AN: Ok, I have a nice and LONG chapter for all of you, my wonderful readers! You have all been so incredibly encouraging and I couldn't resist writing again so soon.

This chapter I'm really very proud of because it was the one I've been waiting to write. When House told his story about why he decided to become a doctor (Season 3, Son of a Coma Guy) I wanted to write a story about it right away, but after a year I've finally put it to words. So here it is! House is living in Japan and with an extraordinary set of circumstances I will explain how I think House decided that he wanted to be a doctor!

Gregory House: The Early Years

Chapter 7: 1973

Greg looked outside the window mournfully and for one of the first times in his life he simply couldn't concentrate on his homework. Normally when they moved to a new place he was so eager to learn everything, but their new home was in Japan. And Greg wanted nothing more than to go rock climbing. The surrounding mountains were nothing short of breathtaking, and he was eager to explore with Youta.

Since the House family's arrival at the Marine base, Greg was fortunate enough to make a new friend quickly. Youta was the one assigned to help Greg when he arrived at the Japanese school. While the teachers were under the impression that the American Marine brat would need an English translator, and Youta was fluent in English. It was only the next logical step that the two would soon be fast friends, and both eventually took great amusement at how the same teacher was shocked when Greg spoke fluent Japanese a month later.

"Greg, are you done yet?" Blythe said, disturbing her son's thoughts.

Greg looked up from his unfinished math homework and groaned. "Not quite, Mom," he answered.

"I think," Blythe said. "That you would rather be outside."

Greg gave her a strange look. "I would."

"As long as you finish your work before you go to bed, I don't see anything wrong with you going out for a few hours," Blythe said smiling at how her son's face lit up with excitement.

"Thanks, Mom," Greg said quickly before running to the door as fast as he could.

"Tell Youta I said hi," Blythe called out after him.

But he was already out the door.


"I don't know Greg, it looks dangerous," Youta said nervously, looking at the rock face they were about to climb.

"No its not," Greg said calmly. "Look there are handholds every step of the way."

"Ok," Youta replied in agreement. "I hope this is worth it."

"When you see the view at the top you can thank me," Greg retorted before reaching out for the first hand hold. He carefully reached his leg forward and propelled himself up. Greg was grateful that he was thin and athletic because it definitely helped. After a few minutes he was over a third of the way up and only then did he look down.

"Youta, hurry up!" Greg called out to his friend who was only a couple of steps up. Youta looked pale and he was gripping the rock hard.

"Once you get up a couple more feet it will become easier," Greg said trying to comfort him. Youta only nodded grimly for reaching for the next hold.

Greg turned back to the rock face. His next hand hold was a little farther up then the previous ones, but with a little stretching he was sure to get it. And then…he heard the scream. For a spilt second it nearly made Greg let go of the rock he was holding, but he grabbed hold at the last moment. And with a great deal of dread he looked down. His friend was laying in a awkward position…on the ground.

"Youta!" Greg shouted alarmed as he tried to get down as quickly and as safely as he could. "Why didn't I listen?" Greg thought sadly. "I should've listened."

Within moments he was back on the ground, and then he was at Youta's side. His friend was sitting up and conscious, but was looking incredibly pale and he was clutching his right leg.

"Greg, I think it's broken," Youta said quickly before grimacing in pain.

"Well I'm no doctor," Greg said. "But let me look at it."

Youta lifted his hands and Greg saw that his friend definitely had a reason to be in so much pain. The leg was swollen and bright red save for the large bloody gash which held several clumps of dirt and gravel. Greg carefully picked it out and then wiped the blood on his hands off on the grass.

"Come on," Greg said. "We need to get you to the hospital."

"I don't know if I can walk," Youta complained.

"I'll fashion you a cane somehow," Greg replied before taking off in the woods. It took a little searching, but after a few minutes he found a sturdy branch that would support his friend's weight. When he got back Greg helped Youta to his feet and since he couldn't walk he used the stick in one hand and Greg was on his other side help him.


The hospital wasn't a long walk, but even after the short distance they covered both boys were getting very tired. So when they finally saw doors they entered it quickly though neither one noticed they walked in the wrong entrance.

Greg and Youta stopped and tried to figure out where they were. The hall way was unmarked and neither were familiar with the building enough to know where the emergency section was. But then there was movement nearby, and both looked at the newcomer.

The man looked like the most putrid homeless man Greg had ever seen. He was wearing what appeared to be a blue janitor's jumpsuit, yet it was hard to even tell if that was it's real color as it was covered in so much grime and dirt. His hair was lank and greasy, his face chiseled with hard edges and yet the man didn't seem to care about his appearance.

