Here's my Danny Phantom fanfiction titled Stasis. Plase, feel free to comment and give me ideas on how to improve the story.

NOTE - This was written before Phantom Planet, and before the end of the third season of House.

Prologue -

From the outside, Amity Park looked like your average, ordinary, run-of-the-mill city. They had a few large retail stores, a decent-sized mall, and a large airport. The city crime rate was low, and the employment rate was high.

Seeing the crowds of people carelessly drifting through the mall, shopping for whatever odds and ends they needed, one might even think the cheesy entrance sign declaring Amity Park as a ‘nice place to live’ was true.

That façade of normalcy was broken by one thing – Ghosts.

If a person stayed in Amity Park for more than a week or two, witnessing a ghost attack or seeing one on the news was inevitable. Most of these sightings involved a white-haired, green-eyed, teenage ghost boy named Danny Phantom.

It took the people of Amity Park a while to get with the program, but after some time, the town accepted Danny as the hero that he was. Eventually, they stopped trying to hunt him down. Now when ghosts appeared, he would be the one to stop them.

‘Now if only I could get them to stop trying to get my autograph or dissect me,’ the aforementioned ghost boy thought sarcastically as he flew high over the city. He was currently searching for the ghost that he knew was there. That was one of the perks of ghost powers – he could sense when ghosts were around.

Danny wasn’t a normal ghost by any stretch of the imagination. He was, in fact, only half ghost. Only four people in the city knew, but his real name was Danny Fenton. Like the city itself, Danny Fenton appeared to be an average kid on the outside.

“Whoa!� Danny exclaimed as he lost his balance in the air for the second time that day. He dropped down nearly ten feet before he finally caught himself. “Just great! My powers are acting up. Nah, I’m being paranoid. It was probably just the wind sheer or something like that,� he tried to convince himself, brushing the slip from his mind as he focused on the more important issue at hand – finding that ghost.

“There he is,� Danny whispered under his breath as he saw the ghost in front of him. A ghost named Skulker, who hid his diminutive form in a tall robotic-like suit.

“Hey ugly! I’m over here!� Danny shouted, getting the attention of the ghost zone’s self-proclaimed greatest hunter, who was currently terrorizing a group of adults. The group of four had been minding their own business when Skulker had attacked them.

“I was wondering when you’d show up, whelp!� the 7-foot-tall robot smirked as he heard Danny’s voice behind him. “At least now there’s a real challenge, unlike these pathetic humans,� Skulker said, turning toward Danny and giving the group of adults a chance to run for their lives. A chance they took with gratitude.

“Let’s just get this over with Skulker. I don’t have all day, ya know. Some of us have to study for Mr. Lancer’s English test tomorrow,� Danny said in a bored tone of voice, taking a thermos from his back and aiming it at the ghost. He tried to ignore the pain he felt. He couldn’t be distracted if he was going to win.

“You think you can trap me that easily? Think again, whelp!� He shouted at Danny. “I’m Skulker! The greatest hunter in the ghost zone and earth,� he declared, taking out another ecto-gun and aiming it at Danny. “And I swore that one day I’d be the one to finally defeat you!�

“Please, you have yet to even come close. Remember the shrink-ray?� Danny taunted. He dodged the few blasts Skulker sent at him, but just barely, and tried to ignore how tired he felt. ‘I usually fly a lot faster. That can’t be a good sign,’ he thought.

Skulker’s response to Danny’s statement was two more blasts from the ecto-gun he now had on his shoulder, which Danny only just avoided.

“You can’t run away forever, ghost child! I’ll defeat you one way or another!� Skulker shouted as Danny swerved to avoid several missiles that the hunter shot at him.

“I’m not running!� Danny shouted back, shooting a few blasts of his own at his opponent. He didn’t want to use his newly acquired ice powers just yet – he needed a few surprises to help tip the scale in his favor, after all. Catching an opponent off guard by using a new ability could be the difference between winning and loosing a fight.

Skulker seemed confused for a second as he dodged the two blasts easily, but then the look on his face morphed into one of arrogance just a few seconds later.

‘Where are Sam and Tucker?’ Danny thought while his fight with Skulker continued. He sent two more blasts at the ghost, but again Skulker evaded them. ‘Skulker seems a lot tougher since we last fought. I think I’m going to need their help to defeat him this time.’ He watched as Skulker dodged three more blasts the half-ghost had sent toward him. ‘Crud! He’s faster now, too! I’ve gotta pay more attention to the fight!’

Skulker pulled a bazooka from his arsenal of weapons and aimed it at Danny.

He managed to shoot the weapon one time before he was shot by another ecto-blast coming from behind him, causing him to loose focus. He never even got the see the blast hit its target.

“Who dares sneak up on Skulker, the greatest hunter there is?� he shouted angrily, turning around to face whatever opponent was stupid enough to sneak up behind him.

When he turned around, all he saw was a massive flying vehicle that was headed right for him. A vehicle piloted by two very familiar passengers.

Tucker, now!� Sam shouted to the technology wiz from the passenger side of the Specter Speeder.

Tucker just nodded in response and pushed ten different dials on the complex dashboard only he knew how to fully operate, causing a myriad of weapons to appear - all of them pointing to where Skulker was.

“You’ll never defeat me! For I am Skulker! Skulker! All will fear me!� he shouted at them. A second later all of the weapons fired, effectively destroying his battle suit.

“I think you’re not as feared as you think you are,� Danny said in a weak voice, coming up to Skulker and capturing him in the Fenton thermos.

“Danny, what happened to you?� Sam asked, running out of the Specter Speeder to check on him. Danny looked like he was in pain.

“Don’t worry, Sam. I’m fine,� Danny insisted. “But thanks for the save you guys. I don’t think I could’ve won that fight if you hadn’t shown up when you did,� he admitted to both Sam and Tucker, who had finally joined them after shutting off the Specter Speeder.

