House Call (XO, HMD, TEEN) [COMPLETE]

[TaffyCat]

Winner Round 13





Title: House Call
Author: Taffycat
Category: Roswell/House
Pairing: Conventional Couples, Max/Liz.
Rating: Teen or above, mainly because any younger will probably be bored.
Disclaimer: Don’t own them, only borrowing them, and will return them only slightly used.
Summary: I picture this (literally in my mind) as a free standing episode of House. It’s more House than Roswell. And for this House episode, Foreman, Cameron, and Chase are still House’s team.
And to further disclaim, I’m making this up. I am NOT a doctor nor in the medical field in any way, but House is a medical show so just got with it.
Timeline is approx. 3 months after The White Room. The rescue attempt failed. Sheriff Valenti knows, as do Philip and Diane.
This is more of a Liz centric piece, so if you don’t like Liz, this isn’t for you.

Edited to add: it just dawned on me that House and Roswell do not coincide timewise. Roswell predates House by a few years.This will be even further evident later on in the story and you'll just have to accept it.

Dr. House is bored and looking for something, or more precisely someone, that he would find interesting.

~
Part 1

Dr. House was strolling through the ER looking at various patients’ charts. Nothing… he pulled out another chart… nothing... and another… boring… another… ho-hum… and another…wait… that can’t be right. He scowled as he flipped the page. How was that possible? He looked again. The tests were run three times with the same results. Leaning on his crutch he walked over to the drawn curtain and yanked it aside. The patient was young, a teenager. And he looked like hell. As Dr. House hobbled to the elevator and office, his smile reflected his enthusiasm at finding a new patient, and a new mystery to solve. It would be one that he would never forget.

~
House’s Conference Room

House casually tossed the chart on the conference table and announced, “New patient, in the ER,” to his team.

Chase grabbed the folder and flipped it open. His scowl was similar to what House’s had been as he read. “Tests are wrong.”

“They ran them three times,” House answered as he erased his trusty whiteboard and then began to list the symptoms:

High levels of Crizene
Unconscious
Unresponsive
Low grade fever
Looks like hell

He paused, and here was the good part, and added:

Unidentifiable blood type and antibodies

Still facing his board he asked the team behind him, “okay, go.”

He heard nothing in reply, so he was forced to turn and tried not to show his glee as he gave his best effort of exasperation. “Come on guys. What’s next? Come on. Come on.”

Cameron shook her head. “Tests are wrong. Sample must have been tainted. Machine malfunction. Something.”

House frowned as Foreman gave an ever so slight concurring nod. He capped his marker pen and informed his staff, “Fine. Run them again.” He had to get the mundane out of the way anyhow. He looked at the board and recalled the physical appearance of the patient. “And I want every mark on him detailed, every single one.” He added, “Someone find out more on Crizene.”

“Whatever the hell that is,” he mumbled under his breath as he took a seat at his computer and began his own research. He loved a good mystery.

Patient’s Room

Chase was grim as he turned the patient over and began detailed note taking on the various marks on his back. He shook his head, “what the hell happened to him? He looks like he was tortured.”

Foreman looked closer. “No, look at these marks, right over his kidneys and like the others, very precision cuts made with a surgical instrument. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They hit all the major organs. And we still don’t know what that scar on his head is from. No. It’s more like he was experimented on, which is worse.”

Chase looked up at Foreman, “why worse?”

“It was a doctor that did this,” Foreman informed him. As they finished their detailed report, he adjusted the patient’s IV and increased the morphine drip. He figured the kid needed as much pain relief as possible after what he’d obviously been through. And he had a suspicion that what they were seeing on the surface was only the start.

Chase noted the order for a head MRI as soon as possible on his chart so they could check out the scar. He looked over and made a notation of the morphine increase while he was at it.

Lab

Cameron took her glasses off and grabbed another sample. This just couldn’t be right. It couldn’t be. She checked the machine again. It seemed to be running correctly. She made the new smear and again looked in the microscope, very carefully making the minutest adjustments. “Damn it!” she breathed, shook her head and looked again.

After over an hour she admitted defeat and wrote the same results as what the ER had originally, though with much more details, including the levels of Crizene, a substance she’d had to look up. She was very grim as she finished up her report.

MRI Room

Foreman strained as he looked at the monitor. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“Yeah,” Chase replied with equal disbelief.

“Even hyped up on morphine and unconscious, this kid’s brain is on over drive.” Foreman somehow managed to lean even closer to the monitor as he raised a finger pointing at the area where the scar was, “what’s…”

“….That?” Chase finished the question. “What the hell is going on with this kid?”

Shaking his head, “I don’t know but House is going to love it.” Foreman answered. “Better get the OR booked.”

“Yeah,” Chase concurred as he began shutting down the image. “House is going to want to see that implant up close and personal.”

House Office – 3hrs later

Cuddy’s arms were crossed as she watched House toss a rubber ball against the wall. “So you just decided to cruise the ER for a patient and picked a drug addict that had gotten beaten up. Why?”

Boing. Boing.

“See for yourself,” he suggested as he tossed her the patient’s recent test results in between the bouncing ball.

Boing.

Cuddy sat down as she read. “The results are wrong.”

Boing.

It was all he could do not to grin too smugly, “Nope. They aren’t. Already ran them again.”

Boing.

“You’re performing brain surgery? Why?” Cuddy asked incredulously.

“Need to see that implant.” He calmly answered.

Boing.

“No, you don’t. It’s not medically necessary,” she countered and reached for the phone to call the OR.

The ball dropped as he reached for the phone first. He looked her in the eye, “read the rest of the report and note the location of the implant.”

She looked down at the report and read. What had started as a frown grew deeper as she read in detail the atrocities that had been done to the boy. She had not actually seen him yet but she could all too clearly picture each and every mark on him. She felt ill. Then she looked at the MRI report and then glanced at the MRI image. Her heart sank as she finally got it, “pain.”

House nodded. “Yep, pain. If I was callous bastard that wanted to cause someone as much pain as possible, whenever I wanted to, I would implant a receiver right there, to cause the most pain.”

“But why,” she implored.

“Control, through pain comes control,” was his obvious answer.

“I don’t get it. Who would do this? And why would they want to control a kid that badly?”

House paused as he thought about it for a moment longer. He had a vague idea, but it was so farfetched that he needed to think about it some more. However that didn’t mean he didn’t have some more immediate ideas that were already pretty solid. “You mean if I were a callous bastard?”

Cuddy sat back and looked at him, “even you aren’t that callous.”

House almost smiled, “but still a bastard.”

She inclined her head ever so slightly.

House looked at the report. It was like a jigsaw puzzle without a picture to guide on how to put it together. But some pieces did fit. “Fear, whoever did this was afraid of him.”

Cuddy threw her hands up at the absurdity of all of this, “Okay, say I believe you. So we’ve got the why, now how about the ‘who’?”

House picked up his ball again.

Boing.

“I won’t know that until I can see the implant.” He explained.

Boing.

Cuddy paused she got up to leave. She shot House a significant look. “There aren’t many that would have that kind of technology, let alone the ability to use it.”

House tilted his head as he replied, “I can think of one.”

She shook her head in confusion, “Who? I mean other than maybe the government.” She gave House a hard look. “Surely you don’t think?”

House remained silent.

She started to push the door open. “I’ll check with admitting to see how he was brought in and if there were any attempt to contact the authorities, I’ll… I’ll see if those can be delayed.” And the door swung closed behind her.

House’s Conference Room-2hrs later

House was staring through a magnifying mirror at the tiniest of tiny receivers. “Amazing.”

Chase crossed his arms. “I don’t think the kid would think so. That thing was embedded pretty deep. We’ll have to do some testing when he wakes up to make sure there was no damage.” He looked at the chart, “he should start waking soon. Then maybe we can find out what’s going on.”

“No, we can’t. We can’t wake him,” Cameron interjected.

“Why?” Foreman asked.

“Crizene.”

“What exactly is Crizene? I’ve never heard of it,” Foreman asked.

“That’s because it’s not exactly readily available. If we hadn’t been using new testing techniques we wouldn’t have been able to detect it at all. It’s a powerful psychotic. It leaves the mind very vulnerable to suggestions. And it’s highly addictive. The detox…” Cameron took a deep breath, “it’ll kill him.”

House put the tiny receiver down on the table. The puzzle was starting to come together. He had the puzzle border to it almost done. “The perfect truth serum. Make him talk. Keep giving it to him until he has nothing left and very addicted, which by that time there’s not much left to him anyhow. Then dump him in an alley and he dies as he starts to detox.” He paused as he nodded to the receiver, “and throw in this little beauty for add incentive to talk, and to keep from running, even if he could. And you have built the perfect mousetrap. If anyone other than us found him, it would appear as if another kid got lost in life and died a street junkie.”

“But who and why,” Cameron asked for all of them.

House almost grinned. He knew how this was going to sound but it was the only way he could see the puzzle looking. “Let’s start with the ‘who’. As my astute colleague, or rather boss, pointed out, not many have this type of technology, only one that we can think of, and only one that could procure enough Crizene to do it. Good old Uncle Sam.” He inwardly smiled at their stunned expressions. The ‘why’ was going to be even better, “As to the ‘why’, his blood is unknown. The DNA tests keep coming up with errors, and someone was precise in taking organ and tissue samples.”

“Wait,” Chase sat straight up in his chair, “you aren’t seriously saying that…that he’s not human?” He was stunned as House gave the slightest of smiles. “That he’s an alien?”

House actually grinned at their astonishment. “If you have a better solution, go find it.” He watched with amusement as his team rose as one, gave him looks as if they were trying to determine his sanity. “And for God’s sake, don’t forget to put him into a chemical induced coma so he doesn’t die on us as he detox’s,” he reminded them as they filed out.

It all fit he told himself, all of it, except for one little piece. If he was truly an alien, an autopsy would be the next logical step. So why dump the kid in an alley to be found and possibly rescued? Why give up the chance to dissect him and find out everything?

He wondered how long it would be before Wilson stopped by to gauge his sanity for him.

He got his answer less than an hour later.

~

Sterling, VA Facility-next day

She backed up in terror. “No. No. Please!” she begged. She glanced at her former coworker who lay crumpled on the floor. The lab looked like a cyclone had blown through it. “Please, I…I saved him. Please! I saved him.”

“Where is he?” Neasedo growled.

“J-Jersey. I took him to Jersey,” she whimpered.

“Why?” he snarled.

“It…it was his only chance,” she pleaded. “He…he n-needed help.”

Neasedo backed off just a bit. He needed more information. “What kind of help? And why in Jersey?”

“D-Dr. House. P-Princeton Plainsboro Teaching H-Hospital,” she replied and closed her eyes, hoping she could control her bladder.

Neasado’s eyes narrowed and bore into her as if they were lasers. “Why would he need a hospital? And why this Dr. House? What have you done to him?”

“The…the drug Crizene. He was too weak to detox.” Tears streamed as she lost the battle with her bladder. “H-House is the best diagnostician in the country. He is the only one that would be able to figure it out in time.”

Neasado was torn. His instinct was to kill her and be done with it, but his head told him that she was the only link to him…at the moment. “Where’s Pierce?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. He…he heard about the attack on the other facility and…and ordered…”

“Go on,” Neasado threatened.

“Pierce ordered that…that the Crizene be withheld. Th-that if he gave us any trouble to j-just use the pain-chip to control him instead.” She gulped.

“Pain-chip?” his eyes flashed dangerously. “And did you?”

“N-no. No. Not then. Please, we-we didn’t have to,” she cried.

“And why is that?” he ask in almost too calm of voice, making it all the more dangerous.

“B-b-because he was already too far gone to do anything,” she sobbed. “Please. Pierce was going to let him die a horrible, horrible, painful death and then the autopsy. Please, I saved him. I-I gave him the only chance he had.”

“How exactly did you get him to the hospital?” he asked.

“I-I made sure he was close to the hospital and called an ambulance. I watched as it took him there,” she answered through the tears.

He had to think. Max at a hospital. A good one it seemed. It had to be in order to attract and retain the, what was it she called him, the best diagnostician in the country. So Max was being helped by the best. But the best can be very inquisitive, too inquisitive. But he was probably safe at the moment, at least safer than he had been in the past three months. And if he wasn’t, then it was already too late.

“Where are his records? All of them?” he demanded.

She pointed towards the desk area. “There’s a safe in the floor. It’s…it’s protected by a heavy metal casing.” She trembled as Neasedo marched her over to it. She took the key from around her neck. She was shaking so bad that she had to use both hands to insert the key, heard the click and opened the safe door. She tried to pick up the hidden gun with the bullets that were also made from heavy metal.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” Neasedo advised as he grabbed the gun. “The files now and let’s not have any stupid ideas.”

The gun had been her last hope. She knew that once he saw the files, saw her name all over the files as the doctor who’d actually performed most of the procedures that her life was over. “Please. Don’t. I…I saved his life. I saved him. Please, that must count for something.” She slumped to the floor and drew her hands to her knees, hung her head, and sobbed in earnest.

Neasado glanced through the report. His fury barely contained. It was as he’d feared. He glanced at the doctors name tag and picture and then at the report. Saw the name over and over again. Looked back at her and answered her pleas, “It does.” His hand glowed brightly and burned as it hit her flesh. “A quick death.”

Neasado broke several speed laws as he headed to New Jersey.

[TaffyCat]

Part 2

Cuddy’s Office – same day

She was perusing the missing persons on the internet. She’d seen to it that the patient had been admitted under a false name, not an original one but John Smith was better than John Doe. And she lied, or thought she was probably lying when she said he was twenty-one, so no pesky parental permission was needed, at least for now. But that also meant that she was responsible for him. So she was doing what she could to try to find the frantic mother and father who would rush to his side and cover him with hugs and kisses without garnering too much attention. She glanced up as he came in. She’d been expecting him. “Well?”

He shrugged as he plopped down in the chair. “I don’t know. He really believes it.”

