House Through The Looking Glass Series
Chapter Three
Beware The Jabberwock
By Jackyblu
Part One
*Set after Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax*
Their shoes echoed in the lobby as they walked. Cuddy looked at Wilson in quiet wonder. Had House really played with Rachel and then napped beside to him? In her mind she started running through her role-a-dex to find a good pediatric psychologist. "She really does like him doesn't she?"
Wilson walked beside Cuddy toward her office. "Apparently. Look she wanted to play and there just happened to be a 'big kid' at my place. They bonded."
"Oh please don't say that." Cuddy closed her eyes at the thought.
"Is that so bad?" Wilson asked.
"It's just…I wanted her to bond with Lucas."
"And she hasn't yet?"
"Well, she hasn't completely taken to him the way she has with Hous…"
A gruff voice arrived behind her. The owner was dressed in an over coat, scarf and wool hat.
"Talking about me already? It isn't even", He checked his watch, "Nine o'clock yet." He noticed that his boss was wearing a sweater with a deep neckline. "Hello Dr. Cuddy and girls. I see the three of you are 'up' bright and early this morning. He stopped staring down her top and focused on her eyes. "So how's my new girlfriend? I was hoping to see her again this weekend." He leaned over to Wilson. "I prefer them young. Less talking, more fun."
Cuddy felt her knees weaken. "You say another word and I'll have security take you to autopsy…in a bag!"
House staggered backward and placed an exaggerated look of shock on his face. "Wow. That was a serious threat. Just the imagery alone will give me plenty to talk over with my shrink. I may have a relapse." He blinks at the open lobby. "Is it just me or is Amber doing a strip tease?" He turns to Wilson. "No chance she isn't really dead is there?" He squinted again into the lobby.
Wilson turned and hissed at him. "If Cuddy doesn't have you put into a body bag I will."
House made a face like Stan Laurel "Is that any way to talk to your best friend."
"It is if he's you."
House sniffed like a weepy schoolgirl. "Fine I'll just go where I'm wanted." He limped away.
"Impossible," Cuddy called following him. "No other hospital in the country will hire you."
House turned. Cuddy was smiling that 'gotch ya' smile of her's.
"Nice," he acknowledged. He continued limping toward the elevators.
"And don't forget you have a shadow today."
House cringed to acknowledge he remembered.
Wilson looked at Cuddy in dismay. "What did he do?"
"House? He was just being him…"
"No I mean the med student. What on earth could he have done to warrant having to shadow House?"
Cuddy shrugged. "He asked for him."
Wilson took a step back. "A Princeton student asked for House? This has to be a first."
Cuddy walked to her office door and looked back over her shoulder at Wilson. "It is. I've marked it on my calendar." She went inside and Wilson stood in the lobby trying to understand the inexplicable.
When House arrived at his office he removed his backpack, heavy coat and scarf. He limped to the conference room intending to have his first cup of coffee of the morning.
He noticed two things immediately.
First there was a white lab coated student in the room and second that student was drinking coffee from a red mug. He looked the student over. He was about six feet with a thin build. He had dark thick wavy hair and deep brown eyes. His face reflected where pimples had been and a beard was now attempting to grow. He dressed like Wilson, too old and serious for his age.
House looked at the mug. It was easy to identify. It was his.
He looked silently at his team. Foreman was reading an AMA journal, Chase was texting, Taub looked sheepish and Thirteen shrugged before saying, "He was here when we got here."
House limped over to the student who looked eager. "Dr. House my name is Jacob Walker." He put out his hand for House to shake. House ignored it.
"Ten big points for getting here early Jakester and fifteen big negative points for using my mug. Doing the math you owe me five points already. That isn't a good way to start." House limped back to his office and the student stood there looking stricken.
Jacob turned to Foreman, "Is he kidding?"
Foreman didn't bother to lower the journal. "Nope, and you don't want minus points from him."
Thirteen exhaled through her teeth. "You'd better clean that mug and get him fresh coffee. He takes it with one sugar."
Jacob looked at the other doctors who said nothing but nodded agreement with Foreman and Thirteen.
He hurried to the sink and washed the mug, poured coffee in it and added one sugar. Once it was stirred he carried it carefully to House's office.
House was sitting at his desk playing with his gameboy, a present from a boy with autism.
Jacob set the mug down carefully on House's desk. He stood waiting for House to say something. When the older man didn't speak Jacob's eyes wandered about the office. He spotted something on the bookshelf and walked over to it. "A magic eight ball. I haven't seen one of these since…"
"If you value your hand, put it down."
Jacob complied at once. "I'm sorry Dr. House."
The gameboy made a bleeping sound.
"Oh, you just made me lose level seven." He looked up at the student. "We are not off to a good start this morning 'Doogie'." House gave a cranky nod to the chair in front of his desk. He glanced over a paper on his desk. Jacob sat down wondering what was next.
House picked up his coffee cup and before he started to sip asked the student, "I assume you washed this and poured fresh coffee in it. Did you add sugar?"
"Yes sir. One packet sir."
"Sir? Were you in ROTC in college?"
"No sir. I just…my dad insisted on formalness and manners."
House took a sip of coffee. "Sounds familiar. Were you an army brat?"
Jacob looked House in the eye. "Airforce sir. Dad was in the Airforce."
"Did he get reposted a lot?"
Jacob nodded. "We moved nine times in twelve years."
"Over seas much?"
"Six of the nine," Jacob answered, "Although one posting was Canada so I don't really count that."
House didn't change expressions but he was interested. "Who does? Where else was he stationed?
Jacob began to recite, "Germany, Japan, Australia, England, Israel and then Canada and three postings in the US sir."
"Stop calling me sir. My Dad was a 'sir' and he's dead. Just call me House." He glanced at the paper again. "How many languages do you speak?"
"Just English sir. I used to speak a little Japanese but Dad insisted on English at all times." He sat silently for a while and then plucked up the nerve to ask House a question. "Were you an Army brat too sir…Dr. House?"
"Are you writing a book?"
"I'm sorry to…"
"No. My father was a pilot for the Marine Corp."
"I see." Jacob felt off balance with House and ran a hand through his thick brown hair. House noticed something. There was a scar on the boy's wrist.
House motioned with his coffee cup at the scar. "Looks like you had a bad burn."
Jacob lowered his hand and pulled down his lab coat cuff reflexively. "Yeah…I…burned it on a firework when I was a kid."
"You're a terrible liar. If you're going to lie to me at least be convincing."
Jacob looked very uncomfortable. Then words came tumbling out of his mouth like marbles from a torn bag.
"My dad," He said at last. "I was seven. He told me not to but I was so excited. He was stationed in Japan. We lived on base and it was the fourth of July in the states. The Japanese have great fireworks, you know. I went to light one off. It was a skyrocket and it fell over and shot off across the field. There was a small fire and it was stomped out by the other officers. They all laughed. I laughed too. It was an accident. Dad smiled. The next firework he called me over to light it. He meant to hand me the lit candle but he missed and set my sleeve on fire. My arm had a third degree burn before it was put out." Jacob's voice became very quiet. "He asked me if that was funny."
House closed his eyes. He could see his own father doling out discipline that would now be called abuse. This kid's dad was the same but on a slightly grander scale. House looked at the boy whose head was bowed to avoid eye contact. House changed the subject that was too personal for both of them.
"So 'Doogie'; interested in diagnostic medicine or just want to shadow the best?" He picked up his mug.
"Both," Jacob answered a bit too excitedly.
House surveyed the kid over his mug before taking a swallow. "Feel like a little 'hands on'?"
Jacob was so excited he nearly emptied his bladder. "Yes sir, Dr. House."
"Good we have clinic duty today. You treat and I'll supervise."
"But, I don't have a medical license. I'm in my second year of med school."
"That's why I'm supervising. We'll keep this between us. Mentor figure to fawning wannabe."
Jacob looked skeptical but agreed.
Taub came in with a folder in his hand. "We have a case. Seventeen year old female presents with fever, fatigue, cough and chest pain."
"Bor-ring," House said ignoring the folder Taub was trying to hand him.
