A/N: This takes place shortly after the episode entitled "96 Seconds." House is beginning to wonder if he really did see something, and it's driving him crazy. and I don't own House or it's Characters.

Story:

Due to the recent chain of events, House was surprisingly pleased with himself as he served an extra few hours of clinic duty. His interns had left, and it gave him a chance to run from the thoughts that threatened to take over his brain. Of course, he was still the ego-maniacal narcissistic pain in the butt everyone knew the doctor to be, it just turned out that he was a more productive/i ego-maniacal narcissistic pain in the butt.

Hobbling out of the exam room, House made his way to the atrium to obtain another patient file. He was just opening the file when Cuddy, unsuspectingly, whisked the file from his clutches.

"What are you up to?" She inquired in a voice similar to that of an all-knowing mother.

"Well, haven't you heard? I've had this miraculous change in heart," House sniffled sarcastically, "I've decided that I actually love clinic duty. It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside." Putting his hand to his chest in fake sincerity he continued through Cuddy's all too familiar glare, "removing Barbie's shoe from my last patient's ear makes me want to live another day." Wiping a fake tear from his eye, Dr.House placed his burned hand on Cuddy's shoulder, "I'm glad we had this talk, now if you'll excuse me I need to see what orfice Barbie's shoe will show up in this time."

Lisa subtly grimaced at the sight of his charred hand on her shoulder before he removed it in a round about turn. Greg House's escape was cut short when Cuddy caught his elbow, causing him to face her once again. "I'm serious Greg. After what you did today, the last thing I expected you to do was clinic duty. What is it, for real?"

Rolling his eyes the sarcasm returned to his voice, "You caught me. Clinic duty was a last-ditch effort to get you to have sex with me. I see it's obviously working, so which do you prefer? My office or yours?" He allowed his voice to grow husky in an attempt to get Cuddy to stop asking questions, and leave him be. "Hope you're better that that hooker I hired last night, hate to have her come over two nights in a row."

Dr. Cuddy's glare grew more intense, "you're obviously up to something, so until I figure out exactly what it is you're banned from the clinic."

House smirked at the new rule, "so that means if you never find out, I'll never have clinic duty again." Pausing momentarily he simply stated the word "cool," before he turned abruptly, leaving Cuddy to take in what she'd just committed to.

He was halfway to the elevator before Cuddy managed a response. Lifting the patient file toward House in an authoritative way she yelled to him, "I will find out what you're doing House, and when I do you'll personally have to pay double clinic duty for every hour that you missed. No more conning Wilson into doing it for you, he's got enough of your clinic hours already."

Greg had already reached the elevator by the time she'd finished her rant. Just as the elevator doors were coming to a close he yelled back to her, "Don't worry about that, I'll get Thirteen to fill in for him."

The doors soon closed ending their conversation. Cuddy was left behind with a wry smile on her face. Their relationship definitely had a bit of humor in it and she knew it. She couldn't help but laugh as the casually clad doctor effectively escaped the conversation. If only she knew the hell he was going through trying to stay sane after what he'd seen in those ninety-six seconds.

The silence engulfed the poor doctor in the elevator. All that was left were his thoughts. In effort to combat these dangerous thoughts he yelled, "IT WASN'T REAL!" Stepping out of the elevator and onto the floor where his office was he repeatedly mumbled, "it wasn't real. It can't be real. What I saw was just chemical reactions while my brain was shutting down. I mean, I'd be crazy to think that there's an afterlife. There's no such thing as Heaven or Hell." Each lopsided step grew heavier the more the thoughts and images crowded around his mind. Gruffly, he grabbed his leather jacket and motorcycle helmet.

A surge of pain traveled through his body as House realized that he'd grabbed the helmet with his burned hand through pure habit. A horrible grimace contorted Greg's features before he once again headed for the elevator. He hit the button for the last floor as he combated the thoughts tormenting him. Beads of sweat began to form as he approached the parking garage. At the last minute he headed down a hall that took him away from the parking garage. What he was about to do made very little sense but it was the only thing he thought would save him from himself.

House burst through the ER doors, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He gave a nod to one of the nurses, "I need to speak with Dr.Cameron."

Recognizing him as a fellow doctor the male nurse willing revealed her whereabouts, "down that hall, second room on the right."

Greg proceeded without a word. He quickly peeked in the room to make sure she was indeed in the room he was told. Blue eyes beamed anxiously as he watched her dress a wound, his head swam as he turned to lean against the wall just outside the room. The minutes ticked by painfully as Dr. Cameron took her time caring for her patient, unaware how much she was needed by her former boss. House allowed his helmet to drop to the floor as he waited for Cameron to emerge.

The time finally came when she left the small room. Cameron was about to head to the nurses station when she felt strong arms encircle her from behind. One pulled against her mouth, effectively muffling her startled scream and the other circled her waist and began to pull her backwards. She dropped her clip board and her tiny arms flailed as she struggled against a herculean force. To no avail, she was forced into an empty room by... a man with a cane? She spun around when the door had closed and the man had let her loose.

"House, what are-" Cameron was abruptly cut off by Greg's hand once again covering her mouth. She silently looked on. House's fierce blue eyes shone with great fear and confusion as he searched hers for some clue as to what to say. The held gazes for a few moments before Cameron's eyes drifted to the rest of his appearance.

To say the least, he was disheveled. Sweat covered his face and made his hair stick out in every which way. House's clothing was extremely wrinkled and one patch was worn thin through an excessive wringing of his hand.

Allowing his hand to drop from her lips he simply commanded Cameron, "come with me."

A/N: To Be Continued... Comment Please!!!!!!!