Tucker looked at him oddly. “Dude, come on. It was just a fight with Skulker. You’ve defeated him at least ten times already. Why would this time be any differ - ow! Jeez, that hurt, Sam!� He yelled as Sam kicked him in the shin.

“You know that no ghost is easy to defeat, Tucker,� she chastised, then turned to look at Danny, “But he really does have a point. why was this time so difficult?�

“I honestly don’t know,� Danny admitted, sitting down and trying to ignore the slight pain in his chest. “He just seemed to be a lot harder to defeat today for some reason. I barely dodged the rest of the shots, not to mention I got hit by that last one, and I didn’t hit him once!�

“You do look pretty beat up, dude,� Tucker said. “Are you sure you’re going to okay?� he asked, now concerned for his best friend’s health.

“I got hit with a blast from that bazooka, but it shouldn’t be something that a little rest can’t cure,� Danny replied, trying to assure his two best friends that he was fine. ‘Well, If I ignore how tired I am and the pain from where the blast hit, it really is true,’ he thought to himself. He stood up and, doing his best not to wince in pain, slowly walked to the Specter Speeder. “It’s like I’m in slow motion today or something. I could barely keep up.�

“Let’s just get you back to your place, then you can get some shut-eye. You probably aren’t getting enough sleep or something,� Sam said, looking at Danny worriedly. He sounded like he was in bad shape, but she knew he’d never willingly admit that something was wrong.

Danny just nodded in response and sat down in the back seat of the Specter Speeder. He de-transformed into his human self as soon as he sat down. As he buckled up his seatbelt, he couldn’t help but curse the fact that his injuries hurt more when he was human.

The Fenton Household

“Danny, glad you’re finally home before curfew!� Jack Fenton shouted from the couch as his son walked through the front door looking pretty beat up. “What happened to you?� He asked, seeing the shape Danny was in.

“Honey, what’s the matter?� Maddie asked. She stood up from where she sat by her husband and walked over to where Danny was standing. She glanced worriedly at the bruises that were easily visible on his arm.

“It’s just been a long day. I really don’t want to talk about it,� Danny answered, trying to get his parents off his trail. ‘Can’t I get a break? All I want to do is go up to my room and go to sleep until next week.’ Unfortunately, he knew that wasn’t going to be an option. He slowly walked over to the couch and sat down.

“Really, nothing’s going on. I just feel really tired,� Danny said as he noticed that his parents were looking at him. They all knew that that wasn’t the full story, but his parents decoded to let it go for now.

“You should get to sleep, Danny. You look exhausted,� Maddie suggested. She knew when to not press an issue, and this was one of those times.

“Thanks, sleep sounds really good right now,� Danny agreed as he made his way to the stairs, heading to his room.

Maddie and Jack both looked at the clock, which displayed ‘8:00 PM’. They looked at each other in confusion. Danny never went to sleep before 11, ever.

THUD!

The sudden noise caused both of them to turn toward the stairway. “DANNY!� Maddie and Jack both shouted as they ran toward the place where their son now lay unconscious.

“Jack, call 911!�

__________________________________________________ ____

END OF CHAPTER 1

Chapter one – Princeton Plainsboro Hospital

“I’m very sorry for what you went through, Mr. Campbell. Yes, I will talk to him about it right away. Yes, I know his attitude and methods are a bit unorthodox. Goodbye, Mr. Campbell,� a dark-haired woman said as she set the phone back on its receiver, ending the hour-long call to one of her hospital’s patients. She leaned back in her desk chair and tried to fight the oncoming headache she felt after hearing the latest complaints about Dr. House. The nametag on her coat identified her as Dr. Lisa Cuddy.

Looking around her large office, one could easily see that she was a very accomplished doctor. Plaques and degrees lined the wall. She held the coveted position of the Dean of Medicine at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital.

‘Now if only House would stop harassing so many patients, I might be able to get some work done around here,’ she thought, and set her focus back onto the forms in front of her. Great, more useless paperwork that she had to fill out.

A sharp tap at her door ended her train of thought. She looked up at the noise and saw the very cause of most of her frustration, Dr. Gregory House, standing there. Without an invitation, he opened the door to her office and stepped inside.

“You paged me? All I can say is that this had better be good, I was in the middle of watching General Hospital, it’s my favorite soap,� he said, standing in front of her desk and looking directly at her impatiently, as if demanding to know why his precious time had to be wasted with whatever ridiculous thing Dr. Cuddy had paged him for. He was sure it could have waited a half hour.

“I’m going to need you to apologize to Mr. Campbell for nearly killing him, yet again. Why do you insist on giving him medication he doesn’t need just to test your theories? Oh, and I have a new case for you. Try not to kill this one,� she said, tossing a patient file down on the desk. The name ‘Daniel Fenton’ was just visible on it.

“We both that me apologizing just isn’t going to happen anytime soon, but I suppose I should humor you with the file,� House said, setting his cane down on the top of the desk and picking up the medical file. He leafed through it quickly, setting it back down onto the desk after a few seconds. “Nope, sorry. Not taking the case,� he replied.

“These people came here all the way from the Pacific Coast just so that they could have you as their doctor. I think you at least owe them some consideration,� she pointed out.

“They came from the Pacific?� House asked, his interest piqued for a moment. “There are plenty of good hospitals over there, so why would they come all the way over here?�

“Because their regular doctor over there couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him, so he recommended that they go and see you. God only knows why,� she explained, silently marveling that anyone would even be in the same room as House if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, let alone chose to fly halfway across the country to see him.

“What couldn’t he figure out? It’s a simple case of pericarditis in a 14-year-old. It’s common and, diagnostically, boring. What made you think that I’d even give this case a second glance?� he asked, now thoroughly annoyed. In his opinion, he’d just been bothered for absolutely nothing. “Just give the kid some antibiotics and keep a watch on him to see if he gets better. The pericarditis should clear right up. That doctor was an idiot,� he concluded.

