Different Sort of House Call 5

Author's Note:
Hey all, welcome back! Have you been spazzing in anticipation? … Probably not. No matter! I hope you enjoy the chapter anyway!
Disclaimer: House and its cast, as well as any medicines I may mention, do not belong to me. As I recently found out Hartman gave specific permission for his fans to make things like this, I will no longer need a disclaimer for DP. :3 Hooray!

Green eyes opened, glaring defiantly at the scruffy face above him. "I'm not promising anything." House snorted, his own eyes rolling.

"Of course…Foreman, get the antibiotics hooked up. Everyone else might as well get comfortable. We'll be in here a while."

"Don't you have other patients to work with?"

"None in critical condition," the man said with a shrug, throwing himself into a chair as Foreman began connecting a bag of fluid to the IV. "Not that you are at the moment -- as far as we can tell -- but you could be if we don't get things straightened out."

"I've told you, I'm fine." Danny glanced over to the left in search of Vlad, but the older half-ghost was still persistently invisible. He was still here, listening.

"Some basic facts state otherwise," House told him with a raised eyebrow. "For one, your vitals are nonexistent. You seem to have some condition that brings about sudden seizures, even if it is just epilepsy. Most importantly, however," the man jabbed one finger at him rather accusingly, "there's the small matter of that giant gash down your chest. If you haven't noticed, not many people have those. Mind informing us how you were gutted like a fish?"

"Does that even matter?"

"Stop being stupid on purpose, kid, it doesn't suit you." The rest of the team seemed accustomed to House's bedside manner, Danny noticed, and were carefully staying out of it. Foreman returned to the others once the IV was set up and watched his boss with arms crossed. Cameron seemed a bit conflicted, as if she were feeling some sympathy for their patient but agreed with House at the same time. He noticed Chase was watching the diagnostician and hadn't actually looked directly at Danny since they had come in. Wilson, on the other hand, was watching the boy as if expecting some signs of distress. He figured if anyone were to save him from House, it would be Wilson. After all, he was the only one who - from what he could tell - didn't have to worry about his job when talking to the man, even if it was just because they got along.

"Stop being a jerk on purpose, then," the halfa shot back. "I have a cut, okay? How I got it doesn't matter."

"I beg to differ. If we know what your cut yourself with, and how, we might be able to tell if anything got in there. And," He raised one hand as Danny opened his mouth to interrupt, "it's not like you just held a knife the wrong way with this. Not even you're that much of an idiot." The room was silent for a moment and green eyes widened slightly.

"What makes you say that?" he finally asked warily. "It's just a cut, it was an accident."

"So how did it happen, then?" Blast it; he hadn't had time to think that far ahead yet.

"I -- I fell." Brilliant, Fenton, that was just brilliant. Not one of his better excuses...As expected, House smirked.

"You fell? Honestly?" Danny paused and then sighed in some resignation.

"No."

"Thought not." One finger tapped idly at the wooden cane and blue eyes turned to look out the window. "If it weren't for the fact you seem to be able to remember everything else, I might blame Korsakoff's for what appears to be a nice consistent stream of lies." At the boy's blank look, he sighed heavily. "Medical stuff, kid. Memory blanks, to put it simply. Considering you don't have any of the other symptoms, though, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and just assume you're lying through your teeth."

"I'm not lying!" the white-haired teenager snapped, pushing himself onto his elbows. The stitches pulled slightly, but he ignored them and put all of his energy into meeting the doctor's slightly amused eyes. "I've been telling you the truth this entire time, it's your own fault if you don't believe me."

"Then prove it." House leaned forward, both arms resting on his knees. "What happened?" Danny swallowed, resisting the urge to just lay back down and block the doctors out completely. If he could just fly…

"I don't know," he said finally. "I must've blacked out or something. I was just out walking and then…" Shoulders shrugged wearily and he was once again impressed at his own ability to keep a straight face while making up a story on the spot. He hadn't been lying, that much was true. He never said that he wouldn't. "I woke up here with all of you shouting everywhere."

"So how did you get from Illinois to New Jersey?" the man asked quickly, receiving another shrug in response.