"She's a cheerleader," Taub said slyly.
House's head bobbed up. "Less boring. Hand it over. Never leave out crucial information like that." House looked through the file and then at Jacob. "Well 'Dr. Doogie'. What's she got?"
Taub gaped at his boss. "House you seriously can't expect a student to diagnose a patient when her last doctors couldn't."
"Well 'Doogie' here isn't your average student. There's nothing average about him in fact." House pointed at the paper on his desk. "Kid scored 800 on his SAT's and was valedictorian of his class in both high school and college. He is now a sophomore here at the Princeton College of Medicine and all by the age nineteen."
Taub whistled. "That is impressive."
House got up from his chair. "See your fellow Jew is impressed."
"I'm not Jewish." Jacob said scrambling out of his chair.
"What? With a name like Jacob I assumed you had a ladder in your locker."
Taub sighed. "Can we get back to the patient please?"
House took the file from Taub and limped into the conference room. Taub and Jacob entered the conference room and Taub sat at the table. Jacob stood near House unsure of what to do.
House addressed his team. "We have fever, fatigue, cough, and chest pains; go."
"It could be…" Thirteen began when House cut her off.
"Hey where are your manners? We have a guest. Only polite to let him go first."
Jacob looked at the doctors around the conference table. Taub looked at Thirteen and shrugged slightly.
Foreman was not amused. "House you can't…"
"Tut tut tut; let's give 'Doogie' a shot at this." He turned his laser blue eyes on the hapless teen wunderkind. "Anytime you're ready and by that I mean now."
Jacob looked at Taub and ventured, "It could be pneumonia."
House smiled, "See that wasn't so hard was it? It's ridicules and wrong but points for trying. They don't negate the fact that you took my mug this morning, but thanks for playing."
Jacob tried to sit next to Taub. House stopped him. "Ah no. The table is reserved for real doctors. Union rules."
Foreman rolled his eyes. Thirteen took another stab at it. "Fever and fatigue indicates infection, coughing could be caused by irritation of the bronchia. Difficulty breathing could cause chest pain. Patient may have a compromised immune system. "
House glanced around the table for more input. Receiving none he nodded.
Jacob spoke up unable to contain himself. "But, isn't that the symptoms of pneumonia?"
House turned and looked at him. "Yes."
"But I said pneumonia."
"Yes you said pneumonia. She said everything that suggests bronchial pneumonia, which targets where the infection is and ties up this diagnosis with a nice little bow. Be specific next time." He turned to his team. "And you're all still here. Don't worry the patient can wait. Have coffee, read a magazine, text…you know do that real doctor stuff so 'Doogie' here can learn how a diagnostic staff works."
Foreman looked over his copy of the most current AMA Journal. "It doesn't require four of us to administer antibiotics and a saline drip."
Taub stood up and patted Jacob on the shoulder. "Come on I'll show you how a diagnostic department deals with an advanced chest cold." He looked at House and left the room with Jacob following behind.
"I thought they'd never leave. Anyone want to tell me what symptoms I left out? Come on people you can't expect a simple case of pneumonia to land on my desk. What's missing here?"
Foreman, Chase and Thirteen looked at House askance.
House fidgeted with his cane. "Come on people." He turned to Chase. "Let's here from the newly single doctor."
Chase looked up from his blackberry. "You left out rapid heartbeat."
"Oh he swings and connects. That ball is going, going, wrong! And that's what happens when you make cricket your national pastime." House looked at Foreman and Thirteen. "Any guesses from the 'happy' couple?"
They looked at each other. "She's obviously having difficulty breathing."
"Duh. Obviously. So what are we missing or do you think we have all the evidence?"
Thirteen sighed. "It's plain that you don't think we do so why don't you tell us what's missing since you have the benefit of holding the file in your hand."
"You used to be a lot more fun when you were batting for the other team. Of course I really don't know Foreman all that well." House winked at him. He flipped to page two of the file. "Oh all right. Seems our perky and I use that as a euphuism, seventeen year old cheerleader is in pain."
His team didn't seem impressed.
"Pain from acrobatic cheerleader moves or pain associated with difficulty breathing?" Chase asked.
Foreman put down the Journal. "Where's the pain localized?"
House gave the chart a dramatic look. "Oh…Everywhere. And that is in addition to," he looked at Chase, "tachycardia, which you said but forgot to mention the malaise. No points for you."
Thirteen looked at House. "That doesn't sound like bronchial pneumonia to me."
"No it doesn't. Perhaps we need a better history, and when I say 'we' I mean you three. Get Doogie involved too."
Foreman and Thirteen head for the door and House calls out. "Don't let me catch you two in the janitor's closet. That was Chase and Cameron's hideaway." He speaks sarcastically out of the corner of his mouth. "Find your own place if there are any left they didn't use."
Foreman and Thirteen leave. Chase stands up and puts the blackberry in his pocket.
"You think you're going to get me to quit by reminding me of my shattered marriage? I'm not going."
"You're not working either. If you want me to keep you on I would think that you'd do more than play Packman on your cell phone."
"There are four of us. You said there'd be three openings. If you've nothing for me then I'll go listen to Dr. Laxner lecture on separating conjoined twins. His last case the girls shared a brain." He walked out the door.
House limped over and called after him. "Oh sure. Go and listen to some world famous neurologist just because he's from the 'land down under'." House faked tears. "Just leave me here on my own to worry and wonder. What time will you be home?"
Wilson walked up to House. "Has he quit yet? Driven him back to the arms of his loving parents?"
"Chase's parents are dead."
"Not Chase, your shadow." Wilson shot House a look of concern. "Why? What have you been doing to Chase?"
"Nothing much. Do you think I need to get rid of one of my team?"
"Depends. Do you have enough for four of them to do?"
"Well if one of them does my clinic hours…"
"Cuddy would never approve that. Now she might support keeping all your fellows and firing you."
House grabbed his chest. "Oh ya got me Tex. I'm headin' for that great saloon in the sky." House leaned against the door with his eyes closed and his tongue hanging out."
Wilson smirked. "You maybe headin' for a saloon but it ain't in the sky Tex."
Taub returned with Jacob. "It's a little hard to treat when we didn't have all the facts. Why didn't you share with us what Foreman and Thirteen knew?"
"Why didn't you look past page two of the file?" House looked at Jacob. "Would you tell 'Matt Lauer's mini me' why I withheld those details of the file?"
Jacob looked from one doctor to the other. "Uh…is it because we don't always know all the facts and need to take a complete history?"
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
"Telling you."
House looked over at Taub. "Is he right?"
Taub answered unruffled. "Why yes 'Doc Mock', Jacob is completely correct."
Wilson improvised a bow and arrow. "Zing! And Taub aims and hits the bullseye."
House narrowed his eyes at Wilson. "For that you buy me lunch."
"And that would be different how exactly?"
"Today you know I'm ordering the most expensive thing on the menu."
"It's a cafeteria the most expensive thing is five dollars. I can live with that."
Taub pushed by them. "As interesting as your lunch plans are weren't you suppose to be teaching Jacob something about," He made quotes with his fingers, "Real doctor stuff".
House turned back to Jacob. "What my 'little joke' here is trying to say is that we're going to the clinic. I like to help out there whenever I can. It's the humanitarian in me."
Taub chuckled. "That and the Dean of Medicine would have his cojones for earrings."
House looked at Taub. He used his cane as a sword holding it upright before him. "We are at war then mon petite." He brought it down as he bowed to Taub. "We duel at sunset."
Taub raised his eyebrows and smirked. "You're going down old man."
"Oh sure play the age card," House said acting offended.
"You played the height card," Taub retorted.
Wilson turned to Jacob. "You see this is the way real diagnosticians work." He stuck out his hand. "James Wilson, Head of Oncology. What's your name again? I assume it isn't Doogie."
"How did you know he calls me Doogie?"
"You're what twenty-two?"
"I just turned twenty."
"There's your answer," Wilson said patting Jacob on the back. "He's named you after Doogie Howser."
"Oh." Jacob looked puzzled. "Excuse me Dr. Wilson. Who's Doogie Howser?"