“He’s not responding to antibiotics, which means the pericarditis is not caused by a bacterial infection. He tested for any known viruses that cause pericarditis and couldn’t find anything. That’s why he recommended you,� Cuddy responded.

“Boring,� House repeated, angering Dr. Cuddy more than a little.

“If you had even bothered to go through the rest of that file you threw aside, you’d see that the patient’s pericarditis also coincided with fatigue, muscle weakness, and diminished reflexes. Not to mention that he fell unconscious while walking, which is why his parents took him to the hospital in the first place!� She yelled. After a few deep breaths, she managed to calm down.

“Which means it’s the ever-so-boring case of an autoimmune disease causing muscle weakness. An autoimmune disease can also make the patient more susceptible to pericarditis. And, if you recall, pericarditis can restrict how well the heart and lungs oxygenate the blood. He probably passed out due to lack of oxygen. Start him on IVIG for whatever autoimmune disease he has and he’ll be fine. This barely rates a two on the complexity scale,� he said, completely ignoring Cuddy’s anger. He took his cane from the desk and started walking to the door.

“The doctor has already started him on IVIG, and his O2 stats are fine, which means the patient didn’t pass out do to lack of oxygen. Also, there were no signs of an injury that could cause the pericarditis,� Cuddy said, then decided that it was time to play her last card. “House, did you even look at the patient’s name?� she asked, throwing the file to House, who caught it in midair.

“Why, they big donors to the hospital or something?� He retorted sarcastically, “That would sure explain why your so gung-ho to get me to take this case. But I tend not to care about the patient’s name. It gets in the way of the whole ‘I don’t care either way’ concept.� Despite his words, House took a look at the thrown file anyway. “Daniel Fenton?� he read out loud, looking up at Cuddy after he did so. “Where in the Pacific did you say they were from, again?� he asked.

“Amity Park,� she said, smirking at her triumph. She knew that he wouldn’t be able to turn down the offer to cure the son of Jack and Maddie Fenton, and he certainly wouldn’t miss the opportunity to rub it in their face.

“Fine, I’ll take the case for a week off clinic duty,� he said.

“Deal,� Cuddy answered.

“That was a sucker’s bargain, but I’m not complaining,� House said, grabbing the file and walking to the door. About halfway there, he turned around. “Though it’s going to be interesting seeing what became of two of the best science students in the country. They beat me in a competition once. Some invention called a proto-portal…�

“I knew that you wouldn’t be able to refuse the opportunity to rub this in their face,� Cuddy said, barely able to keep the smirk off her face. As hard as House was to deal with, she knew his weak points. His ego was one of them. “They went on to invent some pretty unique things, you know. You should look into it,� she added conversationally.

House scowled, “Like it matters, unless your theory is that their profession or their inventions have something to do with why this kid is sick, I tend not to care about irrelevant family history. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a life to save,� he stated, walking out the door of her office. A minute later he walked by Dr. Cameron and Dr. Chase sitting in the lounge. He threw the file at them and Cameron caught it. “We’ve got a new case, I need you to get a history and run a few tests,� he said.

Danny’s Hospital Room

Danny opened his eyes slowly, wondering briefly why the room seemed so bright. Instead of the usual calming dark blue he was used to seeing in his own room, the walls of this room were painted a bright white. ‘And will someone please stop that annoying beeping?’ he thought. He wanted to go back to sleep more than anything, but the annoying pitch of the heart monitor kept him from doing so. He groggily turned from lying on his side, trying to become more awake.

“He’s waking up!� Danny heard someone say from his right. It sounded like Jazz.

Danny, who was now more awake, forced himself to open his eyes again and saw that his mother and father were standing there next to him. He also realized that he was in what was obviously a hospital bed.

“What happened? Why am I in the hospital?� he asked, sitting up fully and looking around at all the people in the room. Sam was there, along with his parents and Jazz. He realized that he must have been out for a long time, and that whatever it was he was feeling earlier must have been serious enough to land him in the hospital. ‘I guess that I shouldn’t be counting on a visit from Tucker anytime soon,’ he thought.

“You’re in Princeton Plainsboro Hospital in New Jersey. Your father and I called an ambulance when you collapsed on the stairs,� his mother explained, putting a comforting arm around his shoulder.

“I don’t see what the big deal is, I was just a little tired,� he answered stubbornly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He immediately regretted the action when it caused a sharp pain to go through him. “And why did you take me to a hospital in New Jersey? What was wrong with the one in Amity Park?� he asked, wondering what reason they had for taking him here instead.

“Honey, you passed out while you were walking. You may not remember, but you fell down half a flight of stairs as well. That’s pretty serious the last time I checked. I know you hate being stuck in a hospital, everybody does, but until they can cure you you’ll just have to understand that it’s necessary,� Maddie answered his first question. She was used to his stubbornness.

“I guess you’re right…� Danny gave in, and then thought to himself, ‘I hate being stuck in the hospital. When I’m not out fighting ghosts people tend to get hurt.’ He then realized something that made his annoyance at being in the hospital seem insignificant. ‘Crap! I’m in a hospital! What if being half-ghost messes up my test results? Or the doctors discover my secret? They’ll tell my parents! I’ll be kicked out of the house! Or given over to some government agency!’ He thought, quickly starting to panic.

Sam, however, had anticipated his reaction. After all, this was his first hospitalization since becoming half-ghost. She went and put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. Don’t worry Danny, I’m sure everything will turn out normal. The doctors will find out what’s wrong, and I’m sure nothing we don’t want to turn up will be there. You have nothing to worry about,� she said, hoping that he’d get the message. His parents may care about him, but it was annoying speaking in code with them around.