"No clue. It could've been anything, right? My weird teleporting skills, they go right along with my weird disease that doesn't exist." House paused a moment, eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the face of his patient.

"Chase, what was it you found in that blood sample?" The blonde man started slightly at being addressed before instinctively glancing down at the clipboard he held.

"Some bacteria," he reported, glancing up at said blood's provider for the first time since they came in. "I still need to get it tested for staph, but it--"

"The other stuff, genius," his boss cut in impatiently. "Bacteria's too normal for this kid, what was the other stuff?" Chase blinked, frowning before giving a shrug.

"We don't know. I asked a few people in the lab, but no one had heard of anything like that before." House nodded sharply, now leaning back in the chair and surveying the boy's reaction as he spoke.

"Your blood is weird, kid. It's got the normal cells, platelets and other such healthy stuff. It's also got some bacteria, which can probably be cleaned up with a good blast of antibiotics. Mr. Perceptive here," He jabbed his cane in Chase's direction quickly, "overlooked the fact that there's something in there that normal people just don't have." After a pause, which Danny figured was for dramatic effect, the teenager gave in and frowned.

"What was it?"

"That's just it. We don't know. No one knows. All the brilliant medical minds could tell was that the stuff was…" House glanced down at his own clipboard and rolled his eyes, "'Green and iridescent'. Not remarkably helpful." Another silence stretched as Danny waited for the man to continue, but his patience was thin enough in normal circumstances.

"So what?" the hybrid questioned, trying to ignore the slight pounding in his head. Maybe Plasmius had been right about that fever…usually he was always cool as Phantom. It didn't bother him at all, as his ghost form seemed to be impervious to cold, but now everything seemed warmer than it should be. "It's not like I know what's going on in my blood, alright?"

"Sure you don't." The diagnostician took to watching the wall above the bed carefully. "No one does, which keeps us employed." The sudden movement was unexpected, and Danny barely had time to yelp as he felt a sharp pull on his head. One hand going to rub the area, green eyes narrowed.

"What was that for?!" he demanded, eying the two white hairs in the man's hand warily. His question was ignored and House glanced them over quickly before turning, handing his prize to Foreman.

"Do a tox-screen," he ordered. "Then run the other for DNA, see if we can't pin down something." The dark-skinned doctor hesitated briefly, glancing at Danny before taking the hairs and striding out the door.

"You think I'm on drugs?" the boy questioned, blinking quickly. "I'm not an idiot, you know." The statement, again, was ignored and House seemed to return to his initial point quickly.

"What happened to your chest?" Danny scowled, now fighting to keep the room in focus. He just wanted to sleep…

"I told you, I don't know. I blacked out."

"Whatever it was, it's not exactly a little cut from hitting the coffee table." He was musing now, apparently not expecting any answers, which Danny was all too happy to relent to. "Three incisions, all from something extremely sharp, most likely surgical. Three of them, in the shape of a 'Y'…So tell me something, kid." Blue eyes locked back on the patient and all sarcasm seemed to have vanished. "Who's got a grudge against you?"

"A-a grudge?" Well he could name ten without thinking too hard…"No one, why--"

"This was intentional." House was addressing the remainder of his team now. "The wound is too precise to be an accident and anything but a scalpel-like blade wouldn't have made incisions that deep without further damage to the skin around it. The shape of it is also a bit of a clue, if anyone caught it." Glancing between the other three, he raised one eyebrow expectantly. "C'mon, don't any of you remember your high school biology class? I'm ashamed."

"But House, that's…" Wilson paled very slightly, glancing between his friend and the patient who had given up on trying to remain upright and let himself sink back onto the pillow. "That's absurd, it's--"

"Sick and wrong?" House supplied quickly. "Depends on your point of view. After all, if he was like this, I assume it was an honest mistake."

"No hospital would give permission for that unless they're sure," the oncologist stated, arms crossing. "Even med students who were blind and stupid could tell this kid isn't dead."

"Well sure, but who says it was anyone in a hospital?"

"Who else would?"

