Foreman was sitting comfortably on the wooden bench in the vacant men's locker room, trying to wrap his mind around what just happened. Their patient, a brave woman with her husband risked everything by leaving Cuba to see House for treatment of the illness that plagued her for years, whose heart stopped beating for a full 48 hours, had just began to begin working again. Foreman, who was rarely befuddled, was absolutely stunned by this miracle.
Foreman didn't consider himself a Christian, although his parents frequently chastised him for becoming an atheist. "Eric, we didn't raise you this way! And after he saved you from that deadly parasite!" his father would repeat to Eric sternly as he would turn down the desperate plea for him to accompany them for a church service at St. John's Baptist Church in Princeton when they visited him from Philadelphia, PA. Even though this fight was several years ago, these words still echoed his mind daily, torturing him at night as he tossed and turned in his queen sized bed.
Strangely, Foreman knew this HAD to be an act of God. After all, how often do patients' hearts start beating after being technically dead for 2 days? Even House, the strongest atheist of all, was absolutely convinced this was a miracle. Foreman found it humorous that God was beating House at his own game, saving patient's lives. Usually, Foreman was very familiar with a distant and cold House when it came to bedside manner, which he greatly lacked.
But, what House didn't know was that while the husband of their patient was weeping into House's light blue cotton button down shirt, Foreman was spying on him through the multicolored glass of the heavy oak doors, since he for once was caught up with his giant mound of paperwork. House didn't hug the grieving man, who was mourning for his then dead wife, but he didn't push him off or insult him for baring his vulnerability.
"I guess the Wizard of Oz doesn't need to give the Tin Man a heart after all" Foreman thought happily to himself as he continued to peek through door. Wilson, who was leisurely walking over the hospital cafeteria for a tall cup of black coffee, cocked his right eyebrow curiously as he saw Foreman leaning forward peeking through the doors of the church chapel.
Foreman reminded Wilson of James Bond 007, without the high-tech gadgets while he was eavesdropping. "Coffee can wait" Wilson thought with haste to himself as he briskly sneaked behind Foreman, seeing if he could frighten Foreman. "I never thought of you as the type of person who pried into others business" Wilson quietly said to Foreman, hoping for a startled reaction.
"Hey, the government can spy on us with the Patriot Act. Why can't we be James Bond in our own minds?" Foreman responded to Wilson as he turned around to a disappointed Wilson. "And which James Bond are you? Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, or Pierce Bronson?" Wilson wryly asked Foreman as he laughed. "Hmm, I would definitely say that I'm the African American Sean Connery. He kicked more ss" Foreman answered to Wilson with wit.
"Touché Foreman, touché" Wilson replied to Foreman, while looking into the nearly barren chapel. Wilson saw House and the patient's husband sitting in the middle pew, on the left side. House looked quite awkward as he wiped his tear-stained shirt, next to the grieving man who was reciting Hail Marys.
"Dmn, this patient must have bribed House with Cuban cigars. He's NEVER been sympathetic to any patient's family, even with his own" Wilson said to Foreman who felt this was a perfect Kodak moment. Wilson looked at Foreman, who seemed absolutely engrossed in seeing the softer side of House. "I thought Foreman HATED House" Wilson thought to himself, very puzzled.
"Foreman, you've been awake for at least 24 hours straight, do you want a large cup of coffee? It's my treat, since today's your last day at PPTH" Wilson sympathetically asked Foreman, who had dark eye circles under his dark brown eyes.
"Sure, with 2 creams and 1 equal" Foreman said absent minded to Wilson who was feeling the toll of the long day himself. "I'll be back in 5 minutes, depending on the length of the line" Wilson said nonchalantly to Foreman, who efficiently dodged the rushing nurses, who were filling up on caffeine themselves. "Why does Foreman seem somewhat frightened to leave House's guidance?" Wilson thought as got in the short line, avoiding the wary stares of the weary cafeteria workers.
(Back to Foreman)
"Why does he have to remind me of that?" Foreman thought crankily to himself as he rested against the wall, closing his eyes to regain some clarity. It seemed like yesterday when Foreman first met the incorrigible House...
