"Why don't you want me to get a Cochlear?" Stephanie asked Cuddy the following day.
"Excuse me?" Cuddy asked, looking up from the medical record she was reading.
"Don't you want me to hear again?"
"Of course I do, but…"
"Then why don't you want me to get a Cochlear?" Stephanie repeated.
"A Cochlear involves cutting into your brain, Stephanie. They slice your God Damn brain open. The operation can cause permanent brain damage if it doesn't kill you first."
"But the benefits outweigh the risks by far" Stephanie protested. Cuddy sighed as she leaned forward.
"Your father told you that didn't he?" Stephanie nodded.
"He also said that you wanted to keep me deaf so you could play the sympathy card for donors and the hospital board. I don't want to be used as a tool for your political needs!"
"Sweetie, I can't believe he told you that!" Cuddy responded. "Of course I'm not using you as a sympathy card. If there were a less risky way for you to get even some of your hearing back, I would have signed you up a long-time ago." Stephanie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Look, if you really want to get the Cochlear, we can look into it, but I'm not guaranteeing anything." Stephanie got up and ran over to give Cuddy a hug.
"Thanks, mom" she immediately said.
"I didn't say 'yes'"
"I know, but thanks!" Stephanie said before getting up and walking out of the living room…
Cuddy was at work, the following day, when she received a phone call. "Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Dr. Cuddy speaking."
"Yes, hello, Dr. Cuddy. My name is Detective Holbrook. I'm just following up on the charges you've filed against Edward Vogler. I have to be quite honest with you since there is no evidence that Mr. Vogler harassed Stephanie, let alone was in your home, you really don't have a case."
"So that's it?" Cuddy shouted into the phone. "He tries to rape my daughter, and he gets away, just like that?"
"I've already talked to another individual involved in this who said that he never attempted to rape your daughter. She claimed that Mr. Vogler tried to proposition her, but…"
"Wait! She?"
"Yes, we spoke to…hold on…an Allison Cameron yesterday morning and based on what she said, Mr. Vogler did nothing wrong. Stephanie willingly let him in; there's no evidence he even laid a hand on her, and he did leave without a fight."
"He threatened my daughter!" Cuddy shouted.
"Were you there when he supposedly said that?"
"No, but…"
"Then I'm afraid you don't have a case" Detective Holbrook told Cuddy before hanging up. Cuddy slammed her phone back on the receiver. God help Cameron the next time she saw her because Cuddy swore that she would not be responsible for her actions…
House came barging into Cuddy's office and sat down on her couch. "You're not supposed to be here" Cuddy reminded him. "If Vogler catches you…"
"I'm not here as a Doctor" House quickly said. "I'm merely here as a 'patient'."
"You know that won't get you extra Vicodin, right?"
"Oh snap! Anyway, how's Stephanie doing?" Cuddy's upper lip curled and her eyes narrowed.
"Why the hell did you bring her up to Boston? And without even consulting me? I was worried sick. Between you and Cameron, I don't know whom to trust anymore!"
"What did Cameron do?"
"Well other than cover up for you by telling a huge lie of omission, she basically ruined any chance of Stephanie ever getting any justice!" House leaned forward on his cane.
"What do you mean?" House began to seethe inside while Cuddy talked about the phone call she just received. Because of Cameron's need to be blatantly honest about every little thing, Vogler was going to get away with murder. "Not if I can help it!" House blurted out.
"What?" Cuddy said, confused by his sudden outburst. House didn't answer. He just got up and walked right out of her office. "Oh God, what is he up to now?" Cuddy muttered, placing her hand to her head and massaging her aching temples…
House barged right into the conference room in the middle of a differential which Forman was leading. "House, what are you doing here?" he asked. "If Vogler catches you…"
"Will everybody stop worrying already?" House shouted to his three stunned fellows. "I'm here on a personal matter. Not to work!"
"When have you ever been here to work?" Chase muttered under his breath. However, House heard him clear as day.
"What was that, Wombat?"
"Nothing," Chase quickly said, quickly looking down and pretending to be intently studying the medical record in front of him.
"Anyway, Cameron get out here!"
"But we're in the middle of a differential, and since you don't work here anymore, you can't…"
"Just get the hell out here!" Cameron nervously looked up at Forman who nodded in acknowledgement.
"You have 5 minutes House!"
"That's more than enough time," House said as he walked out, with Cameron close behind.
"What the HELL were you thinking?" House shouted once they were outside.
"Excuse me?"
"Because of your little talk with the Detective yesterday, Cuddy can't press charges against Vogler."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, I think you do, Allison! Does 'well there's no evidence that Vogler was at Cuddy's let alone tried to rape Stephanie' ring a silly little bell?"
"Detective Holbrook is a man of the law and I'm obligated to tell him the truth" Cameron explained. "The only proof I have is what Stephanie told me. He didn't rape her, so there's no physical evidence. Also, nothing in the home looked out of place."
"So are you calling Stephanie a liar?"
"No, but I can't lie and say that I saw Vogler leave or that there was a broken window or…"
"Well you better fix this?" House snapped.
"So you want me to lie?"
"Yes, Cameron. I know the mere thought of lying is enough to send you into a nervous breakdown but…"
"I'm not doing it," she muttered.
"Well then you've lost a very good friend."
"But Cuddy and I never were that close."
"I meant Stephanie," House said before turning around and walking away.