Danny managed to clam down after a few deep breaths. ‘Sam’s right. I’m sure that being a half-ghost won’t affect any test results unless it specifically looks for ghost qualities, and no normal hospital would look for that,’ he realized. While trying to reassure himself that he’d be okay, be became extremely grateful that his parents hadn’t decided to treat him themselves and took him to a normal doctor instead. They’d have run every ghost test on him imaginable. He shuddered at the results of that would have been.

“And to answer your second question, son, the reason that we took you all the way to New Jersey is because our normal doctor couldn’t figure out what was wrong. He recommended that we take you to see Dr. House. We met him a few times in college, so we know he’s okay,� Jack answered in his own boisterous manner.

“You knew him from college?� Danny asked, surprised. He hadn’t heard about their college days, but what he had heard wasn’t good. “He’s not insane or anything, is he?� he inquired, knowing that almost everyone who his parents went to college with was crazy. ‘Maybe the college put something in the water?’ he thought.

“That depends on your definition of insanity,� a male voice answered from the doorway.

All four Fentons and Sam turned to see who had spoken. They saw that two doctors had entered the room while they were talking. They were now standing near the door. One of them was a woman with reddish-brown hair who looked rather young, and the other was a man with blonde hair, who also looked fairly young.

“Hello,� the female doctor spoke up, walking toward them. “My name is Dr. Cameron. I’ll be one of your attending physicians,� she continued, offering a kind, reassuring smile and shaking the hands of all five people in the room. “My colleague over there is Dr. Chase, he will also be working to figure out what’s making you sick, and also helping get you better,� she added, indicating the other doctor in the room.

“Nice to meet you,� the man said with a clear Australian accent while he was checking the IV. Once he finished with the IV, he scribbled something down on the chart he held.

“So…what was that comment about Dr. House possibly being insane?� Danny asked, slightly worried that he might have another Vlad treating him. He suppressed a shudder at that mental image.

“House pulls some crazy stunts, but he’s a good doctor. He does everything he can to help a patient, and most of what he does is for a good reason,� Cameron said, cutting off Chase before he had the chance to badmouth their boss.

“So, do you have any idea what’s wrong with Danny?� Maddie asked, concerned for her only son.

“We’re trying to figure that out,� Chase answered, trying to be reassuring. “One of your son’s symptoms is what we call pericarditis. What happens with that is the area around the heart becomes inflamed, and that puts pressure onto both the heart and lungs. It can be caused by anything from a bacterial infection to injury, or it can simply have no explanation at all. It can be very dangerous though, so we’re going to monitor his condition closely, and try to keep it at bay while we figure out what the underlying condition is.�

“What?� Jack asked, not having understood a word of what the doctor said.

“Have a cookie, dear,� Maddie responded, tossing Jack a chocolate chip cookie. She’d fill him in on what was said later.

“Anyway…� Cameron continued, turning to Danny, “I need to ask you a few questions now that you’re awake. How are you feeling? Do you have any chest pain or trouble breathing? It’s important that you tell us if you do,� she insisted with a concerned look.

‘What am I, five?’ Danny thought, but answered anyway. “I’m having a little trouble breathing, but it’s barely noticeable. I did have some pain during the day, but it’s better now than it was before.�

“That’s because you’re elevated at the right angle so that the pressure on the heart is minimal,� she told him, then looked at the chart again. “Do you have any idea what could have caused something like this? Were you sick in the last few weeks, or been injured recently?� she asked, looking to him for an answer. “This is just to rule out possible causes.�

‘Well, if you don’t count the ghost fighting and me getting hit into a wall about 20 times a day by everyone from ghosts to my own parents,’ he thought dryly. “Nope,� he lied convincingly. “Nothing that I can think of.�

Just then Dr. Cameron and Dr. Chase’s pagers went off.

“Well, were going to go meet with a few other doctors and try to figure out what could be causing this. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back soon,� Chase added as both he and Cameron left the room.

“This has something to do with ghosts! I can feel it!� Jack exclaimed, having finished with the cookie Maddie gave him.

“Dad!� Jazz groaned, tired of dealing with his ghost obsession. “It could just be a regular disease, you don’t have to make everything about ghosts!�

“Come on Jazz,� Danny laughed, “Give him a break. We live in a city where they run ghost drills.�

“Fine, but when the doctors call you insane…�

“Have the resident psychologist prove that we’re not?� Danny finished for her, grinning at her annoyed look.

Outside in the hall, Dr. Chase and Dr. Cameron stood up from listening through the door, and looked at each other.

“This is going to be a long case…� they said in unison.

__________________________________________________ ____

END OF CHAPTER ONE

Chapter 3 - Ghosts and Differentials –

Deep within the swirling green vortex of the ghost zone, Skulker was working diligently on remaking his mechanical battle suit. His previous one had been destroyed, yet again, by Danny Phantom. He now owed many favors, but the result was worth it to him.

“Finally Finished!� the tiny green blob shouted in a strangely high-pitched voice, standing ever-so-proudly on the shoulder of his brand new high-tech battle suit. Grinning with thoughts of revenge running through his mind, he hopped into the top of the finished suit and closed the top hatch over him.

“You’d better be prepared, ghost child. It’s time for payback!� Skulker laughed maniacally in a much deeper voice than before, still grinning at the thought as he flew off into the swirling green mist of the ghost zone. “Yes, revenge will be sweet,� he said. His plan was guaranteed to work. If he couldn’t catch the ghost child, he knew just the ghost who could. Hopefully he’d let Skulker keep the pelt as a trophy.

He flew through the ghost zone for about an hour. He passed a few unfriendly ghosts on the way without incident, but he couldn’t pass by the opportunity to catch a very rare shape-shifter that he spotted. He was still a hunter, after all. But finally he arrived at his destination. A large purple football was in front of him, floating in midair. Few ghosts knew that it hid one of the two stable portals that led from the ghost zone into the human world. Most assumed it was just another ghost’s lair. Entering quietly, Skulker soon found himself in a science lab filled with anti-ghost technology.

