Enemies - (3 Parts)

[Bongo]

I wrote this story for tma, who is queen of the Chase-fics.

I'm not a mod, so I can't change the title every time I add a chapter. So just keep checking back to see if I added one, if you like it. Part one had to get the plot going, so it's kind of rushed. But it'll get better in the next ones.

~*PART ONE*~

“71, 389.”

House rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he stared unblinkingly at Cuddy’s breasts. “You’ve finally counted your gray hairs?” he guessed.

“No, this is the reason I have gray hairs to begin with. 71, 389 is how much you’ve gone over budget this year.”

“That’s impossible,” he countered. “I thought you allotted-”

“Already considered.”

“But what about-”

“That too.”

“Then we seem to have a predicament on our hands, don’t we?”

Cuddy shook her head. “I don’t ,only you. It’s not my job to decide who you have to let go.”

There really was no other way, and House knew it. He stood up slowly and avoided Cuddy’s eyes. He was Dr. Gregory House, and if someone’s Christmas gift was to be unemployment, he was the guy to deliver it.

He walked into the Diagnostic Medicine office and sat down without saying a word. Chase, Cameron, and Forman all stared at him, confused.

“Twenty one year old female, complains of shortness of breath and numb extremities,” Cameron announced, breaking the awkward silence.

“It’s her heart,” House deducted. “Blood’s not pumping like it should, works extra hard, making her feel like she can’t breathe, while not getting it to her hands and feet.”

Forman shook his head. “Cardiac echo was clean.”

“Then it’s her nerves.”

“She responded fine to stimuli tests,” Chase told him. “It’s not her nerves.”

“Alright. Cameron, you do an chest CT, see if the echo missed something. Forman, take a history and retest her nerves.” They both left to tend to their assigned tasks.

“What about me?” Chase asked.

“Go home. You’re fired.”

***********************************************

“Elliot Jameson. Eight year old boy who is losing his vision.” Forman dropped the file onto the table beside House. “He thinks it’s because he can see the future, and it’s only right for him to have one kind of sight, not two.”

“Pretty deep thinking for an eight year old,” House commented, flipping through the manila folder Cameron had given him. “When I was eight I was still thinking about cooties and baseball.”

“So what do you want us to do?” Cameron asked dryly. House’s jokes had lost any humor they had, which wasn’t much to begin with, and they were getting annoyed at hearing them constantly. Ever since Chase had left, two months now, Cameron and Forman had had to pull double duty and they were tired.

“Touchy,” House commented, eliciting a glare out of the usually sweet brunette. “Fine. San his brain. See if there’s a tumor pressing against his optic nerve.”

Cameron and Forman went off to Elliot’s room, and House went to bug Cuddy into letting him out of clinic duty.

“No.” She snapped as he approached.

“But you don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

“It doesn’t matter, the answer is no. St. Joe’s hospital had a fire. Most of their patients were shipped here. We’re closing the clinic for today, so you can go start treating patients who are really sick and hurt now, not clinic sick and hurt. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Sure, I was bored trying to save some little kid’s eyesight anyway.” House started toward the closest door, room 67, but Cuddy grabbed his arm. “Not that patient, pick a different one.”

“But that’s my lucky room,” House mock-whined.

“Not today it isn’t, trust me. That’s no one’s lucky room.”

House had no choice but to move on. He treated other patients while giving his ducklings directions on how to diagnose Elliot, who had now completely lost his sight and was losing his voice now too. But he was House. Hw couldn’t back down from a challenge and didn’t like to be told what to do. He had to see why he couldn’t go in that room.

So he stealthily made his way to room 67 and opened the door a crack. He peeked in, but was only able to see someone’s shoulder from the angle he was at. So he threw open the door and strolled in. The patient with the shoulder, always a good sign, was facing the opposite wall, so House had to walk to the other side of the bed to see….Chase.

“Hi Dr. House,” he said without opening his eyes in the raspy voice of someone who’d inhaled too much smoke.

“Chase. How’d you know it was me?”

Chase opened his eyes, and House was shocked to see them reddish and tired. “You were wither someone with three feet or a cane.”

“And you just assumed it was the latter? Surely someone’s taught you what happens if you assume. You make an ass out of you and me.”

“What do you want?” Chase asked, bringing up his wrist to rub at his nose. House noticed that his hand was tightly bandaged.

“The new Playstation 3. But I’m a doctor, and I have to treat patients to earn money to buy one.”

“Is that why you’re here? To treat me?” Chase issued a short bark of laughter, which quickly turned into a dry cough that made even House wince.

“What happened to your hands?” he asked, noticing the other one was wrapped up identically.

“I was at St. Joe’s applying for a job when the fire started. I burnt my hands getting some patients out.”

“Did you inhale a lot of smoke?” House asked, trying to put his stethoscope to Chase’s chest. Chase knocked it away.

“Of course I inhaled a lot of smoke,” he grumbled. “Can’t you tell by my voice?”