“You’re kidding?” she asked incredulously. “You don’t…please tell me you don’t believe it to?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Logically he makes a strong case.”

“Logically? Wilson, are you nuts? Come on. Aliens? How is that logical?” She commented with rolled eyes.

“Look. They’ve ran test after test. And the receiver thing, and…” he looked at her. “You explain it? They’ve ran every test twice. Without doing actual harm, everything points to…to this kid not being totally…well, human.”

“Not totally human,” she repeated with no small degree of skepticism. “So he’s part human?”

“I mean he looks human,” Wilson countered lamely.

“Looks human? That’s the best you can do?” Cuddy challenged.

“Well, he has all the right parts and pieces. It’s just…the DNA is off a tad…much,” Wilson wilted. “Okay, okay. He’s not a little green man, but that kid is…well…different.”

“Different,” she repeated.

“Yeah definitely different…biologically,” he added.

“I’m putting both you and House down for a month sabbatical, starting next week,” she commented dryly as she made a notation in her note book.

As Wilson left, she looked back at her missing persons pages. She shook her head and mumbled, “aliens.” As a lark she decided to check the home town of supposed aliens, Roswell, NM. See if they were missing any. Almost two hours later she was staring in stunned disbelief at a picture of a tanned and healthy, seventeen year old Max Evans, who had been missing for three months.

Oh House was going to love this.

~

ER

Neasado stood at the desk and explained that he had been told that his nephew had been brought in and was under the care of a Dr. House.

“What’s his name again?” the duty nurse asked.

“Dr. House,” he replied.

“Are you trying to be funny? Not the doctor the patient?” the nurse asked again.

“Max Evans,” he answered.

She scanned the admittance. “Nope, not here.”

He took a deep breath. Self control was very important at the moment. “He was brought in by ambulance yesterday. He’s seventeen. Dark hair. He might not have had his ID on him. Do you have any John Does?”

She scanned again.”Nope, not at the moment.”

“Well did you see anybody matching that description come in yesterday?” he inquired impatiently.

She shrugged. “I was off yesterday. Sorry.”

“What about Dr. House. He does work here, right? Where can I find him?” he tried as he held his temper in check.

“Yeah, he works here. He’s on the fourth floor and you can try to talk to him, but it’ll be at your own risk,” she advised.

He forced a smile and mumbled his thanks as he headed to the elevators.

He immediately started scanning the rooms as he looked around for a Dr. House. If he worked on this floor, then his patients might be here as well. At least it sounded right to him, but what did he know about hospitals. He turned the corner and spotted a young blonde doctor standing next to…was that him…it…was…him. He froze for a moment as the young doctor added something to the IV drip.

Chase spun around as he heard footsteps and saw a man in the doorway. For some unknown reason this man seemed menacing. “Can I help you?”

“What did you just give him?” Neasado asked as he stepped into the room properly. He glanced at Max and was surprised that he had recognized him. Max was white as a ghost with large dark circles under his eyes. His cheeks were sunk-in attesting to the obvious starvation he’d been experiencing, a good thirty or so pounds lighter he thought. And his head was bandaged, as if operated on recently. Oh, this wasn’t good. He glanced at the young doctor’s name tag. “You’re not Dr. House.”

“No. I’m not,” Chase replied as he cautiously stepped closer to the stranger in an attempt to come between the stranger and the patient. “Do you know Dr. House?”

“Dr. House is supposed to be treating him,” Neasado answered. He wasn’t the right doctor. He shouldn’t be there. Max had been put through the wringer by a doctor. Not this doctor perhaps, but he was the unfortunate one here. He advanced.

Chase instinctively stepped back, but again, stayed between the stranger and the patient. “I work for Dr. House.” He glanced at the patient and then at the stranger. “Do you know him?” He took another step back. “We’ve been trying to help him.” He gulped as the stranger raised his hand. He couldn’t fail to notice that it was glowing.

“I’m House. Who are you? And leave my doctor alone,” House commanded assuredly though he was more than just tad thrown by the slight glow he noticed from the hand. He also couldn’t miss the pretty freaked out look Chase was giving.

Neasado spun around to saw the cripple standing there. “You’re not wearing a white coat. All doctors wear white coats,” he observed.

“Well, I don’t. As the head diagnostician here, I don’t have to,” he explained as he hobbled into the room. He gave Chase a look that said ‘see to the patient and shut up’ as loudly as if he’d shouted it. He then turned his attention to the stranger. “You a relative?” he asked.

“Not exactly,” he replied as he appraised the doctor. For some reason him being crippled had totally thrown him.

“But you do know him?” he tried again.

“Yes,” he answered and carefully watched the movements of the young doctor as he made notes and adjusted this and that.

“What’s his name?” House asked

“Max Evans, and you’re not going to believe this. He’s from Roswell, New Mexico,” Cuddy announced as she walked in, unawares of the situation but coming to an abrupt stop once she’d entered. “And you are?”

He pondered which name to give them. He looked at this Dr. House and for reasons he didn’t understand, felt the truth, or as much of it as he could, would be avenue. He trusted him and that unsettled him. “They call me Neasado.”

“Neasado. Would that be a first or last…” Cuddy asked.

“Neasado will do,” House answered for him, somehow knowing that to be the best they would get. He filed his curiosity away about what else they may call him, and who exactly was the ‘they’? He reached for the chart from Chase and scanned it. “What do you want to know?”

“Who are all these people?” Neasado asked, acutely aware of all the eyes and ears.

“Dr. Chase is a member of my team. Dr. Cuddy is the Dean of Medicine and head administrator and the one responsible for keeping him out of any inquires while he’s here,” he paused for a moment and decided to answer the unspoken question, “also Dr. Cameron, Dr. Foreman are on my team, and Dr. Wilson is an oncologist that we consult with. That’s all who know.” He took the nod from this Neasado as an acknowledgement of sorts. “And now answer one of mine.”

Neasado noted the demand, not question, and raised an eyebrow.

“What would have happened if I hadn’t been here? The glowing hand?” House asked without fear, at least none he hoped was showing.

“Dr. Chase would have not…been a team member anymore,” Neasado calmly replied and noticed that none went screaming from the room but simply looked to Dr. House, who continued to stand his ground.

House considered for a moment, “I would prefer that you not do that. Good team members are very hard to come by and difficult to train.” He glanced at Cuddy. “As are sympathetic bosses and highly skilled colleagues,” he added.

Neasado bowed and almost smiled, had the situation not been so grim, “understood.”

House glanced at the chart and decided to give it a stab, “and the…culprit who did this?”

“Shall never be on your team,” Neasado answered then frowned, “though the person who ordered it, has, shall we say ran to ground for the moment.”

“I see,” House acknowledged and mentally congratulated himself for not getting them all killed, so far. “Well, to the patient…er…” he glanced at Cuddy.

“Max Evans,” she replied. She was terrified but glued to the spot as she debated about calling security.

“Right, Max Evans,” and he began to explain the current situation.

Neasado listened intently, all the while planning on the different ways he might kill the one responsible for all of this. He wasn’t sure how, but he did know that it would be slow and drawn out, a slow, ever so slow death. He nodded courtly as the doctor finished. He flipped open his phone and dialed. “Sheriff Valenti , please.” “Yes, Sheriff, can you talk?” “He’s in a hospital, Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. Fourth floor, ask for Dr. House.” “Yes, call them.” He’d noticed Max seemed to be ever so slightly mouthing something, a name, and he had a feeling as to what that name was. With a sigh, he added, “and Sheriff, the Evans might want to invite Miss. Parker to accompany them.” He flipped it closed and looked back at this intriguing doctor. “Is there anything else you need?”

House regarded the chart for a moment. “Well, he’s a bit tough to treat since we don’t know what’s normal for him or not. We have no baseline to compare it to.”

“I see.” Neasado hesitated for a moment and then withdrew a fairly decent sized file. “Perhaps this will help,” he paused and gave the doctor a significant look, “however you will understand that at the end, I will need ALL of his medical records back.”

Cuddy stepped forward into the room more, “we can’t do that. It’s against policy.”

Neasado looked at her for a moment, “then I will be taking the patient now and destroying everything I can lay my hands on.”

“I…I…” Cuddy stammered.

House just stared at the stranger, the alien. He wasn’t worried. He had an excellent memory. “I’m sure that will be fine. You get it all back at the end.”

Neasado nodded and handed over all of the medical records from the government agency that had tortured him. He gave Max one more long look before turning to leave. On his way out he commented, “His family will be arriving soon from Roswell.”

House heard Chase cough nervously. Family? “So this family, are they, like you?” he asked as casually as he could.

Neasado smirked. “He was adopted, so nothing to worry about from the parents. But he does have two siblings like him.”

“Siblings?” House inquired.

“Siblings. Teenagers, like him,” Neasado’s smirk deepened, “nothing to worry about, just your typical teenagers with special powers.” He gave Chase a look and almost grinned. “But be wary of the large brooding one. He has control issues and has been known to occasionally blow things up.” His half smile faded as he exited the room. He had a mission to finish.

“Of course,” House commented as he watched the alien leave. “A teenager with control issues, nothing unusual about that. Right?” he asked the group rhetorically. He glanced again at the patient and noted how the left hand kept clenching into a fist and then releasing. Clench and release, clench and release. And he was mumbling. The rest of the team entered the room. “Cameron, Foreman, keep an eye on the patient. Make sure he doesn’t wake up. And I don’t want him left alone at any time.” He glanced at the rest of the group, “everyone else, come with me,” he told them as he hobbled out of the room and back to his office.

As he entered his office, he headed straight for his desk and opened the bottom drawer. He glanced over at the connecting conference room and noticed that Chase had already rounded up a bunch of glasses and cups from the nearby sink. He smirked as he carried the thick file folder and a bottle of good Kentucky Whiskey over to the table and began to pour. Chase first. He watched as Chase gulped then coughed several times. “Sipping whiskey is to be, you know, sipped,” he commented dryly as he refilled Chase’s cup.

“I’m Aussie. You drink your way. I drink mine.” But he downed the second cup a little more slowly.

“I’m calling security. That…that person is dangerous, he threatened all of us and is threatening to kill someone,” Cuddy announced.

House truly smiled this time as he went to his whiteboard, grabbed a green maker and began to draw a little flying saucer and aliens with big heads and no ears. “What exactly are you going to tell them? That you were threatened by an alien with a glowing hand and he is going to go murder the government agent who ordered the torture of his teenaged charge?” He didn’t need to turn around to know that that had stopped Cuddy in her tracks. He gazed fondly at his new drawing; maybe the eyes should be a little bit larger.

“You don’t really believe this?” Wilson asked, “Do you?” He continued to sip his whiskey.

“Yep,” House answered as he decided that the space ship needed feet to land on. He glanced at Chase whom he saw was now sipping his third whiskey and flipping through the new file. “And so did the government, or whomever he got those files from. They believed it enough to kidnap a boy, experiment and torture him for some time.” He commented and then added, “besides, we’ll know soon enough when Mommy and Daddy get here, or more precisely when Brother or Sister arrive.”

“But stay away from the large brooding one with control issues,” Chase advised as he concentrated on the file and began making notes.

~

Max’s Room

Foreman adjusted the drugs keeping him in a coma.

Cameron leaned closer to the patient straining to hear what the patient was trying to say. “I think it’s a name. “Iz? Miz?” she watched his mouth move. “No, I think he’s saying Liz.”

“It’s amazing that he’s trying to say anything. He should be out like a log,” Foreman commented.

Cameron watched as the patient slightly scrunched up his face, just a little. “He’s in pain. He’s fighting it. He’s fighting the drugs.” She’s not sure why she did it, maybe because he was mumbling a girl’s name that made her think that he would respond to a female’s voice. She lightly stroked his forehead. “Shhh. Just relax. You need to rest, Max. You need to sleep. Go to sleep. Let the drugs help you. It’ll be alright. Trust me, Max. Trust me.” She noted with satisfaction that the lines on his face smoothed at last, and while he still clutched and release his hand, it wasn’t as intensely as before. He was finally back under, or as close to it as they could get him to be.

~

Hospital – next day

Philip Evans was excited, exhausted, and running on pure adrenalin, as was the rest of his group. It’d taken a day to get a flight and it had been the longest flight in his life, at least it felt like it, and then stuck in traffic from the airport. They still had their luggage with them. “Max Evans. He’s a patient of Dr. House,” he again informed the nurse at the duty station on the fourth floor.

She shook her head, “I’m sorry. There’s no Max Evans, and Dr. House only has one patient at the moment.”

Diane touched her husband’s arm in support. After all this, all the months of worry and false hope, of finally understanding the stunning truth about their children, only to lose their son because of it, this couldn’t be a false lead. It just couldn’t. That Neasado person had promised he wouldn’t call unless he had actually seen Max with his own eyes. “Please, could you call Dr. House?”

The nurse dialed a number, explained the situation and was quite surprised when Dr. House said he’d be right out but to send them to John Smith’s room. She pointed down the hall, “room 436.”

“Max!” Diane cried as she ran into the room and her son’s side, followed closely by the others.

Chase blanched as he turned around. House had made sure he got the early shift watching the patient today, just as his hangover was kicking in full force.

Michael noted the bandage around Max’s head, the dark circles under the eyes, the sunken cheeks, sallow complexion, and turned on the doctor. “What the hell did you do to him?”

“Ah hell, not the large brooding one with control issues,” he mumbled. He calmed his voice as best he could as he edged towards the door, “nothing bad. We’ve been helping him. He’s only been here less than 48 hours. Dr. House is treating him. I work for him.” He was almost to the door, eyeing the hands of the brooding one. “Let me go get him,” he offered as he almost made it to the door when he bumped into just who he was looking for. “Dr. House, these are…er, the family.”

