All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old
Takes place after season 2, except no No Reason (nor any of the consequences thereof). Basically could include things from season 3, but since what eventually happens with Tritter is still open when I write this, I choose to leave him out of it all. No intentional ships but there may be some House/Cameron. Normal disclaimers apply. I really don't own them, but they just won't let me be until I take them out to play. Again: NOT MY FAULT!
House brings a special case to his ducklings and has to stay out of it himself. Can he do it? And how does he cope as not the doctor but the "loved one"?
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"I have a case for you," House exclaimed as he entered the diagnostics room where his three disciples were sitting round the table. "Woman. 68 years of age. Symptoms: drooping eyelids, right one more pronounced, eyes get tired but no blurring or double vision, experiences muscle fatigue in her fingers and occasional pain in the joints of her hands and wrists, fatigue and pain not necessarily concurrent. Medical file fairly complete but latest visit to a doctor of any kind took place a year ago. That's it. Foreman, you are in charge of the case. Have fun, kiddies!" He throws the file at Foreman, who catches it, but keeps on staring at House who turns to leave.
"What?" Chase's question stopped House on his way to his office, "Are you saying this is our case as in: you are staying out of it? Completely?"
"Yep," House confirms. "All yours. I'm not even consulting."
"That I find hard to believe," Foreman disclosed.
"But if her last visit to the doctor was a year ago, who referred her to us?" Cameron wanted to know.
"Well, her son insists that you look at her. She thinks the drooping eyelid is just gravity, but the son is of the opinion that it could be something a bit more serious," House shot at them.
"Have to say the son is right," Foreman conceded. "Blepharoptosis can indicate Lambert-Eaton, Horner's, brain tumour, diabetes, stroke just to name a few."
"Yep, the son is beside himself with worry," the sarcasm in House's voice was almost poisonous.
"He must be a lot of other things as well, to get you to take this case, especially from the ground up," Chase commented.
"But I'm not taking this case," House points out, "I have already assigned it to you three."
"But still," Cameron backed Chase up, "for you to give it even to us at this stage means he has a lot of clout."
"Have to agree with that sentiment," Foreman said. "So what is the deal? Who is this son?"
"Me," House stated and stepped into his office closing the door behind him.
If his plan was to close the discussion it failed. The ducklings did stand outside his door with their mouths hanging open for about ten seconds but after that they filed into his office demanding more information.
"Your mother?" Cameron gasped.
"Yes, I do have one," House griped, "you did meet her once, so this ought not to be such a surprise."
"She didn't come here for medical reasons, then," Foreman wanted to check, "if she didn't think there was anything wrong with her? But she had her file with her?"
"No, she didn't," House revealed. "She came to visit with me while her friend saw Wilson. I saw the eye and insisted that she checks in as well. Her doctor faxed her file to me this morning."
"Is your father with her?" Chase wanted to know.
"Not at the moment, but he will be joining her soon, I imagine."
"You don't know?" Cameron wondered.
"No," House said, "I haven't spoken to him and I'm not sure what my mother has told him about the developments so far."
"Well, we better get cracking with the tests and scans and what ever else we can think of to help us with the diagnosis," Foreman concluded and turned to go. Chase followed his example, but Cameron took a step closer to House.
"Don't worry, we will do our best to help your mother," she said to House.
House had been looking out of the window, but now he turned to face his troops. His eyes suddenly blazed with fire and ice. Not scary or threatening as such, just absolutely implacable. "Your best is not enough," he stated matter-of-factly. "I want more. I want your best, your worst, your indifferent and everything you right now cannot even imagine you have in you." He held them hypnotised with his gaze for a moment and then broke the contact letting them leave his office.
Out in the corridor Chase wiped his brow with his hand: "Frankly, I think we ought to just go and shoot ourselves right now and put ourselves out of the misery. This is going to be one tough case!"
"We can handle it," Foreman claimed. "It's not easy having him watch every step we take, but if we cannot handle this, then what kind of doctors are we! He has watched us before, he always holds us accountable, and this is no different. This must not be any different."
"But it's his mother!" Cameron exclaimed. "He must be so worried and he cannot ethically do anything. Just watch us handle this the best we can."
"He won't do just that. I bet he will not be able to stay out of it," Chase stated. "If it's something terminal, I'm not the one giving him the news!"
"Chase," Cameron admonished, "he is not going to be unreasonable!" That statement earned her two astonished stares. "Really! He does not expect us to perform miracle cures!"
"I agree. He does not expect miracle cures from us," Foreman conceded, "just miracle diagnostics!"
"Well, it could be something easy," Chase tried to cheer up, "I'm rooting for diabetes."
"That could explain the joint pain," Cameron supported him.
"Let's not forget that this is his mother!" Foreman reminded them. "Nothing is ever that easy with House and I'm convinced his mother will not be an exception to that rule!"
"There is no reason to borrow trouble," Cameron insisted. "It's possible this will be a simple case."
"Yeah, and House will ask you out one of these days without you blackmailing him into it!" Chase retorted.
"That was uncalled for!" Cameron huffed.
"Shut up, both of you," Foreman said as they approached Blythe House's room. "Let's not argue about the case before we have more information."
They stepped into the patient room and found Blythe House sitting in an armchair by her window. She was wearing a hospital gown but her own dressing robe. She greeted them with a smile that Cameron remembered from their previous meeting. She hadn't changed much in other ways either, just the eyelids looked different.
"Ah, the three musketeers," Blythe House greeted them. "I was expecting you. Let's see if I remember you, well I do remember Dr. Cameron since we have met before, but you two must be Drs Foreman and Chase."
"Indeed, Mrs House," Foreman agreed, "I see your son has kept you posted."
"Not really," Blythe corrected, "Greg doesn't really talk much about his work, but I insisted that he fills me in on some details since he insisted that I must stay here. I assume you are here to ask me questions and to stick needles in me and generally prod and poke?"
"If we are to find out what is wrong with you, yes, I'm afraid we need to do quite a number of tests," Cameron said.
"You think this is something serious then?" Blythe asked.
"We cannot know before we do the tests," Chase jumped in.
"I'm aware of that," Blythe pointed out, "but that was not what I asked. Though I rather think I got my answer. You are even worse liars than my son and he cannot lie to me at all."
"Mrs. House," it was Foreman's turn to try his bedside manner, "we don't know what is wrong with you. It is possible that it is something easy to treat, but nothing has ever been simple with your son, so we are assuming that as his mother, you will throw us a few loops, too."
"But basically you are telling me, that you agree with my son," Blythe summed up. "You don't think he is worrying just because I'm his mother, but that there really could be something seriously wrong with me though I have hardly any symptoms at all? You can tell me, he cannot hide it from me anyway."
"Yes," Chase threw in the towel, "that is what we are saying. But we cannot know for sure before the tests."
"Fine then," Blythe said, "you better take your samples and tests and after that, I better call my husband. Which will not make my son happy at all."