im_torchwood

Jack couldn't just leave well enough alone. When he had free time, he found himself haunting the hospital, driving past Greg's building, spying on him as he got coffee. He even lo-jacked his bike.

But actually talk to the man? That wasn't in the plan.

He was actually in the hallway outside the clinic when his phone rang. He stopped to look at it, but it was just his boss so he swiped the call away.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

im_torchwood

"You wish, Greg," Jack laughed lightly. "What are you drinking? Scotch?"

From:

drfeelbad

"Yes," said House, somehow not surprised that the guy knew what he drank. "So why've you been stalking me?"

From:

im_torchwood

"I'm not stalking you," he insisted.

From:

drfeelbad

"So why were you at the hospital today?" House asked. "You sick? You don't look sick."

From:

im_torchwood

"I was visiting a sick friend," he lied. The bartender came over and Jack ordered a scotch for House and a water for himself.

From:

drfeelbad

He was lying, of course. "Why don't you drink?" House asked.

From:

im_torchwood

"It's a waste of money," he replied simply. "Sometimes I like port."

From:

drfeelbad

"So what's your vice of choice?" House asked, clearly just probing to work out more about him now. "Drugs? Sex? Danger?"

From:

im_torchwood

"I like heights and I drive too fast," he answered. He waited just a beat. "You think you're really going to puzzle it out with twenty questions?"

From:

drfeelbad

"No," said House honestly. And he leaned across the table a little, his unblinking blue eyes looking at Jack as if they could see straight into his soul. "But for whatever reason, you seem to know me, so does this behavior really surprise you?"

From:

im_torchwood

"It never does," he smiled. "I love watching your mind work."

From:

drfeelbad

"Do you," House said, still staring at him. "Tell me your favorite story about how awesome my mind is."

From:

im_torchwood

"Okay," he replied. He turned his back to the bar so he could face House.

"One time I went in the ocean. I got really sick. No one could figure it out. And then you...wouldn't give up. You figured out it was an Irukonji jellyfish and I would either die or get better."

He paused, then shrugged.

"But you don't remember. "

From:

drfeelbad

"Wow, those can cause brain hemorrhages," House said, distracted by a moment by an interesting medical condition.

Then he looked at Jack for a moment and said, "You knew a different me, didn't you. This has happened to me before. And it explains everything." There, he'd solved the puzzle.

It was really fucking weird, and more than a little disconcerting.

From:

im_torchwood

"You're getting faster at putting it all together," he replied, duly impressed.

From:

drfeelbad

House frowned a little, not getting that part. But he was more interested in asking - "So I'm right? You really knew another version of me? Jesus. I never thought I'd be on this side of it but it's fucking weird."

Pause. "I guess I should ask you to prove it. What's something you shouldn't know?"

From:

im_torchwood

"Something I shouldn't know? Okay...when you were twelve you figured out the man you called your father actually wasn't," he said, then paused briefly. "Or maybe something even more personal. Like your birthmark that looks like Tennessee..."

From:

drfeelbad

House's eyes went slightly wide. "Well," he said. Not sure which surprised him more.

"So I take it we were... close."

From:

im_torchwood

"Once upon a time," Jack replied.

From:

drfeelbad

"You want to elaborate on that?" House said, just as the waitress came back with their drinks. He immediately took a gulp.

From:

im_torchwood

"There was an island," he said. "Don't worry, you don't remember...if it was even you at all."

From:

drfeelbad

"How old was I?" House asked, and then added, "This has happened to me, you know. A new version of someone... but he was younger. Didn't remember me, didn't remember the life of his that I knew."