Unemployed

The Meeting

24/5/2010

(9: 12 AM)

It was an ordinary day in Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, Dr. House was just entering the free clinic at the ground floor of the hospital after letting his team to handle some tests for a new patient who suffering from chronic headaches, nausea and low white count. On his way down, he saw Cameron and Chase who were chatting at the hallway, never noticed House's presence.

The clinic was as busy as always: sick people with runny noses, leg pain, eye pain, etc., etc. Nurses writing down daily charts of patients and his best friend Dr. James Wilson were inside Cuddy's office. They were chattering about something but Dr. House, as always, never bothered what they were talking about, he continued proceed to exam room one to listen for more patient complaining about something.

(9:30 PM)

Dr. House walked out from exam room one after confronting the most annoying patient of his life. She was complaining about dizziness and nausea which House diagnosed her being pregnant. She freaked out and started to rant about her wrongful doing and her 'sick' boyfriend. House just leaves her alone in the exam room until she finished ranting.

He walked down the counter to pick up another case file until Cuddy stopped him.

'Good morning Cuddy! I see you and Wilson have a good chat in there.' Dr. House exclaimed.

'We need a talk.' Cuddy said.

'Well, there is crisis up here.'

'It is about the patient you killed last week!'

'killed?'

'Just follow me!'

Cuddy proceed to her office where Dr. House followed her. He stopped right before entering Cuddy's office and started to question about her motive, 'What is about? Some sort of power play?' Cuddy stopped as she was in a status of deep thought. Then, she turned to House, she whispered, 'This is about your career House!'

(9:45AM)

As Cuddy was waiting for the guests to arrival, House was tapping his black cane, thinking. A patient I killed a week ago? That doesn't make any sense! I killed dozens of patients but none of them came and sue me. What does Cuddy want? A power play? A promotion?

'Dr. Lisa Cuddy?' A female voice brought House back from his thoughts. I heard this voice before. House thought and turned his head to see who it was. It was the patient's relatives, parents to be exact. They were the parent of a 14 year old who died last week from Crushing's but how did it relate this to House?

'I believe you are Dr. House?' The man said.

'Yes I am. I am the one who treated your daughter…last week right?'

Cuddy interrupted, 'Don't change the subject House. Brenda, lock the door up.'

House realized at the last moment. He was being staged by Cuddy. This wasn't a joke, promotion or what so ever, it was a trap. He ran toward the door but Brenda had locked the door…from the outside. 'DAMN IT!' House cursed, 'HOW DARE YOU!'

'The parents are angry at you House! They are filing a malpractice sue against you!' Cuddy yelled back, started to manifest her administrator look.

House calmed down. He sighed, 'I correctly diagnosed her with Crushing's. The tests were conclusive.'

The father protested, 'We have a copy of the autopsy report which indicates you are wrong! Dr. House.'

House felt weak all the sudden. Autopsy report? He tried to defend for his position, 'The autopsy report must be a fake!'

The father was getting angry and started to read the autopsy report, he read the 'Cause of Death' section of the autopsy report with a striking yellow highlighter mark on it, '…a 15 centimeter wide tumor has being found in her brain steam. Potentially cutting off nerve impulse to the rest of the body which caused her death, we also have no evidence of Crushing's…'

'There you go!' Cuddy said, 'this is a purely classic case of misdiagnose and treating for the wrong thing.'

House fall silence.

'Dr. Cuddy?' the mother asked.

'Yes Mrs. Anderson?'

'We can withdraw the lawsuit…if you can get rid of that monster doctor from the hospital.'

'I need some talks with him.'

'You better make it quick.'

(10:45 AM)

After an hour of negotiation with the parent and House, Cuddy had made her decision—fire Dr. House. She stood up and announced to everyone in the room, she announced it with cold emotions, 'House, you're fired.'

House suddenly flooded with rage, he slammed his cane at Cuddy desk and shouted, 'Why? You are being protecting me for all 6 miserable years! And you have no rights to fire one of your best employees from this hospital!' Cuddy remained calm, knowing House won't hit her with the cane, she fought back, 'Yeah! I have being protecting from you! First Vogler, then the disciplinary interrogation then Michael Twitter…do you think I can protect your ass forever? No! You are fired for one reason, not because you misdiagnosed a patient which caused her death, but also I was being forced by the parents. Debbie Anderson was the only daughter they have, imagine this happens on you, what would you feel?'

House calmed down, 'I feel nothing.'

The mother was getting angry, 'Get out of here!' The father also felt the same sadness and anger that his wife had experienced, he cried out, 'You have said enough! I want you to leave the hospital once and for all!'

House sat back down on a chair. He sat there as long as he can until a drop of a door pin snapped him back from reality. 'I won't be here on Monday. Goodbye.'

He left the room.

***

(11:01 AM)

Back at the diagnostic department, Wilson was temporary guiding House's diagnostic team which consists Thirteen, Taub and Foreman. One of the blood test showed an elevated white count, implying there was infection but didn't have any clue what kind of infection. They were discussing among each other until House burst into his office beside the diagnostic conference room.

'What's wrong with him?' 13 asked, seeing Dr. House was packing his things in a hurry.

'He is being sacked.' Taub whispered.

'What?'

'He was fired by Cuddy. Just heard the news from the nurses.'

'How could she!'

Wilson peeked at House who was finishing packing his stuff. He leaned over to the conference room and looked at everyone with his blue, crystal eyes. He greeted them before he left the hospital, 'Hello there, this might the last time you see me here. OK, I got fired but I still human right? Foreman, you are in charge of the whole department after you solved this case. 13, Taub, check the patient's home for toxins and drugs. Goodbye.'

He left the conference room, leaving his team dazzled by his sudden leave. Wilson continued scribing House's whiteboard, but none of House's team really paying any attention to what Wilson was trying to say. They only cared one thing: Why House was fired and who?