INTERESTING
Benji
House walked in to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital exactly 47 minutes late. If he did say so himself, that wasn't so bad. He had tried to be later, sleep in a little longer, but his leg hurt a little more than usual and not even two vicodin could put him back to sleep. Plus, there's only so many times you can play American Woman before you decide work isn't such a bad idea.
Upon entering, he headed straight for the elevator. With any luck, someone's BP would refuse to respond to meds or someone would be too young and fit for their heart to go haywire, or something else would go wonky and a very interesting case would present itself in his office. Maybe then he wouldn't have to face Cuddy for awhile. The thought was bittersweet.
Meanwhile in the clinic, a young boy walked up to the receptionist. They went over the usual doo-dads, including 'where are your parents', which the boy lied about with ease. The clinic was unusually empty, so he was immediately dispersed to exam room one. The boy took one step in the exam room direction, hesitated, and turned back to face the already-exhausted receptionist.
"Would it be at all possible to be seen by Dr. Gregory House?" he asked.
The receptionist was shocked. Never once in her life had she heard these words. She'd actually considered betting that these words would never be said, but knew no one would bite. It was common knowledge. "Ah…well, Dr. House isn't in right now." She figured that was true, but House didn't exactly announce his arrival with greetings. Perhaps the boy would come to his senses and settle for one of the more pleasant clinic docs.
The boy didn't seem bothered. "He will be in today, though?"
"In theory." The nurse replied, annoyed. This kid was strange. His family must be acquainted with House somehow. Maybe he was really sick and required House's skill. Or maybe he was just strange. The list was that short.
"Thank-you. I'll just wait in the exam room then?"
He was polite for someone strange enough to want House, but she decided to be polite back. "Yes, that would be fine then. Maybe take a magazine."
The boy chuckled and walked off. He pondered whether or not to tell the lady that the correct choice on her list was option three, but decided against it. That might be too strange. Besides, exam room one awaited him.
"Anything? Anything at all?" He asked his ducklings, who looked bored.
"Fifty-seven-year-old male with tachycardia, rash, and nosebleeds." Chase replied, unimpressed. Nothing really interesting had come in for weeks. The trend seemed to be continuing.
"Why don't you sound interested?" House asked. The combination was mildly intriguing, wasn't it?
"Apparently, two days ago his rash mysteriously appeared after he fell into a patch of poison ivy, and he's a self-admitted nose-picker." Cameron moaned.
House made a face. "So really, just tachycardia?" Okay, that was kind of boring. Again.
The ducklings nodded.
"'Kay, do an echo just for the heck of it and whatever else you feel like. I have clinic. Yay! Who wants to celebrate with me?!" And with that House walked out miserably. Chase banged his head on the glass table before getting up to get a coffee.
"Greetings my fine young citizen! What ails you today that requires the powers of my healing?" House asked the young boy who was sitting patiently in exam room one, seemingly reading the poster on heart disease. He had Chase-coloured hair that was thick and curly, reaching down past his chin. He was short, House figured maybe ten years old.
"Hi, House." The boy smiled, "my name's Benji." He reached out his hand for House to shake. House accepted, confused by this behaviour.
"Hi. So, what? Are your toenails too long? Toothache? Your belly-button was an innie but now it's an outtie?"
"Nah, it would appear - or not appear, I guess - that someone cleaned the clinic doors. Ran right into those very clean, very spotless glass doors. My face kinda hurts. Like, in the parts that would hit stuff first."
"And 'stuff'…that's codeword for door of clinic?"
"Um…yeah. Stuff is quicker though."
House cocked his head slightly and looked at the boy. "So, you were walking into a clinic to get treated for something that happened on your way into the very same clinic?"
"Yeah. It's Benji with an I, by the way."
House just continued looking at the boy, zoned out for the most part to all dialogue.
"And a J. J-I."
He was wearing a plain blue t-shirt - bag of sunflower seeds blue.
