House

[petty_dabbler]

John was in town to get more lungwort. He'd nearly smoked all he'd bought. This winter was taking its toll on his breathing. He paid the coin for twice as much so he wouldn't have to leave the tower again for some time.

On the way out of the herbalist, John spotted House and smiled.

He was easy to catch up to.

"House," he called. "Where are you going?"

Comments

[drfeelbad]

House stopped walking. Well, all considered, there were worse people who could interrupt his day.

"Home," he said. "What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in a cave or something."

[petty_dabbler]

"I needed supplies. Invite me home and I'll give you some good smoke," he smiled. "Come on, you're not doing anything better."

[drfeelbad]

"You're right, of course," House snorted, "but it's still slightly insulting you would assume. Fine, come on then."

[petty_dabbler]

John chuckled warmly and fell in beside him.

"What's been keeping you occupied?" he asked, always curious to hear about House's discoveries.

[drfeelbad]

Part of the answer to that was researching Danny's dead lover, the stone in his possession, and who might be after him. But even Danny didn't know that, and House certainly wasn't going to bring up any of it to John.

"Same old same old," he said. "Yesterday I cured an entire family of warts."

[petty_dabbler]

"How many toads did you have to kill?" John asked with a chuckle. "Or did you use string magic?"

[drfeelbad]

"I'm more into potions these days," House said as they approached his home. "I've got a salve for everything."

[petty_dabbler]

"I bet you do," John smiled, walking right in and making himself at home.

The first thing he did was pull out his pipe and a fat bag of...definitely not lungwort. You didn't even need to know herbs and medicine to know that what John had pulled out of his bag was strong medicine from the darkest corner of the Dark Realm.

[drfeelbad]

Danny had actually just left two days before, and there were tiny hints of the presence of another person - two tea cups on the table, a sweater on the couch that was clearly too small for House. Also the place was tidier than it had been in a long time.

"What is that?" House asked with an arched eyebrow.

[petty_dabbler]

"Cairn Flower," he said. "This winter is terrible on my chest. I can't cough enough."

They both knew that John would never have relief from it. The same Hellfire that had ruined House's leg had scalded his own lungs.

Magic came at the highest price.

[drfeelbad]

"Oh, the good stuff," said House, and sank onto the couch.

[petty_dabbler]

"The good stuff," he nodded, wearing a knowing smile as he loaded his pipe and lit up.

He puffed his pipe and the sweet smoke filled the room.

"Oh yeah," he sighed. "The good stuff."

[drfeelbad]

House held out his hand for the pipe.

[petty_dabbler]

John passed it over.

"Warts, eh? That seems a little easy for you, House," he said, already feeling better.

[drfeelbad]

"Well word's getting around that I'm quite a doctor," House said with a snort. "And the same day I got called in because one of Hannibal's clients beat the hell out of Alcuin." House frowned. That still bugged him.

[petty_dabbler]

"He's a little delicate for that sort of thing," John noted.

[drfeelbad]

"Yes. Apparently he didn't object. I don't know what he was thinking. He's not Phedre, and nor should he be. None of them should be." Except Phedre. But she was special. And House still didn't like it when he got called to piece her back together.

[petty_dabbler]

"How'd you come to be the whores' doctor?" he chuckled.

He reached to take his pipe back.

"I'm only joking. But tell me you're rewarded handsomely."

[drfeelbad]

"Hannibal and I are friends," House said. "And sure. He pays me, but also..." He shrugged. "I see Phedre with some frequency." Occasionally others, but she was his favorite. Even though he had no interest in hurting her.

[petty_dabbler]

"Sounds like a nice little business," John smiled. "She's a lovely girl."

[drfeelbad]

"She can beat me at chess, too," House said with a snort.

Whatever was in the pipe was starting to hit him, and he leaned back a little in his seat.

[petty_dabbler]

"Thrashing for a thrashing?" he asked lazily, puffing the pipe and then exhaling a cloud the became a wyrm, slithering through the clouds.

[drfeelbad]

"I have no interest in hurting her," House said. "Which I would imagine doesn't make me one of her favorites, but at least she gets some respite."

He paused.

"Did you?"

[petty_dabbler]

John wore a dirty smirk.

"Oh, yes indeed," he said. "I haven't raised that kind of power in years."

[drfeelbad]

House wrinkled his nose. "Well good for you," he said. "You should see her again while you're here."