(Another) "Instant Karma" post-ep fic.
Title: Under Observation
Author: lit_luminary
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: House, Wilson, discussion of Chase; House/Wilson friendship, House/Chase friendship/mentorship.
Summary: Canon may not have explicitly established that Wilson knew about the Dibala debacle, but House prefers to think things out with a sounding board, and who safer to tell? (Set between “Instant Karma” and “Brave Heart.”)
“Primary antiphospholipid syndrome,” Wilson says musingly, once House has explained the epiphany that sent him rushing out of the office to revise Dying Kid’s treatment. Twenty-four hours later, it’s clear the kid’s going to live, albeit in vastly reduced financial circumstances. “Very nice. And I notice Foreman finally swallowed his pride and presented the M-and-M.”
What Chase did is the kind of thing as few people as possible should know. But Wilson has kept extremely illegal secrets for House for years, and House has concerns that require a sounding board. “Wasn’t pride this time,” House says. “He was covering his own ass by trying to cover Chase’s.”
“You said Chase thought blastomycosis.”
“He did,” House says. “So he may, hypothetically, have borrowed a little blood from a corpse with scleroderma…and you can do the math from there.”
Wilson pauses with a forkful of spaghetti bolognaise halfway to his mouth. Puts the fork down. “And this is…your idea of light dinner conversation?”
“If I’d waited until you were doing the dishes, you might’ve dropped something,” House says. “Debatable ethics, but not debatable math: one person dead is less harm than two million dead.”
“You don’t have to defend his morals, House,” Wilson says, and sighs. “I’ve been your best friend for years; I’m obviously used to shades of gray by now. Although I wouldn’t have thought…”
“The ex-choirboy could play God?” House finishes, and spears a meatball. “Yeah: he finally grew enough spine to act on his convictions.”
“You’re…proud of him for this?”
Wilson isn’t surprised; he knows House too well. He just thinks he should be moderately appalled on principle.
“He was smart enough to figure out the right diagnosis, and ruthless enough to stage the wrong one,” House says. “Granted, he needed me to clean up some lingering evidence, but points for pragmatism.”
Wilson sits silently for several minutes, watching House eat. Finally, he says, “You didn’t bring this up for shock value. Every person who knows is a calculated risk, and since you’ve already made yourself an accomplice by covering for him…what do you need to know?”
“I missed it when Kutner was plotting an exit,” House says. “I don’t want to miss anything now.” He starts twisting more spaghetti onto his fork, mostly to have something to do with his fingers. “Cameron doesn’t know. Eventually, she’ll leave him-either because he doesn’t tell her and she’s insecure enough to believe he’d cheat, or because he does tell her and she can’t live with the fact he killed a man.”
“Would she go to the police?”
Maybe, maybe not, but House has planned against the contingency. “She helped Ezra Powell kill himself,” he says. “If I have to keep her mouth shut by pointing a gun at her career and invoking self-interest, I can do that.”
“There’s a difference between assisting a terminal patient’s suicide and setting a patient who would have lived up to die,” Wilson says. He’s starting to get a pained look, so House doesn’t point out that the difference isn’t a legal one. “But putting that aside-Chase?”
“Wants not to be alone so much that he committed to a woman who would’ve called off the wedding over a dead guy’s frozen sperm,” House says flatly. “And he let her keep the frozen sperm.”
“So he’s willing to compromise too much in his relationships.”
That’s an easy opening for a crack about Wilson’s recognizing the condition-too easy, and House has larger priorities tonight. “Killing Dibala ultimately also kills his marriage and his rosy dreams of little wombats,” he says. “If those things were important enough to compromise where it was insane to compromise, what does he do when they go down the drain?”
He thinks of the aftermath of Rowan’s death; how Chase had been so badly shaken that a patient had died, and how he’d dealt with that guilt by trying to destroy his career as penance. What might he try to destroy to atone for a death he’d caused?
He wouldn’t kill himself, but there are plenty of damaging things he could do short of that or life in prison. And while House’s instinct is that he’ll reason the broken marriage and broken dreams are enough punishment, Chase has never been entirely predictable.
“I don’t think he’s likely to do anything drastic,” Wilson says. “But I’m not the one who’s studied him for six years.”
Normally, House would say Chase would adapt and bounce back, the way he always has. But the look on the younger man’s face yesterday, the way every line of his body had screamed anguish…
“Whatever else he does, the massive Catholic guilt means he’s going to self-flagellate to the point he’s practically useless.” Which is going to be a problem, since Chase is his usual go-to for creative ideas he doesn’t come up with himself.
“You’re already going to watch him,” Wilson says. “So if he looks like he isn’t coping, push him to get help. Or help him yourself, if he won’t take it from anyone else.”
He remembers the wreck of the brain cancer gambit; how Chase had been the only one of the three whose grief had been genuine; thinks of this morning, the implicit loyalty in “Whether you want to be in charge or not, you are. And you always will be.”
He’d never asked to be that important to Chase, but he’s already begun to do damage control; there’s enough history between them that he can take on a little more, be there to make sure Chase doesn’t crack when everything else inevitably shatters.
There’s no one else who’ll help if he doesn’t, and he can’t handle the worst-case results of failure to intervene.
END.
Note: Those interested in a sequel to this piece (who haven’t read it already) are welcomed to peruse “Intervention.” I've also written a series of sonnets related to the Dibala story arc.
