(Another) "Instant Karma" post-ep fic.

[lit_luminary]

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? (

Comments

[menolly_au]

I really like this, a nice quiet character piece of all three men. I like House's concern that he not have a repeat of Kutner on his hands and his concern for Chase. House has shown many times that he does in fact care about the wellbeing of all his fellows even if sometimes he has an unusual way of showing it. Very nicely done.

[lit_luminary]

Thank you for commenting. My favorite moments to write in fic are the quiet ones: the conversations that must happen, but which canon doesn't see fit to give us.

House took Kutner's suicide (the event itself, and that he didn't see it coming) hard enough that I thought he'd naturally be concerned here. As you said, House expresses his caring in unconventional ways, but he does care about his team.

[yarroway]

I always thought Wilson must know about Dibala. I'm convinced that this is the way it happens.

[lit_luminary]

Thank you. That's the highest compliment I can receive for a fic like this--and yes, I thought the same. After all, House trusts Wilson with everything; it was inconceivable that he'd have kept this secret.

[barefootpuddles]

It's a very interesting piece. House would probably have little worry sharing this information with Wilson and I think you captured much of Wilson's response to these sorts of things - 'raised eyebrow' indifference.

The show definitely swept this storyline under the rug. Yeah, they used it to cause the breakup, but they didn't have it effect Chase (or at least show that to be the cause of his actions) after that little arc ended.

A nice piece.

[lit_luminary]

Thank you. One of the things I miss most about the show is the way House and Wilson used to confide in one another (perhaps not in the most orthodox of ways, but there was communication nonetheless), and "raised eyebrow indifference" is an excellent description of Wilson's reactions: he's been too close to House for too long to do much more than bat an eye over Chase's decision to kill Dibala.

I wish the show hadn't forgotten about this storyline: it was a formative one for the character, but all they did was break the marriage and make Chase into an oversexed, hypermasculine caricature. (Really, you'd think a personality change that dramatic should have sent House straight to the whiteboard...)

[black_cigarette]

Blackmare here, too lazy to sign out and back in as myself.

I really like this. It's precisely what we wouldn't have seen on the show even though it happened, and I love House's concern that there not be another suicide, or other form of self-destruction, on his team. I've always thought that of the three original fellows, House liked Chase best and was closest to him, perhaps because Chase was the most willing to simply accept him. Foreman decided House was much worse than he is, and hated him; Cameron wanted him to be better than he was, and crushed on him; Chase saw the reality and went, "Okay."

I agree that Wilson has to know about Dibala. Can't imagine that House wouldn't tell him, probably not when it was going on but definitely afterward.

[lit_luminary]

Thank you. I was particularly pleased to hear from you, since I've so enjoyed your work (individually and as part of the collective).

Canon doesn't give us this kind of quiet moment nearly often enough, but that's exactly why I enjoy writing the quiet moments. And it's been too long since House and Wilson sat down and talked.

And I agree with your reading of House's relationship with Chase: to House, acceptance without conditions is valuable, and he'd value the person giving it accordingly. (I also think he sees aspects of himself in Chase he doesn't in the others, but that's another post.)

[damigella_314]

This was good, and quiet, and IC. Also an occasion for me to think back about better times in the show.
And it's always a pleasure to read something of yours! Masterful as usual, in your typical understated pitch-perfect way.

[lit_luminary]

Thank you. I was watching the episode on DVD the other day and had a moment of nostalgia, so this was born.

I'm glad you found it tone-true, and thank you very much for the compliment.