"Where the hell is he?"
Cuddy had barged into Wilson's office. She hadn't seen House at his clinic duty so she decided to ask Wilson what plan he was pulling.
"Here?"
"He owes me clinic and I haven't seen him."
"You really expect to?"
"He said himself--"
"Just because he said it doesn't mean he meant it."
"So he's avoiding me?"
"I would too." Wilson looked back down and began working again, despite the fact that Cuddy was still venting. Then Cameron walked in, along with Chase and Foreman.
"Where's House?" Foreman asked.
"He has a patient due in OR. I need a patient to operate on, and the doctor who suggested the operation."
"Wait why do you need him?" Wilson asked Cameron, the only person who hadn't given an excuse of their presence.
"I was going to your office anyway...."
Wilson gave a curt nod and a clearing of the throat to quickly change the subject and continued,
"So, he's not in his office or anywhere in the building?"
"No we checked everywhere. All the usual places, the unusual places. He's MIA."
"So can I go? I was supposed to be out of here but this patient has been holding me up."
"Just do the surgery, Foreman assist Chase, you're replacing House for the night. Cameron just stay here." Cuddy was surprised Wilson gave everyone else orders when she could have done it herself. She threw him a look then he said,
"You would've said the same thing."
Foreman and Chase walked out, Cameron and Cuddy remained, trying to find out where House could have gone.
"He could've gone home early, I saw him packing up his stuff earlier."
"And you didn't bother to stop him?" Cuddy sounded alarmed.
"I'm sorry, I just had to take care of an ER, I didn't know I should stop by and provoke my colleague to ask him why he's going home early. That was just unethical."
The sarcasm in her voice was harsh, but Cuddy could understand the point she was getting at. So she just threw her a look of 'I know.'
"So. What are we going to do?"
"It doesn't really matter. So he went home big deal."
"He has to do his job. That's what matters."
"It wouldn't kill you If you just gave him a few hours. You owe him that after recent events."
That alone shut Cuddy up for most of the conversation. After that it was just Cameron and Wilson.
"Go find him see if he's okay? Check all the normal places outside work. Bars, clubs, restaurants you know the deal. Cuddy just stay here--"
"Hey--I'm going too, reguardless of what you two say." Cameron began to leave as Cuddy and Wilson continued to argue.
"It'd be better for the both of you if you just backed off. He clearly doesn't want to see you," and at that last statement a gunfire sounded from the lobby. They exchanged terrified looks and in a brief moment Wilson sprung from his desk running out of the office with Cuddy, running down the stairs into the lobby. A tall man stood with a gun in his hand pointing at the staff and nurses. They were dead in motion, petrified at the scene before them. Cuddy and Wilson saw Cameron on the floor grabbing her shoulder, as blood began to drain. She looked at Wilson and Cuddy. She threw them a terrified look. She had tears in her eyes, They had horror in theirs.
"See why we need you here?"
---
House was just strumming away at his guitar when his cell phone rang.
"Where the hell are you?" Wilson's voice was a quick whisper.
"I'm busy with some things."
"We need you down here."
He sighed.
"I'm taking care of Rachel. Babysitter bailed to take her mother to the hosptial. Just tell Cuddy that I'm sorry."
"I will if you are going to let her die."
House didn't respond, he just waited for him to continue.
"There's a guy over here, he's shot Cameron in the shoulder and he's got Cuddy. A gun right at her head. Get down here call the police or something. Just DO something."
House slapped the phone shut and ran into the bedroom grabbing Rachel and went down to Cuddy's car. He put Rachel in the carseat and called 9-1-1 before driving off.
---
"Oh God." Chase was just holding Cameron, attending to her wound. He had wrapped gauze over her shoulder with a bandage. Her blood stained her scrubs all over her shoulder.
Wilson and the team sat with Chase and Cameron on the steps. They were terrified at the scene before them.
The man had Cuddy in a chokehold. She was struggling for her breath when House barged in.
