"Are you Dr. House?"

"No, I'm here for Dr. House. I apologize for the confusion, I thought he called ahead to confirm that I would be coming in his place" Chase repeated firmly, forcing a weak smile onto his face. He could sense the growing irritation coming from the man behind him, as though the eyes were boring holes into his skull. Trying to keep the smile from faltering, Chase tightened his grip on the handle of his suitcase, and watched as the woman rooted through the badges one more time before yanking one free.

"You are aware that Dr. House is scheduled to give a talk on diagnostics at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon?" the woman prompted with a hard glare, stiffly thrusting out her arm to offer the meeting badge with House's name on it. Chase took it as gratefully as he could, nodding with as much politeness as he could muster.

"Yes ma'am, I'm aware. He has given me a review to present in his place. He was simply unable to abandon a critical case he received late last night. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, I really did believe he called ahead" he muttered, feeling the smile start to drop as she rolled her eyes upwards in what must have been disbelief. Chase figured the explanation of her behavior being that she knew of House's less than stellar reputation. If that was the case, no amount of manners would remedy her frustration with a doctor that wasn't even present. With a final nod, Chase walked away from the check-in table, clutching the badge in his hand and hurrying towards the elevator as quickly as he could.

Though he could feel that his face was flushed with the embarrassment spawning from the encounter, he held his head high, surveying the rest of the recent arrivals into the hotel. There were no faces that he could recognize amidst the masses, unable to distinguish the businessmen from the doctors as they milled about the lobby, all wordlessly moving towards their destination with solemn intent. Just as Chase was about to resign himself to being a stranger in solitude, a voice called out, loud and cheerful through the din of dress shoes hitting tile floors.

"Robert? Robert Chase? Is that you?"

At the sound of his name, Chase stopped, and looked around for the source of the voice. Just as he turned to look over his right shoulder, he was surprised with an old but familiar face just a few paces away. The towering form of the tall doctor was hard to mistake, even in a crowd.

"Dr. Lowell?" Chase questioned, feeling practically shocked to see a man from his past, a past that was nearly history by now. The head of oncology from the first hospital he had interned with was standing a few meters away from where he stood now, a smile on the face of the aging man. Though it took some effort to push past the initial shock, Chase was able to pull another artificial smile onto his face, moving forward to greet the other doctor, who had outstretched a hand in welcome.

"Please, call me Jeff" he said cheerfully, shaking Chase's hand firmly. "And of course, it's Dr. Chase now, isn't it? Your internship with us ended just two weeks before graduation. The most promising young intensivist we had seen in quite some while, and have seen since" the older doctor spoke fondly, although Chase was still hunting through his memories for any significant interactions that he had had with Lowell throughout his internship. Finding none in the split second it took for the introduction to pass, Chase kept the smile plastered on his face, ignoring the unpleasant tugging in his cheeks.

"That's correct, it is, but Robert, or just Chase, work fine. How have you been, sir? I haven't seen you in quite some time." The question was Chase's now desperate attempt to see if the older man would somehow hint as to what must be blank spaces in his memory, fill those voids with experience. For Chase was growing continually concerned as he stared at Lowell's face, and could not recall anything outside of the passing comment regarding patients.

"I've been just fine" Lowell answered warmly, ushering Chase towards the elevators with an open hand as they spoke. "I assume that you have had an interesting experience with your job thus far, at the least, with Dr. House. Tell me, what is it like? A world renowned doctor, and you've been working under him for years now. Has it been as wonderful an experience as you were told?" Lowell questioned as Chase stepped into the elevator beside him, punching in their floor numbers with deft fingers. Chase merely shrugged, staring down at the badge he still held in his left hand, the one with House's name on it, unsure exactly how to answer the question without sounding rude and ungrateful, especially to this near stranger.

"It's been everything I hoped for. I really do hope to see you around this afternoon and tomorrow" Chase offered, noting with some degree of relief that he was mere seconds away from arriving on his floor. The interaction had put him inexplicably on edge, despite the fact that seeing a kind and familiar face should be welcoming, if nothing else. In fact, it seemed that Lowell was not eager to see Chase depart.