“What is it that you want this time, Skulker?� a voice said, echoing through the seemingly empty room. A second later a blue-tinged ghost stepped out of the shadows in the corner of the room. “I don’t recall having asked you to be here. Before you ask, I don’t have any more upgrades for your suit,� He said, clearly annoyed at having been bothered by Skulker during his precious free time. Skulker didn’t know that there was a Packers game on that day.

“I’m not here for any of those reasons,� Skulker said with a grin, facing Vlad. “I have some information for you that you may find quite interesting. You see, I was in a battle with the ghost child today…� He started out.

Vlad raised a questioning eyebrow at Skulker’s statement, then said, “I’m listening. Go on…�

Skulker smirked evilly and said, “When I was fighting the ghost child, I noticed that he was weaker, and also much slower than normal. He seemed to be in pain as well. I assumed at first that he’d already fought a ghost and was tired, but I asked around. He hadn’t fought any other ghosts that day that I know of. I placed a tracker on him during our fight, and he’s now in a hospital in New Jersey,� Skulker reported.

Vlad though for a second, then said, “That is interesting news indeed. I had doubted you usefulness before, but I think you earned this,� He said, throwing a folded net-like object at the other ghost, who caught it with surprise.

“The phase-proof netting?� Skulker questioned, “Was the information really that valuable to you?�

Vlad smirked, “You have no idea. I think it’s time I visited an old friend. After all, what kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t visit when his son is in the hospital?� He laughed darkly.

House’s office

“We have a14-year-old male presenting with muscle weakness, fatigue and diminished reflexes along with Pericarditis. Let the differential begin,� House said, writing down each symptom on a dry-erase board that stood in the center of his office. Three other doctors sat around the table, looking at it.

“I can’t believe I got called in on my day off for this. Even you admit this case is diagnostically boring, why did you even take it?� Foreman said as House turned towards them.

“Because I care,� House replied sarcastically, “And I can’t believe you’re still complaining about it. Less talking, more medical stuff!� He snapped, taking a bottle of vicodin from his coat pocket and taking one.

“It could be any number of autoimmune diseases, but it’s progressing too slowly to be any of the more severe ones,� Cameron spoke up finally. “There’s no sure sign of paralysis, whether temporary or not, so I can’t be sure.�

“It could be degenerative. Lupis, MS, ALS. All of them can cause muscle weakness, too. The symptoms are too general to be sure of anything,� Foreman argued, then added, “He should also be tested for any Neuromuscular condition that matches his symptoms.�

“No, he’s progressing too quickly for it to be degenerative. Something like that would have been building up for months, not a steep decline like he had. An acute onset makes me think it’s autoimmune,� Cameron argued back.

“Of course you think it’s autoimmune, you’re an immunologist,� House pointed out. He enjoyed watching the three others argue.

“It could also have been caused by a chemical imbalance,� Chase said, “We should check for a build-up of any toxins in his system, and test to see if there’s an electrolyte imbalance. If he has either of those it could be kidney or liver failure.

“In a 14-year-old?� Foreman asked skeptically, “Highly unlikely.�

“But still likely,� Chase defended. “Check if he has low sodium or potassium levels. If he does, we’ll know I’m right.�

“You’re forgetting about the heart problems!� House stated, bringing their attention back to him, “Ya know, the thing that brought him here in the first place?� Putting his cane down on a nearby desk, he walked over to the white board and wrote down all the various possible diseases. Despite his objections, House also included electrolyte imbalance.

“If the imbalance is drastic enough, it can cause Idiopathic Pericarditis,� Chase stated, “We should still test for it.�

“It could be neurological,� Cameron said. “We were listening in on a bit of their conversation before we left…� She explained, but before she could say anything else House cut her off.

“Let me guess, the topic of Ghosts came up?� House smirked, clearly amused at the topic. Cameron and Chase looked shocked.

“Yeah, how…?� Cameron sputtered. He was always uncannily accurate in his observations. Things any normal person would miss were glaringly obvious to him.

“His parents are self-proclaimed Ghost Hunters that I knew on college. Or I’m psychic. Pick you favorite,� House said while throwing a tennis ball into the air. Seeing their doubtful faces, he continued, “Seriously, they’ve invented some pretty interesting stuff.�

“Cameron, did they say that they saw ghosts, or just believed in them?� Foreman said, surprisingly interested in the topic. “And was it just the kid, or the rest of the family, too?�

“Well, they mentioned something about running drills incase a ghost attacked…� Chase said, trying to remember the exact wording. “And I think it was all of them that claimed to have seen ghosts.�

“Because if they have seen ghosts, we can add either delusions or hallucinations to the symptoms, which indicate a neurological problem. And if it’s the entire family, it’s either contagious or environmental,� Foreman said smugly. “Unless of course you believe that crap.�

“Come on, a lot of people believe that ghosts exist, Foreman. That doesn’t automatically make them delusional,� Cameron said, defending the Fentons.

“There’s a difference between believing in ghosts and seeing them, Cameron,� Foreman said, “The fact that they hunt ghosts proves my theory even further.�

“I don’t think it’s just them. They said that the entire city ran ghost drills, which means that they aren’t the only ones that believe that ghosts attacking is a possibility,� Chase remembered. “Maybe there’s just been a lot of unusual activity where they come from.�

“They probably just mistook a fire drill for a ghost raid drill or something,� Foreman said, nearly laughing at his two colleagues.

