Chapter 10

2 weeks later House was still walking on crutches, but it went a lot less labored, and he didn't need to pause anymore. He and Turner also agreed to switch to Fentanyl 50 instead of 75 and with a little extra Vicodin that transition went very smoothly. Cameron Foreman and Chase were covering for him in the clinic, and he happily spent his days in his office, occasionally Googling something, and when he got bored he actually opened a few emails.

Philadelphia Park, Bensalem, NJ.

The early afternoon sun shone on his face, and he inhaled the gentle breeze that accompanied it. The sound of the crowds, the slightly nervous bubbling energy right before the start. The smell of dust, leather... And the horses.

8 top-fit ones were impatiently shifting around in the start boxes. Tim kept his eye on the starter, holding on to the reigns.

And they were off!

With the sudden jolt of Marin's Dream leaping forward, he felt the familiar adrenalin rush through his veins. Within 2 strides he had positioned himself over the mares' shoulders, and in perfect balance they sped along the track, in 3rd position. The gentle breeze now was strong enough to make his eyes water, if he wouldn't be wearing goggles.

The sounds of the cheering crowd was completely washed out now, replaced by the loud-ish rustling breathing of his horse, the dull pounding of the hooves on the sand. The flow of the manes and the wind rushing through them, and the power if the moving muscles underneath him.

Man, he loved his job.

They took the first fence smoothly. Marin was a good jumper, he could let her calculate the distance pretty much on her own, and she didn't really need the little extra pressure indicating take-off. Fence 2 was cleared with ease and as they started rounding the corner he tried to stay close to the rail.

Marin was pulling on the bit, wanting to go faster, but he knew he had to hold her back for now or she would loose too much ground later on. There were 4 more jumps on the long end. He gave Marin a bit more reins so she could elongate her stride, but as they took off he saw the horse in front of him swerve. It bumped into them, causing Marin to stumble over the fence, without a way to safely land. And as every jockey knew, it was impossible to stay seated when your horse landed flat in it's knees with it's nose to the ground.

Tim let go of the reins, praying none of the horses behind him would accidentally injure him by landing on top of him. But this time the injury happened when he hit the ground. A sharp pain in his right leg made him temporarily forget about other horses possibly trampling him to death. It's wasn't the first time he had broken something due to a fall, but God this hurt!

In the ambulance he managed to ask how his ride was. The paramedic shrugged, and said he didn't know.

Then the pain meds really started kicking in, and the next thing he knew they were rolling him into Princeton Plainsborough Teaching hospital on a stretcher.

Cuddy was standing at the nurses station desk in the main clinic hallway, when she spotted House coming out of the elevator. She grabbed a stack of files and walked up to him.

"What are you doing here? You don't have clinic duty."

"Need a refill", House replied, taking an empty Vicodin bottle out of his pocket.

"I was looking for Wilson, or Cameron, but you will do."

He half dropped half put the crutches against the counter and leaned on the tabletop for support. Marco the pharmacist only briefly glanced at Cuddy – who nodded – before he filled House's prescription. House took one and pocketed the bottle, then gathered the crutches again and turned to Cuddy.

"Any interesting cases?"

Cuddy shook her head, "Your not bored enough for these, and since you're spending most of your time in your office, I expect you to catch up on some of your paperwork."

House sighed, rolled his eyes, and turned around to made his way back to the elevator.

"And I will recognize Cameron's handwriting!" Cuddy warned.

There were already two people in the elevator, and House entering caused them to politely shuffle to the side to make room. House inwardly grumbled at the "cripple effect", and inwardly grumbled some more when the elevator didn't first stop at his floor, but at the ortho ward. But the grumbling soon stopped as soon as the elevator doors opened.

A short dark-haired man on crutches with his leg in a cast was shouting at a nurse.

One of the men already in the elevator walked out, and House's curiosity was perked so he decided to do the same.

He looked as the elevator men walked up to the short men and put a hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down.

"Tim, what's going on?"

"This nurse", Tim fumed,"won't let me leave!"

"Why do they want to keep you here, is something wrong?"

"No, no, Dennis, I just broke my leg. They say I've got a fever, they want to run some tests. It's stupid, I'm going home, how's Marin?"

"Marin's fine, no lameness...are you sure you should be leaving? You do look a bit unwell."

"My goddamn leg hurts like hell, and my ribs are bruised," Tim gently put a hand over the lower ribs on his left side. "But I am not unwell, I am angry!"

"Excuse me," House said. "I couldn't help but overhear, since you are shouting so loudly, but I really think you should let the hospital run some tests. Ask them to refer the case to Dr. House. I've heard he's great, and that if you really are fine he'll be the first to discharge you."

5'3", about 120 pounds and talking about lameness. That guy's a jockey. House deducted.

And he was very curious how it came to be that he broke his right leg in what he assumed to be a fall, but bruised only his left ribs...
And on top of that the fever just didn't fit.