[FIC] Two-Faced, PG-13, YGO/HMD, 3/?
TITLE: Two-Faced
AUTHOR: Phate_Phoenix (Phate)
PAIRING: House/Wilson (eventually), Tendershipping (if you’re really looking for it)
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: Crossover with Yu-Gi-Oh! and House M.D.
SUMMARY: Ryou Bakura thought it was only the flu. He was wrong. Now House and his team must figure out what is ailing the young Duelist, while trying to figure out if Ryou’s strange, and sometimes violent, mood-swings are part of his symptoms or something else entirely…
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or House M.D.
NOTES: Chapter Three. :D Enjoy!
Timeline for House MD: After ‘THE GREATER GOOD’, before ‘UNFAITHFUL’
Timeline for YGO: After Battle City, sometime during the Dragons Arc. Gets rather ‘AU’ from there.
--
Chapter Three: Disinterested Dads and Doctors
House twirled his cane in his hand, watching from the sidelines as the rage built within his boss. When it looked like Ryou Bakura was going to be in the hospital for a bit longer than a day, Ren Bakura had gone straight to Cuddy with the most startling and- according to some- odd request.
“I want to make one of the medical doctors Ryou's health care proxy. I can't stay here any longer.”
Cuddy, whose parental-protective drive had sprouted wings and flew over anything underage, had stared at Ren for several seconds before she gave him a sweet smile that House knew would only bring hell on Earth upon this poor man. Unluckily for Ren, he was not that aware.
“I'm the curator of a museum in Japan,” Ren said, gesturing vaguely. “I have to get back there. A new shipment is coming in from Egypt, so I need to check it in and sign the papers.”
Cuddy's smile didn't fade, but even Rachel went silent in the face of her mother's anger. The child gnawed on the orange beak of the duck in her grasp, staring at the man. Wilson, who was sitting next to House on Cuddy's couch, sipped at his second coffee of the day. The fact that Cuddy's wrath was not directed at either of them made this a special occasion.
“Let me get this straight,” Cuddy said, her blue eyes suddenly cool as ice, “you would rather go across the world to Japan than stay by your sick son's bedside?”
Ren seemed to realize he was treading into potentially life-threatening territory, for he leaned back slightly. “It's not a question of 'would rather', ma'am,” Ren said, green eyes narrow, “but what I have to do.”
House leaned back on the couch, striking the ground beneath the cane hard. Three sets of eyes turned upon him and House leered at the blue-haired man. “No, it's not,” House said and pushed himself to his feet. “Your son bares little resemblance to you, have you noticed?” Ren said nothing, but he stiffened automatically. House limped forward a few steps. “Oh, he's your son, though. No doubt about it. But, he looks so much like your wife, doesn't he?”
Ren stiffened further, and Cuddy's mouth dropped open. Wilson said nothing, and House couldn't see his face to tell if he was giving House the 'shut up now' look or the 'holy crap, what did you just say?' look. Either way, House had more to say.
“I mean, it must be really, really hard to see him every day,” he said, leaning heavily on his cane and staring into furious, frightened green eyes. “Like looking at a miniature of your wife, reminding you she's gone, and all you have left is this second-rate remake.”
“House!” Cuddy shouted, eyes wide. House risked a glance to Wilson, and the oncologist looked rather horrified- not at House's words, though, for his brown gaze was firmly upon Ren. House then looked at the father once more, seeing the flash of guilt and anger and frustration in his eyes. The man was gritting his teeth, and his hands were shaking a bit. House merely smiled.
“I'm right, though, aren't I?”
Ren scowled, glaring over his shoulder at Cuddy as he pushed a pair of sunglasses over his face. “Choose whichever doctor you believe is best. I have a job to do.”
With that, the man strode from the room, pushing past House. The doctor stumbled a bit but regained his balance. He shook his fist as the doors slammed closed, but his eyes were bright with a dark humor. “That's not right!” he wailed. “Pushing cripples, abandoning your children! What kind of monster are you?!”
Cuddy stared at where the man had stood, as if by sheer will she could teleport him back so she could burn him to ashes. House turned around, placing both is hands at the top of his cane and leaned on it. “So,” he said enthusiastically, “who am I going to hassle this time around for permission?”
Cuddy blinked over at the diagnostician before shaking her head. “You aren't bothered by that at all?” Cuddy asked, gesturing to where Ren had stormed out of the room.
House looked at where she gestured. “I am,” he said. He pointed at the wall with his cane, waving his other arm dramatically. “The colors are all off. It should be darker, so that one truly understands that they have entered the Gorgon's Lair!” He looked over at Wilson, who was frowning, and stage-whispered, “Don't look directly at her eyes or you'll turn to stone. And by eyes I mean breasts.”
Cuddy glared at him, tapping her fingers on the desk. Rachel squealed and grabbed onto her pointer finger and placed it into her mouth. Cuddy's anger seemed to melt away from her face, and she chuckled slightly. She looked down at the tiny child and shook her head slightly. “Awe, let go of Mommy's finger. I have to use it later to claw out an irresponsible Daddy's eyes. Yes I do! Yes I do!” Realizing it was a lost battle, she turned back to the two doctors in front of her. “Wilson, would you be the kid's medical proxy?”
