Disclaimer: House and all respective characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them for personal enjoyment.

Also I am not a doctor so I have decided to borrow cases used earlier in the show for medical accuracy. I will not be naming these episodes so as to seem like this is the first time the team has seen a case like this. My creativity comes in with building and developing character relationships as well as introducing original characters. Reviews are most welcome. Hope you enjoy.


Meanwhile Taub, Thirteen, and Adam pull up to the Tolsen's house. Taub shuts off the engine and Adam gets out of the back seat without hesitating. He limps up to the front door while Thirteen and Taub get out bringing their kits. Adam pulls a small pouch from his jacket pocket and unzips it. He looks over the contents and finally chooses a key. By this time Taub and Thirteen have reached the front door as well.

"So usually part of our job description involves breaking and entering," Thirteen says trying to explain what was about to happen.

Taub rolled his eyes. The last time someone new came with him to search a patient's house it was Masters, who was completely useless.

"I figured," Adam replied frankly, placing the key in the door and turning it. "Cuddy told me what to expect," he said as he opened the door. Adam stepped to the side allowing Taub and Thirteen to enter while he replaced the key back in his pouch. He zipped it up and placed it back in his pocket just before entering the house and shutting the door.

"That, was, amazing," Taub said amazed. "How did you…"

"I was a kid once," Adam interrupted. "My friends and I used to pull a lot of practical jokes on my dorm mates. There aren't very many different kinds of locks these days. With the right set of master keys you can open just about any door."

"Foreman better watch out," Thirteen said looking back at Taub. "He may be out of a job soon."

This comment caused Taub to laugh as they walked around the downstairs area searching for the clean room. The group soon found their way upstairs and discovered Sam's bedroom. The three spread out and searched the bedding and the drawers as well as the closet.

"She's allergic to having a crappy social life," Taub said looking through some personal things.

"Give the parents a break; they're just trying to keep her healthy," Thirteen responded. "Everything in here is labeled hypo-allergenic," she said putting one of the pillows back on the bed.

"Check it anyway," Taub said.

Thirteen rolled her eyes while going through some more things.

Adam was by one of the windows looking outside. "Guys," he called out to the others.

"This place is cleaner than a hospital room," Thirteen said as she joined Taub at Adam's side.

"No alarm on this window," Adam said.

"It's well over twenty feet to the ground," Thirteen replied.

"You can easily get to the tree from here," Adam said. "Look, there's some bark scraped off."

"Sure, heart transplant girl swung down there on a vine," Taub said.

"Hey maybe she was hooking up with Tarzan and cheated on Dave by the elephant graveyard," Thirteen said jokingly.

"Or, Jane stayed in the tree house and Tarzan came up," Adam said. "Everybody lies," Adam said as he stared out the window.

"Are you sure you've never worked for House before," Taub asked.

"No, but I know a lot about him," Adam responded. "More I dare say than any of you knew when he hired you."

Thirteen and Taub looked at each other. Adam turned around and looked back and forth from Thirteen to Taub.

"Will you please show me how you go about bagging these samples," Adam asked. "I admit to knowing how to break in somewhere but I've never taken samples like this before."

"Sure," Thirteen said. Taub and Thirteen walked Adam through taking samples of everything. Soon they were back in Taub's car and driving back toward the hospital.

Wilson is sitting at his desk when the door suddenly opens revealing House with an irritated look on his face. "I'm busy," Wilson says without looking up from his paperwork he's reading.

"So am I," House retorts. "That's why I'm here."

"Whatever it is it will have to wait," Wilson says trying to get House to leave. House sits down in a chair in front of Wilson's desk. Wilson sighs and looks up at House.

"Cuddy wants me to hire a new team member," House says.

"She wants you to have five team members," Wilson questions.

"That's what I said," House says thinking aloud.

"And you don't want to," Wilson asks.

"I don't care one way or another, it's who she told me I had to hire," House says.

"Well who is it," Wilson asks.

"Adam Trzaska," House replies.

"Trzaska, Trzaska, where have I heard that name before," Wilson says aloud.

"Think college football five years ago," House says.

"The Wolf," Wilson replies questioningly. "The Texas A&M quarterback that you thought would win the Heisman?"

"And I would have been right if he hadn't broken his leg in the Fiesta Bowl," House responded.

"The Wolf is your new team member," Wilson asked still dumbfounded.

"Cuddy knows him personally, but she won't tell me why," House said.