Wilson, Taub and House all looked at each other. Wilson closed his eyes tightly. "Well I'm feeling old. How about you other dinosaurs?"
Jacob swallowed afraid he had offended three senior doctors. House looked at the kid.
"So do you know the episode of Spongebobsquarepants when Squidward has to take Patrick to the clinic to work his hours for him?"
Wilson crossed his arms and addressed House. "The fact that you can use that as a reference to make your point concerns me."
"I'm trying to be cool and 'with it'," House hissed through his teeth.
"Oh I see. You don't wish to be a dinosaur. You prefer to be a Darwin monkey."
"At least we use rudimentary tools." He stuck out his tongue for emphasis. "Come on 'person who is young enough to be Doogie Howser but too young to understand the reference'." House limped off to the clinic with a confused Jacob following behind.
Taub watched him leave with House. He leaned over to Wilson. "What did someone that young do to deserve a day shadowing House?"
"Believe it or not, he asked for him."
"What! Has anyone checked the 'psych' ward to see if they're missing someone?"
Wilson turned to return to his office. "Does make you wonder doesn't it?"
Part Two
House stopped at the nurse's station and signed in. He was handed a file and limped off to exam room three with Jacob following. Once they were inside and the door closed he handed the file to Jacob. "Here ya go. What's going on with contestant number one?"
The patient was a woman in her early seventies who looked from House to Jacob and back again. "Oh did you bring your son to work with you today? He's a nice looking boy."
Son? Me? House looked at the woman like she was an alien then spoke with a slow measured cadence." No he's not my son. First I walk with a cane and he doesn't so right there should be a big tip off that we are not related."
He let the woman absorb that for a moment. She wore a puzzled look on her face, and then appeared to actually be accepting of House's explanation. He sighed inwardly. People were idiots. "So what's wrong with her besides having the IQ of a cotton swab?"
Jacob looked through the file. "The patient presents with chest pain, throat irritation, cough and unpleasant taste in her mouth."
"And what should we do about it?"
"We should do an esophageal scope, and an echocardiogram?"
"Again, are you asking me or telling me?"
Jacob pulled himself to his fullest height. "I'm telling you."
House bounced his cane on the floor to approximate applause. "Good job. You just made the hospital $3,000 for a case of heartburn."
House turned to the patient. "Do you have this all the time or just after you eat."
"It's mostly after I eat. It seems to get worse when I eat jabinaro chili."
House looked at the woman in surprise his eyes wide. "You eat jabinaro chili?"
"The peppers give it a kick. If you can't stand the heat, stay the hell out of my kitchen."
"Okay. Duly noted." House pulled out his prescription pad. "This is for an antacid that will also work to heal your esophagus. From now on get your heat some other way." House gave her a big exaggerated wink. He left the exam room without another word and Jacob followed.
House walked up to the nurse's station and picked up another file. He put it down and chose another. He set that one aside too. He was reaching for a third. Jacob couldn't control his curiosity.
"Dr. House why aren't we taking any of those patients?"
House shot the kid a look. "Not so loud. Do you want Dr. Cuddy to swoop down on us from her perch?" He continued until he found a file that suited him.
"Clinic work is mundane. People are morons and a case of the sniffles isn't worth a diagnostician's time, especially not this diagnostician. So whenever possible look through the files for something good." House came up with a file he liked. "And our winner is in exam room four." He limped off with Jacob following in his wake.
Taub and Thirteen were seated at the conference table. Foreman was at the whiteboard listing the cheerleader's symptoms.
"Our 17 year-old patient, presents with a high fever, fatigue, chest pain, rapid heart rate and malaise."
Chase entered the conference room. "Add extreme difficulty breathing to the list. I had to put her on a respirator."
Thirteen looked the symptoms over. "It has to be something in the lungs. Something viral."
Taub nodded. "We've ruled out pneumonia."
"Ashley has fluid in her lungs." Chase said. "We need to 'scope' her and take samples for House."
Foreman tapped the whiteboard and thought. "She's never been out of the country has she?"
"Never been further than Virginia," Taub answered.
"Don't suppose she works in a mailroom?"
"No," answered Chase. He sat down at the table. "What are you thinking?"
Foreman looked at the board again. "In another time and place this would look like anthrax."
They all gave him a doubtful look. Taub voiced his skepticism aloud.
"Anthrax in a teen age girl in Princeton, New Jersey? I can see the smile on Dr. Cuddy's face from here," He said, a taunting smile on his face.
"We'll have the Center for Disease Control here not to mention the media. Then the girl's school will be closed and parents will panic. This sounds like fun," he said in a voice ripe with sarcasm. "The hospital will be turned upside down. House will love it."
"I said it looks like anthrax," Foreman repeated.
Taub looked at Foreman. "She hasn't been out of the country. Ever."
Thirteen spoke up. "I agree with Chase. Let's get a bronchoscope down her and take some samples. House will insist we get them anyway." She got up from her chair. "Might as well be proactive."
Chase and Thirteen left the room and Foreman looked at the whiteboard again. Taub watched his colleague. "Look even if it is anthrax we'll still need to scope her. And a diagnosis of anthrax leads us right back to the big question. Where does a seventeen-year old go to be exposed?"
Foreman eyed Taub. "Maybe we should find out if any of her schoolmates have been out sick?"
Taub nodded. "I'll check with the parents to see if she belongs to any clubs or social groups." Taub raised one eyebrow. "Can Twitter make you sick?"
"It does me," Foreman said dryly.
Jacob and House were just walking out of exam room four. Jacob had an odd little smile on his face. House went to get another file. "So junior, what have we learned?"
"Look through the files for something interesting."
"And if you can't find anything interesting?"
"Check for one in which the patient is a babe."
"I would have used a different phrase but yeah, you got it." He picked up the files and looked it over. "It's best not to get caught doing this because our esteemed leader or 'wide load' as I affectionately call her, would not approve."
House looked up at a silent Jacob. "Hmm. 'Cat got your tongue' syndrome. Either you're overwhelmed and can't think of anything to say or your bulging eyes are indicating that she's right behind me." House winced and turned around. "Dr. Cuddy we were just speaking about you."
"Yes I heard." She addressed Jacob. "Don't you want to be shadowing another doctor? I can set up a new day for you."
"No thank you. I really wanted to watch Dr. House." Jacob looked very sincere.
Cuddy exhaled through her nose. "Okay. Fine. Listen to everything he says and when you are fully qualified do noneof them. You'll save your hospital a fortune in malpractice insurance." She turned to the files and grabbed the one on the top and pushed it into House's hands. "Here. Exam room one." She stalked away.
House watched her leave appreciatively and Jacob did as well. House saw the kid admiring the retreating rear of Cuddy. "Whoa. Whoa. Hey! Some of us have earned the right to gawk."
House looked at the file. It was for a child 11 months old who cried all the time. House handed the file to Jacob. He picked up some cotton from an empty exam room and shoved it in his ears while they walked to the room. When Jacob opened the door the din could be heard on the space station.
Thirteen and Chase were attempting to take samples of lung tissue and fluid from Ashley's lungs. The girl's parents hovered nervously in the background. Taub asked the parents to step outside the room with him so he could ask questions about Ashley's friends and habits.
Chase was removing the bronchoscope when Ashley started to cough. He removed it and helped Thirteen to sit Ashley up. The teen coughed up a large amount of thick sputum. Thirteen looked at Chase. "Enough of a sample for you?"
House handed in a final file to the nurse's station. "Not too bad junior. I especially liked the way you called the parents morons. The top guy in our field berates parents for using homemade herbal diaper cream, especially when the child is allergic to one of the ingredients. Some people should never reproduce."
"Aren't you the 'top guy' in the field of diagnostics Dr. House?"
"As a matter of fact I am and I did tell off the parents." House leaned against his cane looking heavenward. "How stupid do you have to be to keep using a preparation that causes a child to break out in a rash?"
"Those parents are idiots." Jacob looked irritated. "Did you mean it when you said you would call child protective services?"
"Do you think they'll use homemade remedies on the child again?"
"No," Jacob huffed.
