026: VIDEO

[intheblanks]

[The doctor is in his office, where he's been since just before midnight. It is now two pm.

He's on the phone, back to the camera.]

Tell him I'm not available for surgery today.

Because I'm not available for surgery today. Yes, I'm in. I'm in my office.

[He shoves a hand back through his hair, frustrated.]

No, Manda, I don't want a coffee brought up. I'm busy.

It's fairly straightforward, you tell him I'm Not - Available - For - Surgery...For God's sake, he's not that frightening, is he?

Then tell him to call me and I'll tell him I'm not available for surgery.

Yes, unless it's life or death.

I'm sure about the coffee.

I'm fine.

I'm fine.

You're very sweet, but I'm fine. I'll speak to you later.

Right, maybe later I'll want coffee. Bye.

[He hangs up. The sigh on the click of the receiver isn't an exaggeration - nor is the startled look when he turns to notice his device is recording.]

Oh, for-

[Transmission end.]


[Chase is wearing a white T shirt, the slogan of which cannot be seen on camera. It is, howevever, I KILLED A MAN AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS... please feel free to try and bother him by network or in person, some characters may get in, but that door is locked.

ALSO this will be backdatey because uni has started and I'm tired.]

Comments

[as_damaged]

You wanted to change the subject.

[intheblanks]

Yes, but that wasn't a deliberate attempt to try.

[If it had been he would have stuck with it.]

[as_damaged]

[Does that mean you want to continue talking about it, Chase? She doesn't, but she can't let it alone.]

You could have found someone to cover your on-call shift, and slipped home while things were relatively quiet.

[intheblanks]

I could have opened the office door at 3am and walked straight into House. There are plenty of could haves.

[Ain't that the truth.]

[as_damaged]

[Which means it's bad enough not to be worth risking. Which is what she'd assumed.]

I suppose you could have.

[Honestly, she doesn't think she does want to know.]

[intheblanks]

[And that line of thought is blindingly obvious.]

When do I ever want House to know anything?

[as_damaged]

When does anyone? More to the point, when has that ever made a difference?

[intheblanks]

[a slow breath to stop the snap in his reply.]

It makes a difference since I started working with people three years away from being able to understand half of what's important to me now.

[as_damaged]

You can't pin that entirely on us.

[intheblanks]

I don't pin any of it on you. The fact remains, it's–

[Stop.]

[as_damaged]

We don't have to talk about it.

[She's aiming for reassuring, but is probably a bit short.]

[intheblanks]

[She's right, they don't. And he could turn the device off and sit back for a few more hours of staring at the walls.]

It's lonely.

[as_damaged]

I can imagine.

[Though she tries not to.]

[intheblanks]

I don't want to blow up whatever relationships I have here by dragging you into something that's not even on the horizon yet, for any of you.

What good's it going to do? It wouldn't change things.

[He wouldn't change things.]

[as_damaged]

There's more than one way to blow something up.

[After all, him being here places things firmly on the horizon, even if they're hazy at best. But, well.]

Would you like me to leave a cup of coffee outside your door?

[intheblanks]

I trust you to tell me if it looks like I'm getting close.

Would you?

[as_damaged]

I'm not sure I could.

[intheblanks]

...Would you bring me coffee.

[as_damaged]

You'll have to take your chances on the hallway being clear.

[intheblanks]

You'll come to the door?

[as_damaged]

I'll leave it and knock.

[intheblanks]

That sounds good to me.