"You're going to think this is crazy but did you try asking her," Wilson questioned.

"Of course I asked her," House responded.

"And," Wilson pressed.

"She said we'd talk about it later," House whined.

"You're right, she is hiding something," Wilson said sarcastically. "Because no one ever says let's talk about this later to someone else."

"What do I do," House asked.

"You ask her again, when she's not busy," Wilson replied.

"You're right," House responded getting up and walking towards the door.

"Really," Wilson asked surprised.

"Yeah," House said as he opened the door and left.

Thirteen placed a mask over her face and opened the door to the clean room. "Dave, can I speak to you for a minute," Thirteen asked. Dave patted Sam's hand and walked out placing his gown and mask in a bin outside the clean room. Taub and Adam were waiting with Thirteen.

Taub started the conversation. "When was the last time you stayed over," he asked bluntly.

"What do you mean," Dave tried to deny.

"We already know you have come up the tree by Sam's window," Thirteen said staring Dave down.

"Ok, I um, spent most of the night, Friday, but if her mom finds out about that, she will totally freak," Dave said.

"You guys had sex," Taub asked.

"Yeah but, I did everything I could to make sure she wouldn't get sick," Dave said.

Adam looked between Taub and Thirteen, "Latex allergy?"

"What do you mean, like a condom," Dave asked. "We didn't…"

"You had unsafe sex," Thirteen asked with a scolding tone. "The whole unsafe thing didn't tell you something?"

"Yeah, but we didn't like, you know, plan on it," Dave said. "It just, I don't know, we're in love you know. We've been dating for two years."

"Practically a lifetime," Taub said. "How about a semen allergy," he suggested looking at Thirteen.

"We're going to need a semen sample," Thirteen states.

Adam produces a container from his jacket pocket. "Thought we might need one," he said handing it to Thirteen.

Thirteen looks at Taub slightly impressed. She hands the cup to Dave. "You can use the bathroom over there," Thirteen says.

"Uh huh, how do I…" Dave asks slightly embarrassed.

"Think of it as a sock kid," Adam said. "Just aim and shoot."

Dave walked toward the bathroom Thirteen pointed to. Thirteen, Taub, and Adam waited and after a few minutes Dave returned with the sample and handed it to Taub who handed it to Adam. "Where do I turn this in," Adam asked.

Thirteen laughed, "Come on, the lab is this way." A while later Thirteen walked down to the clinic with the test results looking for House. She found him as he came out of an exam room. "Test was negative, no semen allergy," Thirteen said.

"Boyfriend sneaks in to get his freak on the night before the anaphylaxis, I don't buy that it's unrelated," House responded.

"He loves her," Thirteen said. "He did everything he could to make sure she wouldn't get sick."

"What's that mean," House asked.

Thirteen paused for a second. "Love is an emotion certain people experience, similar to happiness. Wait, maybe I should give a more relatable example," she said sarcastically.

"Oh snap," House retorted while handing in a patient file. "What did he do to protect her, brillo-pad his privates," he asked.

"I assume he washed and he…"

"How long have you been working for me," House asked. "When do we ever make assumptions," he asked sarcastically. House left the clinic with Thirteen close behind him. They were joined outside the patient's room by Adam.

"So were you right," he asked Thirteen.

"Not a semen allergy," Thirteen replied as House opened the door to Sam's clean room. He pointed his cane, "You the boyfriend," he asked. "Need to borrow you."

"What's going on," Donna asked. "Don't worry," House said. "I'll return him in roughly the same condition." House reemerged into the hallway with Dave behind him. Adam looked at Thirteen as the two walked away without a word.

"Follow at your own risk," Thirteen said before turning to walk away.

Curious as to what was going on Adam spun around and headed after House. Before long, House turned into a room with a sleeping patient in it. Dave followed as House waited for him. Just before House could close the door, Adam walked in.

"What are you doing here," House asked.

"Learning," Adam replied. "Just pretend like I'm not here, I'm sure that's not hard."

House stared at him for a moment while Adam backed into the corner next to the door and leaned against the wall as he shut the door. House turned his attention to the boy he had brought into the room. "Did you take anything to stay healthy," he asked. "Something stronger than an apple a day?"

Distracted, Dave points worriedly to the coma patient. "Is he ok," Dave asked.

