Cooling Down - (3 Parts)

[Coral]

Hi guys I actually wrote this a couple of months ago, just to practise my English. Now I’ve finally gathered the courage to post it (or most of it…)

Title: Cooling down

Fandom: House MD

Characters: Chase and Forman

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don’t own anything

Notes: Set sometime around the first time Chase is in love with Cameron. (not that it matter much)

Warnings: Some swearing… Aaaand I’m not a very good English writer…

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- Nonono I’ve got it!

Chase lay flat on his stomach on the snow covered ice, reaching for the hole in the ice with a small glass tube.

Forman stood frustrated back on solid ground, hands restlessly scratching the back of his head.

- Get your aussie ass back in here before the ice breaks.

- Just give me one second, okay? Chase said and slowly manoeuvred himself another half meter closer to the edge of the waterhole. - We need to get this sample.

- We’ll take some ice and melt it in the car. Forman yelled back.

- No time, House needs this now. We’ll take the water, test it for coliform right here, and phone him the results. By the way you shouldn’t sound so nervous. You’re the one standing safely on the…

A dump crack echoed through the landscape around the lake and Chase let go of the glass as his body sunk a couple of centimetres.

- Shit…

- Damnit Chase!

Chase franticly brushed a blond lock of hair out of his eyes. He cleared his throat, - Okay, I’m coming in…

- ‘Bout time. Go slow. And stay on your stomach. If you go through, I’m not going out to get you…

Chase began to slowly back up to the edge, where Forman was standing. Suddenly the ice abruptly gave way again. The large chunk Chase lay on sunk below the water level and ice cold water poured up and soaked the front part of his jacket. He instinctively sat up on his knees and in the same second the ice broke completely.

He felt the solid layer disappear underneath him and he rapidly sunk into the deadly depths. Instantly his whole body felt like it was on fire. He was a good swimmer but the cold water turned his movements into slow motion. His mind airily sensed the blurred surroundings of ice blue colours and swimming sounds.

In confused panic he hit the surface and sound reappeared. He tried to breathe but his frost shocked abdominal muscles wouldn’t allow his lungs to expand. He blinked the water out of his eyes and reached for the ice edge but got hold of a shattered piece and sunk down again. His winter jacket dragged him down and he tried to rid himself from it only to discover that he couldn’t feel his fingers. Desperately he kicked with his legs and hit the surface again.

Forman lay flat on the remaining ice, arms stretched out towards his colleague. Chase breathed in a shaky gulp of air and ungracefully kicked himself closer. But as he raised his arms over the surface to reach out, he sunk back down. Forman barely got hold of the neck of his jacket and with a groan he pulled the young doctor up from the dead cold water. Half crawling, half dragged by Forman, Chase wheezing and coughing made his way towards the brink. Forman loosed his grip around his chest and he collapsed on his back on the snow covered ground. His wet hair looked dark, clasped to his face and he breathed with uneven gasps.

- Your heart rate’s well increased due to the cold shock. Try to breathe slowly so you don’t hyperventilate. We need to get you out of your clothes before you suffer hypothermia, okay?

- I… know, Chase panted while fumbling with his jacket zipper with numb hands.

Forman hastily kneeled down beside him and stripped him of his jacket and shirt. He pulled of two wet shoes and grabbed for the button in Chase’s jeans. He ignored the annoyed groan.

Two kids had stopped on their bikes to watch the scenery. They turned around and disappeared very sudden, when Forman gave them a glare.

Chase’s light skin was burning red all over his body and Forman’s fingers were numb just from handling the wet clothes.

- Let’s get you into the car. He pulled Chase onto his unfelt feet and placed his arm over his shoulder to support the still dripping doctor on the short way to Formans car.

- Ughh, sniff, my head…

Forman opened the car trunk while Chase inelegantly sat sideways on the passenger seat, legs hanging out. Forman hastily searched the trunk. No towels, but between the lab equipment they had brought he found some clothes. The blond doctor had started to shake violently.

- Don’t worry, it’s probably just sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.

Chase talked through clenched teeth. – listen to the neurologist talking, can’t you… he shivered and clenched his teeth tighter. He refused to stutter though his muscles weren’t exactly cooperating with him. – can’t you just call it a brain freeze?

Forman ignored him. - Here. He threw him a labcoat.

- Dry your hair and it’ll wear off fast… No, not in the labcoat damnit! What are you gonna wear now?

Chase looked down at the white wet cloth in his hands and sniffled wetly. Forman glanced down at the young Australian. His teeth were chattering and his nose looked bright pink on his pale skin.

- sniff… sniff… He looked up, closed his eyes, and inhaled sharply, then buried his face in the labcoat and muffled a harsh “heh-ESHuh” that made his whole body jerk.

