[log] If Looks Could Kill (You Would Be Dead) [closed]

[thewarningafter]

Characters: Doctors Strange and House
Location: Hospital (building 131)
Date: 197 (afternoon / evening)
Summary: Dr. Strange wants to find out what's going on with his cloak. Dr. House dies again.
Warnings: Dr. House is going to die. Again.

131: The hospital is eerie in its silence, and snow presses in against many of the windows, keeping much of it in sterile darkness. It still smells like a hospital; the antiseptic is fresh, and there isn't much dust. Someone must be cleaning it, and yet it's clear no one is here. The hospital is four stories high with one basement, all connected via the elevator lobby and staircase. Unfortunately, the wall of the elevator lobby has been torn open all the way down, exposing it to the bitter air outside. While you can explore and remain on most of the floors of the hospital at night, you cannot travel between them until it's daytime once more, as the lobby seals itself up at curfew. The staircase is its own separate enclosed area, but it too seals itself off from the lobby at night, so you'll be spending an uncomfortable night on the staircase if you get stuck there.

Comments

[thewarningafter]

What for? If it's the thing under town hall, it wants us to reach it. Why the puzzles?

[Don't think he's missed those scratches, House. Don't think he hasn't worked out that they were made by fingernails, either.]

[rubikscomplex]

[Well, as long as they aren't talking about it, noticing is a moot point.]

What wants us to get to the center and dig deep isn't necessarily what's destroying the town. Or it's different pieces of the thing at war with each other. We're caught between at least two forces. They've each got their agendas for what they want to make us do.

[thewarningafter]

The puzzles aren't stopping us, though, they're just slowing us down. By definition they're there to be solved.

[rubikscomplex]

Delay us long enough, the clock runs out, and we lose. Like I said. Opposing forces. I don't think the rogue AI is fully in control, which is why it can only set up complicated roadblocks. Or maybe it's some part of the Admin that's trying help us get through, but it can't be overt about it.

[House shrugs.]

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen sighs.]

Or it's all one big, elaborate experiment and all of the apparent tensions between our captors are manufactured.

[rubikscomplex]

Well, yeah. That's an option, too. But it's the least fun one.

[thewarningafter]

You were the one trying to convince everyone this isn't even real.

[rubikscomplex]

I think parts of it aren't real. This? [He reaches down and raps his knuckles briefly on the counter top.] Probably real. The thing in the morgue, Definitely real. We're just getting an illusion instead of seeing what it is. There's something physically here. Just a matter of it not looking like it should.

[And talking of messing with senses.]

Have you been listening to the walls, yet? They're filled with static. Got an extra stethoscope, if you need it for searching.

[thewarningafter]

Just found one today, actually. [And he'd been thinking more in terms of traditional uses for the thing, but he files away a note to self about the walls.]

Although...I'm going to meet with Claire in a few days. I've got some things to give her. She could probably use a stethoscope, if you wanted to come along and give it to her.

[Just going to pretend he doesn't know what House is here to do.]

[rubikscomplex]

[House just gives Stephen a flat look for a moment.]

I'm not meeting anyone else, Strange. But you can make yourself useful.

[He moves away from the microscope and carefully around Stephen to his pack. House pulls out not only his stethoscope, but he starts pulling out a number of other items:

• Anti-Itch Cream
  
• Baby powder
  
• Baby wipes
  
• A cold compress
  
• Cotton balls
  
• Ear drops
  
• Eye drops
  
• A knee brace
  
• Skin adhesive (liquid stitches)
  
• A syringe (with needle)
  
• Petroleum jelly
  
• A bottle of bupropion (150 mg tablets, 3/4 of a bottle)
  
• Bandages.]

You found all of this.

[House gives Stephen a significant look.]

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen returns the look, not breaking eye contact until House does. Then he sighs and swings his cloak onto his shoulders as House goes to his own bag, letting it settle there without benefit of actual clasps to hold it in place. He glances over, eyebrows slowly climbing at the growing pile of supplies.]

She's smarter than that, and you don't have to do this.

[rubikscomplex]

It's taking up room and weight in my pack. And I'm not using it. I'd rather not have her thinking it's a gesture. She wants to play bleeding heart, she can do it better with this crap and people won't bother me.

[There is a selfish logic excuse for you to hang your hat on, Stephen, don't worry.]

Fine, you didn't find it. Someone else gave it to you. Elric. He's been here from the start and probably has a crapton of supplies.

[thewarningafter]

[More like he's displaying classic signs of suicidal ideation, giving away valuable things because he's not using it. Stephen can make up excuses for Claire if it comes to that, but he's not buying the selfish logic.]

You might not come back this time.

[rubikscomplex]

No risk, no reward.

[House stares up at Stephen over his reading glasses, aware of the fact that they make him look professorial and, therefore, more authoritative. It's something to check if Strange responds to it.]

[thewarningafter]

[The glasses don't hurt his case, but Stephen's never been all that good at deferring to authority. The argument itself is actually what's more compelling, though he's still not buying it yet.]

And you think the reward's going to be worth it? I would have thought that you of all people would be aware that dying kind of sucks.

cw: suicidal ideations that will probably continue for the rest of this thread

[rubikscomplex]

So does life. Death sucks for a much shorter period of time.

probably best to assume, yes.

[thewarningafter]

[Not a sentiment with which Stephen can empathize.]

...Have you considered therapy.

[rubikscomplex]

Have you considered screwing yourself?

[thewarningafter]

[This really isn't helping his general feelings of helplessness. Time to redirect it into a joke.]

As a matter of fact....

[rubikscomplex]

You and Holmes are basically twinsies, right?

[House slides easily into the joke. It's familiar territory.]

[thewarningafter]

Gross, House. Anyway, he tried to set me up with John. It was weird.

[rubikscomplex]

[That pulls House up short.]

Dude. Seriously?

[thewarningafter]

He was a little addled at the time. But yeah, seriously.

[rubikscomplex]

[The jokes write themselves. He's a little at a loss for what to say.]

Huh... Well, now I'm picturing a threesome. Let's talk about something else. Like downstairs. I need you to help me set a few things up before lockdown.

[thewarningafter]

...Frankly I'd rather talk about the threesome. What makes you think I'm going to help you get yourself killed?