“As much fun as it is listening to you two children bicker, we have a patient to cure,� House chastises. He suddenly smirked, getting an idea. “Foreman, I want you to go and get a detailed family history. Ignore nothing, you know how much I care about family history,� House’s smirk only grew. He enjoyed the look of anger that Foreman gave him. “When you’re done with that, I want you to get an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and a stress test. I want to see if this kid’s heart is still functioning the way it should. Cameron, I want you to get a full blood panel and work-up. Test for any bacterial infection that’s known to cause an autoimmune disease or Pericarditis. Also get a spinal tap as well. If this kid has an autoimmune disease I want to know which one. Chase,� He said, turning to the final member of the group, “I want you to test for any toxins that can muscle weakness or fatigue. And once you done with that, you’ll be with Foreman on the CT machine. Check the liver and kidneys, as those are the most likely to be damaged if this is caused by a toxin.�

All three nodded, and Chase and Cameron headed out of the room to go do the tasks that House assigned them.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Don’t you have tests to run?� House said with a grin to Foreman.

“Typical. I think they’re crazy, so make me spend more time with them. Fine!� Foreman said, leaving the room. He turned in the middle of the doorway and said, “Don’t think that this is over,� he then turned back around and left.

“Oh, this is gonna be fun,� House laughed to himself before taking another vicodin and sting back on his chair. If Cuddy was going to force him to take this case, he’d at least torture the other three as well.

Danny’s hospital room

Meanwhile, Danny was fast asleep in the hospital room. He wasn’t aware of it yet, but his parents and Sam were there as well. Sam sat by the side of the bed, listening on her headphones to some band or another. She was dealing with her worry in the only way she knew how – ignoring the world. Jazz had gone down to get some breakfast, and both Maddie and Jack had been standing next to the bed for a few minutes, clearly worried. They hadn’t left the hospital since they’d gotten there.

“Ahh!� Danny yelled as he woke up, startled to see two people standing right next to him, even if they were his parents. He silently thanked his lucky stars that he hadn’t gone invisible or intangible on instinct. That would have raised some awkward questions.

“Are you feeling okay?� Maddie asked, acting like the protective mother that she was. Scientist or not, she still cared deeply for her two children.

“Just a little freaked out,� Danny said half-heartedly to both his parents, relaxing now that he realized that there was no danger. “I’m really not used to people watching over me while I sleep,� He said, yawning. Anyone waking up to someone standing directly over them would react the same way.

Someone opening the door got the attention of all of them, and they watched as an unfamiliar doctor walked in, closely followed by Dr. Cameron and Chase.

“Hello, my name’s Dr. Foreman, and I’m one of the doctors that’s trying to figure out what’s making you sick,� he introduced himself as he shook the hands of all four of them. He then took out a medical chart, and looked at the three Fentons. “I’m going to need you to answer a few questions about you and your family’s medical history, if that’s okay,� He looked up from the chart and saw the parents nod in response. The look on his face suggested that he’d rather be anywhere else at the moment.

“And we’re just going to take a few blood samples, and then we’ll be out of your way. We’ll take it from the arm that doesn’t have the IV in it,� Chase said, getting some vials and preparing them. Soon it was over and Chase was putting caps on the vials.

“So…what are you testing for?� Danny asked, coughing a bit as he spoke.

“We’re going to be testing to see if you have an autoimmune disease, neuromuscular disease, or something else entirely,� Cameron explained as she checked Danny’s pulse and put a thermometer in his mouth. “Those are some of the possible causes of muscle weakness and fatigue. Your other doctor ruled out some of the more common ones already before you came here,� She said. She took the thermometer and said, “Well, it doesn’t look like your running a fever, so that’s good news.�

“Those things you mentioned, are they treatable?� Maddie asked, concerned for her son’s health.

“It depends on what disease it is. Some are very treatable, and some aren’t, but we promise that no matter what we’ll try our best to get your son better,� Cameron explained, hoping that her words might comfort or help them in some way. In all honesty, they had no idea which disease it was.

“Anyway,� Foreman interrupted, getting their attention. He looked annoyed that everyone kept interrupting him. “I’m going to need you to answer a few questions to get an accurate medical and family history. Now, have you had any viral or bacterial infections over the past two months?� he asked, looking up at Danny.

“No, I haven’t been sick at all,� Danny replied, watching as Cameron and Chase left the room.

“Any history of degenerative diseases in you family? MS, ALS, that sort of thing?� He asked.

“No,� Danny replied, but then looked up at his parents, “At least I don’t think so.�

“No, there isn’t,� Maddie answered for him.

It continued like this for about a half hour. After what seemed to Danny like 10,000 questions or more, Foreman finally reached the last few.

“Do you have any history of mental illness in the family?� He asked with a barely perceivable smile on his face, and looked up at the family.

“Your sister’s pretty crazy. She nearly chopped my hands off for using the rhubarb,� Jack said to his wife, shuddering at the memory.

“No Jack, she’s not mentally ill. She just likes her country lifestyle…� Maddie trailed off.

Foreman looked at them with a raised eyebrow, “Okay, I have to know. What’s with the jumpsuits?� He asked them.

Ignoring sniggers from both Danny and Sam, Jack proudly responded, “What do you mean? These are stylish. And comfortable.�

“You got a problem with jumpsuits?� Maddie asked defensively, and Foreman shook his head no.

By this point Danny and Sam were laughing outright at Danny’s parents.

Foreman sighed. “Danny, you’re scheduled for a CAT scan tomorrow morning. Until then we’ll be looking at the test results to try and see what’s causing this, or at least narrow it down. Dr. Cameron is going to take you to get a stress test, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram this afternoon. We need to see if your heartbeat is being effected by the Pericarditis,� He said, then left the room as quickly as he came in.

“Cat Scan?� Jack asked his wife, confused, “But Danny’s not a cat…�

“Have a cookie, Jack,� Maddie sighed, handing him a chocolate chip cookie to distract him. “Let’s go find Jazz and get some breakfast. You’ll be okay, right Danny?� she asked, looking toward her son.

“I’ll be fine,� Danny said, watching as his parents left the room. As soon as they did, he turned to Sam and asked, “Do you think my secret will stay safe?�

“Come on, no doctor’s going to check for something like that, and I’m pretty sure it won’t show up on any normal test,� she said in a reassuring manner that was quite different from her usual tone.