"He's just tired," House replied. "From being in a coma so long. What'd you take? Don't worry, he can keep a secret." Dave can't stop staring at the coma patient. House is beginning to get frustrated and walks up to Dave grabbing his face and turning it to look him in the eye. "Antibiotics? Penicillin? Any of those names ring a bell," House asked.

"Yeah, um, my friend Jacob, his dad had a whole bottle that he hadn't finished so I swiped it and took a bunch for like a week," Dave said. "There's no way I was going to risk breathing germs on Sam." House looked back at Adam who was grinning and shaking his head in the corner. "This is the one downside of teenage sex," House said. "You're idiots. You almost killed your girlfriend." Dave's eyes met House's, looking confused. "She's allergic to penicillin," House said letting the kid's jaw go and stepping toward the door.

Dave was shocked, "Do you think there was still some on my lips? I brushed my teeth!"

"Think lower, and more fun," House said.

Dave looks down, "It, it can go through your stuff," Dave asked.

"Totally dude," House replied. "There's this administrator here, whenever she gets sick she just gives me the prescription."

"But they tested Sam, they said she wasn't allergic to my stuff," Dave said.

"Yeah, four days later," House responded. "By that time the penicillin was crusting up a sock in the bottom of your hamper."

"W…wait, do you have to tell her it was my fault," Dave asked.

"No," House said shaking his head. "Great part of being a grown-up, you never have to do anything." Dave rubs his face nervously as House and Adam leave. House and Adam walk next to each other towards the ddx room.

"So I'm guessing by now that most of your cases are the result of human stupidity," Adam asked.

"In the end, yeah," House said. "If you can find the truth people cling to behind their lies, you'll find your answer. You'll do fine kid."

"Thanks," Adam said.

"It's not a compliment, it means you're just as screwed up as me," House said. "The first diagnosis you came to was based on distrusting the patient and the E.R. doctors."

"I have problems trusting other people," Adam replied. "It's a long story."

House silently thought while they continued to walk. "Your buddies in the trenches abandoned their leader when things were good," House thought aloud. "A leader who had taken them further than anyone ever had, and rumor had it you took a personal interest in each one of your guys."

Adam limped a little faster cutting in front of House and stopping in front of him. Adam stared into House's eyes, House could see he had struck a nerve. "I respect you House, I even aspire to be like you one day. But I will not let you crawl in my head and screw me up worse than I already am. You will never utter a word about that game, ever again, are we clear?" Adam continued to stare a hole into House.

"If you don't let me have my fun I won't keep you," House said flatly.

Adam grinned and looked down before looking back up at House. "You don't have a choice," Adam said. "I'm here because Cuddy wants me here. And nothing either of us do is going to change that. So like it or not, we're in this together."

House grinned back at Adam. "Come on," he said stepping around Adam. Adam continued to follow House back to the ddx room.

The team talked over the new information they had and decided to discharge Sam. Thirteen and Chase were tasked to go and release her. Thirteen went into the clean room to get Sam ready to leave while Chase spoke to Donna outside the room. "You're releasing her," Donna asked. "What happened? What did you find out?"

"The tests from your house ruled out any environmental allergens," Chase said.

"Yeah, but what caused this," Donna asked.

"We don't believe this...set of circumstances will repeat itself," Chase stated.

"What set of circumstances," Donna asked confused.

"This is good news," Chase said trying to deflect the question. "But you might want to talk…"

Chase was interrupted by alarms going off from Sam's room. "Chase get in here," Thirteen yelled. Chase rushed into the room.

"I can't breathe," Sam gasped.

"Getting the epi," Chase said.

Thirteen listened to Sam's chest with her stethoscope. "No murmurs, nor friction, no obstruction…"

"Give her the shot," Sam's dad yelled.

"What are you waiting for," Donna asked worriedly.

Thirteen pulls Sam forward and places the stethoscope to her back. Sam begins coughing up white foam. "She's coughing up white sputum," Chase says.

"Crackling two thirds of the way up," Thirteen states. Thirteen lays Sam back down and notices a vein sticking out of her neck. "Chase, look at her neck," Thirteen says.

"She's vomiting, could you give her the shot," Donna asks.

"It's not an allergy it's her heart," Chase says. Thirteen and Chase exchange glances.

Thirteen and Chase are able to slow down Sam's heart and stabilize her. They return back downstairs to the ddx room to discuss a new differential.

"What's the good news, what's the bad news," House asks while writing on the whiteboard.

"Congestive heart failure," Chase says.

"Is which," House asks.

