Work Text:
Whiteboard:
Rash
Fever
Vomiting—blood
Joint pain
Chase poured himself a cup of coffee, scratching his neck.
He didn't think anything of it.
He would come to regret this.
During lunch, Foreman finished the plate Chase couldn't stomach anymore.
He made an excuse, "Heavy breakfast."
"Gotta stay skinny somehow."
Cameron kicked him under the table.
Both believed him.
His stomach kept rolling.
"Chase, are you even listening?"
"Chase, you look kinda pale."
"Guys, I think he's gonna--"
"Omg, House. He's burning up."
"That's not all, check out his neck...."
"Bingo."
He didn't know what happened.
The room he was in was white, the sheets itchy and too cold.
He was alone.
"Chase, look into the light, please."
Though her voice was muffled through a mask, Cameron made him smile.
People in mask came and went, asked him questions and then there were gone again.
It was rude. Just leaving like that.
Cameron wouldn't do that to him, right? She was nice. Nicer than Foreman.
"Chase, the light."
What was that?
Oh, the light.
He looked, blinked, and Cameron was gone.
Why would she leave?
It was raining in his room.
He should tell a nurse.
His skin was getting wet.
Everything was so wet and cold, his whole body was shivering.
Everything was hot.
Way too hot.
His hands felt heavy, blood pumping through his veins like lava.
"Mum?"
....
Nobody answered him.
He turned around in his bed, the beeping of his alarm relentless.
He must have done something bad to be left alone.
".... mum?"
He was swimming in the ocean.
No, he was on a beach.
He was nowhere and everywhere, but not quite asleep.
The door busts open.
He covered his ears with his hands, it was loud.
“Chase, look at me. Let’s make that quick.”
He turned away from the voice, it was too loud.
In a softer tone he was coaxed to look at someone.
“Mum?”
“Focus, Chase. What contact did you have with patient zero? Did you touch his blood? Did he cough on you? Did you kiss? I’m not judging—I just need to know.”
Chase blinked back the questions like the stickiness in his eyes.
“Chase? It’s really important that you tell me.”
“House?”
“Yes, it’s me, surprise. Now, have you—“
“Imma throw up.”
House—not his mum—was rubbing his back as his tummy was upturned into a basin.
There was a moment of clarity to answer House’s questions.
The hand on his back disappeared, he whimpered.
With a trembling hand he caught the seam of his shirt, “Stay. Please.”
House carefully removed his hand, “I gotta go. Save your live and all.”
The door shut quietly behind him.
He layed back on the bed, crying into the pillows that didn’t feel right.
He asked nurses to stay, but they had to leave too.
Though they brought him ice and bread.
They were nice.
But they didn’t stay.
He didn’t understand why everybody left and whether his father had had the right idea all along.
Cameron was back!
“Allison,” he slurred, making her lips press into a tight smile.
He didn’t know why she was worried.
She hooked a new bag to his thingy.
“This is going to make you better, okay?”
“uh-huh, can you stay now, since I’m better.”
“You should sleep, you must be exhausted.”
He slumped in disappointed, nobody wanted to spend time with him.
“I will be back, I promise.”
He was asleep when House came in.
He had a fever. He hadn’t realized. Those new meds Cameron gave him must be working. He felt clearer than he had in hours.
House was holding a different bag in his hand.
“Shhhhh, go back to sleep. It’s okay.”
“Why are you switching—“
“Shhhhhh, I was never here.”
The ceiling had 38 tiles.
He never knew that.
The walls looked like an egg-shell white.
His fever was clearly at an all time low, but he was still going insane, so he was pretty happy to see—
“Foreman!”
His eyes shifted over the whole room, before landing on him, “Hey, there buddy. Don’t mind me.”
And he went over to his IV with yet another bag only to stop. He cursed under his breath, before leaving again.
“Wait, you didn’t change anything.”
“Yeah,” he looked at his vitals, annoyed and relieved. Chase was clearly missing something. There was a pang in his heart. He had missed the whole day. “See you later, Chase.”
“Wait—“
The door slammed shut.
Later never came for any of them.
Chase just sat in the room, re-counting the tiles again.
1...2...3...15...27...38...
And again.
6...78...No…34...35...30...30...30...
And again.
38...37...24...5…