House faked a look of concern. "Darn. Just wish you'd said that sooner." He used a stage whisper, molten guilt on his face. " I turned them in to Cuddy when I stepped from the room for a moment. Now that she's a mom I find her less tolerant of 'stupidiots' pretending to care for their children. When you have a really ugly call to make, let your boss do it."
Jacob smiled at that.
House consulted his watch, "Lunch time Doogie. Be back in the office in an hour."
House limped off to find Wilson. Jacob wandered the hospital.
In the diagnostic conference room House's team were awaiting the findings of the tests done on Ashley's blood, sputum and lung tissue.
Foreman was stubbornly sticking to his anthrax theory and Taub insisted that there was no contact. Chase had ruled out cancer. Thirteen was leaning toward anthrax as well. The lab work was taking longer than expected.
Taub leaned forward in his chair. "Yes her symptoms do fit anthrax. I am not disputing that. What I am saying is where's the source? The school doesn't have anyone out with the same symptoms. She doesn't belong to a school club. She isn't with the 4H. She hasn't been outside the US. I searched the home and it was so clean you could eat off the floor. No rodent droppings and no pets."
Foreman was pressing his point. "The symptoms all fit. She has the high fever, malaise, chest pain, fatigue and rapid heart rate. Then she presented with a cough and difficulty breathing. Says anthrax to me."
Taub ran his hand over his head. "Look for the sake of this discussion let's say I agree with your diagnosis," Taub sighed. "If we have a case of anthrax the CDC will quarantine the hospital. They will be at the girl's school and her home. The media will be all over this family, their neighbors, this hospital and us if we don't know the source." He appealed to his colleagues. "All I'm saying is that we had better be damn sure."
Thirteen addressed her coworkers. "We have her on ciprofloxacin. There is no improvement. She's on a respirator and we've removed fluid from her lungs. It'll need to be done again in a couple of hours so she doesn't drown in her own body."
Chase shifted in his chair. "The cultures on the sputum are not ready yet and I have no idea what's taking the blood samples so long."
"This is ridicules," Taub complained. "Where the hell is House?"
"What, you don't think we can make this diagnosis on our own?" Foreman challenged.
"What I think is that we had better cover our butts."
Chase got out of his chair and walked to the door. "I'm going to see what's taking the blood workup so long. Someone had better page House."
Reluctantly Foreman dialed the number.
House and Wilson were having a vigorous discussion as they entered the hospital lobby returning from lunch.
"I don't know why you're surprised." House said innocently. "I told you I was going to order the most expensive thing on the menu."
Wilson was agitated. "Yes but I thought you meant in the cafeteria not Cucina's. You ordered an entire Lobster and feta pizza for yourself and only ate three slices!"
"The rest didn't go to waste."
"No it didn't. You gave it to a stray dog."
"Well I learned kindness to dumb animals while at Mayfield."
A pager went off. Both doctors checked their belts.
"Yours," Wilson said.
House read the display. "Speaking of dumb animals it seems that my team can't get along without me."
Wilson lifted his chin at House. "Is Cuddy going to let you keep all four of them?"
"I doubt it."
"Who are you going to cut?"
"Whoever isn't pulling his weight. Chase is the front runner right now."
Wilson closed his eyes. "He has a few things on his plate right now. He needs time."
"I'm giving him time." House looked at his watch. "He has till five o'clock."
House began to limp away but Wilson had a question he needed answering.
"I have to know. How it's possible a student asked to shadow you?"
House stopped and gave Wilson a disbelieving look over his shoulder. "I'm fun at parties. Duh."
To prove his point House turned to the side. He took his cane and twirled it. He tossed it twirling end over end high into the air. It returned to his waiting hand where he flipped it all the way around. He brought it down to lean on it again. It was done with a flourish in one fluid motion. A smattering of applause erupted.
"Any more questions?"
House limped off to the elevators.
Wilson watched him go.
"How does he do that?" Came an impressed voice from behind him.
Wilson sighed deeply. "He practices…a lot."
House entered the conference room. "Did you all miss me that much?" He looked around. "Where's Doogie?"
Taub shrugged. "We haven't seen him since he went to the clinic with you."
House looked at the whiteboard and became serious. "Our patient has anthrax. Where are the tests?"
"The sputum is still being cultured and Chase went to see why the results of the blood test are taking so long."
House went to the phone and called the lab. "This is House. I have a dying kid here and no blood test. Her name is…"
"Ashley Moore," Thirteen supplied.
"Ashley Moore," House repeated. "How many times did you run it? Give the report to Dr. Chase and tell him to get his Aussie arse back here now." House listened and snorted in disgust. "I'm sending someone for them now." He hung up the phone and muttered to himself. "Goodbye Chase." He looked at Thirteen, "Go get the results from the blood test and check to see if the culture is done."
She went to the door and House called after her. "And if you see Chase tell him I want to see him in my office." He turned to Taub and Foreman. "So we have a diagnosis of anthrax that's about to be confirmed by tests. That leaves the source." He looked at Taub and Foreman then began to answer for them. "Why yes Dr. House we have narrowed it down to her home where after a thorough search we found…"
"Nothing," Taub said finishing his sentence. "I checked the home which is immaculate. No vermin, droppings, not even a pet. Talked to the parents and their daughter has never been out of the country. She doesn't belong to any clubs. She hasn't handled animals or been around anyone who was sick with these sort of symptoms."
Foreman added to Taub's report. "I called the school and there are few absences. No one complaining of anything more serious than a sore throat."
House scratched his chin. "Everything points to anthrax. She never came in contact with a powder and didn't know what it was?"
"Not that anyone seems to know about."
Out of frustration House grumbled, "Where the hell are those tests?"
Thirteen entered looking a little stricken. "It's anthrax. Blood and sputum confirm it."
"We gave her antibiotics and they did nothing to help." Taub moaned looking at Thirteen to avoid Foreman.
Thirteen continued to read the report. "Her immune system is trashed. The lab checked for HIV. We've ruled out cancer." She looked at House. "She's a cheerleader. Excessive exercise?"
House took the lab results out of her hand. Foreman made the mistake of looking a little pleased with himself. House caught it.
"Congratulations. You've got the diagnosis correct." He pointed at the whiteboard. "It's only text book symptoms. Now how did she get it? I'd kind of like to know before I tell the parents their daughter is going to die." He looked over the report. "What caused this weakening of her immune system? If only we still had an immunologist or perhaps her husband."
The conference room door opened and House started in without turning around. "Did you get lost on your way to the lab? We have a case of anthrax here and…" He turned and saw that it was Jacob and not Chase. To cover his mistake he continued in the same vein. "I don't know how long a lunch hour is in your world but here it's called a lunch hour for a reason.
Jacob apologized and muttered something about getting lost in some hallway.
House turned back to his team. "Find the source or find other jobs."
They all spoke at once, "You can't fire us… We tried…how is this our fault…"
House looked at them his brow furrowed. "It isn't me that'll fire you its Cuddy. I'd probably join you in the unemployment line but I have some seniority. I hope it's enough."
House made a firm gesture to Jacob. "You. Come with me," he sounded irritated.
He went out the conference room door with Jacob following. They walked down the hall House moving faster than an older crippled man should be able to walk in Jacob's opinion.
They reached the room that Jacob had visited before with Taub. House slid open the door and approached the bed. He started questioning the parents with no more of an introduction than, "I'm Dr. House." He sat on a stool. "I need you to tell me everything your daughter has done for the last two months."
The parents looked at each other and thought. Ashley had the typical teen summer. She went out with her friends. No, none of them were sick. She had never ridden a horse. She hadn't been in a hospital visiting anyone. She just stayed around the neighborhood except in August when she went to Virginia.
House scrutinized the parents. "What did she do in Virginia?"
She was lucky enough to spend two weeks in a colonial village acting as one of the colony. It was a great learning opportunity for her. She had a wonderful time. Couldn't stop talking about it when she got home. She wants to go back next summer. Kids need to be exposed to new things. It would enrich her life. She did manual labor and that was something all teen should have to do at one time or…
House closed his eyes. These people were already giving him a headache. They talked over each other and at the same time. They spoke like Muppets with wide mouths and animated movements.