He’d figured that whoever was coming would arrive this morning; A little payback for Chase finishing off his best bottle of whiskey yesterday. He hobbled into the room with the patient’s full records in his hand. In fact, he hadn’t left the file out of his sight since he’d gotten the additional information from Neasado yesterday. They were just too explosive. He’d been up all night reading, and rereading, and doubling checking against his own findings. “I’m Dr. House.”

He glanced over his shoulder as the two others arrived. “And this is Dr. Cameron and Dr. Foreman, and that’s Dr. Chase,” he indicated with a wave of his hand, “my team.”

Philip looked at all of them and then over to Michael and gave him a hard look. Michael was furious. That wouldn’t help anything. Surly if Max was in harm’s way, Neasado wouldn’t have left him, would he? He looked back at his son just lying there and then back to the doctors, “I’m Philip Evans, his father.” He inclined his head toward his wife, who had assumed a position next to his son and was stroking his cheek, “my wife, Diane,” and looking at each one, “This is our daughter Isabel, Michael,” he looked over to the other side of his son’s bed, “and Liz Parker.” He looked at the doctor again, “he asked Dr. Chase a fair question. What have you done to him?”

House took his time as he made a show of putting the file on the little table and opening it, all the while carefully watching the interaction of Liz Parker and the patient. She gently took his hand, the one that had continued to clutch and un-clutch throughout the night and morning, despite their best efforts and drugs. He glanced at the monitor and noted the slight slowing of the heart rate and blood pressure. The hand had finally stilled. He squelched the smile, figuring the family wouldn’t understand it. He opened the file and withdrew a baggy. “We had to perform surgery to remove this?”

Isabel was in shock and took a step closer to Michael. “Wait. You’re not saying that…that was in his skull?”

House shook his head. “No. It was imbedded in his brain.”

“What?!” Michael exploded, as did the IV bag that Chase was holding, as he was preparing to change out the empty one on the stand.

House turned to Michael and in a serious, no-nonsense tone, “Stop that! Dr. Chase just happens to be one of the best surgeons we have. He and Dr. Foreman, who’s one of the best neurologists around, are the ones responsible for its successful removable.”

Liz glanced at Dr. House and wondered how he had known that Michael was able to make the bag explode, but said nothing as she continued to hold and rub Max’s hand.

“I’m…uh…going to change,” Dr. Chase said as he couldn’t leave the room fast enough. He’d pretty much had enough of aliens to last him a life time.

Michael mumbled a sort of apology at him as the doctor left.

“Dr. House, what exactly is that thing?” Isabel asked.

“A receiver of some sort and from its placement and that its purpose was for control.” He informed them.

“Control? Like to make him do what they said?” Philip asked.

“No, not quite. It’s more for pain. More of a do what we say and it won’t hurt. Don’t do it and then…” House didn’t need to finish it.

“Was the surgery successful? When will he wake up? Was…was there any damage?” Diane asked as she started to get choked up at the thought of what her son must have gone through. The tears were already threatening, as she kissed her son gently on the forehead.

“We don’t know for sure if there was any damage. He’s in a chemically induced coma at the moment. We don’t plan waking him for another 24 hours, at least.” House informed them and added, “It’s to help him with the detox.”

“Detox? From what?” Philip asked.

“Crizene. It’s a very powerful psychotic, leaves the mind very vulnerable.” He saw their confused looks. “Think of it as truth serum times a thousand. Highly addictive, and after prolong exposure, the pain from the detox would probably kill him without medical intervention.”

“And this, Crizene, was given to him? For a long time?” Philip inquired further, still trying to wrap his mind around this, “And by whom?”

“Months,” House replied. “As for the Who, I don’t know.” He figured they didn’t need to know. He’d already crosschecked the obituaries and noted that a Dr. Jane Holden was found dead in her burned out laboratory in Virginia, the casualty of an apparent electrical fire at her government lab.

“Will he be okay?” Diane asked.

House nodded. “He should make a full recovery.” At least he believed so. He tucked the baggie with the chip back in the file and closed it. “Dr. Cameron. Finish replacing the IV and get new vitals. Then let’s let the family have some time alone.” He instructed as he departed. He had noted that the patient was continuing to improve, at least his vitals were, and all because of a girl?

Two hours later and Isabel was bored. They all were, but you can’t admit it, not when you’re in the sick room of a loved one, plus they were too afraid to leave Max alone. Afraid that he wouldn’t be there when they got back. But you could only watch Mom and Dad hover, and Liz hold his hand for so long. Curiously Liz had been very quiet. Come to think of it, she hadn’t said a word since the plane. She glanced at Michael. He was like a caged animal, pacing around.

“This is ridicules,” Michael suddenly announced, “I’m going for a walk.”

Isabel grabbed her purse. “I’ll join you.” She figured he was just worked up just enough to do something really dumb, and that’s the last thing they needed.

Liz watched them leave and sighed. She kissed Max’s hand and asked if she could bring Mr. and Mrs. Evans anything from the cafeteria. She headed in the direction she saw Michael and Isabel go. It didn’t take long to find them.

~
House’s Office

House was alone as two teenage aliens, with powers that he hadn’t been quite able to determine, came barging in. He kept his calm. “This is my private office. Patients and their families are not allowed.”

“What do you know?” Michael demanded. He wanted answers and he was determined to get them, regardless of the cost.

Isabel thought she should stop Michael but at the same time, she wanted answers too. So she remained silent as they barged in.

House appraised the situation with some concern. He didn’t think he was in serious trouble. Despite the demeanor, he didn’t think the youth was the murderous type. But then again, this one had control issues, but did the sister as well? “I know a lot of things. Anyone in particular you’d like to know?”

“About us?” Michael growled.

House raised an eyebrow and then looked at the file in front of him. “You’re aliens or at least part.” He looked the youth up and down, as if he were just anyone else, “that you’re young and have trouble controlling yourself, but then most teens do.”

“How do you know how to treat Max?” Liz asked as she came into the room.

House wondered if Cameron would have a chance to check the patient’s vitals without the girl holding his hand and see if there was any change. “He’s human enough. We just have to watch the dosages that we give him and monitor him closely,” he explained.

Liz shook her head. “No. That’s not enough. Dr. Chase said that he’d been here less than 48hrs, but how do you know so much about him? How do you know he was on Crizene for months? You…” she glanced at how thick Max’s file was, too thick. “You have his files from…from the facility.”

House just stared at her and then cracked a smile, ignoring that the other two looked even more serious. Instinct told him that this girl wouldn’t rattle easily, “You’re very observant, Miss. Parker.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” she replied.

He tilted his head, intrigued, and enjoyed that he was intrigued. “What grade are you in?”

“I’ll start my junior year.” She jutted her chin out. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

“What are your plans afterward? What do you want to study?” he asked, curious about her and the relationship she had with the aliens.

“Molecular biology,” she answered very assuredly.

“That’s an interesting choice. I suppose you know where?” he asked, more interested than before.

“Harvard,” she replied. “There, I’ve answered yours, now, you answer mine,” she pointed out.

“Your Neasado paid us a visit. We cut a deal,” he finally answered.

Liz nodded and then thought a moment, “How long do you think Max will take to recover? How long before he can come home?”

House sighed and thought for a moment, “A couple of months, maybe more. It depends.” He tilted his head and thought of the impact she’d had on the patient. “When do you have to go home?”

“A week. It depends on what?” she asked.

House thought hard for a moment. She undoubtedly would have a great impact on his recovery. And she was damn intriguing. “What do you think of a six week internship opportunity at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital? Think your mommy and daddy would go for that? It’d look great on your Harvard application.” He pointed out.

She almost smiled. It was perfect. “I think so,” she answered and turned to leave.

Michael and Isabel stared after her and then at each for a moment before following her. They caught up with her at the elevator. “What exactly was that?” he demanded.

“I’m staying with Max, with or without the internship. This just makes it easier.” She turned and looked at Michael. “Contact Neasado and confirm what Dr. House told us.” The elevator opened on the bottom floor. “Your Mom wants a tea, hot, and your dad a cup of coffee, black. I’m going back to his room,” she stated matter-a-factually.

Michael looked at the now closed elevator door as it took Liz back to the fourth floor. “What the hell was that?”

Isabel watched as the little light at the top of the elevator door stopped on 4. “She’s been like that since the failed rescue attempt. But it doesn’t mean she’s wrong. We should call him.” She tugged his arm. “Come on, let’s get the drinks.”

~

Fourth floor

Liz flipped her phone open and hit speed dial. A feeling of warmth went through her at the sound of a friendly voice. “Hey, Maria, yeah, we found him. He’s…he’s going to be okay but it’s going to be a while,” she answered as she sunk down in the lounge chair in the waiting room. “What did Alex find out?” She listened intently. Satisfied, “Good, at least I’ll be leaning from the best.” She changed gears, “Maria, I still need to speak to my parents but I’m going to be staying for at least six weeks. Dr. House has offered me an internship. I’m sure it’s as a cover, but I don’t care. I need you to come and stay, at least for a few days, you and Alex. I’m sure if you told your mom that I invited you to stay a few days during my internship, she’d say yes, especially with the Evans staying here. I…I need you.” She almost cried, almost. “Thanks Maria. Let me know what time you’ll both be here.” She just sat there in the chair, numb and tired, exhausted really, but now was not the time. She’s made a promise when they returned from the White Room without him that there would be no tears, no breaking down, not until Max was back home and safe. She forced herself up and walked to room 436.

~

Cuddy’s Office – later that day

“What internship?” Cuddy demanded.

“The one that is going to run for six weeks, which is about the time Max Evans will be ready to leave,” House casually explained.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. “There is no way in God’s green earth that I’m going to subject a teenage girl to you for six weeks as an intern!”

House regarded Cuddy for a moment. “Then you’ll have the alien team here for twelve.” He explained as he handed over the latest results.

Cuddy was impressed. There was a marked improvement within the last six hours. “All this proves is that the drugs are starting to work. He’s finally completely under and the Crizene is leaving his system. He’s successfully detoxing.”

He shook his head, “Nope. You didn’t seem him. The change was instantaneous when she touched him. A few hours later, Cameron checked when she wasn’t there and he was starting to mumble again with increase blood pressure and heart rate. Then she returns, and viola, back to being a good boy.”

She shook her head. “This is crazy.”

“Look, she’s going to be here whether it’s with or without her parent’s permission, why not make it with,” he said with a rare smile.

Cuddy’s eyes narrowed. “Why? What do…” her jaw dropped. “You like her? You actually like someone?”

He shrugged. “She’s a smart kid. Besides, she just might learn a few things while she’s here.”

She drummed her nails on the desk. “Fine, a six week internship but she reports to Foreman.” She gave House a look. “There’s still no-way I’d make you responsible for a teenager. You’re barely responsible for yourself.” She added as he started to leave, looking smug, “and not always even then.”

~
Max’s room – later the same day

House regarded the young girl holding her young boy’s hand. They were alone. “Ah young love, there’s nothing like it,” and he added, “thank God,” as he hung his cane on the portable table and plopped the folder down. “So Mommy and Daddy taking a break?”

“They all went to check in at the hotel and freshen up,” she explained. She wasn’t sure what to think of this doctor. He was like none she’d ever met. Alex had called to give her the details of their flight arrival tomorrow and also to give more background that he’d found on the internet about Dr. Gregory House. She’d already figured out that he was rude, and gruff, but he was also brilliant. “They’ll be back later.”

“Perfect. Time enough to conduct a little experiment,” he told her and took a seat.

“No. No. There’s no way I’m going to let you experiment on him,” she informed him.

House grinned. “Oh, but I’m not. You are. It just wouldn’t have the same effect if I did it.” Most people would have demanded explanations or simply refused. She just looked at him, challenging him. He loved a good challenge. “I want you to give him a kiss and tell him a secret. It could be anything, your favorite color, favorite food…favorite naughty little romp you’ve been waiting to have with him when you get him home…wait, if you tell him the last one, no reason to whisper, we’re all adults here, well, almost.” He watched her eyes as she glared at him for a moment, a little embarrassment but mainly steely resolve. Good. She doesn’t flinch easy.

Liz pushed down the side rail and leaned over to give Max a tender kiss on the lips and then whispered in his ear, “Max, I love you, and…and when we get home I want to show you something. I bought this red bikini this spring with you in mind. I thought we could go out to the lake one hot summer night and…”

‘Ah, you got to love horny little teenagers,’ he thought as he watched her get a rise out of Max, his heart rate jumped, blood pressure was up, and looking the patient, other parts were up a bit. He watched her kiss him again and then sit back in the chair. “Congratulations. You got a rise out of him.”

“What?!” she was mortified but had to look. That was just how the blanket was laying, wasn’t it?

House made a note in the file. “I was actually referring to his vitals, but that was up too for a short while. So congratulations. You just proved that someone, well, a half alien someone, in a chemical induced coma can indeed hear people…and get a hard on. When he wakes, be sure to ask if he remembers what you told him, but maybe you’ll want to wait for when Mommy and Daddy aren’t around.” He checked his watch, “Well, look at the time. My favorite Mexican soap is on. Gotta go.” His brilliant exit was blocked by Cuddy.

“Don’t worry. I’m recording it for you,” she smiled viciously at him and handed him a form to sign, “sign here,” she told him, and then quickly whipped it away before he could read it thoroughly.

“Hey, what was that…I saw something about $300 a week?” House demanded as Cuddy was leaving.

“Her stipend money… per week…from your salary.” She turned and smiled at him. “And you’ve just personally guaranteed, in writing, to her parents that you will be making sure that when school starts, all her normal school work is done, handed in on time, and at their usual level…oh, by the way, she has a GPA of 3.9. So dig out your old high school algebra books!” She waved at him as she left.

He gave Liz a dirty look.

Liz just looked at him sweetly. “It’s algebra II and trigonometry together this year.”

He looked back the way Cuddy had left. “But she reports to Foreman! I’m not the responsible one! Remember?!” He shouted after Cuddy but too late. He grumbled about annoying teenagers as headed back to his office.