"Some people spell it with a G, but then it'd be a hard G, like in goat. That's just wrong."
His shorts were a harder fabric and hung to his knees. They were a dirt colour, and actually had some real dirt on them.
"And some people put a Y at the end, but if you actually look at that after you write it, it looks stupid."
House smiled. He kinda liked this kid. "How old are you?"
Benji laughed. "You're so close. I'm eleven, but only by two months."
House's smile vanished. That was kinda weird.
The boy looked kinda of embarrassed. "Um, want to go for a walk? Like, outside?"
"You're supposed to be sick."
"If anyone asks I have motor function issues or something and you're running some tests as part of an experiment in Texas. A few of them will buy it."
Yeah, House liked this kid. "Sure, but try to look like a motor-function-issue kid, 'kay?"
"Will do, mate."
Exactly 32 minutes later House and Benji were sitting on the park bench. Benji had remained quiet the whole way and House was too busy studying him to talk. There had also been a few people around, which Benji seemed to be quiet aware of. But now they were alone.
"I was wondering…" Benji began, quietly.
"Me too. Di-"
"Hey, I asked first." Benji was smiling. He enjoyed House's company.
"Age before beauty." House said seriously, looking down at his much younger bench-buddy.
Benji jokingly placed his hand over his own heart and thumped it twice. "Touched, mate. Touched deep down to the core."
"I know, I'm a people-pleaser. But did you just guess on that age thing or what?"
"Yeah, well, my question is better. Could I live with you?"
House was stunned but brushed it off sarcastically. "Could I live with you? Sometimes my parents don't give me cookies right before supper and it hurts my heart."
"Serious." Benji's face had turned to stone.
"I have a strict no adopting eleven-year-old boys policy. You fit within those parameters.
"It's hardly adopting. It's more borrowing. Like you borrow an interesting toy."
"You're mildly interesting. So's animal planet and animal planet can be turned off."
Benji laughed so hard he fell onto the grass. House just stared at him. "Uh…kid?"
Benji held up the 'just one minute' finger. House shrugged.
"Okay, whoo, sorry about that." Benji calmed down and sat back onto the bench, multitasking by simultaneously brushing the grass out of his blonde hair.
House just stared, his head slightly cocked.
"Guy, I am way more interesting than animal planet."
"Oh, yeah? You're definitely going to have to prove that. Animal planet has special appearances by platypuses."
Benji seemed unsure all of a sudden. His falling over laughing mood was long gone. "Um, yeah, sure, just it's going to push some of your buttons."
House laughed softly. "Push away, kid."
The boy shrugged and stood up. He walked the few steps so he was standing directly in front of House. "Sorry, but I really would like to live with you. "
House just nodded, deciding to play along. Perhaps the boy was a young Dr. Seuss and was going to recite a poem about purple things with long trunks.
"It would work, me living with you. You could still have your bed and I'd just sleep on the couch. I'm not a big fan of TV, so I won't keep you up or nothing. Hey, if Wilson could fit on that couch, I definitely can. Just maybe don't do that 'hand in hot water' prank. You're couch may never forgive you. And the morphine you keep on your top shelf, I won't touch that. I'm not in any pain. Maybe my face, but not nearly enough for morphine. Or vicodin, so don't worry about that, either. You're too paranoid that Wilson or Cuddy will cut you off. I mean seriously, hiding some in the coffee cups? Think about that for a sec. I really like music. Not as much as you, because that's one of your bricks, but it makes me happy and I can play a few things on piano. That was a very nice version or American Woman you played this morning, Maybe you could teach me?"
House just stared and watched the boy take a deep breath before sitting back down. He looked unsure again and a little embarrassed. "How-"
"I really didn't want to do that." Benji interrupted quickly. "I don't like abusing it, just…"
All of a sudden House laughed and popped three vicodin.
Benji joined in. "So? Am I more interesting than a platypus?"
