"You can't just let him go home," Cuddy insisted to House two days later when the patient asked to be released, "He bled all over the clinic, something that causes that just doesn't go away on its own." She stood facing him, leaning back against her desk and crossing her legs.

House had his own theories, but since his patient hadn't made a peep in two days, had kept them to himself, "There isn't anything wrong with him and he doesn't want to stay here. He has systematically fallen out of love with every member of my team. I had to go up and talk to him and got the impression that he wouldn't piss on me if I was on fire."

"What did he say?"

"That he wouldn't piss on me if I was on fire."

Cuddy sighed, "It's not that unusual that someone hates you."

"Without ever having met me?"

"Maybe he has met you." Cuddy suggested.

"All the more reason to let him leave."

"You haven't explained his symptoms."

"He has no symptoms." House told her again, his voice impatient, "Not physical ones anyway."

"Lemme guess, he was faking in order to throw us all off the trail of the true purpose of murdering you."

"Close, I think he has targeted you actually."

"Excuse me?" Cuddy said, now incredulous.

"He wants us to treat him then claim something went wrong to make you and this hospital look bad. He will sue and make a big public example as to why you shouldn't be Dean."

"Why would he want to do that? He just donated-"

House took out his phone as she began speak and pulled up the video. He thrust the phone at her and Elliot's manifesto blared throughout her office. When it was over, she was speechless, "Donating only makes you look worse. You can't even properly care for a hospital donor."

"Even if he actually concocted this elaborate plan, there are plenty of people who can say he refused treatment," Cuddy said, trying to take the disturbing video in stride, "A Youtube video doesn't change that. We have a good reputation and he denied treatment, I don't see how he can sue us."

"Unless we keep him here against his will." House pointed out.

"Fine, send him home." Cuddy finally agreed.


"I still don't get how he managed to bleed all over the clinic but his tox screen was clean. Even if he took something to cause it, something that potent would show up." Chase was discussing as House came back to his office after talking to Cuddy.

"Doesn't matter, he's going home." House said, but his tone was non-committal. He shared his curiosity of how the initial symptoms began.

"Cuddy thought he was faking it too?" Foreman asked House.

"Only after I showed her this." House tossed his phone with the video on it at Taub, who began to watch.

Taub gave a 'whoa' and Foreman and Chase gathered behind him to watch. Taub was oddly fascinated, Foreman made a disgusted face, and Chase's expression was blank.

"Interesting." House said, eying His team's reactions, "No one is willing to jump on a soapbox for some sexist jerk? But you all usually have such strong opinions."

"Not our battle," Chase explained.

"No one is shocked you wouldn't leap in to save a lady unless there was sex at the end of it." Taub told him.

"Well, movies have taught us that's our consolation prize for being a hero." Chase said, clearly knowing the implications of what society had taught them.

"We forget that woman are the protagonists of their own movie, and maybe don't want to be the prize at the end." Foreman pointed out.

"Why are we feeling guilty for this?" Chase wanted to know, "We don't treat women like that. I would never refuse a female doctor just because I don't think she's capable." He defended.

God knows if my penis was bleeding, a woman would be first doctor I'd like to check it out." House quipped.

"He wouldn't let anyone check it out." Taub pointed out, "And Foreman and I are manly men."

Chase shot him a look.

"Case closed," House said, ending the discussion, "He's off home where he can hate women in privacy. Alright then, first person to find me a new-" House stopped, "Not even the nurse ever saw him naked?"

"Don't think so, he was acting like a girl." Taub said, "Not that there's anything wrong with acting like a girl..."

House smirked, before asking, "What happened to his bloody clothes?"

"I assume they're with the rest of the biological garbage." Foreman answered, "He brought them out in a trash bag after he'd changed."

"Time to go digging." House

His three team members knew better than to argue, but their faces were clearly unsure and disgusted.


"House, this is dangerous," Foreman said as they entered the door that read 'Biohazard'.

"Which is why we're going to wear gloves and masks." House said, snapping on latex gloves and handing the box to Foreman.

They had little trouble finding the one black trash bag where all the other were clear and blue. House tore it open just as Taub secured his mask. Bloody clothes came pouring out in a heap. They all knew the smell of blood and were expecting it. House bent over and hardly touched the clothes before finding what he was looking for. A plastic packet stained red was attached to the chest of the thick wool sweater. House found another, both at the approximate position of where nipples might be found in a shirt.

Chase's brow drew together as he held up the black pants, finding a similar plastic packet near the inside zipper. There were little tubes that led into the sweater sleeve and a small button activator that had burst the packets together and made it appear as if the man was bleeding from his chest and groin. The tube leading to the pants had been cut, but had clearly been attached as well.

"He wouldn't let us undress him because we'd find this." Chase said, disbelievingly.

Foreman shook his head, "But why would he fake it and then build such a bad case for trying to sue us?"

Chase turned the pants in his hands and everyone heard a small metallic clang hit the concrete surface of the floor. They all turned to look at what it had caused the noise. Much to their horror, unspent and utterly recognizable, it was a large bullet.