- Sc... Scuse me, he sniffled with flushed cheeks. He raised his head and suddenly met Forman’s dark eyes. As always his face hid all emotion. Suddenly the neurologist let out a deep sigh. He zipped down his jacket, unbuttoned his shirt and took it all off. Then he walked over to his almost naked colleague, bent down and placed his body warmed clothes over Chase’s shaking shoulders.

[evelyn]

YAY! I absolutely love this idea! Keep going, because I can't wait for the next chapter!

Foreman was brilliantly in character.

[Vetinari]

Ah poor Chase. So pretty and so tormented.

Nice beginning!

[wishiwassneezy]

This is really good. I hope you plan to continue it.

[Coral]

Thanks for the kind comments! I'm so relieved that someone actually read this

Thankyou for bearing with my grammar and spelling mistakes. This is a great opportunity for me to develop my English.

So, if you're still interested, here's part two - still with Chase and Forman. Just exploring their relationship…

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The two doctors sat in the car passively looking through the front window. The hum from the car heating system almost drowned the noise of Chase’s chattering teeth. Forman was stripped to the waist, Chase as good as stripped from the waist and below. Forman cleared his throat and casually raised his eyebrows. None of them had spoken for almost five minutes.

- heh’ESHuhh… sniff…

Forman discreetly checked if the sneeze had landed in his black leather jacket but was relieved to see the blond doctor holding his cupped hands over his mouth.

- Uhm… Your blood circulation will be starting up. I might hurt when the blood starts running back into your hands and feet.

- I am actually a doctor myself you know…

- All right, let’s get out of here.

- You’re not… He tried to regain control over his jaw muscles. - You’re not going anywhere until we’ve… made the test and phoned the res… heh’ESHeh. He rubbed his nose and sniffled. - God, I can’t get sick now…

Forman spoke without looking at his colleague

- The incubation time for a rhinovirus is at least forty hours, you couldn’t possibly -

- Yeah, thanks for the clever words doc, but if I had a cold in my system already a swim in an ice lake wouldn’t exactly have improved my condition. And why can’t you just speak to me normally?

- What do you mean, normally? Forman shot back with a slightly offended voice.

- We’re not even at the hospital, why can’t you just talk to me in more… friendly… terms…

Forman closed his eyes and sighed.

- I’ve been through this with Cameron already. We’re professionals. We’re colleagues, this is what we’re supposed to talk like. In fact, this is what we spent ten years of our lives learning to talk like. But of cause I don’t know if you hang out around House chatting and having nice little conversations all the time.

- You can’t use House as an example. That’s different!

- Why are you so focused on being friends?

- Why are you so focused on avoiding it? You almost sound like this guy I know…

- Cut it out! This is a job, we can have a good time working together, but if we all start to develop warm and snugly feelings for each other, it will get in the way of our objectivity. Why do you think House is so good at his job?

The conversation ended abruptly and the two doctors looked each their directions. Forman’s forehead and upper lip shone slightly with perspiration while Chase’s temperature was almost back to normal. The air conditioner’s humming seemed very loud in the silence.

Still looking out his window Chase cleared his throat:

- I’m friends with Came –

- You’re having sex with Cameron.

- It’s not just sex, it’s more than… Chase slowly stopped himself.

- And see where that’s taking you. Your… distractions nearly killed a patient last week.

Chase didn’t answer. He sniffled and rubbed his nose with the palm of his hand. Forman went on:

- I’m not going to try to make friends with you. He frowned. - Especially not if your definition of “friendship” involves having sex. Forman ignored his colleague’s angry protests and kept talking.

- I can start calling you Robert if you like. That’s not awkward at all is it, Rob?

The conversation halted again.

Forman was trying to ignore the fact that he was having a discussion while being shirtless. Chase was trying to look casual about not wearing pants. They stared out each their window.

- sniff… sniff… heh’ESHuh… sniff… Uh, do you have–

- Left pocket.

[Vetinari]

Ooh better and better. I've been watching House lately too and you've got the interactions between these characters really well. Please stop apologising and saying you're not a good English writer. I beg to differ!

[Selene]

I second what Vetinari just said, the dialogue is awesome, almost like I'm watching an episode!

And I really love this story, although I'm normally not a huge Chase fan but this story is different! You actually made yourself a fan ^^

[tma]

Ooooo.... this is really cool!! I haven't read very many fanfics with Foreman as a main character in them (reg. let alone sf).

I really enjoy the interplay between the two on the show- and I enjoy how you are showing it here.

Great job!

[Coral]

Vetinari: Haha, I'm sorry, I'll stop whining immediately I guess posting my first story made a bit over anxious.. Thanks for the feed back!

Schnulle: An honour Very happy you liked!