(FLASHBACK)
Foreman had just finished his difficult, to put it nicely, 3 year internship at Trenton Hospital where he couldn't seem to escape his troubled past. The doctor who was supervising him, Dr. Laine was a bone fide racist. She was at least 250 pounds, only 5'2 to support her rather stocky frame, and if you looked into her beady almond shaped eyes, you felt like she was going to turn you into stone like Medusa.
Although she never insulted Foreman to his face, Dr. Laine would say uncalled for comments behind his back, since Foreman considered her a two-faced b!tch. She would smile and greet you in the morning, but if you turned around, she called him lazy on several occasions, which made Foreman cringe. He was persistently naming the diagnosis of the illness the patient was suffering from, and Dr. Laine ignored his high intelligence.
It often took everything out of him not to tell Dr Laine off or slap her for her blunt rudeness. But, Foreman somehow survived on the dream that he would finally be recognized as a reliable neurologist. Foreman was more than relieved when all his hard work at medical school and at the Trenton Hospital finally paid off. The day he became a doctor was the proudest day of his difficult life, after overcoming his legal problems from breaking into houses.
Foreman was beyond ecstatic to begin a job to reach the goal of being the head of neurology in the near future. After filling out countless applications, he finally received a response. Foreman was waiting anxiously on his blue la-z boy sofa for a phone call, when his cordless white phone loudly rang. "Hello?" Foreman happily asked after he immediately answered the phone.
"This is Dr. Gregory House calling for Dr. Foreman. I'll interview you for the neurologist job but remember one thing. I can't stand liars, if I find out you're just telling me what you think I want to hear, you'll be out of the running immediately. Is that understood?" House crankily said to Foreman.
"Yes, I understand. When's the job interview?" Foreman anxiously asked House as he bent down on his dark blue carpet, gathering his resume papers in a neat pile in his black briefcase. "I expect you here at 4:00pm sharp, with a large cup of black cup of coffee from Dunkin Doughnuts. Starbucks is too strong" House ordered Foreman as Foreman closed the gold clasps of his briefcase.
"Absolutely Dr. House. I really appreciate this..." Foreman trailed off to House as House rudely interrupted him. "Look, I don't want to hear that crp. Just get here on time" House bluntly told Foreman as Foreman sat back on his sofa, ignoring his crankiness. He was much more concerned about remembering what kind of coffee House wanted.
Foreman ended the call as he swiftly ran to his room, darting his eyes to a sharp navy business suit. He chose a stark white button up shirt with dark red tie that contrasted nicely with his pin-striped suit. As he carefully tied his red tie in a neat knot, he was searching for professional shoes. He knelt down down pushing his Nike sneakers for his daily workout regimen to the side, as he found plain but dapper black leather shoes that would look somewhat presentable.
Foreman rushed to get his shoes on as his sony black digital clock read 3:15. "Dmn, I'm going to be late" he muttered to himself irritably as he stood up, and grabbed his black briefcase. Foreman took a deep breath as he walked out of his apartment, nervous about his important interview.
After paying for medical school, Foreman couldn't exactly afford a Lexus, let alone live in a decent apartment. He unlocked his 3 year old red Chevrolet Malibu, as he slid into the driver's seat. "Where the hell is a local Dunkin Doughnuts?" Foreman thought to himself unhappily as he put his key in his ignition, waiting for the car to warm up. It was a cloudy winter day, and the weather channel said the high was 30 degrees with a nasty chill.
In attempt to calm himself down, he turned his Beatles The Revolver on, trying to avoid another hellish panic attack. His doctor had recently diagnosed Foreman with Post Traumatic Stress, after being robbed at gunpoint in his own apartment. One of the downsides of living in his rundown apartment was the high crime rate, since his apartment building was near the location of several gangs, which was waist deep in dealing drugs.
Foreman shuddered, remembering the terrifying feeling of the cold metal against his temple. He began breathing deeply in and out, trying to calm his frayed nerves. His car was comfortably toasty, as he turned on the intersection to reach the Dunkin Doughnuts, which was a swift 5 minutes away. As the sound of Paul McCartney and John Lennon's voice entered his ears, he loosened his tight grip on the steering wheel.