As the doors slid open, Lowell reached out a hand, and rested it on Chase's arm with the tenderness of an old friend. The smile dropped, and with wide eyes, Chase looked down at the hand on his arm, a wave of anxiety running up his spine at the sensation of the rough skin on his. Looking back up to the other doctor, he saw Lowell still smiling, warmth and kindness filling his eyes, despite the unusual touch.

"I do hope I'll be seeing you as well, Dr. Chase" Lowell spoke softly, before releasing his touch on Chase's arm. The second the contact ceased, Chase pulled himself quickly out of the elevator, suddenly realizing that he needed to take a deep breath after sharing such a confining space. With his suitcase in tow behind him, Chase took a few breaths before checking the number of his room, and walking in that direction with a positive stride, head held high despite his nerves.

Whatever it had been, Chase was unable to shake the unsettled feeling that talking with Lowell had given him. Although he did clearly recall the two years he had spent as a student intern, there was no part of him that remember any special interactions with Lowell, none that warranted the attention he had received just moments earlier. The man had merely been the head of oncology, and often spoke to the surgeon that Chase was working under the supervision of, and sometimes spoke to Chase himself in matters regarding tumors and other cancerous masses. There was something about the degree of friendliness with which Lowell was speaking, the awkward touch as he departed, that put Chase on edge.

But as he arrived at the door to his hotel room, the thoughts shook themselves free from his mind. He was at the two day conference in House's place, and he had a full agenda, including speaking at the presentation that House was supposed to give on diagnostic medicine. A presentation which he had yet to completely prepare, due to the fact he had only been informed the previous night that he was to be attending this conference. Dragging his suitcase into his room, the thoughts of anxiety on Lowell were replaced with anxiety over the next two days, and just how busy he was going to be.

-H-O-U-S-E-

Closing the notebook on his lap, Chase stood, tucking the pen into his shirt pocket as he began to make his way towards the door. He was following a steady stream of other doctors, most of them reduced to shuffling in silence after the long day. A few were exchanging words with one another as they made their way back to the elevators, but for the most part, there was a comfortable silence of content. Night had fallen a few hours ago, but in the brightly lit conference room, it had been hard to tell. The relief that the final talk of the day had come to a close was apparent, and Chase's body was crying out for some rest, despite the fact there would be quite some time before sleep.

It wasn't as though Chase were a stranger to long nights. After pulling all-nighters for House, all he required to be utterly awake and alert the next morning was a cup of coffee and a thirty minute nap. And how the night was going so far, he would have to work off of just as much if he were to get the work completed. The presentation that he was going to prepare wasn't going to finish itself. A laptop and a pad of paper were awaiting him at the desk of his room, and even as he was walking, Chase resisted the urge to sigh in dread.

He was one of the last to leave the room, giving a final nod to the speaker before following the trail of doctors towards the lobby, which were then snaking towards the elevators. A gentle hum was escaping his lips, too soft for anyone else to hear, his mind reaching a serenity of calming work, an attempt to soothe his frayed nerves. But this calmness was broken when a hand clapped down on his shoulder, shattering the picturesque haven that his mind had retreated to.

"Good to see you again, Robert" a gentle voice came by his ear, and Chase turned around, surprised to be looking once more at Lowell. Trying to recover the breath that had been stolen from his lungs at the startling appearance, Chase inhaled deeply and shook his head before responding.

"Nice to see you too, Dr. Lowell" he responded as cordially as possible, his back rigid from the contact on his shoulder, an unfamiliar and unusual touch. Discomfort filled his gut, but he tried to ease himself out of the sudden anxiety by listening to Lowell's warm laugh.

"I told you, please call me Jeff. You're a grown man, Robert, and a doctor at that. We're practically coworkers now. There's no need to keep using such formalities" the brown haired man restated with a chuckle, his hand still remaining on Chase's shoulder.

