Remy arrived to work late and still somewhat wired from her last intake of cocaine. When House breezed in, he found her concentrated on the last exams results, seated at the table of the conference room among his other employees, Dr. Foreman and Dr. Taub.
"Everyone seems too focused and quiet. Am I interrupting a prayer?", House greeted.
"It's called working", Foreman answered matter of factly. He was a taciturn person who rarely took into account his boss sarcasms. He did not really care about his boss' mood and it was a good balance considering how often House's moods were changing.
"The patient crashed during the night and had to be intubated", Taub stated. He was usually trying to refocus the attention on the work in order to avoid his disintegrating marriage to become again the main topic of a trivial conversation.
"'Cause you know if you don't believe in science…", House said, ignoring both of their answers before trailing off and stopping in his track to look more closely at Dr. Hadley.
He turned toward Thirteen to appreciate her attitude more closely. "On second thought, this one doesn't seem too religious to me." He gave her a look-over before asking, "What drug are you riding on today? Cocaine, meth or some good old ecstasy?"
Remy eyed him callously with no intention to answer.
"Care to share?", he said with a wink. He continued staring at her and waiting for a reaction before conceding she would not give in.
"Well, if everyone is so damn fixated on working, lets throw ideas about why this girl is now dying from her lack of breath." And with that remark, they refocus the discussion on their current case. However, the differential was short and inconclusive.
"Foreman, do an extended tox screen and access her antibodies. We might have missed out on something. She is a teenager after all."
"Taub, go check her home. Let's find out what she is hiding."
Remy waited for an instruction and House was waiting for the two men to leave the conference room. Before speaking again, he looked at her from head to toe before detailing the lines of her face, trying to evaluate the vibes coming from her. When he was satisfied, he nodded to himself and focused on her eyes again.
"Thirteen, go spend time with the depressed dying kid", he said with a false air of detachment.
Remy picked up on the spilt-second were his concern became apparent on his face and her demeanour changed in reaction to this realisation. She stopped being defensive and became curious of his unaffected interest. "You want me to connect with her?", she stated more than asked. She gave him a dubious look before continuing, "You want me to get prospective on my own misery. You are… caring", she concluded with disturbance at the odd conclusion and pride for being able to comprehend his motives.
House shook his head in negation, his face blank again. "Go do your job."
xxxx
When Remy entered the room of the patient, she found her crying silently, tears falling along her cheeks in a slowly but incessant pattern. She urged to her side and stroked her cheeks, erasing the teardrops.
"What is it?", she asked quietly, trying to make eye contact.
"Nothing" Melissa replied. She straightened herself on a sitting position on the bed and looked at Remy. "I'm fine", she added with a wavering smile.
"You don't seem fine", the doctor said with kindness in her voice. "Apart from all your obvious symptoms", she added, using a touch of humour to alleviate the mood.
Melissa chuckled. "You're sharp."
Remy laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Well, how do you think I became a doctor?".
The teenager smiled meekly.
"So, what is making you so sad?", the older woman asked again.
"I'd rather not talk about it", Melissa answered with pleading eyes.
Remy obliged but took a glimpse at the wrist of the young girl while she was shredding off a lock of hair that was sticking to her damp face.
"How did you manage to do that in here?" Her voice had raised, and she had an alarmed look on her face.
"I have my ways", the girls said crossing her arms with a glib smile.
"If you don't tell me, I'll have to get a nurse to search through all your belongings", Remy replied with a serious tone. She disliked playing the bad cop but she could not let her patient hurt herself in the hospital, especially not when her state was worsening.
"Fine." Melissa decided to give in at the persuasive look on the brunette's face. She kind of liked this doctor and did not want to have to deal with more people sticking their nose into her business. It was already hard enough to be bed-ridden in hospital. She turned toward her nightstand and opened the first cupboard. She slowly took out the generic bible and opened it. Inside was a blade, still wrapped in its original thick paper packaging. She looked at it for a moment, then seized it delicately and extended her hand toward the physician.
Remy stared intently at the scene happening in front of her and many different feelings came upon her. She finally took the blade from the girl and secured it in her pocket. "What triggered you?", she asked, not letting go of Melissa eyes while the teenager was fidgeting in front of her.
"I feel powerless in this hospital bed", Melissa admitted. Her big eyes were staring at the doctor and Remy could see the raw pain in them.
xxxx
"I was looking for you", Allison said brightly to a tired Remy. The brunette had been walking automatically toward the cafeteria too lost in her thoughts to acknowledge the people around her. There were always people around in a hospital and she had learned long ago to create a vacuum to eliminate the people busying around her and find some peace in her inner self.