He cut them off. "What were her responsibilities there?"
She did a number of things but the one she enjoyed the most was making yarn. She loved to explain to the visitors how the sheep are sheared, the wool combed and then spun into yarn. The parents jabbered on.
Too bad the only part House listened to was the part about the sheep.
"What breed of sheep?"
They didn't know. House was ready to give the parents hell when a voice behind him said, "Jacob".
House growled at the kid. "I know your name. I just don't care."
"No Dr. House. She told me they were called Jacob sheep. She thought it was funny that they had the same name I do."
House looked at the boy. "Did she say she worked with the sheep?"
"No. She just made the yarn from their wool."
House's features relaxed. He had his source. "She has Woolsorter's disease. She inhaled the bacterium found on the sheep's wool. Jacob sheep are not native to the United States and are usually inspected before being brought in. They were dying out in the United Kingdom and there's an effort to breed them. They have a nice black and white coat, which was popular with weavers."
The parents looked relieved and thanked House and Jacob for their efforts. House's face remained stony.
"The fever associated with it should have come on in five days to a week after exposure. She didn't complain of a fever and fatigue?"
The parents became very quiet.
The stupidity of people was something House had come to expect. "She did. She told you both that she didn't feel well and you never thought to have her looked at by a doctor!"
She has a habit of being a bit dramatic they said. If she doesn't want to take a test in geometry she gets a mysterious ailment. We took care of her. Whenever she had a cold or whatever she was complaining about we gave her antibiotics. She couldn't be sick with all the antibiotics in her system. If she didn't cry wolf all the time they would have taken her seriously. They were so critical of this girl and deflected the truth like Venus Williams hitting tennis balls.
"So when she was sick you loaded her up with antibiotics and sent her to school. Very clever." There it was, the truth and the final piece of the puzzle.
They insisted they were good parents. Dad was a pharmacy representative. He had access to samples. Ashley always had the sniffles, a sore throat or some other malady. She was such a drama queen.
House got off the stool. He pointed his cane at them. "You're the good parent's that compromised her immune system. No wonder she was sick all the time. Antibiotic aren't cough drops! Too much has the oppositeeffect on the body."
The parents became silent again. If House hadn't been so angry with these people he might have enjoyed the quiet.
House looked at Jacob. "Would you please tell 'Siskel and Ebert' here what the other name for Woolsorter's disease is?"
Jacob looked shocked but recovered and swallowed. "Woolsorter's disease is another name for inhalation anthrax."
House spoke again," Inhalation anthrax can take as long as sixty days to develop. Combine that with a weakened immune system and Jacob what's the prognosis for Ashley?"
Jacob shook his head. He didn't want to tell the parents. The headshake was enough.
The parents were shocked. They cried and demanded to know why House couldn't save her.
In spite of his anger at morons who could have avoided this by listening to their daughter, House softened his voice although the words still stung.
"We've done all we can. She was placed on a course of antibiotics all useless thanks to you. All we can do is try to make her comfortable. We could place her in a medical coma and she would die in her sleep and not awake gasping for air." House half shrugged. "I know you worried about her being a 'drama queen' but this is one performance she shouldn't be forced to give."
He limped for the door. "It's too bad. She's beautiful, like the actress in those pirate movies. Say your goodbyes now. This is her curtain call. The balcony is closed." He left the room with Jacob almost running after him.
Jacob caught House just around the corner from the room. His face was angry and his eyes filled with tears as he shouted, "Why did you make me do that? Why did you have to be so cruel to those people? She's dying. You should have told them! Why did you ask me? I couldn't tell them that…" His tears made him choke.
House was firm as he addressed Jacob.
"This is a fact of a doctor's life. Patients die. We may not always know why and we can do our best, but sometimes our best isn't good enough. Sometimes the patient or their family withholds information from us that would have helped us arrive at a diagnosis sooner. Everybody lies. Keep that in mind when you talk to a patient or their family. Some people are too stupid to help themselves. In any case doctors lose patients and if you can't handle that then pick another profession."
House started to limp away then stopped and looked over his shoulder. "If you're going to cry, don't follow me." House limped up the hall, as Jacob stood there alone.
Part Three
House returned to the conference room. "Woolsorter's disease," he announced. "She spent part of her summer playing a colonist at one of those 'authentic' early American tourist traps. She spun the wool of a Jacob sheep." He looked at Taub. "There's our source. I need to let Cuddy know so she can deal with the Center for Disease Control." He looked around the room. "Has Chase turned up?"
Foreman shook his head and the others looked just as unknowing. House limped out the office door and down to the Dean Of Medicine's office. He entered without knocking.
Cuddy was looking over figures for an upcoming board meeting. House was an uninvited distraction. She continued to work not sparing him a glance.
"What ever it is, no. Now please leave."
House remained standing in front of her desk a grim look on his face. When he didn't say anything she looked up and caught the look in his eyes. Now she gave him all her attention.
"What's happened?"
"My patient with fluid on her lungs has Woolsorter's disease."
Cuddy froze in her seat. "She has anthrax? Oh my God. I'll have to call the CDC. Is there a risk of exposure to any of our other patients or staff?"
"About as remote as you, me and jello shots in Wilson's bath. She'll be the soul casualty." House looked at Cuddy. Her face softened.
"There's nothing you can do?"
"It's too late," he said dropping his chin and shaking his head slightly. "She had been running a fever for over weeks and the parents ignored it. Now they can give her nothing but attention at her funeral."
Cuddy winced at the bald way House had stated the facts. She knew he was angry for such a senseless waste of a young life. She was angry too. "I'm calling the CDC. Even a slight risk of exposure is too much." She closed her eyes imagining what was about to happen. "This is a nightmare. They'll want the hospital quarantined until they can investigate. Where was the point of contact?"
"It was a colonial village in Alexandria, Virginia. Have them test some Jacob sheep. In this case Woolsorter's was appropriately named."
Cuddy reached for the phone and House continued to stand in front of her desk.
"There's more?"
House shifted his stance. "Call this a preemptive strike. I'm trying to do this before you come to me and tell me to do it."
"House this isn't the time to make me guess. I have anthrax in my hospital."
"A not so contagious form of anthrax," he corrected. "I just want to tell you that your budget may look better soon. I am cutting my team to three."
Cuddy looked at House shocked. "Who gets the ax?"
"Chase."
"House…" Cuddy was at a loss for words. "Cameron just left him. Can't you give him more time?"
"No I can't. I need members of my team to at least be available when I need them. No one has seen Chase in the past two hours. He attended a lecture while his colleagues ran tests and did the leg work to diagnose our patient. It's time for him to go…again."
Cuddy felt badly but looked at House and quietly agreed. "Its your department. I'll back you if that's your decision, but I want you to write it up so we aren't hit with a wrongful termination lawsuit."
House nodded once and left her office. Cuddy picked up the phone and called the head of security into her office. The floor had to be secured. No one was to enter or exit the building as a precaution. They were in a lockdown protocol until released by the CDC.
House limped back to his office and met Wilson along the way. They walked down the hall together.
"Is it true your patient has Woolsorter's?"
"Who told you?"
"Taub."
"Is there something going on between you two? Should I be jealous? It's because I'm not Jewish isn't it?" House raised his voice a few decibels. "When are you going to accept me for me?"
"House? Shut up."
"Okay."
"So it's true."
"Yup. If her parents hadn't assumed she was 'playing' at having a fever I would be saving her now instead of doping her up so she can die in peace."
"Wilson sighed. "Ah God. It always feels like a blow to the gut, watching young people die and knowing it didn't have to happen this way."
House kept walking without a word. Wilson knew that meant House was going back over the case. What had he missed? Why did the moron parents withhold information from him? Why didn't they care enough to have her seen by a doctor?
Wilson changed the topic. "Have you decided who to cut?"
"I just told Cuddy. I'm cutting Chase. He was no help today. He went to the lab for the test results and not only didn't get them he never arrived. I know his wife left him but I need functioning members on my team."
