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[thewarningafter]

@beyonce

You've reached Dr. Stephen Strange. Leave a message and my secretary will get back to you.

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[thewarningafter]

You're telling me.

[He's thought the morgue experiments were stupid since he first heard of them.]

In House's and Sherlock's defense, they've proven that their experiments' results are repeatable. That's about all they've proven, though.

[nursetemple]

I'm not entirely sure what they're trying to accomplish. What any of these experiments are trying to accomplish. Davesprite's, I get - it was for his sake, to make sure, to himself, that he was real. But jerking around with life and death, it's so pointless.

[Part of her knows that some of it is due to House being so anti-religion and wanting to stick it to the faithful, but whatever. It still doesn't accomplish anything.]

[thewarningafter]

It's supposed to prove what else is real.

[He does get it. He knows perfectly well what House is planning, and why he's planning it.]

Once we know what's real we might be able to change the way we interact with it. That's the idea, anyway. I just don't know that the little tidbits we learn from it are worth anything like a human life.

[nursetemple]

Hmm.

[While potentially useful, it's still not getting them closer to home.]

You're a doctor. Shouldn't nothing be more precious than a human life to you?

[thewarningafter]

[That stings, and it shows in his face. There's more shame than anger there, though, for all that it makes him snap in his own defense.]

You think I'm condoning it?

[nursetemple]

You seem to be contemplating it.

[She doesn't mean to upset him, but maybe - maybe getting through to him could save someone's life for the sake of an experiment that might tell them absolutely nothing at all. House could die, and not come back at all.]

There are chances, huge chances, that the experiment would be inconclusive, and House could never come back to it. Then what, you know? Then... what.

[thewarningafter]

[He draws in a long breath, lets it out again in a slow sigh. He's tired, so tired, and it shows in his face.]

Then he'll have killed himself, same as if it was conclusive. It's not worth it. I know it's not worth it. We might learn something, but that doesn't mitigate the cost.

I just don't know that any of us can stop him.

[nursetemple]

Do you think he doesn't care about the cost? Is he suicidal?

[Her voice takes on a clinical tone, all work. She doesn't want to speculate much on House's mental state, but it would explain a lot.]

[thewarningafter]

Beyond his history of lethal self experimentation, he also has a history of goading dangerous individuals to attack him.

[Thanks, Sherlock, for that observation.]

I'm not gonna act like I can give him a full psych eval based on what I've seen, but from what I can tell? Yeah.

[nursetemple]

[She sighs again, biting her bottom lip.]

This is worrying.

[thewarningafter]

[What's worse, and what he isn't going to tell her, is that House is already planning his next death.]

I know. Do you know if there's anyone here he's likely to actually listen to? Because he's not having it from me.

[nursetemple]

No idea. I think he had a friend here, for a while, but he's... passed away. House does make a point of keeping most of us as far away from him as possible.

[thewarningafter]

I'd noticed. Publicly, at least.

[nursetemple]

Are you saying he's telling you his deepest, darkest secrets privately?

[That sounds unlikely.]

[thewarningafter]

[He lets out an amused little huff.]

I'm saying he can be less of a dick when he's off the record.

[nursetemple]

[She hums lightly.]

He's been not too bad to me on the record. But he keeps on saying it's because I'm hot, and you don't get that advantage.

[Her voice is most definitely teasing.]

[thewarningafter]

Doctor House doesn't want in my pants? Say it isn't so!

[nursetemple]

Okay, I'll say it isn't so! You totally have your chances.

[thewarningafter]

And I will make the most of them, I'm sure. He'll be asking me to prom in no time.

[They haven't really solved the issue they were talking about, just turned it around into a joke. House is far from Stephen's favorite person, but he can't help but still feel a twinge of...pity, frankly.]

[nursetemple]

Wishing you the best of luck, Stephen.

[thewarningafter]

[He grins, ducking his head a moment. This is nice. This is relatively nice, anyway. Better than sitting alone in silence, that's for sure.

The smile fades into a thoughtful look as he reaches up to brush his fingers over the breast of his blue tabard.]

...On an entirely unrelated note, I may have a favor to ask of you.

[nursetemple]

[Curiosity piqued, she raises an eyebrow, sitting up straighter.]

What is it?

[thewarningafter]

I have some sutures that are going to need to come out in a few days. If you're in the area....

[nursetemple]

Sure. [She doesn't hesitate.] Happy to be of service.

[thewarningafter]

[No questions? He's relieved it's that easy and simple.]

Great, thanks. I'm heading for the hospital right now, but I'll probably only be there about a day before I come back north.