Chapter 12
This is bad, this is bad, this is very very bad!
I walked into the ER after talking to Cuddy. She told me exactly what House did and now I'm starting to suspect that I have been found out. I may not be as safe as I previously thought.
The ER was packed with patients. As soon as I walked in I noticed 'nemesis' barking orders at the doctors and staff. What really scared me though was the fact that they were listening to her. I do know that with so many patients, organisation is needed… but I was still surprised.
The last few weeks, ever since I let Jodie cover for me, the ER has been a sort of war zone in which every doctor has had to take a side. The side of the current captain fighting off an invasion of unwelcome guests or the side of the pirate who's aiming for mutiny. To toss the captain on a desert island and leave them just for the joy of watching them watch the ocean on which the pirates sail past everyday, just to rub it in further that they won and you didn't. So far I thought I was winning but looking at the scene before me I felt as if my celebration was premature. I could sense the tides beginning to shift.
When the doctors finally noticed I was here they left Jodie and came over to fill me in on the current situation. We had a bus accident as well as the usual patients that got into fights or bitten by their neighbours rabid dog while the owners were on holiday. I listened or at least I tried to. I have done so much of this in the past that after I hear what's happened I can usually just give out the right orders without thinking. I knew not paying attention had side effects but I was focusing on the doctors that, after coming to greet me, had gone back to Jodie. I noticed there were more than usual. I knew I was going to have to do something about this, and soon.
The ER was beginning to thin out as the patients got treated. So far I had helped 15 and Jodie had helped 11. Ha! Take that!
I know I'm being childish but it does make me feel better to give my attention to something as simple and pointless as a competition based on who was better than the other, besides, I could afford to take my eye off the ball now I had figured out what to do with her. I decided to take a page from House's book and while I was at it I also decided to take his private investigator. Lucas turned out to be a great help although I do admit it will be hard to hide a $1450 dollar bill in a stack of hospital files, even House couldn't pass on the costs to the hospital and Cuddy practically does everything he says. I suppose the thing I have on my side is trust. Cuddy trusts me, so if I say I have done all the sums for the month she probably won't double check, after all, I do have the best kept charts in the building.
After I figured out a way to get 'nemesis' off my back I decided to give josh a call. I felt I was in a reasonable mood right now and if he was very lucky I might not even yell at him for falling asleep. I dialled, he picked up after the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Hi Josh, you feeling better after your nap?" Ok, so maybe I'm not all that reasonable.
"Uh...yeah...about that... um, sorry?" he sounded embarrassed.
"You should be. You know she could've seen you? And she might have, and you can't even tell me if I have something to worry about because... tell me why Josh" I was enjoying this, Josh is so sweet it's almost unfair I can get away with this so easily.
"Um... because I fell asleep?" now he was sorry.
"That's right Josh; you fell asleep. So now you have to help me with my back up plan"
"You have a back up plan" he sounded worried, poor Josh.
"Yes. If I thought there was a chance it could happen, I planned for it. Now go to the back of your closet where we were hiding and look in the shelf to the right. Thirteen's hospital badge should be there"
"One sec. Okay. Yeah I found it, but what am I supposed to do with it?"
I smirked; this was going to be fun.
After I got off the phone I decided to go back to the ER. A little surveillance work was in order. I looked around; I could clearly see the teams being formed. Those who would stick with me, The Captain, and those who would stick with the invader, Jodie.
I decided to take a closer look, I could see I had the majority but the tables could turn at any minute, one thing I know for sure though is that 'nemesis' won't make a move until she's sure she'll win. Too much was riding on this takeover to act sooner and somewhere in my subconscious was the thought to make sure no one was following me. I thought I could ask some of the nurse's that had fought publicly against Jodie to help me understand better what was going on, so far I had five I knew that would fight for me. Emma, Jessica, Lauren, Kelly and Rachel. They all had different perspectives on the situation.
Emma told me that Jodie was doing this for control. That she was sick of always being told what to do and how to do it and as her boss I happen to be the one unfortunate enough to get the full blast of this decision.
Jessica said that Jodie was evil, that she didn't care what happened to me as long as she got to the top of the food chain. Jessica thought Jodie only wanted the ability to order around the rest of us, not to mention the better parking space and higher income.
Lauren thought that Jodie was confused. She didn't have many friends here and finds it hard to trust people. She told me I should get to know her and try to sort this out before it gets out of control.
Kelly perceived Jodie as the type of person who just wants everything their way. She said Jodie was a bit selfish but probably means well, in some twisted way that only makes sense to her.
Rachel told me that she may be calculating and cruel at times but she does have a heart and even if she doesn't show it she still cares about people just like you and me. Rachel compared Jodie's personality to House, but she compared the calculating plans to me. Rachel told me that everyone has noticed I have been up to something lately but no one knew what it was. She told me that's why Jodie is moving her plans forward. It was all quite interesting really and I though that on some level they all were right. A million different things make us who we are and we are never going to pinpoint all of them.
I kept speculating until it was time to go home and I thought I'd walk past House's office on the way to see if Thirteen was still there. She normally was but as I neared the office I realised that no one was there. Oh well, I'll see her again tomorrow. I walked out into the cold night air but froze when I saw two figures across the parking lot having a very quiet but heated discussion. That's not what froze me though; one of the figures was wearing an ER set of scrubs and the other had a cane.
Jodie had gone to House.
This is bad, this is bad, this is very very bad!