Wilson tightened his lips and nodded in agreement with House. "Maybe Chase moving on is really the best thing for him. He might get Cameron back if he leaves here."
They arrived at House's office and he was a little surprised to see Jacob standing there waiting. He had removed his lab coat and rolled up his sleeves. House assumed he had gone into the men's room and washed his face to get rid of tear tracks.
House and Wilson entered and Jacob stood taller. "I'm not changing my focus. I want diagnostics. I won't be emotional in front of a patient again Dr. House. I want to be like you." He smiled.
Wilson looked at House like he had just drowned a kitten. "Oh my God," he moaned under his breath.
House sat behind his desk. "You're prepared to tell dying patients the truth?"
"Yes, I am."
House looked at Wilson. "You should show Doogie how to tell a patient they're going to die. He had his first taste of it today and sobbed like a teenager who had to tell another teenager's parents that she was going to die."
Wilson looked at House in revulsion, "You didn't make him tell the parents!"
"Well I tried but he wussed out on me."
"House you are unbelievable! How you could do this to a second year med student …"
Jacob stopped Wilson from going further.
"No Dr. Wilson, Dr. House was right. If I can't tell a patient their dying I am in the wrong profession. I am not going to let it effect me again. Diagnostician's don't cry."
House nodded, "Well said."
Wilson addressed Jacob. "No one here," He looked at House, "is going to tell you not to empathize with your patients. You want to show them you care about what's happening to them but you can't carry it around inside of you. That's when you know whether being a doctor is right for you."
Jacob smiled again. "Don't worry Dr. Wilson. I can keep the two separated."
Jacob let his eyes wander around House's office. His eyes stopped at a corner of the office. "Where's your TV? The one you watch monster truck rallies on. Did you move it?"
Wilson looked at Jacob in a puzzled way. "How did you know he used to have a TV in that corner?"
"Got rid of it," House said. "It had lousy reception." He leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the desk.
Jacob walked over to the bookshelf and ran his finger across the backs of the books. He stopped on a volume about Lupus. He smiled and almost laughed to himself muttering, "It's never Lupus."
He stepped away from the bookshelf. Jacob had a look on his face that suggested he had made up his mind about something. He looked out the window. "It got colder today. Are you going to take your bike home or go with Dr. Wilson? Seems more practical if you both travel together."
Wilson was feeling funny about what Jacob was saying. "Why would we ride together?"
"Because you're best friends."
Wilson smiled. "We are unless he cons me into an expensive lunch." Out of habit Wilson placed his hands on his hips. "You seem to know a lot about Dr. House. He wasn't required reading was he, 'Egomaniacs and How to Avoid Becoming One'? That would be a useful course." Wilson tossed the jibe at House. House gave Wilson a one-finger reply.
Jacob smiled. "I spoke to some seniors. They all said Dr. House was the best. Not the nicest but the one doctor who knew the medicine the best. I tried to learn everything I could about him. I want to be the best in my field."
"The best is already taken. Settle for second best Doogie?" House asked him.
Wilson groaned as he looked at House. "Hero worship. That's all you need, your own personal zealot. Next we'll have to build you an alter and make sacrifices." Wilson made a little half bow with his arms raised in the air. "All hale the great and powerful wonderful wizard of diagnostics."
House acknowledged Wilson's praise with a royal wave of his hand. "If the sacrifices are virgins… No. I'd better start with Cuddy and work my way down." He noticed the light flashing on his phone. Wilson saw it too.
"You going to listen to that?"
"No."
Wilson sighed and picked up the phone. He punched in House's ridicules code of 1234 and listened. His face showed surprise. "Wow." He hung up the phone. He placed his hand on the back of his neck. "Well that was unexpected."
House stretched. "You going to tell me or shall we play 20 questions?"
"It was Chase. He left to go after Cameron. He just quit. He didn't even wait to tell you personally." Wilson rubbed his neck again. "Wow."
"Your wife leaves because a genocidal dictator, (he used his fingers to make quotation marks) "dies" on your watch. You may just suddenly decide to take a trip to avoid unpleasant inquiries."
Wilson looked at Jacob. "He's just kidding."
"Right. I'm just KID-ing Doogie." House spread his hands palms up a little tight-lipped smile on his face.
"Okay." Jacob answered confused. "So Dr. House, what time do you want me here tomorrow?" Jacob was sincere.
House continued to smile. "I don't want you at any time tomorrow. This was your day to shadow me and now it's over. You can follow another doctor in another department next semester."
Jacob's face fell. He was visibly disappointed.
House took his feet off the desk. "My babysitting duties are over Doogie. It's been a real pleasure for you but now," he picked up his cane, "It's over."
Jacob looked down at the floor. "I didn't want to shadow you again."
"That's a relief," Wilson said rolling his eyes.
Jacob kept talking to his shoes. "I want to work for you."
House didn't look phased. "I have four 'real' doctors on my staff now. I'm afraid the budget won't allow for anyone else."
"But Dr. Chase left. You wanted me to tell the family their daughter was going to die. You taught me how to choose patients at the clinic. You must want me to be part of you're team or why bother?"
House didn't change his expression. "When I say four 'real' doctors I am including myself. We were top heavy and I was going to fire Chase anyway. Now my department budget will fall in line and Cuddy will stay off my back, which isn't the position I want her in anyway."
"That's all right Dr. House. I'll work gratis." Jacob said.
Wilson looked at House and smiled. The kid wanted this bad. Wilson felt sorry for him. Many times the most eager kids washed out of the medical program.
"Maybe after med school and some time in residency Dr. House will have an opening," he said sympathetically.
House balanced the tip of his cane on his palm. "Listen to Wilson, Doogie. You need an official license to join my team and a specific specialty that would be useful to me, say immunology. Wouldn't hurt if you have something on the outside like a very rich daddy who can send me a large check to make me want to hire you." The cane fell off his hand and landed with a bounce at Jacobs's feet.
Jacob never looked up at House. He picked up the cane and handed it back to him. "My Dad isn't rich. I told you he's in the Airforce."
House suddenly took Jacob's wrist and turned it over to reveal the scar.
"You were never abused by your dad. Those scars are too recent to have occurred when you were seven Doogie. You did this to yourself so I would empathize with you. The question is, why?
"My Dad did abuse me like your Dad did you."
House held Jacob's wrist firm in his grasp. "How do you know about my Dad? The only person who knows is Wilson." House glanced at Wilson a moment. He shook his head 'no'.
Jacob tried to twist out of House's grip. "I just heard about it. Get your hands off me. It hurts.
House redoubled the grip. "It doesn't hurt as badly as it will if you don't answer my questions."
"Dr. Cameron told me. I was her shadow in the ER and I asked her about you."
"You're lying. Cameron didn't know. No one knew." House twisted the kid's arm.
Jacob cried out in pain.
Wilson was shocked. He moved forward to get House to release him.
That's when Jacob sliced open Wilson's arm with a scalpel held in his left hand.
He lashed out at House who quickly let go of his arm and pulled back as far as he could. His shirt was slashed but not the flesh.
"I know everything about you." He told House. "For a guy so smart you're very stupid. You should use more complex passwords on your computer." Jacob laughed manically. "It was pretty easy to guess 'piano'. So was your last one 'cane'. You should have made them harder like Dr. Wilson's." Jacob grinned. "I loved your journal Dr. House. I'm glad Dr. Nolan insisted on you keeping one."
Jacob switched the scalpel to his right hand. He went on, a terrible glint in his eyes.
"I knew you'd want me on your team. You need someone smart. Those other doctors can't compete with me. You need me."
House gave Jacob a hard look. "I don't need a psycho roadie. Sorry Doogie. You're not part of my team. You never will be."
The student's face blushed red. "My name is not Doogie! MY NAME IS JACOB WALKER."
Foreman and Taub were in the conference room while Thirteen was visiting their patient. Jacob's scream made them rush to their boss's office.
Wilson holding his arm as the blood dripped on the carpet motioned with his head for them to back off. He mouthed silently to Taub to call security.