He decided against actually entering the coffee shop, embarrassed by his frazzled appearance, so he drove into the drive-through. Foreman looked at the wide variety of coffees, befuddled by the vast variety of coffee drinks. "How can I help you sir?" the woman on the speaker asked Foreman politely. Foreman pursed his lips, as he took out a $5 from his wallet. "Get rid of these god forsaken panic attacks, give me back my life" Foreman hopelessly said to himself as he was becoming sick of his anxiety consuming every moment of his life.
"2 large coffees, one black, one with 2 creamers and 1 equal" Foreman said to the woman as he drove up, while turning down the volume of his CD. "That will be $3.50 sir" the woman told him as he approached the window. Her vibrant green eyes caught his attention, with her brown hair tied back in a tight bun. Foreman handed her the $5, as she received the 2 warm cups of coffee and handed them to him carefully.
Foreman decided for fun, to see if this attractive college student would flirt back. He was eyeing her large chest, which was barely hidden by her tight t-shirt. Foreman flirtatiously smiled at her as he put both coffee cups in his cup holder.
"She took the bait" Foreman thought happily to himself as she wrote down her phone number on the paper napkin, while winking at him. "Have a nice day" the woman said with a wide grin on her face.
After 10 minutes of navigating the Princeton area, he found the PPTH, which was a rather large modern hospital. Foreman talked to his former interns, who said that PPTH had cutting edge advances in technology for treating patients. Foreman's heart rate returned to a normal pace, as he grabbed both cups of coffee and sat them on the flat surface of his car's roof.
Foreman removed his keys out of his ignition as his engine quickly cooled down. "Don't screw this up" Foreman told himself as he carefully balanced the coffees in the holder and his briefcase, while shutting his door. Foreman slowly walked down the long sidewalk, as he passed the dry shrubs. Shivering from the biting cold, he noticed an older doctor walk in the door of the PPTH. He had caring brown eyes, with a thick head of dark brown hair, dressed in a striped shirt and dark grey pants. "Let me get the door for you" the doctor politely said to the full handed Foreman while holding the door for him.
"Thanks" Foreman gratefully said to the sympathetic doctor, as he embraced the warmth of the large hospital. "My name is James Wilson, head of Oncology. And you are?" Wilson curiously asked Foreman as he took off his heavy black wool coat. Foreman put his briefcase on the floor, shaking Wilson's hand with his free hand. "Eric Foreman, I'm a neurologist. I'm here for a job interview, for Dr. House" Foreman confidently stated to Wilson as Wilson admired Foreman's bravery.
"Oh, House told me about you. You graduated at the top of your graduating class with a grade point average of 4.0, that's very impressive. I hope you can handle House though, he's not the most pleasant boss to work under" Wilson warned Foreman fairly as Foreman looked concerned, and felt nervous again.
"You seem to have a tough skin though. I'm sure you'll get the job Eric" Wilson told Foreman, trying to relieve his nerves. "I've got a patient Eric to see, but stop by my office sometime. Anyone who gets House coffee and can handle him intrigues me" Wilson said to Foreman in an inquisitive tone. Wilson typically enjoyed flirting with women, but Foreman was pleasant to be around. He seemed pretty friendly and Wilson couldn't take his eyes off of Foreman's sad eyes, which showed he was just as damaged as House.
"Thanks Wilson, I'll definitely stop by" Foreman said to Wilson relieved, knowing he had at least one ally at work he could depend on. Foreman crouched down, as he grabbed his briefcase and stood up, keeping the steaming cups of Joe stable. Foreman briskly walked over to House's office, as he saw Dr. Gregory House on the glass door, and knocked on the door. "Dr. House, this is Eric Foreman. I'm here for the interview at 4:00 pm" Foreman nervously said to House as he began clenching his teeth.
"Come in!" House crankily yelled as he lounged back in his black office chair, tossing around his grey and orange tennis ball. "House, I need you to open the door. I have 2 cups of coffee in my hand" Foreman yelled back to House as his briefcase felt like a 30-pound dumbbell. "Fine, make the cripple suffer" House sarcastically replied to Foreman as he slid off his long legs off his mahogany desk. "Wow, he actually brought the coffee, and the right brand too" House thought to himself as he peered at his possible employee, who indeed held two cups of coffee in his right hand.