"What have we got here?" he said as he limped inside. The man turned and saw House walking toward all of them.
"Who's asking?"
"Are you mentally challenged? Didn't you just hear me?"
"Greggory House."
"Its also a noun. Yours?"
"Laith Greeden. I've heard about you."
"You're not the first."
"Also that you're a pain in the ass, arrogant jerk."
"That's more of a quality than a label."
"So they were true."
"Where's Rachel?" Wilson whispered from the sides.
"My mom."
"You called your mom?"
"What else am I supposed to do? Cuddy would kill me if I brought her daughter from the safety of outside to becoming a sudden hostage."
"What are you babysitting her kid for?"
"You've been with Rachel?"
House just looked away from her.
"He stole a call that said your babysitter bailed to take her mom to the doctor. He stepped in."
Cuddy just looked at him sincerely. Her mouth slightly dropped.
"You in love with her?"
House remained silent. He just threw him his signature glare.
"You are. This should be more fun."
"You wouldn't do anything." He finally said.
"Am I too much of a coward? Because trust me I'll do it. I'll do just this," and he put the gun up against her neck.
"You wouldn't want to be like your father. Killing your mom like that. Right infront of you too."
"How do you know--"
"It's a gift. It's a shame you know, fathers can be real bastards sometimes. Cause you know, if he never killed your mom, and never almost killed you, you wouldn't have gone to live with that foster family."
"Shut up!!"
House stared at him for a second. He knew he was getting to him. He threw down his cane and took off his jacket and put it on the floor.
"Fine. I won't kill a woman. I can hurt them, yeah, but I won't kill them. But obviously, with men, it's a different story," and he shot House's leg, his right leg to be exact.
He tumbed down onto his knees in pain. Cuddy's face resembled the rest of them. Struck with horror. Wilson went to aid House but then Laith said,
"No. Or I shoot her." Wilson just glared at him and said,
"You son of a bitch."
"See, I can hurt a woman, but I know how to almost kill a man. You hurt them where it hurts most. Their pride and dignity, and then their heart. I saw that you favored your right side. So, I went for the thigh, and by the looks of your face, I hit the target."
House clutched his thigh in pain as he began to stand up.
"Shoot me again," he uttered, and all their faces were alarmed.
"Same spot, oops not your decision," and Laith shot him in the same spot. He fell harder to the ground this time. He was down on his knees as the blood began to seep all over his thigh.
"What the hell are you doing!?!" screamed Foreman.
"Again," House gasped.
"You have it your way," and he shot him in the left arm.
Everyone was gawking at the scene before them. Some were furious, others were in tears.
"Again." He said. His voice was hoarse now.
"House stop!" Cuddy cried.
"You're going to kill yourself!" Wilson barked from the stairs.
"Had enough?"
"Do it."
"Fine." And he shot him in arm once more and he collapsed on the floor. Everyone threw gasps. Cuddy, Cameron and Thirteen threw tears. Wilson, Foreman, Taub and Chase just got wide-eyed and their mouths dropped.
Laith came closer to House with Cuddy. House wasn't paying attention to him, but to her. She was shaking.
"Again."
"No."
"Do it."
"House!"
"Stop!"
"Don't make him shoot!"
They all called out from the side. Terrified of what could happen next.
"No. See remember I attack the heart," he threw Cuddy on floor.
"And instead of shooting you, I have to do this," and he shot Cuddy right infront of House. The bullet pierced into her stomach. Wilson and Cameron shot up from the stairs.
"Oh God."
"No."
House just stared at her before looking back up at him. He was smiling at Laith as he got up, being careful of his wounds. As he did so, Cameron and Wilson ran to Cuddy.
"Why are you smiling?" Laith asked suspiciously.