It took Remy a few seconds to register that the blonde was smiling at her and also talking to her. Her face changed from constricted and pensive to a more responsive one. She smiled back at Allison, signifying she was pleased with her presence. "So you're ready for this lunch", she said with a playful expression, making her smile dance impishly on her lips.
As predicted, Allison blushed at the hidden meaning of the sentence. But instead of fixating on this thought, she kept the conversation going. "I've been starving since ten a.m."
Remy's smile broadened at the blonde's reaction. "You should have eaten a breakfast", she feigned admonishing.
"I did", the blonde replied with a chortle. "But the ER was exhausting this morning and I started at six", she added with a grimace.
"Poor you", Remy said, joining her laugh. "That's when I realise that maybe working for House isn't that bad. He is never there before nineish, which usually is more around ten."
"But he expects you to do his work while he is sleeping in", Allison pointed out.
"Well, honestly he has been kind of lenient with my latest lack of efforts", Remy admitted, still wondering what was the reason behind this forbearance.
Allison looked shocked. Before she could say something about it, the brunette grabbed her arm to direct her toward the cafeteria. They made their way to the room to enjoy a lunch together.
"How was your morning", the blonde asked to the brunette.
Remy frowned slightly. "I was on babysitting duty."
The answer surprised Allison. "Really? Doesn't sound like House." She subconsciously leaned on the table, her interest picked.
The brunette shook her heard to dismiss the oddity of her last statement. "He thinks I need to put in perspective my own misery", she conceded with a hand in the air.
The blonde's eyebrows rose with curiosity and she rested her head in one hand. "He told you that?"
The younger doctor smiled and shook her head again. "Not really. But I don't see any other explanation for his special assignment".
Allison refrained herself from saying that maybe it was not so much of a bad idea. "What happened to this patient?"
"Fifteen years old girl with chronic hyperventilation-related complications. She has had loss of consciousness, muscle cramps and tetany. And, for the moment nothing abnormal shows up in any test. Last night she had to be intubated because of a worsening episode. I should be testing her, not babysitting her."
The case captured the interest of the blonde's mind and she went reflective, looking into the distance while concentrating on the potential causes. "Tricky"
"And she cuts herself", Remy added nonchalantly, trying to cover up her own interest in this last fact.
Allison's eyes met hers again and widen. "She told you that?"
"I saw the scars. And she did it again last night. But it's not deep enough to seem related", the brunette stated.
"Maybe she caught an infection, through one of her wounds that would explain the abnormal breathing. Or maybe it just has to do with anxiety", the blonde proposed.
Remy pondered the ideas. One of them could be fitting. "Her cortical levels are normal. So not anxiety related. But I'll have a better look at her wounds to see if they seem to have healed abnormally."
Allison nodded silently in response, not losing eye contact with the brunette. When she saw her relax back into her seat, she asked, "So, why this patient in particular?"
Remy mimed a face of incomprehension.
The blonde made her case clearer. "If House chose this patient for you to babysit, he must have a reason. Either you were deadweight this morning or this patient is special. Since you seem fine now…"
Remy cringed. "I had a few too many pills yesterday. With the drinks we had, it did not mix well", she lied through her teeth.
But Allison nodded unconvinced. She knew they did not drink that much, but she let it lie. "You shouldn't use too much sleeping pills."
"I know", Remy answered with more honesty.
"You wanna be like House?", Allison said more jokingly. She had decided to alleviate the mood. After all, it was their first lunch together in a while.
"Would you like it?", Remy countered teasingly.
Allison was mortified by her assumption and blushed heavily. "He told you…" she said hesitantly, defeat clear in her voice.
"He did", Remy confirmed with a grin and mocking eyes.
The blonde tried to brush it off as best as she could. "It was a long time ago."
