Chase tried to look away from Cuddy as she glared at him, repeating herself "we need to talk about what you just did."
"I didn't do anything…"
"You called a patient an addict."
"He is an addict!"
"I know but you don't start screaming it at the parents! What the hell were you thinking?"
He shook his head, not sure what exactly had happened. He had not gone into the room planning to shout and argue, it just ended up that way. It was House's fault for giving him such a difficult patient to begin with. "I don't know. House…"
The expression on her face twisted from anger to disbelief, "House? You are taking lessons on patient relationships from House?"
"No. No, god no." The thought was sickening to him. House was good at what he did but he was terrible with patients. Actually, Chase remembered, he was terrible with people even when they weren't patients and he wasn't going to let himself turn into House under any circumstances. "He deliberately gave me this patient," he saw Cuddy roll her eyes, "so that I would shout!"
"It's no excuse."
"So do I have to go and apologise to them?"
"No. I managed to calm them down enough that they agreed not to make a fuss if I gave them a different doctor."
"Should give them House," Chase laughed at the image in his head. If the family thought he had been blunt then they would be entirely unprepared.
"No, I gave them Cameron."
"Of course," Cameron would be able to calm them down, she had that way about her; she could calm anyone.
Cuddy turned around and began to walk towards the door but paused, the anger gone from her voice; "so what happened Chase?"
He shook his head, not being able to admit to her why he had lost his temper. He couldn't admit how he was on tenterhooks, waiting for the day when House would become bored with his games and finally fire him.
"Okay… just don't turn into him."
She left and Chase found himself wondering if that was going to be House's next game. He decided, leaving the room; that it was never going to happen; he'd rather resign.