“Then I need to listen to your lungs,” House told him, trying once again to put the stethoscope on the younger doctor, who once again refused it.

“I’ll be fine, and I don’t need your help.” He rubbed his nose with his wrist again, this time more roughly and for longer. When he took his hand away, his nose was twitching and his eyes were watering. He buried his face in the crook of his elbow. “Hetchoo! Atchoo!”

“Does Chasie Wasie have the sniffles?” House asked.

“Shut up.” Chase glared at the older doctor, before his eyes snapped shut again and he sneezed again. “Hatchoo! EtCuhhh!” He sniffled and wrinkled his nose a few times to get it back under control. “Can’t you go help someone who actually needs you?”

“I could,” House agreed. “I have a psychic eight year old boy losing all his senses. What do you think about that?”

“That it’s a good thing for you to go do now.”

“No. What do you think it could be?”

“Are you kidding me?” Chase snapped. “You fired me, and now you expect me to help you? Screw you.”

“Only if you help me solve the case.”

“No.”

“Then sorry, I’ll have to keep my trousers on.”

Chuckling to himself at the angry look on Chase’s face, House left him to go help Elliot.

[tma]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are awesome!! This is Great! Oh my...

House/Cuddy convo- Totally in character. That rocked!

And convo. with House and Chase- in was completely in character as well. I am Really enjoying this. I can Totally see something like that happening.

Poor Chase. *huggles him*

I Cannot wait for more.

Oh... and Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. *grins and tries to write more Robin*

[Sneesee]

Oooohhhh! Love it, symphonyflute! Can't wait for more!

[snuffles]

OMG that was great! I totally thought you copied the script right out of the show, it was right on!

[whymilk]

I just started watching House and it's SO GOOD!!

But Chase is so weird....he won't treat obese people? wtf? and house is SO HOT! *drools* And house and cameron are just SO CUTE together

BUT BACK ON TOPIC

Love the story, it's....

[Bongo]

I just started watching House and it's SO GOOD!!

But Chase is so weird....he won't treat obese people? wtf? and house is SO HOT! *drools* And house and cameron are just SO CUTE together

BUT BACK ON TOPIC

Love the story, it's....

He wouldn't in season one either. And he kissed an nine year old. He's not that nice. BUt I love him. Could be the accent.

[Alucard]

I know this is off topic, but why won't chase treat obese people? did they ever explain it?

P.S. Love your story!

[Aisha]

Symphonyflute!!

What a great opening to the story, your conversations between characters were spot-on!

Can't wait for the next installment!!

I know this is off topic, but why won't chase treat obese people? did they ever explain it?

I *think* it's not that he refused to treat obese people, in that particular episode he was reluctant to belive he girl's obesety was related to a medical condition, he thought that the medical condition existed either because of her obseity (and therefore might be cured through diet and excerise), or despite her obseity. It was House that thought her obseity might actually be a symptom of her medical condition, rather than a fault in her lifestyle.

[evelyn]

LOOOOVE IT!

ADD MORE PLEASE!

[Bongo]

CHAPTER 2

“He’s getting worse,” Cameron said. “He complained that he can’t smell or taste anything. “

“Hearing, taste, and smell,” Foreman recited. “He’s losing his senses.”

“But what about his muteness? Voice isn’t one of the five senses.”

“Maybe he has six senses. Don’t people who talk to cats have six?” House suggested. “Oh wait, he can’t talk. I thought we were going to fix that, not stand around stating the obvious.”

No one said anything, just glared at him.

“Come on,” he prodded. “Aren’t you going to suggest some stupid and out there diagnosis that will magically make me think of the actual problem?”

“That was Chase,” Cameron reminded him sourly. “We just try to treat and cure the patient, silly us.”

“No silly me, I know what the problem is.” House stood up and, leaning heavily on his cane, began pushing the board on wheels on the board. “Follow me,” he called.

“Are we going in the men’s bathroom again?” Cameron whined as they mimicked his rapid pace.

“Now you are being silly. You can’t go in the men’s bathroom, you’re a girl.”

“But-”

“Leave it alone,” Foreman advised.

By now they had reached room 67. House pushed open the door and gave the board a push, causing it to sail into the room. House followed it, and so did Cameron and Foreman in turn.

“Chase?” Cameron gasped. “What happened?”

“Fire,” he muttered, eyes shut, and held his hands to show her. Then he hurriedly cupped them to his face and sneezed. “Hertshh! Hartshh!”

“Bless you,” Cameron said brightly.

Chase opened his eyes and glanced at her curiously. “I thought you were an atheist.”

“I am. But I can still bless someone when they sneeze.”

“No you can’t, you hypocrite, “ House said. “But now let’s move our focus to Hippocratic instead, shall we?”

“In here?” Foreman questioned.

“Yes in here. Didn’t we just determine that Chase’s stupidity is what makes me be a genius?”

