
"Makes you wonder if you really want to have had his childhood, doesn’t it?"
Foreman and Cameron both jerked around to look at House standing in the doorway. House came further into the office and dropped a stack of files on the table.
"Here, make yourselves useful. Learn these people’s files. You’ll be dealing with them if I, Wilson, or Chase are unavailable." House turned and headed out into the hallway. At the door, he stopped and turned to face them again. "Think about how often he actually admits something and put that against how much he doesn’t say. Maybe you’ll come up with the answer I did."
****
House slipped into Wilson’s office and heaved a mental sigh when he found Chase sitting on Wilson’s couch, sorting through files.
"You lied."
Chase popped his head up. "About what?"
House stole a toy from Wilson’s desk on his way to his normal chair and ignored Wilson’s quiet ‘hey’ of protest. "You said you’d be in ICU."
Chase nodded and bent his head to look at the file in his lap again. "I figured you were listening. I didn’t want to be found and they both have the tendency to take what I say about where I’ll be at face value."
House fiddled with the stolen toy. "Yeah, noticed that."
Wilson looked between the other two. "Do I want to hear what happened?"
Chase shook his head as House answered, "Yes."
Wilson sat back with a sigh. "What’d she say this time?"
House told him while Chase frowned. Wilson watched Chase out of the corner of his eye as he listened to House talk.
"Well, that’s the reaction I’d expect."
House glanced at Chase’s surprised look before smirking at Wilson. "Oh, how’s that?"
Wilson knew House knew exactly what he was going to say. For some reason, he wants Chase to hear it from me. All right. I’m going to have to corner him later. "Abuse seems very unreal to her, particularly child abuse. For her it is much easier to cope with the idea that Chase would lie than the idea that he was abused."
Chase brought his head up and blinked. "I wasn’t abused. I just got into a lot of fights and things."
House glared at Chase. "If the words ‘I was clumsy’ pass your lips, I will not be pleased."
"House, shut up." Wilson came around his desk, moved files from beside Chase, and sat down. "Look at me."
Chase pulled the file he had a hold of to his chest and turned towards Wilson.
Wilson reached out and gently pulled the file away from Chase. Then he lifted Chase’s chin until he could look him in the eyes. "I don’t know what your life was like, love, but I know that a lot of what happened would be considered abusive." Wilson held Chase’s head still when he tried to move. "Listen. House won’t talk about what happened to him. I’m not going to try to get you to discuss what happened to you. I’m just saying that while it might have seemed normal, that didn’t make it right."
Chase drew deep breaths through his nose for several minutes while he stared down at Wilson’s hand on his chin. Wilson held still, waiting for Chase to say something. House quietly stood and moved to lean against the couch on the opposite side of Chase from Wilson.
"We aren’t giving you up, Robbie."
Chase jerked his head free of Wilson’s hold and turned to look up at House. "How could… I’m…I’m damaged…"
House pressed Chase into Wilson’s chest, who brought his arms up to hold Chase. "You survived. We’ll work around what we can’t heal. You will always have a place with us."
Wilson glanced up at House. "A home."
Chase shuddered and pressed himself tighter against Wilson. House stroked down Chase’s back.
"Why don’t you take a nap on Wilson’s couch? I’ll even be nice and get Wilson to wake you later."
Chase blinked slowly as he yawned. "I’m not tired." Chase’s eyes slid closed.
House traded looks with Wilson as they moved files and situated Chase on the couch. Then they stepped out onto Wilson’s balcony.
Wilson wiped a hand down his face. "Shit."
House nodded. "It’s worse than I thought."
"How could he think it wasn’t abuse? I mean, he knows the issue with his eating is a problem."
"Doesn’t mean he connects his mother and the problem to abusive behavior. If you asked, he’d probably say she loved him. Which she probably did. Just not like she should have." House glanced back into Wilson’s office. "He didn’t sleep at all, did he?"
Wilson rubbed the back of his neck. "I don’t think so. I dropped off after a while. I don’t think he’s been getting anything solid since he started sleeping with us, actually."
House sighed. "We can’t change the sleeping arrangements. Even my moving to the couch would be taken badly."
"True. What should we do?"
"We’ll just have to tire him out." House pursed his lips. "Or we could drug him."
"House."
House thumped the low balcony wall with his cane and sighed. "We’ll figure out something." House leaned his head back and looked up at the sky. "Decide on a pain med and write the script for me, Wilson."
Wilson gaped at House in surprise as the man hopped the low wall and disappeared into his own office. When the door clicked shut, Wilson clicked his teeth as he snapped his mouth closed. "Well, damn."
*****
Cuddy looked up as House barged into her office. "What?"
House dropped into one of her chairs. "I need an exam room I can use for a few weeks."
Cuddy blinked. "Okay, what destruction are you planning?"
House smirked. "Oh, I’m sure I could think up something if you really want me to."
Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Why do you want the room?"
"Not want, need. I’m going to have patients in and out for a while. At least until I catch up on them. A couple won’t come in if they have to sit in the clinic." House fidgeted with his pants leg. "It needs to be close to my office."