"Good news," Chase replies. House turns around staring at Chase. "I don't know, it just sounded like you," Chase replied.

"It's a new symptom," Adam said from the corner rubbing his face.

"A new puzzle piece, that's always good news," House said. "What's the bad news?"

"We've got two puzzle pieces from two different puzzles," Foreman said.

"Seems that way," House said sighing.

"What if her anaphylaxis wasn't anaphylaxis," Taub asked. "Toxicity from the anti-rejection meds could cause a seizure and then heart failure."

"That got cured by an epi-pen," Adam asked.

"It's anaphylaxis," House agreed. "What else?"

"What if there really are two puzzles," Foreman asked.

"You think she had two unrelated, rare conditions in one week," Chase questioned unconvinced.

"We explained the anaphylaxis," Foreman retorted.

"What do you mean 'we'," House asked. "I did! At least I thought I did, maybe I didn't. Still, it was all me."

"And I suppose heart problems are rare in someone who's recently had a heart transplant," Adam interrupted.

"Who's side are you on," House asked.

"Let's assume House was right about the anaphylaxis…" Foreman started.

"It is tempting," House said.

"Heart failure could be either infection, coronary disease, or rejection," Foreman said smirking at House.

House glared back at Foreman, "What ties both of these conditions together?"

"There's no fever so it's probably not infection," Adam says.

"Or no fever because she's been on immune-suppressants for the last six months," Taub retorts.

"We should be sure," Thirteen said. "We should do a CT, get a heart biopsy."

House nods, "Go."

The team gets up and files out of the ddx room. They get Sam and take her down to radiology. The team is crammed in the small control room while the CT machine runs. "So Dr. Trzaska, how are you liking your first day," Foreman asked making conversation.

"It's good," Adam said. "I'm hoping for a positive resolution to this case but for now it's going fine." The team sat in silence for a moment watching the computer monitors.

"Where did you go to med school," Taub asked.

"Texas A&M," Adam replied. Everyone in the room turned around to look at him.

"You didn't go to Hopkins," Chase asked.

"Nope," Adam replied looking at the monitor.

"Are you originally from Texas," Thirteen asked.

"Yes," Adam responded. "I grew up in a small town in central Texas."

"I don't mean to sound rude but were you in the top of your class," Taub asked.

"Nope," Adam responded. He looked back at Taub looking serious. "I don't mean to be rude, but if I give too much information away you guys will ruin House's latest puzzle." Adam's eyebrows narrowed as he stared at the screen. "What's that," he said pointing his cane at the screen.

"Think it's vegetation," Chase asks.

"Yeah, the kind made of muscle that opens your heart valves," Foreman said. "It's nothing. She's clean." Foreman gets up and leaves the control room as Sam is ejected from the MRI. She sits up and looks at Foreman. "Everything looks good," Foreman said. "You don't show any signs of coronary artery disease."

"So what's next," Sam asks.

"Well, blood work to rule out infection, and then a heart surgical biopsy to rule out rejection," Foreman replied.

"But you don't think you're going to rule out both things, do you," Sam asked.

Foreman shook his head solemnly, "No."

"I'm going to lose this heart aren't I," Sam questioned.

"Hopefully we'll find the problem and fix it," Foreman replied. "You'll get to keep your heart for a long time."

"How long," Sam asked.

"There could be drug breakthroughs that allow you to keep it for decades more," Foreman said.

"Yeah, that's the answer my cardiologist always gives me," Sam replied defeated. "I looked it up on the web. It's like five or ten years right?"

Foreman nods, "That's about the average."

"That's why I need to have a life," Sam said determined. "Why can't you convince my mom to let me go back to school?"

"Sam, you've got bigger worries right now than missing school," Foreman replied. "Until we figure out what's wrong with your heart, the safest place for you to be is right here."

Taub shook his head inside the control room listening to the conversation. "This girl is dying and she's more worried about going to school than living."

"All she's concerned about is living," Thirteen responded. "She knows that every day she has is precious. She doesn't want to waste any of it. How does that make her a bad person?"

"Well as long as she doesn't start having sex with random strangers and doing drugs I'd say there's nothing wrong with it," Chase replied. Thirteen glared at Chase knowing his comment was directed at her.

"I didn't realize there was anything wrong with that," Adam spoke up. "Sounds like a lot of fun to me." Adam limped out of the control room to help Foreman leaving Taub, Thirteen, and Chase speechless.