After hours clinic duty

~~~...he shivered but not from cold. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

Across the room, House lifted up his finger to his cheek, surprised to find it wet as he pulled it away.~~~

House looked up at the men, all possible amusement gone from his eyes. There were no more sarcastic quips and rude comments, he was mad. He grappled around for his cane on the floor, ignoring the sharp pains from his shoulder. silently, he pushed himself up off the floor ignoring the ugly look Derrick's face held.

"I would sit down if I were you," The man said threateningly.

"I would pull up your pants it I were you," House snapped back, but never really turned to acknowledge the man. Ignoring the continuing threats coming his way, he continued slowly crossing the room. He stopped in front of Chase, who was still curled into himself. Slowly bent down so he was on the floor next to his fellow. House gently reached out a hand and placed it softly on Chase's arm, as if he were trying to avoid spooking some wild animal. Chase tensed up under his touch, and slowly raised his face and looked up at his boss, his body relaxed but he bowed his head back down almost immediately, refusing to look at House.

House felt another flash of anger at the other two men combined with an intense flood of something unfamiliar, protectiveness he decided. Despite this he needed the blonde to still be thinking objectively, and to not do anything too stupid.

"Chase," He said quietly, "Snap out of this, now is not the time to fall apart..." He cringed at his own words even as he said them. But he wasn't the type to say everything would be ok, when the situation was way out of their control, that's what the Camerons' of the world were for. He almost wished he were a Cameron because that's what Chase probably needed, but getting Chase out of this situation was far more important then comforting him, there would be time for that later. His words had at least caused Chase to lift his head, but now House found himself staring at a pair of stormy blue green eyes.

"Snap out of it?" Chase hissed furiously a him, and House found himself shocked at the amount of rage the younger man was exuding. "You're a jerk House."

House felt slightly crushed at those words for reasons unknown to him, people said that to him at least twenty times a day, but now he actually felt.. hurt, "yea we all knew that," he responded. Chase turned his head away. "Oh come one," House continued, "I got hurt too."

Chase stiffened and whirled back to face him, "Oh, yea I'm terribly sorry you got shot, some wounds heal, some don't" He responded furiously, his accent thickening.

House appraised him for a second. "Good, you're angry, now stop being angry at me and be angry at them and lets figure out how to get out of here. Anger is stronger then broken, Chase."

Chase's eyes softened slightly, "So you were trying to make me mad?" He asked.

"Does it matter?" House responded,

Chase continued looking at him unblinkingly, "yes," he said finally, "it does."

House shrugged, "You can break later," he said as an answer, "right now we can't loose focus and just become puppets for them, because trust me, they'll take advantage."

"Fine," Chase replied, in an attempt at a strong voice which was ruined by the slight quaver in his voice.

"yeah. I do actually. I think." House drew closer to Chase and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Look its getting lighter outside," He said gesturing slightly to the window, where the sky could barely be seen between the blinds,"People will be in the hospital if not already, and I'm willing to bet that those windows have an alarm. If we throw something heavy and shatter the window, it'll go off. then these two idiots will have no choice but to run because if not they'll be risking their own hides. Which they won't do. I just hope they won't get overly trigger happy first."

"Sounds too easy," Chase replied.

"Yeah well, I'm going to need you to distract them, You'll never get close enough to the window, and I'll never be able to either if they are paying attention..." Chase paled visibly at that

"House," He said in a low whiny voice that sounded once again close to tears, "Please don't make me," Without thinking House wrapped his arm around Chase and pulled the young man closer. "If I don't they will," He said quietly into the blonde's hair. House felt Chase nod against him as he curled in closer, not knowing what possessed him, house bent over and kissed the top of Chase's head murmuring, "It'll be ok, we'll get out of here, I'll get you out of here. I promise." He heard Chase respond quietly, "I know."


Derrick, who had been talking with Mike, turned around and sneered at the scene before him. "How adorable," He called out, before walking over towards where they both sat. Mike, yelled to him, "I'm gonna make sure there is no one in the halls, Are you gonna be alright in here."