The peaceful moment they shared was broken by a blue mist coming from Danny’s mouth.

“Great, I don’t get a moment’s rest,� Danny sighed. Resigning himself to a fight, he said, “Going ghost!�

Sam gasped as he did so, causing him to turn toward her.

“What?� He asked, confused.

“You’re still normal,� She said, holding up a pocket mirror.

“I’m going ghost!� Danny tried again, he looked at Sam and she shook her head, indicating that he was still normal.

“This is really bad, Sam,� Danny said. “I can’t go ghost.�

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END OF CHAPTER 2
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Chapter 4 – Half the Battle -

“I can’t go ghost!� Danny said worriedly, trying to remain clam despite the situation. He normally would have been shouting by now, but he didn’t want to draw attention from any of the doctors to his current predicament.

“Maybe it’s because you’re sick right now,� Sam tried to think of an explanation. “You just might not have the energy to become Phantom at all,� she stated confidently, though not sure herself of the true explanation.

“It doesn’t take that much- ahh!� Danny yelled when he realized that he was falling through the hospital bed. He managed to become solid again before he fell through the room floor, thankfully.

“Danny!� Sam exclaimed. “Are you okay?� she asked, looking under the bed and seeing that he was fine. He had just gone through the bed frame, and hadn’t been injured at all.

“I’m fine,� Danny said, slowly getting out from underneath the hospital bed and standing up with a bit of help from Sam. “I just don’t get it though…� He started to say, but trailed off.

“You don’t get what?� Sam asked, seriously confused.

“It’s just that…I haven’t had this many issues with using my powers ever since I first got them, and that was because I didn’t know how to control them. What if it starts getting worse? Remember when those ghost bugs were around and all of Casper High had ghost powers that they couldn’t control? Dash was shooting ecto-blasts through the wall, and Kwan was split into eight people!� he said anxiously, “Some abilities of mine are pretty dangerous if I loose control over them. The ghostly wail. Ice powers. Ecto-blasts. Think about if I lost control of those. Sam, there are hundreds of people here who are sick…� He paled as he realized how dangerous the situation was.

Sam now knew why loosing control of his powers concerned him so much. He didn’t care about himself, only that those around him didn’t get hurt. “Danny,� she started out, “I know for a fact that those attacks take tons of energy to pull of, and you know that too. With you being sick right now…I doubt you could even use the ghostly wail or your ice powers even if you wanted to. It would drain you too much. I don’t think you have to worry,� She tried to reassure him.

Danny nodded, feeling slightly better. “I just hope I don’t go invisible or intangible when there are doctors around to see. I might be able to pull one over on my parents…well, most of the time anyway, but I doubt I’ll be able to explain to a doctor why I just disappeared.� Danny sighed, “This is going to be impossible.�

“At least it can’t get any worse,� Sam said. patting Danny on the shoulder in a reassuring manner.

A knock on the door got the attention of both of the teens, and they turned to see who it was. Standing there outside of the room was none other than Danny’s worst enemy, Vlad Masters.

“Sam,� Danny said, turning toward his best friend.

“Yeah?� she asked, though she had a feeling she knew what he was going to say.

“Never, ever say that things can’t get worse.� He said, not wanting to look back at Vlad.

Before they could do anything to stop him, the door was already opened, and Vlad walked in as if he was doing nothing wrong by being there.

“Now Daniel, why would you go and say a thing like that? What about me visiting you could possibly make things worse?� he asked with a smirk. Anyone else would have though he was honest, but Sam and Danny knew better.

“Get. Out. Of. My. Room,� Danny growled, his eyes flashing a bright green color.

“Now why would I leave the son of my dearest Maddie all by himself when he’s in the hospital? It would be rude of me, don’t you agree?� He chuckled darkly. “Besides, who am I to refuse the opportunity to visit when you idiot father invited me here himself?�

“Just tell us why you came here, Plasmius? I’m assuming it wasn’t simply to annoy us,� Sam sighed, knowing that if Danny had been the one speaking to Vlad it would have been a lot worse.

“Oh, I just wanted to see if the rumor floating about the ghost zone is true. Everyone is talking about how the little halfa is weaker than usual. I found the information quite interesting. I know that a lot of your enemies might find that bit of information valuable,� Vlad said.

Danny paled notably. He hadn’t realized any of the ghosts knew he was here. “The ghost zone? The entire ghost zone knows?� He asked, a fearful tone edging into his voice. He knew the implications that that knowledge could have. Forget the harm done by losing control of his powers, who knows how much damage the ghosts could do if they decided to attack the hospital.

“Of course I could always keep any vengeful ghosts away while you’re too weak to fend them off yourself, giving you a chance to recover. That is, if you wanted me to,� Vlad said, knowing that Danny was almost completely defenseless at the moment, and couldn’t defend against any other ghosts attacking.

“And what do you want in return for keeping other ghosts away from here?� Danny spat back, knowing that making a deal with Vlad was like cutting a deal with the devil himself.

“You know the answer to that!� Vlad shouted harshly, before coughing and resuming his normal tone of voice. It wouldn’t do to loose his cool. “Of course if you’re to stubborn and prideful to agree to have some help, I’ll have no choice but to respect you wishes. It’s a shame though. You know your parents won’t be able to hold off the ghosts forever. When they fall, guess whose fault that will be? You’ll always know that you could have saved them, but chose not to. That you were too stubborn to see the right decision. Are you sure you’ll be able to live with that guilt?�

Danny glared at the elder halfa. “My parents are more than capable of fighting off any ghosts that come their way. They won’t get hurt.� He then realized something, “And even if I don’t agree, I know that you wouldn’t dream of letting my mom get hurt,� he stated, knowing that what he said was true.

