Double-Banded

Chapter 1:When You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello

He threw back his head and felt the handful of pills scrap down his throat. ‘This is it. Finally.’ 

Gregory House had planned out his death many times and in many ways. Never once did he imagine it would be for the reasons he had now nor in the place he was.

The black-clad man wavered again, his vision began to fade as it took everything in him to keep the whiskey-painkiller cocktail from flying out the way it came in. 

It was two a.m. and he was alone.

A brisk breeze sent him reeling and the last of his balance left him as he collapsed onto the sodden grass with a gasp. “Damn it. Even dying hurts..”

“Of course it does, you idiot! What are you thinking?!” A familiarly outraged voice demanded. “Get up!” It wasn’t the cold air that sent a shiver through him as he tried his best to ignore his companion. “You’re ignoring me? Really?! What are you five?!”

“Shut up.”

“Oh gee thanks. Tell the man trying to save your life to shut up. That makes sense!” The exasperated voice carried on. Every word that echoed from his mouth sent House’s mind askew and left him urging the effects to pull him under sooner. He squeezed his eyes shut, counting down to the inevitable. It had to be soon. It had to be.

The outsider’s voice quieted and he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Is this really what you want? To die with no one around to notice? House. Look at me.” The grip on his shoulder tightened and despite everything in him telling him not to, he obeyed. Mere inches away were two large, solemn brown-eyes and the face of his only friend. His best friend.

“Wilson-” He gasped as white spots filled his gaze. James’ face creased slightly as a sad smile took over. 

“It’s not too late. You can call someone, yell for help.. Something.” He urged. “I’m a hallucination, so I can’t help you this time. You need to help yourself. So get up.”

“N-no.”

“Why?”

“Because I couldn’t help you. I- I couldn’t-” His breathes caught in his throat and he felt a heavy feeling overtake his body and mind. What was this new sensation he had only felt a few times before? It was like everything was being sapped from him, like his whole body was being stolen away… Oh that’s right, it’s nothingness. And as terrible as nothingness may sound, it sounded a whole lot better to him now than what awaited when the sun rose. And hey, maybe Wilson was right and there was something waiting for him after, he just hadn’t stayed dead long enough to see it before now. He will have to find out.

Gregory House lays alone on this early Tuesday morning. And for the first time in a long time, he smiles.