House

[london_spy]

It was a strange series of events that had led him here, and as he sat in the waiting room of the local A&E, Danny went back through it all hour by hour.

6PM: With class out Danny was back to hunting for the lunatic who'd been targeting fellow students, drugging them and then dumping them at home with no sign of sexual or physical assault. He'd stopped home, changed into club clothes, and set out.

7PM: he'd been walking from the tube to the club when a car started driving along side him- A familiar car. Rich's car.

The window came down, and Rich leaned out. "Get in," the man said, prompting Danny to flip him off. 

Rich laughed, then spoke again. "I know who you're after- If you want them, get in the damn car, Danny."

8PM: Rich had dumped him down the block, having given him a list of what he knew. Apparently he wasn't a fan of this guy either, and while Danny wouldn't consider him a trustworthy source, it wasn't like he had much more to go off.

9PM: He'd headed into the club, spoken to someone Rich had suggested might be in on it all, and had let himself have a drink or two so he didn't stand out like a sore thumb.

10PM: Okay, maybe a drink too many.

11PM: He'd called a car, apparently now was the prime time. He'd used the correct service and rejected drivers until he found one who seemed to fit the bill.

11:15PM: The man had complementary water. It was sealed, and so he took one.

11:30PM: Everything was slow. Fuzzy. 

<i>I warned you. STOP. FOLLOWING. ME.</i>

Was it midnight now? Danny squinted at the clock. He was still drugged, not bleeding, but he was certain his ribs were broken and his left eye was struggling to focus. But he had to wait. They said he had to wait.

His hand was shaking as he pulled out his phone. The screen was shattered but it was still working. Should he call someone? Text someone? No, best not. Best to just go it alone.

Comments

[drfeelbad]

"They're not going to let you sleep it off here," House said. "I saw the waiting room, they need to bed. They're going to ask for an emergency contact who can come pick you up, and I'm guessing you don't have one - so why don't you let me sign you out and I'll get you home.

[london_spy]

Danny seemed unsure, then nodded. His emergency contact probably wasn't home or sober right now anyway. If he even had the right number listed.

[drfeelbad]

Plus this way House could keep an eye on him as he came down off of whatever it was. "I'll be back in ten minutes," he said, and he saw. "Ready to go? I called a car. Don't trust you to hang on on the bike right now."

[london_spy]

Danny was bandaged up and holding a prescription- Which he handed to House.

"They said I have to pick those up before I go. Pain killers. Two broken ribs."

He was still a bit off, but he seemed to be sobering up slightly, bit by bit.

[drfeelbad]

"Okay, two more minutes," House said, and went to grab the prescription (noticing that the pharmacist double checked it as soon as he recognized House), then came back to Danny. "Come on," he said, holding out a hand for him.

[london_spy]

Danny stared at the hand for a moment, but eventually took it, following Greg out.

"I'm not stalking you. I didn't go get beat up so you could ride in and rescue me," Danny said- Mostly because that is the sort of stupid thing he'd have done once upon a time.

[drfeelbad]

"I mean, it was kind of a coincidence I ended up down here so if that was your plan it could have failed miserably," House said as they made their way out of the hospital and into the uber that had just arrived.

[london_spy]

Danny climbed into the car and curled up a bit on the seat, looking sore and tired.

"I just don't want you to think I'm obsessed with you. I'm not. I'm over it," he huffed. "...I mean, I'm not, that's a shitty lie, but I'm not about to get the shit kicked out of me for it."

[drfeelbad]

"I don't think you're obsessed with me," House said. "Believe it or not, I am not self absorbed enough to think this has anything to do with me."

[london_spy]

"Good," Danny replied, closing his eyes.

"Where's your cane?" he asked.

Even drugged, Danny was sharp.

[drfeelbad]

"I told you, new meds," House said. "So what we were you doing with people who associate with Rich, anyway?"

[london_spy]

Danny groaned, rubbing his face. "I wasn't. I mean- Fuck, okay..."

He told the whole story, starting with how people at his school had been drugged on the way home from the club via a ride service, only to find they'd suffered no sexual or physical assault. He talked about how he'd cornered the guy once, months ago, but the man had gotten away. Then he talked about tonight, how Rich had tracked him down and offered him a lead... Then the bar, the drinks, and finally the ride service.

"The bottle of water was sealed, and I had a drink so I wouldn't raise any suspicion. I didn't know you could reseal a bottle. ...He dumped me at this- I think it was a warehouse? I dunno, I was gone by then. When I came around I managed to get a cab to the nearest hospital."

[drfeelbad]

House thought the uber driver must have been more entertained by this than anything all day, and he was a little relieved when Danny wrapped up just as they were arriving at his house.

"Come on, let's get you inside," he said, after climbing out of the car.

[london_spy]

Danny followed, a little unsteady as he headed up to the door- Which was open.

"I locked this," he said quietly. "I always lock it."

[drfeelbad]

... shit, thought House.

"Maybe we should call the police," he said.

[london_spy]

Danny was already heading inside though.

"Hello?" he shouted. "The police are on their way," he lied.

There was no response though, no sound of anyone in the house.

There was something though. Red spray paint on the living room wall.

STAY AWAY OR YOUR NEXT

"Gentleman and a scholar," Danny muttered, reaching to touch the paint and finding it dry.

[drfeelbad]

House walked in behind him. The first thing he did, before even noticing that Danny had done the same, was check to see if it was dry.

"This is fucked up, Danny," he said.

[london_spy]

"Yeah," Danny said, smiling. "I've scared him though."

Pulling his phone out, he carefully swiped up on the cracked screen and snapped a photo. He saved it to his SD, then the cloud, before sending a copy to Rich.

Tell me what you know. Now.

He hit send, then looked at Greg. "You want coffee?"

[drfeelbad]

"... yeah," said House. "How are you feeling? You should sit down."

[london_spy]

"I feel good," Danny insisted. "I mean, I don't, everything hurts- But this is a breakthrough. I just need to pull my GPS data from my phone to find that warehouse, and I can get that guy. I think I've cracked it."

[drfeelbad]

"What? Jesus, Danny. You have two broken ribs and you're coming down off a drug. It can wait until tomorrow."

[london_spy]

"They could move their operation before then. And it- It has to be big, yeah? I mean it's a warehouse. Are they testing drugs on unsuspecting victims? Fuck- It could be human trafficking for all we know."

He looked at his phone again, hoping Rich had replied.

"I just need a coffee, one of those pills, and by the time I get the data off my phone I'll be good to go. I'm not demanding you come, mate. Head home if you like."

[drfeelbad]

"Come with you? Of course I'm not coming with you, I'm going to knock you over the head to keep you from going." House yanked the phone of his hand. "Danny, sit down." And he poked him lightly in the ribs.

[london_spy]

Danny winced in pain and crumpled onto the sofa.

"I need to see this through," he protested. "He's hurting people."

[drfeelbad]

"And since when did you become Batman?" House asked, and pulled the bottle of pills out of his jacket pocket, and handed them to Danny along with the bottle of water he'd taken from the uber.