“Didn’t we also just determine that Chase no longer works here?” Foreman countered.

“No no no. That was months ago.”

“Go away House,” Chase snapped, before whipping his elbow back to his face. “Hartschh!”

“You’re a doctor, damn it!” House swore. “So start acting like one.”

“You fired me,” Chase reminded him. “I’m not a doctor until someone else hires me.”

“You should learn a lesson from this then,” House suggested.

“What’s that?”

“Cuddy told me to fire someone and it was automatically you. Stop being a wuss like you were here, and you’ll get a job. You’re an ass.”

[Elle]

Oooo... I want more!! Please! Love your characterizations, spot on.

[tma]

Awwww!!! *cuddles Chase*

Loved the lines about the men's bathroom and the "Bless you" thing. Made me grin big time.

And I Definately like the idea of Chase being a muse of sorts for House. *even if it is that he just will say something off the wall*

Am totally loving it and I can't wait to see where this goes.

Oh and OT reply to the obesity question- I personally think that it has to do with either himself or his mother (or both) having had an eating disorder. I read somewhere that the person that plays Cuddy said that in the season three episode where he acted like (with the really Huge guy) that to notice that when they are discussing the case in the beginning that Chase starts just playing with his food. Not sure... just a theory.

[evelyn]

OHHH!! CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE!!! SERIOUSLY!!!

[Guest sneezy kitty]

i love House and i've watched the series from day one! it's remarkable the way you know the characters so well and the way they'd react!! props to symphonyflute! gimme more!! and make Cameron sneeze a little too, pretty please?

[kayla]

I just saw this today and its good. I like House fics. Keep it coming I can't wait for the next part.

[Bongo]

I'm sorry it's not in the same thread with the first two, but I haven't updated in a while and people would assume it's a review. And I don't know how to change it so it says 3/? in the title line.

So yeah, this is chapter 3 in my submission to my failed story trade thing. Oh well, it was worth a try. Personally, I don't think this is very good and I kind of lost where I was going (aka forgot where I was going), but I hate unfinished stories and I think tma deserves a finished one. So I intend to finish.

And by now we all know House isn't mine, right?

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"Because obviously calling me an ass will make me help you?" Chase asked sarcastically.

"Calling you a doctor didn't do anything," House replied. "So I tried a new approach. You want me to leave, so you're refusing to help me. It's not doing anything. Try a new approach."

"Leave him alone House," Cameron ordered. "He's hurt and sick, he doesn't need you on his case on top of that."

"You make it sound like I'm intentionally doing Dr. Chase harm." House looked offended. "But of course we all know I'm just trying to save a young boy's life. Surely you don't want him to die simply because of an unfortunale misunderstanding."

Chase glared at him, but, true to form, took the bait. "So he's losing all his senses?"

House whacked the board, which as always had everything they knew written down, with his cane. "Good to know you can read. Sight, hearing, smell, voice. He has to write everything down now. And he can't see, so it's all scribbly."

"Voice isn't one of the senses," Chase replied.

"We've been over that," Cameron mumbled.

"Maybe it's cancer," Chase suggested. "A tumor on the optical nerve could damage sight, and then it metastasized."

"To the olfactory nerve, vestibulocochlear nerve, and hypoglossal nerve? Do you really think we could have missed four seperate tumors big enough to cause an entire nerve to shut down? Thinking pretty highly of yourself there."

"There's no one thing that could affect so many different aspects of the nervous system."

"I know that," House snorted. "So you should suggest something it couldn't possibly be and your stupidity will make me realize what the problem is. Once I'm done laughing at you of course."

"Hektssch!" Chase rubbed his nose with the back of his wrist and groaned. "Sorry, but I'm not feeling well enough to be stupid. Maybe you should leave me alone and I'll try to think of something in your absence."

"No you won't," House accused. "You'll go to sleep or drink some tea or whatever your people do to try to relax and forget all about this."

Chase held up his hand to let House know he had to wait a second, and sneezed a rough wet triple into his elbow. "Get out of my room," he ordered.

"Or you'll what? Mummify me?"

"Out!"

"Come on House." Foreman pulled the board out of the room, and Cameron and House followed.

"So now that we're done torturing Chase, what should we do?" Cameron asked.

"Go biopsy his hypoglossal nerve, check for sighns of cancer."

[evelyn]

Personally I love this story very much and I definitly 'd like you to contnue!!! I want to know what happens and what's wrong with Chase!

So update soon!!! I'm waiting for more!

GOOD JOB SO FAR! Really!!

[Vetinari]

Reading this makes me want to start watching the programme you make it soumd so hot!

Unfortunately it's not on over here just now. (At least not on any of the channels I can get.) So I'll just have to be patient and say.....

PLEASE be an angel and continue this story.....

[tma]

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*does happy dance of joy!!* I was 'Netless for the past week and I just happened to look and the stories, and *melts into puddle of goo* CHASE! So cute and so in character- great job!