Liz carefully lay next to Max, kissed his forehead, and then curled up next to him and dozed off to sweat dreams that had eluded her for three months, dreams of red bikini’s and hot August nights in the desert.

~

[TaffyCat]

Part 3

Max’s room – next morning

Liz watched as Foreman did the blood draw. This morning she’d reported at 8:00am sharp to start her first day of internship. By 9:00am she had her hospital badge, had filled out all kinds of forms that were being faxed to her parents for signature as well, and began working with Dr. Foreman. So far her job seemed to consist of following Dr. Foreman around. She watched as the vial of blood was labeled and the ‘sharps” were put in the biohazard container. She gave Max a quick peck on the cheek, squeezed his hand and told Isabel and Michael that she’d be back in just a bit.“Are you going to send that out to a lab?” she asked slightly concerned, as she followed Foreman down the hall.

“Not exactly,” he replied as his new intern followed him into their private lab. “We do the testing ourselves, especially for this patient.” He wasn’t sure why House was being almost nice to the girl. It was easy enough to figure out that the girl seemed to have some sort of emotional impact on the patient, which would probably play into his recovery, but that was no reason for him to offer her an internship. As far as he knew, House didn’t do internships, found then annoying, and especially found teenagers annoying. It was ridicules, at least Cuddy was smart enough not to have her report directly to House and put someone in between them. And unfortunately that person was him. What was he supposed to do with a high school student? “Okay, so we need to make some smears and do a CBC panel,” he began to explain.

~

House’s conference room – a few hours later

They assembled around the conference table. House noted that Liz had noticed his earlier alien drawing but made no comment. “Most interns bring donuts on their first day,” he commented, trying to get a rise out of her.

She simply looked at him calmly, “Sorry, no stipend yet.”

He grunted then flipped the file open to the new results. “Okay, so still a few trace amounts of Crizene in his system.”

“Not enough to matter or least it shouldn’t,” Foreman observed.

“Normally,” Chase added, “but this is far from normal. And so far we’re finding a little goes a long way for the most part.”

“Unless he’s fighting it,” Cameron chimed in.

House watched Liz, who’d remained mostly quiet so far today. He just had her follow Forman around for the day, since he really didn’t know what else to do with her, but that wasn’t the reason for the internship. She was the key to learning more about the aliens and what they were capable of. “Hmm, no comments from the peanut gallery?”

“You want to know if it’s safe to wake him, bring him out of the coma,” she clarified.

“Duh,” House sniped.

She sighed. “Okay, when was the first time he was given Crizene?”

House raised an eyebrow but scanned the file for the answer, “June 3rd.”

Liz nodded and then opened her backpack to retrieve her diary, something that she’d kept with her for the past three months, partly to make sure she knew where it was at all times and partly because rereading it made her feel close to Max. She ignored House’s curious look and simply opened it to the proper page. Isabel had last been about to dreamwalk Max on June 2nd. Crizene had to be the reason. Isabel had been able to get through to him nightly for close to a week, regardless of any distance or drug, and they’d known he was being heavily drugged due to Isabel’s description of the confused dreams that Max was having, but on June 3rd that’d stopped.

“So ask him,” she finally responded.

He watched her closely, she was very serious. “Okay, let’s all go ask him,” he replied and they all rose to go to his room, looking perplexed, except for Liz, and House, who was more curious now than ever, and dying to get his hands on that diary.

~

Max’s room

Maria turned as Liz and a bunch of doctors filed into Max’s room. She and Alex had arrived a little after noon and had had a quick lunch with Liz. Since then, they’d mainly been hanging in Max’s room with the others and his parents while Liz worked. “Hey Liz, what’s up?”

“Oh God, the teens multiplied,” House commented as he walked in and spied the two new arrivals. He plopped the file on the table and turned to Liz, “okay, any suggestions on how we ask him? Any secret code? Handshake maybe?”

Liz ignored his sarcasm; she was growing immune to it, almost. She turned and closed the door, drew the shades closed for privacy and turned to Isabel. “We need you to dreamwalk him,” she stated as if it were the most normal thing on Earth.

“Liz, uh…” she looked warily at the assembled doctors, even her parents, who’d been informed, sort of, but not ever seen her actually do it, not that there was really anything to see other than her apparently sleeping. “I…don’t think…”

Liz shook her head. “No Isabel. You need to do this. They’re afraid that Max isn’t ready to wake up yet. It was the Crizene that blocked you. The timeline fits.” She regarded Isabel for a moment, “just try, please.”

Without saying a word Alex strolled over to Isabel and sat with her, held her as she closed her eyes and began to dreamwalk, something she’d done many times over the summer, mostly unsuccessfully.

”Oh God,” she thought as the place spun. She had no idea where she was supposed to be. It was all black but there was as beam of hazy light in the distance. It was hard to see through the dense fog. “Max! Where are you Max!?” she called. The spinning was making her ill, but she was also relieved. She knew that he had let her in, but what a horrible place he was in. “Max, please!” she begged.

“I’m here, Iz,” came a feeble reply from a distance.

Isabel had to crawl to the sound of the voice, to the distant light. “Max…I’m coming, just hold on. I’m coming.” Oh God, would this spinning ever stop. She came upon the light; it followed her as she kept crawling. “Max, where are you?” she called, worriedly. She’d thought he’d be in the light.

“Here,” he almost whispered.

She kept crawling and crawling until finally she spotted him, “Max!” she cried as she quickened her pace. He was sitting, curled up in a ball at the edge of where the light met the dark. She was confused when he flinched and shied away from her as she approached. “Max, what is it?”

He shut his eyes in pain and turned away. “The light, Iz, it hurts my eyes.”

“Oh God, Max. I’m sorry,” she cried as she finally reached him, the light now directly upon both of them. “Keep your eyes closed.” She put her hand over his eyes to try and help. “Max, I don’t know how to make the light go away. Do...do you want me to leave?” she cried.

He panicked and blindly grabbed his sister. “No! No! Don’t leave. Don’t leave me alone. It’s…it’s been so long, so long alone. Don’t go. Please don’t go,” he begged.

She held him close, trying to shield him from the light. “I won’t but Max listen, you’re not alone. Everyone is here. Me, Michael, Mom, Dad, Liz, even Maria and Alex. We’re all here with you. You’re safe. You’re safe. We’ve found some help but they’re afraid. They want to help you wake up but they’re not sure if it’s safe. They want to know if you’re ready to wake up. Are you?”

He buried his head in her arms, trying to block out the light. “No, I don’t think I am but…but wake me anyhow. I can’t take this much longer. Please…please have them wake me.”

She was crying in earnest now as she kissed her brother’s forehead. “Okay Max. Okay. I’ll tell them. I have to leave but we’re all close by and you’ll be awake soon.” She kissed him again and the room began to dissolve and fade.

Isabel awoke with a start; tears were streaming down her cheeks. “Oh, God. Wake him. Wake him up…but…but he’s not quite ready.” She shook her head trying to make the room stay still. It wasn’t easy. She held on tight to Alex as the vertigo finally passed. “He doesn’t think he’s ready but he can’t take it anymore. He wants to wake up, no matter what.”

“Interesting,” House commented quietly. He’d wished he’d had a brain scan of what just happened instead of just vitals on Max. “So, wake him up, Chase,” he instructed. He was glad that Chase had understood more than what was said and had a variety of meds ready and waiting just in case.

They all held their breath as the appropriate drugs were introduced into Max’s IV. It took only a few moments before his eyes started to flutter and open, only to cringe and close tightly as he clenched the bedding in agony. You didn’t need to be the leading diagnostician in the country to realize the kid’s problem. “Lights!” he barked and only had a moment, as the light switch mysteriously shut off on their own, to glance around for who’d done it and was shocked to see Liz lowering her hand. Oh this was going to be good, he thought to himself. He looked back at his patient. “What are you waiting for, give him something for the vertigo,” he growled at Chase, who immediately complied. He shuffled over and looked down at the boy. “On a scale of one to ten, who much does it hurt?”

Max gulped a few times. Whatever they were giving him was helping, but that didn’t mean he was okay. Every inch of his body ached and everything was off kilter. For once he was glad that he hadn’t eaten in a long time, since he knew he’d never keep it down. He gulped again. “Nine…ten, maybe,” he whispered through clench teeth.

House glanced at Chase as a syringe of morphine was introduced. He watched Max intently. The brow was still scrunched up, eyes shut, though the bedding wasn’t held as tightly. “Another one,” he instructed.

Chase hesitated briefly. They’d been very careful in dosages, as House had told Liz the day earlier; usually they scaled back the meds to one half or three-quarters. Now he was to give a double dose. A human could normally handle it but he wasn’t so sure on a half alien. He injected half and then waited a second. He could see the lines smoothing out on the boy’s forehead but the eyes were still clamped down tight. He glanced at House, his boss, and when he saw the slight nod, he injected the rest. A few moments later the boy’s eyes opened finally, though they were very bleary eyes and slightly glassy.

“Oopsy.” House commented quietly, glanced at the vitals then cleared his throat to announce, “He’ll be a little groggy for a while. Uh, don’t be alarmed if he drops off to sleep for a bit. It’s normal, just a side effect of the drugs.” He glanced at Chase and silently told him to stay and keep a close eye on his vitals. “Okay.” He glanced at Liz who’d of course, like any good Juliet had ran to her Romeo’s side and was kissing him. He figured it wasn’t likely she would be leaving anytime soon. He shuffled on out, confident that his patient was feeling no pain and that the others would be watching him very closely, which left him time to do a little research.

~

House’s office- a few hours later

“Fascinating,” he commented to no one as he read the print out. He’d managed to get a copy off the internet of the local paper from last September, the one about the Crashdown robbery, and how it was thought that at first one of the waitresses had been shot but turned out she wasn’t. He then made a call to the principal at West Roswell High. He figured it was a legitimate call since he was now technically responsible of Miss Parkers academics until she returned. He’d found that other than an incident early this year, when she cut class to make out and perhaps a bit more with a boy, yes, the boy just happened to be Max Evans, whom he was glad to hear was found and expected to make a full recovery, that she was a model student whom great things were expected from and how excited they were for her to have this opportunity at Princeton. House grinned, “Oh Miss Parker, what tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive.”

“You paged me,” Liz asked from the door.

House smiled. It was a smiled of the cat that just caught a mouse. “Why yes, Miss Parker, do come in. Have a seat.”

She was immediately on guard as she took a seat. She had a good idea what this was about. The Sherriff had called. He’d gotten an excited call from the principal, who’d called him to let him know about Max Evans’ progress and how the good doctor caring for him was taking an obvious interest in her. She held his gaze without falter.

“Oh Miss Parker, you’ve been holding out on me,” House told her as his smile told her that he was enjoying this.

“In what way?” she asked calmly. She’d been through this before and saw no reason to get excited.

“He healed you didn’t he? Last September, the shooting. Said that it looked like blood everywhere but it turned out to be just ketchup. We both know better,” he accused with a sly grin.

She figured that there was no since lying. He already knew about Max. “Yes, he did.”

House sat back. He’d expected her to dodge the question, to lie, and was surprised at the admission. Very few things surprised him but she did. This whole alien thing did. “And he gave you some of his powers in the process.”

She faltered for just a moment and shook her head, now she was confused, “No, not at all.”

“Then you’re one of them all along,” he countered though he noted her hesitancy and wondered.

She shook her head and almost laughed. “Where did you get that idea? No, you can check my birth records. I was born to Jeff and Nancy Parker, Roswell, NM and very much human.”

“Ah, but not anymore. Explain how else you shut those lights off without moving? You were at least five feet away from the switch,” he accused.

“What?” She shook her head again. He couldn’t be right, could he? “No, Isabel or Michael did that.”

It was House’s turn to shake his head. “No. It was you. I saw you lowering your hand.” He studied her as she chewed her bottom lip, obviously thinking it over. Had she not known? “That was you first time doing anything like that, wasn’t it?”

“I…I…” She came to a decision. She would trust Dr. House. Their lives were already in his hands, so she had nothing more to lose, really. “I guess so.”

House smiled in triumph, “Fascinating.”

“Is that all?” she asked, a bit perturbed at this development. She hadn’t known that she’d turn the lights off. She only knew that they were hurting Max and wanted them to stop. She’d have to think about this one.

House pondered it for moment and then nodded. They had six weeks to work on this. No need to push it too far just yet.

Liz rose to leave but paused at the door. “You know I’ve only seen Max drink one time. One sip and he was drunk for the rest of the night. You’re right. A little goes a long ways with an alien.”

House nodded as she left and checked his watch. At last report twenty minutes ago Max was still high as a kite. “Now she tells me.”

[TaffyCat]

Part 4

It took two days for Max to become stable. It probably had something to do with it taking that long for them to figure out the right combination of drugs and dosages to battle his pain, nausea, and vertigo. Max was exhausted, but then so was Liz. She spent every extra minute when she wasn’t working at his bedside and several more minutes, hours really, when she was working. Others came and went, but she usually stayed. He smiled weakly as Liz pushed the button to raise his bed into a more comfortable position.

“How’s that?” she asked.

“Okay,” he answered tiredly. It’d been a long morning. A male nurse had given his first sponge bath, helped him brush his teeth, something he was ever so grateful for, and a shave, though it wasn’t very close. But it had taken a lot out of him and he longed for a little shut eye, but they weren’t through with him yet. He warily eyed the tray that Liz pulled toward him. He hadn’t eaten since…well, he really didn’t know since when. He’d already been given a little extra on the anti-nausea meds this morning. His stomach flip-flopped between being starved and wanting to throw up at the mere thought of food. It didn’t help that it was typical hospital fare.

Liz lifted the cover off the oatmeal and tried not to wrinkle her nose as she sniffed it. “Well, let’s give it a shot,” she announced as she carefully spoon-fed him some of it.

He made a face after the third spoonful. “Wait,” he mumbled as he blanched. Flip-flop, God he wished his stomach would behave. It took a few moments for it to settle down. “Something to drink, maybe?” he whispered.

