BETA WANTED EMail 1
The sentencing
"This court is now in session." The Baliff announced, "all rise for the Honorable Judge Orson D. Hodges"
Dr. Gregory House shuffled slowly to his feet. The end was near, and he couldn't be more glad. This whole trial thing was beginning to bore him. All this long drawn out legal yada just because he had pain that he couldn't control, and made a few bad choices. Who knew that the ass he'd left a thermometer in would end up being a detective with the local police force? Had House have known, he still would have left the thermometer in place, but he wouldn't have popped those Vicodin in front of him. Those damn little pills, though temporarily providing relief, had caused him a world of trouble.
The night that Officer Hopkins arrested him, he knew that the man would be thorough and, because he was an ass, just like House was, it was safe to assume he would look into the prescriptions House had used to get the Vicadin that he had been carrying "in an improper container". Of course that container was his pocket, which in his opinion was not a container, but hey why get picky now? So here he was in court, facing those charges and awaiting a decision on whether or not he was going to be allowed to continue to practice medicine.
Once everyone was seated, and Judge Hodges had took a dramatically long deep breath, he began. "Dr. Gregory House, please rise."
Once again, House struggled to his feet with the help of his cane, and waited. He wasn't nervous, because House never got nervous. He was sure that his DNA had somehow been lacking that quality. Secretly he wondered if it also lacked the ability to love, because he had never conquered that either, but admittedly, he really hadn't tried. He knew Cameron wanted him once, still did, as did Cuddy, and he was sure that a lot of women would want to date him because he was a doctor., Yet, somehow he had never met a woman he was interested in for more than say, a couple rolls in the hay. Well, except for one woman. He had been engaged to her, but he locked those memories away, and threw away the keys.
"Dr. House, you know what you have been charged with, so I will cut right to the chase. The prosecutors would have me sentence you to jail time, and strip your license, but I am a man of second chances. Therefore, because I believe you truly were in pain, and desperate when you stole that prescription pad, I am willing to drop all charges."
House smiled, it looked as if he had won again, and winning was in his genes. He dared to send a satisfied smirk toward Officer Hopkins, but the smirk disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
"Dr. House, I will drop all charges, provided that you to commit to, and complete a court approved facilitated stay in a rehab center." Judge Hodges paused, and then added, "But this rehabilitation may not take place at the hospital where you work. This will take place in St. Josephs, and when I say facilitated , Dr. House, I mean that you must stay there the full thirty days with no special privileges and without the right to leave. Should you decide not to cooperate then you shall spend six months in jail, and be stripped of your right to practice for two years, and after those two years a hearing will be scheduled to decide whether or not you should ever be allowed to practice medicine again. Do you understand, Dr. House?"
"I understand." He stated confidently, though he was secretly angry. "and when does the rehab stay begin?" This whole rehab stank of a certain hospital administrator, whom desperate to keep the best doctor she had, pleaing for mercy and a deal. Damn her, she was one up on him, but, not for long!
"Tomorrow morning, 6:30am sharp."
After the hearing, House had Wilson drop him off at home. He wanted to bask stupidly in the glow of the television, keeping at bay the pending rehab stay that he didn't feel he needed. But, he'd play their litle game, he'd go. But they obviously had forgotten whom they were dealing with. He was going to have fun at someone's expense damn it! If only he knew then what he would come to know later.