Author: lit_luminary
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: House, Wilson, discussion of Chase; House/Wilson friendship, House/Chase friendship/mentorship.
Summary: Canon may not have explicitly established that Wilson knew about the Dibala debacle, but House prefers to think things out with a sounding board, and who safer to tell? (Set between “Instant Karma” and “Brave Heart.”)
“Primary antiphospholipid syndrome,” Wilson says musingly, once House has explained the epiphany that sent him rushing out of the office to revise Dying Kid’s treatment. Twenty-four hours later, it’s clear the kid’s going to live, albeit in vastly reduced financial circumstances. “Very nice. And I notice Foreman finally swallowed his pride and presented the M-and-M.”
What Chase did is the kind of thing as few people as possible should know. But Wilson has kept extremely illegal secrets for House for years, and House has concerns that require a sounding board. “Wasn’t pride this time,” House says. “He was covering his own ass by trying to cover Chase’s.”
“You said Chase thought blastomycosis.”
“He did,” House says. “So he may, hypothetically, have borrowed a little blood from a corpse with scleroderma…and you can do the math from there.”
Wilson pauses with a forkful of spaghetti bolognaise halfway to his mouth. Puts the fork down. “And this is…your idea of light dinner conversation?”
“If I’d waited until you were doing the dishes, you might’ve dropped something,” House says. “Debatable ethics, but not debatable math: one person dead is less harm than two million dead.”
“You don’t have to defend his morals, House,” Wilson says, and sighs. “I’ve been your best friend for years; I’m obviously used to shades of gray by now. Although I wouldn’t have thought…”
“The ex-choirboy could play God?” House finishes, and spears a meatball. “Yeah: he finally grew enough spine to act on his convictions.”
“You’re…proud of him for this?”
Wilson isn’t surprised; he knows House too well. He just thinks he should be moderately appalled on principle.
“He was smart enough to figure out the right diagnosis, and ruthless enough to stage the wrong one,” House says. “Granted, he needed me to clean up some lingering evidence, but points for pragmatism.”
Wilson sits silently for several minutes, watching House eat. Finally, he says, “You didn’t bring this up for shock value. Every person who knows is a calculated risk, and since you’ve already made yourself an accomplice by covering for him…what do you need to know?”
“I missed it when Kutner was plotting an exit,” House says. “I don’t want to miss anything now.” He starts twisting more spaghetti onto his fork, mostly to have something to do with his fingers. “Cameron doesn’t know. Eventually, she’ll leave him-either because he doesn’t tell her and she’s insecure enough to believe he’d cheat, or because he does tell her and she can’t live with the fact he killed a man.”
“Would she go to the police?”
Maybe, maybe not, but House has planned against the contingency. “She helped Ezra Powell kill himself,” he says. “If I have to keep her mouth shut by pointing a gun at her career and invoking self-interest, I can do that.”
“There’s a difference between assisting a terminal patient’s suicide and setting a patient who would have lived up to die,” Wilson says. He’s starting to get a pained look, so House doesn’t point out that the difference isn’t a legal one. “But putting that aside-Chase?”
“Wants not to be alone so much that he committed to a woman who would’ve called off the wedding over a dead guy’s frozen sperm,” House says flatly. “And he let her keep the frozen sperm.”
“So he’s willing to compromise too much in his relationships.”
That’s an easy opening for a crack about Wilson’s recognizing the condition-too easy, and House has larger priorities tonight. “Killing Dibala ultimately also kills his marriage and his rosy dreams of little wombats,” he says. “If those things were important enough to compromise where it was insane to compromise, what does he do when they go down the drain?”
He thinks of the aftermath of Rowan’s death; how Chase had been so badly shaken that a patient had died, and how he’d dealt with that guilt by trying to destroy his career as penance. What might he try to destroy to atone for a death he’d caused?
He wouldn’t kill himself, but there are plenty of damaging things he could do short of that or life in prison. And while House’s instinct is that he’ll reason the broken marriage and broken dreams are enough punishment, Chase has never been entirely predictable.
“I don’t think he’s likely to do anything drastic,” Wilson says. “But I’m not the one who’s studied him for six years.”
Normally, House would say Chase would adapt and bounce back, the way he always has. But the look on the younger man’s face yesterday, the way every line of his body had screamed anguish…
“Whatever else he does, the massive Catholic guilt means he’s going to self-flagellate to the point he’s practically useless.” Which is going to be a problem, since Chase is his usual go-to for creative ideas he doesn’t come up with himself.
“You’re already going to watch him,” Wilson says. “So if he looks like he isn’t coping, push him to get help. Or help him yourself, if he won’t take it from anyone else.”
He remembers the wreck of the brain cancer gambit; how Chase had been the only one of the three whose grief had been genuine; thinks of this morning, the implicit loyalty in “Whether you want to be in charge or not, you are. And you always will be.”
He’d never asked to be that important to Chase, but he’s already begun to do damage control; there’s enough history between them that he can take on a little more, be there to make sure Chase doesn’t crack when everything else inevitably shatters.
There’s no one else who’ll help if he doesn’t, and he can’t handle the worst-case results of failure to intervene.
END.
Note: Those interested in a sequel to this piece (who haven’t read it already) are welcomed to peruse “Intervention.” I've also written a series of sonnets related to the Dibala story arc.