House and Logan

[im_torchwood]

THere'd been spikes of weird energy coming from the hospital. Jack had tracked it and had of course dragged Logan along. He'd followed the signal to a room where he saw a very familiar face. That explained everything. Hex didn't know Jakc, but oh, boy, did Jack know Hex. He had full dossiers on every one of the Doctors companions he could find.

He sauntered in to find Hex asleep and House in the room.

"We need to talk," he said firmly. "About him."

Comments

[drfeelbad]

When House looked at Logan, there was no note of recognition in his face. "And who is he, your neurology specialist?" House said shortly. "Sure, hit me with some medical facts."

[logan_echolls]

"You're as pleasant as ever, aren't you, doc?" Logan replied, though the smile on his lips wasn't unkind. It was familiar- Friendly, even.

He put the chart back and pulled out what looked like a mobile phone, using it to scan Hex.

[im_torchwood]

"There's an energy signature coming off of him. Something I've never seen. House, you're going to have to think outside the box," he said.

[drfeelbad]

House glared at him. "Can you just stop talking in fucking riddles and just tell me what's going on? Or do you just enjoy fucking with my head too much? Was Hex on some weird island, too?" He pointed at the young man with him. "You want to tell me he was in love with me? If you know what's wrong with Hex, just tell me so I can fix it."

[logan_echolls]

"Aw, no. But there's still time for us, doc. You want to get dinner later, see where the night takes us?" Logan quipped, lowering the device and glancing at Jack. ...Jack who did like his riddles.

"There's shit in his brain, right? Jack doesn't know what it is either, despite how hot and authoritative he's trying to be right now. But... Uh, we're pretty sure it's aliens. ...Or, okay, maybe not aliens, but it's not a tumor, you know?" Logan shrugged.

[im_torchwood]

"Yes. As my neurologist succinctly put it, he has aliens in his brain," Jack said dryly. He actually smiled at Logan's smart ass flirting. He probably should have been jealous, but in the moment it was simply charmingly nostalgic.

"Logan, scan him and see if you can find out any more. It'd be nice if there was a clear, obvious answer."

He looked at House.

"There's never a clear answer."

[drfeelbad]

"He has aliens in his brain," House repeated flatly, and then shoved the file violently back into its holder. "Well fuck, why not. I mean it's either that or it's fairies or vampires, right? I mean, why am I even here? He doesn't need a doctor, he needs a fucking exorcist."

[logan_echolls]

Logan continued scanning, then frowned a little, not sure what to make of the readings as he handed the device over to Jack.

"If he didn't need a doctor we wouldn't be talking to one," he pointed out with a small shrug.

[im_torchwood]

Jack read the readout with a scowl, then handed it back to Logan. He flipped open his wrist strap and scanned the sleeping man.

"Oh, yeah. He needs a doctor. There's a dimensional portal just there. They don't usually open up inside people, though. You've got to close it."

[drfeelbad]

House had seen the gap in Hex's scans already. But fucking hell...

"A dimensional portal. In his brain." House sighed and carded his hands through his hair.

[logan_echolls]

"Could be worse. Could be something that eats brains," Logan pointed out. "If you ever need fresh nightmare fuel, boy do I have a file you should read."

He looked at Jack for a beat, then over at House, then back at Jack. "Actually, we should give him the Montgomery file."

His gaze shifted back to Greg as he explained, "Raymond Montgomery had a portal open in his mind in 1886. At least, we're pretty sure that's what it was. Doctors managed to partially close it using... Shit, what was it?"

Logan had worked his way through a good chunk of the archive in an effort to digitize it, his time with Navel intelligence leaving him craving a better filing system. Pulling his phone out he skimmed the archive, pulling up the file.

"They used some kind of laser tool, alien tech. Burned the portal out with moderate success. But, modern tools and techniques could offer a better solution," he shrugged, not waiting for Jack's permission before handing his phone to House so he could see. Jack liked his riddles, Logan preferred to just get results.

[im_torchwood]

"Oh, yeah...that could work," Jack replied with a smile and a gaze of pride and admiration all for Logan. It only lasted for a flash, then he turned back to House.

