-1Disclaimer: I do not own House, M.D.

"What a glorious morning" House thought to himself while walking from his car to the hospital. "Birds are singing, sun is shining, lovers are holding hands… I couldn't care less."

"Good morning, Dr House!" a familiar voice exclaimed, much to his disappointment, Chase's.

"You're late, Chase," House said without turning around or even stopping.

"So are you," Chase replied and caught up with him, holding a coffee in his hand.

"Is that for me? You shouldn't have," came the answer and House snatched the coffee out of Chase's hands. "And, moving on, you're telling me off for being late? How do you know I wasn't out looking for you? I almost worry about my staff."

"Almost isn't good enough," Chase said and watched House drink his coffee.

"After you," House said, held up the door and twirled his cane.

---

House was sitting in the exam room, watching General Hospital as usual, when a woman walked into the room, holding her stomach.

"The nurse told me to come here," she said.

"The nurse told you?" he replied. "Oh, I see. I'm getting that nurse fired. How dares she interrupt me in the middle of my soaps?" The woman looked slightly confused.

"Okay…" She sat down. "I've been throwing up and I'm feeling nauseous for days."

"Very interesting," House said, turning back to the portable TV in his hand. "What have you been eating lately?"

"I just got back from Asia, India to be pre-"

"Food poisoning," House interrupted her. With his eyes on the mini-TV, he walked across the room and signed a yellow prescription slip. "Here, these'll stop the nausea. Take them three times a day, never mix them with alcohol. Now, get the hell out of my exam room!"

"Hang on. You must be kidding me. Aspirin?" she said and raised both her eyebrows. "You're giving me head ache pills?"

"Let me see," House faked concern. "Oh, I knew I forgot something! What's your name?"

"Rosemary Smith," the woman seemed pleased when she saw House filling in something on the slip. He handed it to her.

"Bye bye!" he said and signaled that it was time to leave the room.

"Aspirin does not stop vomiting," she said. "I want a proper exam."

"Okay then, come back when it's not soap-time," he said and shut the door in front of her.

Five minutes later, Cuddy entered the room, and behind her stood Rosemary Smith.

"You must be kidding me," House said. "What did I do now?"

"You told this woman that Aspirin stops vomiting, am I correct?" Cuddy sounded tired. She had done this too many times.

"That is not correct," House said. "I told her it would stop the nausea, and when the nausea stops the vomiting stops. Now, if you don't mind, something very important is going to happen!"

"House," Cuddy said. "House! Listen to me! Give this girl a proper exam, and do it now!"

"Okay," House said sulkily. "I missed the good part anyway."

---

"I told you fifteen minutes ago it was food poisoning, but that wasn't good enough for you, noo, you had to go tell Dr Cuddy and put a mark in my near spotless record!" House complained as he prescribed medicine for Rosemary Smith.

"Near spotless, Dr House?" Rosemary Smith asked.

"Okay, I have done some things that may not have been totally according to the hospital rules or even the law, but I did it to save their lives," House shrugged. "Name?"

"Still Rosemary Smith," she replied. "Their lives? As in many people? God, you must be wanted by the FBI by now."

"I wish," House said. "At least it would get me out of this lousy clinic."

"Dr House," Rosemary said again. "I know I've only known you for twenty minutes-"

"Fifteen," House corrected her.

"Anyway, I was wondering - would you like to catch a movie sometime?"

"No no," House said and popped a pain killer into his mouth. "I don't think so."

"Just one date," she said.

"No!"

"If you don't say yes, I'll come back and pester you until you do."

"So, what film would you like to see?" Rosemary smiled triumphantly.

"I live here," she said and slipped a business card under his hand.