Lovesick
Robert Chase sighed in relief as the receptionist smiled reassuringly. He was late for work – again – and as everyone at PPTH knew, House did not react well to
his fellows coming in later than himself. But Brenda's relaxed face told the blond doctor that House hadn't arrived yet so, today, he would not be ridiculed
before even starting the regular day's work. Chase waved to Brenda and hurried on to the elevators. As the metal doors slid open, he stepped in and slumped
against the wall, rubbing his tired eyes. Suddenly, a harsh voice made him look up. "Chase!" House called from the reception desk, and the young doctor
winced. He had been caught after all. Reluctantly, he grabbed the doors to keep them from sliding shut, while his boss limped across the lobby.
"Morning..." Chase said when the older doctor had arrived.
"You're late!" House shot back, and his employee swallowed.
"Sorry." House snorted.
Having arrived at the conference room, House twirled his cane. "Riiiight...I gotta go hide from Cuddy. Foreman, get started on the blood works. Chase, you can
do the angiogram and Cameron...uh...go complete my clinic hours!" Foreman and Cameron got up to leave, while the remaining fellow sat staring into space.
House frowned. "Chase?" No reaction. "Chase!" House shouted, whacking his cane on the floor. The blonde doctor started and looked at his boss with
confused eyes. House glared at him. "Angiogram. Get!" Chase nodded.
"Yeah..uh...right." He hurried out of the room, following his two colleagues down the hallway. House shook his head in annoyance. His favourite wombat had
been distracted the whole week, not even contributing to differentials. Scowling, he started tossing his ball against the wall.
When his fellows returned with their test results, House was already standing at the whiteboard, waiting impatiently. The ducklings sat down, Cameron
launching into a speech about the patient's condition, but House cut her off, pointing his cane at the youngest of his team. "We don't need you, Wombat.
You're going home!" Chase's jaw dropped.
"What? Why?" His boss raised an eyebrow. "You haven't done anything but sit around wallowing in your love-sickness all day long. You're no use to me like
that...and also, it's pathetic. So you're leaving." The blonde doctor frowned.
"You're letting me go home? Just like that?" House smiled evilly.
"Well...you're using one of your leave days, of course." Chase gaped at the diagnostician. He laughed uncertainly.
"You can't make me take a day off!" he argued.
"Wow..." his boss began, his eyes glinting dangerously, "That sure does sound like a challenge. I can make you do anything I feel like. Wanna bet?" Chase
shared a look with his colleagues and then glanced back at the department head.
"No..." he admitted, defeated, "I'll go." House smiled serenely, before turning to his two remaining employees.