“Sure,” she complied and gave him a few sips of an overly sweet orange-colored juice. “That better?”

He sighed miserably, “not really.”

“Want to try some more?” she asked cautiously. This was going to be slow going.

~

House’s office – 1-1/2 later

House glanced up as his intern finally walked in. “That must have been some breakfast. Took time for a kiss and a cuddle?” he mockingly inquired.

“Maybe,” she replied, totally unruffled and plopped down in a chair, hanging her bag over the back of it. That his eyes went right to the bag for a good moment didn’t miss her attention. They’d been playing a sort of game ever since he’d seen her diary. She looked around, “where is everyone?” she asked as she realized that they were alone.

House fiddled absently with a paperweight on his desk, “Chase is in surgery, Cameron doing a turn in the ER, and Foreman’s got the day off.” He replied as he came to a decision, time to kill two birds with one stone. “Let’s have some fun!” he announced in an overly exaggerated tone.

She noted the mischievous look in his eye, almost a twinkle. “Okay, I’ll play along. What did you have in mind?” she asked and noted the slight grin that he just couldn’t quite conceal as he escorted her down the hall, towards the radiology department.

“Ever had an MRI? They’re quite fun,” he suggested.

“Nope, and I doubt it,” she answered as they walked into the MRI room. “Okay, now what?”

House patted the table for her to lie on, “take a load off.” He watched her watch him and his grin deepened when she’d obviously come to a decision and started to drop her bag down on the floor. “Um, you’ll need to put that in the observation room, along with any jewelry. MRI’s don’t respond well to metals.”

She looked at the glass enclosure where the computers were and then back at House. She immediately saw through his plan and started to chew on her lip. She wanted answers to so many questions and she knew he was probably the only one that could give them to her, but there was a price to pay. Was she willing to pay it? Could she trust him? She nodded and deposited her bag and jewelry in the enclosure and returned to the machine and lay down. She noted an almost gleam in his eye as he told her this could take a little bit in order to get a thorough image.

“Lie still,” he told her as he fired up the MRI. He waited until the machine was running full force before he opened her bag and carefully withdrew the diary. He glanced every so often at the MRI image as he read.

“Dr. House,” she called after ten minutes.

“No talking. Lie still,” he answered into the microphone and then glanced at the image and froze. “Now that’s interesting,” he commented to himself at the slightly increased brain activity around the cerebral cortex. It could be considered on the high side of normal for a human.

“Dr. House,” she called again.

“Quiet,” he demanded.

“Dr. House,” she called once more.

“What?” he almost snarled.

“Try around February, that’s when Max and I started to get flashes from each other,” she suggested.

House looked down at the diary in his hand and flipped to the right page and began to read, glancing every now and then at the MRI. Flashes?

~

4th Floor hallway

“Where’s House?” Cuddy asked as she spotted Wilson in the hall.

Wilson shrugged, “Not sure. I saw him and Liz head down the hall a while ago.”

“How long ago?” she inquired.

“I don’t know. Maybe an hour or a little more,” he answered.

“Alone?” she asked with alarm.

“Yeah, why?” he asked in reply.

“House, alone with a teenage girl for an hour or more, there’s no telling what harm he may do.” Cuddy explained.

Wilson truly had to think for a moment, even House wouldn’t be so stupid, he didn’t think. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about that. The physiological damage could be extensive. It is for most adults, no telling the impact he’d have on a sixteen year old.”

Wilson had to concede the point and headed out with Cuddy to find the missing odd pair.

~

Radiocololgical reading room (it’s the room they occasionally show in the series where there’re all these lighted panels for viewing various x-rays – I don’t know its correct name.)

Liz studied the images carefully. “So this was Max’s?”

“Yep, and here’s someone with normal brain activity, and then here’s yours,” he explained.

She studied it carefully. “It’s…more. This is the cerebral cortex, right?”

“Correct,” he answered as he studied her. Most of the diary was about annoying teenage love and would have been thoroughly boring had it not been for the alien healing and alien flashes, not to mention the alien orb, whatever that was; that they thought was responsible for the flashes. He wondered if the orb was set to a certain frequency that only aliens, or alien stimulated humans, could hear. But then why hadn’t the other aliens heard it? Why then? What had set it off? If only she’d stayed in the MRI just a little longer before she unceremoniously barged in and said that was enough and to hand it over.

“He changed me, didn’t he?” she asked. The answer was obvious. It was right in front of her. She couldn’t deny it, but she wanted to hear it confirmed anyhow.

He looked back at the images for a moment and shook his head, “No, not exactly.”

She looked up at him startled. “But…”

“He didn’t change you. It’s more like he stimulated your brain function. Charged certain areas into action that aren’t normally used,” he explained.

“Oh,” she looked at the images again. “You said that Max’s was done when he was first brought in, wouldn’t he have been all messed up with the Crizene? If he had this kind of activity then, then how come he couldn’t use his powers?”

House flipped though the file and withdrew a written report. “Good question, Parker. One I asked myself. I don’t have the image but I have the reports of the first one and subsequent ones that were done by…them.” He read her the reports, simplifying the terminology as he went.

“So this would be considered minimal brain activity for him,” she clarified to herself and thought for a moment. “What if the healing didn’t cause the ‘charge’ in me, what if it was when he….”

“House!” Cuddy called from the doorway. “What are you doing?” she demanded as she and Wilson walked in. “And do you know how much it costs to run an MRI for almost an hour?”

House rolled his eyes. Now? She had to pick now to find them? He ignored the last question and took a breath, “research.”

“Research on what?” She demanded.

“Human-alien relations,” he stated.

“Human-alien relations,” she repeated and crossed her arms. “Find any?” she snapped sarcastically.

He leaned in to Cuddy and with animated raised eyebrows replied, “not yet, but working on it.”

“House,” she said threatened and thrust some folders at him, “rounds.”

“Rounds?” he asked and thrust the folders back.

“Yes, rounds. Chase is still in surgery, Cameron in the ER, and Foreman you so graciously gave the day off. That leaves you and rounds. And not just Max, you need to do the other patients you picked up these last few days,” she informed him.

House inwardly groaned. These other patients were really cramping his style. They were just so boring. And he needed more time alone with Liz Parker. More time to dig deeper into the alien abyss that he found so intriguing. “So Harvard, huh?”

“Yeah,” Liz answered, curious what he was thinking.

“Ever considered Princeton?” he inquired.

She regarded him for a moment. “Harvard’s always been my dream.”

“Dreams change,” he countered.

She tilted her heard and thought about it. It was certainly interesting. “True. But only for a good reason.”

He could think of lots of reasons. His reasons were obvious, aliens. “Perhaps a tour of the university and its biology and medical school might help?” He suggested and grinned as Liz shrugged okay.

Cuddy watched in fascination. Very few things could hold House’s interest, yet a sixteen year old was doing just that. And what’s more, she wasn’t afraid or intimidated. She was actually playing along. “I’ll make the arrangements,” she offered as she watched House pack up all of Max’s files and left with Liz Parker at his side. “You don’t think he’s attracted…she’s just a kid.”

Wilson shook his head. “Oh, he’s attracted alright, to a good mystery. And what bigger mystery is there than aliens.”

~

[TaffyCat]

This is a short update. I'd meant it to be part of the last one but kept changing it. I'll have more later this week.

Part 5

Max’s room – end of rounds

House smirked at the lovely family scene as he entered the patient’s room, followed by his intern. He’d saved the best for last. “So, how’s my favorite Martian?” He glanced at the large brooding one and noted the deepened scowl, as he grabbed Max’s chart, “Still not eating too much, I see.”

Max weakly shook his head, “No. I’m not…that hungry.”

“Hmm,” House commented as he read the chart and looked that the monitor. He also noticed how Max was starting the move around a bit more. “Nausea?”

“A little, not too bad though,” Max conceded.

“Okay, Parker, note down his current vitals. You know the routine,” he instructed as he handed her the chart and looked around the room. “I need to examine him.” He waited for a moment and when no one moved, “in private, please.” He watched as everyone but the large brooding one filed out of the room. House gave him a hard look, almost a challenge.

Arms crossed and a cold stare, “No,” was all Michael would say.

House nodded and turned back to the patient. “Okay, let’s see what fun we can have,” he commented to no one in particular as he pulled out his stethoscope and put it to Max’s chest to listen to his lungs and heart, had him lean forward and listen from the back, shined a light in his eyes to check pupil reactions, made some notes on the chart, and then checked Max’s reactions in his feet, all quite normal, almost too normal and very quickly. “Okay, time to donate a little blood,” he said as he pulled on some latex gloves and brought over a blood draw kit.

Michael’s eyes narrowed as the doctor strapped the tubing around Max’s left arm and had Max make a fist. He watched very closely as Max’s eyes grew huge and glanced at the monitor, his heart rate was up. He looked at Liz, waiting for her to say something. If she didn’t he knew he would.

Liz saw Max flinch and start to pull his arm away. “Dr. House, stop. He’s…”

House sighed. This is why he didn’t do rounds. Patients, even alien patients, can be annoying. He looked at the boy and saw the fear in his eyes. ‘Oh, goodie,’ he thought. ‘Martian is about to get emotional on me.’ He took a deep breath and did something he rarely did, he patiently explained things. “I need to test your blood for Crizene levels. The sooner it’s completely out of your system, the sooner we can wean you off of the drugs to combat the side effects. And it really helps if you hold still.”

Max couldn’t help it. For months he’d been held and experimented on. They never told him what they were going to do or why, or even how. They just did it. He nervously nodded his okay but couldn’t help the second flinch as the needle got closer to his arm.

House paused as the arm moved again, “I see we still haven’t mastered the hold still part.” He looked at Max and it didn’t take a brainiac to understand the problem. He knew that the emotional issues would be surfacing eventually; he’d just been hoping it would be when Cameron was around to sympathize with the patient. He sucked at this stuff. He looked behind him and saw both Liz and the brooding one standing there, watching closely. “Parker, you over there,” he barked and pointed to the other side of the bed. When she was in place, he reached for Max’s chin and tilted it to look at her, “try that way.” He glanced at Parker and was glad to see her gazing ever so lovingly at her alien, and he back at her, and rolled his eyes before proceeding. It took only a minute or two to fill two vials of blood. “Okay, done,” he announced as he labeled the vials and then stood. He lifted Max’s hospital gown up some so he could palpate the abdomen, wanting to make absolutely certain nothing unnoticed was happening causing a loss of appetite. As his hands moved lower he moved the blanket down. He saw Parker quickly spin around, her back now towards them. “Come on. It’s nothing that you haven’t already seen.”

Liz looked back quickly, careful not to lower her eyes too much, well, okay, maybe a glance or two, and then over at Michael who was seriously studying the ceiling, and shook her head. “Uh actually, um, no, I haven’t,” and turned back facing away.

House paused and looked at Max, who was also staring at the ceiling and very flushed. “You’re kidding.”

Max swallowed a few times. Of all the times and ways he’d imagined him and Liz naked for the first time, this just wasn’t it. He closed his eyes and shook his head, confirming Liz’s admission.

House let out a loud sigh and finished checking Max. When he was done, he assembled what he needed and reached over to Max and took a hold of some personal parts and…

“Wha…what exactly are doing….YIPES!” Max jumped. Tears momentarily stung his eyes.

Liz spun around as Max’s yelp. Furious, “What are you doing? You hurt him!”

House held up the end of the catheter and shrugged. “You want me to put it back in?”

Max grabbed the blanket up over himself. “No. No. That’s…that’s okay.”

“You’re starting to move around a bit. Figured it was getting uncomfortable. You’ll need to get acquainted with a bedpan until you’re on your feet. I’ll have a nurse come in and take care of things,” he explained as he threw off the gloves and washed his hands. He then pulled out some new meds and injected them into the IV and made a note on the chart.

Liz looked over House’s shoulder and watched him write. A couple of them were what they’d been giving him all along but one was new. She watched Max for a moment then gave him a quick kiss before following Dr. House out the door and telling the Evans that they could go back in. As they entered his office, she grabbed House’s elbow. “Don’t ever do that again!” She demanded only to have him just stand there with no apparent reaction, this only infuriated her more. “Did you hear me?”

House walked over to his chair and calmly regarded her. “What exactly do you think I did?”

“You hurt him! You gave him some sort of new meds without telling him,” she accused.

“Telling him that I was going to pull it out wouldn’t have helped, only freaked him out more,” he explained calmly.

“What did you give him?” she asked a bit calmer, though still pissed.

“Antidepressant,” he answered.

“Antidepressant, why?” she asked, confused.

“Because now that he’s awake; he’s starting to remember and PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, is kicking in. The prescription is antidepressants and therapy. Since its kind of hard to find a therapist specializing in aliens, he can’t really get the therapy.” House shrugged, “anyhow he’s going to need the drugs to help him deal with it. I’ll have Cameron talk to the parents. See if they can work out some sort of treatment,” he explained.

Liz thought about it and then nodded. It made sense but there was one thing that she wasn’t going to let pass, “Okay, fine, but…but in the future you tell Max what’s being done to him and why, and if he says no, then no…don’t.” She saw his eyebrow rise a bit. “Promise me.”

“I’m not good with promises,” he tried.

Liz’s chin jutted out and decided to take a page out of Dr. Cuddy’s playbook. She’d overheard the comments about Michael, especially from Dr. Chase. “Then you’ll have one large very angry alien that has a tendency to blow things up stopping you,” she spun around and started to walk out.

He called out as she was leaving, “And Parker next time remember first that he’s the patient. And you’re Parker the intern. Not the time or place to be shy. Don’t turn your back on me, or him.”

She paused at the door, nodded and then looked him in the eye, “I would never turn my back on him,” and walked out.


~

[TaffyCat]

Surprisingly this doesn't have too many more parts. I see it all so clearly. Hopefully I can put them to cyberpaper quickly for you.