TMA: Yeah, I thought it would be fun to use Forman because he often seems to have a lot more feelings than he shows...

I'm planning on embarrassing Chase a little more yet before ending the story third part's almost done!

[Guest starlily23]

The conversation halted again.

Forman was trying to ignore the fact that he was having a discussion while being shirtless. Chase was trying to look casual about not wearing pants. They stared out each their window.

LOL I can just picture this, just like it might be happening in a real episode.

Great job, Coral!

[Coral]

Soooo, I thought it needed an ending And I'd like a confrontation with their mean old boss...

Here goes:

Forman was the first to pick up the conversation.

- If you want I can do the test and you can stay in the car and take a nap.

- Please don’t act like you’re my mother.

- Please don’t act like I have to act like I’m you’re mother. Forman shot back. – You went crawling around on thin ice when I told you to get your ass in!

Chase didn’t answer. He tensed his whole body to prevent himself from shaking.

- It’s a natural reaction Chase don’t try to avoid it…

Forman’s left pocket, currently placed on Chase’s torso, vibrated. Chase fumbled with the zipper and withdrew a black cell phone. The blinking display merciless revieled the identity of the caller.

Foreman reached out his hand to take the phone, but Chase hesitated. He cleared his throat and bit his lip.

- Uhm… Could you please not tell House anything about what happened?

Forman frowned and gave him a wry smile, then gently took for the phone out of Chase’s hand.

- Yes House?

- Where the hell are the coliform results? You might not have noticed but our patient is actually sick! You’ve been out for almost three hours!

Chase could clearly hear the angry voice of his boss and Forman cautiously held the phone in a safe distance from his ear.

- Uhm, we…

Chase looked at Forman with pleading eyes, slowly shaking his head.

- We’re working on it. We just got into some small problems but we’ll –

- Are you in the car? I can hear the air condition but the motor’s not on. Why aren’t you driving?

- Listen, we are right next to the lake, could you please just let us do the test? We’ll be back in half an hour.

- Fine, then I’ll go tell the patient that two of her doctors have spent two hours chatting in a cosy warm car.

- You never talk to our patients…

- I’ll make Cameron do it then…

- House, seriously...

- Then tell me what the hell you’ve been doing in all this time!

House gasped in fake surprise - Good god! Is there something about you two I should know?

While Forman rolled his eyes and answered Chase suddenly rubbed fiercely at his nose. His breath hitched and Forman watched as the young doctor lost the battle, involuntarily closed his eyes and poorly stifled a rather wet sounding “Het’pschh” in the sleeve of the black leather jacket. The sneeze jerked him forwards so his hair landed messily tangled on his forehead. He hastily cleared his throat and blinked in surprise. The sneeze had been way louder than he had intended.

On the phone House immediately broke Forman of:

- Wait, that was definitely Chase’s pathetic attempt at stifling a sneeze. He wouldn’t want me to hear him sneezing...

Chase stared helplessly at the phone in Foreman’s hand while House finished his line of thoughts.

- You’re parked by the lake, the aircon is on max and Chase desperately tries to hide a basic human reflex. That means that… HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!

Forman held the phone further away from his ear and tiredly raised an eyebrow while House’s taunting laughter died out and called out:

- Hey Cameron! You’ve got to hear this!

Chase laid his head in his hands.

- Ahr, that’s just perfect. He mumbled with a sniffle as he heard the faint voice from the cell phone say something and start laughing again. Then House returned to Forman.

- Haha, oh you guys... You just never fail to lighten up a cloudy day! So you’re sitting half naked in your car now and waiting for Peachfuzz to dry? That’s precious. Hope he didn’t sneeze on to your nice leather jacket?

- How d’ya..? Forman rapidly turned his head. – House, are you spying on us?!

- Ahr come on, where’s the trust? I’m sitting in coma-guys room waiting for you guys to return. Listen, this is him breathing... Or not breathing, really.

Forman heard the mechanical sound of a respirator.

- But, why-

- Because he’s got cable. Besides, I don’t think he minds...

- No, why are you so sure that-

- Oh Forman.

Forman heard a smudge grin as his boss went on.

- You could just never let a friend sit freezing could you? And since you would certainly never lend him your pants... So, do the test, phone me the results, and then get poor soaked Wombat home in bed.

Forman lowered the phone as House hung up. He looked at the young doctor besides him staring at his hands with an expression of disbelieve. His nose was slightly pink, his hair wet and messy and the leather jacket way too broad over the shoulders.

Very unexpectedly the blond man he let out a snort of laughter. – Shit. He exclaimed and suddenly met Formans eyes.

Forman immediately looked out the front window. Then he too started chuckling. He turned the keys and started to drive back to town.