House woke up from his fitful slumber. He didn't feel right. He knew something was wrong with him; he just had no idea what it was.
He looked at the clock and it read 7:00 am. So he got up and debated whether or not to go to work. He didn't really want to, but he knew he had to because he had called in sick for the last three days. He had felt sick for all three of those days.
House had been trying to figure out what was wrong with him. But he just could not lay his finger on it. So he decided to call Wilson.
"House what do you want? I am getting ready for work," Wilson answered after his phone rang.
"I know. Can you come and get me? I need a ride," House replied to Wilson's remark.
"Okay, I will be there in ten."
"Thank you."
House got up, but then he collapsed to the ground as his bad leg gave out underneath his weight. He had gotten used to this happening. Over the last three days he had fallen a lot. Just as he had pulled himself up he heard a knock at the door.
House shouted for Wilson to come in. "I'm just finishing getting ready."
So Wilson used his key and came in. "I thought you were ready when you called," he said confused.
"I was but decided to change," House replied, and then walked out of his room. Wilson noticed that he was limping more then he normally did.
"Are you ok?" Wilson asked uneasily.
"Yeah. I'm fine why?"
"Oh no reason. I'm just curious as to why you called in sick the past three days".
"Oh that. Um, I didn't know what it is. I have just felt sick the last three days and I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong," House replied.
"You finally did, then?"
"Not exactly. I still a bit off."
"Sit down," Wilson ordered and pointed at House's couch.
"What for?" House asked.
"I want to look you over myself. Maybe I can figure out what's wrong with you," Wilson said. "Now sit."
So House reluctantly sat down on his couch so Wilson could look him over.
Wilson pulled his stethoscope from his briefcase and listened to House's lungs. "House, have you had any trouble breathing?" he asked as he continued listening.
"A little."
"Any increased pain in your leg?"
"Yeah and it's been weaker also."
"What do you mean by 'weaker'?"
"In the past three days I have fallen over 13 times including the one time this morning."
" Is there anything else that you want to tell me now? I'm going to call Cuddy."
"Uh, yeah. Don't call Cuddy," he replied and leaned back against the couch.
"Whatever, House."
Wilson pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called Cuddy. "Wilson, you're late," she answered.
"Yeah, I know. I stopped over at House's to pick him up and he wasn't ready. Then he told me that the reason that he has called in sick the last three days is because of shortness of breath, and increased pain and weakness in his leg. He said in the last three days he has fallen over 13 times. He said he fell once today also."
"Bring him in, then. When you guys get here, come straight to my office and I will look at him. I may try to admit him if it looks bad enough."
Wilson thanked Cuddy and said, "We'll be there as soon as possible."
"And Wilson," Cuddy said quickly before he hung up. "Try not to let him fall anymore."
"I'll try," Wilson said and closed his cell phone.
Wilson told House to get in the car as soon as he asked, "So when's the date?" After the hassle of trying to get House into the car, they left and got to the hospital at around 8:59 am. They went in and as soon as Cuddy saw House, she knew something was wrong because his limp was worse than it normally was.
"House!" she called as he continued to walk past her office.
"I'm busy!" House said.
"No you're not. I sent your team home and you have no patients. Come with me. We're going to an exam room."
They went into the clinic and found an empty room, which they took refuge in. "
"House let me look you over," Cuddy ordered.
"No, I'm fine."
"Well if you are so fine then why are you so out of breath and limping so bad?"
"Because I have a chest cold," House replied. "I also fell when I got out of bed today and hurt my leg."
"Well if that is it, then you should have no problem with letting me examine you."
"Whatever. Knock your socks off."
Cuddy did a thorough look over. "House you have a fever of 102.Your pulse ox level is 90," Cuddy explained. "This is more then a chest cold. Now let me see your leg."
House did what he was told. He pulled down his pants. As soon as cuddy saw his leg, she knew it was bad. The leg was severely bruised, red, swollen, and very hot to the touch.
"That's it, House, you are being admitted."
"No, Cuddy," House refused. "I'm fine."
"Okay, if you can take ten steps without falling and or becoming short of breath, then you can leave."
"Piece of cake," House replied. So he stood up and took five steps, before he became short of breath and fell, yet again.
"You are being admitted, House."
"Go ahead," House said. "Just one problem: I can't breathe."
Cuddy looked down at House, who was now gasping for every breath. She put an oxygen mask on his face and checked his pulse ox. It was 88.
"House if your pulse ox drops any lower I will have to intubate," she explained quickly. "Is that okay?"
"Do it now," House ordered, gasping even with the mask.
"Do you want a sedative?" Cuddy asked.
"No," he replied, still gasping. "Just do it."
Cuddy grabbed an orotracheal intubation kit from the table that the nurse had just brought in. She eased the laryngoscope into his mouth and saw his airway. She pulled the endotracheal tube from the kit and eased it into his airway. Once she was sure she had it in the correct spot, she hooked it up to the bag, which she began squeezing to push the air into House's lungs. She knew that as soon as he was admitted the doctors would have him hooked onto a ventilator to breathe for him.
Cuddy called for another nurse, who took over the bagging process.
"I'm going to go and get him a room. I'll be back in just a minute," she told the nurse and walked towards the door. She turned around and looked at House.
House stuck his thumbs up to signal that it was ok, so Cuddy left.