Part 6

4th Floor – following afternoon

House was filling in some mundane charts at the nurse’s station but really he was strategically placed to watch the Evans room without them knowing. It was almost an hour since lunch and he Max’s lunch tray was mostly untouched. He smirked as the little blond one was obviously giving the big moody one an earful. He scowled a little as Cuddy walked into the room and began rounding everyone up. This must be for the personal tour of Princeton that she’d arranged for Parker, along with everyone else. His eyebrow shot up as the little blond dumped her purse off on the big moody one, followed by Parker’s and the tall blonde’s one as well. They filled out, including the parents, towards the elevator, all except one. He figured it was worth a shot. He eyed the bag with the diary in it as he walked in and put on an overly friendly smile. “Not interested in Princeton, eh?” He got nothing but a scowl, so he tried again. “Hey I know, how about an MRI, they’re lots of fun,” he offered.

“No,” Michael finally answered.

“What, you don’t like fun?” House tried.

“No,” Michael answered.

“Hmm, the dark brooding type,” House observed. “How about the morgue?” He figured it was worth a shot. He just needed him out of the way and for Max to go nighty-night and then the bag and diary was his for a few hours.

“No,” once again he answered.

“You know, you should really work on expanding your vocabulary,” House suggested.

“Yeah, and you should…” his hand shimmered briefly but he kept it at his side.

“Michael! Stop!” Max ordered from bed.

‘Now this is interesting,’ House thought. The Moody One wouldn’t budge for anyone but for Max. Max ordered, almost like he was used to it, and was obeyed, though not willingly. House nodded and glanced over at the tray. “He needs to eat,” he told him and walked out, watching again from his vantage point at the nurse’s station.

Michael nodded and shoved the tray back towards Max. “Any powers yet?”

Max waved his hand over the food and concentrated. Nothing.

Michael passed his hand over Max’s tray and steamed wafted up. “Okay Maxwell. Chow down,” he told him and stood over him, glaring at him.

Max took a tentative bite and looked up at his lifelong friend. “You going to stare at me the whole time?”

“Yes,” he answered, though a slight grin tugged at his mouth as Max took another bite.

“House is right. You do need to expand your vocabulary,” Max offered and took another bite.

Glaring got boring after a while and eventually Michael started rummaging through Maria’s purse.

Max slowed his eating as he watched his friend go through the purse and pull out some playing cards and then empty her change purse out. “I thought she said to stay out of there.”

Michael shrugged, “Whatever.” He pulled a chair over next to Max. “Five card draw, nothing wild,” he announced as he divvied up the coins.

~
Max’s room – few hours later

“Oh my God! I couldn’t believe those grounds. And the guys….” Maria commented as they returned to Max’s room.

“What guys?” Michael asked as she came in.

“College guys,” she said as pulled out a baseball cap with ‘Princeton’ on it. “Why, jealous?” and blew right on by her Spaceboy. “Here Max, thought you could use this.”

He’d been dozing off when they came back and he was still a bit sleepy but smiled nonetheless. “Thanks Maria,” he said gratefully and gave her a small smile as she put it on over his bandage and gave him a small kiss on the forehead.

“Hey Maria, that’s my job,” Liz teased as she came over and gave him a proper kiss. Flash

Strapped down, being electrically shocked, curled up naked on the floor, freezing, ice baths, sweltering heat, nausea, hunger, despair, and then them in the desert the night they found the orb, joy, love, belonging.

Liz slowly pulled apart from him and just stared into his eyes. They could tell her so much, but she realized how much they’d been hiding as well. Dr. House has been right. He did need help.

Max was confused, he saw such sadness her eyes, and something sort of switched on in her. He could almost physically see a change. “Liz, what is it?”

She shook her head a little and gave him a comforting smile. “Nothing. I have to get to work. You get some rest,” she told him kissed him again, but this time made sure not to go too deep. She wasn’t sure if Max was aware that she’d gotten a flash. She didn’t think so. It wasn’t the sort of flash that he’d want her to see and would try to stop it if he could. She didn’t want to take the chance of it happening again just yet. She had no doubt that he would eventually realize what was happening and possible start sharing in them as well, causing him to relive his torture. Something she wasn’t about to let happen. But that wouldn’t stop her from finding out more on her own so she could help him.

~

House’s office

She walked into an empty office. She glanced around and realized that she was alone. And there on his desk underneath a bunch of other charts was what she’d been looking for. She sat down at his desk and began to read. The silent tears started falling before she turned the first page.

He watched her for a good ten minutes just sitting at his desk crying as she read, before he walked in. “You shouldn’t do that.”

She looked up at him and sniffled. “Why? I’m Intern Parker, aren’t I? He’s a patient. I should know.”

“You wouldn’t understand most of it. It’s written in clinical terms,” he told her.

She scanned back a page and read, “subject’s core body temperature at ninety-seven degrees after one hour in thirty-two degrees isolation room,” and flipped the page, “subject rested for two hours after six shock treatments with tremors noted in extremities” she turned the page, “and here’s where…”

House walked over and closed the file. “You don’t need to read that.”

“But I need to know. I’m…I’m his intern, remember,” she said as her voice quaked.

“You’re also sixteen and in love with him,” he replied and shook his head. “You don’t need to know all of this.”

She gestured helplessly. “But I need to know so I can help him.”

“No. No you don’t,” he soothed.

“But you said it yourself; he’s going to need help dealing with all of this, all the memories,” she pleaded.

House was curious as to what brought this on but that didn’t matter right now. “I also said that it would the parents that would help him through it, though I’m sure you’ll play a big part in it. You have already,” he told her gently.

She shook her head. “No. I need to know.”

“You will. One day, not next week, or next month, or maybe not even next year, one day you’ll hold him and he’ll tell you all that he can, and then you’ll both cry, and then you’ll both start to heal. But that’s not today. He’s not ready and neither are you,” he told her as he helped her up from his chair. He voice turned gruff again. “Go clean up and help Cameron with that kid with the seizures. We’re starting him on new meds and he needs to be watched closely.”

He waited for her to leave and then turned on his favorite soap, and began to ponder what had just happened. It wasn’t long before it came to him. Flashes. Liz must have gotten a flash from Max. But was it him sending her one, and thus likely his powers were returning or was it her unknowingly using her powers and pulling one from him? So whose powers were growing stronger, he wondered.

~

Max’s room – two days later

Chase studied the patient. He looked better. They’d removed the bandage from around his head yesterday, and he was wearing that Princeton cap now. “Okay Max, here’s the deal. There are still some very minute traces of Crizen, there may be for some time but we’ve been weaning you off your meds, enough so that we can remove the IV, HOWEVER you will still need to take some medication,” he instructed him, “Deal?”

He glanced at his mom. Dad and Isabel and everyone else left yesterday for home so they could start school or go back to work, except for Michael, who’d pretty much made his hospital room his home for the duration, and Liz, of course. She was staying with his mom for the balance of her internship. Part of him was slightly concerned about all that alone time between his mom and girlfriend. Any guy would be, yet he was also grateful that they were getting along, but sometimes it seemed a little too along. He swore they were both wearing the same expression. “What kind of medication?”

“Oral antidepressants daily and some vitamin injections twice a week,” he told him. Surprisingly House had been adamant about Max being kept informed of all treatments.

Max shook his head. “I don’t need antidepressants.”

“MAX, you do and you are,” Diane informed him. “There’s nothing wrong with needing a little help.”

“She’s right, Max.” Liz concurred.

Max scowled, ‘Yep, definitely too much time together. This sucked,’ he thought. “Okay,” he conceded defeat. He grimaced as Dr. Chase removed the IV and bandaged his hand. Man it was sore. “So when can I get up and around?”

Chase grinned. “Getting tired of the bedpans?”

Max sighed. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Okay. I’ll have a walker brought in. You’ll need to use that for a bit until you’re stable on your feet. But take it easy. You’re weaker than you realize. You don’t want to overdo it.” He made some notes on the chart and handed two pills and a cup of water to Max, who scowled but swallowed them. “Good. We’re also going to get you into some physical therapy.”

Max nodded. Good, he was starting to really want to get out of here. Just going outside would be a thrill. He hadn’t seen the sun or the stars for almost four months now. He didn’t realize how much he missed them until he thought about it.

“Well, in the meantime. I have something for you and Michael to occupy your time,” Diane informed them and pointed over to a box that had come the night before. “Michael, open that up, please.”

Michael did as he was told and groaned when he saw the contents.

“What?” Max asked.

“School books, Maxwell. School books,” he groaned again as he pulled them out, along with what was obviously work assignments.

“Yes, both of you have quite a bit of spare time right now so there’s no reason not to take advantage of it. Your dad is sending your laptop so you can use it for school and to email your paperwork to your teachers. We’ve promised them that you both,” she gave Michael a hard look for emphasis, “will be keeping on top of things, and since school starts today, you better get to work.”

“This bites, Maxwell,” Michael commented once the parent had cleared out.

~

House’s office – later that day

Liz knocked but there’s no way anyone could hear her. There was House in all his glory playing air guitar and really getting into it.

There’s a lady whos sure
All that glitters is gold
And sh’es buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.

There’s a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
There’s a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There’s a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

“Dr. House!” she shouted to no avail.

And it’s whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now,
It’s just a spring clean for the may queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on.
And it makes me wonder.

She walked over to the cd player, held out her hand, and concentrated real hard. She was rewarded as it started to snap and crackle. She stopped before it went pop.

House scowled at her. “It was just getting to the good part!”

She plopped her trig book on the desk. “You shouldn’t listen to it that loud. Ruin your hearing.”

“So?” He snapped and mentally noted that she hadn’t touched the cd player at all.

“So you promised my parents, in writing, that you would make sure all of my work was up to its usual standards and I need some help. Problems 14-20,” she informed him as she slid the book over to him.

House looked at the book and wondered exactly what good problems 14- 20 would serve her in life. They certainly didn’t do a damn thing for him. In fact he hadn’t a clue what they meant, not without having to think about it, and he was in no mood to think at the moment. He shoved the book back at her. “If I gave you the answers, how’d that help? Go figure it out for yourself.”

“Dr. House, I need someone to go over the method with me. That’s what I’m having problems with,” she informed and shoved the book back at him.

“Fine!” he snarled and grabbed the book and headed into the adjoining conference room. He left the alien theme at the top but erased the bottom half of his whiteboard. He quickly rewrote number 14 problem on the board. “Okay, new assignment. Problems 14- 20. Help Liz figure them out.” He dropped the book on the table and left a slightly stunned team sitting at the table.

Cameron frowned and tilted her head trying to remember what this was. “Is that Algebra?

“Trig,” Liz answered as a team of highly educated PHD’s scratched their heads and did their best to remember high school math. The music blasting from the other room didn’t help.

Your head is humming and it wont go
In case you dont know,
The pipers calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.

The song is Stairway to Heaven written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for Led Zepplin. It’s a classic, like House.

~

[TaffyCat]

Shockingly there is no Liz in this part, however House finally gets to bond a little with Max.

Part 7

4th Floor hallway – two weeks later

Max very slowly made his way back to his room. At first he’d been embarrassed at having to use the walker, but now he viewed it as a symbol of his growing independence. That didn’t mean he couldn’t wait to go without it, another week maybe, that’s what his physical therapist told him. After an hour of exercise he was sore, but it was a good kind of sore and one that he welcomed.

As he turned the corner he spotted his self-imposed bodyguard sound asleep in his room. He had to grin. Michael had accompanied him the first few times to therapy but it freaked out the therapist to have someone glaring at them for an hour, so at Max’s insistence Michael was banished from his daily physical therapy session. In a way it was a relief. He understood why Michael was doing it and he greatly appreciated it, but it was starting to get on his nerves, and no doubt Michael’s as well. It didn’t help that Mom wasn’t too far away either and keeping an overly close eye not only him, but Michael as well, including their school work, which didn’t help anyone’s mood. On the upside, Michael’s teachers were impressed. Thanks to Mom, his grades had never been better.

He decided to keep walking and maybe find a balcony or patio. He still hadn’t step foot outside and was determined to correct that somehow. And it wouldn’t be a bad thing if he happened to run into Liz in his travels.

House’s office

House looked up as a youth with a walker and wearing a Princeton baseball cap wandered past and wondered where the brooding one was. The nurses had complained that he used the patient’s shower and facilities, plus he snored. He’d ignored them and managed to talk Cuddy into having a small sofa moved into the room. He watched as Max stopped in front of the glass door to the adjoining conference room and eventually entered it. It took him a second to realize what had caught Max’s eye. “Oh hell,” he mumbled as he rose and entered the room as well.

Max looked over as Dr. House entered, “Hey.”

“Yeah, hey,” he answered and looked at Max and then back at the board and his long ago alien drawing. “So, how close was I with it?”

Max just shrugged. “No idea.”

House studied him for a moment. He still was too thin and not much appetite but there was progress, almost too quickly. “Does it bother you?” he gestured towards the drawing.

Max almost laughed. “I grew up in Roswell. My girlfriend’s family owns a restaurant complete with alien murals and the waitresses wear antennas. I work part time…well I did work part time at the UFO Center, all things alien and conspiracy theories. No, Dr. House, if anything this reminds me of home.”

House nodded and gestured for him to have a seat at the conference table. This was the first time he’d had with Max alone and he wasn’t going to waste it, “So any signs for your powers coming back?”

Max gave him a curious look. It felt so odd to talk to anyone really outside of his small group of friends about his powers. “No.”

“No tingling or twittering of them?” He tried.

“Twittering?” Max regarded him a little more closely and wondered why his powers returning were so important. “No. No twittering. Why?”

House shrugged. “Just curious,” He thought to a moment. “There is still a very minute amount of Crizene in your system, barely enough to register. Maybe it’s enough to block them.”

Max wasn’t sold. He’d heard a few bits of conversation about his still being here and why he wasn’t an outpatient already. “Is that why you’re keeping me hear? You’re waiting for my powers to return?”

