Title: Friends in Low Places
Warnings: Mature Themes, sexual situations, Spoilers for Season 4.
Disclaimer: House and all affiliated material is owned by Fox. All original material is my own. I made no money from the writing of this piece, but I do accept cookies.
Edna Green, age 53, had seen a lot of things in her time as head receptionist at the front desk of the prestigious PPTH, but she was certain she had never seen anything like the young woman who had just stepped through the softly whirring sliding glass entrance doors. The lady, if you could call her that, wore a long black London trench coat, over a deeply cut red satin blouse and a skirt that was so miniscule that Edna had to wonder how she managed to sit down in it without…
"Well maybe," Edna thought dryly." a girl like her doesn't worry about things like that."
This woman's shoes were something of a mystery to the older matron, at least 7 inches heels in light catching silver, Edna could hardly imagine how she managed to walk in them at all, let alone with the easy strut with which she crossed the lobby. The clicking of her audacious footwear echoed impossibly loud in the empty late night of the hospital. The girl plopped a tiny black purse unceremoniously on the clean marble counter and leaned over it, bring with her an aura of cheap perfume and cigarette smoke. Her lipstick was outrageous enough to embarrass a fire engine and Edna shook her head. It was clear to her just what this woman was and a lady was most definitely not it. In her time, they had called them "ladies of the night" ,although the term lady was a somewhat loose definition to say the least, but these days she'd heard the young folk call them hookers, among other less tasteful diminutives.
" Can I help you?" she asked sharply, frowning with distaste as the scent of stale smoke rushed her from across the counter.
" Ah'm looking fer Dr. House.", the girl replied with a heavy southern twang, as she studied her absurdly long nails. She was chewing, rather loudly, on a piece of gum, and Edna had to resist the urge to tap the young woman's jaw shut, as she would her own grand daughter's. So distracted by the incessant smacking, it took her a moment to process what she had said. Her frown only deepened at the question.
Everyone in the hospital, it seemed, knew of Dr. House's many vices and schemes. Could this be one of the sex-for-money call girls he so often alluded to? Edna sighed, shaking her head again. She had never much cared for Dr. House with his crassness and deliberate lack of the very social niceties on which she was raised, yet she couldn't help but feel sorry for him, to be so terribly hurt while trying to do the right thing ( for once). Edna smoothed her perfect, silver coif with one hand, absently moving some papers at her desk with the other.
" I'm sorry, but Dr. House is not available right now. Is there someone else I can direct you to?" , she asked, trying to hide the unease and contempt she felt. The young woman's constant chewing stopped short, her too-red lips forming a thin angry line on a face heavily layer with make-up. Under the thick eye liner and fake lashes, a pair of clear green eyes flashed.
" Excuse me?" , the woman snapped.
" I'm sorry, Miss. He's not seeing anyone right now." The woman rolled her eyes.
" Look lady. He knows Ah'm coming. So why don't you just get on your little phone, call up tah his office an' let'm know Ah'm on my way up, 'kay?", she ground out sarcastically. Edna raised an eyebrow. So House was one of her clients! What a story she was going to have to tell the ladies at bridge tomorrow!
" I'm sorry, Miss, but that's just not possible." The woman frowned, well manicured brows furrowing as she studied the receptionist. Slowly, her eyes filled with worry.
" Oh my Gawd, what's happened tah him?", she asked softly, her voice trembling with worry. Edna shifted uncomfortable behind her desk, compassion at the girl's seemingly genuine concern, pushing aside her distaste for her obvious "profession".
" Why don't you have a seat, while I call a doctor to speak to you?", she replied gently, picking up the phone..
" A doctor?", the young woman repeated dazedly as she clicked her way to a seat. Dropping carelessly onto the cushion, she rummaged through her purse without aim.
The phone began to ring.
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