"Ha, because now, now that you're out of bullets I can do this," and House right hooked him in the face. He fell to the floor and his nose began to bleed. House picked him up by his shirt and whipped him against the wall. He slid down going unconscious. Then he turned to a nearby nurse saying,
"Wait for the police." Then he went for Cuddy ignoring all the pains in his body. He got to her and lifted her up carrying her to the emergency room. Everyone was yelling at him to put her on the gurney. They were all shocked he could hold her up.
They quickly talked. She was gasping for breath.
"I'm sorry."
"Ple-ase do-n't be. Go, get prepped for--your surgery--"
"Hey, hey, look at me, look at me. I'm not leaving okay? I--" he paused and inhaled a great deal of air. The pain was emerging as the bullets rested in his skin.
"I--I love you--"
"Don't say that. Do-n't--"
"Cuddy shut up!" Cameron was at the door opening it for House. She slowly slipped him the ring, making sure she wouldn't stress her shoulder.
House opened the case behind his back. He took the ring out as they laid her on one of the beds. They began to rush her to the OR. House took her hand with the ring in his. But before he could slip her the ring, she shut her eyes and her body went into vfib.
House let go of her hand along with the ring and hesitating before putting the ring back in his pocket. Cameron looked at jim before she pushed Cuddy into the OR. She gave him an apologetic look before she joined the others in the OR.
Wilson walked next to him in scrubs apparently getting prepped for surgery.
"Go to the ER. You've lost so much blood already and you have about four to five bullets in you."
"She got shot in the stomach and she went into vfib. And the baby might die."
"Wh-what? You know?" he asked in panic as he slipped on his gloves.
"Longer than she has."
"And you let her let you go anyway?"
"She's better off without me."
"Oh yeah clearly. Get in the ER."
"I'm fine. Blood transfusion I should be fine."
"That doesn't give you the right to waste your blood. She wants you to save yourself. Do what she wants."
He was already at the doors for the operating room.
"I'll see you in the OR."
"If I make it."
Wilson threw him a concerned look before going into the OR.
And he threw back four tablets of vicodin. As he painfully walked back to the ER, clutching his leg, blood leaked from all parts of his body.
Cuddy had barged into Wilson's office. She hadn't seen House at his clinic duty so she decided to ask Wilson what plan he was pulling.
"Here?"
"He owes me clinic and I haven't seen him."
"You really expect to?"
"He said himself--"
"Just because he said it doesn't mean he meant it."
"So he's avoiding me?"
"I would too." Wilson looked back down and began working again, despite the fact that Cuddy was still venting. Then Cameron walked in, along with Chase and Foreman.
"Where's House?" Foreman asked.
"He has a patient due in OR. I need a patient to operate on, and the doctor who suggested the operation."
"Wait why do you need him?" Wilson asked Cameron, the only person who hadn't given an excuse of their presence.
"I was going to your office anyway...."
Wilson gave a curt nod and a clearing of the throat to quickly change the subject and continued,
"So, he's not in his office or anywhere in the building?"
"No we checked everywhere. All the usual places, the unusual places. He's MIA."
"So can I go? I was supposed to be out of here but this patient has been holding me up."
"Just do the surgery, Foreman assist Chase, you're replacing House for the night. Cameron just stay here." Cuddy was surprised Wilson gave everyone else orders when she could have done it herself. She threw him a look then he said,
"You would've said the same thing."
Foreman and Chase walked out, Cameron and Cuddy remained, trying to find out where House could have gone.
"He could've gone home early, I saw him packing up his stuff earlier."
"And you didn't bother to stop him?" Cuddy sounded alarmed.
"I'm sorry, I just had to take care of an ER, I didn't know I should stop by and provoke my colleague to ask him why he's going home early. That was just unethical."
The sarcasm in her voice was harsh, but Cuddy could understand the point she was getting at. So she just threw her a look of 'I know.'
"So. What are we going to do?"
"It doesn't really matter. So he went home big deal."
"He has to do his job. That's what matters."
"It wouldn't kill you If you just gave him a few hours. You owe him that after recent events."