"Yes," Mike sneered back, "I'm sure the cripple and blondie over here are soooo much trouble." Mike shrugged and left and Derrick continued stalking over to House and Chase. Angrily he picked up Chase and slammed him against the wall, hard. "Oh, so you won't enjoy being with me but you like the old cripple," He spat out. Out of the corner of his eyes, Chase saw House scooting himself towards the windows. He made sure not to look in the direction instead meeting Derrick's gaze.

"Sorry," He answered sarcastically, almost fully masking the fear, "maybe if you popped a breath mint like House told you, it would have been more fun. But then again probably not." Derrick growled at this and slammed his body against Chase's kissing him harshly. He bit down on the soft lips causing blood to start flowing, and roughly ripped through the other man's mouth with his tongue. He pulled back and whispered cruelly, "You are going to regret that," Before kissing down once more, barely allowing Chase to breathe.

The next time, Derrick pulled back he was slightly startled at the look on Chase's face, and more so when the blonde opened his mouth and triumphantly declared, "Actually, you are."

Suddenly Derrick heard a crash as House sent his cane whirling through the glass window, as hard as he could, with one hand. Glass splinters flew all over the room and suddenly alarms were blaring all over the hospital. Mike came running into the room, "What the hell happened?" He yelled at Derrick. Derrick however wasn't listening. He drew his arm back and punched Chase in the gut, and then as the blonde doubled over again in the face. Chase collapsed onto the ground with a grunt of pain. House moved toward the two as fast as his leg allowed and then saw the gun being cocked in his direction once again. He dodged a bullet clumsily and tried to get Derrick off of Chase, whom was getting beaten in to a pulp. Unfortunately he couldn't do much with his aching shoulder and quickly collapsing leg.

He heard another gun shot and fell to the ground in order to avoid it. The next one whizzed right by his ear, and then almost in slow motion he watched the next one sail in an arc to his left. Derrick had moved out of the way, but he wasn't sure if Chase was even conscious to see it coming. The bullet lodged itself firmly into the Australian's thigh and he moaned in agony. Derrick yelled at Mike, "Get the tape, tie them up and put a piece over their mouths, we need to get out of here- this will buy us some time."

The two quickly tied Chase up before moving to House who barely resisted lost in his own pain, and desperate for the men to just leave. "There isn't enough for there mouths," Mike said hurriedly.

"Fine fine whatever," Derrick answered, slightly panicked. "They'll be past out soon or into much pain to make much noise anyway lets just go." He knelt down grabbed Chase by the hair and kissed him firmly on the lips. "We'll look you up blondie," he laughed and then grabbed Mike and ran out of the room shutting the door behind them.

House let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, the men had gone someone would find them soon. He didn't believe in God much but if there was one he was thanking it right now. He turned his head to look at his fellow's situation. the bruises would hurt but would fade, the gun shot was far more worrying. He awkwardly scooted himself over closer to Chase and asked, "How is it?"

"Hurts" the other man responded curtly gritting his teeth in pain, "At least they're gone though... for now."

"They were bluffing Chase, how are they going to find you, I don't think they even know your name." Chase nodded his head and winced harshly at the pain radiating through his body. "It won't stop bleeding just like this though, we have to stop the bleeding."

"I know," House said, then sarcastically added, "but see we're all tied up at the moment."

Chase grinned softly at that, "Good to know you recover quickly."

House scoffed, "ohhh it would take a lot more then those two bozos to change me. You should know that."

For a little while they were silent, neither having the energy to yell, and just sat their listening to the alarms blaring and the noises of people moving around them. Somehow, House noted wearily, Chase had moved much closer to him then when they had been originally tied up. He thought about saying something to his duckling as he felt the blonde lean against him but decided against it. It was almost nice; definitely calming to have something soft and warm up against him. House only did what made him happy, and right now this was making him feel better, so why ruin it? He lived to make other people miserable not himself. He suddenly felt extremely exhausted they had after all been up all night, and with all the pain, sleep seemed nice. He looked down at Chase who had seemed to have already passed out, before laying his head on top of the blonde one on his shoulder and drifting off.