Taub hurried back to the conference room phone. Security was locking down the building as per the CDC's protocol for anthrax. No one answered. Taub then called 911. He left the office to meet the responders at the front of the hospital and hopefully find Cuddy as well.
Foreman was trying to talk to Jacob calmly.
House tried a different approach. He got Jacob to focus on him by letting loose a tirade at the kid.
"You were never abused by your father. He ignored you. So you put all your energy into your studies. You thought he'd pay attention if you had the best grades and won school prizes. Didn't work did it? You applied yourself and got a scholarship to a prestigious college and he still didn't notice. Then you made it to med school. You told him you were going to be a doctor. He couldn't have cared less. He wanted you to become what he was. He wanted to tell all his friends you were 'a chip off the old block'. But you weren't. You were you. And that wasn't good enough for him." House gulped his eyes wet. "Nothing ever was good enough for Dad."
Foreman was using Wilson's tie as a tourniquet. They both watched House pour out painful memories that were drowning Jacob. The boy began to cry.
House rammed his cane into Jacob's stomach. He doubled over and House brought the cane down hard between the shoulder blades. Jacob landed on the floor and House moved faster than anyone would expect. He was out of the chair and bringing his foot down on the hand that had held the scalpel. House felt the bones break. He wasn't sorry. He reached down and took the scalpel.
Foreman picked up the young man and placed him in a chokehold.
House went to Wilson to check his arm. He nodded his approval to Foreman. "Nice to see you learned something from all those brushes with the law."
Foreman was full of adrenaline and told House to shut the _____ up.
Wilson looked at House. "Was that real emotion we witnessed?"
House looked the wound over. "You mean the tears and all? Nope. Just needed the kid off balance."
Wilson looked at House his head cocked slightly. "Right,"
Jacob squirmed not at all impeded by his injuries.
"Where the hell is security." Foreman grunted. "This crazy kid is a handful. Get something to put him out will you?"
House limped over to Jacob. "Not yet. We seem to have a doctor missing."
"Taub went for help and Remy is with the patient."
House looked at Foreman. "Nice you call her by her first name instead of the affectionate nick-name. Shows you two are still not a couple."
Foreman wrestled with Jacob. "Is this the time and place for a discussion on my relationship?"
House nodded. "Fair enough. What we need to do right now is find Chase."
"Find Chase! Are you insane? We need to put this kid out."
"If we do," House said quietly. "We won't find out where Doogie has hidden Dr. Chase."
He looked into Jacob's crazed eyes. "Where is he? How did you make Chase leave that message?"
House looked at Wilson to forestall his question. "I know Chase wouldn't call in his goodbye. He would have faced me. He would have said something to you and Foreman. He definitely would have told Cuddy. He's here somewhere. Doogie thought he would make a 'hole' and I would fill it with him."
Jacob struggled harder and tried to scream out again, "My name is Jacob Walker!"
"Yeah," answered House. "Whatever."
Wilson looked up suddenly, "Trapanal."
"That isn't guaranteed to work. But it's worth a shot or even two. Wilson you get two syringes full and then go to the ER."
Foreman continued struggling with the boy. "How about some Thorazine while you're getting syringes?"
House half smiled at Foreman. "Temporary chemical lobotomy. And Thirteen says you're no fun."
Jacob was kicking and trying to bite. "Hurry back," he told Wilson.
Wilson staggered off and House picked up his cane. He addressed Foreman. "If you need a break," He looked pointedly at Jacob, holding up his cane for emphasis. "I'll give him one."
Wilson returned and House took two syringes from him. "Wilson, go to the ER!"
He showed his stubborn side. "I'm not leaving until we find out where Chase is."
"You're going to continue to bleed all over my carpet and pass out you idiot. Get out of here."
"Guys a little help here!" Foreman tried to stop Jacob from fighting his way out of the hold.
House took Jacobs arm and managed to get the needle in. Damn the kid was strong.
"Where's the Thorazine?" Foreman panted.
Wilson looked sheepish and pale. "Locked up. Sorry. Left my key in my desk." He started to swoon.
"Timber." House called out as Wilson managed to stagger to House's chair and ottoman and land in a more or less sitting posture. "Where the hell was Thirteen? It doesn't take an hour to say so long to a patient."
Foreman looked at him incredulous. "You think she can help hold this kid?"
"No. I think she can attend to Wilson. She is still a doctor right? You didn't fire her and take her license away?"
"Funny," Foreman groaned.
Jacob was moving less and beginning to relax. Foreman and House didn't. This kid was tricky.
Taub came into House's office swearing. "The cops are here but they aren't allowed in the building. Can you believe that?" He looked at the more cooperative Jacob. "Looks like you guys have the kid under control."
Jacob nailed Foreman in the shin with his heel.
"Does that look like under control to you?"
Part Four
Jacob was struggling again. Foreman was getting quite a work out trying to keep his grip on him. House took the second syringe of Trapanal and injected Jacob.
"Taub see to Wilson."
Taub kneeled by Wilson's side. "Don't worry Dr. Wilson. As a former plastic surgeon I can promise you a sexy scar." Taub removed his lab coat and wrapped it around Wilson's arm. He hurried for a wheelchair and helped Wilson into it.
"Good luck with Doogie." Taub wheeled Wilson out of the office.
Jacob was dopey. He looked at House and smiled. House approached carefully.
"Jack…Jake…" He looked at Foreman for help.
"Jacob," he hissed.
"Jacob. I want you to tell me where Dr. Chase is."
"No. I don't want to."
"I know you don't but it's important. How can I fire him and hire you if I can't find him?"
Foreman looked over Jacob's shoulder. "You're going to fire Chase."
House gave Foreman a wide-eyed look. "Yes. But you knew that didn't you Dr. Foreman?"
"Oh…Yes I did. Best thing too. He's lazy and uncooperative. I would have fired him long ago."
House feigned a shocked expression. "You would? Jeez you're harsh. Poor guy just had his wife leave him. I mean first you fire your girlfriend and then…"
Foreman didn't appreciate falling into House's trap. "Very funny. You really think that this is helpful…"
"Where is Thirteen?"
Foreman adjusted his hold on Jacob. "I told you she went to see the patient."
"That was over an hour ago. She may be dedicated but even Cameron wouldn't have spent this long with a dying patient and their moronic parents." At least not the Cameron who left her job and husband in New Jersey, House thought.
Jacob further relaxed and House motioned for Foreman to release him. House had his cane ready just in case.
Jacob stood passively looking at House. He wished he knew Chase's technique of hypnosis. Probably wouldn't work. Jacob was an uncooperative subject. He focused on the boy's eyes. "Do you know where you are?"
Jacob nodded.
"Do you know who I am?"
Jacob nodded and giggled. "You're that a$$ Dr. House."
"Kid knows you all right. No lying there." Foreman observed dryly.
"That's enough from the chocolate covered peanut gallery." He focused again on Jacob.
"Where is Dr. Chase?"
"Not telling." Jacob giggled again.
House changed tack. "Can you tell me where Thirteen is?"
The boy looked confused. "Thirteen?"
"Dr. Hadley." Foreman supplied.
"The pretty one. She's in the closet."
House couldn't help himself when offered a straight line like that. "She came out to Foreman months ago."
Foreman was in the kid's face. "Which closet? Where?"
"I don't remember."
House thought of a different approach. "Jacob, would you like your hero to give you a tour of the hospital? I take all the senior med students," He lied. "You'd be my only sophomore."
Jacob considered the offer and agreed. He went to the office door with House. House looked back over his shoulder. 'Follow us,' He mouthed to Foreman.
They moved down the hall House staying beside the compliant young man. He kept a sharp eye on him.
House quickly showed Jacob the cafeteria, and Cuddy's office. They bypassed the clinic. Irritated people were everywhere they went. No one was allowed to leave the hospital and couldn't get a straight answer as to why each time they asked.
House took Jacob to the lab. He avoided the ER. Not because Jacob said he had been there with Cameron. It was because there were too many things a deranged medical student could get his hands on.
They would have passed the elevators until House had an idea. He stopped in front of the doors. House was about to push a button. "Up or down?"
"Down." Jacob answered.
