snowblindrpg | [network] @hotstud_xxx; text/video [open] Night 198

[Ever since waking up, collecting his things, and stepping into the stairwell in the hospital, pushed by the force that always pervades revival areas, House has been absolutely paralyzed. Should he go up? Should he stay? Should he contact someone? Should he...? Anything, really. It's like his will has been stripped out of him completely, leaving someone who is absolutely craving direction. He has none. He has too many. There are too many choices, and he can't make a decision. Finally, when the locks click to lockdown, there's one decision that he can make for the simple sake of actually surviving for the immediate future.

House wants to make it private to just one person, but he has no idea who to choose. In the end, he sends out an open message on the network. There's a video showing an elevator and stairwell area that anyone who's been through the hospital will recognize. House is careful of his phrasing. This is an incredibly damaging loss... whatever the hell it is.]

someone tell me where to go from here tomorrow

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

fine

[He just needs to stop talking. Please hang up or tell him to hang up.]

what else have you been told to do?

[He's going to have to run down the list now. Jesus, Ecks.]

leave the hospital
go upstairs
go east
meet with you at hsiaoke pass
don't go to places that kill me
kill myself after a few days
tell someone something they didn't know
tell someone why i thought rushing off and dying was a good idea
promise not to get myself killed again
tell someone why i am the way i am and don't want people to care about me dying
don't lie
go screw myself

do not kill yourself or hurt yourself no matter what you have been or are told to do
also do not talk to people who are not me

okay

[And he's already been not-talking to people except Tony.]

[There, problems solved. If he doesn't speak with anyone else he can't accidentally elicit any more orders, and she can safely fetch him and look after him until he is able to ~~be a person~~ make decisions again.

Ecks makes the mistake of taking a moment to check her map and plot a route before looking at the network again. Precious minutes tick by before she sees him still replying elsewhere in text and realizes that her order had a gaping loophole and that he is still in danger.]

STOP COMMUNICATING BY ANY MEANS WITH ANYONE WHO IS NOT ME

Edited 2017-01-14 05:50 (UTC)

[House makes a frustrated noise to himself. Steph has already gotten to this.]

Little late for that.

[Even if he's... still following some of the pre-existing orders she said he could ignore.]

I know
but you can stop now
were you told to do anything else bad?

No. The superseding order's good. It lets me disregard other orders and past orders.

[To an extent.]

that is good
I am still coming to find you

I'm at the hospital heading north, then east.

Edited 2017-01-21 04:50 (UTC)

east into the tunnel to downtown or east after leaving the ice caves?

East after leaving the ice caves to meet you. I'm almost out of food.

[Which is the only way he has of asking her to please order him to get some.]

Edited 2017-01-23 06:26 (UTC)

I am also almost out of food
we will get food together when I find you

[Or...]

disregard my previous order to come east
go to the school and obtain food as needed
then wait for me in the shed unless I tell you otherwise

Okay.

[Look at that! Sciencedad can follow orders without complaint. Mainly because it really is something he needed to do, anyway.]

do you need further orders tonight?

[House sighs to himself.]

I don't know. I can't make decisions.

[She knows this feel.]

is there an obvious mechanism by which you would be injured or otherwise harmed through action or inaction if you do not receive further orders from me tonight?

[That, at least, is a factual question, not a judgement call.]

No.

contact me if a situation arises in which you are in danger that could be prevented by me providing an order

I will send you a message when I am closer to you

Acknowledged.

[Unfortunately, she'll need to be the one to hang up, or she'll need to order him to do so. It's ridiculous to use her own verbiage here, but House is too tired not to. It's just easier to communicate this way.]

[This isn't how things normally go and she is momentarily confused.]

acknowledgment acknowledged

[But she does hang up.]

[network] @hotstud_xxx; text/video [open] Night 198

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