Swallowing, Chase walked forward still, moving into the lobby, where lines waited at the closed elevator doors. Chase silently screamed inside his skull, knowing that the retreat to his room was still minutes away, and that he would have to endure that much time in discomfort with Lowell's attention focused on him. But it seemed as though Lowell noticed the same as Chase did, and began speaking again, his voice soft.

"Listen, why don't we take the stairs? It'll get us to our rooms quicker than waiting in a line all night. Besides, you're only three floors up, right? It should be no problem" Lowell offered, and Chase nodded, trying to shrug the heavy weight of Lowell's hand off his shoulder. Even if it meant walking a bit further with this man, making him ever more uneasy, Chase was eager to get back to his room and finish the presentation.

Quit being so nervous. He's just an old mentor, happy to see you again. Everything's fine Chase argued with his mind, able to breathe a bit easier as the hand slid off his shoulder. As he followed the older man down the hall to the side of the lobby, he battled with his thoughts, realizing that there was no justification for his unease. Relaxing ever so slightly, he felt his feet his carpet, watching as they walked down a narrow hall, a few vending machines passing by as they went.

"Did you know they have a pool here? They even have twenty-four hour access, as long as you have your room card. I know that this is just a glorified convention for all of us in white coats, but we at least have some very nice things in this place. Come on, let's take a quick look before we go back to our rooms" Lowell said softly, and Chase managed to shake his head, shying away from Lowell with a sidestep.

"I really do have a lot of work to do" Chase said with a half-smile, trying to hide the tremor in his voice, ignoring the grin that Lowell had on his face. "Maybe we can look tomorrow morning, right? I have a presentation to prepare" he finished, nodding his head towards the end of the hall where the stairwell was located.

As they continued walking, the stench of chlorine increased in intensity, but the softness of Lowell's voice grew sickeningly sweet as he said the next few words in a hushed tone.

"What're you saying, Robert? Don't you want to spend a little time with me tonight? I've missed your face so much since you left. You were always so pretty, weren't you? I'm just glad to see none of that has changed" Lowell whispered, and he reached out a hand, moving to gently touch Chase's hair.

His heart beating with an incredible intensity, Chase batted Lowell's hand away, and backed to the wall of the hallway, eyes wide with fear and confusion. His body was rigid in defense, his eyes darting between the open hand and Lowell's eyes. Trying to push any fear from his voice, he demanded an answer from the older doctor, hiding the disgust he was feeling at the intimate gesture.

"Hey, listen, don't touch me-" but before he could finish, he was cut off by Lowell rushing forward, and the man's fist flying into his face. His world exploded into a bright display of white pain, and he managed to grunt between his teeth a few curses, trying to bring himself back to awareness to swing back, get away. A knee sank into his groin before he could gather a punch and the pain increased tenfold throughout his body.

Weak in the knees and doubled over, Chase only stumbled when Lowell grabbed him by the back of the neck with a grasp hard enough to make him see stars. A clicking sound came through the pain, and Chase registered that he was being dragged through a set of doors, into a dark room. For a moment he was able to pull himself out of the pain and tried to take a step back, however feeble, but he was rewarded with a sharp kick to the back of his knees.

Crying out in pain, Chase couldn't help but feel his eyes burn as Lowell's hands went to his hair, taking fistfuls of it and throwing him roughly over one of the chairs that lined the pool. Chase couldn't hear anything other than Lowell's grunting and the lapping of water through the darkness, a dimly lit room that they must be sharing with the swimming pool. His senses burning from the acrid tang of chlorine and other chemicals, Chase struggled to rise from where he had been thrown, but a knee in his back kept him firmly in place, draped over a lounge chair.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Robert. You don't have to make me do this. Just relax and it'll be over" Lowell growled. Chase couldn't formulate a response, and make a weak attempt to look back at Lowell, despite the knee in his back. After a few more blows to his body, Chase was left gasping for air and struggling to do so much as move, much less turn his head. His ears were ringing, but he could still hear the sound of a belt buckle being undone, a zipper splitting the hesitant silence in the pool area. Though his mind was reeling from the shock of the blows, Chase couldn't imagine the truth of what he was hearing.