The brunette kept smiling at her, taunting her. "I hope so."
xxxx
Remy was walking in the hallway, absent-mindedly grazing at the small object in her lab pocket. She was pondering the diagnostic she came up with after talking with Allison moments ago, and she was on her way to talk to House about it. While re-examining her interaction with the patient, she remembered her scars. She had felt a rush of heat when Allison had asked about the reason why this patient was special to her. Years after, she was still reluctant to talk about this particular matter. Instead of going away, the shame had never truly left, just been ignored, covered up by her undamaged new skin. While thinking, her grip on the blade tightened and her finger came in direct contact with the sharp metal. She felt the plunge of it in her tender flesh and withdrew her hand quickly, automatically grabbing her harmed finger with her other hand. The blood was rising thick and bright. The cut was small but its localization made it more spectacular than its significance. She felt a rush of paradoxical emotions in her veins. Alongside the pain was an odd glow of enjoyment at seeing that she was still alive and an old reminiscence of relief associated with this sensation. She went in an empty patient room to grab a gauze to tie around her finger to stop the bleeding. She kept it this way and put her hand in her pocket. She finally reached House's office and saw him facing the wall and throwing his ball at it. He seemed concentrated and did not hear her coming.
"I think it's partial tetanus."
House looked up at her with a frown. "Doesn't fit. No remarkable spasms." He quickly resumed his previous activity.
"In a few rare case, the spams are very limited to the region were the infection started", she said to request his attention back.
He stopped throwing his ball but did not look at her. "Did you find an entry for the infection near her lungs?"
"Not yet. But I've seen cuts on her".
The new piece of information made him turn his head toward the other doctor. "Humm. A cutter. So original those days." He detailed Thirteen's appearance and asked, "Are you one too?"
Remy's eyes bulged and the stared a little too long before answering "What?". She regained her composure and added, "I confiscated her razor blade."
"The blood on your pocket", House said flatly directing his gaze toward the named pocket. Then he raised his eyes to meet hers. "However, your silence teaches me a lot more"
Remy narrowed her eyes and started answering dismissively, "Sure. I …".
House interrupted her. "I should take a hold of that blade, just to be sure you don't add that to the drugs." He extended his hand to her patronizingly.
Remy ignored his comment and just said, "I'll go verify my theory."
xxxx
In the afternoon, Remy saw Allison trying to take a glance at her from the hallway. She was amused. When she saw her in her boss office, in the middle of what looked like a conversation with him, she grew curious. House and Allison rarely talked about anything but patients. But there, even if she was not able to hear the words they spoke, she could tell by their attitude that it was not a typical work conversation. She observed them for a minute before entering the room. Maybe they were talking about was some ethical issue and it had taken a more personal angle. However, when they heard her come into the room, they stopped their discussion and directed their attention toward her. Remy eyed them suspiciously, trying to find a detail that would betray the meaning of this gathering.
House spoke first. "Is this theory of yours verified?"
"I found the cuts and she is on antibiotics", Remy replied flatly. She was still distracted by the incongruity of the scene she witnessed.
House nodded. "Let me know if she respond to them."
"Why are you two talking?", the brunette inquired.
"I'm trying to persuade her to not give up on men and I've offered my services", House said to divert her from her query. "I'm a pretty convincing specimen. She might have forgotten all about you by tomorrow".
Both women rolled their eyes; Remy not buying the diversion and Allison getting bothered by the heavy subtext.
"I bet you clinic hours that she would prefer me over you", Remy countered blatantly with a sly smirk. She earned a slap on the arm from Allison, accompanied by a dark glare.
On the other hand, House was smiling mischievously, obviously imagining how she would convince the blonde. "I'm ready to bet a month of clinic duty to see that happening."
Remy chuckled despite trying not to, at the sight of Allison's dissension, and earned another slap. "Hey, it hurts you know".
"Good!", the blonde replied with annoyance. "You two are impossible to deal with when ganged up." She gave House a similar glance and it only enabled him even more.
"Maybe that's something to try…", he started alluding.
Allison held her hands up, as if surrendering, and said, "I'm out of here".
They both looked at her living the room and when she had passed through the door Remy turned toward House again. He was already doing something else, rummaging through a cupboard with a focused face.
"What were you talking about with Allison?", she asked again, seriousness present in her voice once again.
"Nothing that matters to you", House answered.
Remy knew not to trust this kind of statements from him. "It did not look like nothing. I hope you are not trying to meddle… again".
"You know me. I would never do such a thing", he said with feigned naiveté.
"Sure", Remy answered, knowing she would not get a straight answer out of him.
Thank you for the reviews Kate and 'nice anonymous guests'. It is very much appreciated and motivating.
Because of the person that commented just to say that they were offended by the plot, I now moderate the anonymous reviews so don't worry if yours doesn't appear straight away. I really would like more criticism on this story but I don't want simple hateful comments about the sexuality of the characters.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please give me your thoughts.