"You don’t have patients."
"I would if you’d give me the room."
Cuddy cocked her head. "Just tell me the real reason and I’ll say you can have a room a couple of doors down from Wilson’s office."
House grinned. "Deal." House started to rise.
"Reason, House."
House dropped back down with a sigh. "Wilson and Chase are trying something with the leg. I don’t need the whole damn hospital to know about it."
Cuddy shook her head. "Not buying it, House. You’d just use Wilson’s office. Real reason or no room."
House rolled his eyes. "Fine, tyrant. I’ve got patients that need to be looked at and won’t go to anyone besides me."
Cuddy groaned as she threw up her hands. "Oh, for the love of God, just go. Take your damn room." Cuddy bent to rummage through her desk. "Stupid asshole, can’t even just tell me the truth. Where did I put those antacids?"
House grinned as he pulled the office door shut. Wonder what she’ll say when she finds out I really do have patients.
****
Wilson glanced at Chase as House slipped into the office from the balcony. House checked him as well before pushing a chair closer to Wilson’s desk and sitting down.
"I got the first exam room down the hall as my department’s for a while."
Wilson raised his eyebrows. "Why?"
House glanced over his shoulder at Chase, before turning a grimacing at Wilson. "I’m becoming a sap."
Wilson nearly laughed out loud before he got his hand clamped over his mouth. Oh, his face is priceless. I can’t tell him he’s been sappy off and on for days now. He’d kill me. Slowly. Getting control of himself, Wilson said, "Because you got an exam room?"
"No, because I got it so Chase can sleep in between patients."
Wilson stared. Patients. This is going to blow minds around the hospital. Oh, what’s Cuddy going to say? "You actually asked Cuddy for a room?"
House snorted. "Yeah, and she didn’t believe me about the patients."
"Well, sentences with you and patient usually have ‘lawsuit’ in there somewhere."
"Oh, ha ha, Wilson." House grinned. "What are you cooking for dinner tonight?"
Wilson shook his head fondly. "Gee, I don’t know. What would you like?"
"Hmm. Maybe we should ask him what he wants." House jerked his thumb at Chase. "We could go out to eat. I’m sure we’d like that."
"No." Chase sat up. "No eating out." Chase rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands and yawned. "Sorry."
"It’s okay. He was just joking about eating out. I’ll cook."
Chase blinked a few times and rubbed his hand through his hair. "Good." Chase took a deep breath and heave himself off the couch. "I’m going to get my things."
****
Foreman watched Chase gather his things as Cameron frowned.
"Where are you going?"
Chase sighed. "I’m only ten minutes early, Cameron. I’m going home."
Foreman blinked. He’d heard Chase actually sound happy about going home all of twice, maybe. "Got a hot date?"
Chase dropped his things on the table. "What does it matter?"
Cameron’s expression softened. "Of course it matters; you’re our friend. We care about what happens to you."
Chase did his best not to roll his eyes as he picked up his things with swift movements. "If I cared to tell you the truth, you wouldn’t believe me. I’m going home. I’ll see you both tomorrow."
Foreman frowned as he thought about what House and Chase had both said. "Oh."
Chase looked up from pulling on his coat. "Oh, what?"
Foreman grinned as he shook his head one time. "Nothing important. Just realized something."
Cameron frowned. "What did you realize?"
Foreman looked at Chase as he spoke, "Just realized sometimes things don’t sound like the truth even when they are. Still don’t want to hear about it, though."
Chase grinned. "Then don’t ask questions."
Cameron watched Chase leave before turning to Foreman. "What don’t you want to hear about?"
Foreman shook his head. "Just something Chase said that I didn’t realize he meant at the time." Foreman looked at Cameron. "You need to lay off on him for a while. I don’t know who he’s involved with, but they may not take it well if he tells them about your accusations."
Cameron tapped her pen against the tabletop. "I’m not going to say anything else. I, well, I didn’t think…"
"You don’t need to explain it to me. You need to apologize to him without sounding like you’re calling him or his partners names."
Cameron’s brows drew together. "Partners? As in more than one?"
Foreman silently cursed himself. "Slip of the tongue."
Cameron stared out the door as she absently nodded.
****
House shook his head as he picked up a book and slammed it down hard enough to make noise for his fellows to hear. So. She’s thinking, finally. And Foreman has figured out Chase has two ‘partners.’ Wonder if he’ll figure out who it is without more prompting.
House caught sight of his fellows as he gathered his belongings. They were trying very hard to look busy. Like I care what they’re doing when we don’t have a patient. Hmm, wonder if I should ask them about the files I left with them? House pulled on his jacket and slipped his backpack onto his shoulder. It can wait until morning. They’ll have forgotten details by then. I’ll be able to frustrate them enough to get them to leave Chase alone.
House headed out into the hall to catch up with Wilson, who was waiting on him. They needed to get home so they could ravish Chase and then try to get him to sleep more.
****
(Part 19)