“Could be,” he conceded.

Max sat back and considered this. “Why? What would it matter to you?” He thought for a moment and then understood. “What are you looking for?”

“I need an MRI from you once you’re powers have returned,” he admitted.

“And what makes you think I would submit to one? I’ve been poked and prodded enough. A medical test simply to satisfy your curiosity isn’t high on my priority list,” Max adamantly informed him. He couldn’t help not glancing at his thick file lying open on House’s desk.

House nodded. “But this isn’t just my curiosity. It’s also Liz’s.” He saw that he now had his undivided attention. “I need to do a second one on her…”

“A second one! Why’d you do the first one?” He was furious. The last thing in the world, in fact his worst nightmare, was that Liz was caught and forced to submit to all kinds of tests and procedures, and now he finds that Dr. House had already started them! “You’re very lucky that I don’t have powers right now. Very lucky,” he warned.

“She did it freely, Max. It was as much for her as it was for me,” he informed him.

“What do you mean?” Max was still mad but now also slightly curious.

“She’s developing powers. She’s done a few small things, almost fried my cd player for instance. We…she wanted to understand what was happening,” he explained. Okay, so he was stretching the truth a bit but Max didn’t need to know that.

“Powers?” Max was stunned. Why hadn’t she told him? “What did you find? How did I change her?”

“You didn’t. You stimulated her brain in areas and ways that are…alien, at least to humans at the moment,” he told him.

“At the moment? What does that mean?” Max asked.

“Humans, like all living things, are evolving. The capabilities are there already. You didn’t give her any new abilities, just woke dormant ones that would never been otherwise,” he explained.

Max still wasn’t sure how he felt about this. It disturbed him that Liz didn’t tell him all of this. “So why do you need a new MRI from Liz and one from me?”

“Comparison, I want to see how much hers has developed over the last few weeks and how they compare to yours once you’re fully functional,” he answered.

Max frowned. “I’ll think about it and I’ll need to talk to Liz.” He had a lot to talk to Liz about actually.

House nodded, “fine.” He drummed his fingers on the table and studied the boy for a moment and it was clearly evident that he was highly disturbed about something, Liz, no doubt. “So, I hear you’re still not into hospital faire.”

“Wha…” it took him a second to realize what he’d been asked, “um, not really. Mom’s been bringing me some burgers and even those just aren’t that appetizing for some reason,” he admitted.

“Okay, let’s see if we can do something about that,” he told them as he rose from the chair. “Well, come along.” He waited for a moment. “God, you’re slower than I am. Let’s go.” He pretended impatience as he walked Max towards the private balcony that he shared with Wilson. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

Max sat, stared in wondered and breathed deeply. The air was different than he remembered. It was more humid and somehow thicker than his dry desert home, though it could get muggy with an occasional summer storm. He was so enraptured with the fresh air and the warm sun that it took him a moment to realize that he was alone. Dr. House had jumped over the small half wall and had entered the adjoining office. He watched curiously as Dr. House searched the desk for something and then smiled, obviously finding what he needed. He was smiling like a Cheshire cat when he returned.

“Oncologist can always score the best pot,” he informed his patient as he took a seat next to him and handed him the joint and lighter.

Max stared him in shock. “You want me to…to smoke a joint?”

“Great for stimulating appetites, give it a shot,” he instructed him.

Max looked at the joint in his hand and wasn’t too sure about this or how to do it for that matter. He’d seen others do it but it wasn’t anything that he’d been overly interested in. He very uncertainly put it to his lips and attempted to light it.

“Oh give me that!” House exclaimed after a few moments as he snatched the joint away from Max. “What kind of teenager are you? Not even knowing how to light a joint. Nobody’s that straight-laced.” He lit the end and breathed deeply and handed the lit joint back to Max before exhaling. Dr. House took several more opportunities to show Max how to correctly do it, even though he had it down after the second time.

“What are you doing?!” Wilson shouted as he stormed out onto his shared balcony. “You broke into my office…”

“It was unlocked,” House told him on the exhale.

“Riffled through my desk…” Wilson continued.

“You really need to find a better place to hide your stash,” House suggested.

“Speaking of which, it’s bad enough that you’re doing it but you’re sharing it with a minor!” Wilson pointed out.

“I medically prescribed it,” House told him as he took another toke.

“Medically prescribed it for what?” Wilson wanted to know.

“Appetite, you know the kid’s not eating. Thought it might help.” He noted that Max was now able to hold it in without coughing any longer.

“That’s all you’ve got to say?” Wilson asked.

“Nope,” he looked up at Wilson as Max passed the very short joint back to him. “Gotta roach clip?” he asked as he looked up at Wilson and passed him the joint. He grinned as Wilson hesitated and then took a hit himself. No one was perfect.

Max coughed. “Um, Dr. House?”

House looked at him.

“I’m starving,” Max informed him.

The Cheshire cat grin returned as House looked at Wilson. “Had lunch yet?” he asked Wilson.

Max felt a little woozy as he stood and had to grab the walker for balance.

“Great, you got him so stoned he can’t walk,” Wilson observed. “Stay, while I get you a wheelchair.” Five minutes later he was pushing Max to the cafeteria with House.

Cafeteria

Max looked at the menu with interest. His mouth was salivating. Right now he felt like he could eat everything there.

Wilson watched as House ordered a sandwich, chips and coke, and waited for them, no doubt so that he could get stuck paying for everything. He looked down at Max, whom he was still wheeling around. “So what’ll it be?”

“Carne asada burrito with the works,” he ordered. “Hey, do you have jalapeños? Cool, some of those,” he informed the burrito maker. “Um, more please. And salsa, yeah, the hot stuff. Tabasco’s good, yeah more.” Oh man, this was going to be good. He couldn’t wait to taste it.

“Um Max, I don’t think this is a good idea. That’s going to be pretty hot,” Wilson suggested as he eyed the pile of hot peppers being layered on.

“Nah, alien quirk, the hotter or sweeter the better. Michael and Liz have been slipping Tabasco in all of my food since I got here,” he informed him and grinned big time as the deadly concoction was passed over to him. Wilson made him get a couple of milks to go along with it and a burger for himself.

House watched as Max ate with gusto. He had to admit that it did look good. It looked like they’d put some peppers in it. And his sandwich was rather bland. “You know Max, even though you’re finally hungry, you’re really not going to be able to eat all of that. You’re stomach just isn’t that big yet.” Once Max’s mouth was full, he simply reached over as Max sat the burrito down and with a knife sliced off a piece at the other end, and promptly popped it in his mouth.

Max almost choked as he tried to warn him. He looked to Dr. Wilson for help but he was just sitting there with this weird little grin.

Cough. Cough. Gag. Choke. Spit. House’s mouth was on fire. His head was going to explode. He grabbed his drink and began to chug. When that was empty, he grabbed Wilson’s.

“Uh, that’s not a good idea. Just makes the burn worse,” Wilson advised.

“Wha…what the hell was in that?” House choked out hoarsely. Eyes watering, throat on fire, sinuses running. Death would be welcomed.

“Um extra jalapenos and salsa, oh and I had her add some Tabasco too,” Max answered. He felt bad. He didn’t understand why Wilson hadn’t stopped him from trying it. “It’s an alien quirk. Very hot and very sweet, and it’s awesome if you mix them together. I’m real sorry.”

“Now you tell me,” he was barely able to whisper as he pounded the table in agony and Wilson handed him some plain bread and one of Max’s milk.

Wilson looked at Max with that same weird smile and asked “So want some chocolate cake to go with that Max?”

“Sure,” he was still hungry and tried to give Dr. House a sympathetic look as he finished off his burrito.

“MAX! Where the hell were you!” Michael shouted as he entered the cafeteria and spotted him sitting there just as calm as he could be. He was going to pound him into the floor. He’d woken up an hour ago only to discover that he was alone, therapy had long since been over with and no one had seen him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked as he stormed over.

Max swallowed, there was still chocolate on his mouth, “having lunch. I ran into Dr. House and Dr. Wilson and they took me to lunch. Hey, man they make some awesome burritos here.”

Michael looked at each of them. Max looked innocent, nothing new there. Dr. Wilson like he’d just opened the best present in the world, and Dr. House…well, his head was laying on the table and looked like he was dying, or wishing he was. He didn’t know what to think of that but he didn’t really care. He looked back at his friend who’d just finished his cake. “Why are your eyes so red?”

“Um…”Max hedged.

“Allergies,” Dr. Wilson answered without missing a beat. “We took him outside on our balcony and he must be getting allergies.”

Michael looked at Dr. Wilson and crossed his arms. “You get allergies too?”

“Um, yeah,” Wilson answered.

Michael looked back at Max. “You done?” he asked and got a nod in reply. As he unceremoniously wheeled Max back to his room, “Don’t ever do that again, and next time you get allergies, you damn well better share, and for God’s sake don’t forget some Visine.”

Wilson looked at his friend, whose head was still on the table, took out his prescription pad from his pocket and began to write one for antacid meds. He was still grinning when he went back to work.

~

[TaffyCat]

It's been fun folks. I hope you enjoyed my episode of House.

Part 8

Max’s room – few days later

Liz couldn’t help the grin as she held Max’s wrist and felt his pulse as she counted the beats per minute. Her grin was a reflection of the patient’s grin. “Okay, normal,” she announced.

“That’d be a first.” Max couldn’t help the smile. Liz just looked too damn cute in that white doctor’s coat, and who hadn’t had doctor fantasies? Wasn’t that what ‘playing doctor’ was all about?

Liz grinned some more and noted a certain little wicked gleam in his eye. “Max Evans, what are you doing?”

“Nothing,” he proclaimed innocently but his gleam sparkled as he let his thoughts wander. “Ever played doctor?”

Liz gave him an ‘oh so that’s your game’ look. “Maybe,” she teased and moved closer, leaning over the side of the bed, closer to his lips.

“Maxwell! I refuse to do it!” Michael shouted as he entered the room.

Max sighed. So close yet so far. “Do what?”

“I am not letting your mom take me shopping, and no haircuts!” He growled and began to pace. “Look man, I love your mom. She’s great but this is going too far. I mean so what if we head back in a week? Why do I need a hair cut? What’s wrong with my hair?”

Liz bit her lip. He was kind of shaggy looking lately. She shook her head anyway. “Nothing, Michael. Not a thing.”

“Michael…” Max began.

“Yeah?” Michael asked.

“You really have rotten timing,” Max told him.

“Wha…” it was the first time he noticed how close Liz and Max were. “Oh shit. Sorry man.” He continued pacing as Liz and Max just watched him, growing ever more impatient.

“Oh Michael, there you are. Are you ready?” Diane asked as joined them. She smiled at her son and Liz. She’d come to adore Liz these last few weeks as they roomed together and just look how she made her son smile. “Liz, don’t you think he could use a bit of a trim?”

It was all that Liz could do not to laugh and shook her head in agreement. But then she whipped off Max’s baseball hat. “But then I obviously go in for something a bit more…um…,”she looked at Max. His hair had been growing in but it was still short enough to make an army barber proud.

Michael couldn’t believe it. Liz had just sold him out simply because she wanted some alone time with Max. “You still don’t have powers. I can’t leave you alone yet,” he tried.

Diane looked at her son for help.

“Michael, you’ve been great but you should get out at least for a few hours. I’ll be fine, I swear.” He looked at his mom and added, “um, Mom, the longer hair look is back in. Remember the pictures of you and Dad in the old days and how long his hair was?”

Diane sighed and gave Max the ‘look’, “yes, those good olden days, back when we were young and carefree, only had to run from the dinosaurs.” She looked at her long haired semi-sort of son, “Well, let’s at least get you a few things for school.” She saw him about to protest. “I swear jeans and t-shirts are fine. No sweaters. But you could probably use a new winter coat.” She grabbed his hand and led him out before he could say another word.

Liz laughed, “God, I love your mom!”

Max could still hear Michael protesting as they waited for the elevator. “She does have her moments.” He turned back to his Liz doctor. “So where were we?”

“Something about playing doctor, I think,” she almost purred as she drew closer and gazed at his lips. “Is that your only fantasy, Max?”

He tilted his head and thought a moment and then smiled as he concentrated on her and her lips. Flash.

Frazier Lake, midnight, full moon, Him, Liz, picnic basket, blanket, swimming trunks, red bikini, a red bikini top goes flying through the air.

Liz’s eyes grew wide as she realized she was sharing his fantasy and also something else. As they came up for air, “Oh my God, Max. You…you remembered!”

He was a little dazed and shook his head to clear the haze, “What? We haven’t done that…yet.” His grin told her how much he’d like to though.

She playfully slapped at his chest. “No. No Max. You remembered!”

“Huh?” Now he was confused.

“When you were in the coma, Dr. House wanted…” She saw his grin evaporate.

“Dr. House wanted you to do what?” he asked, instantly on guard. Dr. House seemed to be able to talk her into a lot of things. Things she wasn’t sharing with him and he was starting to have some issues with this recent development.

She pulled back a little. “He wanted me to give you a suggestion to see if you’d remember it when you were awake.”

“Is there anything else that he wanted you to do?” he asked and waited for her to tell him. “Liz?”

She couldn’t help but notice that he was upset, almost angry. This just wasn’t turning out the way she’d expected when she’s suggested to Mrs. Evans to take Michael shopping and thus giving her and Max some alone time. “Max, I…” she took a deep breath, “I’m developing powers.”

Even though he’d heard this already, this was the first time he’d had to talk to her about it. “What kind of powers?”

“Just small stuff like turning a light switch on and a cd player off, that kind of thing. Nothing…nothing major,” she tried to down play.

“So you developing powers of any kind is just small stuff?” he asked, careful not to raise his voice. “Liz, this is huge. Why didn’t you tell me?

“Because I didn’t want you to worry,” Liz admitted.