"Beats me, that's what we want to figure out." Danny noticed the scruffy man grimace slightly and reach into his coat pocket, withdrawing an orange pill bottle. "Whoever it was either has rocks where their brains are supposed to be or they really don't like him." Three pills were shaken into his hand and House threw them back into his mouth, swallowing quickly. No one else seemed fazed by it and the bottle vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "The question is, why would someone try an autopsy on a kid who's clearly not dead?"

"Autopsy?" Danny repeated. "What do you mean autopsy?" His doctor sighed - he seemed to do that a lot when people didn't understand his 'brilliance' - and placed his cane he still held over the chair's armrests.

"You take biology yet?"

"Of course, sophomore year--"

"Then you should know all about dissections." He lifted one hand, tracing the shape with a finger. "One cut down the abdomen, two branching from the top of that toward the shoulders." The hand fell again and House frowned, obviously a little put off that there wasn't any sudden freaking out. "Someone tried to gut you, kid, and apparently did a pretty good job of it." Danny swallowed, glancing down at his chest. His hands were trembling slightly, though he didn't know if it was because he was afraid they had figured it out so quickly or just part of the fever. Subject change, now!

"Why do you keep calling me 'kid'?" he demanded, ignoring the fact that his jump from the topic didn't go unnoticed. "I have a name."

"Simply because we don't actually know your name," the man stated. "You've lied about nearly everything else, so until we get some proof I'll assume you're lying about any name as well. You might as well be a Jon Doe at this point." Blinking rapidly, the halfa put one hand on his head and let his eyes fall closed. It was just way too warm…

"I wasn't--wasn't lying," he hissed. "It's not…can I get some water?" House frowned slightly before he nodded to Cameron who slipped into the hallway.

"The blanket helping, then?"

"It's hot…"

"Well yeah, that is the point." Glancing up at the monitor, his frown deepened and eyes narrowed slightly. "Still only eighty, though. You feeling any better?" Danny ran one hand over his face before glaring up at the doctor.

"Better than what?" he muttered. "I was fine until you dragged me in here…" Eyes closed and he left one hand lying over them. "I've been dizzy, though--"

"How long?" It seemed House had a 'doctor' mode that would switch on if given the right incentive. He was suddenly on his feet, leaning heavily on the cane.

"I dunno, a while."

"What's your sister's name?" The halfa opened one eye to peer between his fingers, baffled.

"Wh-what's that got to do with--"

"Just answer the question, kid."

"…Jasmine, but I don't--"

"Where do you go to school?"

"Look, this…this doesn't--"

"I need to check your memory. School, now." Danny had to pause a moment before letting his eye fall shut again.

"Casper High." House seemed to frown, tapping at the handle of his cane again.

"No amnesia that I can tell. It could be just the start of the symptoms, though." Glancing up, he started slightly, realizing Wilson and Chase were still present, watching the exchange with wide eyes. Cameron reentered a moment later, a pitcher of water in one hand and a plastic cup in the other. "Looks like our dead-boy's body just realized its own temperature," he told them and the woman frowned.

"Just now? Why so late?"

"No idea…and he's still not shivering, which is one of the first signs." Turning back to the patient, House leaned over the bed slightly. "Anything else feel off, kid?"

"Other than the fact I'm…in a freaking hospital?" He snorted. "Just peachy. Can I get this stupid blanket off now? It's hot."

"Then it's doing its job. Leave it." The doctor glanced over at Chase as a sudden beeping intruded on the silence and the other man pulled his pager from one pocket. The same alert sounded for Cameron and, a moment later, even House. He groaned, shutting off the device without looking at it as the others frowned.

"Bradson's crashed," Chase reported, tucking the pager away again. "Respiratory failure…"

"Probably because of the Medrol, I told you he couldn't handle it…"

"It could've worked!" House defended, already halfway to the door. "At least it narrowed the options."

"Oh yes, wonderful way of diagnosing. Let's just see what doesn't kill them…!" The three disappeared out the door quickly, leaving Wilson looking somewhat lost. Danny managed to open one eye again, watching the oncologist a bit warily.

"Wilson, right?" he asked quietly. The man nodded, moving to stand beside the bed.

