A/N: This is it, the last chapter. Stay tuned for the next story in The Doctor Who Crossover Series: The Doctor Paralleled, a crossover with Firefly.
Disclaimer: I don't own House or Doctor Who
5: The Symbiote
"You bastard!" Cameron yelled at Chase as she entered the Diagnostic Office. "I hitchhiked here just to get my car, and then you call me and tell me there's some emergency?"
"Sorry, what?" Chase asked. "Why didn't you have your car?"
"Bastard," Cameron mumbled as Foreman walked in, not wanting to reveal to her other coworker that she had agreed to go on a real date with Chase.
"What're we doing here?" Foreman queried. "House sent us home."
"There's something wrong with House," Chase said. "Actually, it was wrong with Cameron first, then me, I guess, and now House."
"You know this how?" Cameron asked.
"You couldn't remember what happened today, I can't remember what happened five minutes ago, and now House's eyes are black," Chase replied curtly. "You put it together."
"Oh," Cameron said, sitting down.
"Where is he?" Foreman asked.
"I'm not sure," Chase said. "He said something about 'The Doctor' and then left."
"Who's 'The Doctor'?" Cameron asked.
"Could be anyone," Foreman replied. "We're in a hospital."
.-.-.-.
"Here he comes," The Doctor said as a piercing whistle floated into the room. Martha and Jack were both on the edges of their seats, watching the door to The Doctor's room. It slid back slowly, revealing Doctor House.
"The Doctor," House whispered, stepping slowly into the room. "The perfect prey."
"I woke you up, didn't I?" The Doctor asked cheerily, pushing back the covers and sitting up. "You were all set to sleep, but then you found out I was here and bam! You're awake!"
"That's it?" Martha asked. "It was him all along?"
"Well, no," The Doctor said. "It was in one of his team all along."
"In them?" Jack asked. House lunged as best he could towards The Doctor, taking advantage of the confused banter, but Jack got in his way. He pushed House back, keeping a tight grip on the other man's arm.
"He trusts you," House said. He raised his hand and wrapped it around Jack's throat, pushing him against the wall. He pressed his lips harshly against Jack's, and Martha could swear she saw Jack kissing back. Two seconds later, House took a small step back, disgust painted on his face.
"What the hell?" House shouted, staring at Jack. Jack grinned maniacally and turned his attention to The Doctor.
.-.-.-.
"Who could he be going after?" Cameron asked. "'The Doctor.' It doesn't make sense."
"My question is what's making us act like this," Chase mused. Foreman looked from Cameron to Chase.
"It's Mr. Smith," he said.
"What? The guy with the migrating heart? What makes you think that?" Cameron asked.
"You didn't start acting weird until you saw his box," Foreman replied.
"That's got to be it, then," Chase said, standing. He ran to the door and out into the hall. Cameron and Foreman exchanged glances before jumping up and following.
.-.-.-.
"Jack, you look much better with brown eyes," The Doctor said as he stood up. House had pushed himself into a corner and Martha was inching farther away from Jack.
"What the hell is going on?" House asked, no one bothered to answer.
"Martha, get my heart started," The Doctor said. Martha nodded and hit The Doctor's back as hard as she could. "There we go!"
.-.-.-.
"Chase!" Cameron yelled at her coworker's back. He was almost to the room, but he didn't stop. He glanced over his shoulder as he ran through the door. Cameron stopped, making Foreman run into her back.
"What?" he asked. Cameron shook her head.
"What if he has a gun?" she asked.
.-.-.-.
"Let's play pass the Symbiote, shall we?" The Doctor asked. He grabbed the paddles of the defibrillator and glanced at Martha. She nodded and started turning the machine on. Seconds later, another hand was turning it off. She turned and looked up into Robert Chase's face.
"Sorry," she mumbled and pushed him. He stumbled back, his legs hit a chair and he fell into it; and Martha returned to her task.
"C'mon little guy, just a bit closer," The Doctor muttered, coaxing Jack towards him. Jack lunged and The Doctor met him half way, pushing the paddles to the other man. Jack jolted where he stood and a black cloud rose out of his mouth. He collapsed onto the ground and Chase ran to his side.
"What did you do?" Chase asked.
"He's alive," The Doctor replied, quickly replacing the defibrillator paddles. "Martha, get me a container." Martha nodded and grabbed the nearest thing, a pill bottle that was lying on the floor. She tossed it to The Doctor. He opened it and dumped the pills onto the floor before quickly scooping the black cloud into it.
"What. Was. That?" House asked, inching forward.
"That was the symbiote," The Doctor replied, kneeling down next to Jack. He handed Martha the pill bottle and gently shook his friend's shoulder. Jack groaned and sat up, rubbing his head.
"Did we win?" he asked, and The Doctor laughed.
"We won," he replied. "C'mon, let's get out of here." Martha and Jack followed The Doctor out of the room, past Cameron and Foreman, down the corridor, into the elevators and eventually out onto the street. Once they reached the corner, they all started laughing.
"Did you see Dr. Chase's face?" Martha asked though peals of laughter. Jack and The Doctor nodded, both grinning.
"So, what exactly was that thing?" Jack inquired.
"A genetically engineered symbiote," The Doctor replied, taking the pill bottle from Martha and looking through the orange plastic at the black cloud floating inside. "It'll be dead soon, can't live long outside of a host."
"Where did it come from?" Martha asked as they reached the TARDIS.
"I have no idea," The Doctor answered as Jack pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the doors. "And we aren't leaving until I get a chance to change!" he added, looking down at the hospital gown he was still wearing.
.-.-.-.
Cameron, Chase, Foreman, and House sat around the table in the diagnostics office. No one had said anything after their strange patient and his friends had departed. The three ducklings had watched House carefully pick up his Vicodin and slip it into his pocket, all hoping that he wasn't actually planning on taking it, and then they had trooped down the hall to their office. They didn't even look up when the door opened and Cuddy and Wilson walked in.
"Where's Mr. Smith?" Cuddy inquired, raising an eyebrow at the sight of her diagnostic team.
"He left," Cameron stated.
"Where did he go?" Wilson asked.
"Home," Chase replied.
"Was he better?" Cuddy queried.
"He was never sick," Foreman explained.
"All right, then we have another case for you," Cuddy said, tossing a file onto the table. She and Wilson exchanged a glance and left. No one moved to grab the file.
.-.-.-.
"Where to next?" The Doctor asked after he had changed out of his hospital gown.
"I have a question," Martha said, looking from The Doctor to Jack. "If you two met during World War Two, then why are you here?"
"Vacation," Jack replied simply.
"Mmhmmm," Martha said, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, C'mon," The Doctor said. "Where are we going next?"
"Can we go to see what would have happened if we'd never existed?" Martha inquired.
"You mean parallel universes?" Jack asked, Martha nodded.
"No, we can't," The Doctor said shortly, starting up the TARDIS. "Guess that mean's I'm choosing again," he said with a laugh. Jack rolled his eyes and Martha gave a short sigh as they headed for their next adventure.
.-.-.-.
"What the hell was that?" House finally asked.
"I say it didn't happen," Foreman replied, picking up the folder from where Cuddy had dropped it.
"All right," Chase said. "It never happened.
"If it never happened, then who the hell dumped my Vicodin all over the floor?" House queried.
"Guess it means you did," Cameron replied.