House nodded. "Down it is." His mind worked quickly. Jacob had said he got lost in the hallways. Thirteen might be down here somewhere and maybe Chase. He didn't want to wonder if they were both alive. House glanced over his shoulder and saw Foreman. He motioned 'down' with a hand behind his back.
The door opened and he entered with Jacob. As the door was closing he saw Cuddy coming fast with a security officer. The doors closed before they reached him.
House watched Jacob and judged he could ask more questions. "Boy this lower level is a maze. I hope we don't get lost down here."
Jacob nodded in agreement. "I hate it down here. There aren't many people around so you can't ask directions."
House agreed. "Yes usually a senior staff member takes the new hires on the tour down here."
The elevator doors opened and House stepped out with Jacob. "Well which way now? Left or right?"
"Left." Jacob said. They walked until they reached the end of that hall.
"Now where? Should we go left or right?"
Jacob stood for a moment as if puzzled. He took a short left and then walked back to the right. He stopped in front of a door.
House opened the door. "Oh yes. This is the first custodial closet built in this hospital. I can understand your fascination with it." He saw a gagged Thirteen, hands and feet tied in gauze, sitting on the floor. House motioned back to Foreman who was following with security. "Well this was exciting. Now what do you want to see on our tour?"
Jacob started walking and House had to hurry to catch up. They turned another corner and passed the laundry. When they reached the end of the hall Jacob made a left. With House along side they stopped at the autopsy room located next to the morgue. This was the first time House was concerned he had lost another of his young doctors.
Foreman entered the closet and untied Thirteen. She cried and wrapped her arms around his neck. "
"Remy, you're hurt!"
"He had a scalpel to my throat. He wanted Chase to call House and tell him he was quitting. Did you find Chase? We were forced to come down here. Jacob injected Chase." She cried more and Foreman just held her.
Jacob went inside the autopsy room still looking dazed. That changed in an instant. House hooked the boy with his cane before he could make it to the drawer that held the scalpels. "I don't think so Doogie."
Jacob was an exposed nerve. He moved in every direction at once.
"Cripe! Two syringes full of Trapanal and you were playing me." House griped. He kept his cane in front of him to ward off attack. A large security officer entered the room and had no trouble subduing Jacob who became quiet as a lamb the moment he was cuffed.
"Don't trust that kid for a minute," House warned. "Treat him like he's…"
"You?" Cuddy said from the doorway.
House hurried out of autopsy. He grabbed Cuddy's hand. "Come on." He rushed with her to the morgue.
"Check every refrigerator. That kid led me down here. This must be where he put Chase."
Cuddy was horrified. "In the morgue?"
"He wanted Chase eliminated. Where better than the morgue to hide someone you want dead?"
They each opened the refrigerated resting places. Some were empty others held a body in a bag awaiting pick up. Each time Cuddy opened one she held her breathe praying it wasn't Chase. She had opened five refigerated cases and three body bags when House called out to her.
"He's here!"
Cuddy rushed to his side and saw the young doctor his complexsion turning blue. House had his hand on Chase's neck feeling for a pulse.
"Not breathing and very slight pulse."
They gave Chase CPR and placed him on a gurney bound for the ER.
Dr. Robert Chase opened his eyes. If this was heaven then why did it look like the ER of Princeton-Plainsboro? Oh lord this must be pergatory. He was going to do years of service in the ER without a break. Chase thought again. Maybe he was in hell.
"Welcome back." Cuddy swam into Chase's vision. "How do you feel."
Chase shifted beneath blankets. "Warmer." He smiled. "How did you know where I was?"
Wilson was on the bed beside Chase getting IV fluids. "House worked it out."
Foreman nodded. "After the kid went all psycho on us."
Chase tried to sit up. "Is Thirteen all right?"
Thirteen's voice came from behind Cuddy. "I'm fine. Scared mostly." An ER nurse applied a dressing to the cuts on her throat.
Chase shook his head. "I never saw it coming. I was in the lab waiting for the test results when Dr. Hadley asked me to step into the hallway. She said House was looking for me and I had better get my butt back to the office. I told her I didn't have the lab results yet and that was when I saw Jacob. He had a scapel and put it to Thirteen's throat. I couldn't leave her."
"Jacob made us ride down in the elevator with him. I did what he said because he had already cut her. We went into an empty office and he had me call House to say I was quitting."
"He had me tie her up with rolls of guaze. He told me to take a syringe he had placed on the desk and inject myself. I was trying to find a way to inject Jacob instead but he cut Dr. Hadley again. I figured I was a better choice for the reaper. I made my peace and injected myself. I think it was Diprivan or some other powerful anesthetic. I was unconscious before I hit the floor."
Chase looked around at his colleagues searching for the one person he needed answers from. House sat on a gurney against the wall opposite Chase's feet.
"How did you find me?"
House went into a long explanation of injecting Jacob, Foreman's holding him, Wilson getting slashed, Taub calling the police and Cuddy bringing security. He told of the boy stalking him. House explained how he let Jacob lead him to where House wanted him to go. The more House talked the more Wilson rolled his eyes and the others coughed softly, sighed and snickered.
"And that is the story of how you were found. It was a team effort."
Chase was impressed. "That was a lot of sleuthing to find Thirteen and I." Chase looked at House. "I hate to think what would have happened if that kid hadn't lead you down there."
House twirled his cane.
"We would have gone there anyway. When you called my phone to leave the message the number you were calling from popped up on the read out. I knew that 700 numbers were for the basement. Jacob narrowed the search pattern, which saved us valuable time. He also led us to Thirteen."
Wilson looked over at House. "Did you know before or after I was slashed?"
"I knew before. I got my confirmation that Doogie was a psycho after he slashed you."
Wilson nodded. "Okay then." He looked at Taub. "Just how sexy will this scar be?"
Taub smiled. "You'll be a babe magnet."
"I already am," answered a slightly loopy Wilson. He closed his eyes smiling.
House nodded. "He does have a reputation in that area."
Chase's head popped up again. "There's one other thing I'd like to know. When I was pulled out of the bag I was just barely aware of things. I think the anesthesia was wearing off. I know someone started CPR and then was joined by someone else doing the chest compressions." He thought for a moment trying to get the memory straight in his head. His eyes suddenly got wide.
"House was that your mouth on mine?"
Cuddy smiled. "He saved your life."
"But weren't you there too. I'm grateful but I just wonder why you didn't…"
House looked at his watch. "Is that the time? After five already and I'm off the clock." He hopped off the gurney and started toward the lobby doors. Cuddy called after him.
"We're still in lockdown Dr. House. Until the CDC releases us no one leaves. So come back and get comfortable. I think Chase has a few more questions for you."
"He can phone them to me." House limped down the hall to his office and sought out his chair and ottoman. "Ah," he exhaled as he eased his bad leg up onto the upholstered surface. He was on his feet for far too long today. He looked around his office and saw where Wilson had bled on the carpet. He made up his mind that he would not have it replaced.
He then saw Jacob's lab coat. He looked at it thinking of how screwed up the boy was. He went through life trying to impress a father that didn't care, a father that was probably barely in his life. The whole thing sounded much too familiar to House.
The kid was certainly obsessed with him. House became a bit unsettled. What was another word for an obsessive fan? Stalker.
House went to his desk and turned on his computer. He changed his access password to the name of a lesser P. G. Wodehouse character. He emailed his journal home to his laptop and then deleted it completely from his office computer.
Wilson walked a little carefully into House's office. House nodded at the arm.
"The CDC lifted the lockdown. We can all leave."
"You okay?"
Wilson shrugged. "Stings. I can't believe all this happened."
House stood up. "Beware the Jacob Walker my son! The jaws that bite! The claws that catch!"
Wilson nodded. "That was my problem. I was watching for the jubjub bird. Missed the claws entirely."
"Wilson?"
"Mm hm?"
"We're moving. Soon."
Wilson nodded firmly. "Oh yes."
"I'm calling the movers in the morning."
House got his coat, scarf, hat and backpack. He walked out the door with Wilson.
For the first time in all the years he had been at Princeton-Plainsboro, House locked his office.
End.