"Right. I guess House has complained about me before, then?"

"Nah, I'm just…" The boy had to pause, attempting to stop his head from spinning. "I've learned to listen. I know the whole team now, even though they only introduced themselves once - while I was still half drugged."

"Impressive." Wilson grinned, glancing up at the monitors that were still stubbornly showing his lack of vitals. "So they've still got no idea what's up with you, eh?"

"That's because…because nothing is wrong," Danny muttered. "I just um…ya know, got cut. They should be able to sew me up and send me back, right?"

"If it weren't for the other complications, yeah." Brown eyes narrowed slightly, turning to look out the far window. "You don't seem…worried about the fact you should be dead, Danny. That's a bit odd."

"It's a bit odd that…you're the first one to call me Danny in…" Another pause, another mental command to concentrate, "in a few hours. The rest of them are right along with House, aren't they?" The doctor scoffed softly, looking back at the boy with an amused expression.

"Not as much as you'd think," he commented. "Cameron, sure, she agrees with him much faster than the others. Chase has adopted his 'everybody lies' philosophy, so he's like-minded more with himself than with House, and Foreman…well, Foreman doesn't see eye to eye with House about anything, but he could have the same opinion. He would just never admit that he agrees." Wilson chuckled, shaking his head. "It's like high school all over again in here sometimes."

"How are you friends with him?" Green eyes met brown as Danny let his hand fall back to the bed, rather surprised by his own bluntness. "I mean, House is…he's not the easiest to get along with, I don't see how--"

"You don't know how many times I've been asked that." The man cut him off, arms crossing as he looked away again. "Heck, I've asked myself plenty of times. It's a little complicated, but…" A small sigh, and he shrugged. "It's like any friendship. It just takes some work. I take it your friends don't agree with every single thing you do, right?" The hybrid almost laughed, remembering the last time Sam had given him an hour long lecture after a stupid move during a fight.

"You could say that."

"I guess House just takes a little more effort than other people would. Especially when he's really and idiot and nearly kills someone based off a hunch…" He rolled his eyes briefly. "But I think you know how it goes. It's your best friend, what are you going to do?"

"We're your friends, Danny. Kicking back or kicking butt…" He has a point.

"So I guess you'll tell me to give him a break, huh?"

"Of course not." The doctor waved one hand vaguely. "He could use all the abrasiveness you can throw at him, might knock some humility into that thick skull…but whatever the guy does, he is a doctor. He took the oath just like the rest of us. No matter how much of a jerk the guy can be, he is trying to help." A short silence fell and Danny let his eyes close again as Wilson glanced at his watch. "I have an appointment in a few minutes…you'll be alright on your own?"

"Yeah, I…I've got the button and everything." The man nodded, turning toward the door only to stop again as Danny suddenly spoke up again. "Wait a second, though…what did he take? Those pills wh-when he was talking. No one seemed to notice, but…" A slight frown came over Wilson's face and he ran one hand through his hair as if unsure how much to say.

"Vicodin," he stated finally. "For the limp." The door closed behind him with a soft snap and the room was once again silent. After a pause, assuring himself the staff had all actually left, Danny quickly pushed the blankets to the foot of the bed, groaning softly as his head hit the pillow again.

"They could be progressing faster if they knew your actual vitals." Green eyes squeezed shut, his head still pounding. It was always a bit difficult switching attitudes so quickly, and being suddenly allowed to go back gave him whiplash. "If there was some way of telling them without exposing you…"

"Yeah, and how do you plan on doing that?" the younger halfa demanded, squinting through the bright fluorescent lights at his 'caretaker'. "Right, they'll be…just thrilled to find out it's normal for me t-to be like this. This isn't a human's definition of normal, Plasmius. You give one thing away, they start making guesses." Vlad sighed softly, arms crossed.

"If it weren't for that House…" he hissed, glaring at the door. "That man is far to perceptive. The others wouldn't have caught half of what they know without him."

"They would eventually," Danny muttered. "House is just paranoid. He doesn't think like the rest."