"I might be able to dig something out of storage...or do hospitals use Cobalt-60 yet?" he asked. Surely this had to be near around the time humans had discovered that.

[drfeelbad]

House looked back and forth between them and then said, "Cobalt-60. I mean, I've read about it. I'm not even sure we have a gamma knife here, but it's possible. That's some experimental shit, though."

[logan_echolls]

"We can get you one," Logan shrugged- Assuming that was an actual thing they could do.

[im_torchwood]

"Yeah, it might take a day. And it'll have to be installed in your MRI room. Have you ever run a gamma knife?" he asked, thinking he might have to steal a technician, too.

[drfeelbad]

"I'm not a surgeon," House reminded him. He glanced back at Hex. "And I'm not going to risk doing a shit job on him. I'll find someone."

[logan_echolls]

Logan nodded, watching House curiously.

"He's a friend?" he asked.

[im_torchwood]

Being a friend was the only excuse Jack could think of. Otherwise House only cared about results, not really the patient.

Jack had to admit, this was a pretty good puzzle for the good doctor to solve.

[drfeelbad]

"He's my ex's boyfriend," House said, because it was true, and that way he didn't have to decide whether Hex was a friend or not.

[logan_echolls]

Logan raised a brow in surprise, then smiled softly.

"I'll put a call in for the equipment," he offered, leaving the pair to talk.

[im_torchwood]

"Which ex?" Jack blurted out.

[drfeelbad]

"Jealous?" asked House flatly. But then he said - "Fin. Who I'm sure you know about, given that you were stalking me. So I'm a little surprised you didn't already know about him." He jerked a thumb at Hex.

[im_torchwood]

"I didn't realize it was a relationship," Jack replied casually. He didn't judge.

"As for him, I've been watching him for a long time," he said. "He disappears from time to time, but I've got a line on where he goes."

[drfeelbad]

"Really?" House said. "You in love with him too?"

[im_torchwood]

"No, thank God. He's a hot mess," Jack laughed. "If he's with Fin and you're with Fin..did the three of you ever...?" he asked with a vague hand prompting House.

[drfeelbad]

House blinked. "No," he said immediately. Then paused, and added, "And like I said, Fin and I aren't together anymore."

[im_torchwood]

"Like that ever stopped you," Jack mumbled, barely intelligible. He wandered over and looked at Hex laying there asleep.

"I just wish I knew why this happened to him. Here. Now." He looked at House. "I've seen a lot of weird stuff, but I've never seen anything quite like this."

[drfeelbad]

"You think I have?" said House. He didn't like mysteries that he was at a disadvantage to solve.

[im_torchwood]

"Greg, you see things no one else could even imagine," Jack said with warm admiration. "So if you can think of any reason a dimensional portal would open in a time traveller's frontal cortex, I'm just going to believe you're right."

[drfeelbad]

"Time traveller, what the - Hex?" Then House sighed deeply, in a 'no one ever tells me anything' kind of sigh. "What the hell do I know about dimensional portals? Because as far as I know from all the science fiction I've seen, portals are what things go into and come out of." House jerked a thumb at Hex. "So are you going to tell me now that something is going to come out of that portal?"

[im_torchwood]

"That's what doors do," he replied evenly. "I suppose it's too much to hope to know what wants to come through. I mean, you could ask him, but he'll just lie. Everyone lies."

[drfeelbad]

"Yes," House agreed.

Then - "You don't actually think something's going to come through a portal do you?"

[im_torchwood]

Jack shrugged.

"I think that right now, that's in your hands," he said. "I'll get you the gamma knife, but then it's up to you to save him, doc."

[drfeelbad]

"Look, I will close the whole in his head," House said. "But beyond that, it's outside of my expertise. If a demon comes crawling out of his head, it's probably just going to kill me."

[im_torchwood]

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," he said. And...it didn't seem like he was joking. At all. He did reach out and clap House on the shoulder. "You'll be fine. Why don't you do some of that great bedside manner thing and I'll take Logan and go get what you need."