Wilson blinked rapidly, pointing to himself. “Me? Why me?”
Cuddy rolled her eyes. “Because out of anyone in this hospital, only you or myself can keep House from going mad scientist on the kid.” House frowned at Cuddy. “I prefer evil genius,” he grumbled. The dean of medicine ignored him. “Since I have to run the hospital and take care of Rachel, you're the only one left.”
Wilson's jaw opened and shut and he held up his hands. “But… I… I don't know anything about kids!”
House sneered at him. “What's to know? You've pretty much skipped the hard part and gone right into teenagerdom. The kid'll take care of himself. You just have to agree with whatever I say, and we'll be good.”
Wilson scowled and marched forward, pointing at House. “Oh no. Not if I have a say in it.”
House frowned at him for a second before he brightened. “Great! Then I'll come to you!”
With that, House left Cuddy's office, leaving a bewildered Wilson and an amused Cuddy in his wake. Wilson blinked a few times, clearing his throat.
“Did I just…?”
“Yes,” Cuddy said, sitting down and placing Rachel in a small playpen next to her desk. Wilson allowed his arms to drop uselessly to his sides.
“Oh,” he said faintly, staring at House's back.
--
Ryou blinked at the brown-haired doctor who was standing awkwardly next to his bed. The man's name was apparently 'James Wilson', and now that his father had, for all intents and purposes, abandoned him again, Doctor Wilson would be the one who would make the decisions about his health. Already, he could feel Yami stirring in the back of his mind, hissing and snarling about how ridiculous that was.
'We are both old enough to make up our own minds,' Bakura spat, his own anger pulsing vivid in Ryou's mind. 'In the name of Isis, I'm over three thousand years old. These American doctors are mad. If I still had the Ring….'
Ryou struggled not to roll his eyes, and bent over to cough into his hands. Afterward, he calmly crossed his hands in front of his stomach, turning his brown eyes upon Wilson's. “Father's left already, then?”
Wilson scratched the back of his head, and nodded after a moment of hesitation. Ryou sighed, shrugging slightly as he gazed out the window in his room. “Oh, well, he's busy.”
'He's also an asshole.'
'… I know.'
'I'd send him to the Shadow Realm, too, you know.'
Ryou really did roll his eyes that time, but kept his gaze from Wilson. It wouldn't do to have his 'medical proxy' thinking Ryou didn't like the guy. Wilson stared at him for a few seconds before sighing, and looking around nervously. “So, uh, I know you're almost an adult… so I won't just be making decisions without consulting you….”
Ryou smiled at him, nodding. “Thank you,” he said. Wilson shuffled his feet for a few moments, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. The albino took pity upon him and shook his head. “Don't feel so bad, Doctor Wilson,” he said, drawing Wilson's gaze on him. “You didn't send Father away. He doesn't stay in one place too long, anyway, so I assumed he'd leave.”
Wilson seemed even less comfortable with that, and actually took a seat next to Ryou. “You assumed?”
Ryou shrugged a bit, glancing back out his window. “Father's been in and out of my life ever since Mother and Amane died. I assume it's too painful for him.”
“How… awful,” Wilson said, leaning back in his chair. Ryou turned his brown gaze upon him, raising a white eyebrow.
“What about you, Doctor? Anything you wish to share?” When Wilson merely stared at him in confusion, Ryou smiled. “You tell me about yourself, I tell you about myself. That way we both have a better idea who we are dealing with.”
Wilson shook his head, but smiled. “Fine,” he said. “Where do I start?”
Ryou turned his eyes toward the glass wall that separated him from the rest of the hospital. Hidden by the partially drawn screen, a figure of a man with a cane stood just beyond the wall. “From where you met Doctor House,” Ryou said, looking back at Wilson when Doctor House limped away.
Wilson chuckled in amusement. “That's… a long story.”
Ryou nodded, leaning back against his pillows. Bakura, too, settled in to learn more about their caretakers. He coughed loudly into his hands, and gave Doctor Wilson a small smile. “I have a feeling that I have a long while.”
Wilson leaned back in his chair, looking over his ward before shrugging his shoulders. “Technically, we met at a medical convention in New Orleans, but we really got to know each other when he bailed me out of jail….”
--
House stared at his group of fellows as they placed a stack of test results on his desk, frowning at him. Foreman placed a hand on top of them. “All negative. House, the kid's just faking.”
House looked at Foreman, and then allowed his eyes to trail past the rest of his team. They each looked annoyed and set. House shrugged, picking himself up from the table. “Okay,” he chirped, and began to limp for the door. The fellows glanced at one another before Thirteen pushed herself to her feet.
“Where are you going?” she called out to him.
House grinned back at them. “I'm going to figure out if he's lying or not!” He then limped out the door.