“Ah, but your not considering all the factors. As a team, they’re only one capable fighter plus a complete buffoon. Even if they stop every ghost where they are and don’t get a scratch on them, there is no way that they can defend the hundreds of people in this hospital. What happens when a wave of ghosts attack and all those poor sick people don’t make it?� he asked, his voice laced with an obviously false regretful tone as he walked to the door. Turning around one last time the multi-billionaire looked Danny in the eyes and said, “You have until tomorrow to make you choice. Then the ghosts start attacking."

Diagnostics Lab

“How can all the tests be negative!?� Foreman shouted as he looked at the papers in front of him. His two colleagues looked up from their testing stations. “All the tests say that his brain in is perfect condition. I mean come on! He claims to have seen ghosts! His brain can’t be normal!� Foreman continued his rant, clearly frustrated at the results.

“Looks like someone owes me a hundred bucks,� Chase said in a sing-song voice, swiveling around on the stool and holding out his hand. Foreman scowled and handed over the cash.

“I can’t believe you bet on a patient’s health,� Cameron frowned. “All the viral tests were negative, as were all the tests for degenerative diseases,� Cameron reported, having gone back to look at her own test results after chastising the two.

“I think I’ve got something,� Chase announced, pulling out a test result and scanning it over quickly, his statement getting the attention of the other two.

“Well, what is it?� Cameron and Foreman asked at the same time, the dispute forgotten about.

“The spinal tap for Guillian Barre came back positive,� Chase told them, handing the chart to his colleagues.

“Awesome. I’ll go get House,� Cameron said, heading out the door to inform her boss of their discovery.

“He’s going to think your wrong. You know that, right, Chase?� Foreman informed him as they watched Cameron leave.

“He’s not completely irrational. It’s an accurate test,� Chase defended.

They both stood up and followed Cameron to House’s office. One there, they found House taking an afternoon nap in his chair. No doubt skipping clinic duty again, or neglecting paperwork.

“Come on House, wake up!� Cameron shouted at him, sounding angry. How could he sleep when he had patients to take care of, she’d never know.

“Cameron, unless you’re here to tell me that Cuddy sent me an early birthday present, I don’t want to hear anything you have to say,� House grumbled, not even bothering to open his eyes.

“I came to tell you that we’ve got a diagnosis. We know what’s wrong with him,� Chase reported. He wasn’t about to stand by while house ignored all the work they’d done.

“Good for you. Go tell the patient, and stop bothering me with the information,� House retorted.

“It’s guillian barre,� Chase continued, ignoring House’s commentary.

House finally opened his eyes and sat up straight in his chair. “You’re wrong,� he said suddenly, standing up and heading over to the white board. An arrogant smirk formed on Foreman’s face at Chase’s shocked expression.

“Excuse me?� Chase said, getting over his shock quickly. He was still confused as to how the diagnosis could be wrong. House wasn’t one to write off an accurate test unless he had some proof to back it up.

“Guillian Barre doesn’t fit the symptoms. It can’t be the only thing that’s wrong with this kid,� House replied, taking the test results from Chase. He crossed off Muscle weakness, fatigue and diminished reflexes from the board

Chase, however, didn’t seem to see this. “Why not?� Chase said, challenging House. “Because I said it, it can’t be right? Or maybe it’s because you have some complex where you want everything to be complicated,� Chase said angrily.

“Why can’t it be both?� House replied with a smirk. “Plus, Guillian Barre doesn’t explain the heart problems he has.�

“You said it yourself. Pericarditis can be caused by an autoimmune disease. This fit-� Cameron began, but was cut off by House.

“Well in this case, it can’t. The Guillian Barre hasn’t even caused him to loose movement in the extremities yet, and It’s been two days since he was admitted. The Guillian Barre is moving very slowly. Do you really expect me to believe that it’s already weakened his heart? If it were that far along, he’d have stopped breathing on his own as well,� House pointed out. The others knew he was right.

“Then what’s your explanation?� Foreman asked.

“It has to be Guillian Barre along with something else. Start him on IVIG for the Guillian Barre, and we’ll try and diagnose what else is causing him to be here,� House suggested.

“What about plasmapherisis?� Foreman asked.

“Too risky, I don’t want to go that route yet,� House said.

“Alright, I’ll go start him on IVIG,� Chase said.

“But what caused it?� House asked suddenly, before Chase had the chance to leave the room. “He didn’t have any real reason to lie about being sick, so I doubt he was. What, besides a virus, could cause his immune system to go into overdrive and start attacking healthy cells?� House mused out loud. It was a mystery, and he loved those.

“It’s rare, but the pericarditis could be idiopathic. No cause.� Chase suggested.

“Have you ever wondered why ‘idiopathic’ starts with the same four letters as ‘idiot’?� House snapped at him. “There’s always a reason for why people get sick. Doctors only call something idiopathic when they don’t know what that reason is. It’s a cop-out.�

“Maybe it was a virus,� Cameron suggested, “A simple, but resistant virus that he either didn’t feel or just went away on its own. There are tons of viruses we haven’t tested for yet. It caused both the pericarditis and the guillian barre.� She picked up his medical file to see if there was any record of him being sick in the last few months.

“A virus with no symptoms?� Foreman scoffed, “Come on. Everyone knows that every single virus shows symptoms, even if it’s just a fever.�

“Wait!� Cameron said, looking at the chart she was holding. “He did...still does have a fever. Look at his medical records from the school nurse. His normal body temperature is 95 degrees!� Cameron declared.

“That can’t be right,� House said, walking over to her and grabbing the chart from her hands. “Even a simple school Nurse should know that a person’s body can’t stay at or below 95 degrees for a long period of time without serious implications. That’s the temperature at which you get hypothermia.�

“So…� Chase started out.

“Either the Nurse did the test wrong, or this kid should be six feet under,� House finished.

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END OF CHAPTER FOUR
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