That alone shut Cuddy up for most of the conversation. After that it was just Cameron and Wilson.
"Go find him see if he's okay? Check all the normal places outside work. Bars, clubs, restaurants you know the deal. Cuddy just stay here--"
"Hey--I'm going too, reguardless of what you two say." Cameron began to leave as Cuddy and Wilson continued to argue.
"It'd be better for the both of you if you just backed off. He clearly doesn't want to see you," and at that last statement a gunfire sounded from the lobby. They exchanged terrified looks and in a brief moment Wilson sprung from his desk running out of the office with Cuddy, running down the stairs into the lobby. A tall man stood with a gun in his hand pointing at the staff and nurses. They were dead in motion, petrified at the scene before them. Cuddy and Wilson saw Cameron on the floor grabbing her shoulder, as blood began to drain. She looked at Wilson and Cuddy. She threw them a terrified look. She had tears in her eyes, They had horror in theirs.
"See why we need you here?"
---
House was just strumming away at his guitar when his cell phone rang.
"Where the hell are you?" Wilson's voice was a quick whisper.
"I'm busy with some things."
"We need you down here."
He sighed.
"I'm taking care of Rachel. Babysitter bailed to take her mother to the hosptial. Just tell Cuddy that I'm sorry."
"I will if you are going to let her die."
House didn't respond, he just waited for him to continue.
"There's a guy over here, he's shot Cameron in the shoulder and he's got Cuddy. A gun right at her head. Get down here call the police or something. Just DO something."
House slapped the phone shut and ran into the bedroom grabbing Rachel and went down to Cuddy's car. He put Rachel in the carseat and called 9-1-1 before driving off.
---
"Oh God." Chase was just holding Cameron, attending to her wound. He had wrapped gauze over her shoulder with a bandage. Her blood stained her scrubs all over her shoulder.
Wilson and the team sat with Chase and Cameron on the steps. They were terrified at the scene before them.
The man had Cuddy in a chokehold. She was struggling for her breath when House barged in.
"What have we got here?" he said as he limped inside. The man turned and saw House walking toward all of them.
"Who's asking?"
"Are you mentally challenged? Didn't you just hear me?"
"Greggory House."
"Its also a noun. Yours?"
"Laith Greeden. I've heard about you."
"You're not the first."
"Also that you're a pain in the ass, arrogant jerk."
"That's more of a quality than a label."
"So they were true."
"Where's Rachel?" Wilson whispered from the sides.
"My mom."
"You called your mom?"
"What else am I supposed to do? Cuddy would kill me if I brought her daughter from the safety of outside to becoming a sudden hostage."
"What are you babysitting her kid for?"
"You've been with Rachel?"
House just looked away from her.
"He stole a call that said your babysitter bailed to take her mom to the doctor. He stepped in."
Cuddy just looked at him sincerely. Her mouth slightly dropped.
"You in love with her?"
House remained silent. He just threw him his signature glare.
"You are. This should be more fun."
"You wouldn't do anything." He finally said.
"Am I too much of a coward? Because trust me I'll do it. I'll do just this," and he put the gun up against her neck.
"You wouldn't want to be like your father. Killing your mom like that. Right infront of you too."
"How do you know--"
"It's a gift. It's a shame you know, fathers can be real bastards sometimes. Cause you know, if he never killed your mom, and never almost killed you, you wouldn't have gone to live with that foster family."
"Shut up!!"
House stared at him for a second. He knew he was getting to him. He threw down his cane and took off his jacket and put it on the floor.
"Fine. I won't kill a woman. I can hurt them, yeah, but I won't kill them. But obviously, with men, it's a different story," and he shot House's leg, his right leg to be exact.
He tumbed down onto his knees in pain. Cuddy's face resembled the rest of them. Struck with horror. Wilson went to aid House but then Laith said,
"No. Or I shoot her." Wilson just glared at him and said,
"You son of a bitch."