The team quickly rushed forward, where Taub took up stride beside him. “House, do you honestly believe that, if the kid had Munchausen, he's just going to tell you?”
House grinned cheekily at him. “Yup!” He stepped into the elevator, and the other four quickly squeezed in.
Foreman shook his head. “I don't think this is going to work.”
House said nothing, choosing instead to idly tap his fingers on the top of his cane. Thirteen planted her hands on her hips. “What are you planning on doing to him?” she asked, her eyes narrow. House looked at her, mock-confusion displayed plainly on his face.
“Why, I thought you didn't care what happens to him?” he asked. The other doctors looked at each other, and Kutner winced.
“Just because we don't think there's something wrong with him doesn't mean we want him emotionally scarred!”
House raised an eyebrow at him. “Then why are none of you stopping me?”
The elevator doors opened, and House stepped out of them, cackling. He limped his way towards Ryou's room, the Ducklings2.0 a few paces behind him.
--
Ryou wasn't sure who was more surprised to see Doctor House burst into the room, himself or Doctor Wilson. The story of 'Houson', as Doctor Wilson liked to call it, had ended over an hour ago, and Ryou had been talking about the school he had been in when Father had moved him to England. However, Doctor House slamming open the door and pointing his cane at him like a sword put any further conversations on hold. Behind him, Ryou could see the gathering of his other doctors, each looking a strange combination between guilty and curious. The Spirit immediately perked up in the back of his mind.
'This looks interesting…'
Ryou blinked a few times. 'Interesting things tend to go belly-up for us, though.'
He could feel Bakura nod. 'Remain cautious.'
'When aren't I?'
Doctor Wilson stared at Doctor House for a moment. “What are you doing, House?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. House blinked over at him, as if startled to see him.
“I'm here to promote truth and justice!” he declared, still pointing the cane at Ryou. The albino leaned back a bit, feeling a spike of unease dart through his stomach. Doctor Wilson just looked amused.
“Right,” he said. Then the oncologist leaned forward in his chair. “What are you planning?”
House smirked at him before looking at Ryou, and those bright blue eyes betrayed nothing to his intentions. “So,” he began shuffling forward, “how long were you going to keep pulling our legs? A few more days? A week? Because we're busy people and don't like to waste our time.”
Ryou blinked, sitting up straighter. “I'm afraid I don't understand,” he said slowly, brown eyes narrowing. House smirked at him.
“C'mon,” he said, dropping his cane down to help support his weight, “You thought we'd never figure out you're nothing but big, pasty faker?”
Ryou stiffened, suddenly more than aware of every aching muscle in his body, of the desire to cough loudly, of his headache, and the strange weakness in his right leg. He swallowed the cough- because how contrived would that have appeared?- and clenched his jaws tighter. Bakura seethed in the back of his mind.
'How dare he?!' the spirit hissed. 'How dare he imply that we lied?!'
Ryou stared at the man before him. “I'm not lying,” he replied, his own anger being fed by Bakura's.
House stared at him. “Everybody lies,” he said coolly. Ryou nodded, acquiescing to that.
“Everyone does, but not all the time.” Ryou's heart was thudding loudly in his ears. Why was that? He was mad, but not that mad.
Doctor Wilson was staring at him; Ryou could feel his gaze. “House,” Wilson was saying, “House, stop….”
House, however, only stared harder at Ryou. The albino could faintly hear the electronic beeping measuring his pulse quicken, but ignored it.
“What's the matter?” House said, ignoring the startled looks thrown at him by other doctors. “Daddy doesn't give you enough attention so you had to find it elsewhere?”
Ryou felt as though the world was in slow motion as the words ricocheted in his head. What blinding, complete truth he had just heard. It was a shock to his system, and he could feel the jolt in his fingertips. And then, he felt nothing at all.
“What… did you… do?”
His mouth was moving, but it wasn't his voice. It was harsher, angrier, darker.
'Yami, don't hurt them!' Ryou pleaded with the spirit, knowing it would do little good.
'They will pay for this, Yadonushi,' Bakura swore. 'They have done something to us. Can't you feel it? This shell is worsening!'
“I… cannot… breathe,” Bakura gasped, clutching his chest. It was hard to catch his breath, for it felt like he was running through the desert with Pharaoh's guard just behind him. Even so, he managed to snarl at House, because Bakura wasn't about to let this injury go unnoted.
The doctors had all stilled, as if sensing they were no longer safe to be around the frail teen. This pleased Bakura, but instead of sneering as he usually would, he focused instead of trying to calm his heart and ease his breathing. House was not helping him any by staring at Bakura as though he was merely a particularly interesting bug.
“Not Munchausen Syndrome!” he called to the doctors behind him as they rushed into the room. “Someone slow his heart rate before the kid has a heart attack!”
Bakura watched as the room spun and he felt himself fall backwards onto the mattress, unable to do much more. “Sekhmet, relieve me,” he mumbled between wheezes before finally Ryou's body gave in to unconsciousness.