"Please, don't do this" he coughed, which earned him another strike to the back of the head, and a hand wrapped around his throat, suddenly cutting off his oxygen. Any other concerns disappeared as he suddenly fought for air, gagging, choking, as the edges of his vision grew dark. Just as he swore he was about to go unconscious, the hand released, and Chase was left gasping for air, his body numb from the trauma.

For a moment the knee was off his back, but before he could move to get up it was pressed down as hard as ever. His knees grated against the ground, skin tearing despite the barrier his pants created between him and the concrete. His torso was being pressed so hard against the chair he could hardly take a breath, his legs on the ground, as though he were kneeling from the waist down. It was then that Lowell's hands found their way to the waistband of Chase's pants, and the doctor struggled again, body sparking in sensation as he fought away from the touch.

The routine repeated, the choking, the gagging, the punches, and when Chase was left feeling as though he was going to die, as though he couldn't move any longer, he felt the sensation of cold air across his bare lower body.

No, God, please no he begged silently, willing any part of his body to move, but he was too battered. The room was spinning, and he was still struggling to breathe. A rough hand came from behind and grabbed his hair, yanking his head back. A voice whispered words into his ear, dripping with malicious intent.

"You were always so pretty, Chase. You never saw how I looked at you, did you? You never noticed me. But I noticed you. You're brilliant, and I want you for myself" the man growled, but before Chase could cry out in protest, white hot pain filled his body.

With the invasive impact, Chase's body was slammed up against the chair, and his lungs were so compressed that he couldn't draw a breath. His vision was swimming as the assault began, ears filled with the thunder of his own rapid heartbeat. Tears filled his eyes, and he could hear Lowell's grunts, feel the pain, and the occasional blow to the side of his head at any signs of a struggle. He tried to cry out, but his throat was raw, and he could hardly draw a breath, much less scream. The pain was overwhelming, and it felt like an eternity that it continued, his lower body filled with pain, and his face was damp with sweat and with tears. But suddenly the intrusion was gone, and the pressure from his back and body was released.

He couldn't move, he couldn't think, he couldn't see. As soon as he tried to turn his head, he felt nausea sweep over him, and he was forced to remain limp over the lounge chair, knees stinging, body screaming in pain from the assault. He heard Lowell moving around, his zipper splitting the silence once again, the buckle sealing the reality. Then the voice came, ever so gently, but with such an evil tone that Chase was left shivering even worse than he already was.

"Don't you think about telling anyone what I did to you. No one will believe you. A story like this would be so ridiculous that not even your best friends could believe you. And if I find out you tried to tell someone? I'll come after you again. And I won't leave you breathing afterwards. You're mind now, Robert Chase."

And with that, the man was gone, and Chase finally felt a sob break free of this throat. The sound was miserable, pathetic, as though he were nothing more than a beaten dog. He could hardly bear to hear himself as he whimpered with each movement.

He rolled off of the lounge chair, shaking terribly as his body impacted the pavement, his muscles failing to catch him. His whole body screamed in pain, but all he could do was reach down and try to yank his pants up, hoping that the moisture he felt wasn't blood. He was surely in enough pain that there was some concern he was bleeding, that something had torn, but he hurried to hide his shame as quickly as he could manage.

It took a full minute before he could bring himself to stand, and when he first got to his feet, his steps were shaking. With the back of his hands, he wiped the tears from his eyes, and stared out into the bright hallway, which was just beyond the corner. Lowell and he had been just out of sight of anyone who might have passed by, and Lowell had sufficiently stifled Chase's screams. He had been utterly alone.

It was difficult to go out into the light, but Chase did so, trying to push the assault out of his mind, despite the pain it took to take each step. Everything ached, and it felt as though his soul had been punched from his body, as though he had been left entirely hollow. And it was on those same shaky legs he made his way up to his room, and the very same legs that gave out beneath him the second he shut the door.

Thank you all so much for reading! If you have any comments or critique, feel free to drop a review, or shoot me a PM. I hope to be updating soon! Thanks again :)