"Be that as it may," Red eyes turned back to the bed as he strode to its side, "they've found something I wasn't aware of. What happened to you that would give you a wound like that, Daniel?" The patient's weary face suddenly hardened, glaring at his rival before turning away.

"I told you, it's…none of your concern."

"An autopsy?" Black-gloved hands clutched at the side rails suddenly. "I think that is some of my concern, especially considering they would have to know a good deal about ghosts to manage to capture you."

"Maybe they'll get you too someday, that would be poetic justice…"

"Who, Daniel?" Vlad leaned over the side of the bed, apparently having to resist forcing the boy to face him. Danny blinked blearily, his vision now swimming. Even without the blanket, it didn't seem to be any cooler. "I need to know who."

"Poetic justice…" the young hybrid muttered softly. "Especially when you saw…saw that it was her holding that scalpel. You'd realize that she…she couldn't stand the sight of you. Either of you." Green eyes closed and he was trembling now, holding his stomach gingerly. The realization took a little while to come, but when it did, Vlad's eyes widened further than he would think possible.

"No…" he whispered, gripping the metal as if trying to disintegrate it. "Good Lord, not--not your--" The epiphany was cut short as Danny suddenly went rigid, barely managing to hang his head off the other side of the bed as his stomach announced its disapproval, emptying itself of what little it held. The man swore, managing to grab the teen's shoulder before he slipped onto the floor.

As if that one action had expended any leftover energy, Danny managed a groan before going limp, apparently falling unconscious. Vlad glanced around quickly before his eyes narrowed and he vanished from sight again, reaching across the bed to jab at the emergency button that lay on it.

"You find very inconvenient times to pass out, Daniel…"

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"How's Bradson?"

"Stabilized. His oxygen levels are back to normal, should be fine for a while…"

"Yeah, until whatever this is decides to hit his heart instead of his lungs." House ran one hand over his face as he limped back down the hallway leaving the beeping machines and sounds of the breathing machine behind. "This can't just be an infection, it's moving too slowly."

"There are some slow moving infections out there, they don't all have to hit in a day."

"And which one of those includes random internal bleeding as well as a paralyzed left side?" The small group fell silent, both Cameron and Chase automatically in step behind their boss. "We'll see if the antibiotics do anything. Could ignore the entire problem or they could just pretend to fix it."

"Then why use them at all?"

"Because it's an 'infection'," House shot back, making the air quotes with one hand. "Either way, it won't make him too much worse off. That would be hard to manage." " He gave an exasperated sigh as the persistent beeping once again accompanied a short buzz at his hip and the man pulled the pager out, holding it to eye-level. "Great, I'm actually having to work this week…Dead kid just decided to pass out on us."

"House!" Blue eyes glanced back as Foreman strode toward them, a few papers clutched in one hand. "I couldn't--"

"Find anything on the kid?" The dark-skinned doctor shook his head.

"Nothing. Whoever he is, he hasn't had any reason to put DNA in the system."

"Tox-screens?"

"Clear. He's clean of everything." House sighed, glancing toward the room he was supposed to be rushing towards.

"Look up Casper High," he ordered. "Check for any kids resembling ours, maybe even any 'Danny's. He could be using his actual first name just to make it easier on himself."

"Casper High…?"

"I got him to let it slip," the diagnostician explained. "He claims it's where he goes to school. If there's nothing there, we'll start over, but I think that might be the key to finally finding out who this kid is." Tucking his pager in its case again, he continued down the hallway, motioning to the other two. "You're coming with me. If he tried to jump out the window again, I'm letting you handle it. That 'Danny' is already on my list…"

Oh the excitement. :3 He wasn't as…angsty here, just because he was half delirious and trying to look 'normal' for the doctors.
No, I have no idea what's wrong with Bradson. XD He's just filler and an excuse to have them suddenly have to rush off.
Any inconsistencies? OOC moments? Let me know! Reviews - as always - are loved. Did you know this fic, with only four chapters (as I write this) has more reviews than my other one with 13? That's pretty epic, and it makes me SUPAH happy!
As always, many thanks to my beloved beta. ^^ She's wonderful!
Until next time!
~Waggy