The strange janitor looked at the boys with an inquisitive look in his dark eyes. And then he pointed down the hall.

Greg thanked the man in Japanese and helped Youta continue down the hall.

"Buraku working in the hospital?" Youta muttered. "Horrible."

"Buraku?" Greg questioned, never before hearing the expression.

"He's an untouchable," Youta explained. "The worst people in all of Japan. They're murderers and gravediggers."

"Well he's a janitor," Greg pointed out.

"He's still unclean," Youta replied, before wincing in pain.

"We're almost there," Greg said. "Hang on."

An hour later Greg was sitting in a waiting room, anxiously hoping to hear about Youta's condition. When they finally reached the emergency room, Youta was ushered away almost immediately. They already told Greg that Youta's leg was in fact broken, but they said that he was still being treated for his cut.

When he wasn't thinking about his friend, Greg's thought continued to center on the sight of that peculiar janitor. Since the strange meeting, he'd seen the janitor twice. The janitor seemed to 

ignore and be ignored by everyone including the staff who seemed to regard him as the lowest scum on the earth. Greg simply couldn't comprehend how this man could take such prejudice.

"Greg!"

The boy turned anxiously at seeing not only his mother, but Youta's parents as well. This wasn't going to go well, Greg thought glumly. But at least his father wasn't there.

"Tell us what happened," Blythe said sternly.

Greg winced and sighed in growing dread. And then he told the whole story.


"He has an infection," the nurse told Greg the following day when he came to visit after school. "We are doing all we can for him."

Greg sat down next to Youta and watched as his friend spoke in a feverish delirium. Youta's parents were seated not far away, and both of them were still looking as horrified now as they were when Greg told them about Youta's fall. His parents were angry with both of them, but were for the most part fairly understanding. Greg's mother grounded him, but as disgusted as his dad was about the whole matter, was too busy with work to punish him.

"What's the problem?" Youta's mother asked in Japanese.

"Quite simply," the nurse said. "The doctors can't figure out which infection is causing his symptoms, and if the doctors can't figure it out your son will be in grave danger."

Greg sighed and once more regretted ever wanting to go rock climbing. If Youta died he would never forgive himself that was for sure.

"We still can't find the cause of Youta's infection," the doctor told Youta's parents and Greg.

"There is only one option left, but you might not like it," the doctor continued turning his attention to Youta's parents.

"And that is?" his mother asked.

"We have a man working for us who is a doctor with capabilities of figuring out any mysterious illness. His diagnostic prowess has saved more than one patient from death, and we think he'll be able to help your son," the doctor answered.

The father looked confused. "And why wouldn't we like him to treat our son?"

"He's Buraku," the doctor replied simply.

"Out of the question," the father replied harshly. "I don't want a lowlife coming anywhere near my son."

"Then we can't do anything for Youta," the doctor answered.

The parents glanced at each other, and seemed to come to an agreement.

"Let him cure our son," the mother said.

Greg was still in the room when this doctor came in the room minutes later. He gasped in shock to realize this phenomenal doctor…was the janitor.


In less than a day the janitor had done it. Youta was fully expected to make a full recovery. As it turned out there was a parasite in the dirt that infiltrated Youta's leg wound. The janitor ordered a full dose of an anti parasitic drug and Youta started feeling better almost immediately.

As thrilled as Greg was to see that his friend was feeling so much better, he was still thinking about the janitor. He witnessed firsthand how skilled this strange janitor was and he was blown away by how he'd accomplished so much while at the same time he was universally hated by everyone. It was nothing short of remarkable, because the janitor was right, it didn't matter that he was a Buraku.

Months later Greg was still being influenced by what he witnessed that day when Youta was cured. The biggest way he was changed was that Greg made the decision that he was going to be a doctor someday. Never before had the profession seemed like something he would aspire to be, but with every passing day Greg wanted to be a doctor even more.

Because of this he began to study ever book on medicine he could find. He learned how to read Latin so the medical terms would be easy to remember, he read books on different diseases, and even one all about pills. His hunger for everything medical was insatiable, and he was always learning something new. For the time being he kept his newly acquired interest away from his parents, but Greg knew that the day of reckoning would soon come.

It would be many years but with study and practice, Greg knew that one day there would be an M.D. on his name. One day in the future he would be that doctor everyone came to when they couldn't solve a medical mystery, and he would be the most respected doctor in the world. And for the first time in his life Greg actually believed that his dreams would come true.