Chapter One
Fresh Meat
Gregory House limped into the hospital, glaring through puffy red eyes at all of the patients and nurses. Sniffing deeply, he let out a depressed sigh and hobbled towards the elevator, hoping Dr. Cuddy, or any doctor, for that matter, wouldn't spot him. Unfortunately for him, Dr. Wilson came over from the main desk to talk to House about something that was apparently very important, for he ignored the grumpy doctor's dripping nose and hacking cough.
"You need to get to bed on time," Wilson said as he fell in step with the sick nephrologist, who rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, mummy, now can I go talk to my friends alone? That means without you." Wilson ignored this last comment and said, "By the way, you're getting a new friend, whether you want it or not. Her name is—," Wilson started, but House snatched the folder away from his hands and stepped into the elevator, pushing the second-floor button before the oncologist could say any more.
When the elevator door slid open, Dr. Chase, Dr. Cameron and Dr. Foreman were all waiting impatiently for their boss, and someone else, both of whom were late. House sneezed loudly as he staggered out of the elevator, causing his team to back away from him as he headed for his office. "Uh, House?" Cameron asked. House ignored her and continued to head for his office, where a large box of tissues was waiting. "House!" Chase said loudly. "Hello? Is your head too clogged to hear us?" House glanced back at this comment, saying in a nasally voice, "No, I choose not to listen to you."
Chase, Cameron and Foreman enter the diagnosing room, getting coffee and preparing for an extremely grouchy House. After obnoxiously blowing his nose several times, he walked through the glass door that separated the two rooms and leaned on his cane, appearing to be bored already. "Anything interesting going on, or can I leave now?" House said. The response he got was not at all what he had expected.
"Um, House? Didn't Cuddy or Wilson or somebody tell you?" Foreman hesitantly said. House looked at him questioningly, his brow furrowed. Foreman's eyes rolled and he said, "Cuddy assigned you a new doctor. Fresh meat. They're supposed to be starting today, but we haven't seen them. And we have no idea who they are. Is that about them?" Foreman nodded to the folder House had forgotten he was clutching. Looking at the label on the folder, House shook his head, trying to figure out how he wasn't warned about his new staff.
"Uh, excuse me for interrupting your silence. Is this Dr. House's office?" a voice asked from the door. All four of the doctors jumped, for each of them was in deep thought. "Are you the new doctor?" Chase asked, a little awestruck. The woman standing in the doorway smiled, baring perfectly straight, white teeth. "Yeah," she said, "er, yes, I am Dr. Keira Olivieri, at your service."