"See, I can hurt a woman, but I know how to almost kill a man. You hurt them where it hurts most. Their pride and dignity, and then their heart. I saw that you favored your right side. So, I went for the thigh, and by the looks of your face, I hit the target."
House clutched his thigh in pain as he began to stand up.
"Shoot me again," he uttered, and all their faces were alarmed.
"Same spot, oops not your decision," and Laith shot him in the same spot. He fell harder to the ground this time. He was down on his knees as the blood began to seep all over his thigh.
"What the hell are you doing!?!" screamed Foreman.
"Again," House gasped.
"You have it your way," and he shot him in the left arm.
Everyone was gawking at the scene before them. Some were furious, others were in tears.
"Again." He said. His voice was hoarse now.
"House stop!" Cuddy cried.
"You're going to kill yourself!" Wilson barked from the stairs.
"Had enough?"
"Do it."
"Fine." And he shot him in arm once more and he collapsed on the floor. Everyone threw gasps. Cuddy, Cameron and Thirteen threw tears. Wilson, Foreman, Taub and Chase just got wide-eyed and their mouths dropped.
Laith came closer to House with Cuddy. House wasn't paying attention to him, but to her. She was shaking.
"Again."
"No."
"Do it."
"House!"
"Stop!"
"Don't make him shoot!"
They all called out from the side. Terrified of what could happen next.
"No. See remember I attack the heart," he threw Cuddy on floor.
"And instead of shooting you, I have to do this," and he shot Cuddy right infront of House. The bullet pierced into her stomach. Wilson and Cameron shot up from the stairs.
"Oh God."
"No."
House just stared at her before looking back up at him. He was smiling at Laith as he got up, being careful of his wounds. As he did so, Cameron and Wilson ran to Cuddy.
"Why are you smiling?" Laith asked suspiciously.
"Ha, because now, now that you're out of bullets I can do this," and House right hooked him in the face. He fell to the floor and his nose began to bleed. House picked him up by his shirt and whipped him against the wall. He slid down going unconscious. Then he turned to a nearby nurse saying,
"Wait for the police." Then he went for Cuddy ignoring all the pains in his body. He got to her and lifted her up carrying her to the emergency room. Everyone was yelling at him to put her on the gurney. They were all shocked he could hold her up.
They quickly talked. She was gasping for breath.
"I'm sorry."
"Ple-ase do-n't be. Go, get prepped for--your surgery--"
"Hey, hey, look at me, look at me. I'm not leaving okay? I--" he paused and inhaled a great deal of air. The pain was emerging as the bullets rested in his skin.
"I--I love you--"
"Don't say that. Do-n't--"
"Cuddy shut up!" Cameron was at the door opening it for House. She slowly slipped him the ring, making sure she wouldn't stress her shoulder.
House opened the case behind his back. He took the ring out as they laid her on one of the beds. They began to rush her to the OR. House took her hand with the ring in his. But before he could slip her the ring, she shut her eyes and her body went into vfib.
House let go of her hand along with the ring and hesitating before putting the ring back in his pocket. Cameron looked at jim before she pushed Cuddy into the OR. She gave him an apologetic look before she joined the others in the OR.
Wilson walked next to him in scrubs apparently getting prepped for surgery.
"Go to the ER. You've lost so much blood already and you have about four to five bullets in you."
"She got shot in the stomach and she went into vfib. And the baby might die."
"Wh-what? You know?" he asked in panic as he slipped on his gloves.
"Longer than she has."
"And you let her let you go anyway?"
"She's better off without me."
"Oh yeah clearly. Get in the ER."
"I'm fine. Blood transfusion I should be fine."
"That doesn't give you the right to waste your blood. She wants you to save yourself. Do what she wants."
He was already at the doors for the operating room.
"I'll see you in the OR."
"If I make it."
Wilson threw him a concerned look before going into the OR.
And he threw back four tablets of vicodin. As he painfully walked back to the ER, clutching his leg, blood leaked from all parts of his body.