House slowly stood up, grabbing his wooden cane and limped over to his office door. He slowly turned the doorknob, opening his glass door, to reveal a young, eager African American neurologist who was juggling their cups of Joe and his black briefcase. Foreman had a nervous smile on his face while he entered House's spacious office who quickly laid his briefcase on a black padded chair.
House may have been practically bored to tears with 99 per cent with his possible employees, but Foreman really captured his interest. Foreman actually was willing to purchase House coffee and he was certainly was easy on the eyes. His brown eyes were the type of eyes you could lose yourself in. He was in nice shape compared to most of the overweight applicants he interviewed. Foreman seemed friendly but he could defend himself if necessary.
As Foreman rested the Styrofoam cups of coffee on House's desk, Foreman was surprised at how tall House was. He had to be at least 6 feet tall, and his blazing blue eyes caught Foreman's attention. House dressed pretty casual for a doctor, dressed in faded jeans, a rock t-shirt, a suit jacket, and Reebok sneakers.
Foreman sipped his coffee as he sat in the black chair in front of House's desk. He nervously grabbed his resume for House to look over, hoping this would give him a better chance at the possible position. "So, I see you brought my coffee?" House casually told Foreman as he sat back in his seat, resting his cane on the side of his desk. "You've passed the first part of the interview Foreman. Most of the people who apply for a job think I'm joking" House said to Foreman pleased as he put his reading glasses on.
"You already have the education that's necessary for the job. But, I have a game for you to play. If you can handle these questions, you're hired. The last thing I need is crying doctors. Care to play 20 questions?" House asked Foreman strangely as he took a giant gulp of coffee.
"Sure" Foreman replied to House's strange question, puzzled by his future boss. House gave Foreman an evil grin, while leaning back in his chair. "First one, what was it like in O.J Simpson's escape vehicle?" House asked Foreman curiously as Foreman nearly choked on his coffee. "Fun, although he was a slow driver" Foreman said dryly to House as House gave Foreman a check. "How was it being Martin Luther King's homeboy?" House asked Foreman, leaning forward, attempting to intimidate him.
"It was okay being friends with John F Kennedy, but we never got to sleep with Marilyn Monroe" Foreman casually told House, Foreman knew the job was his. "Dmn he's good. And he's not as dense as the other morons that entered my office" House thought to himself as Foreman gave House a wicked grin. "You're hired" House simply said to Foreman as he was stunned at how witty Foreman was. "That was only 2 questions, not 20 House" Foreman said to House, feigning disappointment. "You nailed them, just remember one rule. DON'T touch the coffee maker, that's Cameron's job. Cameron is a fellow duckling under my guidance" House explained to Foreman while putting Foreman's papers in a file.
"Oh, by the way Foreman, you're taking over my clinic duty for a month. It's one of the perks of being new" House told Foreman wickedly. Foreman sighed, he absolutely despised clinic duty but at least he had a ticket out of his hideous living conditions. Foreman walked over to the chair, when he closed up his briefcase. He quickly grabbed his briefcase as he walked out the door.
House was thinking of kissing Foreman, when he snapped back to reality. "What the fck?" House thought to himself puzzled as he continued to sip his coffee. Foreman was speed walking out of house's office when Wilson walked out of his dark office, anxious to find out if House found a new duckling. Foreman couldn't take his mind off of House; he was possibly the best looking man he had seen in years.
Granted, Foreman was never attracted to men in college but fantasies of House flooded in his head. "I can't be gay! I've had at least 6 girlfriends during college. And if my parents found out..." Foreman's thoughts trailed off as he shuddered at the thought of his parents' disapproval. They would say he would burn in hell, along with Hitler.
(Back to reality)
Foreman's thoughts were interrupted as Wilson arrived back with their coffee, as he stood up. "Are you okay Foreman?" Wilson asked the physically drained Foreman, who was struggling to keep his eyes opened. Foreman quickly grabbed his coffee from Wilson, as he gulped the coffee, trying to stay awake. "I'm fine, it's just been a long day" Foreman said weakly to Wilson, as the room began spinning.
Foreman's body began to sway, as he blacked out and collapsed on the floor. Wilson immediately put his coffee down, "NURSE! Get House!" Wilson barked to the surrounding nurses as they grabbed a gurney and laid Foreman on it.