He looked at her critically. He already knew that she wasn’t telling him everything but for the first time he was starting to think that maybe there was a whole other issue going on. “Why would it worry me? I mean I sort of need to know if by healing I’m…” he paused for a moment to recall Dr. House’s exact words, “stimulating their brain in areas and ways that are…alien.”

Her eyes grew wide as his exact words registered. “How did…you talked to Dr. House.” She saw him nod. “Why didn’t’ you ask me?”

“I was hoping you’d just tell me. Why didn’t you?” He watched her with growing concern. “Liz, what else is it? What aren’t you tell me?”

She looked away to hide the tears that were threatening. “Sometimes when we kiss, sometimes just when we touch, I…I can see flashes.”

“And that’s bad?” he asked gently, suddenly not so sure he wanted to hear the answer but he had to ask anyway.

“I see you…” her voice dropped almost to a whisper, “in the White Room.”

“You…” now it was his turn to grow quiet for a moment. “You should have told me, Liz.”

She swiped at her tears and looked into his eyes. She saw the concern and pain there. “I know but you’d gone through so much, I didn’t want to add to it.” She cleared her throat, “and lately I’ve been able to…to sort of block them when they start so at the most I only get a glimpse.”

“You can do that?” Max asked incredulously. She nodded and he held out his arms to hold her for a moment. “I’m sorry,” he murmured into her ear as held her. “I never thought that any of this would happen.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Max. If anything, I’m sorry. If you hadn’t saved my life that day, none of this would have happened,” she told him.

“No. Don’t say that. I couldn’t lose you. I love you. When I was…there, it was you. The thought of you is what kept me going. The way you look at me. How your eyes meet mine. The touch of your hair.” He began to plant tender little kisses on her cheeks, her nose, and her lips. He deepened the kiss and the flashes began, but this time he made an effort to direct those flashes.

Frazier Lake, midnight, full moon, Him, Liz, picnic basket, blanket, swimming trunks, red bikini, a red bikini top goes flying through the air, his swimming trunks slipping off…

RING. RING.

“Damn it!” she shouted in exasperation and looked around for her phone, angry at the interruption just when it was getting good. She saw the caller ID and if looks could kill, he’d been one dead alien. “Okay Michael, this had better be….” all color drained from her face. She quick flipped the phone close and looked at Max, all serious and scared. “We have to go right now.”

“Liz, what?” he asked as she yanked him for the bed. He eyed the walker only briefly. He’d only stopped using it just yesterday and was supposed to go slow. That obviously wasn’t an option as Liz dragged him from the bed and the room.

“Pierce. Neasado called Michael. He’s on his way back. So is Neasado. Pierce found out where you are and who’s treating you. He’s already here at the hospital looking for you or Dr. House. We’ve got to run and hide until Michael or Neasado are here. House too!” she explained as she almost dragged him down the hall.

It was all he could do not to stumble. They paused in front of House’s office. Good he was in.

Liz burst in. “We have to go. Now!”

House looked up in alarm. Something was very wrong. “What are you talking about?’

“Pierce. He’s here. He wants Max and you,” she announced.

“Who’s Pierce?” he asked as he stood. He saw Max looking down the hall and he could almost see the chill that had just run down his spine.

Spotting a blue suit, Max was pretty sure he recognized him as one of the agents that had captured him. “We gotta go now.” He saw the balcony door, “That way.”

Liz pulled Max through the door and out onto the balcony. She was relieved to see House following. They scaled the small half wall and headed to Dr. Wilson’s office. The door was locked. Without even thinking she put her hand over the lock. It glowed for an instant and then clicked open. “Come on. Hurry.”

Wilson stood up as they barged in. “Hey, I know I locked that!”

“Quiet!” Liz told him as she carefully cracked the hall door open and peeked into the hall. She quickly but silently closed it. “They’re right there,” she announced in a whisper. They were trapped.

“Who?” Wilson asked in a slightly louder whisper.

“Agent Pierce, the one who captured me and at least one of his men,” Max explained.

“So where’s Mr. Brooding?” House asked.

“Shopping with my mom,” Max informed them and wondered if they could make their way back through House’s office without being seen. “Check the hall again, Liz. Maybe they moved on?” he asked hopefully.

“Hello Max. Long time no see,” Pierce greeted them with gun in hand. He’d entered Dr. House’s office, only to find it empty but the back door was easy enough to find and follow to the other office. “What a surprise to see you up and around.” He shifted his gaze to the two doctors and nodded to them with a cruel smile. “My congratulations, you brought him back from death. I was assured that the detox was lethal.”

Liz wanted to do something. Maybe her powers were enough to…to what? Distract him somehow and maybe someone could disarm him? She started to raise her hand but Max grabbed it and forced it down. She almost gasped out loud when a voice spoke in her head. “Don’t. Let Michael handle it.”

Pierce smiled. “Miss Liz Parker. I was hoping you’d be here. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you properly. I’ve heard so much about you.” He smirked as he saw Max push her behind him. “I must say that I’m now glad you didn’t die Max. Now I have the chance to recover all the missing data I’d collected on you.” He paused and then smiled even more. “And I have a bonus of seeing how you’ve affected Miss Parker.”

Max could feel the blood coursing through his veins. “I won’t let you do that!”

Pierce chuckled. “Oh come now Max. If your powers had returned, I’d be ash already. No. I’ve got you, and your little girlfriend and even a doctor to do the experiments.” He nodded towards the two standing there.

“No,” Dr. House told him. “I won’t do that.”

Pierce regarded him for an instant. “Pity.”

Loud scuffling could be heard from the hallway.

Pierce became nervous as the hallway grew quiet. He cocked the gun. “Perhaps it’s best that we finish the job. An autopsy will give me most of what I needed anyhow.”

BOOM

The balcony’s glass door shattered into a million pieces, showering the office occupants with glass but mainly the one nearest the door, Agent Pierce, and knocking them all to the ground.

Dr. Wilson saw the gun fly from the agent’s hand and land not too far away. He managed to grab it before anyone else. It took a moment before they all came to their senses and stood up again.

Max helped Liz up and made sure she was okay before turning back to his would be capture. The anger he felt at the man, the monster, standing there began to build. He saw Michael walk in through the broken glass door.

Mrs. Evans broke every speed and traffic violation to get him back to the hospital. He’d told her to wait in the lobby as he flew up the stairs. He saw the ‘blue suit’ outside Dr. House’s office and knew that he had to act quickly. He’d seen Pierce with a gun in his hand on the other side of the glass door and knew he had no time to lose and could only hope no one else was injured as he blew out the door. He walked in, hand held in front at the ready to strike again.

Max had heard the expression ‘seeing red’ before but he’d never known what that really meant until know. It almost seemed as if everything was tinged red. “You threatened Liz,” he announced too quietly as his eyes bore into Pierce. He advanced. “YOU THREATENED HER!” he shouted as Pierce was backing up against the wall. He saw true fear in the monster’s eyes. Suddenly his left forearm was at Pierce’s throat, pinning him to the wall with superhuman strength, alien strength. All reason was gone. It was primal instinct that took over. Liz was the love of his life and this…this thing threatened her. He loved Liz beyond reason. He would die for her. He would kill for her, and he slowly raised his right hand, it was glowing brightly and searing hot, to do just that. “You’ll never threaten her again!” he growled through clenched teeth.

Liz looked on in horror at Max. She looked over at Michael, who was just standing there. “Michael, STOP HIM!”

Michael tore his eyes away from the scene in front of him to look at Liz. “Why?”

House and Wilson were both rooted to the spot. Liz had a point but then this was the man that had done all those horrible things to Max that they’d read about in the file. And he had threatened Liz, in fact all of them. Besides they weren’t entirely sure if they could stop him even if they wanted to. Yes, why, they both wondered.

“He’s not a murderer, Michael. And this is murder. Please, you’ve got to stop him!” she pleaded.

Michael looked back at his friend and for the first time in his life, saw the true power, alien power, in his him and was afraid. Max had always been the logical one. The calm, cool, and collected one. But now, now he was anything but. He was out of control and Michael had no idea how to stop him, but he had to try for Liz, and for Max. She was right, he’s not a murderer. “Max! Maxwell, Stop!” He grabbed for Max’s arm. Max turned and starred at him and Michael went flying backwards.

Pierce could hardly breathe, the forearm was pressed tightly against his throat, but it was the glowing hand that ever so slowly nearing his heart that really terrified him. He tried to scream but he didn’t have the breath for it.

Liz watched as Max threw Michael back with just a look and knew that she was the only one that might be able to stop this. She ran to his side and grabbed his arm. She didn’t think he was even aware that she had a hold of his arm. “Max! Don’t! Let Michael handle it, remember. Don’t Max. This isn’t you. You can’t do this,” she pleaded to no avail. “Max, please. Please don’t do this. Don’t do this for me. I…I’ll never forgive you if you do. Please,” she cried and tried in desperation to pull his arm away. Flash.

Max alone watching Liz turn away, turning from him, him lost and alone, so very alone forever.

Max blinked. It took him a moment to realize that he was staring into the eyes of his worst nightmares. The nightmare of his enemy who’d kidnapped and tortured him, and even worst, his nightmare of losing Liz forever. He felt cold and he began to shake as his hold on Pierce slackened. He allowed Liz to pull him away. And saw without really seeing as Michael come around him and grabbed a hold of Pierce. He couldn’t stop shaking and looked down at his hands. His right one was still glowing and growing brighter by the second.

“Max, what’s happening?” Liz asked. She could feel the incredible heat coming from his hand and it grew hotter still.

Max was terrified, “I can’t stop it. I can’t control it.” He looked around in panic and ran barefoot over the glass shards to the balcony. “ARGGHHHHHH” he roared as he released all the built up power into the late afternoon sky. A brilliant lightning bolt of crimson and deep purple shot upwards and outwards that would be reported as a freak dry lightning strike on the six o’clock news that evening.

“That’s some display, Max,” Neasedo told him. It had been impressive. He looked past him into the office and saw the object of his long search in the grip of the king’s second. “Anything in particular you want me to do?” he asked.

Max was on his knees and hanging onto the balcony rail. He had a hard time catching his breath. “You’re our protector. Protect us…and our loved ones. Liz,” he finally answered.

Without a word Neasado nodded and went to collect his prisoner. He also picked up the one that Michael had lobbed down four flights of stairs on his way out. He had a place all picked out. It was nice out of the way spot, a place where nobody would hear their screams before he silenced them forever.

“Max,” Liz wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, and kissed him.

“Ah-hmm,” House cleared his throat.

Max finally looked up at him. “My powers are back.”

“Yes. I couldn’t help but notice that,” House told him. “Can I get my MRI now?”

Max laughed. “I guess, but tomorrow. Do it tomorrow,” he answered as Liz hugged him again. He cringed as he tried to stand up. “Ouch,” his feet were cut up from the glass.

House helped him to a chair and took a look. “A couple of those may need stitches.”

Max shook his head and his hand began to glow softly.

House’s mouth dropped open as the cuts and glass just disappeared. “Umph, I guess you’re finally ready to go home.”

Max looked at Liz and smiled. “Yeah, we are.”

~

Following day – X-ray reading room

Dr. House laid out the MRI scans. “This was your first one Max, and this is today’s.”

“Wow,” both Max and Liz proclaimed.

“Yeah, wow is about right,” House agreed. “Like the neurons around the cerebral cortex on steroids.” He then pulled out the other two. “And these are Liz’s.” They all looked them over.

“A little bit more activity,” Liz observed.

“It’s showing growth so no telling how much more it’ll continue,” House reasoned.

“Will it ever get like mine?” Max asked.

“No idea,” House answered truthfully. “Would you be willing to come back in a year, Liz?”

“Maybe, I’ll need to think about it,” she told him.

“Well, how about a couple of years?” He pulled out an envelope and handed it to her.

She opened it and smiled in surprise, “References?”

“Yep, I doubt Princeton or even Harvard would turn down someone with personal references from the Princeton’s dean of medicine, head of diagnostics department, plus Cameron, Foreman, and Chase.” House informed her. “But of course, Princeton would be better.”

Liz grinned. “Thank you Dr. House.”

“No problem,” he told her sincerely. He looked at Max and put his hand out to shake. “Max, I can honestly say that you’ve been one of my more interesting cases,” and he gave him a rare smile.

“Thanks…I think,” Max told him as he grasped his hand. “And um, I spoke to Neasado. I told him that you were going to hang on to those records. We may need a doctor sometime.”

~
House’s office – two years later

House stood over the conference table and riffled through the mail. He found a gold colored envelope, obviously an invitation of some kind. He was about to toss it when the name caught his eye. Elizabeth Evans. He smoothly slit it open and pulled out the announcement.

Jeff & Nancy Parker are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter, Elizabeth Parker to Max Evans, son of Philip & Diane Evans…

A picture of the smiling bride and groom was enclosed along with along with a note from the bride.

Dear Dr. House, You win. Max and I look forward to seeing you and everyone this fall when we both start our freshman year at Princeton.

Taub looked at the wedding announcement and asked the group, “who’re Max and Liz Evans?”

Foreman looked up and reached for the announcement and the picture, with Thirteen looking over his shoulder, he smiled. “They always were a cute couple. Cameron and Chase will be happy to see them. They’re nice kids.”

“So who are they?” Taub asked again.

“Liz Parker, now Evans, was House’s one and only intern. She was sixteen at the time,” Foreman explained.

“You’re kidding? Taub asked and looked at the girl again. She was just an itty bitty little thing. “She interned for House?”

“Yeah,” Foreman confirmed nostalgically.

“What about the boy? Did you know him?” Taub asked, curious about both teenagers.

“Him, he was a patient. Probably the most interesting patient House ever had,” was all that Foreman would say.

Kutner looked at the invitation and picture and then the note, “What’s that mean, ‘you win’?” he asked House.

House said nothing just took the picture with him to his office and stuck it in a corner on his desk, pulled out a long ago file, booked an appointment for an MRI this September and smiled.

The end.